I agree. Earn enough to keep your ass covered. Don’t bother with grind, even though it can be hard to avoid. One thing I am a little worried about where bounty hunting is concerned is the faction system. I don’t understand it well enough yet, but I agree at least to an extent, with what Sanderson said above on that.
As far as a progression system goes, I do feel that new players should be required to take part in a beginners “progression” system, which helps them learn the trading system first. All combat should be blocked out, (except maybe the possibility to be interdicted by low NPC AI), until they have traded a quota. That would mean they would spend just enough time doing it, to gain a knowledge of the games basics, and not enough time for it to become a grind. Along the way, cargo hauling missions would be added, then black box/rebel transmission type activities etc to add some variety and get them to grips with the basics involved with USS mechanics. It wouldn’t take them long. Its not like the trading system is complicated, and they could go do whatever they want as soon as they understand the basics. I think it would be beneficial to them, and the game. That way, Frontier could up the combat AI difficulty for the more experienced players, while not making the game too difficult for new players in the process. They wouldn’t be thrown straight into combat soon as they begin the game. The game needs more difficult enemy AI etc. It also needs more different stuff...... But right now, that stuff just isnt there, and it will be difficult to add improved AI, if new players are expected to get to grips with it straight off the bat. Given an option, many of them will go for combat straight out the gate. Then when they conquer that learning curve, that’s the challenge gone. Some new players complained about lacking a goal, and things being unclear. Some of them just didn’t understand anything. Some people will tell you this isnt a combat oriented game, but you cant tell people what they should be doing, and you cant tell them the game was made to cater to one audience or another. I think such a system should have been in from the 16th. They could have added a bubble, like the beta 1 bubble, where there was harmless AI, or none at all, and you start there and work your way out, which as I said, wouldn’t take long. Interdiction modules, upgraded weaponry, apart from possibly one or two items to help deal with NPC interdictions would also be locked out etc. I don’t know how things work behind the scenes, but it might be less costly than making new tutorials etc.
Maybe Im wrong. Anyway, just some thoughts.
