Naval progression needs an overhaul

[elaverick]

Elite: Dangerous is a difficult game. Gaining Pilots Federation ranks takes weeks of dedicated playing, and it feels like a real accomplishment because of it. But the Naval progression is awful.
I'm now considered a Baron in the Imperial navy because I took 2 tons of grain 5ly, that's not the job of a senior member of the imperial navy, that's a job for Occado.
Each new mission grants a new rank, no matter how trivial and I don't feel like I've earned my stripes.

I would far rather see the progression work how it used to in Frontier: First Encounters. Have a separate board for miilitary missions. With multiple missions to choose from, and with better more exciting missions offered as you increase in rank. Start off with supply runs, then add in rumbles against pirates, moving up to assassinations or recovery of stolen plans etc.
There also should be a requirement that pilots completed multiple missions to advance. By Baron I'd expect to have run 300 missions not just 5 or 6. It would also be good if not every station offered military missions, I want to know that if I trek to Eta Cassiopia that I've got a better chance of finding a mission than if I'm wallowing about in some federal backwater.

This isn't meant as a gripe, I love this game. But the navy side of things doesn't feel like a career, it's more like a mini game right now. I hope there's more to come on this side of things.

 

[[VR] Marrs]

I agree with you 100%. At the moment there is no sense of having a naval career, you're more of an odd-job freelancer. The part I enjoyed about Frontier the most was the naval missions, especially nuking enemy bases (I really hope they implement something similar once we get planetary landings). You should definitely have to do a lot of naval missions before you are promoted, not just one. I'm very surprised and disappointed with their current format. I can only surmise and hope that this is something on their 'to-do' list.

 

[SvennoJ]

I don't seem to be able to get started with the naval career. I have 3 naval progression missions, black ops kill someone in some system. 2 for the same system. I've been going from USS to USS yet they never show up. I spend close to 3 hours looking now. I wanted to buy a Clipper, but I think I'll just skip it if it all depends on random events showing up once in a blue moon.

 

[Howe]

I don't seem to be able to get started with the naval career. I have 3 naval progression missions, black ops kill someone in some system. 2 for the same system. I've been going from USS to USS yet they never show up. I spend close to 3 hours looking now. I wanted to buy a Clipper, but I think I'll just skip it if it all depends on random events showing up once in a blue moon.

I had that, looked for ages, then docked out of frustration. There was another kill mission at a different star. First USS I popped into, there the guy was. Try doing that. It doesn't matter which mission you complete, they'll all give you the rank.

 

[medwyn]

Yes, the ranking is seriously contentless.
My problem is that by the time it's been fleshed out, most commanders are on a pretty high rank with most factions and felt no gameplay between each of the ranks.

The best for these ranks would be to provide different permissions or possibilities. Every one of them. So some roles and functions in the game would not be accessible without reaching the naval ranks. Now we have a few solar system permissions linked to them but these are not repositioning anyone nor give any meaningful opportunities. What a certain rank allowes right now is to buy the Clipper or the Dropship (one of which is pretty useless since the beginning) but that'll not be enough.
The missions are also really weird as OP said with no coherence.

Actually I would be happy to see some in-game progression linked to the elite rankings as well. It's only a changing label with no gameplay differences but I could imagine some licences and permissions attached to them.

 

[BOAB74]

When doing the assassination missions I found the target was a USS close to a station every time ,hope that helps.

 

[babelfisch]

Elite: Dangerous is a difficult game. Gaining Pilots Federation ranks takes weeks of dedicated playing, and it feels like a real accomplishment because of it. But the Naval progression is awful.
I'm now considered a Baron in the Imperial navy because I took 2 tons of grain 5ly, that's not the job of a senior member of the imperial navy, that's a job for Occado.
Each new mission grants a new rank, no matter how trivial and I don't feel like I've earned my stripes.

I would far rather see the progression work how it used to in Frontier: First Encounters. Have a separate board for miilitary missions. With multiple missions to choose from, and with better more exciting missions offered as you increase in rank. Start off with supply runs, then add in rumbles against pirates, moving up to assassinations or recovery of stolen plans etc.
There also should be a requirement that pilots completed multiple missions to advance. By Baron I'd expect to have run 300 missions not just 5 or 6. It would also be good if not every station offered military missions, I want to know that if I trek to Eta Cassiopia that I've got a better chance of finding a mission than if I'm wallowing about in some federal backwater.

This isn't meant as a gripe, I love this game. But the navy side of things doesn't feel like a career, it's more like a mini game right now. I hope there's more to come on this side of things.

The whole game needs an overhaul

Naval progression would be great for some kind of small storyline. You would actually need to meet those generals after gaining a system permit. They would give you different tasks. Right now everything is very random and shallow. But if rank progression gets a massive overhaul I would need to wipe my savegame in order to go through it the proper way...

 

[Halo Moon]

The best for these ranks would be to provide different permissions or possibilities. Every one of them. So some roles and functions in the game would not be accessible without reaching the naval ranks.
Actually I would be happy to see some in-game progression linked to the elite rankings as well. It's only a changing label with no gameplay differences but I could imagine some licences and permissions attached to them.

Yep yep:- this gets my vote

 

[Daeron]

We sadly have previous games to compare to, and the naval ranking system is not holding up so well with that history as a backdrop. Mainly because it is more of a skeleton. Minus the closet, granted!

 

[SvennoJ]

I had that, looked for ages, then docked out of frustration. There was another kill mission at a different star. First USS I popped into, there the guy was. Try doing that. It doesn't matter which mission you complete, they'll all give you the rank.

Figures, found him in the first USS I checked today. In a federal dropship, gave me 400cr bounty, the ammo alone was 6K lol.
They congratulated me but no rank up, still rank none. Does anything work correctly in this game
Now I get missions to kill 3 to 5 pirates. Are those in USS locations too? Or do you have to interdict them? How do I know who's a pirate?

 

[[VR] Marrs]

The whole game needs an overhaul

Naval progression would be great for some kind of small storyline. You would actually need to meet those generals after gaining a system permit. They would give you different tasks. Right now everything is very random and shallow. But if rank progression gets a massive overhaul I would need to wipe my savegame in order to go through it the proper way...

I'd be happy with an option that let's you resign/reset your rank so you can start again. Also IMO gaining ranks for one Navy should reduce your rank in the others (if you have one).

I don't think the game needs a complete overhaul. I think the main reason why some people are negative about the game is due to the way it's been developed by crowd sourcing and using a development model that is iterative. As time goes on I think we'll see the game becoming closer to the ideal game of our imaginations but it might take a year or two.

 

[SlackR]

It's currenlty very 1980s in its simplistic implementation, but like everything else we want to see improved... It's on the todo list

 

[Bomba Luigi]

Currently ranking up in the Empire, have to do a freakin Kill Gen. Soandso MIssion. I hate it with all my Heart.

Have done that sort of Mission without problem in Federation, but its for some reason really awful here in the Empire. Found that Guy now 6 times, no matter what I target as soon as it is down to 60-70% he jumps away. I have no god damn Idea how in the World I should ever be able to do this Mission, he just always jumps away.

I probably should just forgett ranking in the Empire, its not worth it.

 

[Marshall...]

Figures, found him in the first USS I checked today. In a federal dropship, gave me 400cr bounty, the ammo alone was 6K lol.
They congratulated me but no rank up, still rank none. Does anything work correctly in this game
Now I get missions to kill 3 to 5 pirates. Are those in USS locations too? Or do you have to interdict them? How do I know who's a pirate?

As long as you are in the system(s) mentioned in the mission, you can hunter pirates in USSs, Nav Beacons and Resource Extraction points. Its a bit hit and miss whether any of the Wanteds that you kill are the pirates you are looking for though.

 

[Clawhammer]

Before this missions gets an overhaul, we should overhaul the way we get this missions. This seems much more bugged to me.

 

[[VR] Marrs]

Currently ranking up in the Empire, have to do a freakin Kill Gen. Soandso MIssion. I hate it with all my Heart.

Have done that sort of Mission without problem in Federation, but its for some reason really awful here in the Empire. Found that Guy now 6 times, no matter what I target as soon as it is down to 60-70% he jumps away. I have no god damn Idea how in the World I should ever be able to do this Mission, he just always jumps away.

I probably should just forgett ranking in the Empire, its not worth it.

Have you tried a Frame Shift Wake scanner?

ETA: never mind I'm guessing you have

 

[PayneInTheAft]

Figures, found him in the first USS I checked today. In a federal dropship, gave me 400cr bounty, the ammo alone was 6K lol.
They congratulated me but no rank up, still rank none. Does anything work correctly in this game
Now I get missions to kill 3 to 5 pirates. Are those in USS locations too? Or do you have to interdict them? How do I know who's a pirate?

Yes in USS locations and for the pirate missions I carried some cargo with me and just waited for them to scan me. If they fired trying to take my cargo, then they were pirates and I was awarded the kill to could toward the mission.

 

[Non Grata]

Currently ranking up in the Empire, have to do a freakin Kill Gen. Soandso MIssion. I hate it with all my Heart.

Have done that sort of Mission without problem in Federation, but its for some reason really awful here in the Empire. Found that Guy now 6 times, no matter what I target as soon as it is down to 60-70% he jumps away. I have no god damn Idea how in the World I should ever be able to do this Mission, he just always jumps away.

I probably should just forgett ranking in the Empire, its not worth it.

try Killing him more slowly until his hull is under 75pc