Only a little dweeb likes those sorts of games (single player CoD), and just because Elite doesn't do that, doesn't make it high brow.
In a previous thread, I outlined the three ways of 'progressing' in this game.
Multiple Anaconda missions.
Bounty Hunting at suicidal NPC pirate spawn points.
Doing trade runs with product that can be flipped for about 1000 Credits more at some station within 1-2 FSD jumps from which the commodity was sourced-
From reading forums and from having scanned the odd CMDR Transporter I understand that there is 'Rarities' trading, involving elaborately mapped out trade routes spanning 100 Light years...and of course 'exploration' (lol) (I will do a lol after everytime I mention exploration in Elite Dangerous).
There are also lots of things in the game that 'could' be very cool, but just aren't because most aspects of the game beyond the excellent flight and combat mechanics are a jumbled mess that don't work and/or make any sense. Therefore, the sole object in the game, boils down pretty much to the grinding styles I mentioned above, which we do in order TO BUY A BIGGER BETTER FASTER TOUGHER SPACESHIP.
I have had some real premium moments playing Elite Dangerous, but none of which are particularly helpful in 'progressing' me through the game. What I find myself doing is grinding doing one of the above, and then taking my hard gotten gains and going and trying to actually do something interesting/enjoyable, which at the moment involves pretty much playing as a pirate. Most of the time, I find that I actually lose credits when I play the game in a way that interests me. This shouldn't be the case. ED has the potential to be a truly absorbing game in many different areas.
Say for example, the economy actually worked like Frontier stated on the tin that it would, and say that Frontier had made mining a more viable form of earning credits. Say that Faction A, had a project underway that required X-Amount of metal/mineral XYZ, and say that Faction B had an interest in preventing Faction A from succeeding in their project. At first the easiest way to supply Faction A, would be from commodities supplied from near by and then not so near by stations. But because it was a real economy, supply would run low, and the price would go shooting up, which would:
a) drive traders further afield
b) encourage more to turn to mining.
With Faction B's interest in hindering Faction A, Faction B could commission attacks on vessels mining and/or transporting materials for Faction A. In response to the NPC Faction A Police, Faction A could sponsor Bounty Hunters / Defence Vessels to protect mining vessels in asteroid belts. Also, CMDR freebooter pirates could hit the area with the expectancy of actualy finding other CMDRs 'mining with a cause', in order to steal the hugely valuable booty from them. Pirates and Faction B Sabotage vessels alike, could attack miners at the asteroid belts, and en-route to the refinery stations where the ultra high price is being paid for specific commodities because they are in 'high demand' and supplies have been drained. etc etc. If such an 'Ore War' scenario could emerge in the game in a way that felt palpable and the CMDRs felt actually influenced the Galaxy and their progress through it (choosing the right side would have to be conducive to the CMDRs credit balance), then mining wouldn't be the boring grind fest that it currently is. It would be an intense battle to scrape up as much ore as possible, whilst under duress from pirates and Faction B sponsored sabotage vessels, whilst sending out Mayday signals to the NPC police and CMDR bodyguards
As things stand. The economy is basically random. Mining is rubbish, boring, and not a good/fast way to farm credits and one that only n00bs just starting out in the game engage in. Asteroids yield different elements for different CMDRs/NPCs, and NPCs who mine don't actually process and collect what they, ermm..........collect.
Mining is just one element of many that has the potential to open up a massive array of engaging gameplay plans/styles that actually seem like they have a purpose, but in practice is just another random and crappy low-level grind option.
Elite Dangerous has huge potential to be turned into something truly absorbing but as things stand, it is a pointless grind-fest, with great flight and combat mechanics. Of course people can still enjoy it. People enjoy doing lots of boring things for various reasons.........ED has some strange addictive quality about it and I shall no doubt keep playing it.....but I am under no illusions of being utterly bored 90% of the time, that I spend grinding for some intangible golden carrot.
