Are the Various Pilot Competenciy Ratings Meaningless?

[Bertak]

AFAIK it isn't just number of kills but also rank. If it was just number then everyone would rank up at same number of kills yet they don't.

 

[Ozric]

Hmmmm...

So the current ranking system is based purely on number of kills.

Creating a real skill based system shouldn't be that difficult. Simple points would do. Something like:

1) You kill a higher ranked human pilot and you get 5 points for each level difference. If the higher ranked pilot won he loses the amount of points the opponent won.
2) You kill an NPC pilot and you get say 25% of the points you'd have earned against a human (unless the DEVS actually program decent AI pilots).

Then its a simple your rank is based on the points you've got.
AND YES - you could get demoted.
It wouldn't take too long before a guy rated deadly was really deadly and a guy rated harmless was really harmless.

A ranking system like described above is over simplified. But it could be developed and tweaked so that the competency rankings meant something so that if a harmless rated pilot ran into an expert he'd get the heck out of dodge post haste. If he chose to fight - then there's always insurance.

IMO - not that it matters much - devs are gonna do what devs do which is what they want - the current system as described in all the previous posts is worthless.

A lot of people seem to be thinking of this as a combat based game though, which at it's heart it isn't. If you are going to make these changes, what changes would you put in place for Trading and Exploring? For they are, I would suggest, more important for the majority of players.

I also like they way that just because you think that AI pilots are easy to fight against, that must mean that everybody finds that. With the last round of tweaks that were put into the AI, especially the higher ranks, I have heard from a lot of people that they have gotten a bit tougher, but just wait until Sarah Jane puts the next set of updates. I can already see the comments...

 

[teaurn]

What would be saweeeeeet (imo) would be for these rankings to incorporate a 'Talent Tree' of sorts where you could spend points customizing your pilot as you progressed in rank which could enhance a good pilot's already superior effects and give everyone else something to go for as well.

Please, no, not HATS!!!

/dribbles

 

[Calico Jack]

Don't forget to factor in a pilot's kill-loss average, combat efficiency by Cr, and group vs solo kills - too many variables...

 

[Werewolf13]

A lot of people seem to be thinking of this as a combat based game though, which at it's heart it isn't. If you are going to make these changes, what changes would you put in place for Trading and Exploring? For they are, I would suggest, more important for the majority of players.

Then why is the only rating shown when one scans a ship the combat rating of the pilot.

As for trading and exploring I'm sure a system could be put in place to rate those guys based on more than just how much money they've made or systems they've explored. Or maybe at the top level players get a blended rating that somehow combines all the different professions with a weight based system that starts with the chosen/active profession of the player. The methods that could be used are numerous.

On the other hand - I would disagree that ED isn't combat based. Everything revolves around combat either directly or indirectly. Missions are highly combat oriented - even straight fedex, bring me some gold, missions because in my experience quite often on those mission the rate of interdiction goes up. Too coincidental to be an accident. The increased risk is there for a reason.

Space is a dangerous place whether you're a pirate, bounty hunter, merchant or explorer. Just like in real life someone wants what you've got. Wanna keep it? Then you better be ready to fight.

 

[McDosy]

Which, I think, is a bit problematic, since it goes against the whole ''Elites are rare and complete badasses'' thing that the lore and books give us.
I would rather have a system like the one we have now up to dangerous, and then a comparative system from there, or even a per-month rated system where a set amount get ''promoted'' to the next rank and then compete with their rank-mates during one month for the possibility to ascend to the next level. I don't think that demotions are necessary.

So, how does that work? I'm largely playing PvE and enjoying bringing my combat rank up. Unless you make that combat rank entirely PvP and spoil my fun, how are you going to guarantee that when I do bump into a CMDR, I don't suck by comparison?

So it seems it's just based on # of kills. How hard would it have been to be based on # of kills of higher ranked opponents. Then, if you are 'competent' and kill 100 harmless guys (player or npc), you get squat towards rank up. If you kill those ranked higher than you, then you get progress.

I believe that is how it works, but how I compare to NPCs is still going to be no guide of how I compare to CMDRs in PvP.