This might make sense if naval rank meant anything at all.
Right now, as you know, all it does is unlock a couple of ships and give you access to systems that are no more meaningful than the unlocked systems.
Gaining rep with Federation loses rep with Empire?
- Thread starter Samosa
- Start date
This might make sense if naval rank meant anything at all.
Right now, as you know, all it does is unlock a couple of ships and give you access to systems that are no more meaningful than the unlocked systems.
I don't think military ranks mean much right now, at least not to the superpowers in the long term. The misions to advance in them will always help a local minor faction as stated in the mission description, though, to a small degree in terms of system influence and to a great degree in terms of reputation with you, so there is that. I like to see them as titles, markers of personal progression, or hard evidence that you have helped the superpowers to a certain degree.
Who knows, maybe the higher your rank, the greater your reputation gains will be when you complete missions for other minor factions of that superpower - or indeed of that Power - and the smaller the degree and rate of superpower rep decay.
However, it is still a question worth asking one of the higher-ups at FD: apart from unlocking ships and permits, what do the military ranks do and are they actually meant to be mutually exclusive per superpower?
Who knows, maybe the higher your rank, the greater your reputation gains will be when you complete missions for other minor factions of that superpower - or indeed of that Power - and the smaller the degree and rate of superpower rep decay.
However, it is still a question worth asking one of the higher-ups at FD: apart from unlocking ships and permits, what do the military ranks do and are they actually meant to be mutually exclusive per superpower?
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That is a tick of rep decay. The reputation screen typically refreshes when actions like completing a mission causes an active change in reputation, showing the rep decay tick that would otherwise have appeared sooner or later when the reputation screen auto-refreshes (it only does that once every couple of minutes).
We're going to have to disagree. I pretty much lived on that screen for six hours yesterday, and the only time I saw that behavior was when completing a donation mission.
You know that confirms my suspicions too. I have been chucking donations in the pot at multiple faction stations wherever I go. Thats why I can not get my home station above freindly. I' am inadvertently working against myself. Thanks for the heads up !
This is getting weirder by the minute. I thought I had this somewhat figured out yesterday.
Today, in the system I had been ranking in, I'm getting no blue arrows no matter what. OK, fine, maybe the minor factions are at 100% and that's that (?).
So, I hopped to another system with different minor factions, and I've been doing missions for them - I get blue arrows, but no blue arrow for the major faction.
This is so damn obfuscated, I really wish the function were clearly explained. Mr. Michael Brookes, would you be so kind as to give us a definitive "if this then that" explanation of naval rank progression?
Edit: ...and now I'm getting a blue up arrow for the major faction, after a number of missions for the minor factions. Really, I can deal with the absolutely braindead grind, if only the inner workings were clear! *grumble*
Edit again: ...and now I'm back to getting blue arrows for minor but not the major faction. Shame it's too early to start drinking.
And again: Something has changed - can't say I can complain about this one, although it does slow things down. It was the case that switching from solo to open, or open to solo, gave you a shot at a new set of missions - effectively doubling the opportunity to get easy missions and faster ranks. That seems to have been patched, since I now always get the same set of missions whether or not I switch between modes.
Today, in the system I had been ranking in, I'm getting no blue arrows no matter what. OK, fine, maybe the minor factions are at 100% and that's that (?).
So, I hopped to another system with different minor factions, and I've been doing missions for them - I get blue arrows, but no blue arrow for the major faction.
This is so damn obfuscated, I really wish the function were clearly explained. Mr. Michael Brookes, would you be so kind as to give us a definitive "if this then that" explanation of naval rank progression?
Edit: ...and now I'm getting a blue up arrow for the major faction, after a number of missions for the minor factions. Really, I can deal with the absolutely braindead grind, if only the inner workings were clear! *grumble*
Edit again: ...and now I'm back to getting blue arrows for minor but not the major faction. Shame it's too early to start drinking.
And again: Something has changed - can't say I can complain about this one, although it does slow things down. It was the case that switching from solo to open, or open to solo, gave you a shot at a new set of missions - effectively doubling the opportunity to get easy missions and faster ranks. That seems to have been patched, since I now always get the same set of missions whether or not I switch between modes.
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while i completely agree with you, it will NEVER happen. it is the one thing i HATE about FD and this game. everything is vague and "working as intended" until you have proof or strong evidence to the contrary...then its 'oh thanks, we'll look into it'.....
Had something similar although not the same today. Finally allied with Empire, take another mission for local faction, destroy X pirates in the neighbouring system. Kill the pirates, check my panel, red down arrows for all minor factions in that system AND for my main Empire faction...from killing 4 pirates, no fines, no bounty's on my head from that at all. Even though it has been demystified somewhat by many people and the progression on the whole makes sense, if not being totally random, stuff like this just leaves me scratching my head..
Quite. Much like my experience recently with being given a "smuggle this stuff to station X in the current system", I take the stuff there (no fines, no problems), and am rewarded with red down arrows from both major and all minor factions - the ones that gave me the mission in the first place. No clue what to make of that. I thought it was a one-off, so I did a couple more of the same smuggling/progression missions, and every time, red arrows.
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Turns out rank progression still kinda works. *shrug*
It took about six hours today of nothing but missions to get the Rear Admiral opportunity. First opportunity didn't work - one of those "deliver this message" things. Second opportunity was a "pick up ancient whatsits from a wreck", and that did the trick. Those seem to work more than half of the time.
It took about six hours today of nothing but missions to get the Rear Admiral opportunity. First opportunity didn't work - one of those "deliver this message" things. Second opportunity was a "pick up ancient whatsits from a wreck", and that did the trick. Those seem to work more than half of the time.
Nice job 
Had a great run about 2 days ago myself but since then have had no more rank missions given even though I have ground out a ton of missions for various local factions in different systems. Kinda sucks that when you hit allied with the major faction you can no longer see any change in the minor faction, was kind of my yardstick when the local faction turned to allied I usually move on to another one but can't do that anymore.
Had a great run about 2 days ago myself but since then have had no more rank missions given even though I have ground out a ton of missions for various local factions in different systems. Kinda sucks that when you hit allied with the major faction you can no longer see any change in the minor faction, was kind of my yardstick when the local faction turned to allied I usually move on to another one but can't do that anymore.Nice job
Thanks!
I think the various factions/systems thing is placebo. I've gained plenty of ranks without ever leaving the station, other than for taking the actual rank opportunity missions.
Yeah I'm really not sure if it's necessary or not really, the idea that you need to be allied with more minor factions to drive main faction progression. Finally hit Earl today after an entire day of grinding missions, sadly it appears EVERY pirate kill mission results in negative rep for all minor and the major faction for some incomprehensible reason so I had to stop doing those too, which just leaves me with donation, fetch, courier, pirate lord & prisoner assassination missions if I don't want to risk doing anything illegal. Anyway on the bright side its working and to my amazement the past 3 rank missions I have had have all paid out rank on the very first time, so I don't know if they fixed something server side or if I have just been lucky the past few times.
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Well, great! I'm happy to hear that you got a rank, despite it all being a little bit peculiar!
Here's a new bit of info to throw into the placebo mix: this afternoon I've been getting *no* blue up arrows at all, no matter what missions I do. I thought, OK, let's just plug away and see what happens. Sure enough, a whole lot of missions later, I just got a promotion opportunity. I'm starting to think all the theories are nonsense and it's just a successful mission counter.
Hmm that's interesting, have you been at the same station the entire time too? Just wondering if I should give that a go and stop jumping around all over the place.
Yup, never moved. Just did as many missions as possible and after a few hours got the opportunity. As usual, the first (a delivery) opportunity failed, and then the pick-up-stuff-from-a-wreck worked.
My latest advice, therefore, is to ignore all theories about how to gain rank, and simply grind missions, knowing that it'll take a while. I think it's a counter, and red/blue arrows are for system friendliness rather than promotions.
Edit: by the way, the only reason I have a blue arrow in the picture below is that I caught a fine when dropping off the illegal opportunity mission canister - which would have put me below max, so when I paid the fine, completed the mission, and did a quick donation then it gave me a blue again. I'm convinced I've been at max rep all day.
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Thanks will give that a go then It's this sort of stuff that's driving me potty lol. Even pirate assassination missions are causing negative rep. Pirate Lord is a member of Alcagui Holdings, controlling faction for this system is also Alcagui Holdings, so simply by assassinating him, even though he is wanted I gain negative rep with that minor faction AND the major faction because they are allied to the Empire. However Alacagui Holdings are more than happy to pay me the 250k bounty thats on his head...it's just totally illogical. If I do one in Nu and he is aligned to an independent faction then no issue at all. Is only something I have noticed happening since the most recent patch. Just hoping its like you are saying and its not actual mission standing negative rep.
It's this sort of stuff that's driving me potty lol. Even pirate assassination missions are causing negative rep. Pirate Lord is a member of Alcagui Holdings, controlling faction for this system is also Alcagui Holdings, so simply by assassinating him, even though he is wanted I gain negative rep with that minor faction AND the major faction because they are allied to the Empire. However Alacagui Holdings are more than happy to pay me the 250k bounty thats on his head...it's just totally illogical. If I do one in Nu and he is aligned to an independent faction then no issue at all. Is only something I have noticed happening since the most recent patch. Just hoping its like you are saying and its not actual mission standing negative rep.
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