Modes The Solo vs Open vs Groups Thread - Mk III

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

… because it is usually food cartridges, biowaste and such.…

Why are you trading such things?

I constantly think about hauling food and other really needed stuff from one station to an other, but I can't find any reason to do so (beside some made up PR reasons that completely ignore the in-game situation).
Since 1.4 I don't even get trading missions - that usually required to bring food or other normal stuff. Now missions are all about kill this or bring stolen stuff or smuggle slaves…

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

And two are better for being social and meeting people - your point?

To each their own!

 

[Mouse]

Why are you trading such things?

I constantly think about hauling food and other really needed stuff from one station to an other, but I can't find any reason to do so (beside some made up PR reasons that completely ignore the in-game situation).
Since 1.4 I don't even get trading missions - that usually required to bring food or other normal stuff. Now missions are all about kill this or bring stolen stuff or smuggle slaves…

I've gotten medicine and food missions since 1.4.

As for why I do it, it is because the trading and the haul and everything is why I do it in the first place. Except for a very few times where I had to build back up from a loss or something I have stayed away mainly from the rare trade. I did a couple Sothis runs but that was it.. Am doing the Hutton trucker's run all over heck right now.. otherwise I've only carried mugs once before.

Until my back made it impossible, I drove long haul for about a year after I was retired from the Air Force.. bathtubs, meats, paper, beer, band-aids.. just normal stuff.. wasn't any high value metals. Everything was the stuff people use and need. So I gravitate towards that.. yes I still look to make a profit so I try not to carry loads that cost, but machines, medicines, foods, clothing, legal drugs are what I usually carry.

Plus while the galleon of gold and treasure is always popular, that is not what pirates usually found, or took. Pirates usually went for normal things.


And you even spoke of why.

The next problem for me is, that trading in Elite Dangerous is not very realistic. What the NPCs currently carry is more realistic than the cargo players trade. It's not really driven by demand. Trading some valuable metals should be the absolute exception and hauling food, basic consumer goods and other consumable goods should be the norm. An tiny outpost orbiting a dead planet pays more for some stupid metal than for food and water? The problem is that goods are bought by the ton and not by volume.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

I've gotten medicine and food missions since 1.4.

Ah, then I guess it's the station I'm based that is the problem.

As for why I do it, it is because the trading and the haul and everything is why I do it in the first place. …

I guess I need to stop looking at the credits and relax more and start to do things because doing those things is fun. I do exploration and combat that way - doing it just because it's fun to do. With trading I always get that nagging voice inside of my had that says trading is all about profit.

And you even spoke of why.

That's why I asked, I want to do the same and simply can't come up with a good reason to do so. It's just that hauling metal and machinery gets me 2500 cr/t on a round trip and hauling food or something like that gets me with luck 200 cr/t.
Delivering food and beer to a tiny outpost simply feels more realistic or more immersive than hauling 400 t of beryllium to a high tech station.

Thanks for your answers.

 

[Mouse]

Ah, then I guess it's the station I'm based that is the problem.



I guess I need to stop looking at the credits and relax more and start to do things because doing those things is fun. I do exploration and combat that way - doing it just because it's fun to do. With trading I always get that nagging voice inside of my had that says trading is all about profit.



That's why I asked, I want to do the same and simply can't come up with a good reason to do so. It's just that hauling metal and machinery gets me 2500 cr/t on a round trip and hauling food or something like that gets me with luck 200 cr/t.
Delivering food and beer to a tiny outpost simply feels more realistic or more immersive than hauling 400 t of beryllium to a high tech station.

Thanks for your answers.

both can be only because the Hightech station may need it for production of something.


I love my Clipper, but she can't land at a lot of places so I will be working towards a Python probably. For smaller loads needing Longer runs.. have the Asp.

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

Delivering food and beer to a tiny outpost simply feels more realistic or more immersive than hauling 400 t of beryllium to a high tech station.
.

Whilst this has nothing to do with this thread in question, you do make a very good point. I do wish there was more relevance to the other items in the comodities market than just the usual half dozen or so big ticket items.

I am not 100% sure what the answer is, however one way would be missions where you are paid to haul 400 tons of food to a system, and the ship actually be supplied.

That would make missions for hauling vital, but low profit goods relevant. Sure the profits would not be as good as hauling in your own ship, but given a large percentage of players will never earn enough money to fly the cow anyway, it would be a good way for less experienced players or those who do not have the time to grind out the money to actually fly the big ships.

a mission with a payment of say 500k to haul food/what ever in a cow could be quite good fun for a player who can only afford a cobra in game... hell they could maybe even be allowed to keep 20% of the profits made on any return journey when bringing the ship back should you choose to load up with goods (time limit needed before you are assumed to have stolen the ship and you would not be allowed to go around the houses!.)

 

[Mouse]

Whilst this has nothing to do with this thread in question, you do make a very good point. I do wish there was more relevance to the other items in the comodities market than just the usual half dozen or so big ticket items.

I am not 100% sure what the answer is, however one way would be missions where you are paid to haul 400 tons of food to a system, and the ship actually be supplied.

That would make missions for hauling vital, but low profit goods relevant. Sure the profits would not be as good as hauling in your own ship, but given a large percentage of players will never earn enough money to fly the cow anyway, it would be a good way for less experienced players or those who do not have the time to grind out the money to actually fly the big ships.

a mission with a payment of say 500k to haul food/what ever in a cow could be quite good fun for a player who can only afford a cobra in game... hell they could maybe even be allowed to keep 20% of the profits made on any return journey when bringing the ship back should you choose to load up with goods (time limit needed before you are assumed to have stolen the ship and you would not be allowed to go around the houses!.)

"This is the last time. Last time with cows. Hear there was an idea regarding beagles? They have smallish droppings?"

-Mal

 

[Drink!]

Didn't read the whole thing yet, but I'll say this. First, we have a tread for Solo v. Open. Don't start a new one.

I fly a T-9 in open. I never to solo unless someone is blocking a pad.
I think private is a great idea if you have a lot of friend that play.
As for PP, Sothis has freed me from the need of money, I can now quit it....after I get the prismatic shields.
PP has turned into a job. I found myself farming merit two days before the cycle ends to get my 5 mil. Now that we will have landings soon, I may not be in space for a while.

---read the rest---
I agree on some points.
Its not a sandbox yet, but features are being added...slowly. The problems with player created bases/stations is servers side. Can the server handle a base/station being created by every player in the game?. This game doesn't feel like a MMO because everyone is so spread out. I only see other players at CG.

The stuff you said about the NPC would be nice, but then EVERY SINGLE trade NPC that is killed or pirated will need to be tracked as well as the location they were going. So yeah.

Everything you bring up is possible to add, but will cost ED money in servers and work hours. This money can only come from us.

 

[Muzz UK]

If I'm honest once I saw the length of the post and the solo vs open I skimmed through this. I caught the jist.... more rewards for OPEN PLAY and better MISSIONS and life in the galaxy. I can only agree but I guess the big answer from me is wait this game is still developing and being made it'll be quite different in a year or two, like all other MMOs.

 

[Cowboy Bats]

In before the merge

 

[smiths121]

Solo verses open has been done to death.

Lets see what Capture/Build there is after season 2, where small stations on the ground (I am guessing MB-4+), and crafting is hinted at. I really do not want content that cannot be done in by a groups of a few people (wing size), I get concerned about "guild content" when those words are used!

Even with War and Civil War broken (so no flipping the minor faction in control of a system), still plenty for me to do until FD fix it and we can work on our target system.

Personally OP, I have 1000s of hours with the game (if over 300 counts so does over 1000 hours) and I love it for what it is, I would stop playing if the game became what you suggest.


Simon

 

[DarkWalker]

It's not about profit, it's about dominance. Applying threat and violence to force an other human into submission.

Yep, and thanks to that the fact players can escape into different modes without any negative consequences is something I never want "fixed". Playing the dominance game is interesting for some players, but a deal breaker for others like me.

Players that enjoy playing that cat and mouse game can do it. The others should be allowed to simply opt out of it, like ED currently (for the most part) allows.

 

[Roybe]

Indeed, and that means one choice should not be better than another. As it stands Solo is the better choice for income and efficiency.

Not really. With the interdictions involved, efficiency is now about even. All that changes for most is whether they will be overly stressed out losing to a player, rather than an NPC.

 

[DarkWalker]

Whilst this has nothing to do with this thread in question, you do make a very good point. I do wish there was more relevance to the other items in the comodities market than just the usual half dozen or so big ticket items.

I am not 100% sure what the answer is, however one way would be missions where you are paid to haul 400 tons of food to a system, and the ship actually be supplied.

That would make missions for hauling vital, but low profit goods relevant. Sure the profits would not be as good as hauling in your own ship, but given a large percentage of players will never earn enough money to fly the cow anyway, it would be a good way for less experienced players or those who do not have the time to grind out the money to actually fly the big ships.

a mission with a payment of say 500k to haul food/what ever in a cow could be quite good fun for a player who can only afford a cobra in game... hell they could maybe even be allowed to keep 20% of the profits made on any return journey when bringing the ship back should you choose to load up with goods (time limit needed before you are assumed to have stolen the ship and you would not be allowed to go around the houses!.)

Kinda off-topic for the thread, but I actually think there should be both a ship rental business and missions that come with a loaned ship:

- Ship loadouts should be limited to a few select, but sensible, ones, and players should not be able to change the loadout on a rented or loaned ship.

- Players should be charged the buyback fee of the ship they are renting upfront; being killed would send the player back to his real ship. I would also allow players to dock at any station and pay half the buyback fee to be returned to their ship.

- The ship owner gets a cut of all earnings; I would suggest something in the 30% to 50% range.

I believe having a way to try new ships, while having ship ownership be better than renting, would be a good thing for the game. It would also be a way to enable missions with a loaner ship in the way Mad Mike proposed.

 

[Mr_Blastman]

I've gotten medicine and food missions since 1.4.

As for why I do it, it is because the trading and the haul and everything is why I do it in the first place. Except for a very few times where I had to build back up from a loss or something I have stayed away mainly from the rare trade. I did a couple Sothis runs but that was it.. Am doing the Hutton trucker's run all over heck right now.. otherwise I've only carried mugs once before.

Until my back made it impossible, I drove long haul for about a year after I was retired from the Air Force.. bathtubs, meats, paper, beer, band-aids.. just normal stuff.. wasn't any high value metals. Everything was the stuff people use and need. So I gravitate towards that.. yes I still look to make a profit so I try not to carry loads that cost, but machines, medicines, foods, clothing, legal drugs are what I usually carry.

Plus while the galleon of gold and treasure is always popular, that is not what pirates usually found, or took. Pirates usually went for normal things.


And you even spoke of why.

So you would enjoy a truckstop mod with greasy food, smelly cooks, gnarly waitresses? That'd be kinda neat, pulling over at Cosmic Fran's Freakstop. Meet cook Salva'tor, a green skinned, bug eyed Antaran who knows how to make a mean gin served with fusion-fried eggs, a bucket of hydra-potatoes and the greasiest bacon you'll eat this side of Fujin...

A side of diesel sauce will cost you an extra credit but it slathers on thick.

 

[Cmdr Bazil Yat]

So as long as you can afford replacing your ship multiple times you don't' care if others senselessly blow you away? DOn't care about losing bounties and data and cargo ?

I play exclusively in Open. I have never played solo - it, to me, feels like cheating, and I have never, ever, encountered this behaviour. Not even when running slaves to Dawes Hub when there was supposed to be a 'blockade' in place. Most other players' reactions to the event were awesome - such as the Type 9s and Type 7s dropping bio-waste canisters outside the dock. I've encountered a couple of <ahem> in a RES who, after being caught in the crossfire, killed me and almost killed one of my wingmen, then ran like animals when the three of us dropped out of supercruise into the RES after repairing and returned the favour in force.

I think the two of them running like scared little girls was far, far more rewarding than any kill I might have gotten from it.

If the two of you are reading this, come back any time for another go. I'll be waiting.

 

[Robert Maynard]

....and the greasiest bacon you'll eat this side of Fujin...

You'd better watch out for that bacon - apparently it's bad for you....

 

[Cody]

Sausages!

 

[Jockey79]

You'd better watch out for that bacon - apparently it's bad for you....

If we avoided everything bad for us, we'd starve to death if dehydration didn't get us first.

Might as well just say: Warning, "life" is the biggest cause of "death".

 

[Neminem]

If we avoided everything bad for us, we'd starve to death if dehydration didn't get us first.

Might as well just say: Warning, "life" is the biggest cause of "death".

You forgot suffocation - think of all the bad and unhealthy emissions caused by industry and traffic (did someone say "Diesel"?)
So dehydration or starvation would not come to effect.