What's causing the mission boards to not refresh?

[Ted Striker]

I've been going from Open to Solo and back again to try to get missions I need (and commodities to unlock Qwent) but the boards in both modes never update.

This has been happening for a while. The only way to get one of the boards to refresh is to accept one of the missions, and then it only refreshes that mode's board.

Am I the only one with this problem? It's going to be a serious pain the neck getting 25 modular terminals if I can't refresh the boards.

 

[kofeyh]

I've been going from Open to Solo and back again to try to get missions I need (and commodities to unlock Qwent) but the boards in both modes never update.

This has been happening for a while. The only way to get one of the boards to refresh is to accept one of the missions, and then it only refreshes that mode's board.

Am I the only one with this problem? It's going to be a serious pain the neck getting 25 modular terminals if I can't refresh the boards.

Go to Sothis, take courier missions to Ceos. They will give you missions to Sothis. Do this and you will be swimming in modular terminals. When I was last out there throwing my life away to get corvette, I was dumping them and at one point had 18 I couldn't even give away.

One of the biggest reasons to mode switch at this point is to try and get the boards to reset. Mission sysen is just hopelessly broken at this point, due to the endless, endless nerfing of missions at the beheast of commanders.

The only thing refreshing now are courier missions. That's it. Everything else is "stuck". One of the major components of the game, a staple part of the original game is now virtually unusable. It's amazing.

 

[Celery Jack]

Hopefully they fixed board hopping.

 

[Ted Striker]

Ahh I need some fed rank anyway so I think I'll do this.

Any idea why I've been staring at the same exact missions though in both game modes? They're supposed to change as I "board hop".

EDIT: I remember now that I had this problem back in 2015 too, when I was board hopping for slave missions in an anarchy system. The boards would get stuck and nothing I did would refresh them.

 

[Bryan K]

Hopefully they fixed board hopping.

In the case of Quince they've improved it. I've seen mission boards get duplicated across modes.

 

[kofeyh]

Hopefully they fixed board hopping.

If Frontier had boards refreshing regularly with new missions that would be almost redundant. I don't care what your personal opinion is. I'll take "working", over religious dogma, any day of the week.

 

[Aussiedroid]

Hopefully they fixed board hopping.

I'm hoping that a refresh button or auto quick refresh is built in at some time to avoid the need to do this, but there are so few missions being generated at places where there are large populations that mode hopping seems to be the only solution to save ones' sanity.

To the OP's observations, I have found the same but not particularly related to the last patch. Its been like that for some time on my end, so generally avoid missions right now.

 

[TheLT]

Hopefully they fixed board hopping.

Change these things just off "new players" while the "olders" have bilions, yeah good idea.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

I'm hoping that a refresh button or auto quick refresh is built in at some time to avoid the need to do this,

But that simply becomes 'Pick your own mission and rewards' as people will constantly hit refresh until they get exactly what they want.

Forcing mode swapping does at least have the 'benefit' of reducing the load on the mission generation server by slowing down the request frequency

 

[Aussiedroid]

But that simply becomes 'Pick your own mission and rewards' as people will constantly hit refresh until they get exactly what they want.

Forcing mode swapping does at least have the 'benefit' of reducing the load on the mission generation server by slowing down the request frequency

Yeah true, might not be the best solution, but still seems to be a better gameplay experience than having to exit out to the menu to get content. People already pick and choose, the only limitation is time wasted in doing so, and with the current low amount of missions being generated I felt I was spending more time getting missions than actually doing missions!

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Yeah true, might not be the best solution, but still seems to be a better gameplay experience than having to exit out to the menu to get content. People already pick and choose, the only limitation is time wasted in doing so, and with the current low amount of missions being generated I felt I was spending more time getting missions than actually doing missions!

FDev don't seem to feel that random rewards (for anything) are a problem, so things are unlikely to change significantly.
However, I think there's merit in the 'favours' concept used by Engineers - maybe an option to choose a commodity as a mission reward, at the loss of faction reputation?

 

[kofeyh]

But that simply becomes 'Pick your own mission and rewards' as people will constantly hit refresh until they get exactly what they want.

Oh the humanity! Imagine, for a moment, we could possibly elect missions? Why, that'd be like deciding which ship to shoot in a RES site, which CZ we'll use today, where in the galaxy we might go to, or even (hushed whisper) choosing which trade run to make.

OH MY STARS. You are right! Choice is evil because we don't have that like literally in any every other type of activity at all!!!!!1

Forcing mode swapping does at least have the 'benefit' of reducing the load on the mission generation server by slowing down the request frequency

As apposed to commander endlessly cycling between instances, that require server compute to spin up and maintain? Yah, definitely more computationally heavy to have the mission board actually refresh every five minutes by comparison. [up]

You know, if missions refreshed frequently, and weren't a pile of mush (passenger missions at least seem to show some signs of occasional life) then maybe we'd be out on missions instead of relogging - just a thought.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Oh the humanity! Imagine, for a moment, we could possibly elect missions? Why, that'd be like deciding which ship to shoot in a RES site, which CZ we'll use today, where in the galaxy we might go to, or even (hushed whisper) choosing which trade run to make.

OH MY STARS. You are right! Choice is evil because we don't have that like literally in any every other type of activity at all!!!!!1

It's not about choosing what you do, it's about EXPECTING the mission system to reward you for it, on top of whatever you gain from performing the action in the first place.

As apposed to commander endlessly cycling between instances, that require server compute to spin up and maintain? Yah, definitely more computationally heavy to have the mission board actually refresh every five minutes by comparison. [up]

A five minute refresh is going to to prevent mode swapping? How refreshingly naive.

You know, if missions refreshed frequently, and weren't a pile of mush (passenger missions at least seem to show some signs of occasional life) then maybe we'd be out on missions instead of relogging - just a thought.

If you don't like the missions, don't do them. Play the game instead of relogging - just a thought

 

[GJ51]

Change these things just off "new players" while the "olders" have bilions, yeah good idea.

For sure

I'm good

 

[kofeyh]

It's not about choosing what you do, it's about EXPECTING the mission system to reward you for it, on top of whatever you gain from performing the action in the first place.

Sorry? I don't think anyone expects it to do anything other than for it to work, as it's supposed to, and provide a range of regularly refreshing missions. People can choose whichever mission types suit. Like anything else they can elect in the game. Or are you telling me explorers should only scan one star type in a single location in the galaxy forever because that's what turning the missions into a straight jacket has led to.

A five minute refresh is going to to prevent mode swapping? How refreshingly naive.

I didn't say "prevent" I said redundant. We'd actually be doing the things we've elected to do. Your argument is made mostly irrelevant by people naturally gravitating to performing actions, not sitting in a station somewhere, waiting for something to happen, that isn't. The goal is to have something to do, that is at least somewhat rewarding, and to go do that.

If you don't like the missions, don't do them. Play the game instead of relogging - just a thought

I can't play the game if there are no missions to take because the faction has provided 15 missions that aren't even selectable, or are not handing any out at all (my favourite is 9 factions, all of which have no missions available; it happens) or are all 'stuck' and not offering anything new for multiple cycles. It's this very linear thinking that's broken the missions system in the first place.

The idea isn't to sit at a station for half an hour to wait for something actually relevant to appear; it's to be out doing those things. Here's the thing, the more the mission system is constrained due to some sort of broken thinking about choice, the more it will happen. The more people will try and make a broken system work. That means relog, mode switching, whatever.

People don't have to mode switch to explore, or trade, or work a CZ. It's daft. And yet the missions system is just a bundle of depressing. Yet so so many people used it early on in their career. It's important for faction and major power reputation; for BGS work. So much hangs off the missions system.

So, this line of thinking, trying to enforce a straight-jacket out of a misplaced need to define the experience for others, essentially makes the situation worse. Well done. [up]

edit: not going to debate the pros/ cons of missions further; agree to disagree - let's move on.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Sorry? I don't think anyone expects it to do anything other than work, and provide a range of regularly refreshing missions. People can choose whichever mission types suit. Like anything else they can elect in the game.



I didn't say "prevent" I said we'd actually be doing the things we've elected to do. Your argument is made redundant by people naturally wanting to be performing actions, not sitting in a station somewhere. The goal is to have something to do, and to go do that.



I can't play the game if there are no missions to take because the faction has provided 15 missions that can't even be taken, or are not handing any out, or are 'stuck' and not offering anything new for multiple cycles. It's this very linear thinking that's broken the missions system in the first place.

The idea isn't to sit at a station for half an hour to wait for something actually relevant to appear; it's to be out doing those things. Here's the thing, the more the mission system is constrained due to some sort of broken thinking about choice, the more it will happen.

So, this line of thinking, essentially makes the situation worse. Well done. [up]

If you want to do the thing, do the thing.
You don't have to have a mission to be able to do anything in the game.
If you'd rather relog than play that's entirely YOUR choice, not the fault of the mission system.

Incidentally, I'm not arguing that the mission system is perfect, simply that a 'Refresh' button isn't the right solution.

 

[Sapyx]

Oh the humanity! Imagine, for a moment, we could possibly elect missions? Why, that'd be like deciding which ship to shoot in a RES site, which CZ we'll use today, where in the galaxy we might go to, or even (hushed whisper) choosing which trade run to make.

OH MY STARS. You are right! Choice is evil because we don't have that like literally in any every other type of activity at all!!!!!1

I see missions as being like job ads in the 20th century. It's one aspect of the game where RNG makes sense.

Suppose I'm a nuclear astrophysicist, and want a nuclear astrophysicist job. So I open up the job ads in the local newspaper and, what do you know, nobody is hiring nuclear astrophysicists in my hometown. So I've got options:
- Check out the other towns to see if anyone else is hiring elsewhere;
- Take one of the non-nuclear-astrophysicist jobs that are on offer;
- Wait until next week and hope someone is hiring;
- Phone a friend at the University to see if maybe they know somebody who might be interested in hiring you, even though they haven't advertised for one.

The only one of these options that you don't have in ED is that last one. And one choice I don't have IRL is to close the newspaper, open it up again and see a whole bunch of different job ads.

Finally, quality and quantity of missions should vary with planetary population size. You go to Robigo or some other tiny, low-pop outpost and there shouldn't be many missions there at all. You go to Earth and there should be thousands of missions. This concept of "wherever you go, there are 20 missions available for you" is bogus. I'd like to see 1 mission per 100,000 population.

 

[Celery Jack]

I say that the mission boards should have a set number of missions that refresh daily. Enough to last awhile but once they run out thats it. You either move to another station or find something else to do. Board hopping is silly, I once watched a guy log in and out at quince for 20 mins. in a suicidewinder. Dont worry I followed him into supercruise, interdicted him and ended him with my two medium railguns mounted on my DBS.

 

[kofeyh]

I see missions as being like job ads in the 20th century. It's one aspect of the game where RNG makes sense.

Hey, I like variety. It's good. But that's the thing; it's hard to actually get a range of things to do, let alone a few of the same jobs to appear. Or even any missions really at all. It's not a great experience at present.

Suppose I'm a nuclear astrophysicist, and want a nuclear astrophysicist job.

This is where your argument starts to make less sense. I'm an independent contractor. I take various jobs to do various things for various people. I am quite good at it, but expect to be remunerated for my time. So i'm not a specific role with specific training doing a highly complicated specific job. I'll do a lot of different things, as long as the pay is good.

You need reliable workforce sent to a new job site? Want some hush-hush time-sensitive documents rushed? Need some 'stuff' delivered, no questions asked? I got you, fam. Need me to solve a disagreement, via aggressive negotiation? Hold my beer.

I am essentially Han Solo. Right down to sometimes shooting first.

Finally, quality and quantity of missions should vary with planetary population size.

Look I am quite open to context and relevancy of missions. Absolutely. But I'll take "working as intended" over just about anything else, at present. I really do. Because the missions system is important and is genuinely an integral part of the game. It shouldn't be left to rot like this.

I don't care if it's 20 missions, 100 or 10. I don't think the limit made sense, because it's (once again) had massively broken outcomes. No; relevant missions that pay based on what you are doing, and where, and for whom. Make Anarchy the stupidly dangerous place it should be. Massively increase the value of trading and running missions to there. Give it some relevance and let people darn well play the game. Just one of the many things that could help make the missions system far more varied, with a range of risks and rewards.

Missions system should be one of the major drawcards of this game, not some busted up cheesed mechanic because of incessant commander meddling.

I say that the mission boards should have a set number of missions that refresh daily. Enough to last awhile but once they run out thats it. You either move to another station or find something else to do. Board hopping is silly, I once watched a guy log in and out at quince for 20 mins. in a suicidewinder. Dont worry I followed him into supercruise, interdicted him and ended him with my two medium railguns mounted on my DBS.

.. awesome. Make sure you are equally proud when a bigger fish sends you to valhalla simple because you happened to be doing something or other in the game.

Make sure you only ever scan 3 stars in any one day, or shoot no more than 5 ships a day. Or only make 10k in a CZ in a day and then leave. Do all these things that you expect commanders running missions to do, elsewhere. No? Didn't think so.

 

[kofeyh]

Actually you know what? I am done debating. Feel free to shout past each other. Mission system is busted and I really don't care for "but just play the game my way? lol you so stupid" semantic garbage attitude.

Fly safe. o7