One of the themes in the various threads about Qunice and Rhea is the ratio of CR earning potential/time available (grind) to CR required to purchase an Anaconda, and how that drives people to seek out or creates a need for "exploits" that provide windfall profits, as well as how realistic is it to achieve without such opportunities in a reasonable amount of time. Of course, there is quite a bit of disagreement around these subjects.
I'm thinking that some may not be understanding one another because they are all using the same word , but I'm not sure that the same definition is being used. I'm wondering if we can establish a baseline or common understanding of the word "Grind" and more specifically, in context of time or effort required to earn sufficient funds to purchase and upgrade an Anaconda.
Let's see how long or what effort does it truly take to get one (with some conditions) and then we can evaluate the different strategies amd ones would individuals consider to be a grind. I've no idea if the "anti-grinders" are thinking that anything more than a few hours is too much, or if the "pro-grinders" (er...this doesn't mean strippers) believe that it isn't a grind until the 200 hour mark (based on comments, it seems like this is how each group views the other's definition of the word).
So...
Let's assume that a player, one CMDR GreenHorn, has been playing for long enough that they have a capably equipped Cobra, which we'll refer to as The General Purpose and has the following build: https://eddp.co/u/7toGd2PS.
CMDR GreenHorn has also learned some of the hard lessons, and can cover the re-buy a few times, and has $750,000 in cash. The cost for the ship and modules is around $4.6 Mil Cr (not sure how the trade in value works), but feel free to assume that the Cobra and modules can be sold for cash at any point.
CMDR GreenHorn has just set out in the General Purpose with $750,000 CR and an ultimate objective of purchasing a shiny new Anaconda and then outfitting for an all-around PvE ship, to these specs: https://eddp.co/u/eV1VJwZB (ignore engineering for this exercise, just module cost). The total cost for this build is around $228Mil CR
Conditions:
- CMDR GreenHorn is still trying to gain some respect in the galaxy and doesn't want to get into the middle of any "is it an exploit or not" issues, so will be steering clear of the oft debated systems and/or tactics (Aside from Quince, I'm not going to define these here, so just go with your own definition of "you know it when you see it." I can think of no logic that would exclude using the "Road To Ritches", but CMDR GreenHorn doesn't want to leave room for his accomplishment to be marginalized, so he's decided that he'll hit that road after he's completed his objective.)
- The Anaconda may be purchased as soon as funds are available, and used to earn the funds needed to purchase upgrades (I gutted my first one and dropped the sheilds and thrusters (down to the lowest it would accept), swapped out the FSD for a long range G5 A Class, added an SRV, SLF and scanners and headed into the black for a couple of months and earned $100mil CR or so in exploration data)
- CMDR GreenHorn must maintain sufficient funds to cover at least two rebuys of the active ship (so if using the new Conda to earn more money but kept the Cobra, then $9Mil CR would be sufficient cash, as it would cover one ~$7 Mil rebuy for the Conda (stock) and at least one for the Cobra (~$250K)
- CMDR is free to exchange the Cobra at any point for another ship (i.e. step up to an AspX for exploration or Vulture for BH, etc)
Consider different stratagies and oppurtunities, such as earning a lot of money bounty hunting in the Cobra by joining a wing of larger ships during a CG, or by following the system security around in a HiRes.
Based on available missions, CGs, and other means of income, what is your idea of the general progression and time required to reach the objective?
I'm considering doing more than just table topping this, and just outfitting a Cobra and ignore my actual CR balance by subtracting the difference between the current balance and $750K. If so, then I will journal each day's accomplishments and progression.
I suspect that it will take a bit longer than I am initially thinking, but much less time than it took me to get my Anaconda the first time (mainly because it wasn't really an objective that I started with at any point, and that I know what I'm doing now.)
I'm thinking that some may not be understanding one another because they are all using the same word , but I'm not sure that the same definition is being used. I'm wondering if we can establish a baseline or common understanding of the word "Grind" and more specifically, in context of time or effort required to earn sufficient funds to purchase and upgrade an Anaconda.
Let's see how long or what effort does it truly take to get one (with some conditions) and then we can evaluate the different strategies amd ones would individuals consider to be a grind. I've no idea if the "anti-grinders" are thinking that anything more than a few hours is too much, or if the "pro-grinders" (er...this doesn't mean strippers) believe that it isn't a grind until the 200 hour mark (based on comments, it seems like this is how each group views the other's definition of the word).
So...
Let's assume that a player, one CMDR GreenHorn, has been playing for long enough that they have a capably equipped Cobra, which we'll refer to as The General Purpose and has the following build: https://eddp.co/u/7toGd2PS.
CMDR GreenHorn has also learned some of the hard lessons, and can cover the re-buy a few times, and has $750,000 in cash. The cost for the ship and modules is around $4.6 Mil Cr (not sure how the trade in value works), but feel free to assume that the Cobra and modules can be sold for cash at any point.
CMDR GreenHorn has just set out in the General Purpose with $750,000 CR and an ultimate objective of purchasing a shiny new Anaconda and then outfitting for an all-around PvE ship, to these specs: https://eddp.co/u/eV1VJwZB (ignore engineering for this exercise, just module cost). The total cost for this build is around $228Mil CR
Conditions:
- CMDR GreenHorn is still trying to gain some respect in the galaxy and doesn't want to get into the middle of any "is it an exploit or not" issues, so will be steering clear of the oft debated systems and/or tactics (Aside from Quince, I'm not going to define these here, so just go with your own definition of "you know it when you see it." I can think of no logic that would exclude using the "Road To Ritches", but CMDR GreenHorn doesn't want to leave room for his accomplishment to be marginalized, so he's decided that he'll hit that road after he's completed his objective.)
- The Anaconda may be purchased as soon as funds are available, and used to earn the funds needed to purchase upgrades (I gutted my first one and dropped the sheilds and thrusters (down to the lowest it would accept), swapped out the FSD for a long range G5 A Class, added an SRV, SLF and scanners and headed into the black for a couple of months and earned $100mil CR or so in exploration data)
- CMDR GreenHorn must maintain sufficient funds to cover at least two rebuys of the active ship (so if using the new Conda to earn more money but kept the Cobra, then $9Mil CR would be sufficient cash, as it would cover one ~$7 Mil rebuy for the Conda (stock) and at least one for the Cobra (~$250K)
- CMDR is free to exchange the Cobra at any point for another ship (i.e. step up to an AspX for exploration or Vulture for BH, etc)
Consider different stratagies and oppurtunities, such as earning a lot of money bounty hunting in the Cobra by joining a wing of larger ships during a CG, or by following the system security around in a HiRes.
Based on available missions, CGs, and other means of income, what is your idea of the general progression and time required to reach the objective?
I'm considering doing more than just table topping this, and just outfitting a Cobra and ignore my actual CR balance by subtracting the difference between the current balance and $750K. If so, then I will journal each day's accomplishments and progression.
I suspect that it will take a bit longer than I am initially thinking, but much less time than it took me to get my Anaconda the first time (mainly because it wasn't really an objective that I started with at any point, and that I know what I'm doing now.)
