Today's Rant: Military Ranking

[Stealthie]

Also, why does data influence rank so much faster than actual military based missions?

I don't think this is an issue with the naval ranking system, itself.

It's more a function of the importance factions place on data-delivery missions.
Systems in various states (boom, outbreak, famine, war etc) are desperate to send data to other systems - which, I suppose, is fairly plausible.
As a result of that, performing those tasks is considered more prestigious than carrying out more mundane tasks, even if they're more dangerous.

By way of a real-world analogy, it's kind of like how a talented intelligence officer at MI5 is more likely to have an illustrious career than an infantry soldier.

 

[ForeverN00b]

The sad thing is, the Corvette isn't all that much of an upgrade. In fact, it's a downgrade if you prefer fixed weapons.

The FAS is totally worth it though.

 

[Taranis Dekker]

The sad thing is, the Corvette isn't all that much of an upgrade. In fact, it's a downgrade if you prefer fixed weapons.

The FAS is totally worth it though.

Personally, I just want to see what it looks like with the chrome paint I bought last christmas. And the gold, earlier this year.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Why is the window on the toilet of an aeroplane frosted out, who is going to look in at 30,000 feet?

This guy.

There really was a man on the wing of the plane.

 

[CMDRBeranu]

I miss classified courier missions, that was how I used to rank up while having fun and making credits at the same time. The race against the clock while avoiding scans and interdiction brought me hours of fun, and I loved outfitting just for the task.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

http://geekandsundry.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Nightmare_at_20000.jpg

This guy.

There really was a man on the wing of the plane.

That image is mildly creepy, and pretty awesome, actually.



Until you see what it actually looked like...

What. The. Hell.

He's wearing my sofa throw. Lol
I guess he needs to stay warm up there.

Although, it's also raining, and my throw holds a lot of water. I'm surprised he can stand up.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

 

[Arkku]

I agree the current system is silly: you can turn in hundreds of millions in bounties, combat bonds, massacre missions, etc and not get anywhere despite literally hundreds of hours of "organic" gameplay, but if instead you do a few hours of stacking 20 data delivery missions (by board hopping) followed by a completely trivial delivery mission for the actual rank, you can rank up in one day.

Personally I think the reputation grind for naval rank should be reduced considerably, but the ranking missions themselves should be much longer and actually some military stuff. For example, the ranking missions for higher ranks could be a multi-step mission like a smuggling mission followed by assassination followed by massacre (with some fluff to make it sound like an actual plot), and the difficulty of the NPCs would be tied to the naval rank, not random or scaled by player combat rank. Also, massacre and assassination missions should count far more towards rank than any kind of delivery (but perhaps "post captain" actual means captain of the post office in this context?). The charity donations I think the should have minimal impact on naval rank, but perhaps an even greater impact on minor faction reputation.


(BTW, instead of Sothis I use Sol to farm federal data delivery missions: there are a couple of easy destinations and every single faction in Sol gives federal data delivery missions to them.)

 

[Private Perch]

There are people who fly. Apparently there's a knack to it, but it involves falling towards the ground and forgetting to hit it. A distraction is meant to help with the forgetting part. I've tried it, but, I can't get the hang of it. Last time, I broke a few ribs, but alcohol may have been involved, and the distraction wasn't enough.

well spoken Ford Prefect. [alien]

 

[Conch]

The sad thing is, the Corvette isn't all that much of an upgrade. In fact, it's a downgrade if you prefer fixed weapons.

The FAS is totally worth it though.

altho im not gonna call it a downgrade, the corvette is fine with fixed weapons.
those size 4 hardpoints are made for PAs!

(still do more damage with a FAS.. hard to beat a size 5 hardpoint )

 

[Taranis Dekker]

well spoken Ford Prefect. [alien]

[up]

 

[Chrystoph]

I dunno, why were Elton John and Rod Stewart knighted for singing songs instead of horsemanship, prowess in battle and the peasant levies they raised for the Queen of England...oh right, because it's an honorary rank and not an actual knighthood like the good old days.

Yeah, right, because the two oldest Orders in the British Empire weren't just excuses for the Crown to grant itself a Knighthood and have a boys club...

 

[Suvi Anwar]

I did a few ranks at Sothis/Ceos, but since there's only 1 Fed faction there it gets really slow the last few ranks towards Rear Admiral. I moved to Saranyu ( I think it was) where there are 5 or 6 fed factions that all give rank, all to the same destination, was able to make rear admiral a couple days after leaving Sothis.

 

[Verz]

Been stuck at 100% for weeks now and I'm not getting any rank up missions at all. I'm allied in and around Sol and nothing. Nada. Zip.

It's quite frustrating. I think our ranks should just tick over like the Combat, Trade and Exploration ones. It's really annoying having to hope you get Navy mission to rank up having been stuck at 100% for so long.

 

[Viscera]

Also, why does data influence rank so much faster than actual military based missions?
Spending an hour killing stuff for the major powers earns almost no rank compared to delivering a report.


CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

This is because of the fact you are not actually ranking in the Federal/Imperial Navy.

You are doing the donkey work that the real glory boys do not want to do.

You are not in the Navy,

You just gain certain privileges for being a reliable mule for them - A flashy title, and the chance to buy some of their worn out ships from them. The more reliable you prove to be, the better the title they give you, and the bigger/"better" the pile of "ship" you can get.

Note you have to BUY the ship from them, they do not give it for free.

Just read above back and it comes over a bit ranty, it is not supposed to , it is just pointing out that the title they give you is probably Naval slang for "wannabe donkey kisser" right through to "complete donkey kisser"


I will also add I found that last few percent was achieved real quick with a small ship doing data runs and a passenger run, and also any scan planet mission. The last two give real high bonuses, +++, and the data runs tend to be plentiful. You then just pump as many donations as you can to back it up. I did it in a Viper MK4 very fast for the last level to Corvette. Pick a central point and you tend to be able to cycle through lots of missions in the area, and once your rep builds its even faster and profitable.

This means that in the Feds I have the reputation as a "Complete donkey kisser", where as for the Imps I still have 70% of pucker to go.

 

[Whiterose]

Yeah, right, because the two oldest Orders in the British Empire weren't just excuses for the Crown to grant itself a Knighthood and have a boys club...

Mind you, If I saw Elton and Rod running toward me in their best finery I think I might be a tiny bit scared.

 

[Ian Skippy]

So much this! The game is full of the weirdest (or most half-baked) design decisions. The major problem is not even that everything takes forever and can be cumbersome beyond belief without third party tools or exploits, but that so much simply makes no sense at all. I mean you can get promoted to whatever, Admiral, for hauling a ton of biowaste to a system 3ly away.

This. I suspect FD is scared of angering truckers (blaze your own blabla) but combat should obviously be faster, and promotion missions shoukd be increasingly tough. Huge quantities of near riskfree mindless tasks is the definition of grinding almost...

 

[ianbillmorris]

This. I suspect FD is scared of angering truckers (blaze your own blabla) but combat should obviously be faster, and promotion missions shoukd be increasingly tough. Huge quantities of near riskfree mindless tasks is the definition of grinding almost...

They could have done that in a sensible way though, the Cutter is basically a big trade ship, rather than rank with the Empires military, you could have ranked with the Imperial Traders Guild doing trade/haul missions, and the Corvette could have been the reward from the Federal military doing martial missions.

Hell, they could have gone full Wing Commander Privateer and had Mercanaries guilds and Traders guilds (named something else to avoid copywrite) for each major faction rewarding access to unique combat and trade ships, it would have given more variaty to the game.

 

[Crank Larson]

the Cutter is basically a big trade ship

No it isn't. It's also a fairly formidable military ship. Just because it is also good for trade, doesn't mean it is a trade ship.

 

[Ouberos]

I went to New Yembo last week to do the same. Last time I was there I picked up another rank and a bunch of long range hauling missions (not even Biowaste!) But sadly it appears to have been nerfed recently and the board was empty.

I'm still trying to access a gunship after two and a half years so I might head over to Sothis this week. None of these green horns care if you have time served your slow going no-where grind!

 

[Crank Larson]

I went to New Yembo last week to do the same. Last time I was there I picked up another rank and a bunch of long range hauling missions (not even Biowaste!) But sadly it appears to have been nerfed recently and the board was empty.

You do realise that the BGS affects what missions are available? It is quite normal to have huge amounts of missions on offer one week, and the next for them to dry up. This isn't a sign of nerfing at all. What state were the local factions in?