Modes How to make open attractive to solo players: Mission Rebuy

[ethelred]

There is no way I can fly a exploration ship of my choice (such as the DBX) in Open and have her engineered and properly equipped for both exploration and PvP at once. Those two set-ups are mutually exclusive. This thread is about getting more people from Solo/PG to Open, while you say they should actually stay away from Open.

What we're saying is that Open provides an additional challenge than PG or Solo. There are always ways to overcome these challenges. The risk is high, the reward is only the feeling of beating the challenge itself.

Skills you will need to be able to do it (and FWIW I have done it in an unshielded hauler on the way back from Sag A*) are:-

- choosing where you want to drop your data. In a fringe system is the lowest risk obvs this scales up to Power capitals and if you were insane, the current CG station. This is a risk and reward dynamic - the further you go into the bubble, the greater the chance of encountering CMDRs and the greater chance if meeting a Bad Egg.

- Scanner Eagle-Eyes. If you are in a system with other CMDRs you need to know what they are doing, and then know what to do. In the grand scheme of things this isn't too hard as an explorer as you will often just be jumping to your destination system. If you do see contacts at a star, then align yourself so the rear of your ship is facing the star (so you can't be interdicted) and then turn to face your destination star when the drive is ready.

If you have contacts that are hostile, or seem hostile in your destination, consider using another system, using "the long way round" and/or gravity braking to reduce your supercruise time. (this is why your destination plus points would be a short or very long Ls distance)

-At the station itself, scanner eyes on and look for those empty squares/heatsinks and shenanigan behaviour. Keep within the speed limit, or silent run in (with a DBX even easier)

-get friendly with Iridium Wing and they will escort you in.

For me I bugged out really early and the first outpost I hit I did a data dump.

Explorers risk the most, for no tangible in game reward so I can see how that is not attractive and to stick with PG or Solo.

If that challenge floats your boat come on in.

 

[Marra Morgan]

Well, engineering my DBX to anything else but exploration means making her less effective for exploration, thus hindering my ability to play the game the way I want to play it.

Besides, I do not want to participate in PvP, in no way at all, including being a target that may have a chance to escape. Still PvP...

And you are free to min-max to heart's content without PvP in Solo, or a Private Group that forbids PvP.

For those of us who like to run the gauntlet in Open, we'll make sure our exploration ships are well prepared

 

[Jockey79]

And you are free to min-max to heart's content without PvP in Solo, or a Private Group that forbids PvP.

For those of us who like to run the gauntlet in Open, we'll make sure our exploration ships are well prepared

And this is why the Selective Mode System was a genius move by Frontier.
Those who want to potter about, can. Those who want thrill and excitement, get it.

Everyone is a winner

 

[Watchdog]

What we're saying is that Open provides an additional challenge than PG or Solo. There are always ways to overcome these challenges. The risk is high, the reward is only the feeling of beating the challenge itself.

Skills you will need to be able to do it (and FWIW I have done it in an unshielded hauler on the way back from Sag A*) are:-

- choosing where you want to drop your data. In a fringe system is the lowest risk obvs this scales up to Power capitals and if you were insane, the current CG station. This is a risk and reward dynamic - the further you go into the bubble, the greater the chance of encountering CMDRs and the greater chance if meeting a Bad Egg.

- Scanner Eagle-Eyes. If you are in a system with other CMDRs you need to know what they are doing, and then know what to do. In the grand scheme of things this isn't too hard as an explorer as you will often just be jumping to your destination system. If you do see contacts at a star, then align yourself so the rear of your ship is facing the star (so you can't be interdicted) and then turn to face your destination star when the drive is ready.

If you have contacts that are hostile, or seem hostile in your destination, consider using another system, using "the long way round" and/or gravity braking to reduce your supercruise time. (this is why your destination plus points would be a short or very long Ls distance)

-At the station itself, scanner eyes on and look for those empty squares/heatsinks and shenanigan behaviour. Keep within the speed limit, or silent run in (with a DBX even easier)

-get friendly with Iridium Wing and they will escort you in.

For me I bugged out really early and the first outpost I hit I did a data dump.

Explorers risk the most, for no tangible in game reward so I can see how that is not attractive and to stick with PG or Solo.

If that challenge floats your boat come on in.

Nope, that is not an option if one needs to level up Engineers, such as Farseer. Open has nothing to offer to me that Mobius cannot do better.

I admire what the Iridium Wing does for people like me, hats off here, however, that would still put me in a PvP environment. No deal for me as long as PvP is included in the package.

It sounds like solo/ limited PG is more your speed. Apparently the game you want to play is the one where you stubbornly resist the realities of open- not to mention the good advice of the community, clinging to builds that increase the danger of seeing rebuy screens.

Enjoy solo.

Nah. I enjoy the peaceful and relaxed atmosphere of Mobius instead.

Thing is, a lot of people come up with elaborate ideas how to persuade people like me to play in Open, so that they get more targets. I counter such ideas with the other side's perspective, why such a deal may not sound all that interesting to some of us.

And this is why the Selective Mode System was a genius move by Frontier.
Those who want to potter about, can. Those who want thrill and excitement, get it.

Everyone is a winner

Apparently, I have to spread some reputation around before I can give any to you again. Here. Have some virtual bacon instead.

*gives Jockey79 +1 space bacon*

 

[Darkfyre99]

Agreed - that would be a really silly thing to try to do.

But you can engineer your explorer to be able to escape PvP, as I've done in my DBX a few times.

Or you can do what I do: have a ship equipped for Open waiting for you at system that doesn't receive much player traffic, and swap ships there.

 

[Marra Morgan]

Or you can do what I do: have a ship equipped for Open waiting for you at system that doesn't receive much player traffic, and swap ships there.

See, now that's smart!

 

[Darkfyre99]

See, now that's smart!

It's why I play open: players provide a different challenge over NPCs.

Not necessarily a harder challenge, but definitely a different one.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

And this is why the Selective Mode System was a genius move by Frontier.
Those who want to potter about, can. Those who want thrill and excitement, get it.

Everyone is a winner

Yep. The modes are briliant.

 

[The Replicated Man]

Because deliberately ramming people should be a crime, not a free pass on killing people without triggering the C&P system.

If you're going to PvP, then use you guns and trigger the C&P - bypassing it is cheating.

Ramming is a crime, i was getting fines left, right and centre. That being said, If a Dropship can take down a cutters shields in 4-5 rams, doesn't that raise a red flag to the dude being rammed?

"Hey! I am losing my shields because of my silly decision to run 5D shields on a cutter. Who do I blame? The dude ramming me? Or my own silly decision to min/max my PVE cargo runner?

Choices and Consequences

 

[Bob Lighthouse]

Ramming is a crime, i was getting fines left, right and centre. That being said, If a Dropship can take down a cutters shields in 4-5 rams, doesn't that raise a red flag to the dude being rammed?

"Hey! I am losing my shields because of my silly decision to run 5D shields on a cutter. Who do I blame? The dude ramming me? Or my own silly decision to min/max my PVE cargo runner?

Choices and Consequences

Yep.
I just wanted to add that I even got a fine for ramming a wanted NPC that was also a mission target.

Wth?

 

[TiberiusDuval]

Well I have to say that I haven't been ganked or otherwise attacked by human player in open more than once. And even that time it was legit bounty hunting (though getting killed due to minor traffic violation is kind of "special"). Maybe I have been just lucky, or I have avoided most risky places. It is big galaxy after all.

 

[FrankusSupremus]

How can these debates still be happening man? I've been away so long, and it's still the same thing. [big grin] If Open players want more players to join them, they don't need to be asking Solo players, because that's a pointless endeavour. What they SHOULD be doing is going to OTHER GAMES and asking those people, punters who play shooters and MMOs and other online games, and ask those people if they want to try something a tad slower and more intellectual but that still has the thrill of player to player interactions. Trying to convince vegans that your steak is better than next door's steak is not a game worth playing, haha.

 

[Thrym]

Y'know what has actually, much to the chagrin of PvPers and Solo'ers alike, made open more attractive?

Content. Yep, that's right, it's just content. We have wing missions. We have multi-crew. We have Thargoids. These have given players opportunities to do things in open that they weren't readily doing elsewhere, unless they have a specific private group on tap--and as we well know, most gamers roll into a multi player game with either a small group of friends or meet casual acquaintances as they go, which means open is the place to find this interaction.

This isn't that big a stretch, really. From those little content bumps comes an excuse to see if people you know, or are willing to meet, exist in open at current. From there, some level of at least passive interest may form in other open activities, like PvP.

In the fairly near future we'll have squadrons and carriers. Open will fairly explode(relative to the calm, un-exploding way things explode around here, anyway) in open in comparison to solo. The ability to have an actual group of people that are on your team will create more of these connections, and give a group environment to actually do things like care about PP or BGS in. From there, a person will have to back it up, and PvP environments will naturally happen.

Elite traders and explorers are not going to suddenly evolve into combat craving PvP players. No number of these weird, somewhat pathetic bargaining threads is going to unlock the secret to making that happen. Unbelievably, FD is actually getting this one right---they're creating a potential environment for it to happen in anyway, without having to devolve to trying to get people who aren't interested to participate. Everybody is actually winning this one already.

 

[Jockey79]

... which means open is the place to find this interaction.

The Mobius PGs and some other groups are large enough to have the same (if not more) interactions as Open mode.

So all content can be enjoyed by most people, how they want to enjoy it. Either in Open, Solo or special PGs.

 

[dm06]

Any thoughts?

I am playing ED not because it is MMO and not because of people.
I am playing because I like Stars, Planets and Space, also I can pew-pew ships there.
After purchasing ED I was slightly surprised that it requires internet connection always and have no pause.
And basically I see no reason to go Open.

 

[comdr0303]

I am playing ED not because it is MMO and not because of people.
I am playing because I like Stars, Planets and Space...

Same here, if there was a "elite peace" game i would not be in "dangerous"...i seek adventure, discovering things, helping, transporting & building and all that in a peacefull way. I hate all the killing and i'd like to think that mankind would be different in space than here on earth.

 

[Machoot]

yup sounds good a rebuy

Well, perhaps to draw people into open mode (nudging us back on topic ) then limit engineering to it's own open instances.
That way open becomes a more level playing field as traders won't end up instanced with over engineered gank ships.
(oh and no PP gear either)

Good idea. Normally I play solo because since I am a casual player I am a poor player or just new. Well I made the mistake of leaving the safety of the Federal space and ventured out to Pleiades Sector to do the current rescue missions of life pods etc. I took my Alliance Chieftain (loaded down with lots of armor and upgraded stuff) out for the 30 or so jumps to see what I could see. Before getting to Donar's Oak, I stopped at the die-ing cargo vessel (which is very cool) and saw that I was behind the moon from Donar's so I fired up the FSD and around the moon I went. Well I was interdicted of course by the camper there and when I come out of supercruise (maybe a 3 count) i was shield-less then the second shot I was dead. Never even even using (Assist Off) got my ship turned around to see the guy who killed me just that fast. I think it was a Python, evidently tricked waaaay out. Point is after all that time getting there to get ganked and killed by a highly High level pvp-er kind of takes the fun out of it. I know i am just being "a winey be$och but dawg!

That is why my message to all noobs, DON'T come onto "open" without a lot of practice or at least a wing....

 

[Marra Morgan]

That is why my message to all noobs, DON'T come onto "open" without a lot of practice or at least a wing....

My message to newbies differs a little bit - DON'T listen to anyone else (including me ) - it's your game, try everything out for yourself while your Sidewinder rebuy is free!

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Copy/pasted from the chilled out thread. (Hi Cari!)

Harry Potter/Besieger SDC had the right idea once. (Hello? Yes, this is the Devil. What the frog is going on? It's freezing in here!)

Advertise you're going from A to B in the bubble, and dare people to try and stop you. This could be extended to entire convoys. If you define waypoints the convoy has to travel through, those would be the hotspots for interdiction. Or something.
Make it a monthly event, and people will start to align with either the convoy or the interdictors. Post the score afterwards, the brave convoy has managed to get X tons of Y delivered. Since the convoy will be flying in Open, it might make CMDRs check out Open to see and/or take part in the event.

Now, it doesn't have to be that exact scenario of course, but if you want to promote Open, non-Open players having a defined reason to do so apart from "Open got cookies" or "It's just so great!" will be a great incentive. Plus having an event means many CMDRs in certain hotspots working for or against a set goal.

 

[Machoot]

good idea

Copy/pasted from the chilled out thread. (Hi Cari!)

Harry Potter/Besieger SDC had the right idea once. (Hello? Yes, this is the Devil. What the frog is going on? It's freezing in here!)

Advertise you're going from A to B in the bubble, and dare people to try and stop you. This could be extended to entire convoys. If you define waypoints the convoy has to travel through, those would be the hotspots for interdiction. Or something.
Make it a monthly event, and people will start to align with either the convoy or the interdictors. Post the score afterwards, the brave convoy has managed to get X tons of Y delivered. Since the convoy will be flying in Open, it might make CMDRs check out Open to see and/or take part in the event.

Now, it doesn't have to be that exact scenario of course, but if you want to promote Open, non-Open players having a defined reason to do so apart from "Open got cookies" or "It's just so great!" will be a great incentive. Plus having an event means many CMDRs in certain hotspots working for or against a set goal.

Ziggy has a good. They should have a special game. A game of tag or Capture the flag. Well really sort of like now but find (or make) an area in space that you have to fly through and pick something up that you can only get to by fly though the corridor. -Anarchy- space of course, with a big prize at the end. Something enticing enough to pull in the people to go for it and still there will be 'interdictors to fight 'em for it.