Almost beginning to wish FD would add credits for real cash in the store

[Agony_Aunt]

So, straight off the bat, i'm very anti pay2win and against FD doing this.

But, after a lot of musing over FCs, expressing my opinion on them, and it looking like FD are going to keep the current values, i've decided, despite my misgivings, i still want one. I still want to go out exploring those remote stars around the edges of the galaxy.

So, i've got to bite the bullet.

After playing since launch, with thousands of hours in the game, i had about 3 billion in credits. Over the last couple of weeks i've added about another half a billion through mining. I'm gaining about 100 million per hour doing mining in Borann in my type 10. Which is a bit better than Robigo passenger missions. Not sure how this will go after the release of FCs when the Borann hotspot will no longer exist.

But, for a FC, with the modules i need for my journey into the black, and a year's worth of upkeep as a buffer, i'll be needing about 7 billion. So that's another 3.5 billion, or 35 hours of mining (although in reality its likely to be longer).

I'm not one for grinding, i hate grinding, i'd rather go out exploring or do some combat, but anything else means its not going to take tens of hours but possibly hundreds. I'd really like to get a FC before the next big update.

So, for the nonce, Borann it is. And when i get tired of it, maybe do some masscre missions for a lot less, or offf to Robigo.

I wish i could made good money in my home system, doing missions and whatever takes my fancy, but that would be even slower. Maybe i will soon though, if the grind gets too much.

But sometimes, it just makes me think, i'd be willing to pay real money to avoid all this. And i don't like that thinking.

The only thing FD could do in this regard though is a massive rebalancing of activities, and i doubt that is even on the cards any time soon.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

You don't need to get one at launch day. I want one too, but I can't see me getting one until next year sometime.

 

[Chaparral]

I'm sure it will be part of the new era. If not straight cash for credits, there are many tried and true developer strategies for reducing grind time.

For example,

Pay 100 arx and get the services of a mining specialist that doubles your output for an hour.

Pay 100 arx and get the services of a bounty broker, that gives you tips on criminals worth 20 million a pop.

Pay 100 arx and get the services of a recovered data beacon with location of all the ELW within 100 ly that have yet to be scanned.

Pay 100 arx and get the services of a trade broker that identifies lucrative source and return missions within 100 ly.

These things are rpg "flavored", don't really feel like p2w, and are great money makers for FDEV.

 

[Riverside]

Well on the bright side, now you have a target to aim for & a reason to play more

I can afford to buy a fleet carrier, but I am not looking for more reason to play. It seems to me it's content for players who have a stack of cash & are looking for something else to do (ie maintaining a fleet carrier as a service), not for players who are already busy doing their own thing.

The only reason I'll consider getting one will be if I feel I need to have one to remain competitive against BGS opponents. But there are already plenty of other things I don't do that my opponents do, so beating them even without using a carrier will probably just become another one

I get what you mean about selling credits though, they have become a bit meaningless in the game since 3.3. I just ignore my credit balance now, it seems to go up no matter what I do.

 

[Sethiest]

You don't need to get one at launch day. I want one too, but I can't see me getting one until next year sometime.

Agree'd.

Besides, the road to a FC is supposed to be a marathon not a sprint. 100 mil an hour is still insanely good. Lets put things into perspective here. The "Big Three" were supposed to be end game ships. As the game is now, they're achievable in about a day. That's from a fresh account to Anaconda in a day.

If it's that much of a race for you, remember you don't need 7 billion. You need 5 billion. I understand why you say 7 billion but you could always buy it for 5 and continue to work to for the last 2 billion.

 

[Oopsie Daisy]

Aww, agony aunt is upset because his opinion fell on deaf ears.

 

[Oopsie Daisy]

You don't need to get one at launch day. I want one too, but I can't see me getting one until next year sometime.

Sounds like he is vain and wants his user name on a "discovered by" tag on those distant stars/planets he mentioned. I mean it can't be because he thinks he will actually find something interesting in all of this procedurally generated sameness.

 

[Andro]

You can ride on mine as it takes a little trip in June. Explore, mine, sell your hauls, bring all your ships, I'll be doing it all.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

Sorry OP, but Fleet Holders aren't for you. But don't worry, the Delayed Era will make all your dreams come true (TBC).

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Aww, agony aunt is upset because his opinion fell on deaf ears.

Thanks for your worthless input on the matter.

I'd actually like to think that the feedback provided by everyone was considered by FD, and while not everyone got what they want, FD did make some significant changes to costs, and its because of those changes that i'm now actually working towards getting one, even though, i'm still not entirely happy with the offline cost, and i still think the fuel requirements could do with coming down.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

You can ride on mine as it takes a little trip in June. Explore, mine, sell your hauls, bring all your ships, I'll be doing it all.

Thanks, but no thanks, i'd rather choose my own path and not be depedent on other players.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Besides, the road to a FC is supposed to be a marathon not a sprint.

Says who? I don't recall FD saying anything in regards to how fast they expect people to get FCs, and i suspect if pressed on the matter they would simply say that people are free to work towards them as quick or as slow as they want.

However, i agree in that there is no need to grind if you don't mind waiting, but if i don't grind, and play as i've always done... well, i refer you to my original post. 5 years of play, thousands of hours, and only have 3.5 billion in the bank.

Extrapolate that out, and it will years before i can get a FC, and with my normal income, i'd lose it after the decomission period for not having enough credits to cover the maintainace.

Unfortunately, FCs have for the first time in time playing this game, made me make a choice between not grinding or grinding to get something in what I would consider a reasonable timeframe.

So, if i didn't grind, it wouldn't be a sprint or a marathon, it would be a road to nowhere.

Also, as a minor sidenote, 2.5 hours, made 150 million from mining. Time for a break from mining. Need something else. Maybe will check out massacre missions for a few days.

 

[Greasetrap42]

But, after a lot of musing over FCs, expressing my opinion on them, and it looking like FD are going to keep the current values, i've decided, despite my misgivings, i still want one. I still want to go out exploring those remote stars around the edges of the galaxy.

You will be able to jump to stars that are >70LY away from the nearest star.

Will it be common to use FCs as a star-hopping exploration vehicle for remote stars? (Genuine question, not being rehetorical). I'm a little surprised at that. It is certainly a very big expensive ship to go visit a really remote Class M star system. Not saying there isn't anything cool to find in extremely remote locations. It just seems like a really clunky way of star hopping.

Will I visit other cmdr's FCs? Sure. Will I join someone elses's FC that is going on a special trip? Maybe. Am I gonna spend 7 billion so I can tag a really remote M class star. Nope. I see no need to spend 7 billion to go exploring.

 

[Sethiest]

Says who?

You.

I don't recall FD saying anything in regards to how fast they expect people to get FCs, and i suspect if pressed on the matter they would simply say that people are free to work towards them as quick or as slow as they want.

I expect they would. But what is already observable, as you pointed out, is that it's going to take time. Which is probably by design?

i refer you to my original post. 5 years of play, thousands of hours, and only have 3.5 billion in the bank.

Well....5 years of not grinding. If you want to play Elite your way power to you. But if you want to make money you have to play Elite in the way that makes you money.

but anything else means its not going to take tens of hours but possibly hundreds

Maybe focus on the money making for a bit and get those tens of hours out of the way first?

So, if i didn't grind, it wouldn't be a sprint or a marathon, it would be a road to nowhere.

Well I don't know what you spend your money on but you got to 3.5 million somehow.

Also, as a minor sidenote, 2.5 hours, made 150 million from mining. Time for a break from mining. Need something else. Maybe will check out massacre missions for a few days.

You can get that down to about an hour with practice. I personally, do an hour mining before carrying on with whatever I'd like to do. Each day it builds up.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

You will be able to jump to stars that are >70LY away from the nearest star.

Will it be common to use FCs as a star-hopping exploration vehicle for remote stars? (Genuine question, not being rehetorical). I'm a little surprised at that. It is certainly a very big expensive ship to go visit a really remote Class M star system. Not saying there isn't anything cool to find in extremely remote locations. It just seems like a really clunky way of star hopping.

Will I visit other cmdr's FCs? Sure. Will I join someone elses's FC that is going on a special trip? Maybe. Am I gonna spend 7 billion so I can tag a really remote M class star. Nope. I don't need to spend 7 billion to go exploring.

Indeed. I don't know how common it will be, but its what i want to do with one. I understand others are not interested in tagging remote systems. Its not like you're more likely to find interesing systems by going to remote places. Probably even less chance, since you will be visiting less systems probably. But you know, the lure of the explorer, drawing you to places nobody has been before.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

You.



I expect they would. But what is already observable, as you pointed out, is that it's going to take time. Which is probably by design?



Well....5 years of not grinding. If you want to play Elite your way power to you. But if you want to make money you have to play Elite in the way that makes you money.



Maybe focus on the money making for a bit and get those tens of hours out of the way first?



Well I don't know what you spend your money on but you got to 3.5 million somehow.



You can get that down to about an hour with practice. I personally, do an hour mining before carrying on with whatever I'd like to do. Each day it builds up.

Yeeees.... i think you're basically repeating what i've said myself. I see what its going to take, and therefore if i want a FC within the next few years, i'm going to have to grind like i've never grinded before.

Maybe i can get 150 million ddown to an hour, but not i suspect in my type 10.

 

[Andro]

Just wait until days where it's selling for 1.6m/t and get 3-4 "no life" trips in. That was how I did the last 4 or so billion for my goal.

 

[Pristine_Bump]

I have concluded the better metric with mining is Tons per Hour since prices vary my average best is around 4h40m delivered ish for 520T which is my Cutters Capacity so anything between 500m and 880m

 

[Pristine_Bump]

Yeeees.... i think you're basically repeating what i've said myself. I see what its going to take, and therefore if i want a FC within the next few years, i'm going to have to grind like i've never grinded before.

Maybe i can get 150 million ddown to an hour, but not i suspect in my type 10.

Thats easy Buy a Cutter I tried Types 6-7-9 Meh I suspect the 10 is brethren

 

[Marklar_]

To be fair, we've had over a year of the mining gold rush while knowing that mega-expensive FCs were coming. You didn't have to wait to grind it out at the last minute.