Cash Cow's. Gold Rushes. Easy mode for the new? Bitterness for the old? Or a pointless argument?

[Zeeman]

I refuse to participate in another one of these threads!

And that post isn't even true!!!

z...

 

[ChiefRedCloud]

First off, it is not an exploit because it uses game mechanics that are commonly available, even if the outcome is unintended. An exploit produces an unfair advantage, and this was available to everyone.

In regard to it breaking the game, the economy has been broken from initial release. Your argument is founded in leveling logic, but the game doesn't use leveling to manage the content. As a result, you have Mostly Harmless AI running around in Anacondas. A player just coming into the game takes one look at that and thinks, I should be able to do that. When they figure out that the AI doesn't follow "the rules" in ship generation, the player goes looking to balance the situation.

The fact of the matter is that Elite: Dangerous uses a hash of gaming techniques in an attempt to control "progress" without following the development strategies those control methods are made for. Risk/reward doesn't exist in the game because the pay is dependent on your rank with the faction. Cash gates are in place, but the AI doesn't "level" with you, meaning that the gate doesn't offer a sense of achievement, only a sense of restriction. The "rank" locked ships are effectively cosmetic because they are not superior to normally available ships and the pirate AI gets them regularly. I could go on, but the I believe point is well established.

Added to all of that is the fact that many players don't engage in continuous money flow mechanics, explorers being the primary example. Once you get the ship you need to do what you want, you stop playing the money making game because you have literally left the economy for extended periods of time. To those players, the money needed to do what they enjoy is nothing more than a large gate.

One of the great stories from Distant Worlds 3302 was the Sidewinder that made it to Beagle Point before Engineering. That was done through the massive efforts of the community, otherwise it would not have been possible. Now, stop and think about that not as an incredible story in cooperation and determination, but in terms of technical capability. A starting player couldn't have done it, even with Jump Boosters, because the drive isn't capable. To that theoretical player, DW 3302 was an unavailable option.

Money is more than just a score.

I agree that unintentional exploits, which we know will be identified and stopped are not the same as a cheat instigated by a player to over ride game mechanics. And if you choose to use or not use it is your choice and does not, in my book, make you evil or good. It's a personal choice. But if your too lazy, as I am some times, don't whine or cry about others doing it.

Bad for the economy? If what we have is an economy, and it's probably the closes thing we'll get, it's fine and it'll still be there after the gold mine/exploit is plugged and gone. Personally I'm not upset at those with billions (WAAAA where's mine!!) because no matter how easy it may or may not have been, they still had to work at it bit.

I'm not mad at FDevs for catching and plugging the errors as that's their job/goal.

So, once again, I personally do not see how it will destroy the game. Unattended to, maybe, but the Town Criers and the FDevs won't let that happen so I'm confident that the game will continue on.

Cheers ... and happy gold hunting ...

Chief

P.s. I like the CH's because even in a Cobra you can make money ...

 

[CMNDRMK]

I've noticed in my time playing elite, I'm still new, not even hit 1000 hours yet. That there are some "passionate" ambassadors of what they deem unfair play. They lobby faster than any politician, have more weight than an entire political party and cry "unfair Miss!" faster than Jimmy from my first year at school.

So I'll keep asking the question. Why do credits matter to gameplay & FD? The type of player that wants instant cash will just leave. Thanks for your purchase. The player that understands there is more will remain, regardless of the cash injection. Cash will not unlock engineers, cash will not get you a Corvette or a Cutter, cash wont get you Exploration/Combat rank. So why, PLEASE why do the players that fight so hard for the removal of it by lobbying the forums at Frontier get listened to?

When I first started I made 600mil from a "cash cow". It didn't end my game, it started it. A game that I felt alone I could not play. 99% of you will never have seen or heard of me. That's because I have about 10 commanders on my in game friends list. So fair to say I'm not a community player. I spend countless hours just wombling around getting nowhere. But once I got my first "BIG" ship, that's when I was in. That's when the cost of modules seemed even possible to afford! Then there's the rest of the game to play!

Just let the ones that want cash have it, even pop in a cheeky gold rush in once in a while. How can it possibly hurt?

o7

You dont get given cash in a vacuum (pun intended) but the game has to give you cash via content and interaction. I dont have problems with players being rich or whatever, I have problems when the content comes up with unbelievable immersion breaking reasons to give you cash, such as do something that could easily be done by countless NPC ships for no bother get infinity mega bucks.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

I don't think it's either, because old timers should be thinking sandbox first, and in a sandbox you can do whatever you want.

Having said, experiencing the pre engineers progression was probably a better experience, same with the quality of the community component of elite. Back then it was more discussion and in depth guides rather than just dumb do this. This has certainly been influenced by the game filling out to permit dumbness play styles though, not just console players and reddit.

Sanity says you use a gold rush when you need credits, or more better use the bgs to find your own gold rush system as the game for it. It's the straight up absence of anything to do with the rest of the game within the community that can people off.

 

[GG7]

I don't think it's either, because old timers should be thinking sandbox first, and in a sandbox you can do whatever you want.

Fortunately, the majority of veteran ED players know how things work, and are not bothered in the slightest about how much $$ another commander has made, how many ships they have etc.

We know it doesn't matter to our gaming experience.

Those claiming to speak for the majority are not. There is a very small yet vocal contingent of what I would call "Busybodies" that can't keep their hands out of everyone else's business.

Those are the ones who continually run to Mommy Frontier and demand the removal of these "perceived" exploits. The fact that those taking advantage of these areas do not impact our enjoyment of the game in any way doesn't ever seem to enter into the minds of the whistle blowers.

I think they just can't stand the thought of anyone achieving anything in the game in less time than they did. It is also interesting that many of the same minority refuses to even bother with sanctioned short cuts.

Self imposed martyrdom to a non existent cause? If it walks like a Duck...