Confession of a shameless Mode Switcher...

[Miklos Atreides]

Now that the galaxy has console players as well, imagine them going into the station menu and seeing the missions list, and knowing these are all they are getting. They'd just log off. I don't think FDev wants that. There are so many suggestions about changing the game to make it more boring, more grindy, in ways that shouldn't matter to people who don't use the mechanic in the 1st place.

There is no problem of that in my suggestion because the Mission Queue is filled near time. One acceptance causes the creation of another mission. Hence the queue should be filled always with a couple of missions available.
How many missions there are can vary by systems size, wealth, tech level, state, factions ,.... Means on a mining outpost you probably will not find a 128 Missions queue available to pilots as he saw it two hours ago in
a billion people system Orcellus Starport.

Regards,
Miklos

 

[Aashenfox]

Early ranks are not so bad and come at a reasonable pace. The higher ones? Not so much.



I don't think you're new. Do you think I'm new?

It was a valid question, since you and kofeyh both told me something that every ED player knows, as if I hadn't considered it.

It is normal that in RPG/MMO games, the next level of achievement, whatever that is, takes more effort than the last, this isn't the issue though. The issue seems to be that people think they 'need' to grind out these higher more difficult ranks. This is just not needed, unless as I said before, it is eating you inside that you don't have a Corvette, which is a whole other issue for which it is kinda hard to blame Fdev. I think it is right and appropriate that when you see a player with some properly great stuff, that you know just at a glance that they REALLY earned it.

Could they reduce the difficulty curve? Yes. Should they? No, not in my opinion, if you want the best, either be patient or grind, it's your choice.

 

[Ozram]

It was a valid question, since you and kofeyh both told me something that every ED player knows, as if I hadn't considered it.

It is normal that in RPG/MMO games, the next level of achievement, whatever that is, takes more effort than the last, this isn't the issue though. The issue seems to be that people think they 'need' to grind out these higher more difficult ranks. This is just not needed, unless as I said before, it is eating you inside that you don't have a Corvette, which is a whole other issue for which it is kinda hard to blame Fdev. I think it is right and appropriate that when you see a player with some properly great stuff, that you know just at a glance that they REALLY earned it.

Could they reduce the difficulty curve? Yes. Should they? No, not in my opinion, if you want the best, either be patient or grind, it's your choice.

You are leaving out the third option, which is to grind through mode switching which is the topic of this thread. If it worked as you stated above, I'd have come to the same conclusion as you have, but it does not.
The difference is not 30% between modeswap Grind and focused grind without the mode swap. It's far more and if you only do it through natural play, even if you preference the missions that count over those that do not, then it is practically unattainable (maybe a couple more years). I've been preferencing these missions since Christmas, when I bought the Chrome skin for a Vette. At the time I already had an FGS. I have my preferred stalking grounds where I am already allied with the relevant factions.
Its slow going. I don't care all that much and still have a great time with this game, but the fact that anyone can boost the access now, not through straight grinding, but through modeswap + grinding is irritating because it's a loophole outside of regular play in order to gain very much in game advantages. I'm not quite sure how it is that FD don't consider it an exploit, tbh and I find it bizzare that some of the Grind elements of the game practically count on the mechanic being used (is effectively balanced around it).

 

[StiTch]

Praise Braben for conflict missions, which helped keep an interest in naval ranking many moons ago.

Naval ranking needs a complete rehaul, and if I remember correctly, that was accepted by FD quite some time ago. I guess it falls under the banner of soon(tm).

But a small change, or the acceptance of mode switching, is pretty pointless. Spamming missions as the sole method of naval promotion is something that needs rebuilding from scratch and I'd rather that takes its time and gets done properly.

As it happens, the introduction of a good naval ranking system is one of the few things that could make me hit the one great reset button. I'd never be keen about re-obtaining all my engineered modules, but I feel I missed a somewhat important aspect of Elite in interaction with the Empire/Federation navies...that "interaction" being a few ship unlocks for doing missions with no real tie to the navies in the first place.

 

[Spiridon]

As it happens, the introduction of a good naval ranking system is one of the few things that could make me hit the one great reset button. I'd never be keen about re-obtaining all my engineered modules, but I feel I missed a somewhat important aspect of Elite in interaction with the Empire/Federation navies...that "interaction" being a few ship unlocks for doing missions with no real tie to the navies in the first place.

I snapped and become a shameless mode switcher when ranking up with Feds, somewhere mid-ranks, I got a mission: "You promise much for Federal Navy, so we have a special very important task for you: go bring us 7 Crop Harvesters".

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The message I take out of this thread is: don't bother with ranking, since it either means grinding or exploiting.

Mission accomplished, haven't spent any time on ranking. Yay me!

 

[StiTch]

I snapped and become a shameless mode switcher when ranking up with Feds, somewhere mid-ranks, I got a mission: "You promise much for Federal Navy, so we have a special very important task for you: go bring us 7 Crop Harvesters".

Hey, didn't you hear about new plans to experiment with crop harvesters as projectiles?

*chuckles*

Seriously though, being a courier boy, or collector of a few agricultural tools, is fine - if the navy justifiably needs them/it fits into RP, and importantly if that's the right job for who you're giving it to.

I don't doubt there have been letter delivery boys in various navies one bit. As a matter of fact communications has always been an aspect of utter, paramount importance. What I do disagree with is being told to increase my rank by delivering letters...when I'm apparently a bloody king.

I should be telling others to send the damn letters, leading armies and earning a name by massacring the opposition.

The message I take out of this thread is: don't bother with ranking, since it either means grinding or exploiting.

Mission accomplished, haven't spent any time on ranking. Yay me!

It's all a-okay if it coincidentally fits into your playstyle - hammering CZs in Open turned out to be a steadfast favourite ranking and money-making method - but if you're outside of that area of luck...I'd say your statement is on point.

 

[Stealthie]

I snapped and become a shameless mode switcher when ranking up with Feds, somewhere mid-ranks, I got a mission: "You promise much for Federal Navy, so we have a special very important task for you: go bring us 7 Crop Harvesters".

I seem to recall, from my time at Fehu, that I was stacking up 20 surface-scan missions at a time and I think it took something like a dozen runs to achieve one rank.
So, that's ~240 missions (all rep+++) to gain one rank.

The way Fehu was, I didn't actually need to mode-switch to stack those missions (which was just as well, cos at the time reverting to the main menu could take up to 10 minutes, if it happened at all) but, at roughly 10 minutes per run, I was looking at two hours of constant grinding to gain one rank.

It terms of game-time, I think that's fair enough.
What's not so good is the way that it was done - by stacking huge heaps of simple, repetitive, missions.

Instead, if each naval rank was achieved by embarking on, say, a 10 hour long "mini quest" then I think people would actually enjoy the experience of gaining rank.
the "quests" could be focused on specific facets of the game so they'd function as "tutorials" to introduce people to that content as well as forcing people to indulge in diverse gameplay rather than just doing the same thing over and over, thousands of times.

Achieving one rank might involve something as simple as killing 50 enemies.
Another might involve smuggling 50 mcguffins into the enemy capital without being scanned, while being harassed by enemy ships.
Another might involve having to mine 100t of some rare mineral.
Another might involve exploring to find 10 ELWs.
Another might require you to build a ship with certain specifications.
Another might require you to undermine some minor faction in a specific system.
Another might require you to scan 50 data-terminals on outposts in enemy territory.
Another might require you to deliver 50 data packets across long distances while being harassed by enemies.
Etc...

Surely it's not beyond FDev to sit down and come up with a couple of dozen diverse quests, all of which would require between, say, 5 and 10 hours of gameplay each?
It's not the time that makes naval rank a grind, and invites criticism. It's the repetitive drudgery.

 

[Morbad]

even if you preference the missions that count over those that do not, then it is practically unattainable (maybe a couple more years).

I don't really feel it's that slow.

I'm currently 56% Duke in my Imperial Navy rank, and any time I spend a day in Imperial space, just doing whatever normal missions I'd normally be doing anywhere I happen to be, with no mode switching, I get 2-3% on that rank.

 

[space voyager]

lol, good luck getting a PS4 player to spend 2 years in one game just to get one toy.

Or any sane person for that matter.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I'm very sure, since I am a PS4 player as well.

Oh, in that case, yeah, those PS4 players, bunch of shiftless plonkers

 

[Ozram]

I don't really feel it's that slow.

I'm currently 56% Duke in my Imperial Navy rank, and any time I spend a day in Imperial space, just doing whatever normal missions I'd normally be doing anywhere I happen to be, with no mode switching, I get 2-3% on that rank.

Maybe I'm wrong. I'll do a pic to stamp where I'm at and then in a week I'll do another.

 

[Cupcake]

Since FDEV is cool with us mode switching to refresh the mission board so we can stack those missions, I wish they'd change the mission board so that the missions refresh every couple of minutes. If the devs don't consider it an exploit, then make it a part of the game.
Nothing fun about logging in and out over and over again.

I seem to remember them taking action to STOP mission stacking/mode switching? As they consider it an exploit.

 

[Bieltan]

Its a pretty savage grind. Just keep your eyes on the prize and keep in mind that once its done, its DONE.

I have 69% of Post Captain to go. My grinding pants are ON.

 

[Riverside]

I seem to remember them taking action to STOP mission stacking/mode switching? As they consider it an exploit.

There have been balance passes & stuff like limiting the number of missions you can take on, but instance reloading is part of the way the core engine works so I don't think it could be eliminated completely.

It would be nice to think that Cmdrs would play the hand they are dealt, but like engineers, it's tempting to keep rolling the dice until you get a double-six.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

There have been balance passes & stuff like limiting the number of missions you can take on, but instance reloading is part of the way the core engine works so I don't think it could be eliminated completely.

It would be nice to think that Cmdrs would play the hand they are dealt, but like engineers, it's tempting to keep rolling the dice until you get a double-six.

I pretty much played the hand that was dealt - it just didn't play out well enough.

 

[Cpt Spaulding]

Took me almost 5 weeks of mode switching at Ceos/Sothis to reach Rear Admiral. Average playtime of maybe 2hrs/day. Going from Post Commander to Rear Admiral took the longest because the delivery missions from the controlling fed faction had dried up and would never appear.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Oh, in that case, yeah, those PS4 players, bunch of shiftless plonkers

Since I can't be RRR-ed to think of a proper response: Oh change your avatar why don't you! [mad]

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Oh, in that case, yeah, those PS4 players, bunch of shiftless plonkers

Oi!

 

[StiTch]

Oh, in that case, yeah, those PS4 players, bunch of shiftless plonkers

No-one has yet publically revealed Ziggy is the PS4 demographic.