Those ground missions pay one zero too little, and the zero belongs at the end of the numbers. I'm currently doing lots of missions and scavenging for the on foot engineering. Most missions were successful, but I've still been losing money, 11 million in the past 7 days. That is not a sum I care about, I have 10 billion in the bank, but new players will most certainly be put off by this. The engineering upgrades are expensive, the bounty payoffs are expensive, and all we get for the trouble is pocket change. This needs a balancing pass.
Credit rewards need a balancing pass
- Thread starter Cmdr. Numa
- Start date
They have an interesting conundrum. The legs missions are supposed to be a way for new players to earn some early money and pay pretty well compared to what you get early on with courier missions in smalls but just a few could easy put you into a much nicer small ship. Thing is they are time consuming and anything involving combat early on is going to be dicy with the player needing to carefully thread the needle meaning even longer. But add a zero and they would pay out what many top-level solo missions on the ship side do without even needing to bother with a ship.
On the other hand they are so low paying for higher-end CMDRs that the pay may as well not exist. Putting it in the category of smuggling or piracy missions where the only possible interest comes strictly from if you find the activity inherently fun.
I think a couple of things might help. One more scaling of the pay with the rank of the CMDR (and yes factoring in other ranks than merc). Two much higher differentiation on the payouts. The go-fetch missions are about right, but going in to wipe out a military base or steal from them ought to add a zero I think. That keeps even me in largely G3 gear on my toes and it's challenging and interesting but seriously time consuming.
I'm getting re-schooled myself as my ALT did most of the foot missions so his gear is much better. Trying to jump into the same water with my much weaker main account, well, I've had my butt properly handed to me twice now as mistakes are much harder to.... ummmmmm.... silence.
On the other hand they are so low paying for higher-end CMDRs that the pay may as well not exist. Putting it in the category of smuggling or piracy missions where the only possible interest comes strictly from if you find the activity inherently fun.
I think a couple of things might help. One more scaling of the pay with the rank of the CMDR (and yes factoring in other ranks than merc). Two much higher differentiation on the payouts. The go-fetch missions are about right, but going in to wipe out a military base or steal from them ought to add a zero I think. That keeps even me in largely G3 gear on my toes and it's challenging and interesting but seriously time consuming.
I'm getting re-schooled myself as my ALT did most of the foot missions so his gear is much better. Trying to jump into the same water with my much weaker main account, well, I've had my butt properly handed to me twice now as mistakes are much harder to.... ummmmmm.... silence.
Yeah. Unless you're finished with your gear upgrading/purchasing, Commanders will be opting for the materials reward, which usually means in terms of credits you're making something like 250k an hour (and that's including selling the surplus stuff gathered at settlements).
I don't think the payments are made with new players in mind, to be honest. It's a complete and utter head scratcher paying as much for a pre-upgraded suit or weapon from Frontier as I did for my fully A-rated Imperial Courier, for example. (And still baffles me that a ton of battle weapons from the commodities market is a tiny fraction of the price of one battle weapon for on-foot play. I mean, I know there's a bulk discount, and retail shops apply a hefty markup, but...!)
If I were a new player in the game (or advising a new player in the game) I'd be sticking to ship-based credit earning for a while, until the bank balance can afford the credit-sink that is the on-foot game. (Because if you're not earning, you're losing!)
I don't think the payments are made with new players in mind, to be honest. It's a complete and utter head scratcher paying as much for a pre-upgraded suit or weapon from Frontier as I did for my fully A-rated Imperial Courier, for example. (And still baffles me that a ton of battle weapons from the commodities market is a tiny fraction of the price of one battle weapon for on-foot play. I mean, I know there's a bulk discount, and retail shops apply a hefty markup, but...!)
If I were a new player in the game (or advising a new player in the game) I'd be sticking to ship-based credit earning for a while, until the bank balance can afford the credit-sink that is the on-foot game. (Because if you're not earning, you're losing!)
Well, that's not entirely true unless you are full focused on filling the slots. My ALT has made a pretty good fortune on drugs that have been at the IR markers and selling the various bits recovered from the legs missions beyond those needed to hold back for engineering. The suits I got at G2 and upgraded and the weapons I've focused on were not that expensive really either. It probably helps I've all but given up on engineering because of blockers that I just refuse to grind away after. I also pass on most of the pre-engineered stuff. Leveled up gear is not that expensive engineered is just insane. That said if I ever run across G3 with nightvision the credits will flow.
One raid mission paid about $400K but I sold the loot for another 1.2 million. So 1.6M overall. Most are a little closer to 600K to 800K if you don't need the stuff and can sell. The drugs in the anarchy locations are rather lucrative. Of course once I had a Python, the ship simply rules. Quite easy to make 2M a run with even a very up-armored Python.
Thinking on the suit cost... well it (((( is )))) a bit absurd especially given the fact that materials are the currency anyway not credits. However, I would say that if you consider today what the likely cost of an armored suit, with a enormous power capacity, and shielding systems, able to withstand ballistic fire, augment movement and strength, track combatants and other lifeforms around it; I'd not find it surprising to learn that such a suit cost as much as a small fighter airframe. Sometimes the cost is simply the level of effort and technology it takes to make something miniature, reliable, and wearable.
If they let you gather ship based materials, and CHOOSE/bargain for the materials you want (including ship one) when doing on foot missions, it would help a tad.
The credits could do with being upped for the more complex and higher threat missions for sure.
I kinda agree with the poster above about scaling to the commanders experience level.
Either scale the mission payouts, or make the higher level missions unable to be taken by low level (including ship rank) commanders. (Should still be able to share a high pay mission with low level commander though
The credits could do with being upped for the more complex and higher threat missions for sure.
I kinda agree with the poster above about scaling to the commanders experience level.
Either scale the mission payouts, or make the higher level missions unable to be taken by low level (including ship rank) commanders. (Should still be able to share a high pay mission with low level commander though
I just recently switched back to ship stuff to take a break from on foot.
I pretty much have managed to break even by doing a lot of what photomankc wrote about, but when I say pretty much, I'm about 200,000 lower than I started. That includes purchases of G2-3 gear, upgrades, rebuying my DBX twice, rebuying a few SRVs ...
You can make money on foot.
Of course the very first thing I did was to grab my Corvette, found a compromised nav beacon, and blew the utter crap out of the wanted. (truly enjoyed the upgraded graphics).
I made nearly 7 million credits in relatively short order and had a crap load of fun doing it.
Personally I think they need to bump the payouts of missions.
I pretty much have managed to break even by doing a lot of what photomankc wrote about, but when I say pretty much, I'm about 200,000 lower than I started. That includes purchases of G2-3 gear, upgrades, rebuying my DBX twice, rebuying a few SRVs ...
You can make money on foot.
Of course the very first thing I did was to grab my Corvette, found a compromised nav beacon, and blew the utter crap out of the wanted. (truly enjoyed the upgraded graphics).
I made nearly 7 million credits in relatively short order and had a crap load of fun doing it.
Personally I think they need to bump the payouts of missions.
Last night I made 1/2 a million from 5 or 6 items like fossil and deep core items; on top of that I made 1/2 a million in bounties. So that's just over 1 million for a typicaly scavenger run. Admittedly, bounties are poor to start because of your rank; I am at Soldier now and am regularly getting 1/2 a million per run minimum. Also got Allied with a faction I've never done any work for just from bounties alone.
That's just one example. If I really need to raise cash, I also collect all the standard stuff (personal documents, translators etc.) and each run that bumps it up considerably if you collect the lot.
Larceny/crash site runs with Push/Hush/Lazarus can get you even more.
However, suit upgrades are exceedingly expensive - what's worse is when/if you sell them because you're not happy with an upgrade you didn't have chance to test. I think you get just over 2M Cr sale price for a G5 suit with 4 mods, when a G3 suit with 2 mods to buy costs, what, 10-20M Cr? THAT is unbalanced.
I'd at least expect the rates to be similar to ships - you don't get all your money back but you get at least 75% of it. Currently I think you're probably getting less than 10%.
That's just one example. If I really need to raise cash, I also collect all the standard stuff (personal documents, translators etc.) and each run that bumps it up considerably if you collect the lot.
Larceny/crash site runs with Push/Hush/Lazarus can get you even more.
However, suit upgrades are exceedingly expensive - what's worse is when/if you sell them because you're not happy with an upgrade you didn't have chance to test. I think you get just over 2M Cr sale price for a G5 suit with 4 mods, when a G3 suit with 2 mods to buy costs, what, 10-20M Cr? THAT is unbalanced.
I'd at least expect the rates to be similar to ships - you don't get all your money back but you get at least 75% of it. Currently I think you're probably getting less than 10%.
I agree, I've been using one of my alt characters with little money. She currently is struggling to make a profit. One false move and it's shed loads of fines to add into the mix.
I also think the "time vs effort" ratio is out too. Some ground missions can take a long time, they are enjoyable but it can be 40mins - 50mins effort for 250k. I can make that easy by trading in my ship.
Thats the rub, I really enjoy the ground based missions, they feel like space 1999. Just not worth it if you are completing for progression.
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Suit upgrades are expensive, a G5 Maverick sets you back 7.5 million plus the materials. You need to do a lot of ground missions to cover that. Also the bounties I'm regularly accumulating cost. I've seen the interior of prison ships more often in the last two weeks than in the past two years. Interstellar factors are out while you have notoriety. So pay up and go to jail, or be unable to access the mission boards of the factions you have the bounties with.
I'm confused - mining painite and platinum is still a thing right?
True, but you'll need to do a lot of ground missions to get the materials, too. I make about 5-10 million a week selling the spare loot I pick up from missions and salvage sites, even before the mission payouts, and I don't make anywhere near enough materials to fully upgrade one suit or weapon a week.
In terms of the internal balance of Odyssey the missions aren't underpaying, and you could certainly bootstrap yourself up to a high-end Cobra/T-6 or cheap Asp fairly quickly with them. Horizons activities certainly pay far more credits even for equivalent risk and time investments ... but on the other hand, Horizons items are far more expensive once you get past the small ships.
I'll believe this is an issue when we see people who aren't already billionaires complaining ...
I'm at 16 billion. The OP had 10. It's about raising a potential concern.
Another problem is that you get fines and bounties even for a loud fart in pressurized environments.
I honestly can’t imagine how a brand new player is supposed to earn some cash in Odyssey. I can’t imagine how a brand new player is supposed to jump into the game without any meaningful tutorials and explanations but that’s a different matter.
On the other hand, I don’t think there will be many complaints about this as I can’t imagine Odyssey could attract that many new players.
I honestly can’t imagine how a brand new player is supposed to earn some cash in Odyssey. I can’t imagine how a brand new player is supposed to jump into the game without any meaningful tutorials and explanations but that’s a different matter.
On the other hand, I don’t think there will be many complaints about this as I can’t imagine Odyssey could attract that many new players.
A high conflict zone will net 8-10 million if you're allied with the faction you're fighting for. If making money on foot is your goal, 2-3 of those will bring in 25-30 million.
I use on-foot missions for influence (BGS) because I find them far more engaging than scooping endless black boxes and scanning data points on something that looks like a campsite before boosting away (and then paying off the trespass fine.)
I use on-foot missions for influence (BGS) because I find them far more engaging than scooping endless black boxes and scanning data points on something that looks like a campsite before boosting away (and then paying off the trespass fine.)
The average player will also get their behind handed to them in a high CZ until the gear is engineered, the cost comes before finally profit.
Which doesn't matter because you can die as often as you like on foot CZ because there is no loss except for time. Choose the right CZ and you don't even need to be good to win.
Is that fun gameplay though ?