Credits/Schmedits - where can I get the most enjoyment per hour?

[Alec Turner]

I get so depressed reading endless "where can I earn the most credits per hour" threads or "where is the new Robigo" or "Is Quince dead?". OK, fair enough(ish), if you're a new player and you're genuinely asking for help re: getting from nowhere to your first Cobra then asking for some help is cool, but ultimately credits are worthless, enjoyment is everything (surely?). I mean, what are you going to spend the money on? I was always (and still am) totally inspired by Isinona, an experienced FA Off pilot and video maker who never progressed much beyond the Cobra in all the years I followed him. It was never about "what's the fastest way to get an Anaconda", it was always about "right! - I'm sat HERE, in THIS ship, what can I do today that will be entertaining, engrossing and capture my imagination?".

So ... on this subject, what do you do (or have done) that you would say has brought you the most enjoyment per hour?

I'll start the ball rolling with a few of my own.

1) Racing (surprise surprise). I won't go on about this 'cos it's my thing and I've banged on about this enough elsewhere already but suffice to say that in terms of the amount of shear entertainment I've had in any given period of ED gaming, Buckyball racing (scouting the course, race tuning the ship, practicing, improving my times and testing myself against the other competitors) has probably given me the most enjoyment per hour (if I was being specific I'd probably say SRV racing - or perhaps even combined ship/SRV racing as seen in things like the "Aquarian Job" race).

Spoiler

[video=youtube_share;yQivaH0EWfc]https://youtu.be/yQivaH0EWfc[/video]

2) SRV base-jumping with other commanders. I have to admit that I haven't done this for a LONG time now but the gaming session I spent with commanders Sn0wman and PeachSlicesV, throwing ourselves off a glorious mountain (which sadly doesn't exist anymore) in the Njokujinun system, was probably the single most enjoyable ED session I've ever had.

Spoiler

[video=youtube_share;cQRnMqEpU4Y]https://youtu.be/cQRnMqEpU4Y[/video]

More generally I guess, both larking around in the SRV (which I love, its physics model is a constant source of joy) and doing something with other players can be incredibly entrertaining (if you can get past the inconvenient hassle of communicating and organising it). What I should do more is to message friends who are on-line and just say "hey, do you fancy meeting up and doing something?".

3) Setting myself (or accepting) some ridiculous challenge or mission and seeing it through to the end. A couple of examples of this were a backwards docking challenge courtesy of the inimitable Bran Tse Mallory ..

Spoiler

[video=youtube_share;Nh_rPyPPLJ0]https://youtu.be/Nh_rPyPPLJ0[/video]

.. and a three day mission to get a ship inside one of the new Thargoid bases. I absolutely live for these sort of "emergent" adventures and will gladly drop everything I'm doing if I get a sniff of one. I guess that's one reason I like being a Fuel Rat. On a day when I'm low on inspiration I can just keep one eye on the rescue channel and who knows, maybe an adventure will just turn up unexpectedly. These are the things that feel closest in spirit to the Isinona videos that so inspired me in the first place.

Oh, and I'm not anti-combat by the way. My primary ship (a Python) is kitted out with weapons, KWS, interdictor, etc and I do love a bit of bounty hunting. Really entertaining for an hour or two now and then, just not my personal absolute best return on enjoyment per hour.

So, take it away ... what do you recommend?

 

[Requiem Mortis]

I really enjoy hosting MC on my FGS - made some new friends that way.

Having great fun in a Wing at the recent Bounty hunting CG.

 

[Friedenreich Xante]

After having spent hours of grinding for Money, I can finally afford to look for more fun things to do. Grinding was fun too, most of the time. But now I enjoy multicrew, for instance, a frowned upon Feature because not yielding as much income and being not as effective as wings. But it is FUN.

 

[verminstar]

The issue one might possibly have with quick cash exploits, of which there are a few not widely publicized, is that as soon as forums become aware of them, someone somewhere starts demanding FD nerf them. Which is why I wont speak of my personal grind where I have what appears to be an ever repeating passenger mission that pays 5m at each station with only 2 jumps which leads to 50m an hour possible if ye mode switch.

If someone got hold of where that actually was, they will demand FD nerf it because they believe thats not how the game should be played. Ergo one no longer tells anyone when one finds something nobody else knows about...sorry ^

Grinding is one my least favorite things to do so if theres a shortcut, then Ill use it. I didnt always play like this, but after trying the casino, Ive adopted a new level of hatred fer the grind and have changed how I play accordingly ^

 

[furrycat]

SRV Shot Putt a sport (which may or may not have been) jointly invented by CMDR -NEXUS- and myself.

From a stationary position, apply full steering lock to your SRV. Then apply full throttle. The SRV spins around and around. After sufficient momentum has been generated, apply thrusters only - no pitching or rolling in midair.

See how far you can fly!

 

[Wyaston Hypatia]

Ironman

Sic transit gloria mundi and all that.
Not for everyone, I get that but deleting your save every time you get killed changes your perspective on what is important and what is fun.
Hint it's not Credit balance. I've deleted so much progress and credits. Why? Because it keeps the game fresh, and different.

Play your own way - I sure do

 

[metascrawl]

I agree about bounty hunting, I also do it in a Python these days. I prefer to hunt at a compromised nav beacon or Haz Rez in an anarchy so there's no help from security. A few extra creds don't hurt but it's mostly for the fun. I got to Expert the last time I played which was quite satisfying - it's the first combat ranking that doesn't seem like it's damning you with faint praise.

 

[Conch]

I agree about bounty hunting, I also do it in a Python these days. I prefer to hunt at a compromised nav beacon or Haz Rez in an anarchy so there's no help from security. A few extra creds don't hurt but it's mostly for the fun. I got to Expert the last time I played which was quite satisfying - it's the first combat ranking that doesn't seem like it's damning you with faint praise.

if you want a fun system to bounty hunt in, check out Beta-3 Tucani.
it has a HAZRES without rocks, all the miners leave, so no cops.. and all the wanted guys come to scan you. it also helps having your A rated sensors modded for longerange.

 

[Alec Turner]

if you want a fun system to bounty hunt in, check out Beta-3 Tucani.
it has a HAZRES without rocks, all the miners leave, so no cops.. and all the wanted guys come to scan you. it also helps having your A rated sensors modded for longerange.

I have to say that sensor modding is well worth doing. I modded the KWS for speed which cuts down my bounty hunt waiting time significantly and I'm currently on my way to mod a DSS the same way to speed up exploration (not that I think exploration should be quick and easy but I'm hoping it will just kinda tip the balance and make the process a bit more fun and a bit less waiting). It's only a shame you can't mod the standard sensors for speed in the same way because I don't normally carry a DSS on casual exploration trips.

Interesting to see a couple of shoutouts for multi-crew. I haven't actually tried it yet.

 

[Hadarmil]

Sadly, playing your way towards fun isn't always feasible without some credits.

I wanted to go see nebulas, but a fully kitted AspX is not cheap. Also losing said AspX is not cheap. Furthermore, nebulas are usually quite a far way away and game time is not always plentiful so I understand people asking for easy money. Sure, some are into getting a Cutter so they can say they got the bestest glitteriest game pants, but after doing a couple massacre mission stacks I wasn't afraid anymore to lose my ship so I could try new stuff. I could buy other ships to try and really enjoy the way they handle, look and sound unique ( most of them anyway).

But my favourite time wasn't anything special. Decided to try mining, as it could be relaxing and one of the engineers required it...other people enjoy it so why not. Bought a T7, loaded mining gear and found a nice pristine metal ring. I was in the shadow of the gas giant and getting upset that I was getting crappy rock after crappy rock and the damn refinary kept getting full...then the sun started peeking from behind the planet illuminating everything blue. I stopped everything, ignored the constant refinery nagging and just watched for something like ten minutes. Wow.

I'm using VR BTW. Elite can be just incredibly beautiful. Now I just wish they'll do atmospheric landings, those sunsets could be spectacular especially on those rocky ice bodies we all ignore.

 

[Dale Emasiri]

Interesting to see a couple of shoutouts for multi-crew. I haven't actually tried it yet.

I've been doing this a little bit myself. A few friends have started playing the game recently who have never played before, so it's a good way to talk them through some of the systems and mechanics. Teaching them the basics has been a great source of entertainment for me as it allows me to impart knowledge and also means that my long-term friends are also able to join me to play - which always makes for a better time.

When playing alone, I've taken to trading. Not so fussed about the end result of credits that I earn, but rather the process of tracking imports and exports to various systems. Essentially I've become a long-haul delivery driver and that's okay by me. It's relaxing.

 

[Nick Sticks]

Try to get your SRV into odd places:

Spoiler

I just couldn't squeeze past into the centre.......

 

[Whitehair]

Try to get your SRV into odd places:

Spoiler

http://i.imgur.com/GHIYJOU.png

I just couldn't squeeze past into the centre.......

You have to use your thrusters to get through the gap - just staying on the ground gets you stuck

 

[Nick Sticks]

You have to use your thrusters to get through the gap - just staying on the ground gets you stuck

Excellent, have you done it?
I thought I had tried everything and then got stuck and had to self-destruct.

 

[Whitehair]

Yes I have.

 

[Alec Turner]

For me it is about the credits, but let me explain. That's just the role play I have for my Cmdr. I go about it much differently than most. I seek out credit making opportunities far removed from the recent exploits and glitches. I have cultivated a few things that earn nicely. None of them involve missions let alone mission stacking. One activity requires some extensive time in the SRV while another requires that I fly well outside of the beaten path. With my CR balance just under 5 billion and total assets over 6.5 billion I think I'm doing alright for myself, particularly because I'm having fun. I would elaborate more but that doesn't fit my Cmdr's role play.

Like it (and really glad to hear that such credit making opportunities exist for those that want to RP this).

I would like to add that while my Cmdr is about the credits it's not ALL about the credits. I mix it up with other things as well. I've taken time away from credit earning to engineer most of my ships. I'm planning a trip soon to see some of the oddities created by the Stellar forge. Mitterand Hollow and the World of Death are just a few stops on that tour. I'm also planning a second attempt at circumnavigating a planet in an SRV and by circumnavigation I mean driving the SRV not bouncing it into orbit. I'm doing that just to say I did it.

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me there's no sign of the fun ending anytime soon.

Engineering has been great for me actually. Not so much the roulettey bit (although I don't hate it, except that the rubber banding box which focuses in on the secondary effects is too small, looks ugly and constantly offends my UI design sensibilities) but the way in which it gives me long term goals that I quite enjoy pursuing from time to time. And sightseeing is definitely high on my list too, it's travel with a purpose and I do enjoy the whole process of simply navigating and flying the ship from A to B. I made a point of visiting all the generation ships to hear the audio logs for myself and love going to see new discoveries that people have posted about (Mitterand Hollow is well worth a trip and planet Hell went on my list recently, that's the planet inside a Neutron cone - is that the same as the World of Death?). Driving an SRV around a planet tho! I like the idea but in practice... at what, 35m/s max? that's gonna take weeks!).

 

[Codger]

I agree, enjoyment is everything. It is a game, after all.

The thing that often amazes me is how anyone can get into a "grinding rut" so deep that they can't seem to pull out of it.

I mean, setting a goal is a good thing. Wanting a particular ship is a good thing, work on it. But don't grind and grind to the exclusion of all else.

I've seen many threads by people who worked their tail off to get a big ship, and then quit the game shortly thereafter due to burnout.

So, I've really only made one rule for myself in ED:

1) If something is no longer fun, or is becoming a grind, stop doing it.

It means I sometimes have to shift my goals around a bit, to avoid getting into a boring rut. I may have to extend a goal into the future, and come back to working on it after a break. But it's worked very well. I'm still enjoying the game after thousands of hours.

Oh I've done plenty of 'grinding' for credits, but I mix it up, doing different things.

For example, I traded rares for quite a while in my early game, but then it got old, so I went on to something else. But I was thinking the other day it might be time to try a really big rares run, something I couldn't do in the Cobra back in the day. You know, just for fun.

Anyway you get the idea. Never push yourself into burnout. That's the one mistake that will kill the game for you.

Fly safe, commanders!

PS Buckyball Racing is fun as heck!

 

[Alec Turner]

The "World of Death" is in Spoihaae XE-X d2-9. It's white dwarf system where the first planet has an elliptical orbit that takes it into the star's ejection cone. If this isn't the same as your planet Hell then I'd like to know the system for the neutron one as well.

Hang on (scrolls TODO list ... scrolls some more ... scrolls some more ... scrolls some more ... SPOIHAAE XE-X D2-9, yup it's the same).

 

[iSteel]

I've got suprisingly new spark to the game by - clearing my save. I did that some weeks ago and decided to enjoy the ride and stay with the smaller ships until I get bored to them. My first goal was to A-rate Sidey and open the Engineers. Now after 15 hours of play time I got Sirius permit and starting to collect MTs for Marco Qwent. And I have not done any normal trading at all but those that needs to be done to open Elvira etc.

After selling scan data to Procyon I have now A-rated Cobra MkIII that I will use at least until I have Palin opened as I will need the cargo space. After that my plan is to try out Viper MkIV in bounty hunting. Now with Cobra I do not care if the job gives me 1 or 500k credits as I do not need the money for anything. At some point I might try some different setups for Cobra/Viper/Sidey like mines and all turret stuff and like.

No mode switching to get the best payouts or using any ches or such. Just take one or two jobs from station where I am and trying to achieve my goals in the mean time. If no jobs, I can still explore as I have scanners as default in both of my ships. I allow myself to use Inara and some other tools to find good place to purcase stuff I need. Also might use some tool / advice to see some nice places while exploring.

My secondary goal is to get Elite in exploration so I will be hopping in and out from exploration every now and then. Maybe some day I might try multi crew, but that is on the bottom of my list as I like it quiet in here where I am currently

Maybe some day I will flip back to bigger ships but only something like Viper or Anaconda as max. But what made me clear my save in the first place was the constant money grind to get that next upgrade. I do not want that anymore.

I play mostly solo especially while exploring.

 

[ZeroAi]

I get so depressed reading endless "where can I earn the most credits per hour" threads or "where is the new Robigo" or "Is Quince dead?". OK, fair enough(ish), if you're a new player and you're genuinely asking for help re: getting from nowhere to your first Cobra then asking for some help is cool, but ultimately credits are worthless, enjoyment is everything (surely?).

Having fun comes first! (it is a game after all!)

But it doesn't hurt to let new players know how to rank up with minor factions so they can make good money after becoming allied.

And all the better to rank up with factions that are aligned to superpowers so you also gain super power rank

That said, variety is the spice of life! So my advice to new players includes...

Try all the different missions over time, and do so in different ships as you can afford to add to your starship collection

Then take a break and run a CG, or take a DBX out 5000 ly to unlock Palin. Try some engineering, visit some of the great tourist destinations (mega ships, new stations, weird planets, alien ruins, etc) and go get your name on a planet as the one to first discover it

There's so much to do there's really no grinding required!

The fun is in the journey to becoming Elite, and it's not a race ;-)