This is bad? There are things that are more badly broken in the game atm, such as the fact you can go from a sidewinder to a cutter within a week relatively risk free.
Have you done the math to back that up? Something tells me it's the same ratio, it's just that Exploration Rank has a lower cap for Elite.
Isn't it 160m vs 1b and change for Explorer vs Trader?
What's the difference? Sorry if I'm being pragmatic, but they both affect the ratio.
Ziljan has some suggestions earlier in the thread to help bring the numbers and thresholds in line.
Eh, idk, I might be bsing myself into a corner, it's getting late now and I've been around all day.
I think Exploration should rank should be done by how many Planet and Star scanned. Not how many system visited and basic scan.
I do not think passenger missions should affect Exploration rank. You're hauling a passenger and going to the destination of their choice, then (sometimes) bringing them back home.
That's not trailblazing and discovering "new" things. (I use air quotes because I also don't think it makes sense how we can "discover" systems & planets that are already discovered by other CMDRs....)
I've not done actual math, but I've ran a lot of passenger ferry missions (I'm still Entrepreneur in trade rank) and my rank might go up a percentage point or two at most with each mission. Every example of the sightseeing missions posted by others I've seen has been greatly more than that, much much more. I've been Elite in exploration for over a year now, so I can't test it personally.
It would take me a very long time indeed to make Elite in trading running just pax ferry missions. People are making Elite in exploration in a matter of days with sightseeing missions. It's not the same ratio, not even close.
You get a decal, system pass, and permanent boost to smugness.I dont see the issue. Its not like you get +100 superduper skills when you get Elite ranking.