Then do some trading.
Some people will whine about anything.
Some people will whine about anything.
Gameplay to unlock Lei Cheung
- Thread starter bitstorm
- Start date
If you choose to fulfil the requirements to the exclusion of all other activities, and thereby choose to make the game unenjoyable, that's your choice. I've listed several other activities that you can do which will still contribute towards trade without doing it exclusively - if you choose to ignore those suggestions, that's your choice.
Basically, if you *really* want what Lei's offering, you've got to put the work in.
Otherwise, suck it up.
It's already been explained that the activity is unenjoyable. The assumption that it's less so when interspliced is in this case erroneous and something you've manufactured as a false choice. It's either done or it's not, whether a consistent annoyance over time which denies access to the desired functions while ongoing or a one time massively annoying unlock.
Both are clearly undesirable. If you chose to fail to acknowledge that, it's you choice.
I did. It was a terrible experience. The arbitrary requirements regarding the engineers as a whole make no sense, and that feedback is valid. If you don't like it, suck it up or use the ignore function.
He is testing my ability to endure badly designed game mechanics.
Congratulations, only those who can tolerate the highest levels of tedium are permitted to use my shields!
If you are finding something in-game a boring grind, then you're doing it wrong.
With respect to Lei Cheung, what you are supposed to say is, "I'm not a trader, therefore I do not deserve max-modded shields. I will make do with a sub-optimal build.". That way, traders get some benefit out of "playing their way" which non-traders do not get.
Lei Cheung is a trader. He wants to try to make sure that only genuine traders (and not scumbag combat pilots or explorers) get his stuff. Just like Palin is an explorer, and wants to make sure only genuine explorers (and not scumbag combat pilots or traders) get his stuff.
Someone befriending all the engineers should be impossible for everyone except for the elite few who actually enjoy every single aspect of the game. This, at least, is how Engineers was designed.
With respect to Lei Cheung, what you are supposed to say is, "I'm not a trader, therefore I do not deserve max-modded shields. I will make do with a sub-optimal build.". That way, traders get some benefit out of "playing their way" which non-traders do not get.
Lei Cheung is a trader. He wants to try to make sure that only genuine traders (and not scumbag combat pilots or explorers) get his stuff. Just like Palin is an explorer, and wants to make sure only genuine explorers (and not scumbag combat pilots or traders) get his stuff.
Someone befriending all the engineers should be impossible for everyone except for the elite few who actually enjoy every single aspect of the game. This, at least, is how Engineers was designed.
Well, jokes on him. I have his services. I'm not a trader. It's almost as if the method behind the intent, as you describe it, wholly fails to achieve that effect. As if the entire notion of this requirement is ill conceived in the face of the ability to grind through it when it has as much if not more relevance to your play than the "intended" crowd. Which makes you wonder why Lei Cheung out of anyone decided to specialize in shields of all things. One would think the greater need would be for ships that actually expect to get pelted regularly if not constantly by fire.
Also, building mechanics people should be expected not to engage in seems like a waste of everyone's time.
Elite is a space trading game. If you played the game, exploring the galaxy flying from one system to another trading opportunistically as you went, you'd easily have 50 markets. Now, if all you did was Sothis-Ceos (or whatever credit fountain). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm still trying to figure out this assumption that people automatically trade wherever they go.
Granted, my use case may be somewhat focused but I've been WAY more than 50 places and also don't make myself a slave to the mission system (I don't find it to be all that great). Is that most of what many of you do? Just fly around doing cargo missions?
I dreaded this unlock, but it felt miniscule compared to palins, both are well worth the effort thouvh
When I was still looking for money, I'd do whatever mission I thought looked good at whatever board I arrived at, then I'd let it take me to wherever the mission led. As a result, lots of rep with many factions all over the place, Fed and Imp rank, lots of markets traded, black markets touched, systems explored. Now that I'm sitting on a pile of credits I don't anymore.
Palin was fine for me.
I'm mainly explorer / PvE pew pew.
Trading though why would you.
To be honest I can't help feeling this is an indicator trading needs work, why not add in trading gold rush events, where stuff becomes ultra-lucrative for a short while, give people a reason to trade.
Well for my main it was an auto-unlock since I did a lot of trading early on in ED.
This is an alt though, it is for :
1) Exploring
2) Shooting Thargoids, my main does not shoot Thargoids and since all you can do is kill them I feel I'm missing out on a lot of content
Trading just isn't very appealing, going from station to station hauling cargo, I'll pass thanks.
As a player, assuming your goal is to build some shields, I think you're likely to be one of two positions :
1) It auto-unlocked so it's pointless
2) You have to jump to a bunch of stations to sell 1 item, in my case it was 45
From whichever way I look at it it's either a pointless gate, or the most cynical sort of pointless grind.
I'm not really seeing the trader angle either, traders aren't really focused on top end shields, in fact traders have a bit of a reputation for going shieldless.
And even if it is important Lei Cheung sees me as a trader, me hopping round 50 stations selling 1 hydrogen at a loss does not make me much of one.
I understand the argument that I could do say proper trading, and as a side effect unlock Lei Cheung, it's fair enough. But Christ I just want to build some shields to shoot Thargoids, not go do a whole bunch of irrelevant forced stuff I don't enjoy "just because". You'd think I'd be doing humanity a favour by shooting them and there'd be a bit of leeway but no!
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But are the other ways so much more fun? It is always flying stuff to a station providing very little challenge.
If I start a new skyrim save, I accept that as part of that I'm going to sit there for ages slowly transmuting iron ore into gold ore as fast as my magicka will recharge, then turn that gold into a pile of crummy pendants to get my smithing level up, then pile a bunch of crummy enchantments on those pendants to get my enchanting level up, and eventually sell those pendants off to some merchant so I can buy more iron ore.
Not sure how this is any different.
Not sure how this is any different.
You can't mod shields until you did that.
To be allowed to start grinding engineering materials so I can upgrade my shields I have to first unlock this Engineer.
To unlock them I have to trade in 50 markets.
I have only traded in 5.
So I have bought 45 hydrogen, the task I have to do to gain access consists of :
1) Jump to a new system
2) Fly to station
3) Dock
4) Sell 1 hydrogen
5) Undock
6) Jump to a new system
7) Fly to station
8) Dock
9) Sell 1 hydrogen
10) Undock
11) Jump to a new system
12) Fly to station
13) Dock
14) Sell 1 hydrogen
15) Undock
16) Jump to a new system
17) Fly to station
18) Dock
19) Sell 1 hydrogen
20) Undock
21) And so on and so on and so <expletive> on
I did 5 on Sunday, another 5 on Monday, and couldn't face it last night.
Maybe I'll do another 5 tonight (or find something else to do that's actually fun)
Imagine a game implementing a gate where where to earn something you have to walk back and forth for 4 hours doing nothing.
Monotonous, dull, repetitive and to be honestly utterly utterly pointless.
Oh well only 35 more to go, this is so fun.
What had you been doing in the game up to this point?
This is completelly wrong. When we start the game, we are given very few options: trade, data runs. There is no much else to do because the Sidewinder is very limited, so we are encouraged to so trading, and earn the credits to progress in the game.
Trade in 50 markets is not an unfair requirement. What's is not a decent game play is the fact that, for some engineers, you need several trips to fullfil their requirements for a rare commodity.
If you take Dweller for example, he wants you to trade with black markets.
Well, that is not something very obvious a player will be doing initiallly, and the requirement is for only 5 black markets, which is extremelly easy to accomplish.
Reason most people complain around unlocking engineers is because they focus on one activity, and don't want to do something unrelated even if just to improve their game on what they like.
But fortunately, Elite Dangerous is not a exploration game, is not a combat game, not a trading, or mining, or political game. It mixes it all, some parts really good, some not so much, but everthing is linked.
this only feels as a grind for those who skip the game content by easy money making schemes
but FDEV is also to blame a bit by focusing a bit too much on missions that don't count for those unlocks (since you are not using the market)
but FDEV is also to blame a bit by focusing a bit too much on missions that don't count for those unlocks (since you are not using the market)