Hey, why don't you abandon this mission for 10% the payoff?

Miko_Stargazer · Mar 21, 2016

I've stopped over on people asking me to abandon a mission on two occasions now and in both situations the offered payout was laughably less than what I was going to be paid for the mission at hand. One of them was a procurement mission and I thought "maybe they pay me this to just forget about the whole thing" and so I accepted it. But then they were like "great, procure for us instead now" and a quick review of the math showed I was going to be losing money on the deal.

Am I just suffering from low sampling rate here? Do these shifty guys sometimes offer more money than the original mission, or is this mechanic only useful to play with the influence of factions?

Kissinger · Mar 21, 2016

Miko_Stargazer said:
I've stopped over on people asking me to abandon a mission on two occasions now and in both situations the offered payout was laughably less than what I was going to be paid for the mission at hand. One of them was a procurement mission and I thought "maybe they pay me this to just forget about the whole thing" and so I accepted it. But then they were like "great, procure for us instead now" and a quick review of the math showed I was going to be losing money on the deal.

Am I just suffering from low sampling rate here? Do these shifty guys sometimes offer more money than the original mission, or is this mechanic only useful to play with the influence of factions?

I wouldn't overthink it, the missions are poorly conceived and don't make much sense. They have promised an overhaul - let's see..

SCSkunk · Mar 21, 2016

BGS manipulation.

sewerratuk · Mar 21, 2016

I think it was designed as a legitimate way of dumping missions rather than just abandoning them, rather than a real alternative/storyline

Jmanis · Mar 21, 2016

SCSkunk said:
BGS manipulation.

This, but trying to obtain the alternatives is a PITA compared to just running missions for the right faction. Hopefully the update changes that.

DNA-Decay · Mar 21, 2016

You'd have to care about the government of the system you're in.

I think the alt story lines are getting a reworking in 2.1. The update will shift BGS things around a bit I'm sure (always does).

I'd love to see a story line that runs all the way from a little side mission of an underground railway for the slaves you are carrying offering very little money, that goes through to an Admiral of the Alliance fleet including Alioth permits and hostile BGS actions against the Empire. Hopefully one of the few ways to get the Alliance ships and weapons.

But hey - I would say that, wouldn't I?

Thetele · Mar 21, 2016

In release those Alternative missions gave higher rewards than the mission it self. But people complained about mission giving to small rewards, so they have made rewards for missions much higher since that, but they never touched those alternative missions. Yes year ago rewards for missions were on level of those rewards you see being offered by NPCs for doing the alternative missions.

Lily from anim.o.v.e · Mar 21, 2016

sewerratuk said:
I think it was designed as a legitimate way of dumping missions rather than just abandoning them, rather than a real alternative/storyline

Doesn't even makes sense because when I am not doing my mission I get a fine. When a random opposed guy just alters my goal against the original mission granting guy, no fine, because he suddenly totally doesn't craes that I work together with his opponent. [wacko]

Also, it should be easier to recognize for which of my possible many missions this is by an indicator in the missiosn menu BEFORE I choose to accept it. (and bets would be, being able to accept it via the missions display panel.

Hellhawk666 · Mar 21, 2016

It's a BGS thing - a way to 5th column an enemy faction by registering failed missions against them. You are effectively paying for your preferred faction to look better in the hustings.

Snarfbuckle · Mar 21, 2016

If they at least gave us a good reason like a REALLY GOOD opposite faction standing raise.

xondk · Mar 21, 2016

Miko_Stargazer said:
I've stopped over on people asking me to abandon a mission on two occasions now and in both situations the offered payout was laughably less than what I was going to be paid for the mission at hand. One of them was a procurement mission and I thought "maybe they pay me this to just forget about the whole thing" and so I accepted it. But then they were like "great, procure for us instead now" and a quick review of the math showed I was going to be losing money on the deal.

Am I just suffering from low sampling rate here? Do these shifty guys sometimes offer more money than the original mission, or is this mechanic only useful to play with the influence of factions?

Well the general idea being that you would possibly abandon a mission and help another faction instead because they are the victims? so it isn't all about money? but also choices? if you just go money money money money, then yeah you are missing out on a lot.

CMDR Argent Steel · Mar 21, 2016

Miko_Stargazer said:
I've stopped over on people asking me to abandon a mission on two occasions now and in both situations the offered payout was laughably less than what I was going to be paid for the mission at hand. One of them was a procurement mission and I thought "maybe they pay me this to just forget about the whole thing" and so I accepted it. But then they were like "great, procure for us instead now" and a quick review of the math showed I was going to be losing money on the deal.

Am I just suffering from low sampling rate here? Do these shifty guys sometimes offer more money than the original mission, or is this mechanic only useful to play with the influence of factions?

As others have said, it's really a thing that's there for you to intentionally undermine whichever organization you're doing the mission for. I just wish the payoff for dumping the mission like tha tmade any sense. It doesn't.

ShimEnki · Mar 21, 2016

Leaving the this sad mission board up this long is probably far more damaging to FD in casual player word of mouth than just ripping the thing down completly till 2.1

Kazacy · Mar 21, 2016

Maybe, i say maybe the original intention from FD was something along this line of reasoning: if it's too hard too kill an pirate lord maybe it's easier to get some credits without doing any job. After all in real life i will be very happy to get paid to not do my job

Iskariot · Mar 21, 2016

Miko_Stargazer said:
I've stopped over on people asking me to abandon a mission on two occasions now and in both situations the offered payout was laughably less than what I was going to be paid for the mission at hand. One of them was a procurement mission and I thought "maybe they pay me this to just forget about the whole thing" and so I accepted it. But then they were like "great, procure for us instead now" and a quick review of the math showed I was going to be losing money on the deal.

Am I just suffering from low sampling rate here? Do these shifty guys sometimes offer more money than the original mission, or is this mechanic only useful to play with the influence of factions?

The alternative offers in general are laughable. I tend to ignore all of them as there is no incentive whatsoever.

There is also the fact that once I take on a mission I stay loyal to the client.
It is part of a bit of roleplaying.
I hope that in the future this will get recognized and will generate better paying missions from these clients I have proven myself to.

To get me to betray a client would therefore require a considerable incentive.
At the moment there's no such thing. So it is a pointless mechanic.

Noob · Mar 21, 2016

It's a remnant from the original, 1.0 version. Where basic missions were 10k, and "I'm glad I've found you..." offered you 25k.

The prices for basic missions went sky high from that time, but no one informed this bunch.

Isodyne · Mar 21, 2016

This has worked well for me in the past where the mission was going to be too difficult or arduous to complete. Would be nice if there were consequences though. That seems to me to be a major immersion breaker for me that you can get away with all sorts and then all is forgiven. Trading slaves. Piracy, murder or dropping missions should have an impact on who you can deal with and where you can dock / operate safely and this shouldn't be a gradual percentage decrease, it should be brutal ! At the same time, the benefits of being a badass could also use a balance in terms of making (for example) piracy a lot more worthwhile.

Thomas Jefferson Jones · Mar 21, 2016

Seems like a very awkward way to interact with the background sim if that's the point. I feel like the alternate scenarios should have massive payouts but be very rare. Like you get approached 2% of the time or something. Because lets face it the likelihood of an agent being interested in your mission selections is pretty low, and in the current state of affairs it happens nearly every damn time you're flying somewhere.

Coupled with the pitiful payouts it just becomes non-sensical background noise. Its good they have hte system in place though, I can imagine mid-mission events someday being a real asset to overall mission design.

SCSkunk · Mar 21, 2016

Moderately funny story. Just went out on a Rank Grind run to Fehu. Got a courier mission and the alternate NPC comms were actually offering at least 50% higher payout! I didn't accept, but they were offering about 740k and my highest paying courier delivery was just over 500k. So RNGesus can be kind...

Atrer · Mar 21, 2016

Isodyne said:
This has worked well for me in the past where the mission was going to be too difficult or arduous to complete. Would be nice if there were consequences though. That seems to me to be a major immersion breaker for me that you can get away with all sorts and then all is forgiven. Trading slaves. Piracy, murder or dropping missions should have an impact on who you can deal with and where you can dock / operate safely and this shouldn't be a gradual percentage decrease, it should be brutal ! At the same time, the benefits of being a badass could also use a balance in terms of making (for example) piracy a lot more worthwhile.

Piracy should NEVER be worthwhile.