I see posts sometimes we people saying trade X should be nerfed (rarely) or trade Y should be boosted (often). Piracy is the classic example of one people want boosting, and trading the one people sometimes call to be nerfed.
I certainly would like to see some balancing in regard to this in terms of risk vs reward vs fun.
I'd like this not to become a suggestion or discussion thread on how to improve (or nerf) a particular trade, although odd points could be useful to give examples of how it could be done, but mainly interested in hearing what people think would be fair and why. So, if people could avoid dissecting each others opinions it would be great.
For simplicity, let's focus on optimal scenarios. So when talking about trading, let's focus on T9/Anaconda trading. With regards to RES or CZ combat, fighting ships like the Vulture or FdL. Also focus on PvE rather than PvP where appropriate, since PvP adds too many variables.
1) Trading - 5 million-ish but potential to decline rapidly with repeated runs. Its not the most exciting profession, and not too risky with current game mechanics, although i'd like to see the background sim react quicker to people flooding markets. Basically 2-3 runs in a T9 or Anaconda, and the profits start to drop sharply, perhaps down to a million per run. Would encourage traders to find their own routes and move around... and of course, more variety in prices so trading in things like tea or whatever can be worthwhile in cases where there is a serious glut or lack of a product. For example, a British colony with a serve lack of tea might be willing to pay thousands for a ton!!!
2) RES/CZ farming - 2 million. Risky, but lots of fun usually. I make about 1 million currently, its ok, but RES need still some work in terms of spawns (more randomness instead of how it sticks to certain ship types until you jump in and out).
3) Mining - 1 million. About right at the moment i feel. Its not risky if you move away from the RES spawn point. Quite Zen and soothing. If FD made mining at/near RES spawn points a lot more worthwhile, then i'd say it could be increased to 2-3 million for having to deal with pirates continuously.
4) Exploration - 1-2 million. Depends a bit on your method and hard to judge cr/hr, but this sounds about right as long as you are not farming neutron stars. The main risk is you can lose everything with one bad jump, or if you get interdicted when you return to civilized space. Otherwise its not really risky at all, and quite fun if you like that sort of thing (i do, its my main profession).
5) Piracy - 2 million. Lots of suggestions been made here, i've been lucky if i make 500 thousand per hour doing this, due to having to find targets, take out shields, force some cargo to drop, often the cargo is worthless (talking PvE of course, PvP can be more variable depending on whether the target complies). Its high risk, and you get bounties, plus you can take damage from interdictions so repair bills can be high.
6) Rares trading - 2 million. Travelling through many systems, so chances of interdiction high, but you don't need massive cargo compared to regular trading and so a multirole ship is good to use. Takes some time to do a run but prices don't fluctuate much being based on distance instead.
7) Smuggling - 2-3 million. Bigger ships are actually worse here, more likely to be scanned and harder to get docked, and you can't dock at outposts. So there is risk. Perhaps better to make more runs with less tonnage perhaps and go to outposts. Id say payout could be higher if there was actually more risk, but from what i've seen, its not that hard.
8) Bounty hunting the traditional way (ie: interdicting pirates as opposed to RES farming) - 2 million. Probably can be dealt with by increasing bounties on pirates found travelling in SC. Can be fun, takes time, and likes piracy potential for damage is higher.
Did i miss a profession? Probably. But let me know yours.
I certainly would like to see some balancing in regard to this in terms of risk vs reward vs fun.
I'd like this not to become a suggestion or discussion thread on how to improve (or nerf) a particular trade, although odd points could be useful to give examples of how it could be done, but mainly interested in hearing what people think would be fair and why. So, if people could avoid dissecting each others opinions it would be great.
For simplicity, let's focus on optimal scenarios. So when talking about trading, let's focus on T9/Anaconda trading. With regards to RES or CZ combat, fighting ships like the Vulture or FdL. Also focus on PvE rather than PvP where appropriate, since PvP adds too many variables.
1) Trading - 5 million-ish but potential to decline rapidly with repeated runs. Its not the most exciting profession, and not too risky with current game mechanics, although i'd like to see the background sim react quicker to people flooding markets. Basically 2-3 runs in a T9 or Anaconda, and the profits start to drop sharply, perhaps down to a million per run. Would encourage traders to find their own routes and move around... and of course, more variety in prices so trading in things like tea or whatever can be worthwhile in cases where there is a serious glut or lack of a product. For example, a British colony with a serve lack of tea might be willing to pay thousands for a ton!!!
2) RES/CZ farming - 2 million. Risky, but lots of fun usually. I make about 1 million currently, its ok, but RES need still some work in terms of spawns (more randomness instead of how it sticks to certain ship types until you jump in and out).
3) Mining - 1 million. About right at the moment i feel. Its not risky if you move away from the RES spawn point. Quite Zen and soothing. If FD made mining at/near RES spawn points a lot more worthwhile, then i'd say it could be increased to 2-3 million for having to deal with pirates continuously.
4) Exploration - 1-2 million. Depends a bit on your method and hard to judge cr/hr, but this sounds about right as long as you are not farming neutron stars. The main risk is you can lose everything with one bad jump, or if you get interdicted when you return to civilized space. Otherwise its not really risky at all, and quite fun if you like that sort of thing (i do, its my main profession).
5) Piracy - 2 million. Lots of suggestions been made here, i've been lucky if i make 500 thousand per hour doing this, due to having to find targets, take out shields, force some cargo to drop, often the cargo is worthless (talking PvE of course, PvP can be more variable depending on whether the target complies). Its high risk, and you get bounties, plus you can take damage from interdictions so repair bills can be high.
6) Rares trading - 2 million. Travelling through many systems, so chances of interdiction high, but you don't need massive cargo compared to regular trading and so a multirole ship is good to use. Takes some time to do a run but prices don't fluctuate much being based on distance instead.
7) Smuggling - 2-3 million. Bigger ships are actually worse here, more likely to be scanned and harder to get docked, and you can't dock at outposts. So there is risk. Perhaps better to make more runs with less tonnage perhaps and go to outposts. Id say payout could be higher if there was actually more risk, but from what i've seen, its not that hard.
8) Bounty hunting the traditional way (ie: interdicting pirates as opposed to RES farming) - 2 million. Probably can be dealt with by increasing bounties on pirates found travelling in SC. Can be fun, takes time, and likes piracy potential for damage is higher.
Did i miss a profession? Probably. But let me know yours.
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