Its just rinse and repeat. I haven't found a way to make more money faster than I am losing in ships. I have a T7 and an ASP Explorer and a Viper Mk3. Since the update. I've lost at least 2 ships a day, and it offsets my ability to make any headway on profit.
Prior to Update: Profitable in anything I do.
Post Update: Killed constantly, I can't be profitable in anything I do.
I'm not a terrible pilot.
But I am always over matched in whatever I'm doing vs the NPCs and as a player I'm sick of it.
My wing doesn't want to hear about it, yet they don't have any real solutions. Also find that disappointing. This is a cycle of negativity that I'm very sure is occurring across the community of players.
Mining gets you killed. As long as you have 1 ton of anything they are on you every 30 min now be you in a RES or not. SCREW THAT.
Hauling gets you killed. As long as you make 1 of 3 jumps are guarantee interdiction. Yes you can run away, and you do. Yet you still get shield penetrations with missiles and cannons on your six. Even loaded with chaff to the brim its a slaughter.
Trading. Same thing as hauling.
Bounty hunting. Ok so back in my Viper or Cobra, constant canopy breeches. I mean HELLO! Do you want me to do to make money and keep playing or just die alot?
This rinse and repeat on a constant credits slide is leading me to get ready to quit. I don't want to write the I quit post but I am definitely taking a few days off ED. Also know, I am not buying Horizons with this gameplay!
Nor is anybody going to actively recruit their friends to play until Frontier gets off their ass and balances it so guys rated Competent aren't facing down Elites/Dangerous/Masters everywhere they go doing anything in the game.
It was fun until the update. I was profitable until the update. I've written a half dozen posts about how unfun and excessively challenging it is.
Is anybody listening at Frontier?
What is the player retention plan?