Make trading an equal playing option.

Hasaf

Hasaf
I understand that people don’t write a game like this in order to play “Space Trader” however; some people enjoy playing just that. However, as in other similar games, trading is nerfed to the point that it is a nearly unworkable career.

The normal progression of these games is to trade just long enough to get into a fighting ship, then start raking in the credits. This game shows itself to be no different.

I understand the why. People who write these games want a shooter. As such, they want to make sure that shooting is a highly profitable activity. However, it is in total conflict with a real RP environment. In a real environment it is the traders that amass wealth and build empires. Yes, one in thousands of the various fighters and mercenaries accrues wealth; but that is the exception.

Space games take another direction. They heavily nerf trade to the point that no sane player would choose it for a career. That isn’t, “choosing ones own path,” it is being forced into a cockpit to grind out shooting missions in order to make enough to purchase large trading ships.

Trading activities in this game payout less than a tenth of shooting activities. The community goals for traders are a bad joke. Due to the number of griefers, they can only be played in single player mode. Further, they pay out in the range of 500K/hour.

Frankly, for a trader to set their eyes on a well outfitted Capital trade ship they are looking at the better part of a year to get it. A dedicated shooter can have it in a couple of weeks.

Powerplay, for traders, is nonexistent. Again, to enjoy the full game one has to be a shooter.

I understand that the universe of ED is, as befits the name, dangerous. There will always be shooting. I understand the NPC Pirates and, for the most part, consider them reasonably balanced at this point in time. What I am objecting to is the requirement, to amass credits that one be a shooter rather than a trader.

As I stated, I do understand that the developers of these games, and the reviewers, are attracted to the shooting. However, there are people that enjoy playing space trader. Further, there are things that can be done to make commodities trading enjoyable and attractive, and to approach the profitability of shooting.
 

metatheurgist

metatheurgist
It's been long know that trading is one of the most profitable things you can do in this game. The only things that eclipse it are the broken smuggling runs and technically that's trading too. Seriously, no one has ever said you can't make money trading. You're literally doing it wrong.
 

Velanko

Velanko
metatheurgist said:
It's been long know that trading is one of the most profitable things you can do in this game. The only things that eclipse it are the broken smuggling runs and technically that's trading too. Seriously, no one has ever said you can't make money trading. You're literally doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

it is one of the worst in game professions without a third party or alot of friends. considering theirs no in game trade computer, thats where its sneaky though cuz once you find an accurate trade network it suddenly becomes the best non exploit or suicidal profit runs in game. exploits being broken runs and suicide being extended combat zones.
 

Hasaf

Hasaf
"Its long been known" is the kind of thing people say when they haven't done something and actually don't know anyone who has done it.

I understand that when the game first came out there were a lot of great, high value, trading opportunities. However, they were nerfed. Think of it, are the wealthiest players in the game traders today? Yes, it appears that trading was once the path to great accumulation. However, it no longer is.

Frankly, I have pretty much given up on the game. I don't see that I will be able to accumulate the type of wealth they was given to the early players, and, even though everyone knows "that trading is one of the most profitable things you can do in this game," no one seems to be advancing much be doing it. I see myself, at current accumulation rate, spending over a year to get to where I want to be and, now I come to issue #2, Frankly, the griefers have caused me too much grief, today was not unusual. It was just that I asked myself, "am I actually enjoying this?"

Yep, give the griefers a pat on the back, they have chased another player out of the game. Bravo for them. So, the combination of the griefers and the realization that I will not be able to play the game I want to play (a game where traders are rewarded, at least as well as other professions) have pretty well chased me out of the game. I gave it a lot of game time over about three months. It is probably a great game if what you want is a lot of ship kills. However, for a person who wanted to play "space trader" this is not the game.

I enjoyed the trading, even though the reward was low; however, I was very annoyed when people killing skimmers and then combat logging were making over 10x (often, literally, over 100x) what I was producing. It wasn't envy, it was realizing how little trade was valued by the devs; it was the clear insult directed to my playing style. I also enjoyed exploring and have my name on quite a few stars and planets.

That was the game I wanted to play. Unfortunately, that isn't this game. I am sure that this game is a fun space shooter. However, that isn't the game I wanted.


This subforum is called suggestions and feedback. That was my feedback. The devs may read it, they may not. In the end it really doesn't matter; it is a game and it has ceased being enjoyable.
 
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Limoncello Lizard

Limoncello Lizard
If you think you are being griefed, don't play in Open.

Straight trading in a small ship isn't very profitable. That is what rare goods are for.

Consider giving mining a go. It's usually a peaceful and profitable thing to do.
 

goemon

goemon
"Trading activities in this game payout less than a tenth of shooting activities."

Trading got a huge buff in 2.1. with state depending commodity prices - medicines to outbreak systems, or trading between systems in boom. that pays much better than any activity i know off once you have a ship with >100 T of cargo (e.g. a t6). best about it: you can scout those route only by using ingame tools, and because states are changing often, 3rd party app data isn't keeping up with it.

"Powerplay, for traders, is nonexistent."

- but powers trade bonusses/control effects are. shipping food to outbreak systems controlled by mahon nets an additional 10% profit, torval space provides you with minerals and metals 10% cheaper, which you of course trade to aisling space, because there is an andditional 10% payed ob high value goods ... so if you trade between an extraction economy in boom controlled by torval and a industrial/high tech economy in boom controlled by aisling, you get another 20% on the already high profit of state depending trading ...
 
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