First, let's acknowledge the grind. Everything in this game revolves around repetitive, slow gaining activities. Want rank? Run missions. A lot of them. Want credits? There's another grind! Want materials? There's another grind! Want to unlock an engineer? Grind!
But there is a bigger problem, in my opinion. There is *no* interactivity with the NPC's of this universe. Here is a simple idea that would solve this problem, and perhaps some of the ones listed above. Negotiations! Negotiating for different terms for a mission on offer would elevate the mission selections to a significantly more interactive dynamic, giving the player the ability to change the terms or offers for a certain mission. For example, a mission offers x in credits, and y in materials. Well, I'm not concerned with credits, but I am in the market for more materials or data for engineering purposes. I submit a counter offer to the mission giver to see if they are willing to increase the number of materials/data on offer, or perhaps even a different material/data altogether, with a decreased or nil amount of credits to complete the task needed. Not only does this increase immersion, but gives the player the ability to accellerate material/data collection (i.e. decrease the grind).
For rank, and even other modifiers associated with mission running (influence, rep), opting for a much more difficult mission, one that encourages wings, but that increases the amount of rank or influence or rep gained would reduce the grind needed for such things, obviously increasing the risk (rebuys). Accelerating through the ranks should have more options than just doing more missions. Harder, more rewarding missions will also increase player satisfaction when successfully completed.
Trade needs an update! Some minor, and one major. Importing goods to a station does *much* to increase the controllers influence, particularly in multiple commodity trades. Exports, however, seem to move such stats very little. Miniscule amounts, in fact. Export and import of goods is a major mechanic in economics, and should increase the local economies in ways that improve the quality of life for it's citizens. Populations should wax and wane in correlation to economic pressures (as well as others - war, famine, security, etc.). Low population systems are undesireable for specific reasons, and so should be modifiable by our activities and contributions. These are some minor changes I would like to see. Trade is vital to economies, and economies are vital to population increases. Passenger missions to systems ought to aid in this as well.
A major trade change ought to mimic NPC pilot options with our SLFs. But with a slight change. Let's have the option to put them behind the wheel (or stick) of our own trade vessels, and direct them to specific and defined trade routes. How complicated those trade routes could be is open, but even A-B commands are enough to make this viable. You hire a pilot, they get a commission or percentage of the trades they successfully complete for you. But here is the risk. Rebuys! You will get distress calls from your pilots if they run into pirates, and more frequently so if their cargo is valuable, or if you send them on routes with low security, etc. The SOS gives you a location to go to, and a signal source to drop in on to rescue your vessel and cargo if you get there in time, and with enough firepower to kill their attackers. If you are unsuccessful in getting there in time, or stopping the pirates, you loose the cargo and are on the hook for the rebuy for that vessel, same as if you had been piloting it yourself. The risk/reward for such a mechanic would further immerse the player in the universe, and eliminate some of the grind for credits if earning money in the background were possible. Losing the vessel also loses the pilot, so any gain in pilot xp would be lost. Higher pilot xp for trade might allow for piloting of larger trade vessels, lower tier ranks able only to pilot crafts like a novice = Hauler, competent = Adder, Expert = T6, Dangerous = T7/T9. And an upper limit of 3 pilots total, shared pool with those currently used for combat. This would limit the number of trade vessels a player could have out at any given time. NPC pilots aren't pledged to powers, so their use in fortification or preparation hauls would not be an option.
Make it so!
But there is a bigger problem, in my opinion. There is *no* interactivity with the NPC's of this universe. Here is a simple idea that would solve this problem, and perhaps some of the ones listed above. Negotiations! Negotiating for different terms for a mission on offer would elevate the mission selections to a significantly more interactive dynamic, giving the player the ability to change the terms or offers for a certain mission. For example, a mission offers x in credits, and y in materials. Well, I'm not concerned with credits, but I am in the market for more materials or data for engineering purposes. I submit a counter offer to the mission giver to see if they are willing to increase the number of materials/data on offer, or perhaps even a different material/data altogether, with a decreased or nil amount of credits to complete the task needed. Not only does this increase immersion, but gives the player the ability to accellerate material/data collection (i.e. decrease the grind).
For rank, and even other modifiers associated with mission running (influence, rep), opting for a much more difficult mission, one that encourages wings, but that increases the amount of rank or influence or rep gained would reduce the grind needed for such things, obviously increasing the risk (rebuys). Accelerating through the ranks should have more options than just doing more missions. Harder, more rewarding missions will also increase player satisfaction when successfully completed.
Trade needs an update! Some minor, and one major. Importing goods to a station does *much* to increase the controllers influence, particularly in multiple commodity trades. Exports, however, seem to move such stats very little. Miniscule amounts, in fact. Export and import of goods is a major mechanic in economics, and should increase the local economies in ways that improve the quality of life for it's citizens. Populations should wax and wane in correlation to economic pressures (as well as others - war, famine, security, etc.). Low population systems are undesireable for specific reasons, and so should be modifiable by our activities and contributions. These are some minor changes I would like to see. Trade is vital to economies, and economies are vital to population increases. Passenger missions to systems ought to aid in this as well.
A major trade change ought to mimic NPC pilot options with our SLFs. But with a slight change. Let's have the option to put them behind the wheel (or stick) of our own trade vessels, and direct them to specific and defined trade routes. How complicated those trade routes could be is open, but even A-B commands are enough to make this viable. You hire a pilot, they get a commission or percentage of the trades they successfully complete for you. But here is the risk. Rebuys! You will get distress calls from your pilots if they run into pirates, and more frequently so if their cargo is valuable, or if you send them on routes with low security, etc. The SOS gives you a location to go to, and a signal source to drop in on to rescue your vessel and cargo if you get there in time, and with enough firepower to kill their attackers. If you are unsuccessful in getting there in time, or stopping the pirates, you loose the cargo and are on the hook for the rebuy for that vessel, same as if you had been piloting it yourself. The risk/reward for such a mechanic would further immerse the player in the universe, and eliminate some of the grind for credits if earning money in the background were possible. Losing the vessel also loses the pilot, so any gain in pilot xp would be lost. Higher pilot xp for trade might allow for piloting of larger trade vessels, lower tier ranks able only to pilot crafts like a novice = Hauler, competent = Adder, Expert = T6, Dangerous = T7/T9. And an upper limit of 3 pilots total, shared pool with those currently used for combat. This would limit the number of trade vessels a player could have out at any given time. NPC pilots aren't pledged to powers, so their use in fortification or preparation hauls would not be an option.
Make it so!
