I think there could be additions to the mission system that wouldn’t be major development:
Something like stealth exchange/fence - a party/ faction will pay you to meet another faction in space - legal or illegal, after funds have been confirmed transferred you jettison the specified cargo . Additionally random other interested parties / law may turn up to intervene.
Equally a small story based set of linked missions - not a story line for the game, rather a repeatable / random set of linking missions that give messages. E.g a passenger needs transportation to a port for a deal, that cargo needs taking to another port, pirates may intercept. Each linked with a message e.g “deal done we need to go to x system” then mission updates. Essentially a enhancement to linked missions rather than kill this guy, next kill this guy. Not talking about taking it out of the sandbox style game it is but have a range of missions that link like that as well as the current linked would make doing jobs more satisfying gaming wise.
Another idea, mission to take a “cargo” of spec ops carrier, so you fly in jettison for instance at a comms array they do their business and you scoop them back up once done ( with all the having to stealth in/ defeat defences maybe ).
Or as an addition to above, have a space “suit” ( similar exit and POV as scarab ) but you v small so you interact with arrays or beacons ( or space stations ) and for instance steal comms or blue prints etc . With all the escape and legality concerns.
Just think additions like above would make it far mor satisfying that the kill pirate grind to make some money...
Something like stealth exchange/fence - a party/ faction will pay you to meet another faction in space - legal or illegal, after funds have been confirmed transferred you jettison the specified cargo . Additionally random other interested parties / law may turn up to intervene.
Equally a small story based set of linked missions - not a story line for the game, rather a repeatable / random set of linking missions that give messages. E.g a passenger needs transportation to a port for a deal, that cargo needs taking to another port, pirates may intercept. Each linked with a message e.g “deal done we need to go to x system” then mission updates. Essentially a enhancement to linked missions rather than kill this guy, next kill this guy. Not talking about taking it out of the sandbox style game it is but have a range of missions that link like that as well as the current linked would make doing jobs more satisfying gaming wise.
Another idea, mission to take a “cargo” of spec ops carrier, so you fly in jettison for instance at a comms array they do their business and you scoop them back up once done ( with all the having to stealth in/ defeat defences maybe ).
Or as an addition to above, have a space “suit” ( similar exit and POV as scarab ) but you v small so you interact with arrays or beacons ( or space stations ) and for instance steal comms or blue prints etc . With all the escape and legality concerns.
Just think additions like above would make it far mor satisfying that the kill pirate grind to make some money...