Having a specific number in each courier mission undervalues larger ships, and creates a bunch of missions that smaller ships just ignore.
Instead of missions specifying numbers of cargo to take, have them NOT specify amount! Just have a slider- the higher the slider, the higher the payout.
So a Sidewinder can take 4 units, for a very small payout.
And a Cutter can take up to 792t of cargo, for a very much larger payout (probably just a linear gain). Perhaps some missions are capped at a certain amount, but smaller ships could fill their hold, instead of the mission just being un-acceptable. And larger ships could take a few different missions, or deliberately spread the mission-taking around for getting rep with different subfactions.
This way, large ships earn enough to justify rebuy, and small ships don't get ridiculous payouts. All with the SAME MISSION GENERATION.
Partial mission completion: If you drop cargo, the cargo is unique, and you don't have it all, and the mission is hosed.
Instead of that, the NPCs could accept PART of the cargo, fine you for the missing amount, and give partial completion. Expensive cargo might cost you money, cheap cargo will still probably be a net positive. But you could drop cargo for pirates, without screwing over your reputation (you would just get less rep). (Mostly PVP pirates probably, but it would make people willing to actually drop.)
Part-way mission completion: The option to complete missions in other stations, from a single station. So you could take a bunch of missions to a system, all to different stations. Then you show up in the system and dock, complete the missions in that station.
AND- you have the OPTION of completing the rest as well, albeit at a penalty. Like -50% reward (money AND rep) penalty for other stations in the system, and -75% penalty for planetary missions.
But, if you have to log, you can just dump all your missions and log, as soon as you hit that first dock.
Instead of missions specifying numbers of cargo to take, have them NOT specify amount! Just have a slider- the higher the slider, the higher the payout.
So a Sidewinder can take 4 units, for a very small payout.
And a Cutter can take up to 792t of cargo, for a very much larger payout (probably just a linear gain). Perhaps some missions are capped at a certain amount, but smaller ships could fill their hold, instead of the mission just being un-acceptable. And larger ships could take a few different missions, or deliberately spread the mission-taking around for getting rep with different subfactions.
This way, large ships earn enough to justify rebuy, and small ships don't get ridiculous payouts. All with the SAME MISSION GENERATION.
Partial mission completion: If you drop cargo, the cargo is unique, and you don't have it all, and the mission is hosed.
Instead of that, the NPCs could accept PART of the cargo, fine you for the missing amount, and give partial completion. Expensive cargo might cost you money, cheap cargo will still probably be a net positive. But you could drop cargo for pirates, without screwing over your reputation (you would just get less rep). (Mostly PVP pirates probably, but it would make people willing to actually drop.)
Part-way mission completion: The option to complete missions in other stations, from a single station. So you could take a bunch of missions to a system, all to different stations. Then you show up in the system and dock, complete the missions in that station.
AND- you have the OPTION of completing the rest as well, albeit at a penalty. Like -50% reward (money AND rep) penalty for other stations in the system, and -75% penalty for planetary missions.
But, if you have to log, you can just dump all your missions and log, as soon as you hit that first dock.
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