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The mission system and background simulation are vital to making the game enjoyable for everyone, even if you don't play them. But, like the NPC AI, they have to work, and in my opinion are just as important as the AI to fix for the game to succeed.
Ever since release, missions and the BGS have had bugs but the biggest problem is how static they were. Missions were generated at random instead of being tied to the state of the system, gated by pilot rank with confusing and illogical payouts. Doing missions to build influence with a faction or to help them flip systems sorta worked, but the economy of the galaxy was done in a fixed manner rather than what was actually being shipped to and from stations based on system state. Commodity prices and inventory were set arbitrarily rather than working with supply and demand. It was all basically a movie set: things looked great on the screen, but none of the props actually worked.
2.1 aimed to correct a lot of that. Factions in systems give out bigger and better missions based on your reputation with them, giving you a reason to work with them long-term and build up that reputation. Missions are based on the state of the system and faction, providing logical reasons for pilots to help them (important if you take any satisfaction from RP). System states now drive the economy, which in turn affect what the factions ask CMDRs to do for them. All of which is great if you play the BGS or the mission system for fun. As with any new feature the reworked missions and BGS have problems. So why is this important for players who don't run missions of play the BGS?
Here's why this is important for players who don't run missions or play the BGS: the new system states effectively create dynamic, miniature Community Goals wherever they pop up. They greatly increase the potential for profit, reputation gain, conflict (if that's your thing) and most importantly FUN. How?
Systems in famine will pay huge amounts for food. Systems in conflict need weapons. Systems in plague need medicines. Instead of randomly wandering the galaxy looking for profitiable A-B trade routes, there is a logical, reliable way to see where there is money to be made.
So, traders benefit. Regular trade CG's are less about making smart trades and more about volume. You're trying to make it to the top 15% to get the fat bonuses. That means small haul operations aren't nearly as profitable. The little guy in the Adder, Cobra, Asp or T-6 has to grind like mad even to get into a higher tier. But trading on system states pays off huge for whoever can find and deliver the cheapest commodity the fastest. From the Hauler up to the T9 a space trucker can make a profit proportional to the amount of cargo delivered. So, anybody from rookie starting out to the old pros can actually make money. A smart, efficient trader can make a killing by doing a little research in neighboring systems. And when the pool dries up because the system state is satisfied, there's always another system somewhere that will need space truckers to bring in cargo. As a bonus, with the new reputation/mission mechanics, traders can bring in even MORE credits by getting in good with the factions in the target system and flying missions while bringing back the needed commodities.
The multiplayer community benefits: (please note: this is not an open vs solo thread. Please take those discussions to one of the many existing threads.) A common complaint of ED is how empty it feels in open because everyone is so spread out. CG's fix that to a certain extent, but they are programmed by Frontier and exist only in one place for a predetermined period of time. By having searchable system states on the galmap to pull up wars, famines and plagues, players will have reasons to concentrate in systems. In open, where there are traders, pirates will appear. Where there are pirates, bounty hunters will appear. Where players appear, they run out of fuel and Fuel Rats will appear. In Open or Mobius, for those who just like seeing hollow squares on their radar just so the universe doesn't seem empty, it will greatly increase your chances of running into other CMDRs. Again, the fact that these system states are generated by the game based on the BGS means that these mini-CG's will rise and fall around the bubble based on the system states, in turn based on the actions of CMDRs in the game. Player factions in game might even go to war as they manipulate their system states and those of their rivals. Forget PowerPlay - BGS system flipping could really get down and dirty.
Finally, it's a cure for the common grind. It's an age-old argument in the game that it's only a grind if you make it one. I'd argue that the game mechanics have always lent themselves to grinding. I'm a big believer in making your own fun in the sandbox and for a long time believed the game was what you made of it. But after a year of playing missions that had no consequence or looking for the shortest back and forth trade route it gets old. There's only so much pretending one can do before you step back and realize you're just going through the motions of performing an activity rather than having fun with it. The new factions, persistent NPC's and their connection to the BGS have the potential to be more than just window dressing. They can provide a sense of personal investment, either by forming a bond with a faction/system to help them out (or even hurt them), or give CMDRs legitimate reasons to travel to other systems and use the trade route filters on the screens to see where there's money to be made, legitimately or not.
Combined with more intelligent NPC AI, the new missions and BGS are a huge step in the right direction for creating a dynamic, living universe. But they have to work. A lot of attention is being given, and rightfully so, to the NPC super weapon issues... But the inability to complete missions right now is just as important. Not being able to complete missions ruins CMDRs reputations. It costs money. It builds fines, and makes clean CMDRs wanted, not to mention wastes our time. It will make people not want to play the new missions, which in turn means the improved BGS won't be used to its full potential.
My biggest fear is that Frontier is going to concentrate on balancing the AI and fix the NPC superweapons, which again need to be fixed in a hurry - and then not address the missions and BGS until 2.2 or later because they're not as visible. But I honestly think that they are the twin engines which drive all other activity in the game but don't get the attention they deserve because they're not flashy enough.
TL;DR - the mission system and BGS are just as important to making ED fun as AI. And if you agree, please voice your opinion not just here but anywhere the discussion of "content" or "grind" come up, because BGS and the missions it spawn are a fantastic way to make procedurally generated content. Frontier, you've taken HUGE steps in the right direction working on the core of the game. Don't let all the potential wither on the vine by letting the issues linger.
The mission system and background simulation are vital to making the game enjoyable for everyone, even if you don't play them. But, like the NPC AI, they have to work, and in my opinion are just as important as the AI to fix for the game to succeed.
Ever since release, missions and the BGS have had bugs but the biggest problem is how static they were. Missions were generated at random instead of being tied to the state of the system, gated by pilot rank with confusing and illogical payouts. Doing missions to build influence with a faction or to help them flip systems sorta worked, but the economy of the galaxy was done in a fixed manner rather than what was actually being shipped to and from stations based on system state. Commodity prices and inventory were set arbitrarily rather than working with supply and demand. It was all basically a movie set: things looked great on the screen, but none of the props actually worked.
2.1 aimed to correct a lot of that. Factions in systems give out bigger and better missions based on your reputation with them, giving you a reason to work with them long-term and build up that reputation. Missions are based on the state of the system and faction, providing logical reasons for pilots to help them (important if you take any satisfaction from RP). System states now drive the economy, which in turn affect what the factions ask CMDRs to do for them. All of which is great if you play the BGS or the mission system for fun. As with any new feature the reworked missions and BGS have problems. So why is this important for players who don't run missions of play the BGS?
Here's why this is important for players who don't run missions or play the BGS: the new system states effectively create dynamic, miniature Community Goals wherever they pop up. They greatly increase the potential for profit, reputation gain, conflict (if that's your thing) and most importantly FUN. How?
Systems in famine will pay huge amounts for food. Systems in conflict need weapons. Systems in plague need medicines. Instead of randomly wandering the galaxy looking for profitiable A-B trade routes, there is a logical, reliable way to see where there is money to be made.
So, traders benefit. Regular trade CG's are less about making smart trades and more about volume. You're trying to make it to the top 15% to get the fat bonuses. That means small haul operations aren't nearly as profitable. The little guy in the Adder, Cobra, Asp or T-6 has to grind like mad even to get into a higher tier. But trading on system states pays off huge for whoever can find and deliver the cheapest commodity the fastest. From the Hauler up to the T9 a space trucker can make a profit proportional to the amount of cargo delivered. So, anybody from rookie starting out to the old pros can actually make money. A smart, efficient trader can make a killing by doing a little research in neighboring systems. And when the pool dries up because the system state is satisfied, there's always another system somewhere that will need space truckers to bring in cargo. As a bonus, with the new reputation/mission mechanics, traders can bring in even MORE credits by getting in good with the factions in the target system and flying missions while bringing back the needed commodities.
The multiplayer community benefits: (please note: this is not an open vs solo thread. Please take those discussions to one of the many existing threads.) A common complaint of ED is how empty it feels in open because everyone is so spread out. CG's fix that to a certain extent, but they are programmed by Frontier and exist only in one place for a predetermined period of time. By having searchable system states on the galmap to pull up wars, famines and plagues, players will have reasons to concentrate in systems. In open, where there are traders, pirates will appear. Where there are pirates, bounty hunters will appear. Where players appear, they run out of fuel and Fuel Rats will appear. In Open or Mobius, for those who just like seeing hollow squares on their radar just so the universe doesn't seem empty, it will greatly increase your chances of running into other CMDRs. Again, the fact that these system states are generated by the game based on the BGS means that these mini-CG's will rise and fall around the bubble based on the system states, in turn based on the actions of CMDRs in the game. Player factions in game might even go to war as they manipulate their system states and those of their rivals. Forget PowerPlay - BGS system flipping could really get down and dirty.
Finally, it's a cure for the common grind. It's an age-old argument in the game that it's only a grind if you make it one. I'd argue that the game mechanics have always lent themselves to grinding. I'm a big believer in making your own fun in the sandbox and for a long time believed the game was what you made of it. But after a year of playing missions that had no consequence or looking for the shortest back and forth trade route it gets old. There's only so much pretending one can do before you step back and realize you're just going through the motions of performing an activity rather than having fun with it. The new factions, persistent NPC's and their connection to the BGS have the potential to be more than just window dressing. They can provide a sense of personal investment, either by forming a bond with a faction/system to help them out (or even hurt them), or give CMDRs legitimate reasons to travel to other systems and use the trade route filters on the screens to see where there's money to be made, legitimately or not.
Combined with more intelligent NPC AI, the new missions and BGS are a huge step in the right direction for creating a dynamic, living universe. But they have to work. A lot of attention is being given, and rightfully so, to the NPC super weapon issues... But the inability to complete missions right now is just as important. Not being able to complete missions ruins CMDRs reputations. It costs money. It builds fines, and makes clean CMDRs wanted, not to mention wastes our time. It will make people not want to play the new missions, which in turn means the improved BGS won't be used to its full potential.
My biggest fear is that Frontier is going to concentrate on balancing the AI and fix the NPC superweapons, which again need to be fixed in a hurry - and then not address the missions and BGS until 2.2 or later because they're not as visible. But I honestly think that they are the twin engines which drive all other activity in the game but don't get the attention they deserve because they're not flashy enough.
TL;DR - the mission system and BGS are just as important to making ED fun as AI. And if you agree, please voice your opinion not just here but anywhere the discussion of "content" or "grind" come up, because BGS and the missions it spawn are a fantastic way to make procedurally generated content. Frontier, you've taken HUGE steps in the right direction working on the core of the game. Don't let all the potential wither on the vine by letting the issues linger.
