Patch To Kill Free Lance Bounty Hunting at Extraction Sites?

[Huntn]

If you are playing the normal release version of the game (currently 1.0.7), that isn't implemented yet. That supposed fix only comes with version 1.1 (which is currently in beta).

Hi Jan! I'm playing the current version. Any one out there playing the beta version and can confirm or deny the effect on RES BH?

The $64k question, is RES bounty hunting going to be nerfed or not? It's sounding like it to me. Stopping the endless flow of pirates at RESs becomes what, a couple of pirates and then head home? Right now, it is the best income generator for starter players I am aware of. Would you agree? I need to hear more about Conflict Zones and where they can be found. Until the Devs come up with more attractions, I just don't see killing this source of universal fun.

 

[Phier]

My newbie impression is that missions for beginning players suck, not enough of them and miserly payoffs. Drop the price of a Cobra down to $75k Cr and starter mission rewards would seem much more reasonable.

Not what I think the issue is though, the problem is that they are ONLY good for new players period. When you are in a stock sidewinder 14k + a few bounties means something to you. Instead they are just tedious after for no gain.

 

[Huntn]

Not what I think the issue is though, the problem is that they are ONLY good for new players period. When you are in a stock sidewinder 14k + a few bounties means something to you. Instead they are just tedious after for no gain.

As a new player, I was making between $4-12k for a time consuming mission or $2k/4k round trip for trading in my Sidewinder and looking at a fully upgraded Sidewinder at $1m Cr?? If I have grind at this rate for an extended period of time, might as well throw in the towel now. I'd look at an average station with 1-2 missions available, with low payoffs? That's not going to keep me in the game. Hence my attraction for RES BH, enjoyable fun, the most fun I've had in the ED Universe. Yes, when I can get a good hauling ship and make $200k per trip, there will be a time and place for that, but at starting levels Free lance BH by far seems to be the way to early-game riches. But it might go away? So far I've seen nothing that counters that patch note about stopping the endless steam of pirates. but I asked before, could Conflict Zones be a viable alternative?

 

[Soulkiller]

Bounty hunting at RE sites has been my biggest pleasure in Elite so far. I really don't understand why this change has been made. What is the rationale for it? It can't be the money, since bounty hunting doesn't scale well at all. Is it to provide miners with an easier time?

^This. FD sometimes is nuts when making decisions. Please fire the deicision makers.

 

[Phier]

As a new player, I was making between $4-12k for a time consuming mission or $2k/4k round trip for trading in my Sidewinder and looking at a fully upgraded Sidewinder at $1m Cr?? If I have grind at this rate for an extended period of time, might as well throw in the towel now. I'd look at an average station with 1-2 missions available, with low payoffs? That's not going to keep me in the game. Hence my attraction for RES BH, enjoyable fun, the most fun I've had in the ED Universe. Yes, when I can get a good hauling ship and make $200k per trip, there will be a time and place for that, but at starting levels Free lance BH by far seems to be the way to early-game riches. But it might go away? So far I've seen nothing that counters that patch note about stopping the endless steam of pirates. but I asked before, could Conflict Zones be a viable alternative?

I started out BHing in res sites once I discovered those and it served me very well. Obviously they are changing this, how much who knows yet. The missions I did because I didn't know about res sites. That doesn't mean res sites are good as they are, just that there were no viable alternatives. Nuking the spawns at res sites is fine by me, BUT they need viable alternatives, hopefully more varied, because res site combat got boring too.

 

[Shanaeri]

It seems, anything to prolong the grind to elite status is being done. Hopefully community goals will fill in the content gaps and add more variety than what we had.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

It was a bug. You know, those things that shouldn't happen in a game? You'll be complaining next that they fixed combat logging!!!

 

[Huntn]

It seems, anything to prolong the grind to elite status is being done. Hopefully community goals will fill in the content gaps and add more variety than what we had.

Grind for a game kills.

It was a bug. You know, those things that shouldn't happen in a game? You'll be complaining next that they fixed combat logging!!!

If you are referencing the consistent flow of felons at a RES, then they should come up with viable alternatives before killing the goose.

 

[Huntn]

I started out BHing in res sites once I discovered those and it served me very well. Obviously they are changing this, how much who knows yet. The missions I did because I didn't know about res sites. That doesn't mean res sites are good as they are, just that there were no viable alternatives. Nuking the spawns at res sites is fine by me, BUT they need viable alternatives, hopefully more varied, because res site combat got boring too.

I can agree with that if they come up with a fun, money making alternative. Missions and trading at the starter level is very tedious. So far BH has been a lucrative shot in the arm. My suggestion is that they produce the next best thing before killing off the only thing in the game that has been working for me so far.

 

[Quineloe]

I agree that this is one of the most ridiculous things FD could have done. I mean, it's not like it was highly profitable anyway .

Yes it was. Bounty farming is a bloody stupid mechanic, anyways.

However I agree FD should replace this with actual highly profitable bounty hunting.

 

[Ulfar]

Wow so bounty hunting is going to be nerfed.

I agree that before nerfing one of the fun things in the game, you need to add the replacement. People are waking up to the Elite : Grindfest.

Grinding will not keep people here long term, it isn't interesting and it isn't clever.I have stayed away for a few days, some of these decisions are making me wish I hadn't come back. Somebody at Frontier needs to get some fresh interesting ideas because currently they look like they have no clear plan at all.

This makes me sad, I am not sure if I have another 30 years to wait for the next attempt.

 

[Huntn]

Wow so bounty hunting is going to be nerfed.

I agree that before nerfing one of the fun things in the game, you need to add the replacement. People are waking up to the Elite : Grindfest.

Grinding will not keep people here long term, it isn't interesting and it isn't clever.I have stayed away for a few days, some of these decisions are making me wish I hadn't come back. Somebody at Frontier needs to get some fresh interesting ideas because currently they look like they have no clear plan at all.

This makes me sad, I am not sure if I have another 30 years to wait for the next attempt.

+1

For newbs, Free Lance BH is the single most fun thing to do in the game accompanied by acceptable profits. Is it realistic? No not really, but dog fighting is fun. And if looking at $1m, $6m ships not counting upgrades is daunting if scrubbing out $5k a mission average (at least starting out). Through BH after spending some time outfitting my Sidewinder, I earned enough in 2 -3 evenings to buy a basic Cobra. But this is small potatoes to the big ships. I don't know if I'd be putting out this effort if it was weeks spent droning back and forth selling commodities. I mean , how many players really find trading to be all that rewarding or more importantly fun? That's the key: FUN!

 

[magillag]

Uber dissapointed to read this...
I'm a RES BH. It's fun. I know my system and the nearby ones. No one comes by me. I've seen 2-3 CMNDRs in probably 50hrs of gameplay over the past few weeks. I found a good RES to BH with a friendly station nearby so I stayed.

It says they are fixing the 'unlimited' spawning. My guess is that there will still be quite a few at a particular RES, so we'll have to change RES's. Heck we might even have to Hyperspace to another system, SCARY!

There has been a significant drop in the number of 'Elite Wanted' and wanted Anacondas, that's for sure!

 

[Hitsuke]

Yes it was. Bounty farming is a bloody stupid mechanic, anyways.

However I agree FD should replace this with actual highly profitable bounty hunting.

No it wasn't... 300k an hour? Are you taking the proverbial? That is NOT highly profitable by any stretch of the imagination. Your average player will be able to play at most 3 hours a day... 900k a day through BH, and that's in a decent ship for the job, which will take a few weeks for a newbie to get to. I agree that it's still better than Exploration, but it's still pretty lacklustre overall.

 

[Skip Intro]

900KCr a day is a bad thing? I've been playing since the Live launch and I've got just over 900KCr in the bank. Is everyone fixated on the cr/hr Hamster Wheel?

 

[Phier]

Now here is the funny thing. I never did the ring thing, only res, and made my first 9 million or so in the game mostly that way. Needless to say it was kinda slow. I did once see what happened when you jumped into a ring randomly and didn't get a spawn so I assumed, logically, it would be empty.

So anyways doing the ring thing, it is good money, its nice there are no police ships, the targets are varied which helps a lot but....

It quickly became as big a grind as trading, my trigger finger was tired. Scan/kill/scan/kill

This is not the solution for BH, it obviously is silly and needs to be fixed, but they do need something to replace it. It seems they are nerfing before they give any real alternatives.

 

[ShadowWolf Kell]

Now here is the funny thing. I never did the ring thing, only res, and made my first 9 million or so in the game mostly that way. Needless to say it was kinda slow. I did once see what happened when you jumped into a ring randomly and didn't get a spawn so I assumed, logically, it would be empty.

So anyways doing the ring thing, it is good money, its nice there are no police ships, the targets are varied which helps a lot but....

It quickly became as big a grind as trading, my trigger finger was tired. Scan/kill/scan/kill

This is not the solution for BH, it obviously is silly and needs to be fixed, but they do need something to replace it. It seems they are nerfing before they give any real alternatives.

From what I've been reading on the beta forums, that appears what was fixed. People are reporting RES are the same as they are now. I don't have beta access, but I can read the forums. I'd imagine if I can, anyone can. There's no point going crazy pulling hair out over rumors and speculation when you can simply read what's really going on from firsthand accounts.

 

[AuGuR]

Either way, if they are trying to slow down progression, it's a bit late for some. Anyone else expecting an account reset (including Alpha & Betas)? Could you imagine the backlash. With the reduction in how people can make credits, I could not care less as long as my income exceeds expenditures. Operating at a loss, no matter what you're doing is just bad business; Your's and FD's.

 

[Phier]

Either way, if they are trying to slow down progression, it's a bit late for some. Anyone else expecting an account reset (including Alpha & Betas)? Could you imagine the backlash. With the reduction in how people can make credits, I could not care less as long as my income exceeds expenditures. Operating at a loss, no matter what you're doing is just bad business; Your's and FD's.

I've done well for myself but I'd welcome a reset once all the kinks are worked out. Of course that would go over like a palladium balloon

 

[Quineloe]

No it wasn't... 300k an hour? Are you taking the proverbial? That is NOT highly profitable by any stretch of the imagination. Your average player will be able to play at most 3 hours a day... 900k a day through BH, and that's in a decent ship for the job, which will take a few weeks for a newbie to get to. I agree that it's still better than Exploration, but it's still pretty lacklustre overall.

300k an hour? You really did that poorly?

1500k is what I made, and there's a video fo someone who made 5000k in 90 minutes.