Ranking up without donations / charity?

digitus impudicus · Jan 12, 2016

I wondered why I haven't gotten any faction ranking mission offers since FD fixed the stuck Sol permission missions (it kept appearing even though I already had the permit), and I'm looking at maybe getting some of the Empire-specific ships that require ranks. So I searched for ranking topics here, but all I found was fast-ranking advice that mostly consisted of donating millions and millions, and complaints how this has been nerfed repeatedly.

So, how does regular ranking up work? What are the game mechanics? I imagine there's several ways of getting closer to that ascension mission, such as doing faction missions, bounty hunting or war, but I'd like to know beforehand from you veterans. I prefer having fun in different things over short extreme-grinding. ;-)

tarragon · Jan 12, 2016

all of the above.. long extreme-fun if you wish. Cutter will come to you mid 2017.

digitus impudicus · Jan 12, 2016

Yeah, well. Not taking the slowest route would be nice as well, but not "here's four extremely boring steps, repeat them until dying of a stroke". I think you understood quite well. ;-)

Ydiss · Jan 12, 2016

At any station that has federation factions (the more the better), take any missions from federation factions. When you complete them you get % progress towards your next ascension mission.

Given we can now track this progress, I reckon you should just give some a go and see which are best for you.

Just a quick tip, when you hit 100% progress towards your next ascension mission, any missions you subsequently complete will still add to the following ascension rank. You just don't see how much until you gain rank by completing the existing ascension mission.

Also, don't ignore charity missions just because you don't want to spam them. They're still really useful. I'd take them as and when you see them (make sure the issuing faction is federation though), so long as you can afford to.

Providing you are at a good station for missions and you have a good all round ship, there should be a nice variety of missions for you to choose from every time you dock. No need to refresh using the log in trick.

rucky · Jan 12, 2016

MISSIONS.

nothing without mission, like Conflict zones, Bounty Hunting in HazRes, Trading, Smuggling, neither will give you THAT rep - only rep/influence in the locale Administration.
So take MISSIONS after MISSIONS after MISSIONS.
The combat Missions do get the highest impact, trading and smuggling missions are both lucrative and give good rep but the charity ones (donations in credits or food or medicine or personal weaponry) even if only minimal - they can be done in a very fast way (some would call it even cheating/exploiting) and therefore are still the fastest way to grind your rank up!

Pantsless · Jan 12, 2016

Get yourself an ASP Explorer then go to zende and the neigbor Hip 26144 (it's a cracker) and get those long range missions and have fun not getting scanned and you will rank up rather fast.

It's for Empire ranking.

flummer7 · Jan 12, 2016

Pantsless said:
Get yourself an ASP Explorer then go to zende and the neigbor Hip 26144 (it's a cracker) and get those long range missions and have fun not getting scanned and you will rank up rather fast.

Can confirm the long range delivery mission works very well. After just 5-6 days of doing long-range missions I got the Admiral mission after being stuck for months.

Pantsless · Jan 12, 2016

flummer7 said:
Can confirm the long range delivery mission works very well. After just 5-6 days of doing long-range missions I got the Admiral mission after being stuck for months.

Yup.

The good thing with these is that you don't have to leave the bubble so no need to fule scope all the time.

catanonia · Jan 12, 2016

I have never tried long range smuggling missions.

Can anyone give any Federation ports to visit to get a sample of what they are like please ?
I fancy doing a few to see what the fuss is about and I don't need the rank, just some challenging scenario's to try out.

Thanks

Roadblock · Jan 12, 2016

The "Classified data transport" missions are usually pretty good for gaining rank, assuming you're doing them for a federation or empire aligned faction. In general though, any mission you do for a faction that is aligned with a major power should get you gains in rank.

Xendoshi · Jan 12, 2016

hmm might check this out I'm trying to get to Duke @ 60% to Knight, I just want the clipper lol. then I might go try and get the Corvette. . .

Edit: Ha I said Duke, I meant Baron! lol

Ian Skippy · Jan 12, 2016

I just do whatever and occassionally get promoted. If I keep it up like this I'll get the corvette in six months or so. By that time I'll be, or close to, elite in trading and can outfit it for what I want.

I am in no rush.

Wasp0 · Jan 12, 2016

Xendoshi said:
hmm might check this out I'm trying to get to Duke @ 60% to Knight, I just want the clipper lol. then I might go try and get the Corvette. . .

Do you mean Cutter? you don't need top be Duke for Clipper, just Baron! (You will be disappointed with the cutter!! )

Xendoshi · Jan 12, 2016

ha yea I realized I said the wrong rank about 5 min after I posted lol. I tried the cutter in beta and didn't like it. Plus I am really an explorer, and I want the Clipper for my explore ship, yea I know other ships can have a longer jump range, but I wont be in a race once out there. I had a clipper but wiped my save when horizons came out. I found out two things when I did that. 1, they really messed with the rank progression and 2, I have WAY more credits this time around, I think its due to knowing how to do thing lol.

Edit: In fact once I leave I have planed out a 12-18 month round trip.