Rep Decay Is Such A Bad Joke = FDev Says Players Go Away

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Kiddo, rep decay and things that changes which you can't affect - it's all to make game interesting and challenging. I know you are just regular gamer, just want to achieve something, otherwise it's no fun...there are tons of games out there just giving want you want. This game wants player to re-evaluate his position when logging in, stop grinding, change location, etc.

 

[mossfoot]

Rep decay does not affect minor factions, and it only decays to 90% of friendly. Its not a big deal.

This. Everyone says one or two rep missions and you're back in the Allied status with them. Is that not the case?

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[INSTG8R]

Kiddo, rep decay and things that changes which you can't affect - it's all to make game interesting and challenging. I know you are just regular gamer, just want to achieve something, otherwise it's no fun...there are tons of games out there just giving want you want. This game wants player to re-evaluate his position when logging in, stop grinding, change location, etc.

Not really it's just a way to keep people "grinding away" but as the forums have shown thru polls and posts like this it has had a more opposite effect. I mean hell I spend most of my time trading that is my "grind" but it's mine to "grind" as I see fit. PP is just an added level of grind that actually involves committing to "grinding" I have been playing less lately and yeah I noticed I have gone back to Friendly with all the major factions, I will just continue to play MY game not FDEV's new "Merit Grinding Simulator" I will get my Rep back up eventually.

 

[Rauminen]

I've only seen missions requiring you to be allied with the minor faction and that rep doesn't decay as far as I'm aware.

This. Everyone says one or two rep missions and you're back in the Allied status with them. Is that not the case?

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All my reps gone on your novels Mr. Foot (), but have +1 here.

So let me get this straight.

There is a separate minor faction reputation, which controls everything from deciding if a station shoots at you to the missions you can take, or the info you can see about ships without scanning them. This DOES NOT decay at all.

Major faction reputation (as long as positive) doesn't have any effect on your ability to take naval rank progression missions (as they are MISSIONS - see above)
You just need to do a certain number of missions, for any aligned minor factions - and eventually you'll get a naval rank mission too.

If you are "anchored" to a certain area of space all you really care about is minor faction reputation in that region. They could be independent, or multiple major factions, depending on your position.

So. Apart from displaying a different message when you request docking... what exactly the major faction rep does for you? That's right. Nothing.

So why would anyone be bothered about it going down? Basically anything that you do ingame inside a major factions territory apart from crime will increase your standing.
It will eventually go up to allied. It will even max out at some point. Then it decays from that max to the min, which is still allied - what's the difference? Nothing. Then it decays further to the top of friendly - changes the docking message (somewhere else of course, because the minor factions in your region will still love you) - but still what does it change for you? Nothing.

I honestly don't see the problem.

 

[Calaban]

When I first heard about the rep loss while OFFLINE, I was reminded of another game [not named, but you'll know which one) discussion, with a similar problem (though greatly worse).

In that game, when you logged off, other players can find you, and KILL you while you are sleeping. Steal all your stuff, Break all that you have built. They might as well draw on your avatar's face with a sharpie, too.

Players of that other game often log in to find themselves DEAD, and back at square zero.

While that other game mechanic is far, far more playerbase killing than ED, the same mechanic can be seen, if not with our ships (urk.. could you imagine?!), but with our faction reputation.

We get punished for not being logged in 24/7. someone convinced the game developers that this strategy would somehow "grow their business". Probably the same guy, talking to many game developers (urk!)

I never understood the logic. other than..
#idiocracy

 

[Ekar]

it's not a big deal but, frankly, nothing else is a big deal in this game either other than pointing out its an achievement/reward for progress; nothing to be upset about except there's very few achievements/rewards in this shallow game today and if earning and losing rep means nothing then why take it away - if it means nothing then why did FDev implement this feature? Think about that last point. If rep = nothing then why develop any feature to take it away...

This probably sums up the situation. If there's zero real difference between having a reputation of friendly as opposed to allied, apart from the label change, then the whole controversy is not worth talking about. Might as well just stay as 'friendly'. Who cares?

 

[mossfoot]

This probably sums up the situation. If there's zero real difference between having a reputation of friendly as opposed to allied, apart from the label change, then the whole controversy is not worth talking about. Might as well just stay as 'friendly'. Who cares?

How dare you, sir? You might as well ask who cares if one does or does not collect every single Pokemon!

 

[Ekar]

How dare you, sir? You might as well ask who cares if one does or does not collect every single Pokemon!

My post sounded rather bitter, reading it back. I guess I'm frustrated by the way that success in ED is being measured by progress bars, labels which mean very little, merit 'points', etc. If an allied reputation meant that you were more likely to be called upon in times of need by your supported faction, or some other event which changed your game in any way at all, the issue might be worth the endless posts it seems to generate. However, being allied (unless someone can explain otherwise) seems to matter only in peoples heads. I would say then 'Perfect is the enemy of the good', or in other words, just roll with it!

 

[mossfoot]

Oh, I wasn't being serious... just pointing out how some people are obsessed with being completionists - highest rank in everything, highest allied status, highest pilot's federation standings, all the ships, all the weapons.... it's their idea of an endgame, I guess. Or they're hoarders. Or once they have something having it taken away is personally threatening.

I have no problem with Rep decay.

 

[SentineI]

Rep decay is part of the fun of this game. If you could just secure your rep and move on, you'd not have anything left to do.

That's ridiculous. Rep should change (up or down) because of your in-game actions, NOT because you stop playing the flippin game. i.e. Your in-game actions should have consequences.

For example, doing good stuff for the Empire should cause your Federation rep to decrease. That makes the game MORE interesting, because then the player has to choose which side they back. Where-as at the moment you can build rep in both the Fed & Empire without any worry, except that being logged-out will cause your Allied rep to decay.

The OP has a good point... but how he chooses to express himself (v.agressive) leaves a lot to be desired :-(

 

[SentineI]

it took about 6 hrs of casual gameplay in total today to get back to allied. Been away for ~3 weeks. This included donations, RES bounties plus a number of fetch and deliver missions - with pauses in between.

Quoting the OP, as people seeming to be missing this bit.

 

[h347h]

Quoting the OP, as people seeming to be missing this bit.

Did 1 mission to get back to Allied with the Alliance just to test it out. Haven't done anything with them since 1.2.

 

[smiths121]

Being Allied (to a minor faction) gives access to better missions, and reduces scans so smuggling is easier. Being Allied (to major faction) is needed for the higher naval rank progressions, it also reduces scans by Naval vessels if there is a conflict in the system and major faction assets are assigned. It also gives a leg up to missions offered across factions allied to the major faction (although not as good as minor faction Allied).

However if you are not interested in naval rank, do not do missions (a lot do not bother after naval rank/good enough ship), and do not smuggle then the gameplay changes between allied and friendly are not that great, friendly is as allied.
My understanding is minor faction rep does not decay, only major faction rep decays - so naval missions is the biggie.

Simon

My post sounded rather bitter, reading it back. I guess I'm frustrated by the way that success in ED is being measured by progress bars, labels which mean very little, merit 'points', etc. If an allied reputation meant that you were more likely to be called upon in times of need by your supported faction, or some other event which changed your game in any way at all, the issue might be worth the endless posts it seems to generate. However, being allied (unless someone can explain otherwise) seems to matter only in peoples heads. I would say then 'Perfect is the enemy of the good', or in other words, just roll with it!

 

[h347h]

Just to confirm. I went and did some undermining to lose some Alliance rank down a bit past Allied into friendly, past the 90% mark. I then waited for rep decay to tick. Only ticked on my Federation rep. Seeing as my Imp rep is unfriendly and my alliance rep was friendly.

 

[Daffan]

Rep decay is a good thing in which it helps motivate players to keep active with the power play. The bad thing about it is that the decay is too darn high, I'm not quitting the faction but I won't be doing the merit runs anymore because of this high decay rate.

the rewards are useless, you make more trading in that time - not to mention the main problem is the way of maintaining is boring and no challenge.

5k merits is fine amount, but the way you go about getting them is baaaaaaaad

 

[Quineloe]

Rep decay is a good thing in which it helps motivate players to keep active with the power play. The bad thing about it is that the decay is too darn high, I'm not quitting the faction but I won't be doing the merit runs anymore because of this high decay rate.

Ugh.

Except power play and major faction reputation are completely unrelated.

 

[Kubicide]

Guess those that have been quick to defend FDev haven't likely been away from the game too long. So its understandable if they just haven't experienced the time required to recover status. But they shouldn't be quick to say it only takes a couple of missions because it doesn't. And FDev shouldn't be defended for a silly change.

 

[CrustyGoth]

Guess those that have been quick to defend FDev haven't likely been away from the game too long. So its understandable if they just haven't experienced the time required to recover status. But they shouldn't be quick to say it only takes a couple of missions because it doesn't. And FDev shouldn't be defended for a silly change.

Again - yes it does just take a couple of missions...

And again - even if it didn't so what? For the umpteenth time what are you losing out on? What difference does it make? Please don't respond with the if it makes no difference why did they put it in thing - just tell me once and for all how does this effect you in any way whatsoever?

 

[h347h]

Guess those that have been quick to defend FDev haven't likely been away from the game too long. So its understandable if they just haven't experienced the time required to recover status. But they shouldn't be quick to say it only takes a couple of missions because it doesn't. And FDev shouldn't be defended for a silly change.

I just confirmed it only took me one, and that indeed it doesn't decay past at least mostly friendly. I cant confirm which percentage I took it down through undermining though. Jeez no wonder crap like this is so hard to squish.

 

[Ekar]

Being Allied (to a minor faction) gives access to better missions, and reduces scans so smuggling is easier. Being Allied (to major faction) is needed for the higher naval rank progressions, it also reduces scans by Naval vessels if there is a conflict in the system and major faction assets are assigned. It also gives a leg up to missions offered across factions allied to the major faction (although not as good as minor faction Allied).

However if you are not interested in naval rank, do not do missions (a lot do not bother after naval rank/good enough ship), and do not smuggle then the gameplay changes between allied and friendly are not that great, friendly is as allied.
My understanding is minor faction rep does not decay, only major faction rep decays - so naval missions is the biggie.

Simon

Thanks Simon for taking the time to explain this.
Cheers