The Unidentified Signal Source and how it is tied into the missions is probably the worst mechanic in the game right now.
I can get a mission to kill whoever, go to one of the systems mentioned and stay in SC at minimum speed, in a random direction and a number of USS will spawn in front of me. One of these USS will have a random NPC who by some astronomical odds will know exactly which system the target is in. I can then go to that system and repeat the process and one of those random USS will have my target in them. Its embarrassing.
Some USS will have a number of ships flying in some random direction for some unknown reason. Why? It would take them days, weeks, years to get wherever they are going. Why be in normal space at all 20k ls from the closest station or planet. Sometimes a USS will have a few cops and a wanted ship or two, but no one is fighting unless i start a fight.
Seriously, the USS is a really bad mechanic which completely kills the concept of a living universe with its glaringly obvious randomness. It is pure random filler completely unrelated to anything at all unless you have a mission, then it is just senseless and illogical.
I know a very big part of the game is RNG, but please cut away the ones which are too obvious, or at least make them make sense. I cant use my imagination and pretend it is a living galaxy if it is screaming at me that it is random.
Some suggestions to make them less random:
Mission USS should spawn close or in relation to a location specified in a mission. "The target has been seen in the following systems and frequents [Insert stations or Outpostss] and preys on near-by resource extraction sites"
USS for the target would only spawn in proximity to one of the locations hinted at in the mission.
Random USS need to spawn in a context and have them contain something related to that context.
USS close to conflict zone could have stuff like a group of fighters at rallying point.
USS very close to a nav beacon could have ships that have misjumped or something.
USS close to planetary rings could have canisters with metals, a wreck and some pirates.
USS in a random location should always have an interdicted ship and a pirate/cop.
EDIT: Oh, and someone is going to say that a lot of the USS are remnants of an interdicted/pirated ship or its cargo. But i have yet to see an NPC interdict another NPC. Now that would be cool, seeing them juke in SC and then create the FSD wakes for me to drop into.
/rant
I can get a mission to kill whoever, go to one of the systems mentioned and stay in SC at minimum speed, in a random direction and a number of USS will spawn in front of me. One of these USS will have a random NPC who by some astronomical odds will know exactly which system the target is in. I can then go to that system and repeat the process and one of those random USS will have my target in them. Its embarrassing.
Some USS will have a number of ships flying in some random direction for some unknown reason. Why? It would take them days, weeks, years to get wherever they are going. Why be in normal space at all 20k ls from the closest station or planet. Sometimes a USS will have a few cops and a wanted ship or two, but no one is fighting unless i start a fight.
Seriously, the USS is a really bad mechanic which completely kills the concept of a living universe with its glaringly obvious randomness. It is pure random filler completely unrelated to anything at all unless you have a mission, then it is just senseless and illogical.
I know a very big part of the game is RNG, but please cut away the ones which are too obvious, or at least make them make sense. I cant use my imagination and pretend it is a living galaxy if it is screaming at me that it is random.
Some suggestions to make them less random:
Mission USS should spawn close or in relation to a location specified in a mission. "The target has been seen in the following systems and frequents [Insert stations or Outpostss] and preys on near-by resource extraction sites"
USS for the target would only spawn in proximity to one of the locations hinted at in the mission.
Random USS need to spawn in a context and have them contain something related to that context.
USS close to conflict zone could have stuff like a group of fighters at rallying point.
USS very close to a nav beacon could have ships that have misjumped or something.
USS close to planetary rings could have canisters with metals, a wreck and some pirates.
USS in a random location should always have an interdicted ship and a pirate/cop.
EDIT: Oh, and someone is going to say that a lot of the USS are remnants of an interdicted/pirated ship or its cargo. But i have yet to see an NPC interdict another NPC. Now that would be cool, seeing them juke in SC and then create the FSD wakes for me to drop into.
/rant
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