Should Elite have some sort of test to gain Combat Rank?

[Viking84]

When has NPC encounters been based on income earned?

You gain rank by destroying ships of near equal rank or above, it's point based. Once you start to reach the higher ranks, the lower ranks don't count towards your Combat Ranking. You could spend 10 years killing Harmless pilots and never reach Elite status.

Not quite true, you get points for anything up to three levels below your own. Meaning at Deadly rank you still get progress from killing an Expert NPC. Which isn't really that hard to do. Source: http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Combat

I really hope Combat Rank isn't tied to what opponents you get, I like the feeling of getting better and the game getting safer, I don't want my random ecounters to scale up with me. If I want a challenge I will head out to a Haz Res or some "Threat 4" USS'es...

 

[xslam]

No.

Because if you are ELITE then there are 6400 sore widows (and even more orphans) who pay for your horrible death to everyone who can do so.

 

[fennster]

Not quite true, you get points for anything up to three levels below your own. Meaning at Deadly rank you still get progress from killing an Expert NPC. Which isn't really that hard to do. Source: http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Combat

I really hope Combat Rank isn't tied to what opponents you get, I like the feeling of getting better and the game getting safer, I don't want my random ecounters to scale up with me. If I want a challenge I will head out to a Haz Res or some "Threat 4" USS'es...

Hence the words 'Near Equal'. Suppose I could of been a little more clear on that...

 

[Viking84]

Hence the words 'Near Equal'. Suppose I could of been a little more clear on that...

Semantics I guess, but I wouldn't consider three levels below (on an 8 level scale) to be near equal I would say it is closer to the truth that pretty much everyone will reach Elite in Combat if they just keep playing for long enough, same as with the other ranks.

Edit: I'm only being pedantic about this because if the game spawns NPCs based on your Combat rank, it will slowly make the game unplayable for a lot of people unless they reset their commanders.

 

[JonnyC0mbat]

Or just a theory test.

Question A1: You are in an Eagle. The enemy is Python and intends to ram you. Do you, A: Take the hit (My eagle is mighty). B: Fire wildly at everything. C: Switch off flight assist and whip around him firing into his soft underbelly. D: Sit there drooling.

 

[Battleship Kickass]

Spawning npcs according to rank is another word for "level scaling", the worst game technique used, when devs are lazy to design the game properly. Robs players of choice and achievement and is opposite to player immersion and fun.
Any sane game would spawn progressively harder enemies in zones that are progressively more profitable (in any way...). Logical and clean. Where it is safe, prices are down. Buy where safe, sell where dangerous (for profit) or grind in safe zone.
Mine gold with other losers safely, mine painite with the (dangerous) pros.

But no, in fdev, pirate in anaconda will attack you over five tons of copper. I wish fdev could wake up.

Obviously, exploration could be the same, but fdev would rather work on perfectly balanced bobbleheads and rng-grind engineers, that 90% of players hate for poor game design.
(kudos to gui and other nongame design departments, looks really good)

Can't disagree with this. Most these guys don't like confrontational posts though, so most will probably ignore it.

 

[Adept Geraden]

Except that the NPC's don't spawn according to your combat rank. I'm Elite explorer, but only Expert combat. Every single NPC that tries to interdict me is Elite. Even returning from a mining run with no missions and no engineer's cargo.

 

[sndle9]

Can't disagree with this. Most these guys don't like confrontational posts though, so most will probably ignore it.

Ignore What?

 

[Comrade Napoleon]

I have got a piece of tape on which is written "Elite" , i put that on my screen when I feel like
You know ego boost
I have another one " You are hot bro" I also put on , but different game


Cheers Cmdr's

 

[Tenshi]

Each fight is a test, if you can't learn from the game as you fight then there is something inherently wrong with you as a human. There is no need for a combat test because if you made it to Elite through normal gameplay then why should you need a test?

If there were a test I would never take it and remain at harmless. No point in making the game harder for me even if my combat skills are far above the harmless npcs.

 

[myrr mac]

The one thing we can be pretty sure it ISNT, is combat rank. (that determines pirate level).

 

[Windscreen Smudge]

I actually think this would be great.

Knock everyone down to Harmless again, and give them missions to improve their combat rank just like if they were trying to improve their Federation or Empire rank. People who're ranked Elite and suddenly finding themselves getting spanked by the AI will only advance up the chain in these new missions as far as their actual rank should be, and they'll stop getting bent over as a result. People who have the skill to back up their rank will just have to run a few missions to get it all back.

People who want to smurf it and sit at a low combat rank even though they can advance can settle for the lower income of not getting the higher ranked combat missions from the mission board and lower quality NPC bounties. Their loss.

Except that the NPC's don't spawn according to your combat rank. I'm Elite explorer, but only Expert combat. Every single NPC that tries to interdict me is Elite. Even returning from a mining run with no missions and no engineer's cargo.

This has nothing to do with your Exploration rank and everything to do with being a Tycoon in a squishy multi-role ship.

I bet you've got cargo racks fitted in that Asp too don't you?

People really need to take the time to learn how NPC interdictions work.

 

[Spiridon]

I actually think this would be great.

Knock everyone down to Harmless again, and give them missions to improve their combat rank just like if they were trying to improve their Federation or Empire rank. People who're ranked Elite and suddenly finding themselves getting spanked by the AI will only advance up the chain in these new missions as far as their actual rank should be, and they'll stop getting bent over as a result. People who have the skill to back up their rank will just have to run a few missions to get it all back.

People who want to smurf it and sit at a low combat rank even though they can advance can settle for the lower income of not getting the higher ranked combat missions from the mission board and lower quality NPC bounties. Their loss.



This has nothing to do with your Exploration rank and everything to do with being a Tycoon in a squishy multi-role ship.

I bet you've got cargo racks fitted in that Asp too don't you?

People really need to take the time to learn how NPC interdictions work.

Great idea! Go write your game, get 1,3 million people to buy it, two years later erase all they were working for - and expect them to re-buy the next season. You'll have a huge success.

 

[K-Rose]

Hmm I've literally just reset my save and 2 of 3 ships in the Res site were Dangerous...

The 1st, a mostly harmless FAS, 70k bounty, nice and easy with the help of security.

The 2nd, a dangerous type 7 with rail guns. (I'm not even joking) 20k

The 3rd, a dangerous adder with 2 rail guns and a seeker missile launcher, took me to 1% before I bugged out of there. He had a 12k bounty on him...

My rank is Harmless.

 

[Spiridon]

I have a second account, Novice. Got attacked by an Elite Conda.

 

[Windscreen Smudge]

Great idea! Go write your game, get 1,3 million people to buy it, two years later erase all they were working for - and expect them to re-buy the next season. You'll have a huge success.

Buddy I didn't say anything about erasing their progress. You think anyone here is going to mind spending an hour doing missions to go from harmless to Elite in combat rank?

And if they can't get back up to Elite combat rank, they never progressed that far to begin with. They were just grinding credits.

Hmm I've literally just reset my save and 2 of 3 ships in the Res site were Dangerous...

The 1st, a mostly harmless FAS, 70k bounty, nice and easy with the help of security.

The 2nd, a dangerous type 7 with rail guns. (I'm not even joking) 20k

The 3rd, a dangerous adder with 2 rail guns and a seeker missile launcher, took me to 1% before I bugged out of there. He had a 12k bounty on him...

My rank is Harmless.

What kind of res site?

Vague, useless comments like this show just how little everyone knows about what factors go into NPC spawns. If you're Harmless rank you're expected to keep your silly little derriere in a low RES unless you WANT to find Dangerous and Elite NPC's.

 

[Spiridon]

Buddy I didn't say anything about erasing their progress. You think anyone here is going to mind spending an hour doing missions to go from harmless to Elite in combat rank?

And if they can't get back up to Elite combat rank, they never progressed that far to begin with. They were just grinding credits.

Then what exactly are you saying?

Look at my signature - those are my ranks. Earned from December 2014. Are you having a bright idea to bring them down to Harmless? Over my dead body (or yours).

 

[Mark Lock]

Since the AI has been updated and it's pretty obvious your combat rank does not signify your actual skill at combat, should FD add some sort of skill test to gain additional combat rank (similar to games like Warframe)? Thoughts?

It's a good idea, also it should be optional, at some point you would be proposed a test mission to rank up, maybe at 99percent of previous rank, so those who can't adapt to the new difficulty can choose to keep a lower rank but it should also come with far lower rewards and they should still encounter high rank npcs in sc, res sites etc.. I would also require higher ranks to fly bigger ships

 

[49rTbird]

Since the AI has been updated and it's pretty obvious your combat rank does not signify your actual skill at combat, should FD add some sort of skill test to gain additional combat rank (similar to games like Warframe)? Thoughts?

Why test only for Combat Rank? Let's mess the whole game up and test for Ranks for all areas! (sits back and waits ") )

 

[Windscreen Smudge]

Then what exactly are you saying?

Look at my signature - those are my ranks. Earned from December 2014. Are you having a bright idea to bring them down to Harmless? Over my dead body (or yours).

How do you progress in faction ranks?

You earn standing, and then you go pick up a special mission. Complete the mission and you get a rank with your chosen faction, right?

So if you want a combat rank, you go and shoot ships until you've earned enough reputation for the Pilot's Federation to boost your rank, then go do a mission just like you do with factions. Only these missions shouldn't be pushover easy gimme getouttamyway so I can get back to grinding missions, they should reflect the rank you're earning.

Reset everyone's rank to harmless, but don't reset the progress they've earned from combat bonds, bounties, rank of pilot's killed, etc.... Just require them to go and do the missions to get their rank back. Most players will be done in 30 minutes to an hour and when they're done everyone will be at the rank they're really supposed to be at, not the rank they got by parking an Anaconda in a CZ with turrets during 1.4 while they were walking the dog.

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Why test only for Combat Rank? Let's mess the whole game up and test for Ranks for all areas! (sits back and waits ") )

I'm okay with this. Make the Elite rank for trader require them to fly an unshielded T9 halfway across the bubble carrying Palladium they bought with their own credits.

That'd be fantastic.