This does seem like great game-play to me CMDR, and another layer of complex planning and immersion also ... "Then we are left with the issue of high value goods. Though I would say if you are willing to go through the time commitment of mining 5000 tons of Painite or gathering that many UA's you should have some additional influence on the BGS, or maybe get a medal or something from FDev."
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This has always struck me as a defensive, short-sighted and ill-confident strategy on the part of FDev. They should just maybe Git Gud
Its not really about getting good.
They are very Good as Devs to be Honest.
But they have this Quirk which Unfortunately is very Common among Developers.
They Invest Hours, Days, Weeks, Months and Years into this Game. Along with their Heatblood and Feelings.
To most Devs. The Game they make are their Treasure. Their Everything.
And this also Leads to them wanting that People Honor it.
They want that People Treasure it like they do.
And unfortunately this often leads to an Bad Habit. That Devs want Players to Play the Game exactly like they Planned for it to be Played. They want the Players to use exactly the Systems and Ways Provided by the Devs.
And they really Dislike it if Players find ways around their Planned Paths. Or if Players Refuse to use certain Paths and rather attain things in a Path they Prefer than to use the Preset Paths the Devs set for them.
The Big Reason why Dark Souls got Away with being Extremely Hard. Was because they pretty much allowed the Player to use whatever Paths there was. They Prepared several Paths for you. And any Path no matter how you did it. Was Rewarded Equally.
If you lured Enemies all around into a Ditch you got the Exp and the Kill. You used an Hole in a Wall or an Position at some Place to Shoot at an Enemy from the Outside. Full Reward.
You did not need to Follow any Rules. Because no matter how you Won. The Game said. Cool Idea heres your Reward.
They went so far that Importand Loot Spawned on the Cliff if you let an Enemy Fall down there.
Dark Souls is the Radical Difference to the most Games here.
Because in other Games. If you did stuff like that. For example the Enemy going off a Cliff. You not only did not get the Kill. You did get no Exp and no Loot either.
Killed an Enemy from outside his Movement Area where he could not reach you ? Or Shoot him in the Back when he Overstepped his Area Limit ? Well no Exp for You. And sometimes even no Loot.
This is what FDev is doing here as well unfortunately.
They want you to Play this Game the way they Planned you to Play it.
So they Systematically close any Holes in that to make sure that you cannot get around using it this way.
From the Combat System to the Economy to the Reputation.
In all Aspects of the Game. Anything but the Pre Planned Path is Nerfed and made Unusable. While the Planned Path is Highlighted by Additional Rewards.