Must admit, that I only ever took one of these missions. Fitted an interdictor, and spent the next two hours hunting the given system for these pirates. I think I found two or three in that time, and the mission was for 24. I abandoned the mission and haven't taken one since.
The Problem with Massacre Missions
- Thread starter Ziljan
- Start date
This happens in all system not just some system that is low control or "bad".
Granted, but then there would be no point to trying to move system factions at all. might as well make them all stable and unchanging and not influenced by player factions at all. The point is that we are supposed to be able to influence the economies to some degree so it stands to reason that the factions should offer missions in their best interest, not contrary to their interest.
That^^
In FDev books difficulty = trivial but time consuming lol.
Those massacre missions are just really dumb.
What would work nicely is a "clean pirate nest" mission. Proc gen small pirate base somewhere, with a few SLF's and gun batteries to defend.
Option to do it by stealth (disable alarm for reinforcement by shuting coms down, sabotage fighter hangars and so on.... then take the pirates out)
Or go gun blazing with reinforcement pouring in and such.
You see what I mean. Classical base assault mission.
For me it is the ridiculously LOW payouts involved. Even before these latest reported issues with them
At any given time, the majority of mission boards will be hosting some of these missions right alongside Planetary Scan Jobs, High Dollar Space Salvage, Pirate Lord Assassination Missions, A to B cargo runs etc.
While the Massacre Missions always grab your eye with their seemingly Multi-Million CR rewards, when you open up the mission and look at the number of ships you are required to eliminate in order to collect that reward, it all falls apart.
At least it does for me. Considering I could take two or more of one of the other mission types listed on the same board and have them all completed, turned in and rewards collected often adding up to more than a typical MM in a fraction of the time. Those MMs have never made good financial or game time sense no matter how you choose to spin it.
Then there is the whole target spawning issues which proved the ultimate last straw for me the last time I took any of these on. Tons of ships in the target system's SC space, but a slim handful or often none of them with your mission's target designation attached. I swore I would never waste my time on those again, and I have stuck to my guns over 18 months later.
There are a lot of things FDEV could do to make this mission type more attractive to players. But as of 3.03, I am still waiting for even one of those things to be added. Instead, after each game update I just see more and more reasons not to bother.
At any given time, the majority of mission boards will be hosting some of these missions right alongside Planetary Scan Jobs, High Dollar Space Salvage, Pirate Lord Assassination Missions, A to B cargo runs etc.
While the Massacre Missions always grab your eye with their seemingly Multi-Million CR rewards, when you open up the mission and look at the number of ships you are required to eliminate in order to collect that reward, it all falls apart.
At least it does for me. Considering I could take two or more of one of the other mission types listed on the same board and have them all completed, turned in and rewards collected often adding up to more than a typical MM in a fraction of the time. Those MMs have never made good financial or game time sense no matter how you choose to spin it.
Then there is the whole target spawning issues which proved the ultimate last straw for me the last time I took any of these on. Tons of ships in the target system's SC space, but a slim handful or often none of them with your mission's target designation attached. I swore I would never waste my time on those again, and I have stuck to my guns over 18 months later.
There are a lot of things FDEV could do to make this mission type more attractive to players. But as of 3.03, I am still waiting for even one of those things to be added. Instead, after each game update I just see more and more reasons not to bother.
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If I see "pirates" as the target in the missions, it's a no-go.
But these missions are not new in their ridiculous goals, for quite a while these type of missions that required a large number of kills and the targets weren't concentrated in a CZ or specific place have been around, to be avoided.
But these missions are not new in their ridiculous goals, for quite a while these type of missions that required a large number of kills and the targets weren't concentrated in a CZ or specific place have been around, to be avoided.
verminstar
Banned
I remember taking one of these missions on after getting hit badly by RNG...even after flipping the boards' all that was offer was rubbish.
Lets just say I sure as hell hope not to scrape the bottom of that particular barrel again...this mission is fer those who like suffering and pain...thats the only explanation I can think of.
When it comes to pointless missions in this game, these missions are the most pointlessest of the pointless. Try completing it in a system with just 5 stellar bodies and no rez sites and just one single station...28 enemies? There hasnt even been 28 ships through the system in the past 24 hours let alone fer the duration of the mission...where Im supposed to find these targets is a mystery...which is why I avoid them like the plague ^
Lets just say I sure as hell hope not to scrape the bottom of that particular barrel again...this mission is fer those who like suffering and pain...thats the only explanation I can think of.
When it comes to pointless missions in this game, these missions are the most pointlessest of the pointless. Try completing it in a system with just 5 stellar bodies and no rez sites and just one single station...28 enemies? There hasnt even been 28 ships through the system in the past 24 hours let alone fer the duration of the mission...where Im supposed to find these targets is a mystery...which is why I avoid them like the plague ^
I looked at one earlier on. 80 or 90 ships for 7m in conflict zones. That is a chore. On the other hand, Pirate lord, 1.3m. One VS one (more or less). Bring it on. Done in reasonable time too.
Deleted member 38366
D
If I remember correctly, I entirely stopped running "Kill x Pirates" Missions after I repeatedly benchmarked a Mission Target Spawn Rate of 3 (three) per hour (!), all while being in pristine Bounty Hunting locations.
All properly documented and bug-reported a long time ago.
Seems whatever they tried to fix still doesn't properly work.
PS.
Seeing Missions like "Wing : Kill 325 Pirates" just make me be... sure, that'll only take like what... 50+ hours to complete? *lol* get outta here
All properly documented and bug-reported a long time ago.
Seems whatever they tried to fix still doesn't properly work.
PS.
Seeing Missions like "Wing : Kill 325 Pirates" just make me be... sure, that'll only take like what... 50+ hours to complete? *lol* get outta here
Strikes me at present (as a new-ish player of 3 months) that the only missions that seem to pay well are cargo runs and boom-data runs, once you're rep-ranked up.
I look at the wing kill missions and the wing delivery missions, and they're just well out of whack. I can net anywhere between 1-15 million in a single run (esp. Sothis Mining/Ngurri); why on earth would I want to do several runs for 2million and drag buddies in at the same time, or spend 4 hours up against the clock when I can do 4 hours over several plays at a leisurely pace?
Broken economics.
I look at the wing kill missions and the wing delivery missions, and they're just well out of whack. I can net anywhere between 1-15 million in a single run (esp. Sothis Mining/Ngurri); why on earth would I want to do several runs for 2million and drag buddies in at the same time, or spend 4 hours up against the clock when I can do 4 hours over several plays at a leisurely pace?
Broken economics.
verminstar
Banned
Most the assassination missions Im offered payout about 2m or thereabouts...go kill a python.
Take on a mission that asks ye to kill 50 of them...and they all pythons just to make it even more ridiculous...fer only 3 times more than it cost to kill one in a mere fraction of the time.
There should be a special achievement award fer whatever poor demented souls do actually complete them from time to time who have never been to the forum and think this is more or less normal. Because its the definition of a time sink, its not actually broken and is by design...which is why its never been fixed ^
Yes, though the ship you have to fight also depends upon what you are flying (if you fly a big ship, the pirate lord is almost guaranteed to be in a big ship) - at least, that is the way it seems to work for me. I like the pirate lord missions as you can take those along with cargo delivery, and more often than not the pirate lord will interdict you on the way - so you don't even need to look for them.
I have found a system where I only have to jump 9ly to kill pirates, which until the update were plentiful, an Interstellar contact 17ly jump away, for those 'accidents ' that happen in haz res sites, material broker on hand, Selenium and other rare materials 1 jump away, all in all, I was quite happy.
I don't need a gold rush, if I can earn 30 -40 mill in a session, I'm very happy. It suited my play style.
Today, for the first time in months, I didn't log in to ED when I came home from work, I usually have 1½ hours before the wife comes home from work. I'll be on later, but knowing I'm going to have to change my play style, didn't drive me to switch the pc on today. The wife was a bit shocked, not having to knock on the Oculus to say hello
I'm sure there will come adjustments, it's early days, I don't have anything else I enjoy as much as Elite, so I'll potter about the universe for a while, seeing the sights, while it is getting sorted.
Fly safe o7
Little tip with the wing one's - spread out!
My wing has a good hunting ground with 3 haz rez's and multiple high so we each take seperate zones increasing the spawn rate fourfold
Plus if someone's instance dries up only a single ship needs to SC out and back in to reset it, all the while 3 other Cmdrs are racking up the kills
Throw in KWS + bounties and they're a very viable little earner. Also if ppl share wing missions off different missions givers (again sourcing a good system is key here) every kill made by every Cmdr counts towards upto 4 missions + any solo one's (my system has 7 factions that can all potentially offer MM's)
My wing has a good hunting ground with 3 haz rez's and multiple high so we each take seperate zones increasing the spawn rate fourfold
Plus if someone's instance dries up only a single ship needs to SC out and back in to reset it, all the while 3 other Cmdrs are racking up the kills
Throw in KWS + bounties and they're a very viable little earner. Also if ppl share wing missions off different missions givers (again sourcing a good system is key here) every kill made by every Cmdr counts towards upto 4 missions + any solo one's (my system has 7 factions that can all potentially offer MM's)
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verminstar
Banned
I have found a system where I only have to jump 9ly to kill pirates, which until the update were plentiful, an Interstellar contact 17ly jump away, for those 'accidents ' that happen in haz res sites, material broker on hand, Selenium and other rare materials 1 jump away, all in all, I was quite happy.
I don't need a gold rush, if I can earn 30 -40 mill in a session, I'm very happy. It suited my play style.
Today, for the first time in months, I didn't log in to ED when I came home from work, I usually have 1½ hours before the wife comes home from work. I'll be on later, but knowing I'm going to have to change my play style, didn't drive me to switch the pc on today. The wife was a bit shocked, not having to knock on the Oculus to say hello
I'm sure there will come adjustments, it's early days, I don't have anything else I enjoy as much as Elite, so I'll potter about the universe for a while, seeing the sights, while it is getting sorted.
Fly safe o7
From memory, I didnt think selenium was a rare mat...somewhat better than average but not one the rares...Im topped out on selenium since I get it fairly regularly in ceimess on one the planets I use regularly...it has big mountains and canyons so thats distraction in an slf.
Oh I have no shortage of things to do although I am on the lookout fer another gold rush as credits are on the low side atm and in the current climate, Im finding it draining my motivation to keep using these forums at all. Im hoping lady luck will shine on me and Ill find me very own gold rush that nobody else knows about...rest assured I wouldnt share it with anyone until Ive had me fill and then some.
The issue with having lots of other stuff to do is that it wont make any money doing those other things, and I need money to get them kickstarted...so its grind, grind, grind fer me...ah the joys of it ^
Agree with OP, repped.
The kill counts for the Conflict Zone massacre missions are quite large for a pretty lousy payout. Biggest total # of kills I saw was 288 - the payout for that was not impressive.
The pirate hunting ones have always been a joke. Kill N pirates of a specific faction? N is rarely a small number either, and if the "Target Faction" isn't actually a system's resident pirate faction then most pirate spawns are useless to you. You won't see 30 Pirates from that faction spawn in an hour, that's for sure.
Both implementations are pretty lousy. To fix the former, it's a matter of bringing the # of targets back down to something plausible. A cargo mission represents (usually) a few minutes of work: jumping a couple times, supercruise, and dock. Combat missions easily represent an hour+ of time in a CZ; the bigger ones either represent a long, long play session or multiple play sessions while hoping the War/Civil War hasn't been won in the meantime.
The Pirate Hunt missions would require a more in-depth fix, but I'd like to see them be something along the lines of going to a system, looking for a fixed # of Mission Signal Sources where you find pirates of various threats, and then wiping them out. Maybe they should be limited to the system you're in; although this would have a weird effect on BGS if the non-controlling factions issued jobs that'd reward you in bounties issued by the controlling faction as well.
The kill counts for the Conflict Zone massacre missions are quite large for a pretty lousy payout. Biggest total # of kills I saw was 288 - the payout for that was not impressive.
The pirate hunting ones have always been a joke. Kill N pirates of a specific faction? N is rarely a small number either, and if the "Target Faction" isn't actually a system's resident pirate faction then most pirate spawns are useless to you. You won't see 30 Pirates from that faction spawn in an hour, that's for sure.
Both implementations are pretty lousy. To fix the former, it's a matter of bringing the # of targets back down to something plausible. A cargo mission represents (usually) a few minutes of work: jumping a couple times, supercruise, and dock. Combat missions easily represent an hour+ of time in a CZ; the bigger ones either represent a long, long play session or multiple play sessions while hoping the War/Civil War hasn't been won in the meantime.
The Pirate Hunt missions would require a more in-depth fix, but I'd like to see them be something along the lines of going to a system, looking for a fixed # of Mission Signal Sources where you find pirates of various threats, and then wiping them out. Maybe they should be limited to the system you're in; although this would have a weird effect on BGS if the non-controlling factions issued jobs that'd reward you in bounties issued by the controlling faction as well.
I remember when I first started playing the pirate missions were a good way to earn some credits and get a little pew-pew action. Stack a couple missions, go to local res, kill some pirates and profit. Then someone decided we can't have fun AND make money.
OP has a very good point! agree 100%.
Let me add also that Massacre missions are not easy, they carry a substancial risk of failing the mission but at least your ar in combat.
A good solution would be to let us stack Massacre missions as before just not 20 of them. Maybe 5-8 of them would be fair for the AMOUNT of time required to do them.
I know I'd jump in, not only for the credits but because its fun, its challenging and moreover you can actually BETTER YOUR SKILLS as a combat pilot! Its not mindless and useless grinding of finding X on Y planet or Y HGE !
Please bring stackable massacre missions back and let them count for all stacked missions.
You kill three birds with one stone> time vs reward wining from most of the community, fun factor into a mission, fun to do in wing and better your skills while you are at it. You actually kill more than three birds with one stone!
TIME VS REWARD FDevs!!!
Love the post OP, repped.
My particular issue is the ones I find are to kill 40 to 80 (!!) pirates to get the reward (for higher paying ones..). I'm sorry but that doesn't interest me. It doesn't interest me because of the rate of spawn. I'll fly around an hour, hour and a half and see maybe only 10 to 15. If I hang around the nav beacon it *may* be a little more, but no guarantee. Because of my family schedule, I can't play 10 hours in a sitting all the time to complete these things. They usually expire in about 20 hours or so...
My particular issue is the ones I find are to kill 40 to 80 (!!) pirates to get the reward (for higher paying ones..). I'm sorry but that doesn't interest me. It doesn't interest me because of the rate of spawn. I'll fly around an hour, hour and a half and see maybe only 10 to 15. If I hang around the nav beacon it *may* be a little more, but no guarantee. Because of my family schedule, I can't play 10 hours in a sitting all the time to complete these things. They usually expire in about 20 hours or so...
Achilles7
Banned
One, err no he didn't (see below)...& two, in what universe has anyone ever killed 100 pirates in ~1 hr!?
I have 6 days to kill my allotted number of specific pirates (woo-hoo!)...& I have found a HiRES in the system...lucky barsteward, you are all thinking - well no, it is 10kls from the star with no repair & replen available at the stations...the nearest system has a well equipped coriolis, but that is 4.5kls from the star. As you can imagine, the logistics of this are growing tiresome already.
Add to this the fact that I am using fixed multicannons & APAs because I'm trying to match-up my skill levels with the new zig-zagging AI. On top of this, even when some pirates enter my RES, they are high ranked small ships, invariably with SCBs (the largest so far has been a Cobra & those Viper IVs!!...jeez!); if any of you are wondering what the problem is, go fit your ship with fixed multis, find a dangerous+ Viper IV & you'll see why this is such a huge pita.
Another gripe to add to my growing list is that the security always focus fire pirates from the faction I'm hunting which has led to huge annoyance as I get in range just as the ship is destroyed by a cop-frenzy (hmmm..good name for a movie!) & the fact that I've gone for 'oversized' multis, rather than 'autoloader' doesn't help my blood pressure reading either, because the amount of times the reloading delay has seen me miss out on an opportunity to lay down some mighty dps due to being in position A, just isn't funny anymore....unless one works for FD, I presume!
How Frontier get the salient aspects of this mission type so wrong (& many, many other parts of the game too, might I add!) is beyond me! Don't they test the practicalities of anything?! In 3.0, the planets may look fantastic but as usual, it's one step forward, two back whenever Frontier are involved!
Oh & with regards to my ongoing mission...I'm not sure 6 days is gonna be enough time!
You're right. I totally missed that line. My bad. I updated my post.
I came up with 100 in 1 hour as the most optimistic massacre scenario possible... and it still crap. Outside of a CZ, 100 in 5 hours is still optimistic.
And yes, the pay is bad. So bad I don't even bother taking missions anymore. I'm better off just collecting the raw bounty.
So now my playstyle is do one boring short haul transport mission, earn 5 million credits in 10 minutes; then go have fun killing stuff in a CZ or HazRes for 1 hour and earn 2 million credits.