Newcomer / Intro The Value of Chained Missions...?

[Hacker#451563]

As you have probably all experienced; occasionally missions with a chain symbol next to them get offered to you by groups you've worked for before.

What is the value in taking these missions on instead of doing one of the, often, much higher paid missions being offered by other groups (or even the same group).


Recent Example:

Planetary base scan mission: 2.135,000 Cr reward or some grade 5 EGN mats and 1.75mill.(approx) Nice, I thought, I'll have that.

I completed this and was then offered another planetary base scan mission with a chain and a reward of about 135,000Cr
135K? Seriously? I can get courier missions with a higher reward than that without including a possible time bonus.

So...Why take these on? Do they lead anywhere (chain, chain, chain)? Do they give better rep? More influence?....What?

Thanks

Hacker

 

[Chris Simon]

To me, their best "value" is that they are usually keeping you in a circle.
When I'm doing a lot of missions, I want to focus on particular factions in a particular area of space so I can gain rep with them quickly and get better rewards. But missions will lead you all over the place, usually, so you always have to return to the systems you've decided to work on.
Chain missions usually don't do that.

The fact that your follow-up mission was so poorly priced is probably that you don't have enough rep with the faction that offered it.

 

[Factabulous]

Some people like them for the immersion. They could do with some TLC because as you say - they don't really match missions you can just choose randomly.

 

[Hacker#451563]

To me, their best "value" is that they are usually keeping you in a circle.
When I'm doing a lot of missions, I want to focus on particular factions in a particular area of space so I can gain rep with them quickly and get better rewards. But missions will lead you all over the place, usually, so you always have to return to the systems you've decided to work on.
Chain missions usually don't do that.

The fact that your follow-up mission was so poorly priced is probably that you don't have enough rep with the faction that offered it.

My rep with that particular faction is maxed out, that was why the previous mission was a cool 2mill or so. Hence my confusion at the drastic pay-cut.

 

[Rock Hunter]

A bit like Chris I’ve found their best use is often as a ‘filler’ mission, something that will earn me a little extra credit, a little extra rep if I need it and give me a reason to be able to keep within the area of space I’m working in. Add that to any commodities I can buy to take back to one of the stations/systems I’m primarily working in and it isn’t so bad. Often if just doing missions you may find it hard (depending on your luck with the board) to get missions taking you back to where you started unless you only pick up ones that keep you within a very tight area.

It would make sense if they were either or both tougher and better paying. If I need to employ someone to cover a job for me IRL I’ll get someone I know, who’s proven themselves to cover the tougher, more important jobs than someone who’s work and competence I’m less sure of; it would make sense to me if this kind of approach was reflected by FD with these chained missions.

I took a raft of missions last night whilst trying to Rep up in a new system and had interdiction after interdiction with all of the mission targets associated to the missions I’d taken, something with that level of ‘danger’ and subsequent reward would be great.

At least we can ignore them as it stands without any loss to our reputation.

 

[Chris Simon]

My rep with that particular faction is maxed out, that was why the previous mission was a cool 2mill or so. Hence my confusion at the drastic pay-cut.

That's weird, but nonetheless - I'd rather take a change for the way back than to return empty handed.

 

[Para Handy]

What bugs me about these is that 94.73% of the time they are either combat or illegal planetary scan ones. Considering that the preceding mission was a transport one, that is stupid.

(Actually make that 97.478%.)

 

[Rock Hunter]

As someone who dislikes arbitrary percentages being used to reinforce a point I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and do the math.

 

[Greybeard_LXI]

I haven't seen this in a while, but I used to get a chained mission after my first mission for a faction but the chained mission required friendly or allied reputation with the giver. I also got them requiring a bigger ship than I owned (transfer 50 tons in a sidey?).

 

[Dommarraa]

They are very useful for those playing the BGS:
They are often quite easy for the level of Inf+ you get.
If you want to work a system giving rubbish missions, earn some chain missions elsewhere, then accept them in the target system.

 

[Sapyx]

I have found chain missions usually pay far, far more than regular missions. I'm looking particularly at the chain cargo missions, which typically offer millions of credits to transport just a couple of tonnes of cargo; at the same time, the same faction may offer cargo missions for just a few hundred thousand KCr, or maybe a few million but asking to ship over 100 tonnes of goods, rather than just two or three.

 

[Hacker#451563]

I have found chain missions usually pay far, far more than regular missions. I'm looking particularly at the chain cargo missions, which typically offer millions of credits to transport just a couple of tonnes of cargo; at the same time, the same faction may offer cargo missions for just a few hundred thousand KCr, or maybe a few million but asking to ship over 100 tonnes of goods, rather than just two or three.

I have only been offered chained courier missions (pay is about the same as the rest of the board), or chained planetary scan missions (like my example above) the pay for these is utterly pathetic.

I have just noticed that the Rank requirement for the mission I was offered is "Scout". I am currently "Ranger". Perhaps this has something to do with it, but then again; as I am allied with the faction and am at "Ranger" rank should they not provide me with a chained mission that reflects that?

Ho-hum, as Rock Hunter said....

At least we can ignore them as it stands without any loss to our reputation.

.

Thanks

Hacker

 

[the100thmonkey]

The missions follow you around from system-to-system that the faction is present in. This makes the follow-up missions really useful if you're into the BGS, as you can pick and choose when to run the mission and where its influence goes.

I took 2 million to haul 3t of gold earlier tonight. I was in a Python anyway, but it was a nice little bonus. Your combat/trade/exploration rank contributes to the kinds of missions you're offered.

 

[Sapyx]

The missions follow you around from system-to-system that the faction is present in. This makes the follow-up missions really useful if you're into the BGS, as you can pick and choose when to run the mission and where its influence goes.

I took 2 million to haul 3t of gold earlier tonight. I was in a Python anyway, but it was a nice little bonus. Your combat/trade/exploration rank contributes to the kinds of missions you're offered.

The fact a chain mission will be offered might follow you around, but the actual mission offered will change from station to station. You might get offered an assassination mission at one station, and a cargo mission at another.

 

[Codger]

When FD put these in...it's been quite a while back now...they said that they had plans to expand them into more interesting sequences of missions.

This was supposed to be just a first step.

But it's been so long now with nothing added...no one remembers. lol.