Combat is what you do to advance your kill counter towards Elite ranking in combat. Traders make money to advance to similar rating in trading. I'm not sure why they should go out looking for trouble - it finds them alright, especially in the Open mode.
Tiring of "Profession Parity..." threads?... My thoughts...
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Combat is what you do to advance your kill counter towards Elite ranking in combat. Traders make money to advance to similar rating in trading. I'm not sure why they should go out looking for trouble - it finds them alright, especially in the Open mode.
Bounty Hunters can drive the 120+ mill fdl and lose all of their bounties on death too. Except they'll have to spend 10× as long to make their losses back.
The one thing that ticks me off in all these threads is that people just gloss over several main points in trying to justify each roll in REAL LIFE terms and I'm sick of hearing it.
Traders - Trading is THE only way to make serious money, no-one in their right mind can argue this simple fact. But in REAL life VERY FEW traders are RICH and those who are are normally either VERY skilful at the trade markets or VERY clever con men. ED does not mirror this in any way as trading is purely a grind with very little actual skill involved.
Combat Pilots - Now correct me if I'm wrong but there is no airforce that I know of that actually CHARGES it's pilots for their aircraft, fuel, ammunitions or repairs and until there is an actual career path in ED that allows you to join either the Security forces or a Navy then combat pilots will never be able to earn enough to get the higher tier ships without resorting to TRADING to achieve this.
Exploration - Again correct me if I'm wrong but most exploration in REAL LIFE is funded, be it scientific or just for the hell of it.
Unfortunately the only thing that would have cured this trading grind route for all career paths is to make ships RANKED. You want to get a Type 7 or 9? work your way up the career tree until you unlock the ability to fly the ship and by then you should have enough to buy it. Combat ships are unlocked as your combat level goes up and are funded by the security or naval career path you choose. They should be available to purchase privately for a large amount but only if you already have the combat rating to fly them already. Same for Exploring.
At least this way we can ALL progress in our chosen field without being FORCED to trade grind.
But I feel this solution has long passed as their are too many people with crazy amounts of money flying any ship they want just because they can manage to grind day in day out.
Traders - Trading is THE only way to make serious money, no-one in their right mind can argue this simple fact. But in REAL life VERY FEW traders are RICH and those who are are normally either VERY skilful at the trade markets or VERY clever con men. ED does not mirror this in any way as trading is purely a grind with very little actual skill involved.
Combat Pilots - Now correct me if I'm wrong but there is no airforce that I know of that actually CHARGES it's pilots for their aircraft, fuel, ammunitions or repairs and until there is an actual career path in ED that allows you to join either the Security forces or a Navy then combat pilots will never be able to earn enough to get the higher tier ships without resorting to TRADING to achieve this.
Exploration - Again correct me if I'm wrong but most exploration in REAL LIFE is funded, be it scientific or just for the hell of it.
Unfortunately the only thing that would have cured this trading grind route for all career paths is to make ships RANKED. You want to get a Type 7 or 9? work your way up the career tree until you unlock the ability to fly the ship and by then you should have enough to buy it. Combat ships are unlocked as your combat level goes up and are funded by the security or naval career path you choose. They should be available to purchase privately for a large amount but only if you already have the combat rating to fly them already. Same for Exploring.
At least this way we can ALL progress in our chosen field without being FORCED to trade grind.
But I feel this solution has long passed as their are too many people with crazy amounts of money flying any ship they want just because they can manage to grind day in day out.
Good points..........it always bugged me that every trader is on Palladium or Perfomance Enhancers...........like there is NOTHING else on the road, but trucks hauling Gold.........not very realistic at all. Trading needs a good look,
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There was a guy on hear earlier saying he Trades on a lap top, with the finger pad, no stick needed, watches movies all day.......while he "trades"........sounds like the Lazy Career to me.......
I don't think that there should be exact monetary parity between all the roles - agreed. But there are other ways of balancing the roles other than by balancing the amount of earnings per hour they make etc - which does feel a bit synthetic. Other roles could (and should in my opinion) have more status and reputation gains associated with them. For example, just doing trading missions will have a limit on how much you climb the reputation ladder (it's not going to give you that much - at least not in certain circles), whereas doing more risky assassinations gets you noticed and gives you more reputation in certain circles (illegal or legal), which will lead to exclusive access to other aspects of the game, more and different lucrative (but risky) missions etc, illegal information/module hacks etc - that can't just be bought with money... it's about who you know, your reputation, how skilled you are and who your friends are....
So whilst trading may get you more raw capital - it doesn't necessarily give you access to some other aspects of the game. I guess what this means is that there is a reward for being a skilled fighter/pirate etc other than just credits... and also, people will pay in some form or another for a pilots skill set.... However, the amount of money on offer does need to be attractive and tempting to lead you down the illegal path....
So pirates/bounty hunters get their own unique progression options and advantages, though they may earn less money on average than the trader in a huge T9 or whatever.
So whilst trading may get you more raw capital - it doesn't necessarily give you access to some other aspects of the game. I guess what this means is that there is a reward for being a skilled fighter/pirate etc other than just credits... and also, people will pay in some form or another for a pilots skill set.... However, the amount of money on offer does need to be attractive and tempting to lead you down the illegal path....
So pirates/bounty hunters get their own unique progression options and advantages, though they may earn less money on average than the trader in a huge T9 or whatever.
To be clear, I was summarizing statements made by numerous other individuals. It's not that there was one guy who used a trackpad and watches Netflix. It's that there were several people doing either (but not the same person at the same time). Also it appears he was using a mouse now that I go back and check...
Other quotes:
I think you would agree that these quotes paint a very different picture of trade than the "edge of your seat, high risk, entrepreneur"
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This can only come from someone who has never traded in the game.
My challenge to you. Pick up a Hauler, they are dirt cheap, then trade for just one week. After your 'easy' experience, please post your results here.
Include:
- Total amount made
- Total damage repair
- Total cargo lost to pirates
- Total ship losses
- Total cargo losses from ship loss
- Total insurance losses
It's 'risk-free' after-all.
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Did all that, lost one....made enough on rares to buy my A Grade Cobra, it was "easy"........Fighting needs real skill......Exploring needs levels of perfection and repeat operations that boggle the mind, and the risk is huge with weeks of game play able to go up in smoke......
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Half the traders run around in Solo anyway.........so lame.
The issue there is that currently there's no actual benefit from having a high rank or reputation. Credits = better ships, better weapons. Rank/Reputation = access to systems the same as all other systems, different colours. It's not really a good trade off.
If rank and reputation actually had a point to it and a decent benefit that was similar to making credits does then I'm all for it.
That is the point I am making. The systems in place only reward wealth and nothing else, except for the role playing aspect which many of us like.
I am highlighting with this thread that the "End Game" or "Big Ship" winner takes all attitudes are being fuelled by the lack of these rewards in game. I trade because I can, I find the trucker mentality quite relaxing and if I need some "excitement" I can jump into a combat ship and blast away. People are used the way most games are made nowadays with set goals and "fair" progression systems, Elite has always been more esoteric than that. ED is now online and the gulf between the haves and have-nots is more overt. In reality it does not matter what ship you fly in game as long as you find the activity enjoyable. There will always be someone who can play the game more than you and have something that seems unattainable to you. That is the way online games always have been and always will.
I was not trying to start another parity argument, but rather get ideas from everyone that could make the game fairer to all professions. For example skill/rank related discounts or benefits or as mentioned above, gated ship progression.
I hope that everyone adding to this thread at least enjoys the game for the silly escapist space sandbox that it is. (My wife doesn't get it at all, but that's another thread somewhere else)
I am highlighting with this thread that the "End Game" or "Big Ship" winner takes all attitudes are being fuelled by the lack of these rewards in game. I trade because I can, I find the trucker mentality quite relaxing and if I need some "excitement" I can jump into a combat ship and blast away. People are used the way most games are made nowadays with set goals and "fair" progression systems, Elite has always been more esoteric than that. ED is now online and the gulf between the haves and have-nots is more overt. In reality it does not matter what ship you fly in game as long as you find the activity enjoyable. There will always be someone who can play the game more than you and have something that seems unattainable to you. That is the way online games always have been and always will.
I was not trying to start another parity argument, but rather get ideas from everyone that could make the game fairer to all professions. For example skill/rank related discounts or benefits or as mentioned above, gated ship progression.
I hope that everyone adding to this thread at least enjoys the game for the silly escapist space sandbox that it is. (My wife doesn't get it at all, but that's another thread somewhere else)
Bad analogy is bad.
Richard branston could buy an F-22 if he wanted one, though as a man of taste im sure he would buy the better Eurofighter.
Also the red baron didn't have the best plane at the time. The SE-5 was much better, the Red Baron just used the weakness of WW1 planes to his advantage ie slow climb rate, and he sat high altitude, dived on enemies and then zoomed back up out of reach.
That said im of the trading should net you the most money crowd. Personally that's because I don't want other proffessions bringing into the Millions an hour area. This game has to last, its not to be played in 5 weeks. If you make all professions like trading, the game will get stale FAST.
Unfortunatley most of you don't know what you are asking for, you only want the biggest ships, unknowing that you will be bored out of your tree once you "complete to this level".
If they change the game they must REDUCE RARE TRADING, as normal trading is fine and without using online tools its not so easy to rake in millions. Also trading holds the most danger in game as you stand to lose your ship, your cargo also. So millions.
Other professions ie pirate, bounty hunter (which is me) are still high paid in game terms if you don't want to complete the game in weeks. I personally WOULD NOT want them to be raised to high income at all. Also because they are the lowest risk (especially now they have reduced repair costs). Every clipper can run from battle so has no risk. Also any damage is low cost. So these other professions now risk next to nothing and can choose their fights.
If they mess with the game to level all professions income per hour they also do fundamental damage to the game.
No one will trade, as why trade (arguably boring) the most dangerous profession, when you can bh or pirate at super low risk since latest patch.
The problem is most people whining and screaming I want a BATTLESHIP because gamers now seem to have an entitlement, but they don't realise they will ultimately ruin the game for those of us who see this and even themselves. (just look at all the "i have a battleship I finished the game" threads we see.
So tldr Don't make other professions millionaire professions PLEASE!!
I have no problem with traders making more money. What doesn't make sense to me is that a bounty-hunter would have to go into another profession to finance his or her bounty hunting business.
In other words, combat ships, or at least the higher ends ones cost too much. If you run a business successfully, you should make enough profit to invest into your business. You shouldn't have to start another business (trading) to afford to do your bounty hunting / combat.
I think the upcoming changes in ship costs are a step in the right direction.
Also on the Red Barron analogy. He was essentially a soldier working for the government. That's more akin to System Defense. You are a private contractor when doing combat. You're essentially a mercenary or bounty-hunter. Your SMS / Black Water / Clint Eastwood. They have to pay for their own weapons. You would think in a market economy, ship manufacturers would build ships they could afford.
In other words, combat ships, or at least the higher ends ones cost too much. If you run a business successfully, you should make enough profit to invest into your business. You shouldn't have to start another business (trading) to afford to do your bounty hunting / combat.
I think the upcoming changes in ship costs are a step in the right direction.
Also on the Red Barron analogy. He was essentially a soldier working for the government. That's more akin to System Defense. You are a private contractor when doing combat. You're essentially a mercenary or bounty-hunter. Your SMS / Black Water / Clint Eastwood. They have to pay for their own weapons. You would think in a market economy, ship manufacturers would build ships they could afford.
I am sorry that you got the wrong end of the stick.
Somebody probably said this already but if they did I hence forth agree:
Make ship progression linked to your career progression. The farther you progress in your career the better ships become available to you at equal progression in cost. There, you fix the problem. If I spend all my time improving my combat rank I will eventually get the best combat ship and enhanced combat modules. If I spend all my time exploring I will get the best exploration vessel with the best exploration modules etc. This way you can't just spend weeks space trucking and then go buy a Vulture. If you want a vulture you have to earn it through the most logical progression. I think most people would be ok with this compromise. What do you think? Don't make everything about grinding for dollars or being forced to do something you don't like to be able to afford something.
Make ship progression linked to your career progression. The farther you progress in your career the better ships become available to you at equal progression in cost. There, you fix the problem. If I spend all my time improving my combat rank I will eventually get the best combat ship and enhanced combat modules. If I spend all my time exploring I will get the best exploration vessel with the best exploration modules etc. This way you can't just spend weeks space trucking and then go buy a Vulture. If you want a vulture you have to earn it through the most logical progression. I think most people would be ok with this compromise. What do you think? Don't make everything about grinding for dollars or being forced to do something you don't like to be able to afford something.
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