Usage of the word "abandon" misleading in some alternate missions.

[Xbob42]

I'm new to Elite as a series, so I could be totally wrong here, but during two separate missions, I've come across mysterious signal sources which turned out to be alternative quest givers who told me to abandon my previous quest. I figured it meant to literally abandon my old one (and claim a reward at a different station or immediately for doing so) -- but in reality it appears that they simply want me to turn in the same exact quest --with the same items, no less-- in a different station.

Both times, I tried abandoning the quest, and absolutely nothing happened except I lost the quest. (I know, it's a "mission," played too many MMOs, hard habit to break.)

On the one hand, this makes sense, you abandon the quest... that's it. But the usage "abandon" when it really means "turn in elsewhere" is really confusing for a new player. Though as I said, maybe I'm just a huge idiot and missed something critical.

So, whether I'm right or terribly wrong, can someone point me in the right direction here? "Abandon any mission involving animal meat!" really meaning "Bring ME those 4 animal meat!" gives me a headache!

 

[lv426]

I'm a beta backer & I also get confused by the terminology, but I guess you make one mistake & hopefully learn

 

[TargetLost]

I have only done 1 such alternate mission and more by accident and unwanted. I had to bring medicine to a station to be the "hero" for that fraction.
On the flight to get the medicine I jumped in an USS and got the alternate mission offered with the abort thing.
I ignored it but I wondered how to restore my orginal mission because there then was only this alternate mission listed. That was themost confusing thing for me.. because it made my original destionation vanish!
So I went getting the medicine and flew to the original destination ...and there was no mission I could turn the medicine in!! (mabe because of a bug)
Next was me abandoning that alternate mission that I never wanted or started.. Not sure I believe I simple sold the medicien.
then wired things happen.. Some fraction (but i am not sure it was the correct orginal one) expressed their dissapointment about my decision to choose the "alternate" as I understand.. and added a new mission to get clean with the LAW at another station. I flew there and the "police" thanked me for the information about the complot of a (thrid?) fraction. I guess that was /should have been the one with the alternate mission but it more seems to me it was a different one.
I got + reputation on the orginial mission faction and - reputation on the complot one and I was left highly confused.
~
I agree the abort thing ios confusiog ..especially if the alternate mission OVERWRITES the original mission. So you are lead to think you have to click it to get back the original mission. You even have to abort it when you can't remember the original destination mission.

 

[GibMeister]

Thank god its not just me! I have lost about 100,000 credits this week on failing most of my missions because of this! It makes no sense what you are supposed to do when you get asked to changed your mission. Whatever i do it says I have failed mission! After killing difficult targets which took me ages and then to not get paid is really frustrating. This is a bad bug which is breaking the mission mechanics.

Please fix this Frontier!

 

[Nutter]

I don't get it either, I took a mission to kill 4 pirates, so I get to a location and no pirates, just a 'clean' dropship saying abandon my mission. How do I reject the offer and continue my mission?

 

[GibMeister]

Tried last night, not sure if this has been patched but my new missions now make it more clear what to do etc. So thanks if this has been fixed.

 

[bitstorm]

Oh god yes, ticket it pease.

Get a mission to abandon another mission and you're presented with a massive ABANDON button.

So you sit there trying to work out does that abandon button abandon the original mission or does it abandon the mission to abandon the original mission??

When in fact it seems it's neither! Or both or something...

IN pops another NPC:

"Pilot I hear you've been asked to abandon a mission? The Aquilae Party have a vested interested in that system and would like you to abandon the mission to abandon the mission to abandon the mission, what say you? Make your decision!"

Pilot ponders the single abandon button.

 

[GibMeister]

Oh god yes, ticket it pease.

Get a mission to abandon another mission and you're presented with a massive ABANDON button.

So you sit there trying to work out does that abandon button abandon the original mission or does it abandon the mission to abandon the original mission??

When in fact it seems it's neither! Or both or something...

IN pops another NPC:

"Pilot I hear you've been asked to abandon a mission? The Aquilae Party have a vested interested in that system and would like you to abandon the mission to abandon the mission to abandon the mission, what say you? Make your decision!"

Pilot ponders the single abandon button.

I love it bitstorm, you hit the nail on the head! As I said earlier, all the missions i have had over the past 2 days seem to be a bit clearer, so I wonder if this has been fixed? Or maybe its just some missions where its 'confusing'?