Where to go boldly?

[CJ57]

So, after 5 months in the game (10 weeks, 4 days, 4 hrs and 19 minutes of game time), playing purely "old school" PvE and grinding the ranks without using overt exploits, I've made triple Elite, Admiral & King, and 100% Allied with the major powers. What to do next? Do I:
a. Venture into the world of PvP where an early dip led to me being ganked heartlessly by an over-engineered Phantom.(I considered reporting him but, as one reddit commentator responding to a similar posting reminded me, the game is called "Elite Dangerous, not Elite Mildly Miffed" (or words to that effect) and when I finished laughing I realised he was right). As I'm not much of a typist and have no microphone, the interactive Comms experience is likely to be tricky.
b. Go all Trekkie on the undiscovered parts of the Galaxy? My only serious venture so far only showed me that Cmdr Validating (or, as I called him, Cmdr Kilroy Woz'ere)- and others like him had already beaten me to most of the best planets and earning the Codex kudos of named discoverer;
c. Hone my anti-Xeno skills? - but after 1600 Thargoid Scout bonds grinding my Combat rank from Deadly to Elite in Asterope, I'm still a little jaded.
d. Join a Powerplay Faction and find humour in combat bonds against such heinous villains as Cmdr Ray Diator and his buddy Cmdr Walter Pump (true) - I really wanted Cmdr Rev. Counter to be the third in the wing but it didn't happen. (I wonder if any US players have come across "Cmdr Mrs Trellis of North Wales" and, if so, whether that has led them into the wonderful world of 'Clue?) There again, to mis-quote Will Rogers, I never met a "Lumpkin I didn't like" or, for that matter, a King Munmu I haven't wanted to fry!
e. Turn to the darkside, Luke, and pirate my way to Colonia? or , finally,
f. Take the Monty Python option and go "For Something Completely Different"?
In other words, having reached my main goals where should I play next in the sandbox? What's given you the most rewarding experience - I'd like to hear......
o7 - Cmdr Speerspitze

 

[Shir]

Besides all these you mention, you can try Bgs. Find a small part of the Bubble you like, do some mapping for tags, start doing missions for factions, getting rep, changing factions influences and making assets, stations and systems change hands..

When I play Bgs these days, I roleplay a mercenary organization. We arrive with a carrier and ships, and get contracted to flip a system (or something relative depending on the situation). Then I do all kinds of missions in the system and around, also do crime with designated ships to hurt the opposing factions, appropriate trading, , passengers whatever. Even exploring data can be used if into it.

Part of the fun is preparing it, scouting areas for attack, with no player factions to speak of close by, small populations and interesting systems. And this way after you win you can leave, whereas if you stick with a place, Bgs becomes too demanding for my gameplay style.

This has brought new fun and purpose to the same old missions for me, and also is what finally made me buy a carrier, as they are great for that.

 

[Sapyx]

One you haven't mentioned - perhaps because you simply don't like it - is BGS work. It's quite a popular "end-game" activity for players in your situation. Find a faction that interests or amuses you, and support them. Find a friendly player group, and help them. Or, find ten friends, start your own Player Group and get your own faction inserted into the game.

The advantage of BGS work is you can be as loud and proud, or as silent and anonymous, as you wish. You can also pick anywhere on the government and superpower spectra you please, and (almost) no-one will get upset with you for choosing the "wrong side" or "playing the game wrong". Want to see the black flag flutter over every starport in the galaxy? Go right ahead and support Anarchies to your heart's content. Want to see anarchist scum squashed back into the primordial ooze from whence they came? Go right ahead and be an anarchist-basher. Want to sail off to some remote corner of the bubble and build your own personal empire, far from the hullabaloo of the core worlds? Sure thing. Want to be a tiny thorn in the side of one of the brobdingnagian player groups, ruining their plans for assimilating the galaxy? No problems.

None of those playstyles are "wrong", and you can be anywhere in between.

 

[Quantis Trap]

Quadruple Elite (CQC Arena) or PvP or learn FA-Off flying or SVR Racing or Canyon Racing or exploration or unlock Guardian stuff or Xeno combat or mining for a carrier or ....
you mentioned some of those but it was just coming out for I typed it.

 

[Shiro Akai]

What to do next? Do I:
a. Venture into the world of PvP where an early dip led to me being ganked heartlessly by an over-engineered Phantom.(I considered reporting him but, as one reddit commentator responding to a similar posting reminded me, the game is called "Elite Dangerous, not Elite Mildly Miffed" (or words to that effect) and when I finished laughing I realised he was right). As I'm not much of a typist and have no microphone, the interactive Comms experience is likely to be tricky.
b. Go all Trekkie on the undiscovered parts of the Galaxy? My only serious venture so far only showed me that Cmdr Validating (or, as I called him, Cmdr Kilroy Woz'ere)- and others like him had already beaten me to most of the best planets and earning the Codex kudos of named discoverer;
c. Hone my anti-Xeno skills? - but after 1600 Thargoid Scout bonds grinding my Combat rank from Deadly to Elite in Asterope, I'm still a little jaded.
d. Join a Powerplay Faction and find humour in combat bonds against such heinous villains as Cmdr Ray Diator and his buddy Cmdr Walter Pump (true) - I really wanted Cmdr Rev. Counter to be the third in the wing but it didn't happen. (I wonder if any US players have come across "Cmdr Mrs Trellis of North Wales" and, if so, whether that has led them into the wonderful world of 'Clue?) There again, to mis-quote Will Rogers, I never met a "Lumpkin I didn't like" or, for that matter, a King Munmu I haven't wanted to fry!
e. Turn to the darkside, Luke, and pirate my way to Colonia? or , finally,
f. Take the Monty Python option and go "For Something Completely Different"?
In other words, having reached my main goals where should I play next in the sandbox? What's given you the most rewarding experience - I'd like to hear......
o7 - Cmdr Speerspitze

Yes.

 

[Shiro Akai]

Apologies for double post but above doesn't need additional explanation that would dillute the power of the answer. So I'll put it in here.

You ask what to do next. Not touching the subject of others telling you how you sohuld play YOUR game - it's up to you. Really. Beside you stating you reached triple elite you don't say if you actually liked it, which part you enjoyed most. Not enough data. So you can expect every possible option as an answer, hence my above reply - all what you mentiond is available and possible.

PvPers will claim that only PvP will give you thrill.
I'm a trader / explorer and will tell you that simple cargo mission running from A to B is the way of life.
Others will state that xeno hunting is what you should do.
And there are those with Belugas, but don't listen to them. They bit crazy...

Anyway, if you're uncertain what to do I have THE BEST, ULTIMATE and FINAL solution how to make a choice:

• note down possible choices
• count them
• take a equally sided dice (you can use on-line if you don't have one)
• assign a number to each choice
• roll the dice

- before the roll is concluded analize which number you wish to appear

• screw the roll, what you wished for is what you wanted deep inside. Pick that. Be happy.
• if not - re-roll the dice.

 

[CJ57]

Thanks to all who took the time and trouble to respond to my posting. If nothing else, I hoped it raised a smile. They gave me food for thought - though I was surprised that no-one encouraged me to become an intra-galactic 49er or thirty-fourth century Uber driver - perhaps those fates await me in the luck of the dice. If I embark on BGS seriously (which I admit I had to google) then watch out for the rise of the Silverbacks - or, if I can find them, the Old Baldb*stards! 07 Cmdrs, Speerspitze out.

 

[Xious]

You're the master of your own destiny.