Oh my...Elite Dangerous:Horizons

Started by JudgeDredd, August 28, 2016, 04:59:27 PM

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JasonPratt

Remember, all economics boil down to the common principle: humans are asshats.
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SirAndrewD

Quote from: undercovergeek on September 08, 2016, 09:13:59 AM
Good news - there are/were lucrative 'shadow running' smuggling missions that utilised the need for proper smuggling tactics, and paid handsomely

Bad news - they paid so well some people got so upset they crashed the markets. Apparently there's a rare commodity or independent commodity by the name of alien artefacts that in mass numbers cause damage to a space station or ship. The stations handing out these missions were targeted by the unhappy masses who dumped thousands of tonnes of alien artefacts into the markets effectively shutting down the mission boards - then the smug ne'er do wells retired to the forum to say 'no more fancy missions we crashed your money making exploits'

On one hand I think it's cool this mechanic exists

On the other I think their asshats

Yeah, this was a really unfortunate development.  Running a good stack of Shadow Missions from Robigo could and still can net about 30 million in an hour's flying, but it's not easy.  You have to know how to avoid scans, avoid interdictions, fly the right ships and master a few neat supercruise flying tricks like dropping pursuing ships into gravity wells and quick plotting high wake escapes.  They were lucrative and a good mix of fun and stressful. 

Sadly, there is a small group of players that are convinced that this path is far too lucrative to players, so they've tried to create some in game excuses like they're fighting the slave trade, or combating the spread of narcotics.  The irony of it is that most of the organized groups that are doing this either ran the smuggling missions until they were billionaires first, or were billionaires prior who are mainly just trying to prevent others from becoming the same.
"These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry."  - Sgt. Pinback

Jarhead0331

Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Kushan

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on September 08, 2016, 03:37:45 PM
^Excuse me...billionaires?

The black market price for unknown artifacts was/is really nice.

Payouts for the last few community goals has been higher then normal as well. Heard the imperial warship goal was rewarding a couple hundred million credits per turn in. Until the stations got taken down by UA bombardment that is.

Smuggling UAs is also a huge risk to your ship as well as any station you sell it at. From what I've read they eat through your cargo hatch to where it needs to be constantly repaired. And it will also disable your ship just like it does stations.

So much fun happening in the bubble; community goals, alien discoveries...and my commander is out near Bernard's loop. Too bad I don't have any cargo hold on my Asp. IIRC Unknown artifacts have been found out in my current neighborhood.
PanzersEast: Have to think to myself.... will I play the first one by the Winter Sale?  Probably not, then I should remove Dragonfall
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SirAndrewD

#19
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on September 08, 2016, 03:37:45 PM
^Excuse me...billionaires?

Yep.  There were quite a few routes to the billions, most of which were closed over time. 

In the early Gamma days, the rare trade routes didn't have the same limits and timers as it currently does, and exponential profits could easily result.  The next big boom came from the obscene payouts that the "Seeking Luxuries" traders originally offered.  FD put nerfs and limits on those to balance them better with other incomes. 

Deep space smuggling from places like Robigo and Sothis were the next wave.  Originally the runs were very easy, with limited interdiction and the missions failed on death not on scanning.  Therefore, it was very easy to stack, quickly between 30-60 million per run with very little risk of failure.  If the player had an Anaconda, the payouts became even more rich. 

FD did nerf the smuggling a bit around April or so.  Missions failed on scanning, and stacking missions really amounted to just adding NPCs that were going to come in to interdict and scan, making things a lot harder.  Commanders had to fly smarter, go in smaller ships with good jump range and the ability to land at outposts, preferably the Asp.  Even then, 15-30 million was still pretty achievable, albiet with higher risks. 

So, hitting the billions wasn't uncommon for those committed to it.  It's good that it is something a player can hit, as A Rated Corvettes, Cutters and Anacondas can push close to the billion mark or more in outfitting if the player likes pricey big modules and reinforced hulls.
"These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry."  - Sgt. Pinback

JudgeDredd

I was quite happy to make 300k credits in 6 missions in the last couple of hours. Nice and relaxing, no interdictions, travelled a fair whack and managed to make some cash.

Far better than my previous efforts way back when. Of course, it helps that I'm not in the arse end of the universe. Where I was when I quit, I'd be trying to get to a place and because nothing was discovered, I couldn't tell if I could refuel or not...ultimately finding myself in the middle of nowhere...not enough fuel to go back and so just carried on until I ran out of fuel.

Things seem to have changed for the better. Seemingly where (iirc) you had to use one of your cargo slots for a fuel scoop, now it's got it's own place. They've gave you a free planetary landing module to allow you to land on bases on planets and they've also increased (hugely) the number of missions you can do and there's a considerable variety. My last 6 missions were 5 Bond transfers (data I think) and 4 cargo of some item.

So - I'm thoroughly enjoying this - it's not that it's easy to make money - just easier. I don't even care it's not millions.  ^-^
Alba gu' brath

SirAndrewD

Yep, the system is a lot more friendly to new players now.   And the profits on missions increase with your experience, so what you're doing that pays 300k now will pay a few million later. 

You suffered from the random start points that came back in the very early Gamma days, where Commanders were dropped typically in the Arse end of nowhere unless they had one the Kickstarter packages that put them in nicer places like Lave. 

I made new commanders and wiped saves about four times back then uintil I started in a slightly better looking place, and the first thing I did after making some bucks with my Freagle was sell everything, buy a Hauler with a fair jump range and fly to the Founder's World.

Nowadays kids have it easy.  They start next to Erevate, right in a high population and security cluster.   Only issue comes if playing Open, there are tons of Griefers there that prey on new Sidewinders.
"These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry."  - Sgt. Pinback

JudgeDredd

You'll always get grievers. I stay away from Open play for exactly that reason
Alba gu' brath

Toonces

Quote from: SirAndrewD on September 08, 2016, 04:11:13 PM


if the player likes pricey big modules and reinforced hulls.

Who doesn't like a good reinforced hull?
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Jarhead0331

At this s point in the game, what is the incentive to being that ultra wealthy? The only real usable commodity that can be bought is ships and upgrades. Once you've bought everything you could conceivably want, what then? It's not like you can build stations, ports, fleets, etc. unless I'm just missing a huge part the game, I'm sort of at a loss on this one.

I still play the game where if I make 500,000 in a single flight, it's been a good run. I have approximately 15,000,000 in the bank, but I still don't see how I can ever break through the glass ceiling to that ultimate wealth some of you guys talk about.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


undercovergeek

There's an interview with an in game billionaire on rps - he came across the same problem, in the end it came to intentionally jousting with other billionaires in fully loaded anacondas to see who exploded first, loading up with gold and sprinkling it around stations and watching the players try and scoop it - I'm paraphrasing but I think he said it was a kin to a millionaire footballer having baths of champagne and smashing up hotel rooms

mikeck

Good and bad of an MOO. Players make you work hard for your money and won't tolerate gifting what they worked for. On the other hand, Vets are always ready to pull the ladder up behind them. You get these Clans that control everything and it makes it difficult for new guys to move up.

But, them's the breaks. MMO is a great self contained microcosm of natural human traits of selfishness and rules of economy. Players will only work if they get money from it (capitalism) but in order to keep the economy from being dominated by a few, Devs need to step in now and then and correct things and make rules to prevent it (regulation)
"A government large enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have."--Thomas Jefferson

JudgeDredd

Quote from: mikeck on September 09, 2016, 08:45:34 AM
Good and bad of an MOO. Players make you work hard for your money and won't tolerate gifting what they worked for. On the other hand, Vets are always ready to pull the ladder up behind them. You get these Clans that control everything and it makes it difficult for new guys to move up.

But, them's the breaks. MMO is a great self contained microcosm of natural human traits of selfishness and rules of economy. Players will only work if they get money from it (capitalism) but in order to keep the economy from being dominated by a few, Devs need to step in now and then and correct things and make rules to prevent it (regulation)
lol  O0
Alba gu' brath

SirAndrewD

Quote from: mikeck on September 09, 2016, 08:45:34 AM
Good and bad of an MOO. Players make you work hard for your money and won't tolerate gifting what they worked for. On the other hand, Vets are always ready to pull the ladder up behind them. You get these Clans that control everything and it makes it difficult for new guys to move up.

But, them's the breaks. MMO is a great self contained microcosm of natural human traits of selfishness and rules of economy. Players will only work if they get money from it (capitalism) but in order to keep the economy from being dominated by a few, Devs need to step in now and then and correct things and make rules to prevent it (regulation)

I smell a paper that I may force my students to write sometime.
"These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry."  - Sgt. Pinback

Jarhead0331

I'm feeling the urge to spend some money on a new ship. I'm pretty far off from the region of space where all of my other ships are parked and I'm stuck in a Vulture, which really only lets me take on combat missions. I want something that has range, firepower, durability and cargo space. I'm thinking either the Cobra MkIV or the Asp Explorer. The MkIV is markedly cheaper, but the Explorer seems to have the same amount of cargo space, plus heavier armor and weaponry. I presently own a Cobra MkIII, and had a lot of success with it, but I have never owned an Asp. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18