The Mission System vs. the DU environment

[Demlock]

So we know that with the next patch that NQ is going to add in the mission system.

However, after giving it some thought NQ, I feel, needs to understand the environment the game is currently in.

With the onset of the .23 patch they've added in more sinks and almost no faucets. So in the end, the economy is in the crapper and no one is able to make much money unless you're a market guru and know how to capitalize.

 

However, even then barely anyone will be interested in engaging in the game because they all feel they have to mine in order to do anything. Or Join a large org to get anywhere.

 

When adding in the mission system, the way you can help the community is to add a balance to it by having Bots auto-gen missions for people to engage in.

 

The current status of the community, barely anyone is in a realistic position to generate meaningful missions and honestly it's on NQ to create a solid foundation of plentiful missions that the community can at least start off at. Then eventually make their own when the community is thriving again.

 

Adding in this new feature without a foundation for the community to start off at will only lead to the mission system being identified as another sync and barely a faucet for anyone else.

 

These missions need to be plentiful in number so EVERYONE has a chance to at least grow individually or as an org.

 

So as far as turning this ship around that's a SOLID way NQ can do it. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS POST FALL ON DEAF EARS!!!

[Dupont]

I've been wondering about that too.

 

Without knowing more about it, I admit I'm speculating. However, if I (as part of the community) can assist with ideas before it is published then it is worth the risk of being wrong.

 

So, it feels like the mission systems glosses over a few things. In particular, it seems that it is aimed at the sponsors of missions being wealthy executives that are running complex operations.

 

1. I don't think there are that many people that need help with missions right now.  Money is more valuable than time thanks to the expensive schematics and lack of strategic goals.

2. Also, I suspect the rollout with the mission system will have lots of people wanting to do missions to make money, but very few people spending money to create missions.

3. The game can't afford the player frustrations of another botched module rollout so soon after 0.23. To be blunt, a missions system does not really address the issues with shrinking player population at the moment. A bit like arranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

 

so - my recommendation is to either hold off on the mission system until there are more activities to do  than people to do them  or as mentioned in the post above - use bots to create the missions to inject some cash.

 

Given all this, I believe in the dev team. They totally came through when fixing the usage of the markets and making mining tolerable in pre-beta last summer. I know they have the skills and ability - its just a matter of focusing on the things that make restoring the player population a priority. I don't think most players have left permanently just yet. Most are waiting, but as time goes on...

 

[Sync]

... why you gotta bring me into this...  "as another sync" 

[Demlock]

4 minutes ago, Sync said:

... why you gotta bring me into this...  "as another sync" 

HAHAHAHA there's already enough syncs in the game man NQ making more syncs will just blow the brains out of a horse that's nearing the flat-line

 

Since I've dumped $900 into this game I'm invested to fight and get suggestion infront of their face in ways they may not like to ensure they don't act on poor execution and game breaking features

[Dupont]

Me too, I got over $400 in it as well. The only thing that's keeping me going is the upcoming open test server. With regular synchronization with the "real" server, I think you will get a large surge in PvP activity on the test server.

 

I am calling it the "mayhem" server because you can try out your expensive ships without any loss of fuel, scrap, parts, or ships. I predict that is where people will go to have fun, and the real server will be used to gather materials and build the ships.  It will in effect be an "arena" for some wild battles - why not? nothing to lose !

 

If it is "synced' to the real server once or twice a week then I predict you may very well see a resurgence of the player population (but on the test server !!)

[MukkBarovian]

People need a baseline activity the NPCs will pay for you to do to make money. In EVE the most fun thing is missions to go shoot NPCs. In DU my understanding is that we're talking about glorified courier contracts.

 

At the very basic level, the NPCs need to be offering an unlimited number of these contracts so that someone could make a tolerable amount of credits per hour doing something other than mining. (Only let them take 1 mission at a time.)

[blazemonger]

NQ should take a good look at Eco.. that game is pretty much doing what NQ wants to do and does it pretty well..

 

But we'll probably end up with something half done again