Relations

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:23 am

Can someone clear up how to improve Relations?

So far I'm still in Sapphire. Doing some of the Available Missions from the Inventory Menu when docked and doing various Mining runs (asteroids, hydrogen, etc) to various stations and some planets and to Construct stations to convert up and make runs to Rivoch for best prices.

What general qualtity of missions do I need to complete to see an increase in my Relations?
I've seen very little - maybe 1 point.
Currently I'm something like:
Energy 79
Navy 71
Rebels & Guilds <16
Miners 83 (I think)

Should I try to get it higher before leaving Sapphire? Should I try to get it up to or toward 100% in each system I go to (for Navy, Energy, Miners) before leaving?

My thoughts are to make improvement and them move to a new "base" system , aka, Orion or Alpha Centuri or one of the safer but better systems and work from there for a time then move up to Olympus Prime for a time and on to Cerulean/Atlas and later tackle Pearl/Rucker/Lost Rucker and get to Riftspace etc etc.

I don't want to leave systems before I should and get a decrease in Relations.

From the Chart in OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE one gets the impression that the only real thing that matters is (a) killoing someone(s) or bribing someone(s).

Could someone clarify the best, moderate, and worst methods of increasing Relations?

I knew what to do in Privateer GG. I'm not so clear in EM.

Thanks,
Paul

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 7:04 am

Your global reputation will not change when in multiplayer but you can improve your reputation with various factions by doing contracts specifically for those factions. Doing contracts for either a Guild or Rebels will decrease your reputation with the other, law-abiding factions.

In single-player, you improve your reputation in the same manner ... except you can also improve your global reputation by completing contracts for Energy, Navy and Miners. Concentrate on one star system at a time ... if you abandon a system prior to being upgraded, your faction reps are likely to drop while you're off exploring some other star system. To start with, pick systems where you already have a Fair global reputation ... and, btw, your rep is already maxed to the Good in Sapphire.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 9:34 am

From post: 167847, Topic: tid=11269, author=Marvin wrote:Your global reputation will not change when in multiplayer but you can improve your reputation with various factions by doing contracts specifically for those factions. Doing contracts for either a Guild or Rebels will decrease your reputation with the other, law-abiding factions.

In single-player, you improve your reputation in the same manner ... except you can also improve your global reputation by completing contracts for Energy, Navy and Miners. Concentrate on one star system at a time ... if you abandon a system prior to being upgraded, your faction reps are likely to drop while you're off exploring some other star system. To start with, pick systems where you already have a Fair global reputation ... and, btw, your rep is already maxed to the Good in Sapphire.

By Star System you mean like Sapphire or Olympus Prime or Cerulean, right? The whole works within that system? Not just a Planetary area like Sapphire, Evochron station, and the surrounding clouds and Asteroids?

If that's the case then it sounds like it's time to move on from Sapphire. I've got to figure out the best way - I have a ship w/ crew and restricted equipment slots. Then I have the ship without crew and 7 filled equipment slots. Plus a evochron station license and some stuff in hangar storage. I don't want to give up either ship configuration (Profile) until I can find a larger frame than the Sentinel someplace.

Paul

Post by **Marvin** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:58 pm

Check this screenshot:

The star system is what's indicated in the upper-left corner under "Current Position" and your global reputation is what's indicted on the right side under the "Add to Log" button ... in the screenshot it shows that your "Reputation" is Good.

Post by **DaveK** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 4:57 pm

There is a section on reputation and how it changes in the Hints&Tips Guide. It's in Section 18 on pages 235 - 243

You need to beware of spoilers because the Guide contains over 300 pages crammed full of the wisdom of the community on just about everything you can imagine in the Evoverse collected over the last couple of years!

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:24 pm

From post: 167863, Topic: tid=11269, author=DaveK wrote:There is a section on reputation and how it changes in the Hints&Tips Guide. It's in Section 18 on pages 235 - 243

You need to beware of spoilers because the Guide contains over 300 pages crammed full of the wisdom of the community on just about everything you can imagine in the Evoverse collected over the last couple of years!

I'm not looking for spoilers - I'm trying to understand what things do and don't have the best/least affect on improving relations and how to tell when you should go to a new system or NOT go from the current system.

If a Real Life business used a "learn as you go" business plan it's most likely to fail.

Example: in Privateer GG it's spelled out fairly well your options.
(1) join the Merchant's Guild and carry out contracts to make moderate money and increase your Reputation with Merchants but also Feds, Mercenaries, and Militia.
(2) join the Mercenaries Guild and carry out contracts to make moderate money and increase your Reputation with Merchants but also Feds, Mercenaries, and Militia.
(3) kill Retros, Pirates, Kilrathi to increase your Reputation with Merchants, Feds, Mercenaries, and Militia.
All the above will lower your Reputation with Pirates (Retros always hate everyone, just about the same for Kilrathi).
(4) kill Feds, Militia, Merchants, Mercenaries to increase your Reputation with Pirates and put you in the crapper with everyone else.
(5) do the Story Line and it does pretty nearly the same thing as step 4 would - although you can "buy back" your Reputation with the "good guy" later during the Story Line.
(6) smuggle Contraband to have the same effect as step 4.

So my point is you know pretty much what steps to take to get the kind of Reputation you want.
And if I accidentally kill a militia while fighting a Retro or Pirate and especially if it happens more than once then the militia will become down on you all over the Privateer universe.

I'm not so sure what happens in EM. If I kill a Navy hostile in Cerulean because he's attacking me - and I have a Good Rep in Sapphire and other similar systems - is that going to lower my Rep with Navy everywhere??
And I'm not clear why (as example in Sapphire) some ships list as Navy or Energy factions are yellow and why some are green. is it because some are Alliance Navy/Energy faction and the others are Federation Navy/Energy faction?

There just seems to be things that are kinda ambiguous that I don't understand the why of - even after reading the Hints & Tips.
Maybe I'm too stupid.

I guess I'm an old fogey used to games like Monopoly where you know the rules and then try to develope a strategy.

Paul

Post by **Vice** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:38 pm

Again, remember that the instructions included with the game are a helpful resource of information for numerous aspects of the game, including reputations. Here is an excerpt from that section of the instructions:

You should always consider your own survival, wealth, and reputation when making any decision. Remember that many actions you make effect your personal reputation, which in turn effects how you will be paid and treated in the future. Make enemies and you'll have to fight harder and more often just to survive. Make allies and you can often pass unharmed through a system, but you may find it difficult to acquire a contract if no one wants to hire you to fight off an enemy who is an ally of yours. You may want to balance your reputation between systems so you have contract and combat options, but still have friendly systems that you can escape to for repairs, trading, mining, and upgrades.

The overall reputation levels are good, fair, moderate, and hostile. A good reputation level generally means you won't encounter hostile ships, unless you attack friendly ships. A fair reputation level generally means you will likely encounter hostile ships on some occasions. A moderate reputation level generally means you'll encounter many hostile ships and have to pay docking fees to be given permission to conduct business at stations and planets. A hostile reputation generally means you'll encounter mostly hostile ships and have to pay docking fees. Fair and moderate systems typically offer the widest variety of contracts. For docking fees, different systems will likely charge you different amounts and your reputation can also effect how much they expect you to pay. Consider this in your expenses when trading and accepting contracts.

In addition to the overall reputation level, you also have individual reputation levels with specific factions in each system that are divided into 5 categories, energy companies, militaries, rebels, guilds, and miners. Each of those reputations effects the contracts offered to you, your overall system reputation level, individual ship reputations, and economic/market conditions. You can change your reputation by selecting and completing contracts for particular groups and/or attacking ships that are hostile to them. Contracts are faction specific, meaning objectives will be offered based on your reputation and will involve objectives related to the interests of the faction offering it. Completing contracts for energy companies and militaries can lower your reputation with rebels (aka pirates) and guilds (aka clans) while completing contracts for rebels and guilds can lower your reputation with energy companies and militaries. Your overall system reputation will likely increase by staying on the legal side and completing contracts with company/military factions who are generally part of the system's economy and government. Completing contracts with rebels and guilds who often work against the other groups will likely decrease your reputation. There are advantages and disadvantages to aligning with one group or the other. Your reputation with each faction in a system will be displayed in the news console along with the other stats. A series of bar graphs is presented, including color coding, to help make the various levels easier to read. Individual ship affiliations are displayed on the target detail MFD next to the ID indicator. The game will report to you when there is a change in your overall reputation in a system and will auto-save your progress if you're not currently in the middle of a contract (if you are, it is recommended that you save once you've completed the contract since it can take a lot of effort to make major changes to your overall reputation).

Long term loyalty to a faction can provide overall reputation benefits, while short term contract completing can result in losing progress you've made in building your reputation. If you leave before you achieve an overall reputation shift, then you've pretty much abandoned the reputation you were working toward and your reputation can fall a bit. Not always, but it can return to more average values because the faction's interest in you will quickly diminish if you stop working for them and they'll be on to hiring the next, possibly more loyal, long-term mercenary to work for them. If you want to use contracts as a way to shift your reputation, be consistent, work for them long enough to make it worth their time and investment to know they can count on you, otherwise, you'll just appear like a system hopper who only works a few jobs, then moves on, which won't help your reputation much. Loyalty and consistency is rewarded with the game's reputation system.

Now on the subject of a Navy and attacks against ships allied with that Navy, you can apply these concepts specifically and I'll go over an example. You start out allied with factions that are against hostile to others and their interests (either because of past conflicts with those factions or simply because you are viewed as a trespasser). For example, if you were affiliated with the US Navy in 1944, why would the Japanese Navy attack you, but the US Navy not? It's the same reason(s) many Richton and Federation territories (and their Navies) will attack you, but Alliance/Sapphire's won't. If you are from an opposing territory (or allied with it), you will be attacked by the enemy of that territory. By default, you are from Sapphire, an Alliance territory and your reputations start out as allied to that group. This automatically makes you the enemy of forces that oppose the Alliance.

So along the theme of what you describe that you already know, there are similar options available to you to select where, when, and how you want to build your reputation(s). You can approach things from a bribery standpoint, selective attack/ambush standpoint, or contractual standpoint or any combination thereof. The rep system may take some getting used to, especially if you're familiar with or expect a different kind of system to be in place. But what you describe puts you on the right track already for how to utilize the options available in this game.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:41 pm

From post: 167859, Topic: tid=11269, author=Marvin wrote:Check this screenshot:

{snip}
The star system is what's indicated in the upper-left corner under "Current Position" and your global reputation is what's indicted on the right side under the "Add to Log" button ... in the screenshot it shows that your "Reputation" is Good.

Ok, that's what I thought - the whole system you are in, aka Sapphire or Orion or Cerulean or timbuktu, with all it's contents.

If I do some contracts in Olympus Prime and to go to Cerulean before accomplishing an increase in Reputation in Olympus Prime then I may end up lowering it instead.

And that's what I want to know - how do I know by my Ratings when I have accomplised enough of an increase that it is safe to leave for someplace else??
Do I have to get it up in the 70's or 80's or 90's+ before leaving? Or do I have to just get it some X number of points higher that it is when I arrived there before leaving?
I'm too dumb to understand the little Square Wave graph with the arrows and %ages in the Guide.
Or does it ONLY mean that to go from Fair to Good you have to get to 90-100%?? I want to know that too of course but I also want to know how much of an increase do I have to realize before it's best or safe to go to a new system without losing Reputation.
I'd rather not have to go back to a system to do it all over again.

Paul

[Edited on 3-9-2014 by PaulB]

[Edited on 3-9-2014 by PaulB]

Post by **Vice** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:46 pm

On that note (I'd also recommend reviewing what I posted above), the game autosaves after overall reputation changes and a message is posted in the message log after such an event. During your efforts to transition from one reputation level to another, you can save manually and your individual faction reputation levels are preserved for you at your last save point in that system. The game was updated a while back to provide this capability so you wouldn't have to remain in a session for as long as it took to transition to a new overall reputation level.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 2:33 am

From post: 167884, Topic: tid=11269, author=Vice wrote: On that note (I'd also recommend reviewing what I posted above), the game autosaves after overall reputation changes and a message is posted in the message log after such an event. During your efforts to transition from one reputation level to another, you can save manually and your individual faction reputation levels are preserved for you at your last save point in that system. The game was updated a while back to provide this capability so you wouldn't have to remain in a session for as long as it took to transition to a new overall reputation level.

Ok I missed your 1st post and the last part in particular (I've read the 1st parts in the Instructions.
It's the Federation Nay I wasn't clear on - I thought that with the past conflict being over (Arvoch Alliance??) I had the impression that "in general" things were supposed to be more peaceful between the Navies and it was mainly Rebels and Guilds that were the enemy - but I see that impression was wrong (since the 1st trip I made to Cerulean I think it was) - got me attacked by a Hostile (RED) Navy ship while I hadn't done anything to anybody and I couldn't figure out why a Navy faction was Red to me.

That means I'll have to be even more careful - to my qustion in another reply - If I fight back against a Navy faction that it Red to me is it going to lower my Navy/Energy Reputations that have been and were goot prior to the current encounter?
Worrying about Rebels and Guilds is one thing but if I now have to watch our for ANYthing that is Red that's a different ballgame.

Paul

Post by **Vice** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:18 am

If I fight back against a Navy faction that it Red to me is it going to lower my Navy/Energy Reputations that have been and were goot prior to the current encounter?

If you're encountering a hostile Navy ship, you're likely on weak terms with the local Navy anyway. But to answer the question, yes, it can potentially further lower your reputation with that Navy. So if you want to improve your standing with them, you'll want to limit your combat engagements with those ships. A few won't hurt too bad, if you need to defend yourself/escape, but making a habit of it can make it take a lot longer to build up your reputation with that Navy.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:25 am

From post: 167879, Topic: tid=11269, author=PaulB wrote:If a Real Life business used a "learn as you go" business plan it's most likely to fail.

In the military, "learn as you go" is called OJT (on the job training) and it's used all the time. Btw, for more on Factions, Reputation and other subjects, go here:

http://www.starwraith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10428

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:41 am

From post: 167893, Topic: tid=11269, author=Vice wrote:
If I fight back against a Navy faction that it Red to me is it going to lower my Navy/Energy Reputations that have been and were goot prior to the current encounter?
If you're encountering a hostile Navy ship, you're likely on weak terms with the local Navy anyway. But to answer the question, yes, it can potentially further lower your reputation with that Navy. So if you want to improve your standing with them, you'll want to limit your combat engagements with those ships. A few won't hurt too bad, if you need to defend yourself/escape, but making a habit of it can make it take a lot longer to build up your reputation with that Navy.

No, what I meant was - I have a Good reputation in Sapphire.
But I made a trip to Cerulean rather early on and it was there a Hostile Navy attacked me. I reloaded the game I had saved and this time I killed him instead.

I want to know if that affects the Good Reputation with Navy I had/have back in Sapphire and other areas I have yet to go to???

Post by **Vice** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:35 am

I want to know if that affects the Good Reputation with Navy I had/have back in Sapphire and other areas I have yet to go to???

Then no, you're still generally ok with the pocket of Navy forces in Sapphire.

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:05 pm

From post: 167879, Topic: tid=11269, author=PaulB wrote:I'm not looking for spoilers - I'm trying to understand what things do and don't have the best/least affect on improving relations and how to tell when you should go to a new system or NOT go from the current system.

Misunderstanding Paul - the section on reputations in the guide is purely factual, taken in the main from the EM and EL game guides plus some explanations/clarifications by Vice as well as other players - it covers exactly the aspects of reputation that you are asking about - there aren't any spoilers in this area of the game, just targetted work to alter your rep!

The 'spoiler alert' warning is for other sections of the guide so that you don't unexpectedly read things you don't want to read.

I found that the tables on pages 240 and 241 let me work out how to change my reputation with particular groups (Table 1: Summary of effects of contracts on reputation described by contract and Table 2: Summary of effects of contracts on reputation described by reputation change) Vice's contribution on page 235-236 explains the philosophy behind the why it works as it does. There's a section on when your rep will change up or down (so you can avoid losing hard earned changes by leaving a system too soon) There's also a section on the basics of how the rep system works - global reputation and system reputation. I don't think that any of them is a spoiler - they just help a part of the game that causes many people confusion to make a bit more sense

Anyway it's all optional- available only if you want it

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:08 pm

An excerpt from the H2GE:

Federation-Alliance Cease Fire Agreement

Falling short of an actual treaty (or armistice), the most controversial part of the agreement is where capiltal ships are allowed to enter the opposing government's star systems in support of their own pilots if their own pilots come under attack. Granted, this clause probably sounded good on paper but, as it turns out, it leads to very unhappy circumstances for independent mercenaries. How? Well, it's like this:

A mercenary, intent on increasing his reputation in some unspecified star system, accepts a contract to defend a large transport while it prepares to jump out of the system. In doing so, this mercenary finds it necessary to deal with ("prosecuting") rebels or guilds aligned with the opposing government. It matters not that these rebels or guilds are considered bandits and outcasts by their own people. Blood is thicker than space dust. So, next thing you know, a battleship from the opposing Navy hyperjumps not more than a few kilometers from the mercenary who is fighting desperately to keep the transport safe (or, at the very least, in one piece and capable of eventually jumping away).

In defense of its own factions, the battleship promptly starts firing* on the mercenary. Depending on the mercenary's reputation with the current administration, he either will or will not receive assistence from local factions. If all goes well (meaning, things don't get any worse), the transport will survive the onslaught and jump out of the system on schedule. At which time everybody shakes hands and compliments one another on how well they fought.

* Sometimes poor targeting results in the transport being hit. For which the mercenary usually takes the blame.

Keep in mind that "all politics is local" and, in this case, it means that what happens in Cerulean usually stays in Cerulean. In fact, it often never leaves the sector.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:49 pm

From post: 167904, Topic: tid=11269, author=Marvin wrote:An excerpt from the H2GE:
Federation-Alliance Cease Fire Agreement

{snip}

* Sometimes poor targeting results in the transport being hit. For which the mercenary usually takes the blame.
Keep in mind that "all politics is local" and, in this case, it means that what happens in Cerulean usually stays in Cerulean. In fact, it often never leaves the sector.

If that means Reputation is kept Local (at least for the most part as in your example and you killed the Capitol ship with no affect to Reputation of Navy factions in other systems) then that is more tolerable since you can fight back when attacked.

I just don't want to get all Navies down on me for defending myself from a Red Navy in that area - you know - like Some in Sapphire are Green and some ae Yellow.
If I kill a Red Navy ship and it gets more Red Navy ships hatng me - oh well - they started it - although I would prefer, if possible, to improve my "Navy" Reputation so ALL Navies were at least moderately friendly towards me.
Maybe that's not how it works in EM.

Of course it just occurred that is Rebels and Guilds are in some cases classified as Red Navy then that might clear it up a little - in a convoluted way. Like in Sapphire when I see Sentinels, and Guardians and every other kind of AI Frame listed as Navy or Energy faction - then they aren't REALLY Navy ships - which I had been assuming - this the Red Navy ship that attacked me my not have been a REAL Navy ship just a Red Hostile classified as Navy faction - yes/no

I mean I expected that when I saw Hostiles that they woujld be classfied as Rebel or Guild in the right area of the Hud where it shows targeted ships. Are they? How do I know a Rebel from a Guild from a Navy from an Energy ship??
That's what I'm not clear on since all I've seen in Sapphire is Energy or Navy classifications.

I guess I'll be finding out anyway - because last night I made a printout of System Jumps, aka for example:
(--------------- Jump Gates -----------------)
Sapphire -> Thuban -> Pices -> Pearl -> Rucker Station or Lost Rucker
with the Coords listed that I plan to enter manually in the Nav Map Add section so I can hopefully just select a Gate and set pitch & heading to 0/180 and Inertial and start Jumping and select the next gate as I arrive and jump to the next etc etc.
Hopefully that will get me through Hostile areas without conflict.

If it works for one trial then I'll do the same thing for about 4 or 5 other System Destinations, like Atlas, Orion, Alpha Centauri, etc.

Paul

[Edited on 3-10-2014 by PaulB]

[Edited on 3-10-2014 by PaulB]

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:10 pm

My own personal philosophy is to jump away from any hostile Navy ship, be it an escort or a cruiser. If you (or another mercenary) accidentally hit a friendly, turning it red, expect more hostilities from otherwise friendly forces. You can usually "fix" the situation by leaving the sector for a short while and then jumping back ... due to limited communications between allied ships during combat, your poor aim will probably be forgotten in the heat of battle and "getting lost" for a couple minutes will often put you back in the Navy's good graces.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:13 pm

Btw, the Navigation Log can be used in a number of different ways ... including logging exit points to specific gates. Much easier than making a list on paper.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:14 am

From post: 167912, Topic: tid=11269, author=Marvin wrote: Btw, the Navigation Log can be used in a number of different ways ... including logging exit points to specific gates. Much easier than making a list on paper.

What I did was use a somewhat old Universe spreadsheet )somethings was missing like the pices to thuban Gate (had to get that off EvoMetrics) and made a list on paper of the Gates & coords I'd have to jump through and the Return Jumps. And then I Added those to the Nav Map so I could select each one from the Nav Map list rather than having to search for the next Gate after each jump. So I cold just Jump, selt the next in the Nav list and afterburh past hostiles and double check my Heading / Pitch and Press te Jump button on my Gamepad and repeat until I got to the final destination. No searching the nav Map for Gates in each system I came to.

I wish the Nav list was a bit different and becase of my outdated Laptop my USB external mouse is laggy and sluggish within the game.
I wish it was a 3.xGhz dual core but it's only T2400 1.86Ghz and one has to live with what one can afford.
Sucks being disabled and poor. But whatcha gonna do....

I'd be in more of a hurry to get my new minitower loaded and running the games if I had a decent internet connection but I'm stuck with what I've got there because of where I live and a 10+ ongoing battle I had with Charter Cable over their lousy cable plant and reliability. So no more cable - and I do like not having to pay $90+ a month for crappy service and 80+ tv channels that I never watched.
And unfortunately the 2nd cable co here is not allowed to provide service in this apartment complex. The Complexes do Cable contracts here so in most Apartment complexes there is only one choice of cable company for tenants.
And AT&T will only build out DSL and Uverse to the newest Residential areas. It's the pits.

Paul

Post by **Marvin** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:54 pm

With very few exceptions, the game plays the same in SP. When you decide to build a lot of trade stations and claim territory, then MP is necessary.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:20 am

From post: 168016, Topic: tid=11269, author=Marvin wrote: With very few exceptions, the game plays the same in SP. When you decide to build a lot of trade stations and claim territory, then MP is necessary.

Well I read that if your FPS is low and your latency is high it can cause other players problems in MP.

I don't want to cause issues for other players because of my 5 - 15 fps and erratic Verizon latency.

Paul

Post by **Marvin** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:09 pm

From post: 168040, Topic: tid=11269, author=PaulB wrote:... because of my 5 - 15 fps and erratic Verizon latency.

Tell that to my wife ... she wants to switch from Charter to Verizon. As for MP, normally that's only a problem if you're working the same sector.

PaulB · Post by **PaulB** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 7:18 pm

From post: 168043, Topic: tid=11269, author=Marvin wrote:
From post: 168040, Topic: tid=11269, author=PaulB wrote:... because of my 5 - 15 fps and erratic Verizon latency.
Tell that to my wife ... she wants to switch from Charter to Verizon. As for MP, normally that's only a problem if you're working the same sector.

Well now - if you are considering Verizon DSL and are close to the switch so you get the max advertised speeds then it might be ok.
But I'm Verizon Mobile Wireless and you DON"T want to give up cable for a Mobile wireless connection because:
(1) most every wireless telco has a monthly data limit. Mine is 5Gb per month and f I go over (I never have but I don't do much) I "think" it's $10/Gb that I go over.
(2) if you are on a Cell tower that is busy, aka near or at "saturation" during prime time then you will get erratic and slow speeds and latency is not great under the best of conditions.
(3) 4G might be better but you will use up that 5Gb/month fast with 4G and with 3G (I'm 3G btw and not sure I want to sign another 2 year contract just so I can upgrade to a 4G device in the hope it wold solve my saturation problems.) The 2 yr contract is to cover the Device upgrade - my plan price would not change (unless I had them put the balance of the Devce price on monthly payments + there is like a $30 fee for upgrading.

I have telcos - and I the same pretty much goes for Charter also - but them all the big cable companies are crooks like the telcos. Just my opinion of course.

Paul