So, about Passenger Missions and Enemy Bribery...?

Lex Archer · Post by **Lex Archer** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:22 pm

I now have a two-parter question (Boy, have my two days playing been eventful!)...

#1 - Why the deuce does my passenger on this Passenger Mission keep reducing his fee by 10% (twice in a row, too... I'm guessing because of a glitch) intermittently? This guy wants me to take him more than two MEGA JUMP STATIONS (don't know the proper term) away, and yet has dropped his fee more than 6 times before I can even get to the first one!

He's either REALLY impatient, or I'm doing something wrongly. Or the game is broken/glitching on this mission/mission type. It was one of the jobs you get under the "Crew Management" button in the Space Station.

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#2 - So, now that I find myself in the Thuban system, all of a sudden I've got 2-3 enemies nearby and have to pay a fee to dock (which fee I happily paid, as I heard clicking on "Enter Station" is like putting your ship under "Off Limits" protection).

My second question is this: How do I bribe the enemy to make them like me? I've heard this is a thing that is possible, so how exactly is it done?

Please tell me every step! It's my second official day playing, so please don't assume I know anything!

Thanks again, guys. ^_^

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:29 pm

1)
It's not a glitch. The longer you take to get to the destination, the less cash you get.
You might wanna get a better jumpdrive!?!

2)
When you are Close enough to a ship (<1000), press F4 to open Trade console.
In there you can bribe them.
You can also do contracts from a station/city for the faction you want to get friendly with.

Keep in mind that you have to pay a dockingfee everytime you dock at that location
unless you buy a station license once you are docked.

Lex Archer · Post by **Lex Archer** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:44 pm

1) I figured the time thing might be the case - and yeah, my Jump Drive is the sucky first one because I've used up all of my Assembly room with 5 Cargo Bays and a 2K Fuel Tank. X)
The "glitch" I'm referring to is that it takes 10% off TWICE IN A ROW for every time it counts down (I found the countdown timer under the Crew Management button later.). That seems steep by ANYONE's standards, and - I dare say - is actually a glitch.

2) Thanks... Trade console. Under 1K. Got it.
I'll try to figure out how to do that without my tiny F-Keys before I leave the station.
And shoot... if I had enough money to pay for a Station License, I'd already be in the upgraded Ship Frame that I have my eye on!

---------

UPDATE: I have finally ventured out to Olympus, and while I neglected to notice that I had updated my Jump Drive to a lvl 2 (Damn my old man memory!), I was able to upgrade further to a JD lvl 3 in the Olympus Space Station.

I fiddled around a bit with frame placing (swapped the frame I had - forget the name... probably "Dumpy-Doo Mark 1/2" - for an Arrow frame, which had higher Assembly numbers) and all the other stuff (Shields, Wings, etc.) until my ship now sort of resembles a Klingon ship from back in the Cap'n Kirk days.

I am a happier camper. ^_^

I still maintain that the "Take People Someplace" missions under Crew Management: A) have a "doubling" glitch that makes them mark the 10% off TWICE AT A TIME (((Someone should REALLY tell Vice about that!))), and that B) they are generally NOT WORTH IT at the payment prices that are quoted.

I doubt, in a real-world economy, that passengers trying to go someplace way-the-heck-away and NOT willing to pay accordingly would actually get where they're going. The free market would tend to correct that by the would-be passengers OFFERING MORE. That's all I'm saying.

[Edited on 19-3-2015 by Lex Archer]

Post by **Marvin** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 12:40 am

The desire to offer taxi service usually wanes quickly. Luckily, Vice reads every post and pays attention to suggestions. This one might be on his list.

AcePalarum · Post by **AcePalarum** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 12:49 am

From post: 175643, Topic: tid=11833, author=Lex Archer wrote:I still maintain that the "Take People Someplace" missions under Crew Management: A) have a "doubling" glitch that makes them mark the 10% off TWICE AT A TIME (((Someone should REALLY tell Vice about that!))), and that B) they are generally NOT WORTH IT at the payment prices that are quoted.

I doubt, in a real-world economy, that passengers trying to go someplace way-the-heck-away and NOT willing to pay accordingly would actually get where they're going. The free market would tend to correct that by the would-be passengers OFFERING MORE. That's all I'm saying.

[Edited on 19-3-2015 by Lex Archer]

It's been a while since I ferried anybody around, but for awhile I was doing those a lot (maybe this doubling effect is something recent?) and determined you should never take on a passenger planetside - the time it takes to safely exit the atmosphere is long enough for a fare reduction. Apparently these jerks would rather burn up in the atmosphere and die than take thirty extra seconds to reach the black safely. Some people.

Post by **Vice** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 3:11 am

Haven't had the double fee issue reported yet, so it may indeed be something new in a recent build. The codebase for it looks correct, but if it happens again, please save the profile with the passenger you need to transport onboard and at the location it's happening, then send the profile to me via e-mail (starwraith.com > contact) and I'll try to duplicate it here. Another possible way this could happen is if you load two such people onboard at about the same time or at about the same cycle rate, then two notices can appear in the message log.

For details on where save games are kept, visit: http://www.starwraith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3433

Lex Archer · Post by **Lex Archer** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:15 am

From post: 175649, Topic: tid=11833, author=AcePalarum wrote:I ... determined you should never take on a passenger planetside - the time it takes to safely exit the atmosphere is long enough for a fare reduction. Apparently these jerks would rather burn up in the atmosphere and die than take thirty extra seconds to reach the black safely. Some people.

My thoughts exactly! ^_^

From post: 175651, Topic: tid=11833, author=Vice wrote: Haven't had the double fee issue reported yet, so it may indeed be something new in a recent build. The codebase for it looks correct, but if it happens again, please save the profile with the passenger you need to transport onboard and at the location it's happening, then send the profile to me via e-mail (starwraith.com > contact) and I'll try to duplicate it here. Another possible way this could happen is if you load two such people onboard at about the same time or at about the same cycle rate, then two notices can appear in the message log.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Vice. I see the rumors of your magnanimity are not at all hyperbolic.

It may be something new, and I'm sorry that I've played more since then and lost the record of it. I'm scientific in regard to such things as well (repeating the error to ensure that it manifests in the same way, etc.) - had a history in electronics in the Navy.

Like enough, I'll never get the chance to recreate the error, as I left the Space Station (orbiting... I want to say... Thuban?) and was promptly blown to smithereens in a vastly outnumbered dogfight. When I went back to my last save (before the job), I just decided (like I elucidated above) that it just wasn't worth it.

If the pay ever becomes commensurate with the work, I'll try again, but I've done "an awful lotta savin' " since then.

I WILL set your mind at ease about the question, though... it was just ONE passenger. It's my second day, so I have yet to see the profit in more than a single Crew slot on my ship.

Post by **Vice** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:22 am

Ok, it all seems to be working here, but if it happens again, I'll be ready to check out a save game with the issue.

Since 'worth it' is a subjective target, what value range would make it worthwhile to you? If the passenger only needs to be transported to a system or two over from the current location, it can be a pretty quick trip for dozens of thousands of credits. Pay also goes up as you build your reputation over time, so those are two additional factors to consider.

Lex Archer · Post by **Lex Archer** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:31 am

Well, considering it went down six times (should've been 3, but STILL...) before I could even jump to the first [Hyper Gate?] in my crap-mobile, the initial glimmer of $100K QUICKLY wore off.

I found myself surrounded by hostiles in Thuban - with another Hyper Gate yet AND wherever the deuce this guy wanted to go in ORION, too, mind you! - and the passenger mission was already netting less than half what I'd get on an average trip to mine the local asteroids.

Honestly, if I could've expected the initially promised $100K at the end of the trip (for a 2-day old player like myself), that would've been sufficient. So, I'm sure you can do the math... whatever number can be reduced by 10% about TEN TIMES and still be $100K...? THAT is the price that should initially be offered, IMHO.

Thanks for listening. ^_^

Post by **Marvin** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:13 am

Which is why it helps if you have at least a class 5 jump drive before offering taxi service ... then the trip from Thuban to Orion takes fewer jumps.

Lex Archer · Post by **Lex Archer** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:59 am

The problem that seems to be with that, unfortunately, is that every station I'm able to get to (without being surrounded by hostiles) only offers stuff up to Class/Level 3.

Nigel_Strange · Post by **Nigel_Strange** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:46 pm

I never did like the price countdown thing myself. I think that when you make a transaction with someone, that transaction is the agreed-upon price, and should be honored.

On the other side, in real life, when you engage a taxi, the taximan charges more the longer the ride takes.

So, I would rather it were an agreed-upon price based on distance (or maybe remoteness) and the promised figure is rendered upon arrival, regardless of the time it takes to get there.

We already have racing contracts for people who like to race.

A similar mission type would make sense, too: deliver some [radio-active/perishable/dying] cargo to a station. The cargo has a half-life of about 10 minutes, so every second counts.

As for bribing... in older games, the foes would sometimes try to bribe YOU if you were totally wickedly decked-out and had a high reputation. In EM, I believe that the possibility still exists, but I don't believe I have ever been bribed by a foe in this game.

As for reputation increases, I don't know whether bribing is more or less effective than doing missions for the enemy faction. The early missions will be very tough, though, as you can expect to be fighting 12-14 enemies at once if you are taking a mission in a hostile area.

My advice is to consider Thuban a flyover state. Don't stop there...just keep going.

Post by **Marvin** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:15 pm

From post: 175658, Topic: tid=11833, author=Lex Archer wrote:The problem that seems to be with that, unfortunately, is that every station I'm able to get to (without being surrounded by hostiles) only offers stuff up to Class/Level 3.

Check the three quadrant maps. One of them displays technology level ... the higher the level, the more likely you'll find a class 5 Fulcrum.

Lex Archer · Post by **Lex Archer** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 8:08 pm

From post: 175663, Topic: tid=11833, author=Nigel_Strange wrote:I never did like the price countdown thing myself. I think that when you make a transaction with someone, that transaction is the agreed-upon price, and should be honored.

On the other side, in real life, when you engage a taxi, the taximan charges more the longer the ride takes.

So, I would rather it were an agreed-upon price based on distance (or maybe remoteness) and the promised figure is rendered upon arrival, regardless of the time it takes to get there.

I completely agree. The $100K was the figure that caught my attention, so it should be the figure actually paid, IMHO.

From post: 175663, Topic: tid=11833, author=Nigel_Strange wrote:As for bribing... in older games, the foes would sometimes try to bribe YOU if you were totally wickedly decked-out and had a high reputation. In EM, I believe that the possibility still exists, but I don't believe I have ever been bribed by a foe in this game.

That sounds awesome. I'd like to see that implemented!
(I certainly hope Vice is still following this thread!) ^_^

From post: 175663, Topic: tid=11833, author=Nigel_Strange wrote:My advice is to consider Thuban a flyover state. Don't stop there...just keep going.

Will do, Mr. Strange!

From post: 175664, Topic: tid=11833, author=Marvin wrote:Check the three quadrant maps. One of them displays technology level ... the higher the level, the more likely you'll find a class 5 Fulcrum.

THREE Quadrant Maps?? O_O
Dang it... something else I didn't know! XP

Post by **Marvin** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 8:24 pm

Assuming you haven't reassigned any of the applicable keys, you can access the map in question this way:

Open the Navigation Map (F1)
Click on the "Quadrant" button (lower-right side)
Click on the "Economy" button

AcePalarum · Post by **AcePalarum** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 12:37 am

From post: 175658, Topic: tid=11833, author=Lex Archer wrote:The problem that seems to be with that, unfortunately, is that every station I'm able to get to (without being surrounded by hostiles) only offers stuff up to Class/Level 3.

I can vouch that it is entirely possible to pick up significantly advanced tech in entirely safe space (I will leave finding said space up to you, no spoilers

).

From post: 175663, Topic: tid=11833, author=Nigel_Strange wrote:I never did like the price countdown thing myself. I think that when you make a transaction with someone, that transaction is the agreed-upon price, and should be honored.

I like the idea that part of the contract is to conduct the travel in a timely manner. In which case, the payment reductions make sense. I do think they happen entirely too quickly - even when I was really in the swing of things, taking pax from stations in Cerulean to Sapphire, managing the whole thing in five jumps or less, I never managed to avoid at least two reductions. Which is part of the reason I quit ferrying the ungrateful snots around the Evoverse.

Post by **Vice** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 3:14 am

I do think they happen entirely too quickly - even when I was really in the swing of things, taking pax from stations in Cerulean to Sapphire, managing the whole thing in five jumps or less, I never managed to avoid at least two reductions. Which is part of the reason I quit ferrying the ungrateful snots around the Evoverse.

I think what I'll try for the next update will involve two changes to the passenger transport system:

- Slow the rate of reduction (adding more time between cycles).
- Increase the cap for proximity based reward calculation, allowing up to an additional 100K or so of credits to be awarded, depending on distance.

These two changes should help reduce the time pressure while also increasing the reward. I'll set up the changes for testing and see what the beta team thinks, then they may be rolled out in the next update if feedback is positive.

Lex Archer · Post by **Lex Archer** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:23 pm

Wow. Thanks for listening, Vice! ^_^

As a sometimes writer, I know how difficult it can be to change "your baby" (the story), so I'd assume it takes a fair bit of convincing to change something as complex as your game is.

And I appreciate that.