Jobs granted only by NPCs

[Manfredjinsinjin]

Wanted to post a different way to get jobs that I think would be more in line with how RPG games work, and also solve some of the problems. This would require additional content for NPCs so I don't anticipate it would be a quick change, but I can definitely see it as a destination on the roadmap.

 

The idea is to open up all levels of jobs at any station, but restrict the ones your character can access by character level and faction with the station / NPCs. In addition, all the jobs you see will be "yours", ending the clickfest competition for jobs (and ending the battle of the scrolling job list).

 

In execution, your character would go to NPCs in stations and go through dialogue options to get missions. The missions are actually jobs (or access to sets of jobs, depending on how you want to play it) that show up in the job terminal, and you take and execute them as normal. 

 

The faction of the jobs is set by the faction of the NPC you got the mission from, and the job levels are scaled not just by level cap, but by your faction with them, so low faction = low reward jobs, etc. This provides the path for a character to work their way up in any faction on any station they can dock at.

 

However - and this is the big change - those are the ONLY jobs you see in the terminal. If you have no missions, you'll only see "help wanted" text in the terminals directing you to NPCs in station and similar faction stations who are looking for assistance. 

 

This brings the jobs and mission system to the way most RPG games play it and imo would be a great next step from the starter version we have in place now to fill in content holes.

 

Possible enhancements:

For mixing help wanted and jobs, I'd suggest another tab with the help wanted listings.

For help wanted listings, maybe they could be jobs in themselves and provide "?" nav paths to other stations to help new players explore.

 

 

*Disclaimer - I don't exactly recall how things were in EA Live, but I think I recall seeing the NPCs listed in the job term, so if anything here sounds like the EA Live system, then it's probably subconscious recolletion from the few weeks I spent playing EA Live.

 

All constructive comments and discussions are welcome!

 

 

[Mimir[IS]]

On the surface it sounds like a good idea, but I see many issues without even trying.  In no particular order, These would have to be generated and kept track of for each player.Let's say we only use 5 jobs...* the possible max players of 500 (you need to account for everyone even though we know not everyone will be doing them at the same time) This would be over 2500 jobs in the server Q at any given time.   If the player CTD's or logs off the missions/jobs go poof? Keep thinking out of the box, but this one is a bit more work than it will save in issues.  

 

Note: These opinions are solely my own and in no way reflect the opinions of the powers that be. 

[Manfredjinsinjin]

Then the question arises, how many jobs are in the job system now? It seems to me that your theoretical maximum load situation can occur right now - you have the same number of people and the same job limit per person.

 

What we're really talking about is two things - putting a mission NPC in between the player and the job term so it's possible to filter the job list down to just the ones you qualify for based on your faction and level, and opening up the job list to all stations at once. When a player accepts the job, the same process happens as does now.

 

If we have limits on the number of jobs we can put out there, then there's limits. But we should at least look at those limits and what we can do within them.