Judicator
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Posted - 2004.03.10 11:43:00 -
[2]
 Quote:
I have two problems with this. I have been playing for about a month, and can already complete almost any level 3 mission solo in a cruiser. Suddenly, to go any higher, i not only need a bs, but support aswell. Where is the progression in this?
Secondly, if level 4 missions require bs+friends, what will the eventual level 5s require? Titan + corporate outing? That's ridiculous.
This is clearly just a move to keep the veterans in the game from leaving before the real content turns up (Shiva), not a development of the agent system.
The agent system in EVE has always been borked. In the beginning the missions where dreadfully boring and the pay ludicrious.
That was eventually changed, especially when the first implants hit. Some people got insanely rich from that.
The main problem with the agent system is there is no "connectivity" between the levels. Level 1 and 2 are generally speaking pushovrs even for a relativly new player while level 3 require a cruiser and some decent combat skills.
What is lacking is a gradual transgression from I -> V and this is clearly not the case. In most other games NPC and areas, or zones if you like, have a natural transgression as the player himself advances. He gains new skills and better stuff and can advance towards harder NPC and this better reward in terms of xp, stuff and cash.
At some point all other games I have ever played required teamwork, at least MMO type of games.
I think the problem stems from the fact agents where never really a big thing, it as seen by CCP as a way for a new player to earn some cash and nothing else. Of course people cried, righhtfuly, havoc because mining was so ³ber compared to agent running, and to an extend even chaining, altough a skilled player could chain millions "easy"
I think the agent system in EVE is unsalvagable tbh. Or the need to develop it and make ultimatly wipe clean the slate. Problem with this is, a lot of players with many skill points and big ships would be forced to do lame level 1 missions again.
Wren made a good post about what he thought agent would be usefull for, hacking the security of a system, getting liscenses to kill bonuntied players. Basically be usefull.
The way it works is fundamentally flawed because the development of it was neglected. Aat least that is how I see it.
If the can make a system that has a natural transgression from I -> V based on estimates of players skills it might work better than now. Estimates are estimates, but most veterans, and devs I hope, can gauge how hard the variouos missions should be.
I mean, the first time a player talks to an agent he shoudl look at the age of that char and give missions according then keep a "rank" for the player. So, he is given light missions first, small kill or haulage missions. As the agent notes he gets older and gets more skill points and are able to complete the missions given he will give out more advanced missions, still only level 1 missions, but more advanced than the first batch. This way a olayer can advanced more gradually and the move from A -> B will seem less steep.
A system such as that would hve allowed Zor to stay, because the agent would be able to estimate if a certain player had what it takes in terms of skill, age and ability based on all the other missions.
You could imagine a system where all agents have missions graduated from 0 - 9. Once a player can complete missions of type 9 without problems he shouidl be considered fro advancement to a level 2. A way to estimate would be if the player refuses the type 9 a lot he is abviouslt not skilled enough to advance, asumption is, if he refuses he either cannot haul that kind of load to that kind of security wihtin xx timeframe or kill npc of type xx with yy difficulty.
Phew, back to work.
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