Well, I got a few feedbacks after about 1 month on the server as a Trader. I know it’s easy to point issues, and not so easy to balance the game.
First, this is really hard for new players, because of
- server specfic rules like starting planet wipes, faction reserved planets and PVP/PVE switch. They should be more clearly explained at the beginning and in the F1 help. Server to player chat could help getting more explanation messages when we begin. For example this topic was really helpful and those tips could be written (spamed !) to new players with their name in the message (“Hey Haiken your planet Earth will be wiped in xxx hours, seek refuge in orbit or any faction planet”)
- resources. Basic resources are easy to get. Problems start when you need Neodymium, or Silicon because, having no credits, you need to go to PVP Homeworld, with a basic ship and no weapon. Encounter any pirate and it’s over. To defend yourself you need ressources which you can’t get, or gold to buy a decent OCD and save your ores, which is no more easier to mine. Your only chance is to sneak during less busy hours, which is not so fun, after having learned OCD and blueprint spawn. Fighting is not an option because of huge unbalance with older players/big factions that are full of ressources and credits. I precise I find it no fun as a beginner, the fun starts when YOU have weapons too
Maybe one of the reasons behind this is having no silicon on earth.
As a Trader we are asked to trade, but this is not so interesting compared to mining Gold because
- common ressources like Iron or Copper are so easy to collect with faction planets and autominers that it’s barely worth the time you spend traveling to your autominers
- PVP resources like Neodymium, Erestrum are as dangerous to mine than gold, and demand not so high either (you don’t need much erestrum for a big CV)
- non renewable resources (fiber, egg plant parts, crystals…) can be collected easily… but the price and demand are so low that it’s not worth the time either (beginers that would need some have no money)
It’s way more worth to wait for the weekly fa:supply package or mine gold and OCD all before you get caught or even wait your Gold AM to fill up.
If resources were really scarce, and travel and transport were needed for trading, this would give traders a real reason to be, but not really at the moment I think.
This game IMHO is about building, exploration and fighting. We get a lot of fighting, no discussion, even though you stand no chance if you’re not in a big faction.
Exploration not so much because collecting 25 crystals to make 1 hop is boring… and unbalanced compared to players who managed to get AM level 10. More traveling means more interaction with people, and that’s what makes the game interesting.
Building… with taxes and crowded faction planets, no way. So yes I’d like to have more planets with people building mostly crap but sometimes something worth it. I’d like to explore and discover what people can do and get suprised by their bases and ships