What are likes for?

[Sozig]

It's not even (at least to the point where i'm in the game) used as some sort of currency. So for what reason I should pick up some cargo that is not equipment or materials? Is it only for RP reason?

[Pronoun Paladin ☯]

Likes contribute to Sam's stats and skills, the more likes you have the better your cargo handling, balance, stamina.

Likes on things you've done, will make those things more likely to appear in other players worlds, and can help improve your connection to other players.

When you finally unlock Bridge Strands, people will be able to see your "stats" and how often you like other stuff, how often your stuff is liked, etc and they're more likely to make connections to you if you have more likes.

[Yumemirareru]

Originally posted by Sozig:

It's not even (at least to the point where i'm in the game) used as some sort of currency. So for what reason I should pick up some cargo that is not equipment or materials? Is it only for RP reason?

Lost cargo (blue colored) contributes to rep if you deliver it to its final destination. It can actually be a pretty good way to rank up some preppers, particularly ones that don't have decent yielding deliveries (or might not get them till much later). This, in turn, can help you unlock better equipment, and the jump to level 2 or 3 is often makes stuff a lot more effective.

Lost cargo (green colored) doesn't have this utility, but I like the feeling of knowing that I've perhaps helped out another player if they had a rough run that didn't go well.

[UCEY]

Lore-wise, it's to prevent porters from turning into Mules due to chiral contamination impairing judgement. Gameplay wise, it's just a number for bragging rights

[deltahazer]

Originally posted by Chunk Norris ☯:

Likes contribute to Sam's stats and skills, the more likes you have the better your cargo handling, balance, stamina.

Single biggest effect right there.

The likes generated by completing a particular delivery order or returning lost cargo found in the world/share lockers will raise your ranking in one of five categories. Which category gets raised is determined by the main focus of that job, such as amount of cargo damage or delivery time taken.

Each category will give improvement's to Sam's innate capabilities at every tenth level, such as increasing how much weight he can handle or how well he can keep his cargo balanced without having to grab at his shoulder straps.

[ImHelping]

The most important thing about your social level is gaining the ability to give someone's random ladder literally 1,000 likes in one go.

The social rank in particular allows you to make more "highlight that player who's structures I saw" count, to try and nudge the game world into favoring their structures.

Not that you will ever know ahead of time if they make things in places you like, but when you realize the last five things you were super glad were there had the same username? Might as well!

[Bixy]

All of this sounds so cool, i gotta play this game *-*

[Pronoun Paladin ☯]

You can also donate to their structures and increase the level or repair their structure to see that players structures more often. Very useful for after Chapter 2 when you hit the big map and you'll start having jumps/ramps and zip-lines appear.