How to accelerate gear / trading progression ?

[WarMage]

Hello guys new player here.

Love the game just the right kind of weird and crazy a bit like doom guy 2016. When I saw we can trade with corps and upgrade the Magnum I was thrilled but after multiple attempt (some 15+ hours long) The most I was able to upgrade the ship was to install the free upgrade at the start and get 2 more welding stations out of the 3 necessary for a secondary upgrade to the crafting capabilities. As for trading with corps, I sold a few things a few times as tests but it's kinda pointless. The triangular money they give you is worthless and can't be used anywhere. You give items out mostly getting nothing back.

I suppose I don't understand but I feel a bit sad now. It's underwhelming. Trading is mostly useless until you have great rep I suppose ? And upgrading the ship is an end-game goal ?

So the early game is mostly 30-40 hours of grinding missions non-stop and grabbing as much gear as you can before leaving ?

Also, how to get a bigger backpack ? It's so obvious they're limiting us to only 2 row of inventory to artificially prolong the grind. I don't mind starting with basic gear but there should be a clear path to upgrade the most necessary items. I know some corps can give crafting recipes as rewards but I've never gotten any backpack or ammo carrier reward and the unlock seems to take forever.

Let me know the few tricks I haven't figured out.
Thanks.

[Blinkicide]

Do the tutorial / revenge mission with the civil resistance, u get a medium backpack when you return ancom's data to them. That will at least get you three inventory rows to work with, and share that backpack with all your mercs. Just don't die with it.

on trading idk how to rush it too much, cause the bases often have nothing to trade in the beginning and i'm on mission like 10+, hauling stuff back.

[WarMage]

Ah, I wasn't aware there was a bigger backpack as part of the tutorial. I followed it but I guess I was so green at some point I went off track. I'll try doing it again.

[[Micky] The Wolf]

Originally posted by WarMage:

Hello guys new player here.

Love the game just the right kind of weird and crazy a bit like doom guy 2016. When I saw we can trade with corps and upgrade the Magnum I was thrilled but after multiple attempt (some 15+ hours long) The most I was able to upgrade the ship was to install the free upgrade at the start and get 2 more welding stations out of the 3 necessary for a secondary upgrade to the crafting capabilities. As for trading with corps, I sold a few things a few times as tests but it's kinda pointless. The triangular money they give you is worthless and can't be used anywhere. You give items out mostly getting nothing back.

I suppose I don't understand but I feel a bit sad now. It's underwhelming. Trading is mostly useless until you have great rep I suppose ? And upgrading the ship is an end-game goal ?

So the early game is mostly 30-40 hours of grinding missions non-stop and grabbing as much gear as you can before leaving ?

Also, how to get a bigger backpack ? It's so obvious they're limiting us to only 2 row of inventory to artificially prolong the grind. I don't mind starting with basic gear but there should be a clear path to upgrade the most necessary items. I know some corps can give crafting recipes as rewards but I've never gotten any backpack or ammo carrier reward and the unlock seems to take forever.

Let me know the few tricks I haven't figured out.
Thanks.

Tutorial mission is where you gain a lot of free items and armor, but there is no way to boost up trade. Trade is essentially based on how each day you progresses (there is also an invincible trade route going around the universe). Each corporation produces specific types of items for you to use and upgrade your ships. As your first couple of play-through, I highly suggest you get used to combating and working for 1 hexarch corporation and 2 minor corporations at a time, the higher the Tech level they are, the higher tech reward you will be given, and the more reputation you have with the corporation will also allow you to get more gear and reward. Once you get used to the combat work, then you can worry about trading; this game is meant to take it slow and calculate risk. (P.S each corporation that you work with will affect how much they will control the universe how the trade will be.) So couple of play through later you have to balance them out 2.

[WarMage]

Originally posted by Micky The Wolf:

Tutorial mission is where you gain a lot of free items and armor,

Ya, I've just realized that. First time around, I was lost in all the game mechanics so I somehow got off road at some point and didn't complete it.

Originally posted by Micky The Wolf:

...but there is no way to boost up trade.

Good to know.

Man, my head's spinning ! The "barter" system is quite obscure. Feels like something new player would benefit from (just like in Tarkov) but it's the entire opposite. It start being useful at mid-game with some rep and enough loot to give away.

As for the rep and the corps, I .... don't know yet. It's complex and I haven't played with it enough. It's very difficult to determine how hard a mission will be. You basically need to know every unit from every faction. Otherwise, you'll get plastered. So I'm still on that learning curve. I'll reserve judgement until I'm done.

Still think the player should be able to acquire a bigger backpack (3 rows) semi-regularly in early game. Otherwise, it's just annoying. I get scarcity, I get the grind, I get that the dev want to force choices but there's "So much loot" and "everything is useful" which lead to a lot of annoyances. Maybe keep the same backpack progression but add 2 slot to every inventory row ? There's options.

And can anyone tell me what's the triangle currency ? What's it for ? What's the point of accumulating it ? Can't seems to be able to redeem it at any "barter" window.

[[Micky] The Wolf]

Originally posted by WarMage:

Originally posted by Micky The Wolf:

Tutorial mission is where you gain a lot of free items and armor,

Ya, I've just realized that. First time around, I was lost in all the game mechanics so I somehow got off road at some point and didn't complete it.

Originally posted by Micky The Wolf:

...but there is no way to boost up trade.

Good to know.

Man, my head's spinning ! The "barter" system is quite obscure. Feels like something new player would benefit from (just like in Tarkov) but it's the entire opposite. It start being useful at mid-game with some rep and enough loot to give away.

As for the rep and the corps, I .... don't know yet. It's complex and I haven't played with it enough. It's very difficult to determine how hard a mission will be. You basically need to know every unit from every faction. Otherwise, you'll get plastered. So I'm still on that learning curve. I'll reserve judgement until I'm done.

Still think the player should be able to acquire a bigger backpack (3 rows) semi-regularly in early game. Otherwise, it's just annoying. I get scarcity, I get the grind, I get that the dev want to force choices but there's "So much loot" and "everything is useful" which lead to a lot of annoyances. Maybe keep the same backpack progression but add 2 slot to every inventory row ? There's options.

And can anyone tell me what's the triangle currency ? What's it for ? What's the point of accumulating it ? Can't seems to be able to redeem it at any "barter" window.

So the Triangle thing is called Dignitas (I forgot how to spell it), but it is pretty much the currency within the game later when you have 60 or 70+ reps with any of the corporations (just the one that you have high rep with) you can use that to trade items that you need instead of keep dumping stuff in and hope that you can get the items you needed.

As of Power = Military personnel, the number of soldiers deployed, and their rank (essentially, High power = higher number of soldiers being deployed/ Stronger Soldiers). Each mission number represents how much force they are sending. If the opposite corporation has a similar number of powers (forces), the mission will be easier, and therefore, the "Skull/Mission difficulty." (Skull also represents how long the mission will take.) ( just because I say it is easier doesn't mean the enemies are weak; it just means that you can or could finish the mission quicker.)

Tech Lvl = The level of weapon that they will be using (Which means higher tech = more dangerous weapon it will be). This also will play into how hard the mission will be because, essentially, the soldier will be more well-equipped.

Assets = How many factory/research facilities they have. This means that the more factories/RFs they have, the more they will be able to produce power and tech levels. Power can be reduced but not Tech Level (At least in my observation, Tech level can be slowed down but never really reversed.) But just because they have a lot of assets doesn't mean they will be constantly become stronger. There are missions to mess with the research and factory, Like Espionage/Stealing PCU etc. Each type of mission affects how the Corporation will grow. Don't treat the world as static, treat it like a evolving being that is constantly changing itself, the more you play the game the more will be able to grasp it. The first 50 or 150 hours will feel super gritty and ♥♥♥♥♥♥, but you will get through it (P.S The faster you adapt, the less time it takes for you to grasp it.)

[WarMage]

It's so cool yet so annoying at the same time !!!!!!

I read your reply and it gets me going hard. I like it so much. But then I think how obscure everything is, a little explanation would go a loooooong way.

Especially for new players, you need to be able to at least evaluate which missions are realistic for you when you first start the game. Otherwise, you just get pwned hard and a lot of people will just leave after a while. Most don't even take to forums for answer.

Anyway, I'm glad I came here to confirm my doubts. I knew this game had potential. Really looking forward to it.

[[Micky] The Wolf]

Originally posted by WarMage:

It's so cool yet so annoying at the same time !!!!!!

I read your reply and it gets me going hard. I like it so much. But then I think how obscure everything is, a little explanation would go a loooooong way.

Especially for new players, you need to be able to at least evaluate which missions are realistic for you when you first start the game. Otherwise, you just get pwned hard and a lot of people will just leave after a while. Most don't even take to forums for answer.

Anyway, I'm glad I came here to confirm my doubts. I knew this game had potential. Really looking forward to it.

Yis, but remember, the game is still in it super early state. A lot of this will change later on. There will be a lot of balance change, etc. (I heard a "RUMOUR" that there will be a redo on the trading systems; this is just a hearsay lol)

[[Micky] The Wolf]

Oh, P.S There is a trade module for you to use and to trade across the universe, there a discussion somewhere on here that the developer was explaining 0n the used of it~ That could speed up your trading just a by a tad bit~

The discussion thread is titled "Question about barter trading module." One of the developers explains its uses. https://steamcommunity.com/app/2059170/discussions/0/575994948960157681/

[WarMage]

That thing sounds more dangerous than helpful.

Originally posted by Micky The Wolf:

Yis, but remember, the game is still in it super early state. A lot of this will change later on...

I.... I guess you're right. I've been following this game for a long time and just purchased it two weeks ago. From the outside looking in it felt like it was aroud 60-70% progression. I know the game had to pivot some time back because the concept wasn't hitting the road well. I suppose it's earlier in development than I thought.

Still, I don't mind the messy GUI as long as the devs plan to clean it up. That's why I'm hitting the forums.