What happens, when you run out of money?

[star_fox88]

So, I've been playing for a while and just finished the first story mission.
And I though of running some contracts before I head up to the "First Strike" Story Mission.
But I only manage to finish level 1 Contracts (most of the times with heavy losses) so I can't sustain my 5 Pilots and 5 Mechs, since there is at most one of those in a month.
So I'm wondering, what happens, when I can't afford any salary of my Pilots and I don't have anything to sell.

[Sticky Wicket]

I think essentially you fail when you run out of money. Game Over.

Tbh I relate to your situation because I am pretty much in the same place. My only advice is to save a lot because finding low level contracts after the first story mission are difficult to find. Save before travelling to a new system, because there may not be anything you can take on.

Eventually something will come up that is appropriate for your level, but you will have to go searching for it.

[star_fox88]

Well this is kind of disapointing, since I primarly get 1.5 oder Level 2 Contracts which are both way out of my league, since I have to fight at a disatvantage of 1:2 Enemy ratio.

[SpectralShade]

you really want to do the first few sotry missions fast, because they give a needed influx of cash. Trying to scrape out a merc living without the cash from those missions becomes very hard.
later on you will be able to get a full months financial expenses froma single mission if you negotiate for full payment (and in the beginning you need to do this sometimes). As the game progresses, I found it somewhat easier to manage finances and grow an armory of weapons and mechs alongisde.

[Razer]

Has anyone tested this? I've come close to bankruptcy as probably many have, but I always had ways out of it.

[Sticky Wicket]

Originally posted by star_fox:

Well this is kind of disapointing, since I primarly get 1.5 oder Level 2 Contracts which are both way out of my league, since I have to fight at a disatvantage of 1:2 Enemy ratio.

Yep well, I personally think this part of the game is kind-of broken.

After saving and loading a lot I managed to find 3 doable missions all in the same system. I have only just realised that if you quit the game and reload, the missions are sometimes different.

[Sticky Wicket]

Originally posted by SpectralShade:

you really want to do the first few sotry missions fast, because they give a needed influx of cash. Trying to scrape out a merc living without the cash from those missions becomes very hard.

I have to say I think that is really BAD advice and disagree with you.

I went into the first story mission too early and had to reload from a much earlier save, did a few more random missions to get some more skills for my pilots and time/money to refit mechs more appropriately and was then ready to do it.

Yes you get a huge influx of money, but you also get *stuck* with mostly only higher level missions available afterwards.

[Bmorekareful]

Save after completing missions, just in case you really mess up on refitting, money, contracts, etc. I had to go back several missions because of the 2nd story mission, I wasn't prepared at all. I learned a lot in going back. You learn to turn off certain low % guns when shooting, how to properly place weapons, heat management, probably don't need jets (more space for armor/weaspons), etc.

[Thite]

I've done the first story mission and most of the contracts I currently get are 1.5/2 skull and give a max payment of around 500k c-bills, they're also pretty easy generally only 3 mechs and maybe a few support vehicles. I also only travel somewhere if I have a contract that'll send me there, haven't used the star map at all yet.

[Sticky Wicket]

This game is actually very bad at allowing people to pace themselves. it has a steep learning curve with some very sudden jumps in difficulty.

[David]

I ran out of money, and went bankrupt, the game ends when you do this. I simply selected an older save, and chose a different path. Need a lot of money in the beginning, before you go for the Argo. Maybe a coupla Heavies too !

[Scouten]

If you can blitz the first couple story missions and play smart and leg enemy mechs you can get some good salvage and don't need to worry too much about money I'm not at the point where the Argo is basically fully upgraded and I pay over a million a month

[Tsulan]

Take it slow.
Every time you do a story mission, the normal missions become harder.
There is no time limit in accepting story missions. The money from the story missions is nice, but they are usually harder than the normal missions.