Main plots need better rewards

[dreamer2008]

I just finished three major plots, the clearing of the xenon sectors for the yaki, the paranid plot of creating the duke faction, and made peace with the syndicate by blowing up one of their stations.

The Yaki plot reward was basically, "wow, you actually destroyed 4 sectors full of Xenon for us? We have nothing to give. Thaanks, take care!", the paranid was: "Wow, you actually gave us a fleet, a massive base, a unique battleship, brainwashed priests for 1 billion credits (that we just make vanish with no explanation). Thanks, I guess, and even if you are inferior we allow you to join us to fight the other paranid, but we will kill you if you betray us", and the Syndicate was: "You are strong, time for peace, byee".

I don't understand why who designed these plots thought that we shouldn't get anything for the massive trouble of finishing the plots. Something, anything, not just a ship paint, something substantial, unique, like a unique ship with everything maxed out, with a unique design, a station producing unique expensive goods, something to make the effort of finishing these huge and expensive plots actually satisfying. Its really disappointing. I know you put "The journey is the reward" all the time in the loading screen, but its just not enough in this case, its good to have something interesting to look forward to at the end of a difficult plot.

I don't think I'll even start doing terraforming, what's the point, just more "Thaanks, byye!".

[mrwuggles]

I just finished three major plots, the clearing of the xenon sectors for the yaki, the paranid plot of creating the duke faction, and made peace with the syndicate by blowing up one of their stations.

The Yaki plot reward was basically, "wow, you actually destroyed 4 sectors full of Xenon for us? We have nothing to give. Thaanks, take care!", the paranid was: "Wow, you actually gave us a fleet, a massive base, a unique battleship, brainwashed priests for 1 billion credits (that we just make vanish with no explanation). Thanks, I guess, and even if you are inferior we allow you to join us to fight the other paranid, but we will kill you if you betray us", and the Syndicate was: "You are strong, time for peace, byee".

I don't understand why who designed these plots thought that we shouldn't get anything for the massive trouble of finishing the plots. Something, anything, not just a ship paint, something substantial, unique, like a unique ship with everything maxed out, with a unique design, a station producing unique expensive goods, something to make the effort of finishing these huge and expensive plots actually satisfying. Its really disappointing. I know you put "The journey is the reward" all the time in the loading screen, but its just not enough in this case, its good to have something interesting to look forward to at the end of a difficult plot.

I don't think I'll even start doing terraforming, what's the point, just more "Thaanks, byye!".

They design is getting better but the older content needs to be brought up to standard, and adding something after the quest so you are least feel like you have made a change, example of this being with the empryion curs once the storyline is completed they could be setup as a mobile mission giveng hub, or perhaps be seen flying around taking part, or better yet you can batphone them and they might show up with that destroyer of theirs to help you out a bit, which would be awesome, so minor changes like that wouldn't be an excessive amount of and gave the player a sense that they have some friends and that there is a higher degree of permeance in the universe.

But as I mentioned a few times even big companies like Bethesda get his wrong, arrow in the knee, stole your sweetroll, major questlines not really making a big difference in the world, voice line updates yadda yadda so perhaps it's not worth it.

[paraskous]

The point is not material rewards. It's tweaking the universe to specific states and factions. If you want rewards play Terran campain. You get a destroyer for finishing. Then you won't need any more material rewards. Or go get the Faulty Logic ship. Your set for most content with that.

[dreamer2008]

The point is not material rewards. It's tweaking the universe to specific states and factions. If you want rewards play Terran campain. You get a destroyer for finishing. Then you won't need any more material rewards. Or go get the Faulty Logic ship. Your set for most content with that.

I know that's the point of the developers, Dal Busta makes it clear every time, I am saying that's just not enough. Opened a new Yaki market, wohoo, so what, you have a lot of markets already by the time you have a fleet to destroy 4 active xenon sectors.

That Terran reward was great, and exactly my point. It was awesome getting that, it really makes a difference at the start of the game, and that's the only major reward we get.

They design is getting better but the older content needs to be brought up to standard, and adding something after the quest so you are least feel like you have made a change, example of this being with the empryion curs once the storyline is completed they could be setup as a mobile mission giveng hub, or perhaps be seen flying around taking part, or better yet you can batphone them and they might show up with that destroyer of theirs to help you out a bit, which would be awesome, so minor changes like that wouldn't be an excessive amount of and gave the player a sense that they have some friends and that there is a higher degree of permeance in the universe.

But as I mentioned a few times even big companies like Bethesda get his wrong, arrow in the knee, stole your sweetroll, major questlines not really making a big difference in the world, voice line updates yadda yadda so perhaps it's not worth it.

That's exactly what I was thinking too, it would have been nice to at least turn them into a sort of ally. For them to say that they are eternally grateful and will rush to help out when you need them. Instead the Duke insults you in the typical Paranid way, and that's about it, no real alliance, no reward, a dud.

[alt3rn1ty]

I don't think I'll even start doing terraforming, what's the point, just more "Thaanks, byye!".

Ooh you might want to rethink that one, its a bit of a long slog to do initially, but you eventually open up the ability to churn out five star pilots and marines who wait at your PHQ to be assigned wherever you want them.

On the ending of plots being a bit of an anti-climax, it does feel that way, though more giveaways in the form of ships I'm not so sure of because the game already gives out a lot of reward ships.

Maybe more to the end of the story content would be good. The Yaki plot to me felt way too abrupt after all was done, a few words from the station manager and ... Erm, that was it?, oh okay then. You guys aren't going to build now your sectors free of Xenon?, no?, oh okay then. Ehm, I'll just be on my way then. All they seem to do is buy ships from anyone to go on suicide missions then rinse and repeat. Where they get their money from to fund the constant orders for ships forever after is a mystery.

[Shasslar]

To be fair, I'm also thinking that the plots could use some unique rewards, aside from the faction states (which are great ways to influence your universe).
But almost all plots lack that nice finishing touch, like you had in X3.

Remember the CPU ships? Springblossom? The PHQ? The Hub? The damn Aran? The Skunk?

All of these were maybe anecdotal for some players (well,not the hub or the PHQ), but they were trophies, sidegrades that were signs of your success.

In X4, I really loved getting the Erlking or the Hydra Regal, but I wish there was more.

And who knows? With the Boron plot hinting at manual gate connection, maybe we'll get something akin to the Hub.

(although I'd love to have an equivalent of the Unfocussed Jumpdrive, maybe in a Venture-like module to explore and get some juicy rewards out of it)

and please bring back my beloved #deca

[BitByte]

So far I have completed 3 terraforming missions and from them...
..1 gave me apportunity make credits with nividium
..1 affected Scale Plate and get some ships (which are not so important for me due I have plenty of them already)
..1 gave warm fuzzy feeling and laugh due the end comments of mission manager (due knowning the background)

As far as I know plot rewards have already been updated as player will get paint mods. Players whom had completed those plots in the time when update came received the paint mods automatically.

[NightmareNight91]

The plot rewards do suck imo.

[jlehtone]

Do you do story for the story, or for the rewards?
If the only thing about story that is of interest are the rewards and even them not "worthy", then it is not the rewards that "suck" (and not in the sense a good book does) in the story?

I did play x4 600+ hours before touching any of the stories. Still haven't done all of them. Some of them feel too much Moongates of Ultima (VI ?).


Some of the plots "reward" you with Boso Ta and Dal Busta. I do agree that that is not a "good reward". Quite the opposite.

[Raptor34]

I rather not. I don't want to be forced to play the plots for any special rewards.

[mr.WHO]

For me, the plots are reward themselves, more than actual rewards

They allow me to put my assets (fleets and factories) into task/objective, coz I'm not much into generic sandbox "just conquer whole universe".


I don't mind plot having reward of 1 corvette, while I already used a whole carrier fleet to complete the plot

[Genoscythe]

Plot rewards are hit and miss. Some give you unique versions of ships or unqiue ships altogether like the Camo Katana or Astrid, but a lot of missions only have minimal rewards. I wouldn't mind some extra financial boost from some of them, like the Arcadian Endeavour plot Raven is just such a gimmick, at that point in the plot, as a new gamestart, what you usually need is money or a ship that is way out of your reach, like the Syn you get for the secret service/Yaki plot.

There's also the diplomatic mission rewards, which are fine, since they can be seen as investment. Having the whole universe at war with each other makes you trillions.

[Admiral Sausage]

...the Arcadian Endeavour plot Raven is just such a gimmick...

I actually find that one useful, as it lets you make easy money trading illegal goods. It's particularly useful to have for another unrelated plotline where you have to do some trading in VIG-controlled space.

[akira1784]

I dont think it‘s fare to say this about yaki and Syndicate,you can get unique ship and protectron blue print from Syndicate's main plots，and you already knows yaki has absolutly no resource and money from the start.
Maybe my standard are too low? beacuse paranid main plot are really bad.
THEY EVEN ASK YOU TO BUILD A GIANT PALACE FOR THEM!
and what did they give me in return？
absolutly nothing
this journey is a punishment and humiliation

[shinden]

In my opinion, the world changing plots for Paranid and Split should be much easier. By the time you have the resources to fund fleets for any of the options, the world is already your oyster. It's almost pointless.

Instead, it should be a mid game goal. Instead of building/buying a fleet or station, you should help them build it and get a suitable reward for it. Then you can actually take advantage of the reward the devs meant you to enjoy...doing what you want with the changed world.

Currently by the time you can "help" a side in the paranid plot, you are so powerful you can just wipe the map with whoever (unless you really did just leave the game on at mid game for a week...oh boy)

To make the mid to late game transition fun, it should be mid game doable, with decent rewards and a chance to enjoy the results of your work.

[Pesanur]

For the Paranid Plot, if you side with the Dukes, your reward is that now you can buy the Prometheus and it blueprint.

[Mightysword]

Looking at the whole game, the Yaki plot does seem to be lacking in reward. However I think it's just one of those thing that feels that way due to the game being a sandbox that allows players to do everything. By the time we get to resolve the Yaki plot, we would mostly be already established, so the Yaki adds very little. But imagine if you RP a strictly pirate game and make Yaki "your" faction, then what you can achieve in the Yaki plot would be more momentous.

[BitByte]

If I remember right Yaki plot reward is the stuff you can collect from bunch of lockboxes outside of their HQ.

[dreamer2008]

Looking at the whole game, the Yaki plot does seem to be lacking in reward. However I think it's just one of those thing that feels that way due to the game being a sandbox that allows players to do everything. By the time we get to resolve the Yaki plot, we would mostly be already established, so the Yaki adds very little. But imagine if you RP a strictly pirate game and make Yaki "your" faction, then what you can achieve in the Yaki plot would be more momentous.

Yes, but that would require for Yaki to truly become a faction, with its own shipyards with modified designs of all ship types. That would have been amazing, a truly great reward.

If I remember right Yaki plot reward is the stuff you can collect from bunch of lockboxes outside of their HQ.

That's their only reward once you finish their plot, and its a good one, but its not the reward for clearing their sectors of xenon, for that "small" task you get a thanks.

For the Paranid Plot, if you side with the Dukes, your reward is that now you can buy the Prometheus and it blueprint.

For rebuilding a faction completely we get as "reward" the option to buy a modified miner... Doesn't seem like a fair reward to me.