The game needs to stop giving you things and actually let you earn something

[Arghan]

Fighting is actually hard because primary weapon fire (mouse right click for me) opens the info panel of your target, making hitting your enemy harder.

Umm, that falls on X4 interfaces require skill. Options included

[Scoob]

I just long range scan every once in a while during my trips.
You have abandoned ships when in the map you see a cluster of "?", representing the mines around the ship. You need to blow them all before claiming the freebie.

You know, I've not once found a ship in a cluster of mines like that. Sure, I see clusters of "?" on my map after a scan, but it's always empty. I do find derelict ships of course, but it doesn't show on a long range scan, nor do the mines. Every single time, I've had to get in visual range before a Derelict is detected.

That said, I've found a few M-Class ships, these appear to be generated from "retrieve the ship" missions that are offered, but I never take, yet the ship is created anyway. These mission often pop up soon after a faction promotion for some reason. I see them offered, then keep my eyes open for a derelict and usually find one nearby.

At first, getting such a freebie is huge and, when you're still learning, it feels like you have to expend at least some effort to retrieve it. However, after the first few times it does feel a bit too easy. It's possibly to get a Frigate very early on with a bit of luck, quite a powerful ship, even if the game balance for shields and damage is a bit weird at the moment.

As a rule, I don't pilot such finds myself, they're AI only in my game. I will pilot something I've personally captured though and spend most of my time in a Falcon Vanguard, before that a Kestrel Sentinel.

The game does feel a little weird at times. I was playing a lot of X3XP Litcube Mod prior to X4, rather than Rebirth. In that I'd sometimes find bailed ships, but it was an effort to repair and upgrade them. The larger ships are dirt cheap in X4, where I was paying 1.5 Billion credits to buy and outfit the larger ships in the Litcube mod. Also, X3's - and Rebith's - large ships were absolute beast, X4's really not.

I'd personally LOVE to see some of Rebirths larger ships make an appearance in X4 as the current ships seem a large step backwards vs. those 130+ turret monsters. Even the totally OP Skunk had trouble with those...Xenon N's can cripple a Destroyer in X4.

Scoob.

[ADMNtek]

I really hope that ES has plans for this to change more towards X3's hard work.

What we really miss are those ranks for combat and trading... i don't know why ES didn't put that into X4, because it's of a huge importance
to making the player work towards something other then "more ships more stations".

Some missions required certain ranks and standing with factions to start - plot missions ..

This. This game needs some kind of rank or renown to build up before you get higher paying/more important missions.

as far as i remember they had that in XR where you would only get high level mission depending on either rank or license.
and i don't know while they changed that so much. in XR you rank up and get permission to buy better licenses. but now you rank up and get those for free the only licenses you have to buy are the police license and the massively overpriced trade subscription.

I just long range scan every once in a while during my trips.
You have abandoned ships when in the map you see a cluster of "?", representing the mines around the ship. You need to blow them all before claiming the freebie.

I'd personally LOVE to see some of Rebirths larger ships make an appearance in X4 as the current ships seem a large step backwards vs. those 130+ turret monsters. Even the totally OP Skunk had trouble with those...Xenon N's can cripple a Destroyer in X4.

Scoob.

yes but when you finally did i felt awesome. capturing my first Arawn took me like 2+ hours fighting of wave after wave of drones and then skin dance to take out the turrets and shields.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

I just long range scan every once in a while during my trips.
You have abandoned ships when in the map you see a cluster of "?", representing the mines around the ship. You need to blow them all before claiming the freebie.

You know, I've not once found a ship in a cluster of mines like that. Sure, I see clusters of "?" on my map after a scan, but it's always empty. I do find derelict ships of course, but it doesn't show on a long range scan, nor do the mines. Every single time, I've had to get in visual range before a Derelict is detected.
[...]
Scoob.

May be a bug, I always find a ship into the mine cluster.