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[Bob69Joe]

There was a video uploaded by, I assume, a Russian, about taking a Dram as the only fleet ship and solo exploring for big payouts. The strategy required no initial leveling up or specific skills, the gameplay strategy was good to go out the starting gates. The video should still be on the forum but I just can't find it in a search, using "youtube" or some other variants and it's really difficult to find on youtube itself.

[Apfelkuchenbemme]

My best guess is this vid from this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AWfbT6L444

[Daynen]

MADNESS.

[Bob69Joe]

That would be the one. Thanks pals. I'm trying to suggest a starting path for a buddy getting into the game.

[BHunterSEAL]

That would be the one. Thanks pals. I'm trying to suggest a starting path for a buddy getting into the game.

To me that feels kind of like suggesting that people start playing Mount & Blade by riding from tavern to tavern in order to win money playing board games, fleeing from Looters and steering clear of realm politics. While it's certainly a way to make low-risk money that's available from the start of the game... it kinda misses the point. Exploration is a cool mechanic but the logistics can be aggravating--partially alleviated by the Dram's fuel storage and low upkeep--and it's easy for even very experienced players to become hopelessly stranded or find they lack the resources necessary to carry out a mission they've travelled across the Sector for.

More importantly, it doesn't do much to enhance a new player's understanding of the core gameplay elements--combat, fleet customization, the economy, and ultimately large-scale warfare / development. My intro to the game was the single missions, mostly because (not beating my chest here) that's all there was when I bought it. The campaign has obviously evolved quite a bit in the past ~9 years, layering on lots of depth and complexity, but the best way to learn the fundamentals of fleet composition, logistics and ship design is to start the way we all did: collecting bounties and capturing ships, working up from a frigate or two. The campaign starts are massively easier than in older builds, between the ~30k/mo newbie 'crutch' and far more capable starting fleets, it's almost impossible to find yourself dead-ended to where there's no hope of advancing.

[SaberCherry]

To me that feels kind of like suggesting that people start playing Mount & Blade by riding from tavern to tavern in order to win money playing board games

Right, everyone knows you win money from tournaments and ride tavern to tavern to gather companions.

Personally, I don't see the point in exploring with a solo Dram because you have no sensor range, can't keep any loot, can't survey planets, and can't salvage abandoned ships (or else you're outside the logistics profile of a solo Dram).

[Apfelkuchenbemme]

Ayy no problem, but:

While it's certainly a way to make low-risk money that's available from the start of the game... it kinda misses the point.

is spot on tbh. Everyone is different of course, but all it took for me to go and get Starsector was Alec's Sseth's video review about it. Giving your buddy some pointers towards playing the game by giving them a pretty extreme min-max start kinda feels like introducing someone to Oblivion by making a beeline to Peryite's Shrine to powerlvl offensive skills before getting the Everscamp Staff to powerlvl block, armor and smithing only to end up at lvl 17 or so in order "to not "lose" health, magicka and stamina on lvl up because your attributes aren't lvled perfectly" before you start "the normal game".

The only thing you're doing when you run around with only a Dram at the start, is gain lots of cash via exploration contracts and some exp. If you want to give your buddy an easy start to the game, just have him cheat in a million credits and enough exp to get to lvl 20 or something like that.

[Terethall]

The perpetual challenge of game design is making the optimal ways to play the most fun ways to play....

[SaberCherry]

The perpetual challenge of game design is making the optimal ways to play the most fun ways to play....

I disagree.  I think the challenge is to make any random approach fun.

[fergrim]

yeah phrasing the challenge of game design in that way, to me, is broken on its face - as I am one who specifically always finds the most optimal way to play to also be the least appealing.  Doing what has already been done by everyone else never really is exciting to me.

Whenever a friend or acquaintance goes about starting a game by googling "what is the best way to play this game", it leaves me stricken with horror and malaise.

[Terethall]

yeah phrasing the challenge of game design in that way, to me, is broken on its face - as I am one who specifically always finds the most optimal way to play to also be the least appealing.  Doing what has already been done by everyone else never really is exciting to me.

Whenever a friend or acquaintance goes about starting a game by googling "what is the best way to play this game", it leaves me stricken with horror and malaise.

Exactly what I'm saying. Optimal ways to play are rarely fun, but humans have an instinct to optimize, or at least, a tendency to try to succeed due most people preferring the feeling of success to failure. Optimal ways to play result in more success, yet often less fun. Thus the challenge.

[intrinsic_parity]

I really don't agree that a game should be made so that every way you can play works. In fact, I would say that's a big red flag that the game is too easy which isn't enjoyable to me.

If any random approach is successful, then the players decisions don't matter because no matter what the player did, they would be successful. I enjoy games where I have to play well/make the right decisions, and if I mess up, then I lose. That necessarily means a majority of the things I could do would result in losing the game.

For me the fun of the game is learning and improving, and if everything works, there is nothing to learn or improve. It's not about winning, I actually don't mind losing, it's about making meaningful decisions and skillful plays, which I find satisfying.