So, the Race for Stanton is well underway — and it’s been… rocky, to say the least. But all is definitely not bad — let me explain. First off, the bad: Elevators are broken: Everyone and their mum knew this would happen (and even warned you about it during PTU). And yet, the event was launched. I assume you want to collect data to fix the elevators, and that’s why you chose to go live anyway. But some kind of communication about that would have gone a long way, if that was the case. Griefers are rampant: Again, everyone saw this coming. Why you didn’t anticipate this — and somehow tried to design around it — is beyond me. Lesson from this event: If a player can gain an advantage (or just have fun) by griefing others, he will do so. And no, Jared — shaking your head and saying “you can just choose not to” does absolutely nothing to change the mindset of those people. The mission system is broken: Well… once again, we all... Cargo hauling mission crate size: 4 SCU... Really??? If i sign up to move 180SCU i can probably handle a little more than 4 scu boxes. But there’s good stuff too! A lot of players are actually helping each other complete the event! I try to help whenever I can — but call me a cynic — I never saw this happening at the scale it is right now. Yet here we are: players are loading cargo for complete strangers, just to keep the flow going at the few elevators that actually work. In my book, that’s a huge win — especially in a game that does absolutely nothing to encourage this kind of behavior. Most of the missions for this event are awesome. (Thank you for that!) After playing both FPS and ship combat missions in PTU, I was genuinely looking forward to grinding them out in the PU. Almost every mission caters to my playstyle. And while I could always come up with ideas (or things to rant about), I would have been a happy camper — if only the mission system had been working. What I hope CIG will learn from this event (And hey — it’s still not over!) A sandbox without sand is just another box... Just like the previous three events, you created a theme park ride — and in true theme park fashion, you made sure every player experiences the event exactly and only according to your scripted playbook. And the only ways to participate are: • Do the event-limited missions (if they work) • Spend an obscene amount of time mining • Pirate Personally, I’m mining — and I’m about 1500 SCU into my first faction. But I’m probably not going to reach Tier 5 unless something changes. And it really pisses me off! What I believe you should have done (and still have time to do): Put relevant loot back in Bounty/Merc/Vaughn missions That way, people who enjoy those missions can collect event resources doing what they love. Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy the new missions you made for the event. But if you want this game to even remotely resemble a sandbox, we - the players - should be able to decide how we want to complete events — not just follow narrow, time-limited event-script missions. I for one had a blast soloing ERTs in my beloved (pre-nerf) Corsair to avoid standing in line at Magnus gateway for Supply or Die... Sorry, but the nerf still stings… Don’t remove event resources from Pyro: Instead, make them obtainable from planet-side settlements, so players with big ships (and enough friends) can haul the resources back to Stanton while fighting off pirates. So what if they finish the event in 2–3 trips trough the wormhole? If a guild can muster a fully crewed Polaris or Idris or even enough fighters to defend a Hull-C — then let them! That’s how great stories and unforgettable gameplay moments are born. Buff mining Make mining a viable way to complete the event. Right now, mining yields are way below what they were in PTU. So filling a Prospector takes me about 35 minutes on average, and about 45 with a Mole - with travel time. And I can do 2-3 medium cargo hauling missions in the same timespan (if elevators work). And when mining i still have to move the refined cargo from the refinary to the destination port... I don’t know if it's because of player load, or because you dialed down the percentage of required materials in asteroids? Also, the respawn time and/or node distribution (like copper on Daymar) is just… stupid. Going forward — please consider the following: It’s not about creating a massive timesink Players will keep playing — even after finishing the goals — if the content is fun and engaging. Don’t limit player options Especially not in a game that’s supposed to be a sandbox. You can’t know everything Listen to your PTU testers - they love the game and want to make it better. That’s why they spend time testing it. PvE content rocks This is just my take — but it feels like a lot more players are engaging with this event, compared to both Hathor and the worm thing. If that’s true: give us more please and leave the PVP in pyro! A lot of us play solo So, until you implement proper group support (lobbies, working invites, LFG, etc.), please don’t make content that requires groups. Make content that works well in groups — but also caters to solo players! Don’t build events around broken mechanics And if you do — please communicate that this is your intention, and that you’re using it to monitor/fix bugs. Otherwise, the signal you're sending is: “We don’t know what’s going on in our own game — and we don’t really care either.” Final thoughts I’m probably going to catch some flak for this long-winded post — but honestly, I don’t care. I enjoy playing this game, and I want to see it succeed. But man, do I get pissed when I lose 1, 2, or even 3 hours’ worth of gameplay because my refined cargo gets stuck to the grid, or the elevator just outright eats it. Both are bugs that have been in the game for how long?! I hate logging in, only to be greeted by players ranting nonstop in chat — not because they’re trolls, but because they genuinely feel like CIG doesn’t give a damn. And to be honest? What I hate the most is that I’m starting to feel like they’re right. And it shouldn’t be like that. So please… do better.