Since VO is a cross between an FPS and an RPG, it needs to cater for both crowds. At the moment it seems to do neither - you need to level, but only to level 10 or so.
This on one hand serves to annoy FPS crowd who want all the guns, and want them right away.
On the other hand it serves to annoy RPG crowd who are prepared to spend days/months/years levelling, and you only need a week to more-less get all equipment in the game.

This would seem like a conflict of interests, until you realise that the two groups (overlapping groups, but nevertheless) have different goals. FPS people concentrate on PvP and such, whislt RPG people enjoy doing things like prospecting missions and doing EVEesque things.

Suggestion: Add high level things that are more useful to RPG people and do not make the FPS aspect harder. Ability to get to level 20, obtain POS, and make billions is pointless unless there is a way of using all that somehow (i.e. increase player's percieved value of the achievement). Adding a new moth colouring pattern for level 20 trading would probably be sufficient encouragement in itself.

Another problem that I currently see is money. Ships cost money. FPS people hate having to earn money but love spending. RPG people love making money but don't spend that much (and hate spending).

Suggestion: Introduce things into the game that FPS people can do to help out RPG people in return for money. Escorting traders is a good start, but in theory some arrangement that encourages mixed guilds with PRG and FPS people more would be benificial - then FPS people provide territory and control, whislt PRG people use their high levels to back the thing up financially. PA is a good example of just such a guild, which does everything from trading to [anti-]pirate patrolls (when enough people are online).

I'm mostly in agreement with what you are saying in the last paragraph. I think Guild has this in mind already. It's just hard to tell because the game is evolving. Have your read the News link?

I disagree that there are only 2 groups. VO caters to a third group: People like me who like FPS skill but like to play a character and put in the time to get the elite gear. This is not a rare group - they can be spotted on FPS games where they either remain silent or adhere to a character.

Yes, that is what I meant when I said overlapping groups... I am not sure how one would cater for people like that though. Perhaps introducing more shiny but not useful ships like raptor? That just caused disappointment though.

I think your generalising a little too much. PvP'ers aren't necessarily FPS-type. Many of the hardcore PVP'ers in this game are also the ones who are the most into RPG. And many of the kids who are only really into PvE complain that there isn't enough FPS type action (read Levi's, BS, BP, etc). Although both display overlapping desires as well.

Anyway, I do agree that there needs to be more money sinks.

Yeah, a new moth paint job isn't going to get anyone in their right mind to level trade to 20. A new MOTH... maybe.

To echo Wistler, the last paragraph of Antz's original post has the right idea. Think about it, since the Roman Empire (or something I read about that era, anyway), what soldier has had to provide his own equipment? If we are going to have real territory that you can capture, then we'll end up with some sort of cooperation between fighters and traders. Even without, we'll have cooperation, once there's a dynamic economy, and assuming ships will actually be worth money.

Traders will want escorts, so there's one way to make money as a fighter. The flipside of this is to be a pirate, and take the money, but you'll have to kill off the escorts.

Stations will want their territory defended, and will pay fighters to do the job. The only problem with this would be if robots were able to do that job. If a guild owns several stations, they could hire a private militia to defend them. Governments and other factions can hire a permanent military. This way, there would be plenty of jobs for those who want to do nothing but fight.

All this is contingent on money/property actually having a real value, and the possibility of losing that expensive station you've built. Otherwise, there's no reason to hire people to help defend it, because no one's going to try to take something that literally can't be taken.

EDIT: My point summed up in two [editRR]eight[/editRR] words: FPS is a role in an RPG game.

Perhaps the Hive Bots would slowly gather their strength in a sector, and unless a certain Mercenary performed the necessary occasional raids, the said Hive Bots would proceed to bombard our friendly Trader's station. That's gotta' be bad for business.

Tracking, and exterminating vermin might not be as glorious as lighting up the skys with your enemies' capital ships, but the player interaction is to die for. Literally. =)

I am a RPvPer.
I like RPG game with a good PvPing system (not only based on the FPS system)

RPG = virtual life and adventure...
PVP = adrenaline, fun & challenge...

a game can be a FPS + RPG.

FPS is more a "visual mode" than a gameplay style

a game can be a FPS + RPG.

FPS is more a "visual mode" than a gameplay style

Yup, with that definition of FPS I can say the same, otherwise I would be playing^W spending my life on EVE.