Freighter missions (and others) with short time limits

[jubbbird]

It strikes me that the number of missions that require the impossibly fast transportation of large quantities of slow-moving freight FAR outweigh the perceived availability of the jumpdrive.

I've read in other threads that the rarity of the jumpdrive could be appreciated, and I tend to agree, but am I missing something? Is there another way to complete such missions without the use of a jumpdrive, or having pre-loaded freighters standing by all over the universe?

The same can be said for some 'return ship' missions. It seems that any mission of average or greater difficulty will carry with it a lamentably short time limit which seems to require a jumpdrive. If it weren't for this I'd totally agree that jumpdrive acquisition should remain laborious.

The game seems to suggest that jumpdrives are a standard requirement, yet they aren't standard issue. Does anyone have any insight as to how one might take on such missions WITHOUT having first jumped through this seemingly superfluous hoop?

[kurush]

The freight transport missions are between the few that still present some challenge once you understand the game mechanics. They are arguably easier in AP where you can have a jump beacon. I am not sure I am following you on the jump drive rarity. It seems to be pretty common and sold on 3 or 4 stations across the universe... And without it most missions are either impossible or just not fun.

[jubbbird]

I'd argue that '3 or 4 stations in the universe' is rare. So the Terran's have no jump tech? Assuming a Terran start, you simply *must* embark on a pilgrimage to Argon/Goner space just to collect this fundamental piece of equipment in order to complete almost any worthwhile mission?

[kurush]

I'd argue that '3 or 4 stations in the universe' is rare. So the Terran's have no jump tech? Assuming a Terran start, you simply *must* embark on a pilgrimage to Argon/Goner space just to collect this fundamental piece of equipment in order to complete almost any worthwhile mission?

Which game? There is JD for Terrans in TC and for AP Terran start is basically broken with no intent from Ego to ever fix it.
Argon, Boron, Goner and Terran stations - should be enough for anybody. Unless you manage to 3.14ss off everybody in the universe of course Remember that in Reunion it was goner + terracorp only and transporter was goner-only. That was rare...

[jubbbird]

Excluding Earth, to which you need to earn access through the plot I presume, there seem to be three places to get a JD in TC, and they are indeed spread fairly evenly around the map. So there's not too far to go, in any case. But you'd have to look that up in order to avoid the need to search manually.

I can appreciate the need to look stuff up, and don't consider it to be cheating considering that, realistically, every ship should probably have a complete universe map built in, even if the sector map is blank.

[devilsad]

I suppose you could rationalize it in the sense that they are offering these supply missions with huge rewards because they need it "right now" and can't wait for their regular suppliers to trudge through half-a-dozen sectors to get to them. So if jumpdrives were common, the mission rewards would be a lot lower, or not given at all. And no, there isn't a way to do most of them without a jumpdrive. Many of them can't even be done without having several Superfreighter XLs standing by that are already filled with the requested resource and enough ecells to jump to the station.

On a meta level it's an artifact of the evolution of the game. In the earlier games the jump drive was pretty much exclusively a benefit only for the player so he or she didn't have to travel for 30 minutes to do something in a nearby sector. It made sense to be rare (and expensive) so the player had something to work for. Now that jumpdrives have become almost standard equipment and used on nearly every ship, it's become a kind of bothersome 'feature' that the player has to work around with carriers full of M5s to transfer over jumpdrives and 'rare' equipment to his fleet, or send them the long way around to fit them.

[Honved]

[quote="jubbbird"]Is there another way to complete such missions without the use of a jumpdrive, or having pre-loaded freighters standing by all over the universe?
[/quote]

You can read the mission requirements and refuse it, then load up your freighters and have them already well on their way, before you comm again (any time before the mission expires or someone else supplies the goods) and accept the mission.

[Chromehound]

You can try keeping the dialogue for accepting the quest up till you're about ready to jump.

You have to be within that 25km or so distance to initialize the conversation, but you can keep that accept window up long passed that distance. Sometimes I'll wait till the very last second before hitting the jump gate to hit Accept, and that can save a few minutes.

Obviously only works for missions where you go elsewhere first. No sense getting a head start to the next system when you need to pick something up at the dock where you got the mission

[cj-spartacus]

You can keep the mission dialogue box open and send a freighter to pick up the wares. The mission timer will not begin until you click accept. Just wait for your freighter to get back with the wares and then accept the mission.

[Edit]: Well actually, having a second thought you'd need to accept the mission in order to order the freighter back to you. Oh well, it's still a bit quicker.

[kurush]

You can keep the mission dialogue box open and send a freighter to pick up the wares. The mission timer will not begin until you click accept. Just wait for your freighter to get back with the wares and then accept the mission.

You can just close it and reopen it. The mission still can expire if you keep the briefing open. I think it happened to me once or twice.