Lots of talk has been heard recently about balancing missions and the make over of noobie grind assignments and it gave me this idea for balancing out the grinding missions problem and overall player disaffectation.

My idea is this: How about implementing a system where each npc on the map is assigned a bounty value. ie, each time a player kills a roaming npc, he instantly gets a relation reward and possibly some bounty money from one of the cartel corps. Granted, those rewards should be relatively tiny in order to keep everything from skidding into an all out poachers syndrome but I do believe it can work out as a supplementary system. Larger and tougher NPCs could even be worth good money on their own. Named random spawns of "oulaw legends" could bring the player some even better rewards.

The same could also be worked-in in some way for the transport missions. The cartel corps could issue out some sort of publicly open freight orders and pay on delivery for each merchandise delivered in a particular outpost or terminal. By highlighting some items in demand by the cartel on the market, logistics people could then rush in for the fastest delivery and collect the reward.

The idea could allow for a somewhat free-er play style, allow for some relations gains without grinding over the same mission. Would cut down the travel time associated with most combat assignments and is somewhat inline with the universe's storyline. Sort of an open bounty put out by the cartel on all "racoon pelts" in order to better establish the human foothold on Nia. Furthermore, it would allow noobs to get some points and money by killing easier npcs.

Think of it in a "wild west / borderlands" context where supplies were scarce and bounties for outlaws were commonplace and I think it fits in pretty well with the games's storyline.

The npc killing could either work as an instant reward where your wallet gets the money right away or npcs could drop tokens to be taken back and exchanged in terminals for the rewards. I smell a new market opportunity here...

Some may say it boils down to taking down the formal assignment postings and just reward the players for essentially doing the same thing whenever they want but I personnally think the actual assignments could still work well if bumped up a little as if they were extra special demands from the cartel corps thereby being a little more rewarding (and possibly tougher).

And yes I know it essentially "ratting" but I do believe it is necessary for new players to be able to diversify their earning activities a little.

What does the community (and the DEVs) think?