The essential spirit of Oolite?

[Thargoid]

True, but I haven't traded, fought or explored in ages (other than briefly for testing purposes, and then heavily using the console to set up conditions). So the single additional option would be "OXP write, play".

But then you always get awkward buggers like me in these polls It was more an answer to your original post question than the poll itself.

[Kaks]

"OXP write, play".

"Mostly coding, some playing."

[Wildeblood]

I did consider including it, but...
I thought I could add more options to the poll if needed, but it seems I can't.

[Switeck]

When you start out with 100 credits and maybe a couple missiles, you'll be forced to trade first.
Because going almost anywhere can mean probable death for a new ship, exploring is rather hard starting out.

So I'd say trading, fighting, and lastly exploring.

About the only core game things that encourage exploring are the core missions and ironically trading via cargo contracts. (As well as passenger contracts.) If you're not doing either, wanderlust doesn't pay.

[Wildeblood]

About the only core game things that encourage exploring are the core missions and ironically trading via... contracts... If you're not doing either, wanderlust doesn't pay.

So, you're saying that the core game encourages the player to find a good trading pair and then just hang around there?

[Switeck]

Yes, the same way electric fences encourage you to not grab them bare-handed.

[maik]

I guess this is true if you only want to amass Credits.

If you want to become Elite quicker, you might want to seek out systems which are not necessarily good for trading but have a high likelihood for lots of pirates. Then you might want to head for for high TL systems to kit out your Cobra as well in between some trading.

At least this is how I played the game in the beginning, but that is down to personal choice.

[Alex]

Hanging around the space stations shooting the police, no?

That's pretty much what I do when I need to blow off steam... if I just went on a 60-light-year journey without saving only to be shot down by a few Asps, I'll load up my alter ego uber-savefile and show the Vipers who's boss.

OH Yeh!.... I have a ship just for that too. (RL) Not quite as good as the old scrap car and a 5Kg sledge hammer, but close. You'd be amazed how small you can make a Hillman Imp over a few years just with a big hammer! Engine aswell!!

For me it's Fight, Explore then Trade, being an all out bounty hunter with enough cred's that the trading is just a bonus for the re-stock of munitions and the dreaded maintenance. I'm quite hard on my ship!

[Switeck]

Keep in mind that I say this order:

So I'd say trading, fighting, and lastly exploring.

...as the order you have to DO them. Once your ship is already kitted out and have "sufficient" credits to spare, THEN you can change the priorities however you see fit. But if you're regularly getting equipment damaged in combat, even 1 million credits may not feel like enough.

[Cmdr. Maegil]

But if you're regularly getting equipment damaged in combat, even 1 million credits may not feel like enough.

Maybe you should hire a competent engineering team - although there are pieces of equipment that require specialized care or outright replacement, in most cases they save me a fortune in the repair bills.

[Switeck]

I am aware of repair bots.

I was taking the "essential spirit of Oolite" to mean without or at least with very few OXPs.