If this has been asked before, I'm sorry... the search didn't bring up anything useful, and I'm quite enthusiastic about this game. So again sorry if this has been asked before.
I have found this wiki post, which outlines the ranking system and how it works. That's cool with me. The page mentions that on average it takes five years to reach Elite - now obviously that's in-game time.
What I'm interested in are two questions:
1) How much real-world time does one need to achieve Elite? Now assuming one plays 1 hour every day (7 days a week), and performs 4 kills in that hour, it would take you 1600 days to reach Elite. That comes down to approx. 4.38 years real-world time
2) Can the numbers stated on the page be tuned up so that the game retains its replay appeal? I'm asking in case reaching Elite is reached much quicker. I want this game to last.
My timestamp was 2086.206 when I hit the magic 6400!
Can't remember how long it took me in RL time. I'm still playing the same commander, and currently have 11993 confirmed kills. After a while, the numbers become irrelevant, and I make very few kills these days. You either carry on playing, or start a new commander.
I would advise stilts for the quagmires, and camels for the snowy hills
And any survivors, their debts I will certainly pay. There's always a way!
I am playing with the same commander since 2006 and just became dangerous. About 4000 kills still to go till Elite. But I take it easy. I only fight when attacked.
2) Can the numbers stated on the page be tuned up so that the game retains its replay appeal? I'm asking in case reaching Elite is reached much quicker. I want this game to last.
The combat rank thresholds are hard-coded so you cannot change them at this time. Although it would probably be not too difficult making these thresholds accessible to OXPs, it looks like there are various places in the code where they are referenced explicitly (e.g. if (player_kills > 2560) {...} // for above Deadly rank, do stuff) so maybe it's not a great idea making them accessible before cleaning those places up.
In any case, one can continue playing the game for as long as they like, Reaching Elite rank is just a nice side-effect of prolonged play.
It takes 6400 kills, which is a lot.
Just to get a feel for the number, that is 100 kills a day for 2 months.
To make 100 kills a day, each and every day, you have to be very active.
Also, you'd have to do pretty much nothing but kill.
Of course you can play a more peaceful role, where you don't make many kills,
so it would take much longer to reach higher ranks.
But reaching Elite is not the end of the game.
In my opinion it should not even be the goal,
since that would make the object of the game to just rack up kills,
and really, having 6000 kills is not much different from having 2000.
Personally, I started a new Jameson in July (2016) and broke 6000 a few days ago.
(So I will likely reach Elite this week!)
However, I was already an experienced combat pilot when I started, as I have
basically been playing Elite in one form or another for 30 years.
Sometimes I play for a bit with a new, throwaway Jameson,
just to remind myself how spoiled I am with all the nice equipment.
It takes 6400 kills, which is a lot.
Just to get a feel for the number, that is 100 kills a day for 2 months.
To make 100 kills a day, each and every day, you have to be very active.
Also, you'd have to do pretty much nothing but kill.
Oh maaaaan. I couldn't be further away from this!!!
