Ship Progression

[Gogster]

This is me probably being just a bit whiny, but bear with me.

I'm struggling to see ship progression as achievable, actually that's a lie, it obviously is achievable but factors outside the game mean I can only play 2-4 hours per week. My current trade run in a Lakon Type 6 bags me 104k (approx.) one way and 66k (approx.) the other. I've been doing this run now for some weeks and have accumulated 2.6m. Some distance short of the 5m (including trade-in) for the Asp.

I note that the Asp is only 20 tonnes more than the Lakon 6 when fully kitted out and the next cargo hauler beyond that is the Lakon 7, which at 17m just to buy it seems a pipe dream.

So here's my question, my trade run is 900 per tonne one way and 600 per tonne the other, am I not venturing far enough to make better money?

Or

Ditch this and go do something more lucrative?

Cheers for any advice for a severely part-time player.

 

[-Jumper-]

Most of the runs I do are at least 1000+ for each side of the run. If one side is lower than 1000, then the other side will need to compensate. There are probably more lucrative runs out there but my time is also limited. I also look at distance from the nav point jumping in. I look less at the number of jumps as long as it isn't anything crazy.

My current run is is around 4 jumps (40 something ly) but one way is 1350 to 1450 per ton and the other is 1400 to 1500 per ton. I timed myself and undock, flight, dock, sell is about 8 or 9 minutes and 1 full run (16 to 18 minutes) nets me almost 600K. I'm in a python trading ship by the way.

 

[PotatoOverdose]

First off, 900 one way and 600 another is terrible. Find a relativley high pop (Population greater than 100 million) refinery world and a high pop industrial world. That's 1700 tons one way with palladium, easily, which is more than you're making. Then you just have to find a return good. A viable return good might be Marine equipment or Tobacco, depending on what other economies are at play on the refinery world. That's another 800 credits/ton, or 2500 cr/ton per round trip.

Other good trade routes are:
-Beryllium from a Refinery traded for Bertrandite from an Industrial/Extractor economy - People tend to overlook these as individually they aren't as valuable as say palladium, but together they easily fetch over 2000 cr/ton/trip.
-Indium/Indite is also good for the same reasons.
-Palladium for imperial slaves or performance enhancers is the classic route, but good luck finding one that hasn't been depleted by the player base.

 

[GJ51]

Go to the Empire

Not telling where, but I am currently getting 2500/T/round trip with two stations 13ly apart. Take off - jump - land.

They are out there.

Needles in the haystacks - but they are there.

 

[PotatoOverdose]

Go to the Empire

50% good advice, 50% bad.
The good: Imperial Slaves, the best return good for a high value metal (Palladium, Gold, Beryllium, Indium).
The bad: Everyone and their mother is currently trading in the Empire for the above reason. Supply collapses much faster.

 

[Telnets]

search trading rares... that will earn you more then enough to get into a ASP or type 7 where selling regular commodities is worth the time..

 

[GJ51]

50% good advice, 50% bad.
The good: Imperial Slaves, the best return good for a high value metal (Palladium, Gold, Beryllium, Indium).
The bad: Everyone and their mother is currently trading in the Empire for the above reason. Supply collapses much faster.

The further out you go the less impact that has. I usually do 3 - 4 RT's per session then give it a rest. Not seeing any drop off where I am. If it does I just look for another run. Once you've got 4 -5 working pretty well you can rotate whenever you like. Finding 2500 - 2900 /T/rt isn't too hard. Finding one that's only one jump - priceless!

 

[-Jumper-]

Finding one that's only one jump - priceless!

+ Rep. SO TRUE.

 

[PotatoOverdose]

The further out you go the less impact that has. I usually do 3 - 4 RT's per session then give it a rest. Not seeing any drop off where I am. If it does I just look for another run. Once you've got 4 -5 working pretty well you can rotate whenever you like. Finding 2500 - 2900 /T/rt isn't too hard. Finding one that's only one jump - priceless!

The problem is, the further you go, the fewer 100 million+ population worlds you find. I run a type 9, so maximizing cr/ton isn't as important as supply stability for me. But you're right: if you are looking to do just a few runs in a small-ish ship a valuable metal for imperial slaves route (at an outpost, even) might be exactly what you need.

 

[GJ51]

search trading rares... that will earn you more then enough to get into a ASP or type 7 where selling regular commodities is worth the time..

True - and you can do it probably better in a Cobra fitted for range and max cargo. you seldom get more than 15 rares at one station, so if you plan a route where the stations are around 50 ly apart on avg you can sell the first batch at closr to max profit just as you need the room to buy the ones offered where you're at. I still like to jump in my ASP occasionally and do the rares for change of pace, but just as easy in a Cobra. Choice between Cobra or L6 for rares? give me the Cobra. YMMV - I'm sure others disagree...

Rule of thumb - sell whenever rares are twice galactic average, usually around 15k

 

[salad]

Yesterday I decided to check elitetradingtool.co.uk for the first time since the Haulercaust and didn't took me long to find a good route. 2000 per Tonne in Fed Space.

 

[GJ51]

The problem is, the further you go, the fewer 100 million+ population worlds you find. I run a type 9, so maximizing cr/ton isn't as important as supply stability for me. But you're right: if you are looking to do just a few runs in a small-ish ship a valuable metal for imperial slaves route (at an outpost, even) might be exactly what you need.

I had a T-9 for a while - kept falling asleep waiting for it to align with the next jump...

That combined with the bulk tax put me right back in the Python once the 1.1 debacle got sorted. I'm now running an ASP and a Python and it really suits my style. I can fight/trade/explore with either ship with only small re-configurations. I just can't give up the handling to move up any further. For me, this is the sweet spot right now. These two ships both have great hard point configurations and done right, fight or flight decisions will always keep you out of trouble. I laugh when I see others post about maintenance and fuel costs. What are those anyway? I go for weeks without any damage or buying fuel.

I'ts all about proper outfitting and good decision making.

 

[Telnets]

True - and you can do it probably better in a Cobra fitted for range and max cargo. you seldom get more than 15 rares at one station, so if you plan a route where the stations are around 50 ly apart on avg you can sell the first batch at closr to max profit just as you need the room to buy the ones offered where you're at. I still like to jump in my ASP occasionally and do the rares for change of pace, but just as easy in a Cobra. Choice between Cobra or L6 for rares? give me the Cobra. YMMV - I'm sure others disagree...

Rule of thumb - sell whenever rares are twice galactic average, usually around 15k

when i was doing rares, I made up a circular route.. never a point to point.. you waste a lot of time doing that especialy waiting for rre spawns, or hauling a 1/2 load of cargo..

find a good circle route, so you can sell your rares from the station at 12'oclock to the station at 6'oclock when you arrive, and ensure its 140+LY away from the station you bought it.. then, when you have a good route setup, you end up flying only 10-20LY from one station to the other, pick up the next item, sell off something you picked up awhile ago thats now worth its peak price, and move to the next station.. the reason this is better then point to point is that your going around the circle regardless of how many rares you pick up.. and you have to hit the station anyhow.. so pick up what they have, and move along.. sometimes you only get a few, sometimes you will get a max load.. but it will AVERAGE out and you will always be carrying say a 60-80% of your hull full of rares..

 

[CMDR Holycow]

Yesterday I decided to check elitetradingtool.co.uk for the first time since the Haulercaust and didn't took me long to find a good route. 2000 per Tonne in Fed Space.

I wish we had in-game tools to track prices of the stations you visit. I have used this tool in the past, for a little while... I stopped because it took away immersion. I wish I could do it on my own. I have tried, and in the radius I was examining, with my pen and paper... I couldn't pull out a trade run that seemed worth my time. I gave up after 3 hours of writing down prices.

 

[GJ51]

Yesterday I decided to check elitetradingtool.co.uk for the first time since the Haulercaust and didn't took me long to find a good route. 2000 per Tonne in Fed Space.

Get near the border between Fed and Empire. There are plenty of decent runs.

Punch in Maorsi

Search range 60

Min per ton 1200

Max dist 40

medium

Bidirectional

They aren't one hoppers, but it's a good place to start.

 

[PotatoOverdose]

bulk tax put me right back in the Python once the 1.1 debacle got sorted. I'm now running an ASP and a Python and it really suits my style. I can fight/trade/explore with either ship with only small re-configurations.

No bulk tax on suitably large worlds with supply/demand at 1,000,000 or more. Bulk tax only happens if you cover more than 2% of the supply/demand in a single haul, if I recall correctly. Have a single jump palladium route that hasn't fluctuated at all since I started last Tuesday in my Type 9 - I'm a happy camper.

I'm right there with you on the Asp though - I have a Type 9 and an Asp at the moment - the type 9 for making credits and the Asp for having fun.

 

[GJ51]

when i was doing rares, I made up a circular route.. never a point to point.. you waste a lot of time doing that especialy waiting for rre spawns, or hauling a 1/2 load of cargo..

find a good circle route, so you can sell your rares from the station at 12'oclock to the station at 6'oclock when you arrive, and ensure its 140+LY away from the station you bought it.. then, when you have a good route setup, you end up flying only 10-20LY from one station to the other, pick up the next item, sell off something you picked up awhile ago thats now worth its peak price, and move to the next station.. the reason this is better then point to point is that your going around the circle regardless of how many rares you pick up.. and you have to hit the station anyhow.. so pick up what they have, and move along.. sometimes you only get a few, sometimes you will get a max load.. but it will AVERAGE out and you will always be carrying say a 60-80% of your hull full of rares..

+1 great advice. I usually make a big circle. Stay aware from the Leesti/Lave area. that's where the dummies hang out. Stay out in the empire if you don't want a lot of grief.

There are tons of posts on maximizing profits running rares. search the forums. It's all there.

eliteraretrader.co.uk is your biggest asset for researching a route you like.

 

[Rall]

Aim for at least 1000 Cr/Ton on trades routes, there are plenty of commodities you can do this with.

Trade circuits are more fun than endlessly grinding back and forth, bellow is one of my favourite, all the following can yield 1000 Cr/Ton per leg.

Industrial - Pick up Marine Equipment / Crop Harvesters)
Agriculture -Pick up Tea, Coffee, Meat, Tabaco or Imperial Slaves (If legal)
Refinery - Pick up Gold, Palladium, Beryllium, Silver, Super Conductors.
High Tech - Pick up Auto Fabs, Consumers Electronics, Performance Enhancers.

Just keep at it, don't get to concerned with progress - have fun with it, at least you won't be burning out on the games content like so many others.

 

[GJ51]

Just for fun, I went to ED Shipyard and you can spec out a Cobra with 20LY jump range with 36T cargo and a fuel scoop and shield.

Pretty decent ROI machine. With 4A power plant and FSD - just under 4Mil

 

[Gogster]

I just wanted to thank you all for the time you have taken to post advice - it's very much appreciated and I'll rep up when I get back from the loo.