How quickly do trade routes get "bombed out"?
- Thread starter Odan Brota
- Start date
@Miles
To go fully manual:
Each commodity says which economies produce it and which consume it. For example, high tech make prog cells, and everyone wants them. Industrial likes tobacco and liquor, and metals, etc.
Fly to a random station, check which high supply commodities are worth more than 5k, and are selling for at least 500cr less than average. Check map for economies nearby that should consume that good. Buy 1 of everything interesting, fly to target system and see if you made good choices.
With a little automation, but all own exploration:
Same as above, but type prices into android app Elite Notes. Let the app highlight good trades from the data you've entered.
Using method 1 above, I found many 500cr /t trades. Using method 2, I found a 1 jump 2000 cr/t route in 1 evening of playing, entering prices for 6 nearby systems. Good routes are all over the place, especially extraction - industrial locations where you can haul palladium or platinum with a small percentage mark up. But running weapons, slaves, and some machinery can also be profitable if you find someone who wants them. Don't be afraid of occasionally running illegal goods to Fed outposts with black markets.
I find doing the exploratory work myself makes trading less of a grind, and much more rewarding.
To go fully manual:
Each commodity says which economies produce it and which consume it. For example, high tech make prog cells, and everyone wants them. Industrial likes tobacco and liquor, and metals, etc.
Fly to a random station, check which high supply commodities are worth more than 5k, and are selling for at least 500cr less than average. Check map for economies nearby that should consume that good. Buy 1 of everything interesting, fly to target system and see if you made good choices.
With a little automation, but all own exploration:
Same as above, but type prices into android app Elite Notes. Let the app highlight good trades from the data you've entered.
Using method 1 above, I found many 500cr /t trades. Using method 2, I found a 1 jump 2000 cr/t route in 1 evening of playing, entering prices for 6 nearby systems. Good routes are all over the place, especially extraction - industrial locations where you can haul palladium or platinum with a small percentage mark up. But running weapons, slaves, and some machinery can also be profitable if you find someone who wants them. Don't be afraid of occasionally running illegal goods to Fed outposts with black markets.
I find doing the exploratory work myself makes trading less of a grind, and much more rewarding.
Ahh ok i understand your point now, and it is a valid one.
There's a great sense of achievement in finding a decent run, with little competition. You can also combine this with exploration to get a few more shekels (not a lot but keeps you ticking over!) ASP, Fuel Scoop , & scanners and a spreadsheet. Have an audiobook going in the background and youre set!
Depends on what the supply numbers are. I have a trade run (in my T7) that has 600k and 300k supply at the ends (2600cr/ton roundrip in about 12 minutes). This never runs dry (resupply is faster than anyone can milk it). I've seen a number of commanders doing the same run in T9s, T7s, T6s, Asps, Pythons and Anacondas to no appreciable effect in supply numbers - and the prices haven't changed a single credit.
I have no problem sharing this with other commanders I meet in game (most in that region know about it anyhow...but someone might answer back with a tweaked/better route).
...but after doing that runfor a couple of evenings I have now headed a good distance away...just for the fun of finding a new route (though I doubt I'll find one as good)
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Its become more time consuming to find a quiet very profitable route.
Most of the large station Wealthy Extraction/Refinery economies that are within reasonable distance of the star have been discovered and see high traffic.
There are still a few out there though.
If you are willing to supercruise over 2000Ls you can make guaranteed bank at a couple of the big ones. They have such vast supply of Palladium/Gold and demand for Tech/Progs/Enhancers that you cant put a dent in it.
Most of the large station Wealthy Extraction/Refinery economies that are within reasonable distance of the star have been discovered and see high traffic.
There are still a few out there though.
If you are willing to supercruise over 2000Ls you can make guaranteed bank at a couple of the big ones. They have such vast supply of Palladium/Gold and demand for Tech/Progs/Enhancers that you cant put a dent in it.
Filter settings in the galaxy map.
1) Filter for large populations (10 million or larger seems to be a good number). This will give you high supply numbers. No use finding a high cr/h/t route if there's only 50tons of supply or where the route crashes after 2-3 runs.
2) Go to high tech systems. They have expensive stuff they supply and demand. Check only items that cost 3000 credits per ton or higher. Anything else isn't worth looking at.
3) Just jump to systems around your high tech system to within 20-30 lightyears and keep jotting down prices at stations. I just write down anything that is particularly far away from galactoic average (e.g. +5 or -8 if it's in demand or supply (roughly 500cr above average demand or 800cr below average supply respectively)
4) only stations within 1000ls of a star. Anything else isn't worth it. Just found one for 1800cr/ton profit on just the trip there between two stations in systems right next to one another, but the target station is 16kLs away. Takes forever. So it got canned.
5) needs something for the return trip. Just a one trip system with nothing to sell back halves your profit. (also a reason why the above route got canned. max would have been 600cr/t on return trip)
Seems like a lot to keep track of but it's really not that difficult. Invest an evening in the search. Better invest in finding the best route in a region than hectically going back and forth with cheap stuff while an undiscovered 'spice route' is right next door.
...oh, and if you're afraid the route is overrun go towards the edge of inhabited space.
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3rd party trade tools MUST be a game wrecker.
its great for guys like me that just needs the occational load of best-priced platinum. But for a full blown trader it must suck big time.
its great for guys like me that just needs the occational load of best-priced platinum. But for a full blown trader it must suck big time.
Mine seems pretty good running in a T7 but I do split my loads to reduce the effect - say taking a 50:50 split of Consumer Tech and Progenitor Cells as the profit is about the same on both on that leg.
Not really, i already found the best trade route in the game without using one and don't forget that supply and demand change with time on most station, though my trade route is immune to that.
Don't bash on the type 9 guys , they have a distinct disadvantage, the type 9 and type 7 cannot land on med pads so they have to trade from station to station ... when the type 6 asp and the sexy python can trade at outpost. And IMHO I don't see why folks even use the trade tools once you have journeymen understanding of the trade mechanic, you should then have multiple route under belt to switch around and even improve your profit margin and lower supply n demand strain with multiple drop and pick up points in one route
As several have already said...it depends on the Supply and Demand in your route.
With that clipper, you can be pretty versatile too. While you wait for a route to recover, you can do some quick bounty hunting. Though not nearly as profitable as trading in the clipper, it is a nice break from the grind but still earns money/rep.
Also, you can max out that clipper a bit more for trading. You can drop the shield down to 3A. This will be enough to handle bumps and scratches while docking and give you enough time to destroy smaller pirates and bigger ones with assist. Here is what I have on my loadout (240T Cargo).
[Imperial Clipper]
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
U: 0I Chaff Launcher
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher
U: 0I Point Defence
U: 0D Kill Warrant Scanner
BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 6D Power Plant
TM: 6D Thrusters
FH: 5A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 5D Life Support
PC: 6A Power Distributor
SS: 5D Sensors
FS: 4C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 16)
7: 7E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 128)
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 16)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 16)
3: 3A Shield Generator
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 8)
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
---
Shield: 75.53 MJ
Power : 11.82 MW retracted (63%)
15.06 MW deployed (80%)
18.90 MW available
Cargo : 240 T
Fuel : 16 T
Mass : 540.9 T empty
796.9 T full
Range : 22.12 LY unladen
15.46 LY laden
Price : 36,112,152 CR
Re-Buy: 1,805,608 CR @ 95% insurance
With that clipper, you can be pretty versatile too. While you wait for a route to recover, you can do some quick bounty hunting. Though not nearly as profitable as trading in the clipper, it is a nice break from the grind but still earns money/rep.
Also, you can max out that clipper a bit more for trading. You can drop the shield down to 3A. This will be enough to handle bumps and scratches while docking and give you enough time to destroy smaller pirates and bigger ones with assist. Here is what I have on my loadout (240T Cargo).
[Imperial Clipper]
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
U: 0I Chaff Launcher
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher
U: 0I Point Defence
U: 0D Kill Warrant Scanner
BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 6D Power Plant
TM: 6D Thrusters
FH: 5A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 5D Life Support
PC: 6A Power Distributor
SS: 5D Sensors
FS: 4C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 16)
7: 7E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 128)
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 16)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 16)
3: 3A Shield Generator
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 8)
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
---
Shield: 75.53 MJ
Power : 11.82 MW retracted (63%)
15.06 MW deployed (80%)
18.90 MW available
Cargo : 240 T
Fuel : 16 T
Mass : 540.9 T empty
796.9 T full
Range : 22.12 LY unladen
15.46 LY laden
Price : 36,112,152 CR
Re-Buy: 1,805,608 CR @ 95% insurance
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I agree with those that think having someone point you in the direction of a trade route is missing out on the game.
There is enough in game information to identify and thus locate good opportunities. There is not so much of interest to do, best not to skip that there is.
Rely on yourself, not others.
There is enough in game information to identify and thus locate good opportunities. There is not so much of interest to do, best not to skip that there is.
Rely on yourself, not others.
I submit all station information to slopey trading tool, none of the routes I have found have been run dry. As it still takes the player to find the 2 of 3 places to trade from and too.
Might also have something to do with not being a sheep and finding areas that are not as popular. Think I have used rare runs about 12 times and only on passing system on the way to somewhere.
Might also have something to do with not being a sheep and finding areas that are not as popular. Think I have used rare runs about 12 times and only on passing system on the way to somewhere.
Or you can just locally buy a Viper. A fully specced out Viper for bounty hunting is about 3m. If you've been trading a bit before that that should be spare change.
Using a trading tool is a no-no. But asking other commanders in-game via chat whether they have any hot, local tips doesn't break immersion IMO.