Newcomer / Intro Some questions

[Mohenjo]

Ok, first question:

I'm primarily a trader. However, I'm finding it really hard to get any kind of consistent useful information from the market before buying goods to sell.

For example, I'm in System A, and planning a trip to System B. I look at the commodities market, and change the last column to show what is being exported from A to B. I choose something with some value, then check the Galaxy Map to look at the trade routes for the goods I'm interested in. Sure enough, there's an arrow running from A to B. I take all this to mean that the goods in question are being shipped from A to B. SO, I fill my hold and warp to System B, where I dock and access the commodities market. I go to sell the goods, and it comes up as a LOSS of x amount.

So, the question is, what the heck? Why is the market indicating that a system is importing if it really isn't? I mean, An exporting system should be selling things for LESS than an importing system. I've found this ALL OVER the place, and it's becoming very frustrating (and expensive).


Second, the manual pdf indicates there's a "resource" that will provide a "loan" of 200k credits. How do I access that? It would be really nice to start out in an Adder or Cobra rather than the little Sidewinder.


I'm sure I'll have other questions as I go along, so I'll update this as I think of them.

Thanks in advance.

 

[drspikes]

Ok, I think this thread will be helpful to you: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91538
You should be looking to trade rares when just starting off.

I believe the loan system is to pay for a destroyed ship rather than people rage quitting for flying without enough in the bank for the insurance. There is no other way out of a sidewinder without some good honest hard work! It's worth it though as it teaches you a lot before you get your hands on expensive ships. My personal advice is to make starter cash in RES zones against the pirates. There's a good chance you can take an anaconda for 150k CR with help from the system authorities.

 

[Klab]

The 200k loan is if & when you destroy your ship, find yourself short to pay the insurance, & need a loan to pay the insurance to get the ship back again. Can't be accessed any other way as far as I know.
Regarding trading, try filtering the galaxy map options, so that it shows each system by colour dpending on what it produces/sells. There are lots of boxes to tick in the options which will show you the different types of systems. By default the galaxy map appears by faction, change this & you will soon see trading opportunities.

For example: Buy food at agricultural, sell to extraction/mining & buy palladium or gold, take this to industrial to sell, & buy machinery to sell back at the first agricultural system you visited.

There are many other ways, but this is a good profitable starter route. Obviously you are looking for 3 such systems close together. It pays to fly around & check prices first, as not all systems offer decent prices. Try and focus on large/huge population
systems, the prices are more stable & demand is usually better.

Hope this helps, good luck CMDR

 

[ThatGuy]

Use galaxy map, sort it by trade routes.. then find what ur main base rly wants.. and then what the base u can buy that stuff from rly wants..
Then u can set up an easy and short trade route with at least 150k an hour with the hauler.. otherwise check

http://www.elitetradingtool.co.uk/

This is my self made route.. 2 jumps..

Tito - Kokojina - Ali Ring - Gallium : 778 +
-> consumer technology : 805
Income is more tho so it around 1k each way per ton..

 

[Mohenjo]

Ok, new question. Travelled from LHS 3447 to LTT 18486. One jump, and from there to another system. I was on my way back, returned to LTT 18486, and refuelled. I then went to plot a course back to LHS 3447, and it says the route is unavailable? I just CAME from there, and travelled THAT route. How could it suddenly be unavailable?

 

[ThatGuy]

u had cargo in our ship? that would make it heavier and less range...

 

[Smauler]

Why is the market indicating that a system is importing if it really isn't? I mean, An exporting system should be selling things for LESS than an importing system. I've found this ALL OVER the place, and it's becoming very frustrating (and expensive).

This is confusing me too. How can a system exporting stuff sell it at a lower price in another system?

I've not done much trading, mainly because of this (though I've been exploring and bounty hunting first).

 

[Mohenjo]

u had cargo in our ship? that would make it heavier and less range...

I had a full load both going and returning. As I say, it's puzzling. On the other hand, I joined local police in bringing down a small fleet of Asps and Cobras and netted over 150k in bounties, so I've upgraded to my Adder again. With its additional range and hold space, I should be back in the black before long... assuming I can find someplace that actually has logical import/export pricing... EVERY system I've visited that says it's importing something is paying less than I bought it for from an exporting system. Very odd, and rather frustrating.

 

[markkuk]

Ok, new question. Travelled from LHS 3447 to LTT 18486. One jump, and from there to another system. I was on my way back, returned to LTT 18486, and refuelled. I then went to plot a course back to LHS 3447, and it says the route is unavailable?

I had a full load both going and returning. As I say, it's puzzling.

Your jump range depends on the total mass of your ship, cargo and fuel. Refueling at LTT 18486 decreased your range and made the route unavailabe.

 

[Engadine]

OP,

With regards to your original post and the market data available in stations.
...
I've found this to be the case many times and as suggested, it pays at times just to fly around a few stations and making notes of the prices in those stations. If however, you don't want to lose time flying around and manually noting prices there are some great useful 3rd party tools available: -
...
(Slopey's Best Price Calculator) https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=76081
(Elite Trader) http://www.elitetradingtool.co.uk/
...
You may choose not to use these, but if you do and the data is crowd sourced, take the short time required to update the prices every couple of visits.
...
Good luck!

 

[Jakspratt]

OP. I never trusted the trade routes on the Galaxy map and when I started I moved constantly away from the starter systems. I preferred to see where items were being exported to by reviewing the information to the right hand panel

Spoiler

and then check that place out on the galaxy/system maps to make sure it wasn't a long way from the entry point. I also only chose the items where the supply was HIGH and not prohibited

 

[EvulKlowne]

You may find this commodity "Cheat Sheet" handy: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=107319

 

[Universal Evil]

OP. I never trusted the trade routes on the Galaxy map and when I started I moved constantly away from the starter systems. I preferred to see where items were being exported to by reviewing the information to the right hand panel

Spoiler

View attachment 34911

and then check that place out on the galaxy/system maps to make sure it wasn't a long way from the entry point. I also only chose the items where the supply was HIGH and not prohibited

I think you've postet the wrong picture, you talk about "the right hand panel" but the picture is "the market place" from a station ???

 

[Jakspratt]

I think you've postet the wrong picture, you talk about "the right hand panel" but the picture is "the market place" from a station ???

Sorry to clarify, I did not mean the right UI panel, but the right hand panel in the picture - it shows where the selected goods are exported to and these are all usually quite close. Hope that helps

 

[Roybe]

Sorry to clarify, I did not mean the right UI panel, but the right hand panel in the picture - it shows where the selected goods are exported to and these are all usually quite close. Hope that helps

A note to this, just because something is exported in a particular direction, does not mean that this is a profitable trade. Crazy as it sounds there are some trade routes that are not/or are barely profitable.

 

[Roybe]

How to find profitable trade routes:

Look at the main Commodity Market.

Find out the High demand items in that market.

Search the galactic map for any suppliers. Fly to each system until you have someone with a medium or high supply. Generally, you will profit from this type of exchange.

Things to remember, check all stations...the nearest could be your profitable station...the furthest could be. Agriculture worlds provide food and need mechanicals, Industrial worlds need food and provide mechanicals, Refinery Worlds provide minerals and metals, industrial needs mineral and metals, High Tech worlds provide luxuries which most places want.

Good luck commander!