If I were running from Robigo i'd probably keep the larger scoop. The distances I travel is around 160-200ly one way, so it's my own ignorance keeping me from greater profits per trip.
Long distance smuggling missions
- Thread starter B33 ENN
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If I were running from Robigo i'd probably keep the larger scoop. The distances I travel is around 160-200ly one way, so it's my own ignorance keeping me from greater profits per trip.
Hi all. This is actually my first post on the ED forum, I usually resist posting, but I felt I had something of interest to offer this discussion. I spent a long time doing the long distance missions when they were extremely profitable and I discovered what I thought was the optimal ship for the job. Bare in mind I flew the cobra, asp, python and even the conda in pursuit of the optimal ship for the task. Brace yourselves as it's not what you might think.
It is in fact "The Clipper" (Build here) and in a nutshell here is why:
1. The clipper is very fast. A single boost puts you out of range of any scans or weapons targeting you.
2. It has a big, but not too big, cargo hold (160t) for stacking missions. 20+ if you cherry pick the tonnage
3. And this is the most important element. The clipper is a large pad only ship. What this means is you only get offered large station missions. As a result you have far fewer individual drop offs saving ALOT of time. At the peak of smuggling I would get 7-8 missions to one station netting upwards of 20 million per station. Over 20 or so missions only 5 different destinations. It really is that simple.
The only drawback to this ship over others is the laden fsd range. However, I feel you more than make up for the time lost jumping back to the bubble by having far fewer outposts to visit.
I should add the build I posted was built to run Almagest so tweak it to your locations. I will also add though that Almagest proved to be the greatest source of missions for me as the only station there was run by just two factions. Meaning the bulletin board was literally full of hauling/smuggling missions every single time.
I hope this helps someone/anyone
Fly safe Cmdr
It is in fact "The Clipper" (Build here) and in a nutshell here is why:
1. The clipper is very fast. A single boost puts you out of range of any scans or weapons targeting you.
2. It has a big, but not too big, cargo hold (160t) for stacking missions. 20+ if you cherry pick the tonnage
3. And this is the most important element. The clipper is a large pad only ship. What this means is you only get offered large station missions. As a result you have far fewer individual drop offs saving ALOT of time. At the peak of smuggling I would get 7-8 missions to one station netting upwards of 20 million per station. Over 20 or so missions only 5 different destinations. It really is that simple.
The only drawback to this ship over others is the laden fsd range. However, I feel you more than make up for the time lost jumping back to the bubble by having far fewer outposts to visit.
I should add the build I posted was built to run Almagest so tweak it to your locations. I will also add though that Almagest proved to be the greatest source of missions for me as the only station there was run by just two factions. Meaning the bulletin board was literally full of hauling/smuggling missions every single time.
I hope this helps someone/anyone
Fly safe Cmdr
Welcome Welcome Cmdr, nice to have a fellow trader contribute to a trading thread.
One big disadvantage in using the clipper (For me at least) most of my Robigo 'contraband' smuggling is to outpost and alas the clipper is a Large landing pad only. I sometimes do these missions, stacking even more in my Python, which beats the clipper, but can land on outposts! you do need more time to complete these missions in a Python, and 3-4 hours is to long for some smugglers, mind you the profits per trip for me in a python is over the 100 mill mark!!!
You are wasting the SCB! you might as well have heatsinks to help you creep in the stations or more chaff, or none! Class 3 shields on here are like paper, using SCB on these shields would be like protecting paper with wet toilet paper!!
Interesting you do really quick runs! Hmmm, might look into that. Nice one and Welcome to the Long Distance Smugglers Group, No mane yet or no group
Wonder if we can have our own Ship Skins?.....Hmmm Seem to remember a heated long thread of a particular well known, and may i say BRILLIANT, group of people (Fuel Rats).
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I have no need for heatsinks, I have yet to be caught entering a station. I line up before scan range and boost my way in, Just before the window i drop all pips from the engine lower landing gear and open cargo scoop "space brakes!" For out posts there is no real need and i just boost away from interdicting NPC police.
I certainly agree with you, a great way to get into a station. However, i do find heat sinks great as you don't have to break neck boost into the station and risk 'Missing' the letterbox....
We've all done it, (If you have not yet , you will, especially when you get to do this in an Anaconda ).If you miss you will end up in a snotty heap tangled with the station , then the police come a sniffing, and hey presto BANG a scan followed by a fine! In 1.5, if you get caught you FAIL ALL YOUR MISSIONS !! (So i am told), so even more reason to have a backup plan. With heat sinks you can still Booooooooooost into the station, but if you do balls up the approach you have a backup plan. Try it? nothing lost but plenty to gain maybe.
Fly Safe my fellow trader!
I haven't yet tried Robigo for smuggling so I can't be sure on this, but it would appear to me the game generates the missions based on what ship you are flying. It may be the case that if you docked at Robigo in the clipper you would be offered the same amount of missions, but only be required to visit stations. As i'm writing this I just got back to the bubble from Almagest and am about to hand in 8 missions to one station! Compare that to going to 3-4 different outposts and you'll see why I suggest the clipper.
You can do these in any ship you like, personally I like to keep decent shields and weapons on my Asp - along with a Whale-mouth scoop. I parked up my Clipper and bought an Asp for the first time when the initial bunch of Sothis missions came along, just because it could skip over the big ditch of Brown Dwarves on the way with ease. I always want contingency fuel and it takes no time to brim after one jump, often completed before FSD is back online.
Currently running out of Quince, and the most lucrative missions I've had from there have been to outposts so it's Asp = no brainer for me ATM.
Currently running out of Quince, and the most lucrative missions I've had from there have been to outposts so it's Asp = no brainer for me ATM.
I certainly agree with you, a great way to get into a station. However, i do find heat sinks great as you don't have to break neck boost into the station and risk 'Missing' the letterbox....
If you miss you will end up in a snotty heap tangled with the station , then the police come a sniffing, and hey presto BANG a scan followed by a fine! In 1.5, if you get caught you FAIL ALL YOUR MISSIONS !! (So i am told), so even more reason to have a backup plan. With heat sinks you can still Booooooooooost into the station, but if you do balls up the approach you have a backup plan. Try it? nothing lost but plenty to gain maybe.
Fly Safe my fellow trader!
I have been flying an Anaconda for 4 or 5 months, Scrape the top and about a 10 degree angle and i boost that sucker right on in there. If in 1.5 you do fail all your missions then i may look into something different but until then i will be threading that needle at 350!
Nailed it Cmdr. Have some rep.
When I need credits, I go to Takurua in Python and earn 80M in a 4 hr session. If I limit it to 50M, I can complete it in under 3 hr. I sell the cargo for non-smuggling missions and take all of the smuggling missions that are at stations <5000LS. When my cargo hold is full of smuggling missions, or when I've reached my limit of the number of stations that I'm willing to deliver to (# stations = duration of session), then I complete the missions. I have to rebuy the non-smuggling cargo (Biowaste, Hydrogen Fuel) once or twice in the bubble. I stopped doing these missions every night once I reached my goal of fully outfitting 2 Pythons and an Anaconda and had 1B in cash. I'll go back after I get a Corvette and Cutter in the formal release.
A clipper will not be able to dock at Robigo nor any outpost due to its size. Robigo and a few other outposts currently have the most lucrative smuggling missions that you can stack at a single station and complete usually in a small bubble of systems 400lys+ out before heading back to Robigo.
You don't have to worry about that long string of Brown Dwarf stars if you use a waypoint star that is known to be scoopable. For a run from Sothis/Robigo/Takurua, I use Wirigans as my waypoint. This creates a route that has lots of scoopable stars. Once I reach Wirigans, I replot to my final destination.
Ah, but that requires planning!
I like the fact that the different cargo loads I end up with means the route planned takes me to different places to honk at. Only if I get to <1/2 tank and the next star is not scoopable do I start to look at the route ahead to make sure there is one soon, and re-route if not.It's what I love most about this game - we're all doing a similar activity, but from all sorts of different angles in different ships and by subtly different means. There's no "right" way, just one that you enjoy.
From one new trader to other experienced traders what would you say constitutes long haul missions/runs?
This is what I have seen so far on decent smuggling missions....you would have to look them up for Allegiance....
http://ed-td.space/en/9/System/idSys/746/nSys/Allowair
http://ed-td.space/en/9/System/idSys/746/nSys/Allowair
| SYSTEM/Station | Pad |
| SOTHIS/Newholm Station | L |
| SOTHIS/Sothis Mining | M |
| CEOS/New Dawn Station | L |
| QUINCE/Jeffries High | L |
| QUINCE/Millerport | L |
| FEHU/Thompson-Keen Asylum | L |
| FEHU/Frigschneck's Resort | L |
| ROBIGO/Robigo Mines | M |
| 17 DRACONIS/Paradiso Outpost | L |
| ALMAGEST/Sirius Reach | L |
| ADITI/Smjl Central | L |
| ADITI/Pew-1901 | L |
| HIP 74290/Pratchett's Disc | L |
| TAKURUA/Foothold Orbital | L |
| NEW YEMBO/Unity | L |
| SHORODO/Baillaud Orbital | M |
| SHORODO/Akiyama Hub | L |
| SHORODO/Kimura Orbital | M |
| BD+22 4939/Hansford's Landing | L |
| EXPHIAY/Worlidge Hub | L |
| EXPHIAY/James K Winston | L |
| TSAKAPAI/Alden Reformatory | M |
| TSAKAPAI/McKee Mines | M |
| CANOPUS/Rangarajan's Base | L |
| IOTA TUCANAE/Rigaux Colony | M |
| IOTA TUCANAE/Barr Mines | L |
| IOTA TUCANAE/Tanaka Vision | M |
Wow, this thread has really blossomed into a nice discussion of these missions: it's great hearing about others' strategies in routes, mission selection, and ship/outfitting. And since others have chimed in with their strategies, I'll add my two cents as well.
As far as ship selection, I prefer the Asp. I've done 5 or so runs in a trading Python, and I just don't find it as enjoyable. The shorter laden jump range is the killer here. The sheer number of missions you need to take to fill up a trade-Python's 200+ cargo capacity and offset the extra time for the trip out/back (as well as between systems within the bubble) just makes the overall experience feel like much more of a grind. The Asp -- mine has 80t of cargo space with a 5A fuel scoop -- allows for quick travel times and a nice couple-hour chunk of gameplay, rather than the 4+ hour marathon that it can become with a Python.
My strategy when picking missions (in addition to obviously grabbing smuggling missions whenever they pop up) is to try to get as much value from a single station as possible. With the Asp's jump range, the trip out/back and between within-bubble systems isn't a huge time sink, so what really makes a difference time-wise is how many stations you have to visit (and the time for within-system travel and docking/undocking that each involves). I try to get at least 2.5 million worth of trading missions to a given station, and then add in any courier missions with 30+ minute timers that are offered to those stations I'm already going to for cargo deliveries.
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As far as ship selection, I prefer the Asp. I've done 5 or so runs in a trading Python, and I just don't find it as enjoyable. The shorter laden jump range is the killer here. The sheer number of missions you need to take to fill up a trade-Python's 200+ cargo capacity and offset the extra time for the trip out/back (as well as between systems within the bubble) just makes the overall experience feel like much more of a grind. The Asp -- mine has 80t of cargo space with a 5A fuel scoop -- allows for quick travel times and a nice couple-hour chunk of gameplay, rather than the 4+ hour marathon that it can become with a Python.
My strategy when picking missions (in addition to obviously grabbing smuggling missions whenever they pop up) is to try to get as much value from a single station as possible. With the Asp's jump range, the trip out/back and between within-bubble systems isn't a huge time sink, so what really makes a difference time-wise is how many stations you have to visit (and the time for within-system travel and docking/undocking that each involves). I try to get at least 2.5 million worth of trading missions to a given station, and then add in any courier missions with 30+ minute timers that are offered to those stations I'm already going to for cargo deliveries.
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Cool, I'll have to try that on my next Robigo run.
Anything originating in populated systems over 200 Ly from the bubble, although those that are 300+ Ly offer substantially better payouts and are (IMHO) worth the extra travel time.
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Depending on your ship's fuel tank size, you might not even need a fuel scoop.
On my Asp, I just follow the trail of independent stations and outposts from the bubble all the way to sothis, and refuel in some of them.
Switch the map to allegiance mode, fiddle a bit with zoom and you will see the yellow dot trail from sothis into the bubble.
I used to stop in all of them to refuel and pick up more missions.
Nicely said mate.
I have a full time real world job, i play elite to have fun not to work.
perhaps we could have a fun server (read I can spend a few hours a week on elite and still make enough money to enjoy myself and feel rewarded) and a hardcore simulation server (for people who enjoy grinding for 6 hours a day) lol