When it comes to bulk trading to get to elite trader optimum way is to keep trading up ships to get something bigger with a larger cargo hold until you get to the largest ship. Bigger ships mean moving more cargo and therefore more profit per hour. The ideal bulk trading run would be a single hyperspace jump with the stations at each end close to the star. This saves on time and means you get more trips per hour. A->B->A routes give pretty consistent profits without needing to constantly track where you have to go to make money. Over a few hours the profits can drop but usually they don't drop too dramatically.
I put together a spreadsheet to try to work out how long it would take to get to an elite trading rank. The profit per ton was based on the best loop routes from http://eddb.io with a single hyperspace jump between systems and I assumed the ships would have an A rated FSD and all other components were D rated to give the largest jump range (for more trading loop options).
A few things that come up from trying to rank up to elite trader.
1) The python trader myth.
Many people say they can make more money using a python rather than using a t9 because they can land at outposts with a python. This isn't really true unless you can find an amazing trade loop. Although the credits per ton per loop is usually higher (about 3300 compared to 2700 according to eddb.io) the number of runs you can make isn't much higher and the t9 wins out by having a cargo hold that's about twice the size.
Comparing a python and a t7 is a different matter though. The python will win in every way but one. It’s a lot more expensive. In an expanded version of the spreadsheet I included a python and it dropped less than 1% off the total time to elite so considering the cost it's probably worth ignoring it.
2) What about the Imperial Cutter?
Using a cutter can reduce the amount of time it takes to get to elite by about 20%. If you can get a cutter that's great but if you don't have the rank and don't want to spend the time getting the rank then it’s a moot point.
If there were a "no rank requirements" offer for imperial ships (as there has been in the past) then that would be different. Also, if the panther is ever released that would also make a difference. The fastest way to elite is to use the ship that can take the most cargo. Get the biggest ship you can.
3) What about rare trading?
Rare trading can be really useful at the start to earn seed money for bulk trading. The consensus seems to be that you can make around 1 to 2 million credits an hour from it with a cobra mk3. That's about as good as a t6 or maybe even a t7 doing bulk trading. But a t9 can easily make more money with bulk trading than is possible with rare trading.
4) Isn't this boring?
Spending hours flying between 2 systems in a t9? Of course it's boring. And if you look at the cumulative time spent to get to elite trader this way you'll be spending around 75% of your trading time in a t9 which isn’t exactly a fun ship to fly.
It’s probably a good idea to keep a vulture around to have some fun in. Maybe an exploration ship too.
5) 496 tons? A t9 can have more cargo space than that.
It can. I use shields and a docking computer. The docking computer is good enough that I can leave it to dock and can do something else for a bit while it takes care of the ship. It's not perfect but it's good enough and I appreciate having some time without having to actively fly the ship.
6) What about planetary bases?
I tend to avoid them because most of the time I've used them in the past I've found I need to jump to a system that's being blocked by the planet. When you’re on a planet about 50% of the sky will be blocked by the planet so it’ll probably take longer to go between systems.
7) Couldn’t you could make more money smuggling?
Smuggling profits count towards your trading rank, so you could just hang out at Sothis and pick up long range smuggling missions to make money.
It’s possible this could make more money. But bulk trading has a lot lower risk than smuggling. The worst that happens is that you get interdicted and need to boost away until the FSD cools down and you can escape.
One other thing to keep in mind is that some of the higher paying smuggling missions require high trading ranks before you can take them. Also, smuggling missions are at risk of being nerfed. If the BGS becomes more realistic there’s a risk bulk trading could be affected but that seems unlikely at the moment.
8) Lazy flying
Flying trading loops is boring. If you have any sense you’ll be doing something else at the same time (netflix, surfing the web, juggling geese, etc.) and so it’s good if you can not have to think much about actually flying the ship.
Use a docking computer. It saves you from needing to land. It’s just easier and you barely need to pay the ship any attention.
In a similar vein, if you can find stations close enough to the star (say, less than 100ls) then it can make a lot of sense to only use the throttle at 70-75% rather than going up to 100% throttle. That way you just have to worry about where the ship is pointing at rather than having to worry about throttling down when you’re 0:07 away.
Using these two techniques means flying between stations becomes boosting away from a station, hyperspace to the destination system, throttle to 0 in hyperspace, point at the destination station when you arrive in the system, throttle to 75%, drop out of FSD when you’re in range, get to within 7.5km of the station, throttle to 0 and let the docking computer do the rest.
The only things that require any real thought are getting out of the station and pointing the ship at the right targets (the destination system and destination station).
9) How can the time to get to elite be reduced?
With expanded versions of the spreadsheet above a few things became obvious.
If you buy intermediate ships then you can reduce the time slightly. If you add a cobra mk3 and a python into the spreadsheet above then the amount of time taken drops about 1%. The biggest effect comes from buying an imperial clipper. That reduces the time taken by about 20%. If any bigger ships appear in the future (such as the panther) then they will reduce the amount of time taken too.
I put together a spreadsheet to try to work out how long it would take to get to an elite trading rank. The profit per ton was based on the best loop routes from http://eddb.io with a single hyperspace jump between systems and I assumed the ships would have an A rated FSD and all other components were D rated to give the largest jump range (for more trading loop options).
| sidewinder | hauler | adder | cobra mk4 | t6 | t7 | t9 | |
| ship cost (millions) | 0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3 | 24.5 | 102 |
| profit per ton per loop | 3300 | 3300 | 3300 | 3300 | 3300 | 2700 | 2700 |
| cargo hold size | 8 | 18 | 22 | 80 | 104 | 216 | 496 |
| profit per loop | 26,400 | 59,400 | 72,600 | 264,000 | 343,200 | 583,200 | 1,339,200 |
| amount needed for next ship | 300,000 | 445,000 | 2,105,000 | 705,000 | 21,950,000 | 81,175,000 | 928,300,000 |
| loops needed | 11 | 7 | 29 | 3 | 64 | 139 | 693 |
| loops per hour | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| profit per hour | 105,600 | 237,600 | 290,400 | 1,056,000 | 1,372,800 | 2,332,800 | 5,356,800 |
| Hours | 2.84 | 1.87 | 7.25 | 0.67 | 15.99 | 34.80 | 173.29 |
| Cumulative hours | 4.71 | 11.96 | 12.63 | 28.62 | 63.42 | 236.71 | |
| Cumulative profits | 300,000.00 | 745,000.00 | 2,850,000.00 | 3,555,000.00 | 25,505,000.00 | 106,680,000.00 | 1,034,980,000.00 |
| loops per hour | 4 | ||||||
| profit needed for elite trader (millions) | 1015 |
A few things that come up from trying to rank up to elite trader.
1) The python trader myth.
Many people say they can make more money using a python rather than using a t9 because they can land at outposts with a python. This isn't really true unless you can find an amazing trade loop. Although the credits per ton per loop is usually higher (about 3300 compared to 2700 according to eddb.io) the number of runs you can make isn't much higher and the t9 wins out by having a cargo hold that's about twice the size.
Comparing a python and a t7 is a different matter though. The python will win in every way but one. It’s a lot more expensive. In an expanded version of the spreadsheet I included a python and it dropped less than 1% off the total time to elite so considering the cost it's probably worth ignoring it.
2) What about the Imperial Cutter?
Using a cutter can reduce the amount of time it takes to get to elite by about 20%. If you can get a cutter that's great but if you don't have the rank and don't want to spend the time getting the rank then it’s a moot point.
If there were a "no rank requirements" offer for imperial ships (as there has been in the past) then that would be different. Also, if the panther is ever released that would also make a difference. The fastest way to elite is to use the ship that can take the most cargo. Get the biggest ship you can.
3) What about rare trading?
Rare trading can be really useful at the start to earn seed money for bulk trading. The consensus seems to be that you can make around 1 to 2 million credits an hour from it with a cobra mk3. That's about as good as a t6 or maybe even a t7 doing bulk trading. But a t9 can easily make more money with bulk trading than is possible with rare trading.
4) Isn't this boring?
Spending hours flying between 2 systems in a t9? Of course it's boring. And if you look at the cumulative time spent to get to elite trader this way you'll be spending around 75% of your trading time in a t9 which isn’t exactly a fun ship to fly.
It’s probably a good idea to keep a vulture around to have some fun in. Maybe an exploration ship too.
5) 496 tons? A t9 can have more cargo space than that.
It can. I use shields and a docking computer. The docking computer is good enough that I can leave it to dock and can do something else for a bit while it takes care of the ship. It's not perfect but it's good enough and I appreciate having some time without having to actively fly the ship.
6) What about planetary bases?
I tend to avoid them because most of the time I've used them in the past I've found I need to jump to a system that's being blocked by the planet. When you’re on a planet about 50% of the sky will be blocked by the planet so it’ll probably take longer to go between systems.
7) Couldn’t you could make more money smuggling?
Smuggling profits count towards your trading rank, so you could just hang out at Sothis and pick up long range smuggling missions to make money.
It’s possible this could make more money. But bulk trading has a lot lower risk than smuggling. The worst that happens is that you get interdicted and need to boost away until the FSD cools down and you can escape.
One other thing to keep in mind is that some of the higher paying smuggling missions require high trading ranks before you can take them. Also, smuggling missions are at risk of being nerfed. If the BGS becomes more realistic there’s a risk bulk trading could be affected but that seems unlikely at the moment.
8) Lazy flying
Flying trading loops is boring. If you have any sense you’ll be doing something else at the same time (netflix, surfing the web, juggling geese, etc.) and so it’s good if you can not have to think much about actually flying the ship.
Use a docking computer. It saves you from needing to land. It’s just easier and you barely need to pay the ship any attention.
In a similar vein, if you can find stations close enough to the star (say, less than 100ls) then it can make a lot of sense to only use the throttle at 70-75% rather than going up to 100% throttle. That way you just have to worry about where the ship is pointing at rather than having to worry about throttling down when you’re 0:07 away.
Using these two techniques means flying between stations becomes boosting away from a station, hyperspace to the destination system, throttle to 0 in hyperspace, point at the destination station when you arrive in the system, throttle to 75%, drop out of FSD when you’re in range, get to within 7.5km of the station, throttle to 0 and let the docking computer do the rest.
The only things that require any real thought are getting out of the station and pointing the ship at the right targets (the destination system and destination station).
9) How can the time to get to elite be reduced?
With expanded versions of the spreadsheet above a few things became obvious.
If you buy intermediate ships then you can reduce the time slightly. If you add a cobra mk3 and a python into the spreadsheet above then the amount of time taken drops about 1%. The biggest effect comes from buying an imperial clipper. That reduces the time taken by about 20%. If any bigger ships appear in the future (such as the panther) then they will reduce the amount of time taken too.
