That's the issue, I think it took me 4 weeks to unlock one. It's not what my main goal was. I saw what was needed and did my own thing and kept an eye out for what I needed.
Getting the landmines for one, I enjoyed. I noticed I also needed to deal with one other black market to open another. So got a load of landmines, got back to a station in the system, requested a ship transfer for the ship I wanted to upgrade, delivered the landmines, and looked up another black market went there sold my spare landmines, went back to the station and went back to the engineer with my transfered ship.
I enjoyed that.
And when it comes to the engineers, well you are not really gambling, as you are virtually guaranteed an upgrade. It's not like you can actually lose anything apart from time.
If you do the engineers with a bit of intelligence, you will always apply a better results then the one you last put on as none of the results are mandatory. If you don't like them, don't install it. The only cost is a bit of time.
Edit
I hardly ever go looking for materials. I get them in my day to day gameplay. See what I can get with what I have and use them.
And that works fer you m8...I have different reasons and motivations when playing the game. I came to this game to do one thing and one thing only...I did try enough of the bgs to know I just didnt buy into it, but had to use it as a means to an end, that end being enough to fund my desire to literally live in the black, almost entirely self sufficient fer long periods of time.
That is why I love this game. Certainly, new shiny stuff is nice and long term, I still want a python simply fer the looks and no other reason other than its bigger than the asp. Ive never owned anything else bigger because the asp does what I require with only powerplant and hull hp being two things that force me back...along with losing the srv and the sudden desire to fly the SLF...never owned one before and looked like fun watching a guy canyon racing in colonia.
The whole playing and existing in the bubble, working on credits or engineers or whatever simply does not appeal to me. If I want pvp, then I play other games fer that itch...if I wanna grind, Ill grind with the best of them...I got shedloads of free time when Im motivated enough. If I want a shooter, Ill play gears 4...goin there after I finish this post in fact.
Point being, the whole game played inside the bubble doesnt interest me in the slightest...it doesnt move me or appeal to me, and I really do see it as nothing more than a mad max in space sandbox with less consequences fer misbehaving than GTA5 had. And if I wanna troll ppl, I go play that cos Im actually quite good at that one...hard to believe I know. I came here to see the milky way...so thats the game I play...evereything else is just meaningless fluff that is more endured, rather than enjoyed ^
