How much to get elite?

More like 3-4 million, on the low side. You can make elite trader pretty darn easily in a Cutter.

Yep.

For the video I posted for explaining Docking Computer does not save you plotting time, see below, that was a $44M/hr trade route, about 3.6M/roundtrip. But you have to remember, these profitable routes change with the state of the systems very rapidly. They are only there for one PowerPlay cycle, i.e. refreshed every Thursday night/Friday Morning. And they might even got whacked on Sunday night/Monday morning again. And since these are sourced from EDDB, they are other commanders competing with you. Strike while it's hot.

Also, FDev might decide to whack the Imperial Slaves trade again. After all, Imperial Slave trade was completely wrecked for over a year, and was just sort of restored since 2.3 drop. Who knows what they would do to it in 2.4, or even just 2.3.12.

As to how to find them, that depends on your EDDB search kungfu. I am able to find them every cycle.

[video=youtube;u5S-1Siz28A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5S-1Siz28A[/video]
 
you need ~700 mio profit to go from tycoon to elite.

so 1% rank increase is ~7 mio profit.

a good state depending route which you have to scout by yourself can create 4500-6100 cr/t profit a-b-a (or more, but 6100 cr/t profit is the best route i have personally milked).

A-B Profit: 4,396 Cr/t 3,340,960 Cr
B-C Profit: 785 Cr/t 596,600 Cr
C-B Profit: 541 Cr/t 411,160 Cr
B-A Profit: 335 Cr/t 254,600 Cr

How the bloody hell and where have you found a 4500-6100 cr/t a-b-a route? The best I can find is 4,379 cr/t
 
A-B Profit: 4,396 Cr/t 3,340,960 Cr
B-C Profit: 785 Cr/t 596,600 Cr
C-B Profit: 541 Cr/t 411,160 Cr
B-A Profit: 335 Cr/t 254,600 Cr

How the bloody hell and where have you found a 4500-6100 cr/t a-b-a route? The best I can find is 4,379 cr/t

EDDB kungfu, like I said. Why don't you look at the video I posted, and note down the locations and look around that general area, say 40 Lys radius?

Your A-B route, for instance is very easy to find, but the obvious thing is the trip back from B must also be profitable. If your B-A is just $800/T, it would become a $5196/T route. And A-B better be just one jump. Each additional jump adds 2 minutes round trip. If you are trading at $40M/hr level, every second costs you $11,111! Literally every second counts. If my round trip takes 5 min to make it $40M/hr route, and you do it in 6 minutes, you get $33M/hr. That's a diff of $7M/hr, for just 1 additional minute per round trip. I didn't even make $7M/hr for my first $2B!

The other trick is to look for Medical Diagnostic Equipment on the return trip. Even if your A station does not list demand of Medical Diagnostic Equipment, it will still likely buy whatever amount you sell for about $800 profit for you. That's usually enough to make this high profit route work. No guarantee. It's just what I observed from the stations I trade (about 10 different trade routes).
 
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EDDB kungfu, like I said. Why don't you look at the video I posted, and note down the locations and look around that general area, say 40 Lys radius?

Your A-B route, for instance is very easy to find, but the obvious thing is the trip back from B must also be profitable. If your B-A is just $800/T, it would become a $5196/T route. And A-B better be just one jump. Each additional jump adds 2 minutes round trip. If you are trading at $40M/hr level, every second costs you $11,111! Literally every second counts. If my round trip takes 5 min to make it $40M/hr route, and you do it in 6 minutes, you get $33M/hr. That's a diff of $7M/hr, for just 1 additional minute per round trip. I didn't even make $7M/hr for my first $2B!

The other trick is to look for Medical Diagnostic Equipment on the return trip. Even if your A station does not list demand of Medical Diagnostic Equipment, it will still likely buy whatever amount you sell for about $800 profit for you. That's usually enough to make this high profit route work. No guarantee. It's just what I observed from the stations I trade (about 10 different trade routes).

I have been using EDDB, with success, even though the actual profit margins are slightly off.

+rep'd for the Medical Diagnostic Equipment tip, I saw them but there was only 81 in stock so I left them, on the off chance I grabbed them and popped back in on the way back to where I kick off my run and there were 81 more, so its 145,000+ more, which is nigh on 100,000 extra in my phat wallet.
 
This is the profit requirements for Elite:

Penniless0
Mostly Penniless5,000
Peddler100,000
Dealer800,000
Merchant3,700,000
Broker30,000,000
Entrepreneur133,510,138
Tycoon381,000,000
Elite1,011,828,840
Im pretty sure this pure trading profit is correct, im on 750mil profits from trading, around 20mil or more from mining and did the last few percent with long range missions from sothis ( just because it was not that repetive ).

Oh and forget docking computer, its still bugged on cutter. I tested it yesterday, it always aims to low for the slot and almost crashes to the station wall, flys backward and trys again but fails again. If your unlucky he also crashes your cutter.
 
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Been playing since release and am not elite in anything, close in all but not bothered about getting it any. Am having plenty of fun being a space bum :D
 
Been playing since release and am not elite in anything, close in all but not bothered about getting it any. Am having plenty of fun being a space bum :D

Be a space bum long enough and the Elite status will catch up with you. Resistance is futile!
 
Though in a cutter I am sure I can make 1 million profit per trip in trading easily

You'e doing something wrong if you can't make 2 million per trip. Doing the 'basic meds' thing will net you that easily. But as stated, you have to really look for a good return trip.

CGs are worth STUPID money in a Cutter. 4 or 5 trips and you're in the top 25%, 6 or 7, and it's top 10%. A good CG will net you a 15 million credits bonus, PLUS the profits for the sale of the goods. 7 trips, 3 million per trip = 21 million. PLUS the bonus of 15 million for being in the top percentage ( give or take a few million )... almost 40 million. for a good nights work.
 
I made Elite in trade by doing the Biowaste runs from Sothis using a conda. Not sure that is still a thing but in a Cutter that should still work.

You'e doing something wrong if you can't make 2 million per trip. Doing the 'basic meds' thing will net you that easily. But as stated, you have to really look for a good return trip.

CGs are worth STUPID money in a Cutter. 4 or 5 trips and you're in the top 25%, 6 or 7, and it's top 10%. A good CG will net you a 15 million credits bonus, PLUS the profits for the sale of the goods. 7 trips, 3 million per trip = 21 million. PLUS the bonus of 15 million for being in the top percentage ( give or take a few million )... almost 40 million. for a good nights work.

CGs don't count towards trade rank.
 
OP you've almost got it made on the combat elite rank since you have a cutter. Just set it up for PvE, carry or mine some valuables, and bounty hunt pirate swarms at a high/low res.
 
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Im pretty sure this pure trading profit is correct, im on 750mil profits from trading, around 20mil or more from mining and did the last few percent with long range missions from sothis ( just because it was not that repetive ).

Oh and forget docking computer, its still bugged on cutter. I tested it yesterday, it always aims to low for the slot and almost crashes to the station wall, flys backward and trys again but fails again. If your unlucky he also crashes your cutter.

The DC is being going to be fixed in patch 2.4 [yesnod]
 
Odd I have 6,698,977 trade profit and 39% broker... how does that work? Should be 30 Million to get to broker right?
 
Odd I have 6,698,977 trade profit and 39% broker... how does that work? Should be 30 Million to get to broker right?
Like many has mentioned above, missions counts towards both trade Elite (like, hauling missions) and exploration Elite (sightseeing passengers).

Regarding the fastest Elite. The absolute fastest way to gain an Elite rank is to combine passengers with random exploration. The "road to riches" limits you to one type of earning. Use first class passengers to pick your destinations instead.
When you pick up a bubble exploration destination, set your filters to only pass through populated systems. Undiscovered system you pass through then will almost always have high value planets in them. Once you're up a decent way on the exploration rank, pathfinder or ranger, keep an eye out for a few good paying long range exploration trips going to the same tourist point in the distance. Keep in mind you can keep them on board for a whole four weeks, so you don't have to rush to get whatever amount of cabins you can fill filled. Pick a destination around 5,000 LY's away. Fill a ship like the Orca or Anaconda, if you can afford those by now, with passengers going to the same destination or at least spots on the same path. While on your trip, scan terraformable planets, water worlds, earth-likes and ammonia worlds within 20,000 Ls from arrival points. Skip everything else. You'll be Elite in exploration in a few days game time, without using a single exploit or board flipped. Obviously, pick a base for operations. A Port you always come back to, to get quickly allied with. Large agricultural or industrial stations seems like good choices. Or High tech. No need to be picky, just make sure the average faction states are good and they offer good amounts of missions.
 
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I don't know what the current state is, but there were a lot of trading missions from Aditi that paid out pretty well. I used that to get to trade elite and it was a lot quicker than normal bulk trading.
 
Just to update everyone. With bulk trading alone I've managed to get from 4% to 29% in a few days and made 130,200,000 profit.

I recon I can make elite by just getting another 300mil of bulk trading.

And I don't mind the bulk trading. Feels more honest than some cheezy methods of getting rank or money. Plus its easier to chat to my boyfriend while doing simple 1 hop trade routes.
 
Just to update everyone. With bulk trading alone I've managed to get from 4% to 29% in a few days and made 130,200,000 profit.

I recon I can make elite by just getting another 300mil of bulk trading.

And I don't mind the bulk trading. Feels more honest than some cheezy methods of getting rank or money. Plus its easier to chat to my boyfriend while doing simple 1 hop trade routes.

When I did it my calculations I reckoned I needed 650M Cr for progression from Tycoon to Elite .
 
729,054,025Cr is what I literally just made to FINALLY complete Trading Elite, for me it was hardest gaming thing I have ever done.

9W, 1D, 3H and 45 Mins
 
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