Need trade advice

RAMpack

RAMpack
I have to get this off my chest. I am wasting so much time with mistakes I need advice on how to have more fun with trading and exploring (not grinding a reliable trade route). Take this scenario for instance:

According to the galaxy map my destination limits me to 5 cargo, and it's industrial. I'm in an extraction system so I buy 5 metal.
I undock, fly out of range and hit the jump key. Frameshift cancelled. Too heavy. I can either waste 5 minutes docking and selling 1 metal at a loss, or jettison 1 metal. I jettison and jump.

On arrival at the industrial spaceport I see that the metal I bought is the only metal in the galaxy that they don't give a toss about. The bulletin board doesn't want it. There are no other industrial systems in range, so I sell the metal at a loss, because I don't want to backtrack. I then check the bulletin board again, and they're desperate for the metal I just sold. I said "@$#%!%???". Any tips? :)
 

92 Sqn. Reddog (QJ-R)

9
Unfortunately I've made the same mistake. Seems like half the supply/demand system isn't really functioning. If you look at the metals on the trade routes in the galaxy map, and select the ones beginning with B and L, you'll see there is currently NO trade route at all through the systems we can see and play in for these. Why would anyone be producing them if they're not used?

Most reliable trade I've found is the most boring and basic grind.
 

Dai

D
I am not sure how linked the missions are to the actual markets? maybe the are maybe not perhaps they should be.

However you don't have to sell your good one jump away from the station you are buying stuff from, you can "hop" between systems to increase your range.

check the galaxy map and click to show the trade routes and it gives you an idea of the goods being traded and where.

a handy starting point at least.
 

EpicHam

EpicHam
Thank the shoddy bulletin board.

Tips .
Buy from poor regions , sell at rich regions.
But seriously I wish there's an intergalactic trading board where we can see all the orders in the universe so we can plan our trading strategically.
 

RAMpack

RAMpack
It's a shame that beyond the core systems, it seems that all distances limit you to a tiny fraction of your cargo capacity. Also they all seem to be poor. Just like FE2. God I hope it won't be like FE2.
 

Commander Mad Mags

Commander Mad Mags
I generally only buy cargo that has high supply and a decent margin between the price I buy it for and the average selling price.

It's not the most efficient way to do it and it does sometimes take a few stops to find somewhere to sell it but it also means I get around a bit and am not grinding the same trade route over and over.

Sometimes I also buy stuff no ****** wants so I then have to sell at a loss. The trick is, I guess, to make sure you the loss isn't huge.
 

Cowski

Cowski
EpicHam said:
Thank the shoddy bulletin board.

Tips .
Buy from poor regions , sell at rich regions.
But seriously I wish there's an intergalactic trading board where we can see all the orders in the universe so we can plan our trading strategically.
Click to expand...

That would be nice. And unfortunately, for me & a friend of mine, it's almost getting to the point that using a *gasp* spreadsheet to keep tabs of what system is selling/buying what is the only way to make credits. I don't want to go EVE's route but not sure what else to do regarding this issue of making some credits.
I took Weds. off to play the SB. After a few hours of hit & miss trade routes, servers going offline, crashes (game, not computer), I've managed to make only about 1800 credits. That's it.

Any suggestions?
 

Special_Circumstances

Special_Circumstances
Get the BCP trading application. It pools all game players trades all over the game so you get a constant real time picture of all the prices in all the stations.

It knows where you are and tells you where the best deals are based on your current location.

There's a thread on the first couple of pages of the beta discussion forum, go read that :)
 

Ozric

Volunteer Moderator
Ozric
When you look on the galaxy map and then turn on the trade routes you will see the coloured markers moving out of and into systems. Obviously the ones that are going out of a system are the exports and the ones coming into it are the imports.

The colours tell you what category the trade items belong too, but if you look next to the name of the category you will see an arrow. If you click that arrow it will expand the category to show you all of the items in it, you can then turn them all off and put them on individually to see which of the actual goods are exported/imported. I have noticed that there are different thicknesses of the lines, noting which are the more in supply/demand.

All you have to do then is follow that line to another system and then see where that systems trade routes go and then find the next system to jump to.

Obviously the market is still a bit patchy and it doesn't help that simple courier missions give so much reward, but it is possible to find some nice trade runs even for a sidewinder.
 

Jacksy

Jacksy
Ozric said:
When you look on the galaxy map and then turn on the trade routes you will see the coloured markers moving out of and into systems. Obviously the ones that are going out of a system are the exports and the ones coming into it are the imports.

The colours tell you what category the trade items belong too, but if you look next to the name of the category you will see an arrow. If you click that arrow it will expand the category to show you all of the items in it, you can then turn them all off and put them on individually to see which of the actual goods are exported/imported. I have noticed that there are different thicknesses of the lines, noting which are the more in supply/demand.

All you have to do then is follow that line to another system and then see where that systems trade routes go and then find the next system to jump to.

Obviously the market is still a bit patchy and it doesn't help that simple courier missions give so much reward, but it is possible to find some nice trade runs even for a sidewinder.
Click to expand...


Excellent tip Commander :)
 

Capt. Hook

Capt. Hook
i found reasonably trade route when starting out (bit of a grind) - buy fish at Chango, sell to Aulin; buy agri meds and back to Chango. OP says in a hauler so should be making about 6K per run/12K for a return with full haul.

Once up and running not that long to get a Cobra/Viper etc.

Following site might be of help too:

http://elitetrade.seanmilne.me.uk/

Good luck.
 

Ozric

Volunteer Moderator
Ozric
I hope this doesn't get taken the wrong way as if you want to use 3rd party products then you are obviously more than welcome to, I update the prices on Thrudd's site to keep it up to date as I can, but for my own purposes I work out smaller routes for myself. Just bear in mind 2 things.

1) This is Beta and we're supposed to be testing out the game mechanics, so it would make more sense to try to use the ingame trade routes so they can get feedback on them.

2) This is Beta and all of your credits that you're frantically trying to amass will get wiped when the game goes live and very likely before that as well.
 

Sage Stark

Sage Stark
RAMpack said:
I have to get this off my chest. I am wasting so much time with mistakes I need advice on how to have more fun with trading and exploring (not grinding a reliable trade route). Take this scenario for instance:

According to the galaxy map my destination limits me to 5 cargo, and it's industrial. I'm in an extraction system so I buy 5 metal.
I undock, fly out of range and hit the jump key. Frameshift cancelled. Too heavy. I can either waste 5 minutes docking and selling 1 metal at a loss, or jettison 1 metal. I jettison and jump.

On arrival at the industrial spaceport I see that the metal I bought is the only metal in the galaxy that they don't give a toss about. The bulletin board doesn't want it. There are no other industrial systems in range, so I sell the metal at a loss, because I don't want to backtrack. I then check the bulletin board again, and they're desperate for the metal I just sold. I said "@$#%!%???". Any tips? :)
Click to expand...

My advice, explore the unidentified signal areas, there is "lots" of gold to be had, once you have enough buy the Hauler and keep doing the same until you can buy the Viper (fantastic ship, great sheilds and carries four weapons, 320 max speed and 500 on boost, you can outrun everything!) the Viper has a very good range (for ship size) and carries 8 cargo. This new beta has made exploring a real pleasure, as in, jumping into an area now does not mean there are loads of others trying for the same booty.
 

Ozric

Volunteer Moderator
Ozric
Sage Stark said:
My advice, explore the unidentified signal areas, there is "lots" of gold to be had, once you have enough buy the Hauler and keep doing the same until you can buy the Viper (fantastic ship, great sheilds and carries four weapons, 320 max speed and 500 on boost, you can outrun everything!) the Viper has a very good range (for ship size) and carries 8 cargo. This new beta has made exploring a real pleasure, as in, jumping into an area now does not mean there are loads of others trying for the same booty.
Click to expand...

Good advice for getting a viper quickly, but not much trade advice going on there.
 

InMemoriamSirocco

Banned
InMemoriamSirocco
You need to work out a schedule or a to-do-list. It should go like this:


1. You arrive at the spaceport and dock. First thing you do on starport services is fuel up. Every. ****ing. Time. Don't miss it.

2. You check the bulletin board BEFORE you do anything else. Sometimes certain people are desperate for certain types of cargo. They will pay you double the import market price. As you have just experienced, you don't want to miss this opportunity.

Also: While you are here, also check the bulletin board for any profitable missions. Delivery runs and long hauls for example. Take at least one. They will help you gain profits much faster.

3. Look at the galaxy map which route your delivery run will have to take you. Look at the final destination of your delivery run and see what goods they are needing. Plot your course using the galaxy map's function to showcase your range with full cargo hold. Remember: You don't need to refuel after every jump, you just can't take one long jump any more, instead you have to take several short jumps in succession.

4. Stock up on said goods and make your way out of the station.

5. Jump to the nearest system on route to your final destination. After arriving, get out of mass-lock and plot your course to the next system en route... etc until you reach your final target system - or need to refuel. In case you have to refuel en route, make a short stop at the local spaceport and refuel before you get on your way again.

6. Arriving at your final destination, dock with the spaceport, FIRST look at the bulletin board and complete your mission, THEN look whether somebody has a desperate need for your cargo. If not, sell it on the open commodity market. Congrats, you have probably made a small fortune. Now rinse and repeat until rich as ****. Also: Watch your back and don't get toasted. :D
 
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