Best approach to ranking up Trade

[F3_Hard_Drive]

So I just completed my grind to earning my Imperial Cutter. Shiny. When I was finished I had earned a ranking of Tycoon in trade. Being this close, I want to finish the job and earn my first Elite rank. With Cutter in hand I figure I would just start chipping away 720 tons at a time. However, it wasn't long when I started to think back to when I was ranking up with the Empire (and managing to earn allied status with a few factions), that post 2.2.03 many factions started offering boom delivery missions of several million creds for a 100 ly hop. Problem is many of those missions are to outposts so the Cutter was out. Furthermore, I know there is a pretty penny to be had with passenger transport (not sightseeing missions which impact exploration) missions.

So now my question is, which is best (i.e. most efficient, least boring, etc.) way to grind Trade rank? Mass hauling trade loops in a Large ship? Stacking 100 ly delivery missions in the Python? Passenger transport missions? Before I begin to experiment, I thought I'd ask the community for insights and experiences.

 

[goemon]

well, i did elite in trading some weeks ago by state depending trading in a cutter. i took a break in between by mining in a corvette and selling in boom economies.

if one of the market controlling factions is in boom in facece, you only need a good a source of medical diagnostics equipment to make 4500-6100 cr/t a-b-a, so around 12-16 mio/h.

my record was the mentioned 6100 cr/t profit a-b-a on a route which never showed up in eddb.io, why i could run it for 5 days. there are many similar places like facece out there... i had a in system trade between a military surface port and a surface refinery with 5200 cr/t a-b-a....

i was working with this list:

75% of all commodities can make more than 1000 cr/t profit in the right state conditions 33% of all commodities can make more than >2000 cr profit, and 9 can make >3000 ... so all you need 1 of the 9 and a fitting second.

that said, if you find a system, which has only 1 system in mission range (>15 ly), and both systems have matching economies and are in boom, you can make nearby the same by running trade missions in a python between the two systems.

 

[thirstyfish]

well, i did elite in trading some weeks ago by state depending trading in a cutter. i took a break in between by mining in a corvette and selling in boom economies.

if one of the market controlling factions is in boom in facece, you only need a good a source of medical diagnostics equipment to make 4500-6100 cr/t a-b-a, so around 12-16 mio/h.

my record was the mentioned 6100 cr/t profit a-b-a on a route which never showed up in eddb.io, why i could run it for 5 days. there are many similar places like facece out there... i had a in system trade between a military surface port and a surface refinery with 5200 cr/t a-b-a....

i was working with this list:
http://i.imgur.com/PsOnCeX.png?1

75% of all commodities can make more than 1000 cr/t profit in the right state conditions 33% of all commodities can make more than >2000 cr profit, and 9 can make >3000 ... so all you need 1 of the 9 and a fitting second.

that said, if you find a system, which has only 1 system in mission range (>15 ly), and both systems have matching economies and are in boom, you can make nearby the same by running trade missions in a python between the two systems.

do trade missions help your trade rank?

 

[o'moylan]

Did the Cutter trade thing. Very boring. I have been doing passenger missions in a Beluga for some time now. It's not the most exciting, but it's better than the cutter. I can't speak for how fast you will rank up in trade doing passenger missions. There is a glitch in the matrix I believe so you can be Elite in exploration in a week. sad sad sad (sorry again explorers). so to make a long story short sell the cutter.....lol

 

[goemon]

do trade missions help your trade rank?

yes, trade missions help your trade rank. you need around 6,3 mio for 1% rank in the final ... whether you make that by trade missions or bulktrading or mining doesn't matter. mission profits don't show up in statistics, but count neverthelss.

i prsonally preferred bulk trading, because a) i like scouting routes b) i enjoyed to work on understanding the mechanic how prices and profits are generated by the backgroundsimulation c) i could make one run in the morning, 2 at lunchbreak, and 2-3 after work, whithout being dependent on the sometimes erratic missions board.

flying the trade route itself is pretty unchallenging, though.

i also picked up trade missions on both ends of my routes, when i knew i could get the stuff on the other hand - to prolong the boom, to up my profis, and for some interdictions to add some pew-pew.

 

[jacozilla]

If you don't like mining, or are really slow at it, then I wouldn't recommend it.

But if you do like mining, you've got probably what is arguably the top mining ship in the game (to be fair I don't have one yet due to faction rank but I can read and do 2+2 math).

As good as the anaconda is as a miner (what I use), or the best medium pad version with mining Python, the sheer capacity and ability to run a full mining load with tons of controllers to scoop fragments fast with your horde of limpets makes the cutter an expensive but top mining ship.

Trade rank is based on profit, and mining the turn in is 100% profit. It's still not as fast as if you do repetitive bulk trade or long range missions, but if you want something different and don't mind mining, it's a good alternative to gain trade rank. With module storage I've been lot more comfortable reconfiguring my anaconda for mining whenever mood strikes me, but whenever I get around to getting empire rank done, will definitely trade up to a cutter for mining (and bulk trading)

 

[F3_Hard_Drive]

Cheers @goemon. Repped.

 

[goemon]

But if you do like mining, you've got probably what is arguably the top mining ship in the game (to be fair I don't have one yet due to faction rank but I can read and do 2+2 math).

well, i can assure you, that a corvette is a better miner than a cutter - i have flown both for mining. the cutter just takes too long to turn between the asteroids, while a corvette handles like a medium ship, while having a condas distributor so it can sustain 3 mining lasers and have the 15 active collectors you need for 3 mining lasers... if imperial, I'd always take a (shieldless) clipper before the cutter, and i'm positive that you'd make up for the cargo less by mining faster - pretty much like mining pythons beat mining condas at all mining CGs.

anyway, each his own, and i can second that mining is a great way to work on your trade rank, if you like mining, has a good pristine metallic between many high tech/industrial/tourism economies with factions in boom.