"Border" areas, how are they working for those using them?

[Sanderson]

I'm Allied to the Empire and friendly towards the feds. I haven't had much contact with the Alliance. I was thinking of moving to a border area and smuggling while still bounty hunting and possibly starting the Fed/Emp progression missions. I'd also like to increase my contact with the Alliance to introduce another friendly or allied super power into the mix. My goal is to be a double/triple agent so to speak and basically exploit the big three's bickering.

My question, for those doing this at a border area, how's it working out for you? I'd hope and imagine a border area that has a mix of the big three could be very lucrative and facilitate progression missions a bit more than deep in a single super power's territory but, I don't know at this point (having not tried it) if it really makes a difference. Could be real handy, I'd suppose, being able to pop over the proverbial border when in a pinch from time to time quickly and easily. Not to mention skirting the various commodity restrictions.

 

[CatHellsky]

I'm Allied to the Empire and friendly towards the feds. I haven't had much contact with the Alliance. I was thinking of moving to a border area and smuggling while still bounty hunting and possibly starting the Fed/Emp progression missions. I'd also like to increase my contact with the Alliance to introduce another friendly or allied super power into the mix. My goal is to be a double/triple agent so to speak and basically exploit the big three's bickering.

My question, for those doing this at a border area, how's it working out for you? I'd hope and imagine a border area that has a mix of the big three could be very lucrative and facilitate progression missions a bit more than deep in a single super power's territory but, I don't know at this point (having not tried it) if it really makes a difference. Could be real handy, I'd suppose, being able to pop over the proverbial border when in a pinch from time to time quickly and easily. Not to mention skirting the various commodity restrictions.

I'm not sure about smuggling or trading, I bounty hunt in an area with an anarchy system, an empire system, and federation system right nearby each other, with Lave about 60 Ly away. I don't pick up as many Alliance bounties, but I have become friendly with Empire and Federation and have gotten a rank up with Federation, and I keep forgetting to check Empire while I'm there, but probably have at least one there as well. For bounty hunting, at least, it basically doubles my profit because of the two systems right next to each other. Whenever I get 100k in something I go collect and go back to bounty hunting. Federation and Empire tend to get collected at the same time, while Alliance takes a while.

 

[fergal]

I'm Allied to the Empire and friendly towards the feds. I haven't had much contact with the Alliance. I was thinking of moving to a border area and smuggling while still bounty hunting and possibly starting the Fed/Emp progression missions. I'd also like to increase my contact with the Alliance to introduce another friendly or allied super power into the mix. My goal is to be a double/triple agent so to speak and basically exploit the big three's bickering.

My question, for those doing this at a border area, how's it working out for you? I'd hope and imagine a border area that has a mix of the big three could be very lucrative and facilitate progression missions a bit more than deep in a single super power's territory but, I don't know at this point (having not tried it) if it really makes a difference. Could be real handy, I'd suppose, being able to pop over the proverbial border when in a pinch from time to time quickly and easily. Not to mention skirting the various commodity restrictions.

Its just not how you (and I) would hope.
All of the imperial progress missions up to Earl don't require you to leave imperial space, certainly nothing about travelling to sol to kill the president.
I'm at the latest war site in Buricasses (think thats how its spelt) there are federal and independent systems scattered around, the border is just huge though.

Most of the progress missions had me find personal weapons and smuggle (they are illegal) them into an imperial station.
4 of the missions had me kill a traitor general in an imperial clipper.

Even the kill authority missions have you in other random imperial systems, not necessarily in the independent or federation systems.

All of the factions feel very independent, being a part of the empire doesn't seem to make anti federation missions spawn

 

[Sanderson]

Thanks for the tips!