Newcomer / Intro Heading to Colonia for the first time, no idea what we're doing, any advice?

[ThrottleFox]

Hey CMDRs,

A friend and I have decided to finally make the trip out to Colonia, for the first time ever. We’ve got a Fleet Carrier with us and a bunch of ships for different stuff (combat, exploration, trading, mining... you name it), but honestly, we don’t really know what we’re doing.

We’re not planning to just rush out there in a straight line either. We want to take a few days, maybe stop along the way, look at cool stuff, maybe mine a bit or do some fights if it comes up. More of an adventure than a relocation.

That said… we have no clue what to expect. So we’re kinda just hoping for any advice from people who’ve done it before, or who live out that way.

Stuff we’re wondering:

• Are there missions and stuff out there like in the Bubble? NPCs, factions, bounty hunting, courier runs? Or is it just chill exploration vibes?
• Anything we should be doing on the way out? Stuff to see, things to scan, things to avoid?
• Any surprises we might run into that new Colonia-goers wouldn't expect?
• What's engineering and outfitting like out there? If we need to swap modules or do upgrades, is that doable?
• Anything we should bring with us that we might not think of?

We plan on taking a carrier, but still — this is our first time leaving the comfort of the Bubble and going this far into the black. If there’s anything you wish you knew before your first trip out, we’d love to hear it.

Thanks in advance!

o7

 

[Ashnak]

1) missions, NPCs are available. No superpowers, no powers and only a few minor factions
2) if you want to become rich - exobiology
3) then those won't be surprises anymore now, would they? You might want to fill the cargo on your carrier with Tritium, though. Supply on the way and in Colonia ist sparse
4) If you have the knowledge of the Colonia engineers (you need the rank with some of the bubble engineers) then engineering in Colonia ist better than in the bubble. Fill your mats first, though - there's little to no possibility of cheesing high grade mats out there. And it might be difficult to find some ships or large/high grade modules.
5) Tritium, engineering mats, engineer invitations

 

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

Hi

We plan on taking a carrier, but still — this is our first time leaving the comfort of the Bubble and going this far into the black. If there’s anything you wish you knew before your first trip out, we’d love to hear it.

Thanks in advance!

o7

Yep! ...you can mine the stuff on the way if you've got the equipment but...

You might want to fill the cargo on your carrier with Tritium, though. Supply on the way and in Colonia is sparse

This, is very good advice.
Also buy it from the cheapest source you can find, (Inara is your friend here ).

Jack

 

[paul_mumford]

I'm trying AFK farming at a resource extraction site....