Newcomer / Intro making decent money

[Llewelyn Morgan]

I've done some rare trading loops (with the Asp), but getting max amounts takes time. There's also no point in using a bigger ship, since the Asp (or a T6) can already hold half a dozen systems-worth of rares.

Now, I have a type 7 - carries 216 cargo. I'm doing a run which goes to 2 stations in Zelano: marine equipment from industrial planet to agri, then tobacco to high tech in chapsugaibo, and PEs back to zelano. When the prices are good each round trip makes about 700K profit, less if the prices are unfavourable. Which is not bad - there are only 2 hyper jumps involved so it's not too long a trip.

However, when you start looking at the Python costing 50-odd million, plus fitting it out, that's a lot of cargo runs. Anyone got a reliable way to make money faster?

 

[Universal Evil]

Well it depends on your figting skills right now I would say you could faily easy make around 1 mio pr/hour in a high conflict Zone in a volture doing combat bonds and it's more fun than just flying from A to B with cargo and sell/buy...

But I don't know if you are into the dogfighting of Elite... I hear that the exploration also have been turned up a bit so if you invest in a longer trip into nowhere like 20.000 LY or so you could make a desent paycheck when you get back....

 

[Richard]

Exploration has been beefed up but not by that much. I really enjoy it and its actually where I'm making most of my money right now but it doesn't have the best credits/hour ratio by any means.

You seem to be trading in a pretty solid set of commodities, you know about rares, so I don't have anything much to recommend there.

I hate to sound like 'that guy' but have a think about why you want a Python. 'Because it looks cool and I want one' is a perfectly valid answer but consider that for less than the price of that Python you could keep that Type 7, re-buy your Asp and get a pretty decently kitted out Vulture as well. At which point you have a good ship available for whatever you want to do in E: D.

If you're dead set on the Python (which as I said, is totally valid), all I can really suggest is breaking up the trading runs with other stuff so that they don't get too repetitive, or maybe taking a look around and finding a different run to do for a bit. At the end of the day, a Python is one of the 'end game ships' (such as they exist in E: D), so I'm afraid they take a bit of time to earn.

Sorry if this wasn't much practical help but if its any consolation, I'd say you're doing a damn fine job at trading already!

 

[Llewelyn Morgan]

Well I'd more or less decided much what you say - except that I'm likely to replace the T7 with an imperial clipper once I get the rank for it. The clipper will make a better transport than the T7 - carries a bit more, faster and can mount weapons if needed. Currently, I sold the cobra and bought another vulture (had one before, but I needed a bigger trade ship to make trading useful) and now earning credits to kit it out - those people in another thread going on about the vulture being too cheap... you're looking at 15M+ to kit it out decently... It just seems to me one should aim high - the python looks like it'll work as a super-asp - more firepower, more cargo, and still medium-pad capable - in fact, I could do quite a handy build which does pretty much as freight as the clipper, can fight moderately well (granting it's not a fighter) and make a useful explorer, although I admit the range isn't quite as good as the Asp: something like this build (68M cr, that's going to take some earning... )

[Python]
L: 2F/G Multi-cannon
L: 2F/G Multi-cannon
L: 3C/G Beam Laser
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon

BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 6D Power Plant
TM: 6D Thrusters
FH: 5A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 4D Life Support
PC: 6D Power Distributor
SS: 6D Sensors
FS: 5C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 32)

6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
5: 5D Shield Generator
5: 5E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 32)
4: 4B Fuel Scoop
3: 3D Auto Field-Maintenance Unit
3: 1C Detailed Surface Scanner
2: 1C Advanced Discovery Scanner
---
Shield: 269.40 MJ
Power : 12.14 MW retracted (64%)
16.48 MW deployed (87%)
18.90 MW available
Cargo : 224 T
Fuel : 32 T
Mass : 473.3 T empty
729.3 T full
Range : 24.37 LY unladen
16.89 LY laden
Price : 68,665,172 CR
Re-Buy: 3,433,259 CR @ 95% insurance

Indeed, looking at that, with a bit more tweaking it might get more range, maybe a bit lighter weaponry and a smaller generator. <edit> well yes, but not enough to be worth the compromise. by losing 2 of the cannon and lowering the power and power dist, can get it up to about 27ly unladen. But I think I'd keep the cannons and the power. Also that build didn't have an utilities such as defence or KWS or cargo scanner. The above build with 5C generator goes 26ly unladen. If you wanted utilities as well you'd need a 5A though.

 

[the100thmonkey]

Head towards the edges of populated space and look for high population industrial systems with high-tech and extraction/refinery systems nearby. You'll get great prices on metals, etc. due to the lack of player trading and the high population will prevent prices from crashing under sustained commerce.

Oh, and drop the fuel scoop - you're wasting a 16t cargo rack, and you'll make more using it for that and buying your fuel. There's also much less (actually zero) risk of you being interdicted while scooping.

 

[nazartp]

Well I'd more or less decided much what you say - except that I'm likely to replace the T7 with an imperial clipper once I get the rank for it. The clipper will make a better transport than the T7 - carries a bit more, faster and can mount weapons if needed. Currently, I sold the cobra and bought another vulture (had one before, but I needed a bigger trade ship to make trading useful) and now earning credits to kit it out - those people in another thread going on about the vulture being too cheap... you're looking at 15M+ to kit it out decently... It just seems to me one should aim high - the python looks like it'll work as a super-asp - more firepower, more cargo, and still medium-pad capable - in fact, I could do quite a handy build which does pretty much as freight as the clipper, can fight moderately well (granting it's not a fighter) and make a useful explorer, although I admit the range isn't quite as good as the Asp: something like this build (68M cr, that's going to take some earning... )

Indeed, looking at that, with a bit more tweaking it might get more range, maybe a bit lighter weaponry and a smaller generator. <edit> well yes, but not enough to be worth the compromise. by losing 2 of the cannon and lowering the power and power dist, can get it up to about 27ly unladen. But I think I'd keep the cannons and the power. Also that build didn't have an utilities such as defence or KWS or cargo scanner. The above build with 5C generator goes 26ly unladen. If you wanted utilities as well you'd need a 5A though.

Python is a fine ship. Primary use for it is BH against NPCs - it kills enemies fast, I'm talking 30 seconds or so to kill a master Anaconda. It is also a fine trader, but you will need to drop the shield to class 4 or 5. It will fit about 260 tons of cargo then vs 232-240 in a Clipper, otherwise it is similar to Clipper with higher running costs. I would not even consider it as an explorer. The hidden cost is the hull integrity that will go down during long exploration trips. Even though the cost of repairs was decreased, hull integrity is based, in my understanding, on the price of the ship. At 0% hull integrity, your repair cost is going to be 5.5 million cr (based on accounts of some people who managed the feat of getting their Pythons to 0% hull integrity), i.e., about 10% of the price of the ship. Compare to ASP's 670k repair cost at 0% hull integrity (assuming 10% of 6.7 million ship cost).

To be clear - I fly mostly A-grade Python right now, appreciate it versatility and money-making prowess, but do not like it. I miss my Clipper and nothing beats ASP as an explorer.

 

[Richard]

Cool - and that does look like a pretty sweet spec for the Python. Hope you find what you want and have fun flying it!