Maybe I'll replace the Hauler with Dolphin? There isn't one here at Drummond Enterprise in the Khaka System. Might fly over to the Qureshi Enterprise, where I bought my Hauler, and see what they've got. Could check on EBBD but would rather get inside their shipyard and have a proper sticky ......
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Newcomer / Intro My Return to ED ......
- Thread starter Wombat1940
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As always, it depends on whether you want to use passenger missions as a way to find interesting places to see. Long distance passenger missions mean taking one mission at a time and completing it within a real world time frame of 1 to 4 weeks. 4 weeks is usually the time limit for a circa 22,000ly each way trip which would be gruelling to do without a ship engineered for high jump range. You're on a mission for a passenger rather than doing your own thing. This is not for me, personally.
Short range passenger missions you can complete in an hour or two I do like doing sometimes.
The DBX is a bit on the small side for passenger cabins to be ideal. An ASP X is good.
The Dolphin and later Orca (more expensive than a Phantom) if you want something bigger are good choices if you want to fit the luxury cabins - which don't really mean bigger profits.
It is not a case of Dolphin or DBX/ASPX - you can have both and use the Dolphin for short range passenger missions with a luxury cabin on board and DBX/ASPX/Phantom to do your own thing in deep space or passenger missions excluding luxury cabins (which is how I do passenger missions).
If you decided you never wanted to get into engineering or fitting a Guardian FSD booster, you don't need the extra internal slot and bigger slot sizes the Krait Phantom gives you. Unengineered, the Phantom offers you not even a quarter of a light year jump range advantage over the ASP X, and costs you something like 37 million more credits to buy. The Phantom begins to stretch ahead and excel over the ASP X when you engineer it - due to the mathematics behind how jump range is calculated partly based on weight as you fit Engineered FSD V1 and use engineering to reduce the weight of ship parts like life support and sensors (light weight sensors is another of Felicity's skills). That quarter of a light year jump range advantage over the ASP X grows to somewhere between 1 and 2 light years as you engineer the Phantom
I will go so far as to say, in a "no engineering the FSD or light weight modifications" and no Guardian FSD booster scenario, the ASP X is the superior exploration ship - only a fraction of a light year behind the Phantom on jump range, cheaper, a little more manoeuvrable and a better cockpit view. You just have to ignore the propeller aeroplane engine sound.
The DBX would also be a better choice in a no engineering scenario so long as you are OK with longer fuel scooping times.
In the Hauler ?
There are closer places to you than Qureshi Enterprise, but Qureshi Enterprise do have Dolpin and the 4A framed shift drive to go with it.
I recon you need 10 million credits to build good one - I just created a coriolis build for one I might buy in Colonia. Cheap as I could get it.
Yes sure.
You can take 4 economy passengers or 3 business class passengers in the Hauler using that size 3 slot. It's a different way to get the credits that pays better than data courier missions for whatever the next ship is going to be.
Thinking about it, if R2R is not to Wombats taste and something ethical is required, passenger missions are an excellent way to see things and earn credits at a fair pace. Just need to check mission details to avoid illegal passengers (criminals) and military leaders who might attract hostile ships.
Some passengers are secretive and won't pay up if your ship gets scanned. Just launch a heat sink the second you see Ship Scan Detected (like when docking at stations) and the scan will not succeed.
Don't skip the Cobra Mk III.
Passenger missions eh? I have a couple tips.
1) Read the entire mission text. Twice.
2) Some passengers are illegal to carry and if you get scanned by the System Authority they will open fire. You'll lose the mission and have to rebuy your ship.
3) Some passengers are averse to being scanned. If you get scanned, even at the last stop, they will demand that you let them out at the next stop. Wherever you land next, even if it's the mission destination, they will abandon ship and not pay you. These are really smuggling missions in disguise. You need to understand how to avoid scans, and it's not the easiest thing to do.
4) Some passengers will request that you get them some item, 2 units of wine for example, could be anything. Even land mines. Whatever it is, just ignore the message. Do not click the checkmark to accept. Do not click the X to decline either. Just leave it alone, and they won't bother you again. They also won't care that you did nothing.
5) Some passengers are averse to hull damage. Even a tiny ding will cause them to become unhappy and possibly abandon the mission.
6) Some passenger missions require you to take them on a round trip, sometimes with several stops to scan Tourist Beacons. These can be very long distances. Be aware of what you're getting into
7) There are 2 kinds of passenger missions. Bulk passengers don't make demands, and just want to be transported somewhere. These are the easiest. VIP passengers are the ones that demand stuff and have various foibles as above.
Some people enjoy these missions. I've always found them more bother than they were worth. You'll have to decide for yourself on that.
1) Read the entire mission text. Twice.
2) Some passengers are illegal to carry and if you get scanned by the System Authority they will open fire. You'll lose the mission and have to rebuy your ship.
3) Some passengers are averse to being scanned. If you get scanned, even at the last stop, they will demand that you let them out at the next stop. Wherever you land next, even if it's the mission destination, they will abandon ship and not pay you. These are really smuggling missions in disguise. You need to understand how to avoid scans, and it's not the easiest thing to do.
4) Some passengers will request that you get them some item, 2 units of wine for example, could be anything. Even land mines. Whatever it is, just ignore the message. Do not click the checkmark to accept. Do not click the X to decline either. Just leave it alone, and they won't bother you again. They also won't care that you did nothing.
5) Some passengers are averse to hull damage. Even a tiny ding will cause them to become unhappy and possibly abandon the mission.
6) Some passenger missions require you to take them on a round trip, sometimes with several stops to scan Tourist Beacons. These can be very long distances. Be aware of what you're getting into
7) There are 2 kinds of passenger missions. Bulk passengers don't make demands, and just want to be transported somewhere. These are the easiest. VIP passengers are the ones that demand stuff and have various foibles as above.
Some people enjoy these missions. I've always found them more bother than they were worth. You'll have to decide for yourself on that.
Oh! Not 1 to 2 hours (at the extreme) for a data carry courier mission.
Mind you there are a few more credits involved ...... 
That's better ......
No. Passenger missions are just a means to end: exploration. I won't need a permanent Dophin.
Then maybe I stick with the ASP X .... At this moment in time, I'm looking to avoid any engineering, however .....
We'll have to see about the noise.
No, its seen as a stepping stone to the ASP X
This sounds very attractive.
Alliance base in California nebula. Alliance generals and rebel leaders at war with in each both in your ship with rich tourists demanding clothes to make their journey more comfortable. The Alliance and rebels seem to forget one of their own number is on the ship with you.
Bring an Anaconda with lot of passenger cabins, heat sink launchers, your bests shields and guns... lots of guns
It's some of the most fun I've had paying ED and actually succeeding all the missions is a real challenge.
That obviously appeals .....
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QE is a very few Ly's from where I'm at now, and I'm know there through buying the Hauler.
10 Million ! Oh .......
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You're suggesting that's a good thing for a Hauler ?
Good post Codger, and a few things I'll add, as if I could call anything a 'career' in Elite, for me it's been passenger missions, running what I've dubbed my Interstellar Transportation Company. Orca, you know.
Good advice about ignoring passenger requests. I'd nudge it further and say don't even open the message, just ignore it entirely. As Codger noted, they won't care if you don't fulfill it, unless they know you know. Don't know.
It's vital, as he also said, to read the fine print. Be sure to know which missions are for criminals and wanted passengers. Take them at your own risk, but I'd advise skipping them entirely until you've built a smuggler ship. My Orca was built for this and idles at a very low temp, making it ideal for these. But if you cannot avoid scans through ship builds and ship handling you don't want to be doing these.
I'd divide the passenger missions in to more types
-- Bulk Hauling -- These are the ones which will say something like transport 54 businessmen. These missions allow bleed over multiple cabins and are one-way, short hop usually.
-- VIP transport -- Exactly like bulk haul, but require their own cabin
-- Smuggling -- Criminal and wanted transport. Work as above, but carry additional peril.
-- Sightseeing -- These are round-trip missions to tourist beacons and the like. Unlike the mission types listed above, which boost trade rank, sightseeing missions boost exploration rank. They work like VIP missions and require their own cabins, no sharing between stacked missions like bulk haul missions. I really like these, and it's what I cut my teeth on in my early days. They take you to some of the most striking places in Elite, and have the collateral benefit of often taking you to systems with valuable planets to scan. Lots of ELWs and WWs for example to boost the profits from the expedition.
There's one pitfall from sightseeing missions that prospective bus drivers should be aware of. Arrival distance is NOT shown in the mission description, and it's pot luck. You will have no idea of how long the supercruise is to the tourist destination. If could be 100 ls or 400,000 ls. I like this sort of unpredictability, but I also know there are commanders who would not care to fly these for this reason.
-- Long-range sightseeing -- These are the ones that go for many thousands of light years, usually taking a 'famous explorer' to his or her destination and back. You'd think being famous for this they'd already have a ship, but perhaps fame softens them and they think they are above such mundane acts as piloting.
-- Rescue missions -- Save unfortunate souls from burning stations in incursion systems. Potentially perilous, but very fast turn around and one of the best rank-boosting activities in Elite. I avoided these for a while, thinking they were more dangerous than they are. But once you see what's done it's not so daunting.
I use two ships for this mainly. The Orca, which now is my sightseer and smuggler
coriolis.io
Very fast, with good jump and idles at 14% heat. Cabin arrangement is modular. I have a wide variety and mount them before stepping in to the passenger lounge with a mix of first class and business class to open more of the missions on the board. After selecting I then remove the unused cabins to maximize jump.
And a Krait II Rumble Bus
coriolis.io
This is used for bulk haul and one-way VIP missions. Seats 55 business class as shown. It's armed to take on interdictors, and the passengers seem to love the action haha
Good advice about ignoring passenger requests. I'd nudge it further and say don't even open the message, just ignore it entirely. As Codger noted, they won't care if you don't fulfill it, unless they know you know. Don't know.
It's vital, as he also said, to read the fine print. Be sure to know which missions are for criminals and wanted passengers. Take them at your own risk, but I'd advise skipping them entirely until you've built a smuggler ship. My Orca was built for this and idles at a very low temp, making it ideal for these. But if you cannot avoid scans through ship builds and ship handling you don't want to be doing these.
I'd divide the passenger missions in to more types
-- Bulk Hauling -- These are the ones which will say something like transport 54 businessmen. These missions allow bleed over multiple cabins and are one-way, short hop usually.
-- VIP transport -- Exactly like bulk haul, but require their own cabin
-- Smuggling -- Criminal and wanted transport. Work as above, but carry additional peril.
-- Sightseeing -- These are round-trip missions to tourist beacons and the like. Unlike the mission types listed above, which boost trade rank, sightseeing missions boost exploration rank. They work like VIP missions and require their own cabins, no sharing between stacked missions like bulk haul missions. I really like these, and it's what I cut my teeth on in my early days. They take you to some of the most striking places in Elite, and have the collateral benefit of often taking you to systems with valuable planets to scan. Lots of ELWs and WWs for example to boost the profits from the expedition.
There's one pitfall from sightseeing missions that prospective bus drivers should be aware of. Arrival distance is NOT shown in the mission description, and it's pot luck. You will have no idea of how long the supercruise is to the tourist destination. If could be 100 ls or 400,000 ls. I like this sort of unpredictability, but I also know there are commanders who would not care to fly these for this reason.
-- Long-range sightseeing -- These are the ones that go for many thousands of light years, usually taking a 'famous explorer' to his or her destination and back. You'd think being famous for this they'd already have a ship, but perhaps fame softens them and they think they are above such mundane acts as piloting.
-- Rescue missions -- Save unfortunate souls from burning stations in incursion systems. Potentially perilous, but very fast turn around and one of the best rank-boosting activities in Elite. I avoided these for a while, thinking they were more dangerous than they are. But once you see what's done it's not so daunting.
I use two ships for this mainly. The Orca, which now is my sightseer and smuggler
Coriolis EDCD Edition
A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
coriolis.io
Very fast, with good jump and idles at 14% heat. Cabin arrangement is modular. I have a wide variety and mount them before stepping in to the passenger lounge with a mix of first class and business class to open more of the missions on the board. After selecting I then remove the unused cabins to maximize jump.
And a Krait II Rumble Bus
Coriolis EDCD Edition
A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
coriolis.io
This is used for bulk haul and one-way VIP missions. Seats 55 business class as shown. It's armed to take on interdictors, and the passengers seem to love the action haha
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Can I abandon a passenger mission I'm having trouble with ?