I can't seem to find a great answer but I am curious, is it better to save the cash to buy the ship and all the upgrades, or to upgrade the ship as you go? I just started and did some bounty hunting in the Pilot Federation zone and blew through the Sidewinder to the Eagle mkII to the Viper MkIII without hardly any upgrading. I went to a neighboring zone to outfit some modules and got kicked out of the starter zones. Now I'm stuck in a Viper MkIII with mostly stock modules except a few C Class upgrades. I'm wondering if I might have messed up some.
Question on outfitting in the beginning
- Thread starter Ryanes
- Start date
You'll be fine. Keep upgrading key components and don't take on more than you think you can handle. Long ago I stayed in a Cobra, slowly upgrading everything until I had multiple engineers unlocked. However, when I moved to my first medium ship, I made sure I had enough to buy and upgrade essential components.
With my new account, I tooled around in a D-rated Viper (mostly core mining) and had no trouble. Tbf, I knew far more the second time around.
With my new account, I tooled around in a D-rated Viper (mostly core mining) and had no trouble. Tbf, I knew far more the second time around.
Remember: Selling your ship's hardpoints/utilities/modules will refund you all the credits you paid for it. Selling a ship, however, you will lose a small portion of what you paid for it (10% iirc). Buy discounted ships and modules to keep rebuy costs lower than full-price purchases. 
As zipline already said, it's up to you and your wishes. You can find discounted ships and modules if you go to eddb.io, in Powers select Li Yong-Rui, in Reference System select your system and in Station Sell Ships or Station Sells Modules select what you want to buy.
Here's an overview of ship progression to inspire you and help you with your choices:
Here's an overview of ship progression to inspire you and help you with your choices:
I went for the approach of buying the ship with some upgrades from stock, then learning to fly it. For example, I learned how to fly my Cutter after C rating everything apart from thrusters, which I left E rated, then fighting off NPC Anacondas. Those g5 engineered A rated modules felt pretty good once I'd got them after doing that.
Although really I'd say that if what you're doing is enjoyable, you're doing it right.
Although really I'd say that if what you're doing is enjoyable, you're doing it right.
As you are beginning, just be aware that you don't have to engineer all your modules to top levels immediately. Level 3 mods can be quite effective.
You do want to get your thrusters and the FSD up as they help you get away and travel longer distances.
Pick one of the disciplines that appeal to you and concentrate on that particular play. I did extended combat first, then trading and lastly exploration. There's no one way to progress, except to enjoy the ride.
I would recommend joining a wing whose members are on your same time zone.
Good luck.
You do want to get your thrusters and the FSD up as they help you get away and travel longer distances.
Pick one of the disciplines that appeal to you and concentrate on that particular play. I did extended combat first, then trading and lastly exploration. There's no one way to progress, except to enjoy the ride.
I would recommend joining a wing whose members are on your same time zone.
Good luck.
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In the beginning, buying a new ship and updating it as you go is fine.
As the ships get more expensive (I'd say perhaps from Asp Explorer and up?), you should start at least having the coin for key modules and a few rebuys. On the "late-game" ships, fully rated modules (to the activity you plan to use it for, a trading ship can get away with less that a combat ship) should be your thing.
This is obviously my opinion, there is no correct answer. If someone wants to fly a stock-rated Fer-de-Lance through the upgrade hoops, that's just fine.
As I progressed through, I tended to D-grade everything when buying a new ship with the exception of FSD which would be A-graded ASAP. I’d then work on getting the Thrusters and Distributor A-graded next, which invariable would require the PP to be done as well. This was when I had “one” multi-purpose ship, of course.
Later, I found I would have engineered Modules to “drop in” and give me a head start although that would leave other ships with E-grade modules which I’d fix when I could to avoid too much module switching.
Now I tend to run different ships for different purposes so I have smaller modules where I can get away with it or D-rated for traders / explorers. For combat I try and A-grade and engineer from Day 1 but that’s cause, whilst I enjoy bounty hunting, I’m a pretty average combat pilot.
Later, I found I would have engineered Modules to “drop in” and give me a head start although that would leave other ships with E-grade modules which I’d fix when I could to avoid too much module switching.
Now I tend to run different ships for different purposes so I have smaller modules where I can get away with it or D-rated for traders / explorers. For combat I try and A-grade and engineer from Day 1 but that’s cause, whilst I enjoy bounty hunting, I’m a pretty average combat pilot.
The answer is sort of yes, either approach will work but the first takes longer to get into a new ship, which can be frustrating, however the second can lead you to spending time in a ship with sub optimum capabilities, which can make the ships seem worse than they really are.
Personally I prefer the first approach and if going that route recommend waiting until you have at least 3 times the undiscounted price of the new ship before you buy it at a discount that way you should be able to A and D rate the core modules as appropriate.
Either way things will of course take a little longer if you like your current ship as you wont want to trade it in, but if you do trade it in remember to sell or store all non core modules and then all core modules replacing those with the smallest E rated ones you can fit leaving the Power Plant till last, if the station doesn't have an appropriate module just sell the existing one and it will be replaced by an E rated unit of the same size as the slot. When you get round to having engineered modules always try to store them.
I tended to buy the ship and then upgrade it as I went along when I was starting out - so long as I had enough for a decent frameshift drive (not necessarily A-rated - 15LY range is fine for wandering around the bubble, but less than that can be tough) and power distributor (even A-rated are fairly cheap on most small ships).
It depends what you plan to use the ship for - if you're going for a mainly combat approach, an A-rated cheap ship will probably do better than a D-rated more expensive ship. If you're going for trading, mining, passenger running, etc. then a D-rated more expensive ship will often earn the money faster than an A-rated cheap ship, so long as you can run away successfully, so you'll be able to A-rate the more expensive ship faster. If you're going for exploration, there are very few times where your module quality matters that much, so just pick a ship you like the look of.
It depends what you plan to use the ship for - if you're going for a mainly combat approach, an A-rated cheap ship will probably do better than a D-rated more expensive ship. If you're going for trading, mining, passenger running, etc. then a D-rated more expensive ship will often earn the money faster than an A-rated cheap ship, so long as you can run away successfully, so you'll be able to A-rate the more expensive ship faster. If you're going for exploration, there are very few times where your module quality matters that much, so just pick a ship you like the look of.
I loved that stage of the game.
I’m way too invested to wipe my save, but I really did love being a small fish in a big dangerous open ocean.
Nothing like seeing a hollow triangle in your scanner when you are flying your first C rated Type 6.
Nothing like being in your first A rated cobra (no engineering) and being winged with someone in a Vette.
“My big brother gon H U R T you Mr NPC.”
Just pick ships and module as you go, suitable for your needs. I, for example, wanted DBX. Starting from Sidewinder it was quite a trip. I was changing ships quickly, as fast as I could afford new ones. But at some point income was not fast enough and I wanted to speed up current build.So I started buying better modules.
Trick is - one good module can fit multiple ships so one purchase can cover ship upgrades. Visit coriolis.io and dry build few shuips you want, check their modules and see what you can buy and transfer over to new ship. This way you can have both - new ships and good modules.
Trick is - one good module can fit multiple ships so one purchase can cover ship upgrades. Visit coriolis.io and dry build few shuips you want, check their modules and see what you can buy and transfer over to new ship. This way you can have both - new ships and good modules.
My main bit of advice would be: - avoid having to buy (and engineer) things twice.
You buy, for example, an aAspX.
You decide it'll be okay with 5D thrusters and that it'll be okay with a 3A Power Plant, a 4D Power Distributor and a 3A Fuel Scoop
You then fit a 3A shield to it and a 5A collector, and some weapons.
And then you do a bit of engineering on those modules.
Later on, you decide you want more powerful weapons so you buy those and fit them.
You also decide you'd like a stronger shield, a bigger fuel scoop and more powerful thrusters.
Oh dear.
You now find that as a result of fitting a bigger shield, better weapons and more powerful thrusters, your PP isn't big enough and your PDist doesn't supply the amount of juice you need.
As a result of upgrading the shield and fitting a bigger fuel-scoop you also realise you have to remove the 5A collector and replace it with, perhaps, a pair of 3A collectors.
You now need to travel around to locate the weapons, thrusters, shield and fuel-scoop you want.
You're also going to have to replace the PP and PDist in order to support the new modules.
And then you're going to have to find a bunch more mat's in order to engineer all the new stuff you've fitted.
The best way to avoid all this hassle is to use something like Coriolis.io to plan your builds before you buy anything.
You don't have to buy everything at the same time but make sure the stuff you do buy is suitable for the finished ship.
In the above case, for example, you might buy an AspX and then fit it with a 4A PP and a 4A PDist even if, to begin with, you fit it with small weapons and D-rated thrusters.
If you plan on fitting a 5A fuel-scoop eventually, even if you buy a 4D fuel-scoop to start with bung it into the C5 slot so that slot is "reserved" for the 5A fuel-scoop when you eventually buy it.
Similar thing with the shield-generator; if you plan on fitting a 6A shield eventually, fit a 6D shield to start with so that it'll be a straight swap for the 6A shield later on.
And, of course, don't waste a lot of mat's engineering modules that are only a temporary fitment on your ship.
Course, you can store modules which means you could, for example, engineer a 3A shield to optimise it and then store it when you replace it with a 6A shield.
Plan your build and then buy the appropriate modules.
You buy, for example, an aAspX.
You decide it'll be okay with 5D thrusters and that it'll be okay with a 3A Power Plant, a 4D Power Distributor and a 3A Fuel Scoop
You then fit a 3A shield to it and a 5A collector, and some weapons.
And then you do a bit of engineering on those modules.
Later on, you decide you want more powerful weapons so you buy those and fit them.
You also decide you'd like a stronger shield, a bigger fuel scoop and more powerful thrusters.
Oh dear.
You now find that as a result of fitting a bigger shield, better weapons and more powerful thrusters, your PP isn't big enough and your PDist doesn't supply the amount of juice you need.
As a result of upgrading the shield and fitting a bigger fuel-scoop you also realise you have to remove the 5A collector and replace it with, perhaps, a pair of 3A collectors.
You now need to travel around to locate the weapons, thrusters, shield and fuel-scoop you want.
You're also going to have to replace the PP and PDist in order to support the new modules.
And then you're going to have to find a bunch more mat's in order to engineer all the new stuff you've fitted.
The best way to avoid all this hassle is to use something like Coriolis.io to plan your builds before you buy anything.
You don't have to buy everything at the same time but make sure the stuff you do buy is suitable for the finished ship.
In the above case, for example, you might buy an AspX and then fit it with a 4A PP and a 4A PDist even if, to begin with, you fit it with small weapons and D-rated thrusters.
If you plan on fitting a 5A fuel-scoop eventually, even if you buy a 4D fuel-scoop to start with bung it into the C5 slot so that slot is "reserved" for the 5A fuel-scoop when you eventually buy it.
Similar thing with the shield-generator; if you plan on fitting a 6A shield eventually, fit a 6D shield to start with so that it'll be a straight swap for the 6A shield later on.
And, of course, don't waste a lot of mat's engineering modules that are only a temporary fitment on your ship.
Course, you can store modules which means you could, for example, engineer a 3A shield to optimise it and then store it when you replace it with a 6A shield.
Plan your build and then buy the appropriate modules.