Newcomer / Intro Returning player trying to get back into the game.

So a bit of background, I stopped playing ED around 4-5 years ago, before a lot of the current content/Horizons/metas were released so I am a bit out of the loop. It's interesting getting back into a game after a long hiatus to find you only had 10mil and a Vulture but cest-la-vie, I am somewhat interested in getting back into the grind of things and maybe even try out passenger hauling.

Thing is; what are some of the more profitable things to do in the game currently? Are RES runs still viable (I am by default kitted out to do RES runs) or are passenger runs viable money making alternative for someone who has probably a solid 1-2hrs to sink into the game? I don't have Horizons atm so I don't know if that affects anything in terms of income but I would like some pointers as to what the viable metas are.

Thanks all! Fly Safe! o7
 
Welcome back! I find that I'm doing quite well running missions in the system I'm in where I am allied with all factions. I did one short haul of 98 evac shelters last night that got me 3.2m CR.

But why grind? Why not intersperse your profiteering with other pursuits? See the sighrs, explore, blow things up, mine, get engineered...

@@@O7
 
Welcome back! I find that I'm doing quite well running missions in the system I'm in where I am allied with all factions. I did one short haul of 98 evac shelters last night that got me 3.2m CR.

But why grind? Why not intersperse your profiteering with other pursuits? See the sighrs, explore, blow things up, mine, get engineered...

@@@O7

Thanks. I guess I am still trying to get into the rhythm of things with only 1 ship at the moment. What do you recommend as a good passenger ship? Is a mix of cabins good or just bulk economy good for missions like what you are doing?
 
RES hunting still guarantees a steady income, especially at your current point of progression, but is overshadowed by other activities later on if you compare them cr/h wise.

Passenger missions: In your case, I would start by getting a small or medium ship with a nice jump range outfitted for passenger transport and do sightseeing missions. As always, being allied with multiple factions at the station is advised. Maybe also start at one with a "tourist" economy. You cold start with either a dolphin as a cheap dedicated passenger ship that can fit luxury cabins(ignore, Horizons only), or get an AspX that will serve you as a multirole and long range exploration ship for a long time.

Take note where the passengers want to travel, there are three types of missions:
1) Bulk passengers - These look like "Transport 132 game developers to Hutton Orbital", great if you have a big ship and can stack many of them.
2) Long rang VIPs - "Dr. Frankenstein wants to go to the center and vomit into the black hole there, for science!" - These have a high payout, but require thousands of ly travel, beware.
3) VIP Sightseeing - "Rich Tourist wants to visit locations X and Y" - These are the ones you'll want, all target locations are within the bubble. READ the mission details, some passengers are wanted or generally high maintenace. Start easy and don't go overboard with the number of tourists and targets. You don't have access to engineers to enhance your jump range, so look at how far out the target systems are (and remember you also have to fly the whole way back).

Here's a starter build with one big first class cabin to start with, you may want to switch the cabin with the fuel scoop slot for faster scooping and/or downgrade the cabin to only fit business/economy passengers though. Stuff in the smaller slots is optional, but the scanners will gain you some nice exploration profit and rank.

Edit: As for the payout: I can make 20 millions an hour stacking VIP passengers in my Orca, but I have access to engineers and guardian tech which you don’t atm. Still, sightseeing should yield comparable if not better payouts to bounty hunting for you.

Another very well paying activity is transporting cargo, either via a simple transport mission or a "source and return" mission where you need to buy commodities elsewhere and bring them back. Most of these require with a high cargo capacity though for them to be worth your time, but if you keep a lookout there's sometimes that one easy "bring 120t of stuffonium to the neighbouring system for 2mil" that you can do with one of the smaller ships. Another viable way of earning bucks hauling cargo is finding a system in the "outbreak" state, then bringing in basic medicines from a nearby system.

Also weekly look up the current Community Goals (there's two new ones every thursday), sometimes there's a lucrative one where you need to bring in commodities, and very regularly there's a bounty hunting one.

And most importantly, the forum mantra: Never fly without rebuy! Godspeed, CMDR o7
 
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3) VIP Sightseeing - "Rich Tourist wants to visit locations X and Y" - These are the ones you'll want, all target locations are within the bubble. READ the mission details, some passengers are wanted or generally high maintenace. Start easy and don't go overboard with the number of tourists and targets. You don't have access to engineers to enhance your jump range, so look at how far out the target systems are (and remember you also have to fly the whole way back).

To add to this.
I've found that if you have a "demanding passenger". Not looking at the message notifications doesn't get you penalised for not doing the side mission. (Confirmation required.)
When you arrive in the target system. First look in the system map and you will see the mission target marked. You can look at the specific target as you travel to it. In the transaction tab.
 
To add to this. I've found that if you have a "demanding passenger". Not looking at the message notifications doesn't get you penalised for not doing the side mission. (Confirmation required.)

That may be coincidental. If the passenger has a request, you have a certain time window to fulfil it, else their satisfaction drops. I always ignore their cries for "one ton of tobacco" or the likes, and often there are no repercussions. I always assumed I managed to finish the tour before the request timer was up, but I could be wrong of course. Either way, a drop in satisfaction by one level doesn't warrant me going searching for their luxury goods.

When you arrive in the target system. First look in the system map and you will see the mission target marked. You can look at the specific target as you travel to it. In the transaction tab.

There are instances where this is bugged and it doesn't show the marker, one example I remember is Freeholm in the Artemis system.
 
That may be coincidental. If the passenger has a request, you have a certain time window to fulfil it, else their satisfaction drops. I always ignore their cries for "one ton of tobacco" or the likes, and often there are no repercussions. I always assumed I managed to finish the tour before the request timer was up, but I could be wrong of course. Either way, a drop in satisfaction by one level doesn't warrant me going searching for their luxury goods.

That makes more sense. I tend to finish the missions quickly.
I thought/hoped that reading the message started the request timer. I'll chech the next time I do one.


There are instances where this is bugged and it doesn't show the marker, one example I remember is Freeholm in the Artemis system.

True it has only happened to me once.
 
Have a look at posts by d8veh (https://forums.frontier.co.uk/member.php/107601-d8veh) our RES king. ;)
Thank you Mr Handy. I don't know about RES King, but I have now logged around 100,000 kills, so I have quite a bit of experience there. Last week, I started a new commander and went straight to the high RES in LTT 15574. I made around 7.5 million in the first 2 hrs and 20 minutes, using a KWS and a fully upgraded Sidewinde for the second half of the time. In a Vulture with a KWS and level 2 Powerplay, you should be able to reach 6 to 7 mil per hour, and maybe 8 mil per hour with an engineered Python or FDL. Be careful about who you shoot there. the police will always help you, but only if they have nothing better to do. Also, there are several types of ship that might carry fighters, so always check, Krait, Anaconda, Gunship and any of the new ships to see if they have a fighter hanger. If they do, the fighter will get you from behind the moment you open fire, so think about your tactics for handling that situation.

Unless they changed something in the very last patch, you can make a reliable 10 mil per hour scanning planets if you use the "Road to Riches" method (do a search).

You can make more than that doing passenger missions, but it's a bit hit and miss. You have to go to the right place at the right time.

My feeling is that skimmer missions are still where the top money is, but again, you have to find the right place and use the right method. There are loads of guides on Youtube, but be careful because some of the guys that made them have no idea about the best methods.
 
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RES hunting still guarantees a steady income, especially at your current point of progression, but is overshadowed by other activities later on if you compare them cr/h wise.

Passenger missions: In your case, I would start by getting a small or medium ship with a nice jump range outfitted for passenger transport and do sightseeing missions. As always, being allied with multiple factions at the station is advised. Maybe also start at one with a "tourist" economy. You cold start with either a dolphin as a cheap dedicated passenger ship that can fit luxury cabins(ignore, Horizons only), or get an AspX that will serve you as a multirole and long range exploration ship for a long time.

Take note where the passengers want to travel, there are three types of missions:
1) Bulk passengers - These look like "Transport 132 game developers to Hutton Orbital", great if you have a big ship and can stack many of them.
2) Long rang VIPs - "Dr. Frankenstein wants to go to the center and vomit into the black hole there, for science!" - These have a high payout, but require thousands of ly travel, beware.
3) VIP Sightseeing - "Rich Tourist wants to visit locations X and Y" - These are the ones you'll want, all target locations are within the bubble. READ the mission details, some passengers are wanted or generally high maintenace. Start easy and don't go overboard with the number of tourists and targets. You don't have access to engineers to enhance your jump range, so look at how far out the target systems are (and remember you also have to fly the whole way back).

Here's a starter build with one big first class cabin to start with, you may want to switch the cabin with the fuel scoop slot for faster scooping and/or downgrade the cabin to only fit business/economy passengers though. Stuff in the smaller slots is optional, but the scanners will gain you some nice exploration profit and rank.

Edit: As for the payout: I can make 20 millions an hour stacking VIP passengers in my Orca, but I have access to engineers and guardian tech which you don’t atm. Still, sightseeing should yield comparable if not better payouts to bounty hunting for you.

Another very well paying activity is transporting cargo, either via a simple transport mission or a "source and return" mission where you need to buy commodities elsewhere and bring them back. Most of these require with a high cargo capacity though for them to be worth your time, but if you keep a lookout there's sometimes that one easy "bring 120t of stuffonium to the neighbouring system for 2mil" that you can do with one of the smaller ships. Another viable way of earning bucks hauling cargo is finding a system in the "outbreak" state, then bringing in basic medicines from a nearby system.

Also weekly look up the current Community Goals (there's two new ones every thursday), sometimes there's a lucrative one where you need to bring in commodities, and very regularly there's a bounty hunting one.

And most importantly, the forum mantra: Never fly without rebuy! Godspeed, CMDR o7

Thank you so much, that was quite informative! I guess I do need to do some research into engineers and how to go about getting introduced to them for the long run but you have definitely given me something to think about.

Thank you Mr Handy. I don't know about RES King, but I have now logged around 100,000 kills, so I have quite a bit of experience there. Last week, I started a new commander and went straight to the high RES in LTT 15574. I made around 7.5 million in the first 2 hrs and 20 minutes, using a KWS and a fully upgraded Sidewinde for the second half of the time. In a Vulture with a KWS and level 2 Powerplay, you should be able to reach 6 to 7 mil per hour, and maybe 8 mil per hour with an engineered Python or FDL. Be careful about who you shoot there. the police will always help you, but only if they have nothing better to do. Also, there are several types of ship that might carry fighters, so always check, Krait, Anaconda, Gunship and any of the new ships to see if they have a fighter hanger. If they do, the fighter will get you from behind the moment you open fire, so think about your tactics for handling that situation.

Unless they changed something in the very last patch, you can make a reliable 10 mil per hour scanning planets if you use the "Road to Riches" method (do a search).

You can make more than that doing passenger missions, but it's a bit hit and miss. You have to go to the right place at the right time.

My feeling is that skimmer missions are still where the top money is, but again, you have to find the right place and use the right method. There are loads of guides on Youtube, but be careful because some of the guys that made them have no idea about the best methods.

Thank you for the information. I'll keep an eye out for the Road to Riches things - sounds like its exploration oriented and might be up my alley depending on what it entails. o7
 
Thank you for the information. I'll keep an eye out for the Road to Riches things - sounds like its exploration oriented and might be up my alley depending on what it entails. o7
Road to riches is absolutely safe - no interdictions and no other ships. It's just jumping from one system to the next to scan planets. It's a bit boring, but gets yo to elite explorer and 300 million in the bank in 30 hours.
 
Road to riches is absolutely safe - no interdictions and no other ships. It's just jumping from one system to the next to scan planets. It's a bit boring, but gets yo to elite explorer and 300 million in the bank in 30 hours.

Legend, thank you! It sounds straightforward enough that a light ship + scanners (surface & discovery) should be able to achieve. Is there any special tricks when it comes to selling the data; like are there special systems where the data is more valuable or just sell it like normal?

Thanks again m8!
 
Thank you so much, that was quite informative! I guess I do need to do some research into engineers and how to go about getting introduced to them for the long run but you have definitely given me something to think about.

Engineers are part of Horizons, but imho it's worth buying. The one engineer, if any, everyone should unlock and upgrade to maximum is Felicity Farseer, as a 60% jump range increase benefits any playstyle.

Legend, thank you! It sounds straightforward enough that a light ship + scanners (surface & discovery) should be able to achieve. Is there any special tricks when it comes to selling the data; like are there special systems where the data is more valuable or just sell it like normal?

The only requirement is that you have to be more than 20ly away from a system to be able to sell its data. The pay is always the same though. The only way to increase it is via Powerplay, but requires a hefty investment first.
 
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Legend, thank you! It sounds straightforward enough that a light ship + scanners (surface & discovery) should be able to achieve. Is there any special tricks when it comes to selling the data; like are there special systems where the data is more valuable or just sell it like normal?

Thanks again m8!

No and yes.

No: the payout for exploration data is the same everywhere (if you exclude the PP option psycho...pyzko...pkzyoo...that other guy ;) mentioned).

Yes: selling exploration data gives you a rep boost with the controlling faction in that station, so if you want you can use that to gain the reputation from those factions that give out permits for locked areas (like Sirius) or engineer invitations (like Eurybia), or simply get your status up if you want to stay in the area for a while and want to access the high paying missions.
 
Legend, thank you! It sounds straightforward enough that a light ship + scanners (surface & discovery) should be able to achieve. Is there any special tricks when it comes to selling the data; like are there special systems where the data is more valuable or just sell it like normal?

Thanks again m8!
Yes. You need to think ahead a bit. When you sell the data, say at least 15 millions worth, you become instantly allied with the local factions, so sell it anywhere where that'll help you. There are at least four engineers that need permits for Eurybia, Yoru, Alioth and Sol. The factions that control the permits are The Euybia Blue Mafia, Party of Yoru, Alioth Independents and Sirius Corporation respectively. Also, some people like to do the data circuit between Sothis and Ceos, so you can get a kickstat to the money if you get alied with those local factions. After that, you need to do a bit of research for what you're likely to be doing next and where reputation will help you.

Part 2 of my beginners guide walks you through how to do it and links to some useful tools:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evzV7SaID3k
 
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............ engineers that need permits for Eurybia, Yoru, Alioth and Sol. The factions that control the permits are The Euybia Blue Mafia, Party of Yoru, Alioth Independents and Sirius Corporation respectively. ..........

Presume a typo or lack of coffee. Not Sol, it is Sirius.

(@Insbruk - Sol permit is gained by achieving Petty Officer rank in the Federation Naval Reserve.)
 
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