The Smuggling discussion thread

[The Tick]

I'm Elite and make about 19M/hr. As Tycoon, I was making about 12M/hr. As Tycoon, I probably could've made more knowing what I know now. Last night, made 86M out of Takurua for 4.5 hr of effort. I suspect that you have much room to improve if you're only making 5M/hr. There are several factors that can contribute to time loss:
.
1. Never fight pirates [...].

Awesome guide, have some rep!
May I add my 2c?
- Do your fuel scooping by diving directly into the center of the star until you are at 75% max fuel scoop. During that time you can also scan the star for some extra money. I'm never interdicted this way, NPCs are waiting patiently behind me until I turn away from the star. But then ...
- Try getting at least 3 missions to the same station. Avoid any trip for a single mission only - unless it's a high paying smuggling mission
- The latter works best if the BB is completely reset. That happens a) when you first enter a station, or b) when you take all available missions (and abandon them when you really don't want them)
- It's probably obvious to most CMDRs, but another important factor for getting better LR missions is to be 'allied' with all local minor factions

I'm averaging 6-8 mio CR/hr as tycoon in an Asp.
And I'm having a lot of fun with the tension!

 

[KellyR]

And now the Smiling Dog crew are blockading Robigo. Just had one of their numbers kill me as I was waiting to dock. Landing gear down and no message asking me to leave, just boom. No worries though. Just a minor setback.

I talked to the commander afterwards and he said that they were blockading Robigo cause they don't like the slave trade. Reasonable. I reminded him that people will just go to Solo and he said he didn't care how the care bears play. He also said he had a plan for that as well. Plan B. I asked him if I could know it and he said "No. It's secret." So just a warning. Although I think the Plan B is just bravado, you never can tell.

 

[Laste]

And now the Smiling Dog crew are blockading Robigo. Just had one of their numbers kill me as I was waiting to dock. Landing gear down and no message asking me to leave, just boom. No worries though. Just a minor setback.

I talked to the commander afterwards and he said that they were blockading Robigo cause they don't like the slave trade. Reasonable. I reminded him that people will just go to Solo and he said he didn't care how the care bears play. He also said he had a plan for that as well. Plan B. I asked him if I could know it and he said "No. It's secret." So just a warning. Although I think the Plan B is just bravado, you never can tell.

And they wonder why people play solo with dinks like this thinking they are heros. Its hard enough trying to not get scanned in 1.5.

 

[KellyR]

Yep. I'll just have to go to Solo to get in and out of Robigo. Don't like it, but I guess they figure we aren't supposed to be able to buy and outfit the big ships. They aren't living in the real world. I could even see them charging a toll. So much gold, palladium, etc. But to just take all the profit away? Not a viable option.

 

[Reprobator]

from what i experienced so far since horizon nothing works anymore against ai scan... running cold /chaff doen't have any effect, before horizon chaffing just before the ai start scan prevent the scan to start for a dozen of seconds and runining cold slowed it down but now nothing work anymore... execpt shooting the cops during the scan so the give up their scans... the stealth gameplay needs an update and some clarification on how it really works againt ai in my sense and we need some stealth mecanics in supercruise methink! that would be perfect.

 

[KellyR]

from what i experienced so far since horizon nothing works anymore against ai scan... running cold /chaff doen't have any effect, before horizon chaffing just before the ai start scan prevent the scan to start for a dozen of seconds and runining cold slowed it down but now nothing work anymore... execpt shooting the cops during the scan so the give up their scans... the stealth gameplay needs an update and some clarification on how it really works againt ai in my sense and we need some stealth mecanics in supercruise methink! that would be perfect.

I was interdicted by police and stopped both times with Shadow delivery missions stacked totaling 21 million credits. I would submit, engage silent running, put him on my tail and boost, boost, boost throwing heat sinks as needed to keep cool. Scan never finished. Both times after I was back in supercruise I checked and none of the missions failed. My character is now 21 million credits richer than she was. Chaff? Can't address that as I don't use it, but silent running works (at least for me).

 

[Zeeman]

I was interdicted by police and stopped both times with Shadow delivery missions stacked totaling 21 million credits. I would submit, engage silent running, put him on my tail and boost, boost, boost throwing heat sinks as needed to keep cool. Scan never finished. Both times after I was back in supercruise I checked and none of the missions failed. My character is now 21 million credits richer than she was. Chaff? Can't address that as I don't use it, but silent running works (at least for me).

It's more likely that you got beyond the 1km scan range that NPC's seem to have.

Personal, I prefer 3-4km scan ranges, and effective chaff/silent running etc. It require more skill, and is more fun.

Z..

 

[Reprobator]

That's just a question of speed and nothing else.. npc need to be submitted to the same player's rule for the scan.

 

[GilliganTX]

I was interdicted by police and stopped both times with Shadow delivery missions stacked totaling 21 million credits. I would submit, engage silent running, put him on my tail and boost, boost, boost throwing heat sinks as needed to keep cool. Scan never finished. Both times after I was back in supercruise I checked and none of the missions failed. My character is now 21 million credits richer than she was. Chaff? Can't address that as I don't use it, but silent running works (at least for me).

Nope. You got out of range. SR. HS. Chaff. All do nothing against scans.

It's more likely that you got beyond the 1km scan range that NPC's seem to have.

Personal, I prefer 3-4km scan ranges, and effective chaff/silent running etc. It require more skill, and is more fun.

Z..

Yep.

That's just a question of speed and nothing else.. npc need to be submitted to the same player's rule for the scan.

Pretty much. Boost boost boost.



Made another two runs from Quince last night. There was an interesting mix of the shadow delivery, and some higher volume missions with short time limits (1 hour, 49 slaves, 3.5 Million). I took a couple of those and a couple shadow deliveries and headed out. Completed the shadow deliveries first, then got scanned while docking for the timed delivery. 230kCr's. No missions failed.


Headed back and stocked up on mostly shadow delivery missions and one timed. Made all but the last two shadow deliveries. I got scanned coming onto the pad at a planetary outpost. Failed two missions, 2 Million each. Still made plenty before that though, so no big loss. Still had time to make the race against the clock.


I can confirm that heat sinks and chaff do d*ck all to interrupt a scan. I'll try a few other methods tonight if I can.




Unfortunate to hear about the blockade. I hope they don't UA bomb the place...

 

[KellyR]

Shhhh!!! You'll give them ideas.

 

[KellyR]

Now that I think on it, I hope they do UA Bomb the place. That's the only way they can have an effect on the station other than through the BGS. So let's say they do. The Commodity market shuts down. Big deal. I and most other Commander's don't use the commodities market at Robigo. But NPC's do and since it's shut down, there's no way to move their slaves. So what do they do? Start offering even more missions to haul these slaves. So go ahead, UA bomb the place. We'll have more work than we know what to do with.

You won't stop this slave trade. It's just too lucrative. So bring it on and give us more work and even more money

 

[GilliganTX]

Now that I think on it, I hope they do UA Bomb the place. That's the only way they can have an effect on the station other than through the BGS. So let's say they do. The Commodity market shuts down. Big deal. I and most other Commander's don't use the commodities market at Robigo. But NPC's do and since it's shut down, there's no way to move their slaves. So what do they do? Start offering even more missions to haul these slaves. So go ahead, UA bomb the place. We'll have more work than we know what to do with.

You won't stop this slave trade. It's just too lucrative. So bring it on and give us more work and even more money

IIRC The BB can be shut down as well. As well as refuel, repair, and re-arm.

 

[KellyR]

IIRC The BB can be shut down as well. As well as refuel, repair, and re-arm.

I knew repair, refuel and rearm could be shutdown, but the BB? Didn't know that.

 

[GilliganTX]

I knew repair, refuel and rearm could be shutdown, but the BB? Didn't know that.

The shipyard remains open, and that's it, I believe. And that's only because players were complaining about ships getting locked in stations that had been shut down.

 

[KellyR]

Well, if these dogs do that (I call them dogs because their own name for themselves is the Smiling Dogs Crew) then we'll just have to find some other place. Shame people feel it's their mandate to ruin it for everyone. But I guess that says a lot about their personality. I'm glad I'm not like that.

 

[CMDR Nuggie]

Hey guys,

I just ran across this post again. Lots of useful information. I don't have as much time as I use to to dedicate to game play so I'd like to maximize my credits per hour. Is long range smuggling still the go to for this? I'm not great at putting together regular profitable trade routes say for the T9.