I have noticed a very common misconception on the forums: that trading has a much higher credit return on invested time and effort than other forms of gameplay. This imbalance is grossly overstated, and the main reason for trading having such high ROI (Return On Investment) compared to other money-making schemes is the use external trading tools.
I used trading tools in beta, and after a while I realized that while they were great in increasing my credits, they also made every other way to gain credits look unattractive. It also turned the game into a spreadsheet in space - main reason why I quit EvE in disgust years ago.
If you don't use said tools, the ROI from trading is much closer to that of mining and bounty hunting and mission running. I've been doing mostly mining and exploration, as I've struggled to find decent trade routes by myself at the edges of habited space where I'm active. There's more variety, too, as sometimes I outfit my ship for combat and go mission running and exploring instead - all combinations bring roughly the same credit gain per hour of game time.
I'm not one to say that people should play the game my way. But I am saying that don't blame FD for "imbalanced" credit gain mechanics if you are electing to use external tools which bring the imbalance. If you use such tools and are motivated by credits, you are almost guaranteed to find trading the only viable way to play the game. If you don't, you will likely find more variety, especially before you can fly and outfit the bigger ships.
Well, not really agree that ^^
I do not use any thirdparty info, programm or whatever...
I tried mining... just to find something takes hours... and I didn't... the few times I mined, I got attacked... and off
Bounty Hunting is a better money maker... could make some 100k's per hour... NavBeacon, USS, just hunting down all possible wated targets.
Trading? Took me hours, but I found a trade route... and my most earned money comes from trading. After I went a bit tired of always doing the same routes to get more money for the next ship, I tried mining.... no success... and didn't liked it as I couldn't fought back pirates!
Well, went back to trading to fit my newly ASP correctly.... now I don't play to just make money, but having fun! So I unfitted trading modules against fighting, and went bounty hunting! Well, I didn't gained as muhc money, but at least it's more fun! Next step, getting bakck to a trip through the space, just for fun.
Hey come on guys, the game's target is what, money making? No.....
IT'S HAVING FUN!!!!
And I'll keep the asp, exploring trading fighting, until I can get an anaconda ^^
I love ED!!!
EDIT: oh, forgot to come back to subject: TRADING IS moneymaker, way more than exploring, fighting or what ever.