Trading: more to it these days?

M0rdresh

M0rdresh
I recently returned from a period of absence.
Jumped right into my original love since the launch of this game: cargo hauling.

I'm using a pimped Type-7. Managed to find a route of one jump that makes me 530.000 credits one-way direction.
To the standard I knew when I was very active, that's a very decent income.

However is there more to trading these days than finding these one jump deals?
Are there secrets or routes that makes heaps of cash only to the inventive traders, or is this it?

I'm not really complaining, already spiced my bank account with this trade route I found.
But I'm kinda looking if the game evolved when it comes to trading, around launch it didn't get any better than finding a one jump route and bounce back and forth.
 

Wasp0

Wasp0
M0rdresh said:
I recently returned from a period of absence.
Jumped right into my original love since the launch of this game: cargo hauling.

I'm using a pimped Type-7. Managed to find a route of one jump that makes me 530.000 credits one-way direction.
To the standard I knew when I was very active, that's a very decent income.

However is there more to trading these days than finding these one jump deals?
Are there secrets or routes that makes heaps of cash only to the inventive traders, or is this it?

I'm not really complaining, already spiced my bank account with this trade route I found.
But I'm kinda looking if the game evolved when it comes to trading, around launch it didn't get any better than finding a one jump route and bounce back and forth.
Click to expand...

Welcome back:

From one trader to another......You have the right mind set already, find the most profitable route and Grind, ship up, more cargo more profit, ship up etc etc!

Imp slaves have dropped a bit recently and Palladium is the new Imp Slaves. However if you are into Black Market Smuggling there is really GOOD profit is to be made from trading Imp Slaves to Fed or Independent Black Markets. Average selling price for a ton of IS is around the 16.2 to 16.5k mark, but black market prices can fetch 17.9 per ton!! Obvious risks are in place for smuggling!!

Use one of the online tools to work out a longer trading route, say 6 to 10 stops, if you get bored of the single hop.

Look for a return trip, Golden rule for a trader is NEVER return empty, if a direct route trade route is not available consider going to another system to pick up a trade route, Once you find one GRIND IT!

The CG trading is OK, but Credits per ton per hour is small!

Long distant trading (Asp or Python) out of the bubble back into the bubble can and DOES reap HUGE profits. I make 20 million and hour doing theses but there are over 15 stops and 20 to 30 jumps....Not for everyone.

Keep Trading my Friend and PM me if you want a good long distant trade route!

Fly (Trade) Safe
 
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ratchet5000

R
If you don't mind using outside resources there's a tool on eddb.io that can find the best two way trade route out of all stations with submitted information.
Missions have also been overhauled (no pun intended) - long range hauling missions from remote inhabited systems like Sothis, 17 Draconis or Quince both are profitable as well as contribute to your trade rank - nearly a million for shipping a few tons of stuff a couple hundred light years. Of my 850 million net worth, only around 220 million isn't from these long haul missions (combat, exploration, and non-mission trade combined). Then stack the missions and take the occasional smuggling mission that pays anywhere between 2-10 million. I personally like long hauling better than simple trading as every time the selections of missions is different, so you go to a different set of places everytime, as well as npc smugglers interdicting you (combat) and scanning the uninhabited systems between the remote outpost and the Bubble (exploration).
 
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Limoncello Lizard

Limoncello Lizard
Another form of trading that should work but doesn't is rare goods trading. Unfortunately it has been nerfed to useless, as you have to spend 10-20 minutes sitting in the station waiting for small allocations of the goods.
I suggest you don't try that unless you have agood book to read.
 

Wasp0

Wasp0
CMDR Tbonekiller said:
I really hope trading will become more user friendly at some point.. I find it hard to find good trade routes without using the Web. Maybe it's just me..
Click to expand...

Whats wrong with using the Web????? no ED Law against it! Certainly not cheating

Do you think in the year ED is in trading might be a little more advanced than it is now? So use the web!!
 

M0rdresh

M0rdresh
Websites with trade databases and information are basically community driven, so I don't see anything wrong with them.
However, the trading aspect would have been a richer experience (ha the pun) if these tools were in-game, sort of trade corner, community or guild.

I hope one day I'll be cargo hauling for players, similar to my trading corp in the early days of EvE.
Mining corps or crafters needed their ore moved to systems, that gave REAL purpose to the hauling job, utterly loved it.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the information and help. Might take you up on that offer Wasp, about them long hauls, it resets boredom after my 50th trip today between two systems ;)
(however take into account I'm in a Type-7 with 200T+ capacity)
 
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Wasp0

Wasp0
M0rdresh said:
Websites with trade databases and information are basically community driven, so I don't see anything wrong with them.
However, the trading aspect would have been a richer experience (ha the pun) if these tools were in-game, sort of trade corner, community or guild.

I hope one day I'll be cargo hauling for players, similar to my trading corp in the early days of EvE.
Mining corps or crafters needed their ore moved to systems, that gave REAL purpose to the hauling job, utterly loved it.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the information and help. Might take you up on that offer Wasp, about them long hauls, it resets boredom after my 50th trip today between two systems ;)
(however take into account I'm in a Type-7 with 200T+ capacity)
Click to expand...

Just PM me if you need help/Advice, we can work something out for the type 7
 

F4ANTOM

F
I find trading mega boring, but I tend to break that up with Trade Mission 'Surfing' that is, look at the Bulletin Board, find a good mission, then check the Comm. Market for something that will get you additional profit, and go. I slowly working on my trade ranking as well as my Exploration ranking since I drive around with a Advanced Disco Scanner (which more than pays for fuel and any heat related damage I might incur, or from Interdictions) Nice thing about this is that because I am just driving around aimlessly, I can see interesting things and maybe stop and make a temporary base there before moving on. It has to be said I don;t fly dedicated combat or trading ships, but run well equipped all-rounders. IMHO if you fly / upgrade this route from day one: Sidewinder - Adder - Cobra - Diamond Back Explorer - Asp Scout(more combat) OR Keelback (more cargo) - Asp Explorer - CLipper or one of the Dropship variants if youare a dirty Fed, and then Python, you cna pretty much do and experience anything in the game. I go back sometimes to smaller ships (just got into a Clipper finally and HATE IT) like the Imperial Courier. I can stil run SOME cargo, but its more for if I am nailing some wanted NPC who drops some illicit goods, I cna scoop up and dock up at an outpost with a Black Market.

TL DR: I hate trade-run grind-trading, but I have spiced it up by running an all round ship to take fighting breaks.
 

happyfunball

happyfunball
Keep in mind that even with online tools, they can only do so much route finding with available computing resources. Different tools prune route finding differently. For example, I have a profitable route that if I was 2 or 3 systems away, some of the tools won't find it, but will if I start out in a system in my loop. So just remember that the tools are there to help you, but to optimize you'll have to spend some time tweaking. :D

BTW, 1-jump may or may not be good, it depends on your playstyle. You'll want to consider roundtrip profit, time-to-station in SC, and how long you take in a station. For example, I'm a very casual trader. I don't turnaround in stations very fast as I'm usually watching TV or reading forums when trading. So 1-jump isn't super important to me since majority of my trade time is actually fiddling while docked. If I can make more money with 2 or 3 jumps, that actually works out better in real clock time, for my style.
 
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Abil Midena

Abil Midena
The game is set up to limit trade cr/hr to about 7 or 8 M/hr in the biggest ships. If you dare to go no shields, you can make a little more. Search all you want, that's all your going to find in the end that is a sustainable route (supply lasts more than 2 hrs). edit* this will increase when the Trutter comes out in 2.0. Probably more like 11-12 M/hr.

As far as commodities, not much has changed. Mostly Imp slaves one way and something else back.
 
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Wasp0

Wasp0
M0rdresh said:
What's the stance on power-play, I hear staying neutral is recommended for a trader?
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Defo stay away from Power-play if you trade Everywhere! If you just trade in a certain system/Route, then it may be prudent to look at the powerplay peps who give rewards to trading.

Then again if you like and can deal with LOADS of interdiction's, consider PP
 

Sams

Sams
I came back about a month ago after leaving the game when the really nerfed trading. I'm not sure if you remember it but they did a patch (think it was around May time) and straight after the patch the prices and stock plummeted and you could kill off a trade route in a single T9 or anaconda run.

Came back recently and it is better. Profits do still go down but at a much slower pace, much more in keeping with the real World. Before it was a stock market crash every time you entered a station but now it's more like real commodities trading.

I've parked up my Anaconda and I'm using an Asp for the long distance courier missions. I am enjoying that a lot more and I earn around the same credits.

As others have said, the bigger trade routes (4-6 stops) can potentially earn you a bit more but they all seem to be capped at around 9 million an hour for Anaconda size ships.

Combat zones have been improved a lot so if you fancy a break you can make some reasonably decent credits killing stuff :)

Oh... and welcome back :)
 

Brujah

Brujah
Also, if you have the money, I suggest bagging yourself a Trade-specced Python (should cost around 60MCr). Bigger cargo space, faster, better shielding, longer jump range, can land on outposts. There is literally no disadvantage over a Type 7 whatsoever, besides the purchase price.
Edit: Also, Mass Factor of 17, so only Anacondas, Corvettes, Cutters and other Pythons can mass-lock you.

Edit again: Actually, the jump range is around the same. It's maybe slightly further at the same capacity.
 
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CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned

CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned
Brujah said:
Also, if you have the money, I suggest bagging yourself a Trade-specced Python (should cost around 60MCr). Bigger cargo space, faster, better shielding, longer jump range, can land on outposts. There is literally no disadvantage over a Type 7 whatsoever, besides the purchase price.
Edit: Also, Mass Factor of 17, so only Anacondas, Corvettes, Cutters and other Pythons can mass-lock you.

Edit again: Actually, the jump range is around the same. It's maybe slightly further at the same capacity.
Click to expand...

And you can fit 3 large weapons, knocks your jump range down but if you get interdicted by an NPC just turn around and cash the bounty on them.
 

M0rdresh

M0rdresh
Brujah said:
Also, if you have the money, I suggest bagging yourself a Trade-specced Python (should cost around 60MCr). Bigger cargo space, faster, better shielding, longer jump range, can land on outposts. There is literally no disadvantage over a Type 7 whatsoever, besides the purchase price.
Click to expand...
My full A-grade Type-7 cost about 37MCr, has as 5A shields, 200T of cargo space and jumps 23,55 unladen and 16,42 laden. Going for a trade-specced Python sets me back 60MCr and brings me just about 228T cargo space and 13,3 unladen, 8,8 laden, so I do not see the big return for me to be honest. For an extra 5 MCr I can bring the jump distance closer to the Type-7 but that's 65MCr.

I'll hit the shipyard calculators, but at first glance I do not see a big wow factor to move over.
The idea of heavily armed freighter, which can go to outposts, is appealing though ;)
 
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