What's the point of trading when free gold is floating arround?

[SAB380]

Hi!

I started playing the beta a couple days ago and started out trading and all.

Than I read you can pick up gold cannisters floating arround arround the LP 98-132 planets (just look for unidentified signal sources) , and indeed I found a couple of times gold or other valuable stuf. Last time it was like 10 cannisters gold which was an easy 48000 or so. Takes a while sometimes but its profitable.

Now I have 2 questions:
- why would this float arround in deep space?
- why would I even consider trading again, until I have maybe a very large ship?

Thanks

p.s. I played Elite very much on the BBC Micro in 1984+

Its a placeholder to give people options are other than the inital slow trade grind.

Look around and see the other threads where people are raging because its a slow start.

 

[Phantom Mark]

I have personally never found a single gold, guess i'm just unlucky.

That said I have earn't and grinded every single credit with no free lunch and now have a fully equipped Cobra with all the bells and whistles so I am happy

 

[Naranek]

Some dumped cargo (not just Gold) is booby-trapped - as soon as you pick up one or two containers pirates arrive and will try and kill you.

it's a shame that doesn't happen more often (in my experience it was around 3 out of 50) – in my beginning phase (sidewinder / hauler) i was very happy when i found gold, but even happier when pirates showed up because it made the whole thing so much more interesting

 

[en1gma]

Early on the free gold is a good way to get off to a flying start. The hardest part of the game is getting from the Sidewinder to hauler for a newbie. From that point increased earnings via trade are exponential. A friend of mine stumbled across gold the first hour he played and jumped straight up to a hauler. I had played PB so had knowledge of the game and could quickly get cash but never caught up with the money he was making despite running the same trade routes. Certainly got nothing much to lose by trying when you first start.

 

[Iskariot]

If it does NOT belong to you - why do you 'steal' it?
In game it is marked as 'stolen'

If the guy next door left his car running in his driveway - would you take it?

I feel I provide a service when cleaning up space. Somebody might fly into all the garbage floating around and damage his/her ship.

But I hope eventually I will be able to buy a salvage license, as was mentioned in the DDA, that will allow me to pick up stuff without getting criminalized.

 

[Zillion]

Ok well yesterday evening I tried looking for gold for 1.5 hours and didnt find any, except for a pirate trap. So I guess I am gonna try trading again with hauler

 

[Kulin]

Now I have 2 questions:
- why would this float arround in deep space?
- why would I even consider trading again, until I have maybe a very large ship?

Counter Question!

Whats the point of discussing beta mechanics that are obviously nothing but place holders until they get the exploration content in place?

 

[CaptainKremmen]

The point of doing things in ED is to give various game mechanics a workout, and to have fun doing so. Tick both of those boxes and you can't go wrong.

 

[Headspin]

Since we are in beta, consider it training in how to use your scoop. It is like anything else at present, a feature of the game that needs to be tested.

No doubt it will not be as straightforward in the finished game.

There is some risk on occasion. Sometimes you get attacked by three cobras when attempting to pick up the gold and then things could go south rather quickly for you so, as with normal trading, make sure you have enough cash to cover cost of replacing ship and equipment unless still in your (free to replace) sidewinder.

 

[Comrade Napoleon]

I feel I provide a service when cleaning up space. Somebody might fly into all the garbage floating around and damage his/her ship.

But I hope eventually I will be able to buy a salvage license, as was mentioned in the DDA, that will allow me to pick up stuff without getting criminalized.

It actually very kind of you doing this service, next I suppose you would want wages from nearest space port
Cheers Cmdr's

 

[Ulysses_W]

15 hours a day, 7 days, 12.7 million, no free gold, pure trading and messing about

15 hours a day! I barely manage an hour a week.

 

[ste]

It could be a rare occasion in the full game. I think stuff like this and warzones wont just be in the same places as a go to place for action, it will be there to be discovered, you will have to look for action, not already know where it is cos you been going back and forth waiting for it to respawn..

 

[iroker]

Havent seen any gold for ages.

Who needs gold, slaves are more profitable

 

[Zvanya]

After reflection, it seems pretty reasonable that floating cargo be marked stolen goods. It was once in the hold of a trader who was the victim of piracy - he didn't drop it for fun. It also seems reasonable that even in the final game we will find such abandoned cargo - the remains of a past encounters. I think it would be cool to have some mechanism for legally salvaging such items.

 

[Rod05]

After reflection, it seems pretty reasonable that floating cargo be marked stolen goods. It was once in the hold of a trader who was the victim of piracy - he didn't drop it for fun. It also seems reasonable that even in the final game we will find such abandoned cargo - the remains of a past encounters. I think it would be cool to have some mechanism for legally salvaging such items.

Wasn't it discussed a while back that there might be a time limit on the "stolen" status?
...so after floating in space for a while, they just become free to salvage?

That might have been brought up when the stations were getting spammed with canisters.

 

[juras]

Those few canisters of gold are mean to to give a little boost and nothing more.

I'm doing around 600-700k profit on a trade-run that takes 15-20 min.

Given the cost of the ships and the equipment those few k doesn't take you far - so there is a point of trading as you may see.

 

[flexy123]

350.000 ish per trade run in Anaconda....800.000 possibly with type 9.
Gold is gerat for beginners, but later on the sheer volume what you can trade with big ships makes trading a better alternative to looking for canisters of gold. That being said, yes, in the beginning LOOK FOR GOLD, don't waste trading conventionally with 4 or so cargo for chump change....