Cargo Talk & Cargo Hauler Guide Updates 1.2.6

[Black Sunder]

Did some writing today to make the upgrades intro. Check it out:

Components in Star Citizen come in a variety of sizes, classes, and grades. Ships that are frequently flown should be equipped with the best components possible to optimize a preferred performance envelope. At this time not every class of component is available for every Size slot. For instance, there are no Size 3 Stealth components. Upgrades are an expensive endeavor, but reap valuable rewards by saving travel time, shielding better against pirates, or lowering IR and EM signatures. Ultimately it is up to the player to determine what is best for the mission and ship. Finally, upgrades are not lost when a ship is lost or destroyed. The components return, already equipped, to the ship when it is claimed at a ship terminal.

Rather than go through all of the components of the various classes, this Guide will go over the general characteristics, gains, and losses associated with the component class along with a few recommendations. Players wishing to go deeper into the numbers should search for spreadsheets compiled by community members which have data pulled directly from the database such as this. Before committing to a purchase players can see how a component interacts and effects overall performance using a ship fitting website like Hardpoint.io or Erkul DPS Calculator.

I'll go ahead and say I'm not even looking at 'Competition' class components because frankly there are not many components classed as competition and I don't foresee people really using them with the other classes available.

 

[NinjaL]

Some tips for carrack trading that I use.
1. Never go out the ramp, jump out the airlock with heavy leg armor on and you wont get hurt.
2. Set spawn point in carrack and just hit backspace to get back in your ship.
3. Ship jackers can shoot open the door on the 4th deck (the 2 above the hangar) to get in. Watch them from 3rd person view. If they get in make sure they dont set their spawn point to your ICU. If they do, kill them and run to the ICU bed, kill them again when spawning and sit on the bed to stop them spawning again.

Good luck and fly safe!

 

[BUTUZ]

Some tips for carrack trading that I use.
1. Never go out the ramp, jump out the airlock with heavy leg armor on and you wont get hurt.
2. Set spawn point in carrack and just hit backspace to get back in your ship.
3. Ship jackers can shoot open the door on the 4th deck (the 2 above the hangar) to get in. Watch them from 3rd person view. If they get in make sure they dont set their spawn point to your ICU. If they do, kill them and run to the ICU bed, kill them again when spawning and sit on the bed to stop them spawning again.

Good luck and fly safe!

Jees that's so complicated. I'll just use me Cat and carry an exctra 100 whilst im at it!! :D

 

[BUTUZ]

One thing is for sure, the Carrack is much easier to land on rocky uneven moons than the Cat is!!!

 

[Black Sunder]

After a couple weeks of doom and gloom we're back with some more stuff. If you see something I've got wrong PLEASE let me know in a comment here.

Ship Component Upgrades

Components in Star Citizen come in a variety of sizes, classes, and grades. Ships that are frequently flown should be equipped with the best components possible to optimize a preferred performance envelope. At this time not every class of component is available for every size slot. For instance, there are no Size 3 Stealth components. Upgrades are an expensive endeavor, but reap valuable rewards by saving travel time, shielding better against pirates, or lowering IR and EM signatures.

It is easy to fall into the trap of assuming a certain class is the best at all things. Each class has tradeoffs which make it unsuitable for a variety of situations. Under normal,regular usage, any of these classes of components will serve the average player very well. It is only when the player begins to gain experience that a particular playstyle will begin to form and the player can begin to select equipment that augments that style.

Rather than go through each of the components of the various classes, this Guide will go over the general characteristics, gains, and losses associated with the component class along with top recommendations. Players wishing to go deeper into the numbers should search for spreadsheets or websites compiled by community members which have data pulled directly from the database such as this. Before committing to a purchase, players can see how a component interacts and affects overall performance using a ship fitting website like Hardpoint.io or Erkul DPS Calculator. Ultimately it is up to the player to determine what is best for the mission and ship. Finally, upgrades are not lost when a ship is lost or destroyed. The components return, already equipped, to the ship when it is claimed at a ship terminal.

Military Components

Military class components offer the best overall performance for a given item’s functionality. This does not mean that Military components are the absolute best at everything but instead offer the best mix of advantages and disadvantages when compared to the other classes. This comes at a cost as Military components have high EM/IR emissions, above average upkeep costs, high power/cooler/fuel consumption rates and are some of the most expensive components in the game.

Military quantum drives are the fastest money can buy but can consume anywhere from two to four times the fuel of the other classes. Players equipping these drives will need to refuel frequently to avoid being stuck between destinations. Military drives also calibrate and spool much faster than the other classes making them good for quick getaways. Shields of this class generally have more HP than comparable Civilian and Stealth shields but come up short compared to similar Industrial shields. However, the shield recharge rate for Military is far greater than the other classes meaning these shields can be back to full strength very quickly even if they are fully depleted.

Military power plants have more potential output than Civilian and Stealth but less than Industrial. The advantage of these power plants over all the others is the short time it takes for the component to get to full power from shut down. This is beneficial if the ship has been powered off and needs to get out of a dangerous situation quickly. Finally, Military coolers have above average cooling capacity over Civilian and Stealth but pale in comparison to Industrial coolers which have far greater capacities.

 

[Black Sunder]

Did a bit more today. We're closing in on the end of this section and then I can go on to the real meat and potatoes of the guide and thats all things courier and cargo related. But this has been good, gets the hard stuff out of the way.

Stealth Components

Stealth components, as the name suggests, specialize in keeping the EM and IR emissions of a ship down closer to its operational minimum during normal flight. This is not the same as cloaking in other games which completely removes the presence of the ship absent of specialized sensors or proximity to others. Instead a ship fit for stealth in Star Citizen is simply able to tighten its emissions up and get closer to others without being detected. This is useful for getting in and out of dangerous places and running more questionable cargo. Stealth components have shorter than average lifespans and are less effective in combat than other components.

Quantum Drives of this class can consume almost as much fuel as a comparable Military drive and possess average spooling and calibration times. These drives tend to be faster than comparable civilian drives as well. In the future a Stealth drive may help avoid interdictions due to its lower EM/IR signature, but this is just speculation. Shields of this class have only about half the capacity of Military shields but comparable, if not better, recharge rates. The downside to this is that the shield has a long delay to start recharging after it has been depleted.

As expected Stealth coolers are at the bottom of the list when it comes to cooling capacity, falling below even the worst Civilian ones. However, the goal of a stealth transport should not be to fight but to get in and out as quickly as possible and make as little noise as possible. In that respect, these coolers perform admirably. Stealth power plants have less than half of Military power plants and tend to fall behind when compared to Civilian ones but this is made up for by the fact that Stealth components draw far less power than other classes.

Civilian Components

Civilian Components occupy a large middle ground between the other classes and have the widest range of stats. What this means is that Civilian components are good jack-of-all-trades and masters of none and are some of the most reliable in the game. Another key factor is that these components are the most widely available ones throughout the ‘Verse and have a lower repair cost than Military or Stealth. EM/IR emissions are generally much lower than similar Military and Industrial components but still higher than Stealth. These components also need less cooling than others and cost far less than Military or Industrial ones.

Most Civilian shields are on par in total HP to Military ones but have roughly the same recharge and delay that Industrial shields do. Civilian quantum drives go faster than Industrial drives and consume about half the fuel of the same grade Military drive. Civilian drives also tend to have shorter cooldown times when the ship exits quantum travel giving these drives an advantage over Stealth and Military variants. Civilian power plants produce more than Stealth components but can not compare to the Military or Industrial classes. However, these power plants require much less cooling capacity and have decent power up times. Finally, civilian coolers offer a good baseline performance and have roughly half the cooling capacity of Industrials but still more than Stealth. Otherwise these power plants have no other noticeable advantages or disadvantages.

Keep in mind this is all rough draft and not edited yet. If I got something wrong or you know a good piece of info about these let me know in a comment here.

 

[SleepyBeaky]

They can and often do.

I usually set the self destruct they will hear it because if I cant fly neither will you

 

[Steel_Monkey]

My thoughts.... a lot of data. A lot of good data. I can see where it can apply to cargo but I think it more applies to all ships. For me, when I look at the guide I find myself thinking there should be more direct link to cargo and cargo hauling. Such as... here is the concept of stealth, read about it there.... in this manual here is how stealth applies to us and these ships. Maybe a recommended config with benefits and risks? Not for me but maybe for others a cargo plan? For example 0 - 50k here are some runs, 50-100, etc. Like when we reset I roll with my cutlass until it's time to move to the FL Max and then I jump right to cat because the SF is a pig. Why not Carrack? While yes it's easier to land, the cat I find is faster and far more maneuverable, in my opinion.

In terms of ship builds how do I max a ship? What order? Once again, for me.... I tend to start with shields and do weapons last? Why? I rarely have people in my turrets and I"m looking to take hits while I jump as quickly as possible. I would love to hear other strategies.

 

[Black Sunder]

My thoughts.... a lot of data. A lot of good data. I can see where it can apply to cargo but I think it more applies to all ships. For me, when I look at the guide I find myself thinking there should be more direct link to cargo and cargo hauling. Such as... here is the concept of stealth, read about it there.... in this manual here is how stealth applies to us and these ships. Maybe a recommended config with benefits and risks?

I had a plan to do something like that when talking about drug runs since thats the most likely place you'd use them.

Not for me but maybe for others a cargo plan? For example 0 - 50k here are some runs, 50-100, etc.

Can't do that because 'good runs' change every patch and when the dynamic economy goes in it'll be even more of a moving target. The best thing I can do is arm people with links to trade data and go over the general process and let people find their own way.

In terms of ship builds how do I max a ship? What order? Once again, for me.... I tend to start with shields and do weapons last? Why? I rarely have people in my turrets and I"m looking to take hits while I jump as quickly as possible. I would love to hear other strategies.

That's what this Upgrades section is for and a listing of all 'top' upgrades for each component for a class(except competition) will be provided with places to purchase + pricing. Maxing a ship is about choosing personally preferred performances of a component and getting the best(usually Grade A) of that class to stick in the ship. However I don't do weapons. That meta changes just as often if not more so than commodity prices per patch and its not something I can speak to with any kind of know how personally. Further, we're talking about courier and cargo runners, they should be avoiding fighting if at all possible in the first place or no profit can be made.

Having said that however, you bring up a good point of what to upgrade first and that will be added in tomorrow after I finish the Industrial components overview.

 

[Black Sunder]

I've finally started on the proper part of the Guide thats courier boxes and bulk cargo hauling!

 

[IronSin]

I've finally started on the proper part of the Guide thats courier boxes and bulk cargo hauling!

Delicious!

 

[Black Sunder]

Never got around to starting the mechanics part until now. Going to start my research phase after 3.9.1 goes Live. Already have a few screenshots.

 

[Black Sunder]

It's been a while but work is continuing. Heres a WIP for personal armor/weapons section in relation to those less than legal sites for courier/drug trade. Never know when someone will try to kill you.

Player Armor/Weapon Recommendations

Armor

Most pick up and dropoff locations will be fairly safe to conduct business at due to armistice zones however, illicit locations will not be meaning certain precautions should be taken. The first should be to wear Heavy Armor. Any kind of Heavy armor will work as it reduces incoming damage by 40%. While this is not enough to protect the player against a serious ambush or railgun attack, it will buy valuable time to get to cover and plan a next move. Most Heavy Armor is meant to be worn in environments ranging from -80° C / 110° C. For more extreme settings, specialized armor is required.

-insert picture showing heavy armor -

On planets and moons with extreme hot and cold temperatures, extra care must be taken to ensure survival. This takes the form of Caldera’s specialized Novikov(yellow) and Pembroke(maroon) environmental armors. The Novikov should be worn in frigid environments like the planet microTech and can comfortably withstand temperatures ranging from -255° / 75° C. The Pembroke on the other hand is meant for scorching temperatures like those found on the Ariel moon and can navigate temperatures ranging from -75° / 255° C. The main body of the armor is equipped like an undersuit but the helmets are equipped normally.

*The Novikov “Expo” Armor from the CitizenCon 2949 Digital Goodies Pack is identical in function to the regular Novikov Armor.

Weapons

Generally if a fight is to occur it will either be in close quarters or within ~50m. There is only one true weapon for close quarters and that is a shotgun, or more specifically the Ravanger-212 Twin Shotgun. A couple hits in quick succession will do the job. Alternatives include the Devastator Energy Shotgun and R97 Ballistic Shotgun. Secondary weapons should be able to reliably hit a target much further away and put the enemy down quickly. The best option for a secondary weapon is an Assault Rifle like the P4-AR or Gallant Energy Rifle. The Gallant stands out for its reasonable accuracy, even at full-auto and its large magazine. The P4-AR has less ammunition available but more power behind every shot. If accuracy is less important, then the Custodian SMG with its high RoF will also work. For sidearms, the Coda Ballistic Pistol has the greatest stopping power of any in the game but only carries 6 rounds. The LH86 Ballistic Pistol trades some damage for an increased magazine size of 13.

Star Citizen has many weapons available to players and these are just a few suggestions. Players should choose based on what suits their style of play and equip attachments to make them even more effective. Equip sights to more easily target weak points and barrel attachments to stabilize recoil for better accuracy. Underbarrel attachments are limited to a laser pointer or flashlight. The laser pointer will help with ‘hip’ shots and the flashlight can light up a darkened room or blind an opponent in close quarters.

Finally, ALWAYS have MedPens equipped to heal with during or after the fight. There’s no excuse for not having this item equipped at all times.


Thank you to the Star Marine channel in the TEST Discord for weapon recommendations.

 

[Black Sunder]

More stuff!

Other Courier Capable Ships

Most ships are capable of carrying a courier box or two provided there is some amount of floor space. Besides the ships discussed above, here are some other ships which can be conscripted for courier contracts:

The 300 Series - Fast and efficient, this series of ships can get deliveries done or carry small amounts of cargo. The cargo area is accessed from the underside of the ship. The 300i(8 SCU), 315p(12 SCU), 325a(4 SCU), and 350r(4SCU) are all able to meet the demand that multiple contracts require.

Cutlass Red/Blue - While the Cutlass Red/Blue may technically be more suited to the role of medical support and law enforcement, these ships can still carry 12 SCU apiece making them suitable for multiple courier missions or small time high margin trading.

The Vanguard Series - Strong and well armed, the Vanguard series officially carries no cargo but has ample floor space to set many courier boxes down in its middle section.

Reliant Series - As variants of the Reliant Kore, these ships have enough space in the rear pod to accommodate a few boxes, either on the floor or set in the beds.

Terrapin - A small, but heavily armored ship, the Terrapin has significant space near the scanner operator’s chair to deposit many boxes.

Banu Defender - A well armed and agile fighter, the Defender also has an interior capable of doing multiple courier contracts at once.

Mantis - Lightly armed and fragile, the Mantis is nonetheless capable of storing a few boxes beside the elevator in the middle of the ship.

 

[AntiSqueaker]

More stuff!

Other Courier Capable Ships
<snipped for brevity>

Another courier ship is the Herald. You have to carry the boxes up the entry ladder, but there's ample space for them back by the beds and EWAR station. Only thing you can do with it since there's no data running or hacking gameplay in yet.

Comes stock with an average Q-drive, but the Herald has some of the best straight line acceleration and top speed in the game. Stock coolers are woefully inadequate.

Do note that the Herald handles high speed maneuvers all the grace of a beached whale. Its the only ship I've flown that dips and rolls like a naval vessel. Definitely recommend sticking to full cruise speed above the atmosphere and then coming slowly in at steeper angle rather than fighting the distinct lack of aerodynamics.

Weapons are decent with twin S2 hardpoints and a nose mounted S3 but the main defense is just pointing away from the enemy and zooming past em.

 

[Black Sunder]

Another courier ship is the Herald. You have to carry the boxes up the entry ladder, but there's ample space for them back by the beds and EWAR station. Only thing you can do with it since there's no data running or hacking gameplay in yet.

Comes stock with an average Q-drive, but the Herald has some of the best straight line acceleration and top speed in the game. Stock coolers are woefully inadequate.

Do note that the Herald handles high speed maneuvers all the grace of a beached whale. Its the only ship I've flown that dips and rolls like a naval vessel. Definitely recommend sticking to full cruise speed above the atmosphere and then coming slowly in at steeper angle rather than fighting the distinct lack of aerodynamics.

Weapons are decent with twin S2 hardpoints and a nose mounted S3 but the main defense is just pointing away from the enemy and zooming past em.

Added.