Grinding Credits in Update v3.1.4

[Clandestine]

I've watched a youtube or two and found that Squidoflove suggests taking on missions that disable coms arrays, as being the fastest way to grind credits currently. Trading normal commodities seems very meager in returns. Drug trafficking is probably still good, but I can't speak intelligently on that (or most things for that matter).

Has anyone been steadily grinding in current game build and found a "fast" way to earn credits or is the best way to start just taking whatever you can get early on? 300 credit rewards for a 20-30 minute mission seems a bit tedious.

 

[Thalstan]

That depends on what you are trading with. There is a huge difference between what you can make per run between an aurora, a Connie, and a Caterpillar.

With a Connie, I can make 860 UEC on a single run (one way) with my 5k starting cash. If I haul something there to sell, that just adds to my profit on a round trip. With a third leg, I can add yet another piece of profit.

Just beware, you won’t be able to sell all your stims, alcohol, etc at a small outpost, you might need to go to grim hex Olisar, or Levski for that. Plan your routes well and you can make money plying the trade routes. It won’t be as much as 3.0, but it’s still decent.

 

[Deroth]

Depends on which ships you have access to.
Example:
Just running iodine from Levski to Port Olisar with a Caterpillar nets ~5k with a full load. The return trip can be exciting as the velocity vectoring is completely broken with the 'fixes' in 3.1.4 making them contextual instead of finally accepting they need to be thrust based.

 

[CosmicTrader]

I've watched a youtube or two and found that Squidoflove suggests taking on missions that disable coms arrays, as being the fastest way to grind credits currently.

Ah yes, YouTubers are such experts.
Did he also mention that you are then a wanted criminal with NPCs & Players trying to kill you and that you are no longer welcome at PO?
No, he didn't mention that? Surprise......

Trading normal commodities seems very meager in return

Well, lets see if the 'expert' is correct.......
I made more than 300 credits on my first trade run using an Avenger Titan..
But what do I know, I am not a YouTuber making a living off the game.

---- As in Real Life, the more money you have, the more you can make. IF, you are willing to do some work and a small amount of research.
Or, you can just listen to the competeing Youtubers and Streamers.

I do 1 or 2 trade runs a day..... Started with an Avenger Titan, then a Cutlass, moved to a Freelancer and now I am using a Constellation (the largest ship I have to use in 3.1.4).
I now have 61,491 credits.

http://imgur.com/a/xtPzZys

btw - I have never done the drug run........No need.
Start small and work your way up.......nothing worth while is easy.

I personally think there are plenty of Youtubers & Streamers 'testing' being a criminal.
I like to test the Legal aspect.

Okay - Here are some TIPS that you might find helpful......
1. Goons & Wankers hang out at the drug lab to blow up your ship for laughs.
2. Goons & Wankers often hang out at the Major Mining areas to blow up your ship for laughs. - Caution or an escort is helpful.
3. Avoid Levski as the Hangar elevators are broken & you will be stranded there.
---- Tip --- land out side Levski in the 'Rover area' (I don't know what it is called) and enter through the airlock. You can Sell/Buy this way.
4. Suggested Trade Run --- Agricultural Supplies from a Research Station to a Farm. Food from the Farm to a Mine. Iodine from the Mine to a Research Station. Repeat until you are ready to return to PO then take Iodine to PO.
5. But Medical Supplies at PO ---> Sale anywhere.
6. When you start, with little credits, Buy small amounts of Laranite, Diamonds or Agricium to Sell at PO.
(Yes, you only make a small amount but you make about 1 credit per unit - start small remember)
7. When you can, Buy BULK minerals to Sale at PO --- Astatine gas, Iodine or Titanium are my favorite ones.....
8. 9. 10. NEVER NEVER spend more than 50% of your credits. Greed is a terrible and Risky thing.
Good Luck out there.
When you feel 'comfortable' with your bank account, try different trades.
I like to do the Beer & Pizza runs. (Distilled Spirits & Processsed Food).

This is the BEST info that I have found.........
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QeyPiQycUAc_6OwRRgLUzzs75ovy9a5bCxJVeIraZtE/htmlview?sle=true


--- I make about 5000 to 6000 credits per run in a Constellation.

 

[Thalstan]

Cosmic is right on the money...IF you have the ships to support it. Lots of stuff you can do, but beware the gankers.

I hope that sometime we will be able to directly trade UEC with people (here, we've completed our run...and here is your cut...instead of the beacon system.

Beacon...looking for escorts for port olisar -> levski.

Bunch of pirates will be waiting for you at levski when you get there...

something is wrong there...

 

[Shadow Reaper]

Beacon...looking for escorts for port olisar -> levski.

Bunch of pirates will be waiting for you at levski when you get there...

something is wrong there...

Maybe they're trying to force folks to man the turrets and play as teams? The turrets are working properly, aren't they? Would be good to know how the Connie fares against a smallish pirate band.

 

[Thalstan]

I don't mind playing as a team etc...I just want to do it without announcing it to the server....

btw, anything going on this weekend?

 

[Rear_Intruder]

I just logged into SC for the first time in 6-8 weeks. It was stable 30+ FPS for about 45 mins (no crashes) and great new visuals in atmosphere.
As for your question, the only reason to gain credits at the moment is to test buying ETC. No reason to GRIND them up other than that as wipes / resets are common.
If Cosmic tells you something it is 80% likely to be good advice. The 20% is 19% when it just does not suit your style of play, and 1% when he is misinformed.
Now back to Skyrim VR until 3.2

 

[Sraika]

I find the most efficient ship for trade runs is a connie, since it's nowhere near as awkward to fly as a caterpillar, but still has a bunch of cargo space. I'll be very happy once they add in the taurus. So far missions make nowhere near as much money as trading does, unless you're doing trading wrong. Even if you only make one UEC per unit of cargo, that adds up really quick, especially in a larger ship.

CosmicTrader gave some really good advice, and that spreadsheet looks damn useful, so just do what he says and you'll be rich in no time.

Personally, i tend to run hydrogen to Port Olisar, makes a decent amount of money.

 

[Vouch]

I have all but given up trying to run drugs.

The trading spreadsheet adds to the gameplay I think.

I was trying to reinvent the wheel by hauling one of every commodity around to each location until I found the sheet and others like it. (Thank you)

I can' wait for the ability to sell our own mined resources however!

 

[Clandestine]

@CosmicTrader: I appreciate the time you took to explain your experience and even sharing that spreadsheet. I had looked for something with that amount of information on it a week or two ago. Awesome! As far as Squidoflove, he did share that it raises your crime stat, but there's a station that you can "hack" your crime back down. Seems like a headache to me. Apparently you stop getting shot out once you leave your vehicle, so you need a quick "fighter" styled cockpit entrance/exit to do it fast enough. As soon as you enter the ship, you're getting shot up again. Not my cup of tea.

I do have an Avenger Titan LTI (waiting to upgrade, possibly to cutlass), free Hornet, and a Constellation Aquila LTI in my hangar currently. I'll try out the cargo hauls. First I have to farm some credits because I did the 100% of my 5k credits on a cargo run and it glitched me out with a "bad token." So I made the same mistake so many have before me.

I'm looking forward to mining as well!

 

[Vavrik]

I've also found there is no reason to grind aUEC right now, or the game will become incredibly dull, then a reset hits and you start all over again.

Don't forget to enjoy the game a little too.

• Dogfighting is pretty much out of the picture at the moment, but you can try. Sometimes its OK.
• Provide security for people clearing crimestat if you like action.
• Race from one spot or outpost, to another on a different moon.
• Learn to land in all sorts of conditions, with different ships. Very un-test like I suppose, to learn how to land.
• Take an URSA for a spin on the moons. That's a lot of fun, they're each very different experiences. Off-roading was never so much fun. When you get ...air?... on Delamar (lowest gravity) or Cellin (fastest runs), look down and see how high you got. And the pile of rocks that you're going to land on. Some very test like experiences in rovers.

 

[CosmicTrader]

As soon as you enter the ship, you're getting shot up again.

ANY ship that you enter will be displayed as a Criminal. So, if you 'ride' with a friend, his/her ship will show as Criminal.

I did the 100% of my 5k credits on a cargo run and it glitched me out with a "bad token." So I made the same mistake so many have before me.

Yep, including me.......Education can be expensive. Ha Ha.

First, you are very welcome. TESTies always help TESTies.
A good and rather safe way to make some credits when broke is to do the 'Take Away the Trash' Mission.
I can not remember the correct title but that is a simple Mission.
If you take the Trash to Grimhex or Levski, you can Sale it.
However, this takes time and I just 'Dump' it in space then wait a few minutes (the Mission has to reset) and do the same Mission again.
Note: Do the Mission - Log off - Log back in - The Misssion is available immediately. - Quick & Easy credits to get you started.
Besides, I found it quite fun to just 'toss' the garbage out the back hatch. Ha. Ha. Okay Okay so I am not Environmentally Friendly. But it is FUN.

The Titian is a GREAT Cargo ship (it will soon be 50% bigger) and when you are comfortable, the Aquila is Wonderful to fly and use for trading.
Yes, mining will be a lot of fun and perhaps I or another of your friends can transport your 'goods' and Sale them for you. Sharing the profits of course. SC is a Team game after all.
--- You are in my Contacts Lists btw ---

CosmicTrader gave some really good advice, and that spreadsheet looks damn useful, so just do what he says and you'll be rich in no time.

The check (or Aurora in our case) is in the Post.

I was trying to reinvent the wheel by hauling one of every commodity around to each location until I found the sheet and others like it. (Thank you)

My pleasure. Please remember that by doing the various trade runs, you are helping to Test 3.1.4 and can Report any problems in the Issue Council. That is what we are here for. I know it if is FUN but at least Pretend to be Testing. Ha Ha Ha.........

Don't forget to enjoy the game a little too.

YES YES YES --- Please consider this excellent advice.
One of the reasons to make credits is to then do some Shopping at all 3 locations and help Test those functions as well.
Besides, you can get some pretty neato stuff.
HAVE FUN. Why else play a game?

Dogfighting is pretty much out of the picture at the moment, but you can try. Sometimes its OK.

CIG is Testing IFCS & ESP currently so this will help them as well as us. Remember to contribute to any problems in the IC or any Spectrum sites that the DEVs posted. Check Announcements on Spectrum.

Please remember that @Rear_Intruder says that I am only 80% correct. Ha Ha. You decide for yourself.
See you in the 'Verse.
Cheers

 

[RPCH]

Depends on which ships you have access to.
Example:
Just running iodine from Levski to Port Olisar with a Caterpillar nets ~5k with a full load. The return trip can be exciting as the velocity vectoring is completely broken with the 'fixes' in 3.1.4 making them contextual instead of finally accepting they need to be thrust based.

Unfortunately, Levski is glitching out and it is hard to get in and if you manage to get in, you are stuck unless you ask someone to take you back to a port to summon your ship. :( I did the Iodine run since I was thinking that was the fastest until the glitches started happening.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

I was trying to reinvent the wheel by hauling one of every commodity around to each location until I found the sheet and others like it. (Thank you)

This is going to be my strategy in the final game I think, a traveling commodities trader - In the end I suspect there is going to be a dynamic economy, so when you drop a hold full of diamonds on a planet demand drops and prices fall until the locals exhaust that supply...

My Taurus will always have a portion of the hold devoted to the best price stuff I could buy in a sector in the hope the next sector contains a base or station crying out for whatever that was: Imagine buying a tonne of toilet rolls for 0.25UEC each in the Tree-covered Terra and keeping that pallet at the back of the hold only to one day find you could sell them for 4UEC each in Tyrol or some other place with no trees where demand for it will be through the roof... What a payday, it'll be beautiful!

I am very much hoping there will be trading software you can upgrade in your ship to get real-time updates on what is selling where for what price and what is buying where for what price - at least at the larger stations and truck-stops to let you guess what the local economy around that place might produce or require... TruckStop 17 is always real cheap for Gold, must be a mine nearby I might be able to get it even cheaper...? Otherwise I'll be stabbing in the dark which will not be so much fun because who knows what other players are buying/selling and disrupting the otherwise natural flow of the trade-lanes?

 

[Michael]

My Taurus will always have a portion of the hold devoted to the best price stuff I could buy in a sector in the hope the next sector contains a base or station crying out for whatever that was: Imagine buying a tonne of toilet rolls for 0.25UEC each in the Tree-covered Terra and keeping that pallet at the back of the hold only to one day find you could sell them for 4UEC each in Tyrol or some other place with no trees where demand for it will be through the roof... What a payday, it'll be beautiful!

You're forgetting to calculate opportunity cost into this plan. Keeping stuff in you storage which you just "might sell" will leave you with less profit on your regular products. Which might have minor profits but will generate profits. Hauling 25% Stuff around will leave you with 25% less profit. Also you might make 400% profit with 1% of your storage one day.
(Just a wild example appeared, its attack is not very strong)

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

You're forgetting to calculate opportunity cost into this plan. Keeping stuff in you storage which you just "might sell" will leave you with less profit on your regular products. Which might have minor profits but will generate profits. Hauling 25% Stuff around will leave you with 25% less profit. Also you might make 400% profit with 1% of your storage one day.
(Just a wild example appeared, its attack is not very strong)

Well, you have a point. However I also like working in round numbers so if the Taurus eventually has 328 SCU I'm using that 28 SCU for some "risky ventures" which in reality aren't all that risky.

I played X2 for about four years straight and sometimes your in a system on a Silicone Wafer run and see on the trading extension in your ship Quantum Tubes for the lowest price you have ever seen them for. Yeah, you are not a Quantum Tube trader you deal in Silicone Wafers like everyone else, but hot damn that price! For the prices you've seen 'Tubes sell for in the past you know its a easy win - you won't have trouble offloading them for a clear profit but it'll be just how high a price you can find to sell them for before selling... but you don't want to mess up your Wafer run by packing the hold with Quantum Tubes... So chuck as many 'Tubes in the 28SCU you keep for such opportunities :slight_smile:

 

[Firen]

I am very much hoping there will be trading software you can upgrade in your ship to get real-time updates on what is selling where for what price and what is buying where for what price - at least at the larger stations and truck-stops to let you guess what the local economy around that place might produce or require... TruckStop 17 is always real cheap for Gold, must be a mine nearby I might be able to get it even cheaper...? Otherwise I'll be stabbing in the dark which will not be so much fun because who knows what other players are buying/selling and disrupting the otherwise natural flow of the trade-lanes?

i believe they said it once that the we will be able to see the value market on goods in a starsystem aréa on our maps

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

i believe they said it once that the we will be able to see the value market on goods in a starsystem aréa on our maps

This makes me very happy, many thanks :)

 

[Michael]

Well, you have a point. However I also like working in round numbers so if the Taurus eventually has 328 SCU I'm using that 28 SCU for some "risky ventures" which in reality aren't all that risky.

I played X2 for about four years straight and sometimes your in a system on a Silicone Wafer run and see on the trading extension in your ship Quantum Tubes for the lowest price you have ever seen them for. Yeah, you are not a Quantum Tube trader you deal in Silicone Wafers like everyone else, but hot damn that price! For the prices you've seen 'Tubes sell for in the past you know its a easy win - you won't have trouble offloading them for a clear profit but it'll be just how high a price you can find to sell them for before selling... but you don't want to mess up your Wafer run by packing the hold with Quantum Tubes... So chuck as many 'Tubes in the 28SCU you keep for such opportunities :slight_smile:

Currently i don't expect very large price span. Maybe we will have the posibility to rent storage space or stuff like that. But i really want to squeeze every little bit of space out of my sweet caterpillar