Money making.

[Hazmat]

So far the best method I have found is to buy micro stabilisers in cheap systems. They take up as much space in a hardcase as a single battery and you buy them for slightly less than 5k. Then take them to a system such as spark city for 30-50% mark up depending on the day.

You can also trade data chips and shock pods if you can't muster up a decent down payment to begin with.

So far the best method I have found is to blow all my money on micro stabilisers and data chips to negative 2.5k, then buy as many shock pods as possible. Then take a job for spark city, purgatory, or crossvale to sell them.

Sometimes Medusa 6 has a decent markup if you have not unlocked those areas through Moon Baby yet. The best I have seen is 16%.

[Ghostwind]

thats a really stupid game design, are we space truckers or space traders ;)

[Hazmat]

Obviously space traders, given the lackluster rewards for jobs.

[Varlun]

Agreed. On the harder difficulties, trading is essential. And this is what I love most about the game: the physical inventory and inventory management. I love love love packing everything away into hardcases and having it all neatly organized onto the shelves. Opening the cases while they're on the shelf wedges them in so they won't come out with gravity off.

And yeah. Starting a new game on higher difficulty, it's a great trick to immediately start trading essential items. It doesn't matter how far into debt you go, as long as you have a plan to turn around and sell them. Don't buy anything if you don't have a hardcase or box to put them in to protect them.

[SpidersInABirthdayCake]

Someone on the forums said the bonuses for xp and cash from skills got swapped around.

[TheTechnobear]

salvage is THE way to make money.

once you have the scanner its trivial, but you can do without it...

each salvage point is often $4-5k value, and there are multiple in a sector..
they provide better batteries ( 150 or 200) and air filters, as well as micro stabiliser (5k)
frankly, they are so OP, you don't even need to worry about the price you get :)

and yes, its proof the game needs re-balancing... as they are so OP compared to trucking jobs.
currently, the only reason you need to drag trailers around is for XP.

I think this is why some dont think the game is that hard ... they probably found a few salvage locations early on, and so had plenty of cash, batteries and air filters

[Varlun]

Originally posted by SpidersInABirthdayCake:

Someone on the forums said the bonuses for xp and cash from skills got swapped around.

That sounds right to me. Either way, you don't get squat for a cash bonus. I beat the game on easy, had every certification maxed out, and jobs paid about the same as they did at the start of the game. One thing that does make them pay more is long hauls, but that's just because every job pays based on delivery time / distance (can't remember which one). But of course, that's canceled out by it being a longer distance. So yeah, it's busted!

[Varlun]

Originally posted by TheTechnobear:

salvage is THE way to make money.

once you have the scanner its trivial, but you can do without it...

each salvage point is often $4-5k value, and there are multiple in a sector..
they provide better batteries ( 150 or 200) and air filters, as well as micro stabiliser (5k)
frankly, they are so OP, you don't even need to worry about the price you get :)

and yes, its proof the game needs re-balancing... as they are so OP compared to trucking jobs.
currently, the only reason you need to drag trailers around is for XP.

I think this is why some dont think the game is that hard ... they probably found a few salvage locations early on, and so had plenty of cash, batteries and air filters

I think you need to turn the difficulty up mate. Congratulations, you're better than 90% of the people on these forums. ;)