How to play as Trader (tips)

[rollinshultz]

In my second play through, I decided on playing as a "Marauder" class with the intention of making trading my main focus for getting the money I needed to buy ships and weapons etc. In my first play through I upgraded as quickly as possible to a carrier ship (Borealis) as it is quite formidable. However in my second play through I upgraded to Freightliner for the cargo capacity (1900 items) and I did a lot of prospecting and salvaging while still in the Solari Concord region and expanding that. Once I began to traverse the map, I had a good fleet to back me and I found some great trading spots. The planet Thauria is the best place to sell products, Fairuz is best for ores and gasses, Crathagena is best for consumables. While at Carthagena it is a good place to buy ores and gasses. Heeland is also, but while in Heeland, buy "Empire Artifacts" and "A'Shriari Glyphs", You can sell them for big money at Thauria. When you buy all of both you will have arounf 3100 items so you need the Titan's cargo capacity for that. I have made over $20 credits in one loop of trading and sometimes about 40.
I also focused my perks on ship capturing abilities and you gain weapons and equipment items by capturing ships that are not sold elsewhere. I have captrued around 100 ships this play through so far, including Dreadnoughts and Carriers. It is almost impossible to catch smaller gun ships once you have a bad*ss fleet because they are all gone in seconds once a battle begins.
As you begin to explore and trade make good reps with those main trade areas, some like Nix will make fleerts of ships and donate to you, others like Colysta sector in the Kornyn region will make them in trade for scrap metals. To fill out the map you can set a few fleets abreast of each other and set a path then watch on map view as they find whats hidden, especially where the relays and artifacts are.
Anyone else have some favorite play tips?

[RandomDude]

I think I'd need to do a few million trade runs if the return is $20 =p

[uni790]

Well, about the best spot I've found to make cash, is between Fairuz(buying fertilizer) and selling it on the Holocon station right next to it. The trip is so short, it more then makes up any better profit you might find elsewhere, can also import the vegitables(think I'm spelling it wrong) from the station to the planet if you want a little more cash per trip.

[rollinshultz]

Originally posted by RandomDude:

I think I'd need to do a few million trade runs if the return is $20 =p

Sorry for the typo and of course I can't edit my earlier comment so here is a correction and clarification.
I go to Heeland (just now) using T-Gates I purchase all of the "Empire Artefacts" (1400) of them this trip 1400 * 11,700cr = 16,380,000cr I sell them at Thauria for 23,400cr which is 11,700 over the buy price and I double my money. I buy all the "A'shriari Glyphs" 1507 of them this trip. I buy for 2,700cr and sell for 5,400cr again doubling my money. My total take for this run is 20,448,900cr.

But to make that kind and size of haul means you need the Titan Prosperity with its 4500 item cargo capacity. Another aspect of the titan is after picking up this cargo, I may take on some missions before going to Thauria, so as I do for example if I choose to clear a bunch of Anomalies, You clear one or two and a battle ensues and do a couple more and...you guessed it another battle ensues. All the battles I engage since I got the Prosperity get automatically salvaged with auto "scavenger swarm" most of the gains from those battles are in the "Product" category, and Thauria is the best place to sell them. So by the time I get to Thauria with a full cargo hold of 4500 items, the profit can sometimes be 40 million cr.

There isn't another ship in the game I wish to use since I got it.
I'm kind of done with this ssecond play through since I conquered all the RED factions and most everyone else are my allies, so I have no desire to just conquer everything since my play style is to be true to myself even in a game.

Maybe I'll play again as a Vanguard. Still it would be nice if there was an achievement for making a billion credits.

[rollinshultz]

Originally posted by uni790:

Well, about the best spot I've found to make cash, is between Fairuz(buying fertilizer) and selling it on the Holocon station right next to it. The trip is so short, it more then makes up any better profit you might find elsewhere, can also import the vegitables(think I'm spelling it wrong) from the station to the planet if you want a little more cash per trip.

Fertilizers are an excellent trade item and Fairuz is the number 1 producer. You are wrong about the short trip making up for profit. Holocomb HQ will give 17,000 for them, but Thauria will give 25,500 so you are losing 17,000 You double your money at Holocom HQ, but you triple your money at Thauria. Using T-gates, the travel time is minimal, especially if you use T-drives to get to the gates and from gate to planet. By the time you get that far in the game you should have the 25 million cr. drive engine enhancement maximus III to make your ship fly fast.

Until I could afford the Titan, I used the frieghtliner with 1900 item cargo capacity. I depended a lot on my fleet in battles, because I was concentrating on making money. You could use a Freightliner for trading, prospecting and salvage, and use a carrier for bounties, veterans, and other battle oriented tasks.