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Trade Routes - Ursus - 12-07-2011
Factors that determine profit
1) Longer routes pay more than shorter routes. Systems in the same house space typically have the same goods, so domestic goods are cheap and imports are expensive.
2) Profit-for-time is the final measure. A long route that pays 10 million is worse than two short routes that pay 6 million.
3) Expensive items typically pay more than cheap items; something that costs $100 to buy will usually have a much higher payoff than something that costs $1 to buy. This means you have to fork up more up-front investment capital to get a bigger payoff. Things like Military Vehicles and VIPs cost a lot to buy, but pay back in thousands per unit on profit.
4) Some of the most expensive items consume multiple unit counts. For example, VIPs consume more space than Passengers (maybe they need bigger cabins?).
5) Contraband pays more than legal goods. You also have a higher risk of losing it all, since you not only have to worry about pirates but police and navy forces too.
Also keep in mind that there are about three wars going on right now and all of the houses have their own embargo and licensing rules, so it's not just stuff like Cardamine that will get you arrested.
6) Outlaw systems generally pay more than lawful systems. More risk, since you are going to be swimming with the pirates. Player characters won't care if you are selling to the base unless you are under the protection of their leaders.
The most profitable routes are those that require expensive contraband to or from outlaw systems over long routes. For example, taking counterfeit software from Kepler to Omega-11 and coming back with blood diamonds from Omega-11 to Denver can pay up to 30 million, but you are carrying illegal stuff through house space, flying through outlaw space, and paying many millions of credits in up-front costs both times. It's a helluva route though. Find the jump holes and avoid all contact
Trade Routes - Tachyon - 12-11-2011
For IMG:
Get a load of Silver Ore in Omega-7 and sell it at Narita(New Tokio). Fly via Stuttgart, NB, Frankfurt, Sigma13, Honshu.
Buy mining machinery at narita and sell it at Java (Tau23). Fly via Kyushu and take the Tau23 Jumphole.
Get a load of Niobnium Ore in Tau23 and sell it at NB. Fly via Kyushu, NT, Honshu, Sigma13, Frankfurt.
Buy Mining Machinery at NB and sell it at Freistadt (Omega7). Fly via Stuttgart.
Trade Routes - Maelstrom - 12-11-2011
Short routes can pay as much as longer routes. You can do them in half the time. Comodities that are low priced can net large dividends. They cost little or nothing and are therefore almost pure profit.
Here is an example route: 5 systems, almost entirely on lanes (its a system or two more than most short routes but it's mostly short lane hops and that lowers the time).
Rochester (New York): Buy Superconductors or mine scrap
Invergordon (Inverness): Sell Scrap, fly to Scarborough
Scarborough (New Castle): Sell Superconductors, buy Super Alloy
Norfolk (New York): Sell Super Alloy
This route nets about 10 mills a run in a firefly. There are better, but this route also has the advantage of being a good rp run as well as being very safe if done as the right faction. You can quickly make 100 mills doing this and it's not as boring as many because of the high traffic for most of the route.
Trade Routes - Ursus - 12-11-2011
' Wrote:Short routes can pay as much as longer routes. You can do them in half the time.Yes that's true, and especially true for the longer and more dangerous routes. Travelling off the tradelanes, and docking to avoid pirates (twice as bad when you have to dock to avoid lawfuls in the case of contraband), will both add time. In the end its the time-for-profit that matters.
Quote:Here is an example route: 5 systems, almost entirely on lanes (its a system or two more than most short routes but it's mostly short lane hops and that lowers the time).Well no offense but Rochester is nowhere near a trade lane and is frequented by criminals, and the semiconductors are MUCH cheaper at Denver to boot. And Denver is right on the tradelane so by the time you fly to Rochester you could have flown to Denver. There is no good reason to go to Rochester for semiconductors.
Rochester (New York): Buy Superconductors or mine scrap
Invergordon (Inverness): Sell Scrap, fly to Scarborough
Scarborough (New Castle): Sell Superconductors, buy Super Alloy
Norfolk (New York): Sell Super Alloy
Inverness is a long way from Rochester... and Invergordon is a long way from the jump hole. That's not a "short route" its a long freaking way. It is MUCH shorter route to sell scrap at Fuchu Prison in Shikoku and the pay is better too.
Bad route, long, lots of time off the trade lanes, and dangerous too
Trade Routes - Maelstrom - 12-11-2011
' Wrote:Inverness is a long way from Rochester... and Invergordon is a long way from the jump hole. That's not a "short route" its a long freaking way. It is MUCH shorter route to sell scrap at Fuchu Prison in Shikoku and the pay is better too.
Bad route, long, lots of time off the trade lanes, and dangerous too
Inverness is not a long way from Rochester, only 3 systems. New York -> Cali. -> Cortez -> Inverness. That's about as short as it gets for good profit. Invergordon is a bit of a hop, about 60 or 70 from the jump hole, but it's anything but a dangerous route for the right factions. In fact, for the right factions you probably won't ever encounter hostiles. I never have. On the other hand, Denver to Shikoku is crawling with Xenos. Add to that the fact that the prison is Kusari and it's a terrible route for the factions these two routes are meant for.
For the Superconductor/Super Alloy route you only jump off the trade lanes twice. The furthest you have to go off them is around 40k. In my book, that's a short run. You shouldn't encounter any hostiles on this run either, but you will encounter plenty of people to chat with. It's short, safe, and you don't need a lot of credits to get started as the commodities can be picked up for 100 creds a pop.
Both of these are based as much on role play value as much as anything, though, so you can find more profitable short routes. For instance, Gateshead pays better than Scarborough. It's just not as good for role play.
Trade Routes - Necromancer11 - 12-15-2011
Using the information from the last few posts, I've created another trade route of my own. I haven't tried it yet, but I feel like it has the potential to be fairly profitable. Tell me what you think.
Superconductors from Planet Denver to Planet Cambridge
Water from Planet Cambridge to Cardiff Mining Facility
Beryllium from Cardiff Mining Facility to Gateshead Station
Water from Gateshead Station to Scarborough Station
Super Alloy from Scarborough Station to Baltimore Shipyard
Spaceship Crew from Baltimore Shipyard to Planet Denver
And repeat
Trade Routes - Maelstrom - 12-15-2011
I don't know if it will generate as much profit/minute as others but it doesn't really have to. If it is interesting enough, fits your role play, and generates more than 10 mills a run with a small or midsized transport you'll probably be fine.
What ID and faction are you going to be running this route with? It's a pretty varied list of commodities and bases.
Trade Routes - Necromancer11 - 12-15-2011
I have an Ageira ID now, but I'm thinking about switching to Interspace Commerce.
Trade Routes - Maelstrom - 12-15-2011
Well, the biggest problem I can see running that route with either ID is that you are going to run into a lot of hostiles. If that doesn't bother you, then it's no big deal, but off the top of my head I can think of at least 5 active hostile factions for that route and those ID's.
Trade Routes - Echo 7-7 - 12-15-2011
' Wrote:Well, the biggest problem I can see running that route with either ID is that you are going to run into a lot of hostiles. If that doesn't bother you, then it's no big deal, but off the top of my head I can think of at least 5 active hostile factions for that route and those ID's.
Mollies, Gaians, Corsairs, Rogues, Hackers, Xenos, Outcasts, independent Pirates.
There are hostiles everywhere. Being a trader is all about dealing with it - dodge them, pay them, or kill them.
The "pirate hotspots" along this route are probably California's pirate alley, and Magellan/Cortez. Manchester too, if you're unlucky.