' Wrote:I don't trade much any more these days
mostly just escort work with occasional piracy
While I would love to get a big ship, they just cost too much
Well...
My first pirate earned his cash flying a little piece of junk for the rogues, blasting convoys out of trade lanes - npc ones only at first, then upgrading to 'jacking small player freighters. Eventually got into a SNACed bomber "under my own power".
My researcher started out in an X-shuttle - upgraded under his own power into a 20m Rheinland transport. Now though, I'm actually trading on a Kichiro char to upgrade the researcher into a neat-o looking slave liner instead. It's not about the power, as much as the wicked looks, the sheer size, the room for research labs and strange gadgets... I really want one, but earning 190 million purely on alien organisms is annoying, especially since I prefer mining it manualy (even though it costs 100c just around the corner on planet Kurile...)
I actually paid for a gunboat on traded cash but meh... what's it really good for anyway except "pvp pwnge"? Can't intercept smugglers well, not much use as an escort...
I'll use trader-cash for lots of things, but not a battleship. Seriously, what's a cap good for anyway? Sitting on your arse and guarding location X from gankers Y? Only reason I'd ever get a cap is to be in the military of one of the four houses - and considering the restrictions they put on their members, I'll be flying a bomber for 6 months anyway so... nah.
My trader also rather enjoys trading (to a degree - too much and your BRAIN MELTS!) It's can be nice meeting other traders, police officers doing spot checks and pirates reaching out for you (though only good pirates. "2m or die"-types can go shove off... They don't wanna rp, they can get a new job. Entertain me or go away - earn your cash.:)