Did a few runs tonight just to see where things are.




1,461,600 credits in 16 minutes. I'm sure there's better routes out there once I find it, this is what I can remember from more than a year ago!
720T cargo capacity so that's 2,030 credits profit per ton
16 minutes so that's 91,350 credits per minute or 5,481,000 credits per hour

This is my current Cutter fit:
https://eddp.co/u/bhcZlFFL

A little short on power so will look for a 8C power plant which will cost a decent 12M credits. Goal will be 8A power plant (156M) and 8A thrusters (144M) so need about 240M credits and assuming I can do 5M credits per hour, that's 48 hours of mind-numbing trading. We'll see how long it'll take me to get there.

At the moment, I'm re-acqainting myself with the tools available for the game and one thing that blows my mind is the INARA API key that you can use with EDMC.

E:D Market Connector (EDMC)
INARA


Go ahead and sign up to INARA if you haven't yet, generate an API key, enter it into EDMC, and it'll update INARA with your ships, credits, rank, etc! A very handy way to keep track and keep a record of things!


I'm currenty trying to learn the TCE Mk. II to see if it's any better than my old trading process and so far, things are looking good. Will need to play around with it a bit more to discover it's full potential. Unfortunately, more complex doesn't really mean more useful, and I'm not finding this tool intuitive in any way, so we will see how useful it turns out to be.

Trade Computer Extension Mk.II

I prefer to use EDDB Loop Route Finder for maximizing trade profits. Mainly because I've used INARA without checking the supply and found out the "Buy from" station had a very limited supply of the goods I was looking for. Here is an example of whats available.



That's 720 tons x 6,022 per ton= 4,335,840 Credits per round trip.

But you should also know that the Cutter has been displaced as the Queen of the Trade ships. They've added an additional size 8 slot to the Type-9 for a grand total of 752 w/shields.



It's not fully engineered yet, but empty it can jump 28Ly's and 18Ly's when she's full.

I also like having EDDI plug-in for Voice Attack. It give market details and State as you jump into each system or dock as you travel.

Wow! Time to dust off the old Type-9 again. I'll give EDDB Loop Route Finder a go.The last time I did some serious trading Thrudds was still active

Yeah, double wow, that's some serious advanced space trade sh!t right there. Not much of a trader myself, but I'm interested in this thread, to see how you guys go about it. When a single module costs 12m and up I think you need a way to generate space ducats efficiently. Eventually I want to have a big-hold ship that can run these massive trade missions. I think the most I can fit is 128t on the Asp X, and I never have it configured so anyway. The big ships can carry 6x as much. Good stuff gents

While commodity trading can make some "ok" credits, currently the best money maker is in doing "Wing Trading Missions" with 3 friends in a wing. Each selects a high payout mission, typically in the range of 20 to 25 million credits. Then each fills the trade on their own. Then before anyone turns them in at the end, everyone will take turns sharing them in the group, thereby giving everyone the full payout of 4 missions,, ie. 80-100 million. These missions usually consist of going out and buying some high value commodity such as platinum, so if done alone your net profit is only a few million at best.



But, like all serious money makers lately, I suspect it will get "nerfed/fixed" depending on which side of the aisle you stand on with that debate, with the next patch.

Yes, as a recent returnee, I noticed those missions. I was like how the hell can I carry 2900 units? Which ship can do that?! So then I started thinking units and tons were not the same thing, and the mind begins to spin. And then I noticed the special icon on those missions and deduced they were 'wing' missions. Seems a great idea, but the they do dominate my missions boards a bit. Seems to be fewer solo options as a result.

I looked at my stats and I've only made 3m over the career from trade (compared to 33 million from bounties for example), and a third of that was from SimHQ's Ship Assistance Program, Presented by Ice™. So I can use any tips and tricks.

So when you guys are running your routes, you are picking two or three stations and just continually flying loops buying and selling the most profitable goods for each one?

Thanks for the update, Boomer! When I upgraded to the Anaconda, one thing I liked was the ability to not be broadcasting to everyone that I was a trader and so pick on me please! Let's see if I can hold out for the sake of 32 tons per trip! Nice to know that the Type-9 got the title back, but really, they should make trading ships a no-brainer for traders.... opting for a Cutter over a Type-9 just seems wrong.

I'm surprised that Thrudd's isn't online anymore, anyone know what happened to it?



Just loops for me since I usually fly L ships and that means stations and usually that means a good supply too.

Thrudds is gone Ice

It was the best Elite tool I ever used. I felt lost without it when I started again recently.

I know, but why? I used to use it too, if nothing but to compare my trade runs with publicly-available data.

I just finished watching that video and boy, is it clickbait! The guy is basing his calculations off of the entire wing being optimized Cutters and buying Palladium. This method relies on so many things going right I doubt if even he can pull it off consistently. I've no doubt his method makes more per hour than solo-trading, but I've no doubt most would make way, way less than what he's got in his video title.

I'm so tempted to trade in Imperial Slaves, but I've not really dealt with human trafficking before. My Robigo runs do not count because I smuggle them to freedom

He just decided to discontinue it,that's all I could find. It was offered to anyone who wanted to continue with it but obviously no-one did. I guess he was competing with a lot of other tools that did the same thing.

What happens with the supply at your 'buy' stations? Can you deplete it, or does it restock in time?

Restocks over time, I think. I usually buy out of stations so I rarely deplete the supply. Outposts and surface facilities don't have enough supply and I do deplete them if I go there, but I rarely do. Not worth the effort.

Can you double-check this for me? Seems like the cargo space is the same as for my Cutter.

[Type-9 Heavy, Type-9 Trader] [+1]
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon [+1]
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon [+1]
M: 2F/G Pulse Laser [+1]
S: 1G/G Pulse Laser [+1]
S: 1G/G Pulse Laser [+1]

U: 0I Chaff Launcher [+1]
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]

BH: 1C Lightweight Alloy
PP: 6D Power Plant
TH: 7D Thrusters [+1]
FD: 6A Frame Shift Drive [+1]
LS: 5D Life Support [+1]
PD: 6D Power Distributor [+1]
SS: 4D Sensors [+1]
FT: 6C Fuel Tank (Cap: 64)

8: 8E Cargo Rack (Cap: 256)
8: 8E Cargo Rack (Cap: 256)
7: 7E Cargo Rack (Cap: 128)
6: 6A Shield Generator [+1]
5: 5E Cargo Rack (Cap: 32)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Cap: 16)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Cap: 16)
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Cap: 8)
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Cap: 8)
2: 1E Standard Docking Computer [+1]
---
Shield: 287.7
Power : 17.28 MW retracted (91%)
19.94 MW deployed (106%)
18.90 MW available
Cargo : 720
Fuel : 64 T
Mass : 1,031.60 T empty
1,815.60 T full
Range : 20.03 LY unladen
12.09 LY laden
Price : 117,387,070 CR
Re-Buy: 5,869,354 CR @ 95% insurance




[Imperial Cutter, Ice Cutter] [+1]
M: 2F/G Pulse Laser [+1]
M: 2F/G Pulse Laser [+1]
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon [+1]
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon [+1]
L: 3C/G Multi-cannon [+1]
L: 3C/G Fragment Cannon [+1]
H: 4A/G Pulse Laser [+1]

U: 0I Chaff Launcher [+1]
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher [+1]
U: 0I/T Point Defence [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]

BH: 1C Lightweight Alloy
PP: 8D Power Plant
TH: 8D Thrusters [+1]
FD: 7A Frame Shift Drive [+1]
LS: 7D Life Support [+1]
PD: 7D Power Distributor [+1]
SS: 7D Sensors [+1]
FT: 6C Fuel Tank (Cap: 64)

8: 8E Cargo Rack (Cap: 256)
8: 8E Cargo Rack (Cap: 256)
6: 6D Shield Generator [+1]
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Cap: 64)
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Cap: 64)
5: 5E Cargo Rack (Cap: 32)
5: 5E Cargo Rack (Cap: 32)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Cap: 16)
3: 1E Standard Docking Computer [+1]
---
Shield: 515.3
Power : 21.08 MW retracted (78%)
27.45 MW deployed (102%)
27.00 MW available
Cargo : 720
Fuel : 64 T
Mass : 1,488.60 T empty
2,272.60 T full
Range : 21.95 LY unladen
14.99 LY laden
Price : 279,543,100 CR
Re-Buy: 13,977,155 CR @ 95% insurance


Looks like on jump range alone, the Cutter wins with 14.99LY vs. only 12.09LY for the Type-9.

That's much better, although I'm not sure how I feel about transporting Imperial Slaves around. I guess I'm just transporting workers from one station to another?

3,291,120 credits in about 12 minutes per run
720T cargo capacity so that's 4,571 credits profit per ton
12 minutes easily, one jump, so that's 274,260 per minute or 16,455,600 credits per hour


The A-rated power plant that is size 8 is 162M credits, so that's at least 10 hours of trading, er, I mean, transport work! A-rated size 8 thrusters costs the same. I don't think I need to A-rate this Cutter for trading as the extra weight just lowers my jump range, although it's only about a 1LY difference.

I'm going to check on my Python and see what it needs in terms of upgrades and I'll start with that ship, then buy a DBE for travel and give my Asp Explorer a bit of rest.

The reason your cargo is off on the Type-9 is it can use a class 5 shield gen, which gives it 32 more tons of space, 752. Of course you could always strip that sissy shield off the Cutter and carry even more. *grin* Before the 3.0 patch it was possible to get an engineering experimental roll on a class 5 shield that would work on the Cutter. But they changed the parameters so unless you have a legacy engineered shield already it ain’t gonna happen.

PS> Imperial Slaves are a bit different that your regular human trafficking slaves. The typically have sold themselves into servitude to pay off debt. At least that’s the backstory on the in game description.

“Slavery is an important part of Imperial Society, providing labour for the Empire and a safety net for its citizens. Many Imperials will choose to sell themselves into a fixed period of slavery than face the embarrassment and dishonour of living with a debt.”
In-Game Description

Yes, that's what I'm relying on. They're not slaves in the true sense of the word, they're just indentured servants in one way or another and I'm providing cheap and safe transportation. I wonder if they'd work on a transport ship? I don't suppose I can load up on Imperial Slaves with passenger cabins instead of cargo holds? In any case, I've spent a few million credits improving my cargo holds; I got decent seats now and lavatory facilities and some food and tea/coffee.

I put a size 6 shield on the Type-9 because, well, it's already 2 sizes smaller than the max shield size I can put on. Putting it down to three sizes smaller.... well, I always flew with a size 6 after they buffed the AI to actually be able to take out a Type-9 if it was ever interdicted. Granted I was flying without shields at the time as I could just always outrun the pirate and hull repair was cheap, but when they started learning how to take out thrusters and FSDs, I wanted a shield and I didn't want the smallest one possible

Swapping to a size 5 anyway....

[Type-9 Heavy, Type-9 Trader 5shield] [+1]
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon [+1]
M: 2F/G Multi-cannon [+1]
M: 2F/G Pulse Laser [+1]
S: 1G/G Pulse Laser [+1]
S: 1G/G Pulse Laser [+1]

U: 0I Chaff Launcher [+1]
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]
U: 0A Shield Booster [+1]

BH: 1C Lightweight Alloy
PP: 6D Power Plant
TH: 7D Thrusters [+1]
FD: 6A Frame Shift Drive [+1]
LS: 5D Life Support [+1]
PD: 6D Power Distributor [+1]
SS: 4D Sensors [+1]
FT: 6C Fuel Tank (Cap: 64)

8: 8E Cargo Rack (Cap: 256)
8: 8E Cargo Rack (Cap: 256)
7: 7E Cargo Rack (Cap: 128)
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Cap: 64)
5: 5D Shield Generator [+1]
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Cap: 16)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Cap: 16)
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Cap: 8)
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Cap: 8)
2: 1E Standard Docking Computer [+1]
---
Shield: 141.4
Power : 15.02 MW retracted (79%)
17.68 MW deployed (94%)
18.90 MW available
Cargo : 752
Fuel : 64 T
Mass : 999.60 T empty
1,815.60 T full
Range : 20.64 LY unladen
12.09 LY laden
Price : 101,647,600 CR
Re-Buy: 5,082,380 CR @ 95% insurance


12LY jump range is just going to be painful. There seems to be routes that will fit a 12LY jump range but it's about 1,000 credits per ton less profitable than routes at 14LY jump range.

Not sure you could get nearly as many onboard unless these are some REALLY BIG Imperial slaves. We load them by the ton in cargo holds.

Thanks for this thread, some great tips that have really got me on my way after really sucking at making money for several years!

Trading seems to be the most consistent way of making money. Some missions might be more profitable, but you'll be spending hours board-flipping. There could be a new exploit that makes more money, but the devs tend to nerf that before long. Trading will always be available to everyone.