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[puke]

Found this cool redit thread with some trade route calculations.  Now that I'm paying out over 30k per day in salaries, per-diam revenue is more important than per-trip:

https://www.reddit.com/r/endlesssky/comments/3sdab7/best_trade_route_spoilers_possibly/

The first number is the number of jumps. The second is the revenue per ton per day, including the two days it takes to land. The next field is the path, and the final fields are the price deltas for the commodities on the path and reverse path.

Code: [Select]

3 86.375 Delta Velorum -> Fala -> Tania Australis -> Algieba ('Luxury Goods', 395) ('Metal', 296)
2 84.000 Mora -> Tania Australis -> Algieba ('Luxury Goods', 310) ('Metal', 194)
2 80.600 Algieba -> Tania Australis -> Fala ('Metal', 197) ('Luxury Goods', 287)
4 79.000 Ya Hai -> Bote Asu -> Wah Ki -> Wah Yoot -> Ehma Ti ('Luxury Goods', 430) ('Heavy Metals', 360)
1 77.000 Tania Australis -> Algieba ('Luxury Goods', 208) ('Metal', 100)
5 76.600 Wah Oh -> Due Yoot -> Lom Tahr -> Io Lowe -> Mei Yohn -> Zuba Zub ('Medical', 400) ('Heavy Metals', 520)
3 76.250 Zuba Zub -> Wah Ki -> Bote Asu -> Ya Hai ('Heavy Metals', 310) ('Luxury Goods', 300)
4 76.000 Zuba Zub -> Mei Yohn -> Io Lowe -> Lom Tahr -> Da Lest ('Heavy Metals', 430) ('Medical', 330)
4 76.000 Imo Dep -> Zuba Zub -> Wah Ki -> Bote Asu -> Ya Hai ('Heavy Metals', 370) ('Luxury Goods', 390)
2 75.830 Algieba -> Tania Australis -> Lolami ('Metal', 188) ('Luxury Goods', 267)
Then there were some other useful comments:

[–]joemaro 3 points 2 months ago
having also just begun, there is no habitable planet in Algieba ... how does one achieve to trade there?
permalinkparent
[–]ArthurDentsTea 2 points 2 months ago
I think he meant Alphard. If you do metal/luxury goods it comes out to 157cred/hop which is not bad.
permalinkparent
[–]FishToaster 2 points 2 months ago*
I too wrote a bit of code to find profitable routes. I ignored the days required, since I was optimizing for play-time, not in-game time. The one difference is that I dropped Algieba from my dataset. There are no habitable planets in that system despite it showing up as having trade values.
So, ignoring Algieba, your best options for each number of hops are (with the round-trip profit listed):
4 hops: Ehma Ti <-> Ya Hai for 790
3 hops: Ya Hai <-> Zuba Zub for 610
2 hops: Markab <-> Ruchbah for 454
1 hop: Ankaa <-> Markab for 262
The Markab routes are particularly useful since that system sells Bulk Freighters. Once you get to the point of buying a bulk freighter once every round trip, that becomes useful.

There is something weird about the Algieba system, either it is not fully implemented yet, or a port might unlock there late in the campaign.

[Mattk50]

that first one is the route i've been using, secrets out i guess. algeiba is a typo btw the system next to it, alphard, is the one you trade with.

I was doing the free worlds storyline thing and after escorting a small trade fleet twice the quest line seems to have ended, been going around checking spaceports but i can't find it.

edit: i did just find the han though.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

their lore is pretty dumb, somehow despite all the humans nobody has thought to report back on the discovery of an alien race. Also the "we are peaceful and have surpassed all our problems but we still need to give you something to shoot so there are evil han up north"

[puke]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It's an odd choice, putting the evil Hai up there. 

They didn't feel the need to put evil Quarg in, and as far as I know there is no way to get Quarg ships or weapons without attacking friendly units.

I believe there are at least 3 other alien races in the game, and I'm nearing the end of the FW campaign so I expect to be introduced to some of them soonish.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I ran around for a while hitting the high value trade routes up on Hai space.

It is nice, since you can pick up missions to amplify the trade values.  I have 4 fully kitted up Bactrains now (to the extent of the tech I currently have available), and a net worth of over 100m.

I almost went broke because I had to reduce their cargo size... Hai dont sell any good coolant systems, and I had to pick up different pieces in different places so I was running around with under 1000 cargo capacity in my fleet and hemorrhaging funds.

The final straw was when I gambled on capturing two pirate ships without extra crew, and ended up with 10m in death benefits to pay.  If I was able to sell the ships instantly, I would have turned a profit.  Unfortuneatly, I had to eat about a weeks worth of interest.

Came out nearly broke, but with my refits fully finished and back to a 2000+ cargo capacity between my four ships, and I'm back to around 10m in liquid assets after a little bit of incidental trade and pirate hunting.

[a1s]

Is it me, or are pirates massive assholes? I mean, I get that they want to show they're serious, but surely once they kill me, they get neither cargo nor credits?

[Culise]

Is it me, or are pirates massive assholes? I mean, I get that they want to show they're serious, but surely once they kill me, they get neither cargo nor credits?

You can comm them and pay them off in most circumstances, I believe (I know you can in every such that I've encountered so far).  It'd be nice if they were a bit more proactive about collecting their protection money or tolls, though on the other hand, I can see how having a pop-up dialog box every time you get attacked by every podunk pirate in a fighter might interrupt game flow and irritate the user. 

That said, my first such encounter was with one that was using missiles.  He disabled me, I commed him and paid him off, and his last salvo (fired before I made contact) promptly struck home and blew me to atoms.  That was...amusing; very "apologies for next three incoming." 

[a1s]

He disabled me, I commed him and paid him off, and his last salvo promptly struck home and blew me to atoms.

Yup. When you're piloting a small ship basically any capital ship salvo is a one-hit kill. And they will not hesitate to waste missile ammo on you, for no tangible benefit.

It'd be nice if they were a bit more proactive ... though on the other hand, I can see how having a pop-up dialog box every time ... might interrupt game flow.

Well, you don't have to. You could get a message in the lower corner (like you do for bank payment/fluff messages) that says " XXX warns you to turn off your engines and weapons and contact him. you have 5 seconds". If you contact him- you have the dialog. If you turn/accelerate/fire (this includes jumping, since that requires turning and decelerating,) then they fire on you like they do now. This will not interrupt your game flow and it will make pirates less bullshit.

[Tiruin]

This is amazing, and thank you for bringing it into a thread!

I've noticed something about bank credit after playing for a bit...it seems to only go up while you've a mortgage running.
So...I've somehow come to the conclusion that having a mortgage is better in the long-run than staying clean off loans...Which seems pretty weird to my (inexperienced) eye!

Also not having read any post before this (because yay lacking time! ), it seems having a trade fleet is the most stable option in the current version, in the long-run? You can escort and fight, all the while being most efficient in terms of credits/missions.

Alsoalso I've never been able to disable and board an enemy pirate ship, ever. The controls feel a bit...too difficult to enable that kind of maneuvering (also an allied ship just pops in and blows it up :I I feel my pilot thinking "I was trying to arrest that guy!" -- so the disable-pirate thing is usually only in 'silent' systems, far away from Militia, Republic, or Syndicate friends T_T)

What a curious little game.  I do love the price, though, and I've been bouncing all over the place looking for a good game like this.  I think I'll give it a whirl. ^_^
...maybe tomorrow, when I'm not exhausted.

This was my thoughts 95% of when I saw it. We think alike o_o

[My Name is Immaterial]

I'm pretty sure that your credit score maxes at 800, like in real life.

[puke]

I've noticed something about bank credit after playing for a bit...it seems to only go up while you've a mortgage running.
So...I've somehow come to the conclusion that having a mortgage is better in the long-run than staying clean off loans...Which seems pretty weird to my (inexperienced) eye!

Haha, thats actually how credit works in the US   You get a credit card early in your life, and keep it paid off so you'll build up a credit rating.  Doesn't really get up there until you have a mortgage, though.

Just like IRL, your rating in the game will drop if you miss payments.

Alsoalso I've never been able to disable and board an enemy pirate ship, ever. The controls feel a bit...too difficult to enable that kind of maneuvering (also an allied ship just pops in and blows it up :I I feel my pilot thinking "I was trying to arrest that guy!" -- so the disable-pirate thing is usually only in 'silent' systems, far away from Militia, Republic, or Syndicate friends T_T)

He disabled me, I commed him and paid him off, and his last salvo (fired before I made contact) promptly struck home and blew me to atoms.  That was...amusing; very "apologies for next three incoming." 

Part of the problems is weapons with travel time.  Basically anything except lasers or electron beams.  Switch to beam weapons and it is easier to disable ships.

If you are spamming the 'B' key while other ships are shooting, they will generally let-off as soon as you mark a target for boarding.  Some AIs have aggressive personalities, but usually merchants and republic will ignore ships that you have marked for boarding.

But the same problem with missiles and projectiles in flight still applies.

I do agree that pirates could do a better job of warning you or extorting you, or just pillaging your systems and leaving you for dead.  It happened this way in Naev, which was pretty cool.

This is open source, so maybe someone will add that to the pirate AI.  Right now though, stealing your engine or thrusters would leave you hosed -- there would need to be a towing service also.

[puke]

Also not having read any post before this (because yay lacking time! ), it seems having a trade fleet is the most stable option in the current version, in the long-run? You can escort and fight, all the while being most efficient in terms of credits/missions.

The nice thing about this over other EV-like games, is that there are no resale penalties.  You can sell ships and outfits for 100% of the purchase price, so you can always try things out or re-equip later.

Trade is surely the most 'stable' but passenger carry is a great sideline.  sometimes you can get payed 500K for moving passengers somewhere.  Passenger contracts usually dont expire, so you can keep picking them up while you are flying trade or escort missions, and cash them in whenever you are in that neighborhood.

Some times I plan my routes long in advance, and will que up like 8 missions on some system that I am planning to visit, while I'm busy doing something else.  Or I'll keep taking pirate bounties on a place I visit lots, intending to pass through surrounding stars and hunt the pirate while on other trade lines, while never actually going out of my way.

In the early game, I used to do the "take these guys across the map and back" missions because they paid out 100K or more, and I had no crew expenses to speak of.

Now, it is all about profit per jump since I have like 30K in crew wages every day for my 4 bactrains. They only stay in the black while I have them at 500 cargo capacity per, so I'm reluctant to pile in the shields and reactors

But if you had bulk freighters and stripped off the turrets, you would have 600 cargo capacity (or more, if you turned the weapon and reactor / battery space into more cargo) and only 4 crew requirement.  Your costs would be 5% of mine per ship, and would carry over 15% more -- so you might not care about distance so much.

[puke]

algeiba is a typo btw the system next to it, alphard, is the one you trade with.

I don't think it is.  I think the guy ran a script against the game files, and pulled out the exactly correct system name.

Check out Algieba on the map.  it is the ONLY unoccupied system that lists a planet -- "Watcher" -- and the only planet with no available services except for Hope.

Since Hope is plot-relevant (one mission I think is a scientific expedition there, and then a character from the campaign has some back story from there) I suspect that Watcher either is or will be plot relevant -- it might get unlocked later in the game, or it might not be fully implemented yet.

I suspect this guy's trade numbers for Algiba are based on numbers in the data files, we just cant visit there yet.

[Tiruin]

Also not having read any post before this (because yay lacking time! ), it seems having a trade fleet is the most stable option in the current version, in the long-run? You can escort and fight, all the while being most efficient in terms of credits/missions.

The nice thing about this over other EV-like games, is that there are no resale penalties.  You can sell ships and outfits for 100% of the purchase price, so you can always try things out or re-equip later.

I've found a wiki online--it covers these things and a ton more in them! I really love it (though I did not know, but had a hint on, the details of the shield generator. Apparently they're also used to ward off cosmic radiation and...I've been flying a ship without a shield for a few months o_o)

It's been one year in-game and all I've got is a freighter. How do you all progress so fast?

[puke]

It's been one year in-game and all I've got is a freighter. How do you all progress so fast?

Got hooked and played non stop for a few days.  Not the sort of behavior I would recommend emulating. 

I flew around in a shuttle for a *long* time, and then upgraded to one of those black manta-ray looking things with the heavy-laser turrets.  Flew that for the first few campaign missions and then picked up a mule as soon as I had the cash.

Since I was flying passenger ships for the first bit, it was a huge relevation when the larger cargo missions unlocked after I got the larger ship.

There are a few things burried like that:  escort missions and pirate bounties are tied to combat performance, so unless you have a combat rating of 6 (greater than 6?) you dont get the higher paying escort missions.

There is also a special ship that you can pickup a mission to get once your combat rating is at 9, (if you stop on the right world after your combat rating is up there, and you get no notice about it before hand so it is more like an easter-egg) but I am at the end of the campaign and my combat rating is only an 8.

Honestly, my 4 full-kit Bactrain's with late-game tech are a match for most things, so unlocking that special ship does not have much appeal any more.  If it happened sooner, or if I knew to work towards it, that probably would have been better.

endgame ship stuff:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

There are also some 'Wanderer' ships you can unlock, but even though you can find them earlier by farming jump drives outside of the quest, you can't unlock them until until the quest is done.  And they're not particularly better than the upgraded Bactas anyway so again, no real point.

edit: i did just find the han though.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

their lore is pretty dumb, somehow despite all the humans nobody has thought to report back on the discovery of an alien race. Also the "we are peaceful and have surpassed all our problems but we still need to give you something to shoot so there are evil han up north"

You actually get a bit more lore from them later.  You can bribe those guys in the north to land, and pick up some of their perspective.  And if you run missions for them (have to bring them a few special items before they trust you enough to give you missions) you'll get some other interesting back story that isnt quite as dumb as "here are some evil ones to shoot".

They tie in with another encounter, and through that you learn more about their contact with humans.  So, while it is still a bit silly, it isnt as dumb as it seems at first.

[Blaze]

Sheer Dumb Luck in my case.

I was putzing around in a Freighter, found my way into Syndicate space and ran across a disabled Quicksilver. Since it was a "Friendly", I shot it once, boarded it (I had no concept of what minimum vs maximum crew was yet, so my flagship was full of crew), and ran away with it all giddy.

And wow, boarding really is where all the money is. There's no concept of broken equipment, so those sparrows that are everywhere in the Southern area are about 450k apiece, furies are twice that and are easier to hit. Two particle cannons make it easy to capture them and outrange anything the enemy has, and even have recoil so kiting is done for you.

I want to upgrade with to a medium warship, the quicksilver doesn't have the crew to board anything bigger (like the Argosy's I see so often), currently at 24 million credits and climbing (Piracy is fun).

[puke]

I've noticed something about bank credit after playing for a bit...it seems to only go up while you've a mortgage running.
So...I've somehow come to the conclusion that having a mortgage is better in the long-run than staying clean off loans...Which seems pretty weird to my (inexperienced) eye!

Haha, thats actually how credit works in the US   You get a credit card early in your life, and keep it paid off so you'll build up a credit rating.  Doesn't really get up there until you have a mortgage, though.

Just like IRL, your rating in the game will drop if you miss payments.

Oh my gosh, I just realized that you can refinance your loans as your credit score improves. 

There are not any fluctuating interest rates based on economic conditions or anything like that (though the amount you can borrow seems to depend on location? ) but your interest rate does get better as your credit rating improves.  You probably won't max it out at 800 until after you've paid off your first loan and taken out a second, but odds are your rating will be markedly improved long before your first loan is payed off.

In this case, just take out a new loan for the remaining principle of your existing loan.  The new loan should be at a better rate, as long as your rating has gone up by virtue of your regular payments.  Pay off the original loan, and you've just lowered your daily payments!