Elite: Dangerous. I broke down.

[Yskonyn]

Ok good to know that. I hadn't experienced it myself, but did have to go to such sites for missions. So I assumed they were spots tied to missions.
Its nice to see such randomness.


-oOo-

[GDS_Starfury]

I have visions of you sitting in your underware with the lights off drifting in an asteroid belt with Roxanne playing in the backround.

[mikeck]

I've heard that resource extraction zones are a hotbed of pirate villany.

I've been saving for a viper and either a hauler or an adder. However, I'm close to being able to afford a cobra. I'm having second thoughts about the viper/hauler and thinking I may better off with a cobra. I like running a combination of trade missions and combat runs. I've heard there really is no jack of all trades ship in the game so it is best to focus on dedicated craft. What to do what to do...

Same boat. I think I'm going to get the viper and upgrade the hell out of it. Just like cars, I can't buy the base model. Use rather get the next lowest model but have all the upgrades. I could buy a cobra but right now I can buy a viper, upgrade the power, shields, cargo bay, etc as well as arming with 4 weapons with money for insurance.

With the cobra, i would be riding stock with 2 pulse lasers. I could wait but I'm tired of the sidey

[Jarhead0331]

I've heard that resource extraction zones are a hotbed of pirate villany.

I've been saving for a viper and either a hauler or an adder. However, I'm close to being able to afford a cobra. I'm having second thoughts about the viper/hauler and thinking I may better off with a cobra. I like running a combination of trade missions and combat runs. I've heard there really is no jack of all trades ship in the game so it is best to focus on dedicated craft. What to do what to do...

Same boat. I think I'm going to get the viper and upgrade the hell out of it. Just like cars, I can't buy the base model. Use rather get the next lowest model but have all the upgrades. I could buy a cobra but right now I can buy a viper, upgrade the power, shields, cargo bay, etc as well as arming with 4 weapons with money for insurance.

With the cobra, i would be riding stock with 2 pulse lasers. I could wait but I'm tired of the sidey

I went with the Viper and so far I do not regret it. Two gimble mounted pulse lasers, two gimble mounted multi-cannons, a FSD Interdictor and FSD Wake tracker...I am a space pirate's worst nightmare. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

I was tired of the sidewinder too, even though it serves well. I'm comfortable knowing if I ever had to in a pinch, I could make a comfortable living in it.  I still have an Eagle in the garage too, just in case...

[SirAndrewD]

I've heard that resource extraction zones are a hotbed of pirate villany.

I've been saving for a viper and either a hauler or an adder. However, I'm close to being able to afford a cobra. I'm having second thoughts about the viper/hauler and thinking I may better off with a cobra. I like running a combination of trade missions and combat runs. I've heard there really is no jack of all trades ship in the game so it is best to focus on dedicated craft. What to do what to do...

Same boat. I think I'm going to get the viper and upgrade the hell out of it. Just like cars, I can't buy the base model. Use rather get the next lowest model but have all the upgrades. I could buy a cobra but right now I can buy a viper, upgrade the power, shields, cargo bay, etc as well as arming with 4 weapons with money for insurance.

With the cobra, i would be riding stock with 2 pulse lasers. I could wait but I'm tired of the sidey

A fully outfitted Viper is a murder machine.  It's weapons convergence is far superior to the Cobra.  It can also get out of any trouble it gets itself into due to its speed.

The Cobra's advantage is in its internals.  Strip the cargo holds and you can fit an obscene number of shield cells, making the Cobra virtually invincible in a long fight.  The disadvantage lies in the class 1 weapons pods, they converge awfully, very wide only allowing one weapon to hit at a time, and can't track above your nose if gimbaled.  This is why I generally prefer the Viper, especially for smaller targets.  The Cobra can shred larger ships due to the fact that if stocked with shield cells, it pretty much can't be harmed in the hands of an aware player. 

[Jarhead0331]

I'm noticing that I am spending a lot more on fuel in a Viper than I did in a Sidewinder. I'm generally making the same distance jumps, so the only conclusion that I can come to is that the Viper is less fuel efficient. This makes perfect sense, as it is larger, heavier, faster and requires more power. Nice, but unanticipated detail. Add in the cost of munitions for my cannons and overhead really cuts into the profit of a relatively small bounty or trade/delivery transaction.

Anyway, I'm in love with my Viper. The FSD interdictor is so totally badass.

[SirAndrewD]

I'm noticing that I am spending a lot more on fuel in a Viper than I did in a Sidewinder. I'm generally making the same distance jumps, so the only conclusion that I can come to is that the Viper is less fuel efficient. This makes perfect sense, as it is larger, heavier, faster and requires more power. Nice, but unanticipated detail. Add in the cost of munitions for my cannons and overhead really cuts into the profit of a relatively small bounty or trade/delivery transaction.

Anyway, I'm in love with my Viper. The FSD interdictor is so totally badass.

I love the Viper dearly.  It's fantastic.  However, as you point out, its limited fuel tank means it is not very efficient for long distance travel, even with a good FSD.

A good fuel scoop solves this, as a Viper can refuel in seconds with a high level scoop in the class 2 slot.  This does, however, cost you room for another Shield Cell, which is invaluable for bounty hunting. 

I feel I can kill anything short of a Python in my Viper.  It's a fantastic ship if you know how to use her. 

Of course, I made 1.2 million credits in an hour with my Cobra tonight trading rare goods and doing a touch of bounty hunting along the way.  I can't do that in the Viper.

[JudgeDredd]

I'm lucky if I make a thousand credits in an hour's play. I guess that's the difference between someone with kit and someone without....and someone who knows how to play, and someone who doesn't  ;D

[Jarhead0331]

I'm lucky if I make a thousand credits in an hour's play. I guess that's the difference between someone with kit and someone without....and someone who knows how to play, and someone who doesn't  ;D

Yeah, 1.2 million in an hour seems totally out of reach to me too. I mean, how the heck do you do that? It must be in trade or mining. So far I run missions and bounty hunt as my exclusive sources of income. I'm lucky if I make 50,000 in an hour. Usually I end up with 15,000 to 30,000 in an hour and I'm satisfied. I'm happy making a courier run across 5LY for 4,000...

But 1.2 million? Talk about Elite.

I would like to start taking on some of the more lucrative assassination contracts. Most of them reward 120,000 to 200,000. The problem I have with these missions is they give you no intel on your target other than the three systems where he or she was last seen. I would like to know what type of ship they have and how dangerous they may or may not be. Additionally, I really do not want to become a wanted criminal myself. Some of these targets may be clean, so by taking them out I would be breaking the law. I suppose if I attack away from populated space and system security vessels I could pull it off.

[mikeck]

I went with the viper and like Jarhead, was a bit taken back by the fuel cost. Takes a few hundred to fill the sidewinder but over $1500 to fill the viper. Not a great explorer. Anyhow, I wanted to keep 20k for insurance and cushion in case I came across a great trade deal...so I could only afford 2 multi cannons. A beam laser (for shields) and an upgrade power generator.

One thing I did notice is that my gimbaled multicannons often don't want to fire. Looking back, they are underneath the viper and farther back on the hull than one would think. For that reason I think it loses track of anything above the plane of the viper. Thinking of movie them to alea 3 and 4 (top of hull) since they are my main weapon

Found a great bounty hunting cheat/trick though. I head to a resource site and find a cobra that is wanted. I sit back and wait for the Feds to attack it. Once they have it weakened, I accelerate in and unload on it keeping the bounty. Taking down cobra shields is tough so why not let someone else do it?

[Jarhead0331]

I went with the viper and like Jarhead, was a bit taken back by the fuel cost. Takes a few hundred to fill the sidewinder but over $1500 to fill the viper. Not a great explorer. Anyhow, I wanted to keep 20k for insurance and cushion in case I came across a great trade deal...so I could only afford 2 multi cannons. A beam laser (for shields) and an upgrade power generator.

One thing I did notice is that my gimbaled multicannons often don't want to fire. Looking back, they are underneath the viper and farther back on the hull than one would think. For that reason I think it loses track of anything above the plane of the viper. Thinking of movie them to alea 3 and 4 (top of hull) since they are my main weapon

Found a great bounty hunting cheat/trick though. I head to a resource site and find a cobra that is wanted. I sit back and wait for the Feds to attack it. Once they have it weakened, I accelerate in and unload on it keeping the bounty. Taking down cobra shields is tough so why not let someone else do it?

My multi-cannons are mounted on the top of the hull. They definitely work great up there.

I'm torn between beam lasers or burst lasers. Right now I have two pulse lasers which just don't seem to be deadly enough for me. I'm afraid beam lasers will eat through power too fast. Which power generator did you upgrade to and do you really notice a difference? 

[SirAndrewD]

I'm lucky if I make a thousand credits in an hour's play. I guess that's the difference between someone with kit and someone without....and someone who knows how to play, and someone who doesn't  ;D

Yeah, 1.2 million in an hour seems totally out of reach to me too. I mean, how the heck do you do that? It must be in trade or mining. So far I run missions and bounty hunt as my exclusive sources of income. I'm lucky if I make 50,000 in an hour. Usually I end up with 15,000 to 30,000 in an hour and I'm satisfied. I'm happy making a courier run across 5LY for 4,000...

But 1.2 million? Talk about Elite.

I would like to start taking on some of the more lucrative assassination contracts. Most of them reward 120,000 to 200,000. The problem I have with these missions is they give you no intel on your target other than the three systems where he or she was last seen. I would like to know what type of ship they have and how dangerous they may or may not be. Additionally, I really do not want to become a wanted criminal myself. Some of these targets may be clean, so by taking them out I would be breaking the law. I suppose if I attack away from populated space and system security vessels I could pull it off.

It's done with rare commodities and a large cargo hold. 

Several stars around Lave have access to rare commodities, notably Lave, Leesti, Diso, and Zaonce.  Leetsi even has two commodities available at George Lucas dock. 

Buy up as many commodities as your quota allows and that your cargo hold can carry.  Set out for the Witchhaul system, about 200 ly away.  A fuel scoop means you won't have to stop and a top FSD shortens the trip. 

Arrive at Witchhaul and dump the goods you bought.  Should net you around half a million or more.  Then buy rare commodities from Witchhaul, Fujin, 39 Tauri, George Pantazis and Altair.  Set out back to Lave and sell those commodities back there for around another half a million or more. 

If you're equipped for fighting, you should get a few interdictions while fuel scooping good for a few thousand extra.

Total trip takes around an hour with a good FSD and scoop.  Of course the more cargo space, the higher the profits. 

[JudgeDredd]

^ I love when people mention systems and popping into them and docking here and there like they are next door.  :P

[Jarhead0331]

^ I love when people mention systems and popping into them and docking here and there like they are next door.  :P

Exactly! 200 LY!?!?! I'm afraid to travel more than 10 to 12. Once I start getting too far from space I know and am comfortable with, I start to get nervous.

[SirAndrewD]

^ I love when people mention systems and popping into them and docking here and there like they are next door.  :P

LOL, yeah, I know.  However, in the case of most of those systems they are just one or two jumps from each other, especially the ones around Lave. 

The haul from the Lave cluster to the Witchhaul cluster is the one that takes a lot of time.  It's worth it for the payout.  Rare Goods don't behave like standard commodities as their profits are entirely dependent on distance from their source.  So, you can consistently buy Lavian Brandy at about 3000 credits a unit at Lave, and consistently sell it at Witchhaul for around 13k a unit.  Its worth the trip for a quick buck.