Rare commodities

Interesting info from comm chatter (ED forum). There are rare commodities, which represent products which can only be created in one specific star system.

Bast - White Hart Lane - Bast Snake Gin

Chi Eridani - Steve Masters station - Chi Eridani Marine Paste

Delta Phoenicis - Trade Port - Delta Phoenicis Palms

Eranin - Azeban City - Eranin Whiskey

Ethgreze - Bloch Station - Ethgreze Tea Buds

Hecate - RJH1972 - Hecate Live Sea Worms

Heike - Brunel City - Ceremonial Heike Tea

Lave - Lave Station - Lavian Brandy

Thrutis - Kingsbury Dock - Thrutis Cream

Toxandji - Tsunenaga Orbital - Toxandji Virocide

Xihe - Zhen Dock - Xihe Biomorphic Companions

Apparently, their value increases in direct relation to the distance from that system, maxing out at aroun 20.000 CR per unit. I will for sure look out for them, but I won´t go specifically hunting those which are already on the list in this thread; chances are that a lot of CMDRs are already treading this mill. But good as a fall back option the information is valuable.

This is a nice example which confirms my "ethical" stance on "secret" information; do not keep it secret. Instead, get your share and then pass it on, like a chalice of excellent wine you want to pass around the table. Herne protect us. You might loose a bit of the profit at hand, but the community as a whole profits and you might be repayed a thousandfold when many others act the same way.

Short range trading

Ackerman Station, Eravate system. The hauler´s cockpit feels claustrophobic after having been so long with the Eagle´s panorama view. There is a mission for 13k CR, but I rather bet on commodity trading. Spending some time updating the prices here in my notes, I buy 5 tobacco and the rest fish. More cash I do not have at this point. The next few tours are meant to update my notes and then to decide whether trading here is still worth it.


The travel to Cleve Hub is eventless, just 200 ls to cover; the most boring part is waiting for acceleration to finally kick my ship up to speed. Over there, I have to realize that  the prices have shifted to the worse; I make only half the profit I used to have a few days ago. Since I only have few high price tobacco, the profit is just overal 3000 CR. Hmpf. And yes, Cleve Hub offers an A1 sensor for 20195 CR. This would boost my scanner´s detection range from 4km to 6km, a 50% increase! And not only this, I also find a class A2 frameshift drive whohoo! For a small fee of 160224 CR, that is. But I could sell  the power plant from my Eagle and take the FSD, in order to finally get ahead and around a bit in this galaxy...

I will come back here, soon. After updating my notes I get back to Ackerman Market;  but I have no routine anymore, as I forgot to load something and arrive with an empty cargo hold; what a waste. Next trip: Bring coffee to McMahon Dock.

The coffee tour to McMahon is also not optimal, only about 4000 CR; prices have been a bit shaken up indeed. If there is no opportunity here anymore, I might have to switch to contractual work again. Loading power generators, I fly back to Ackerman Market.

Next trip: Russel Ring, with tobacco again. Good, back to normal profit here, 1000 CR per units. There is also a A2 FSD and power core here. Back with power generators again to Ackerman Market; a full load, full price range brings me 5800 CR.

Next stop: Sylvester City, with tobacco. High profit again, but power generators to bring back to Ackerman Market are not so good to buy here. I go instead for marine equipment; low supply but still an even slightly better profit span than with high supply power generators, according to my notes. On my way there, I become complacent. While I happily type away on my blog notes, an interdiction happens and I am not fast enough to alt-tab back and evade it. I already had about three or four interdictions, but evading is really not difficult for me anymore. This time though, I am forced out and land into a Viper´s fangs. A Viper, versus me in a hauler, uh-oh.

Desperately I first try to boost away. Of course it does not work and the Viper happily gnaws at my shields. Then I engage the dog fight. I am lucky insofar that this Viper is rated "novice", and it does not fly with shields at all! Like this, I indeed am able, not to destroy, but to whittle it down to about 20% hull and thus to make it flee. I did not even loose my shields in the process, lucky I am.

Once I have about 80k CR cash again, the profit for a round trip is again back to 25k CR, travelling only overall 400-800 ls depending which station I choose. But I still do not know where I can find A2 thrusters, a very important outfit for my combat Eagle. And I am also pretty sure, there must be somewhere a round trip with >1000 CR profit / unit waiting for me and I should probably spend some time on finding it.

My next trip is therefore to Yakabugai. Two contracts from the bulletin board totalling about 20k CR lead me there, and I can collect commodity data. Before arriving at Serebrov Station over there, a Cobra tries to interdict me, but since I do a "loop" approach in supercruise, i.e. circling in at high speed, thereby changing vector very often, it does not get me in time before I arrive. I was aware of the Cobra´s interdiction attempts because it was zipping past me very closely repeatedly, and there would be no other motivation to do so than to interdict a hapless hauler.

I take two small transport contracts back to Eravate; shouldn´t have, they are to different stations and a waste of time, as I could have already loaded some better profit commodities. But first, the outfitting vendor offers: gimbal pulse lasers (finally) and a B1 power distributor. A B1 sensor for 8000 CR. And B2 thrusters and B2 shield generator for 53.408 CR, bingo, this will suffice for a better combat experience. Back to the money grab in order to be able to afford all this stuff.

The second station in Yakabugai, Levi-Montalcini, has an A1 power distributor for 20195 CR, but no commodities worth carrying back. I hurry to finish the contracts to Eravate, so I skip visiting the third station here, and head first to Ackerman Market, then McMahon. For synergy, I take some more tobacco onwards to McMahon. Once I am done and back in Ackerman Market, CMDR Wheeljakk is back online. He can already afford a Cobra. This makes me realize that I probably can do so, too, if I sold every asset. So far, in every iteration of beta, I always forgot about the Cobra. It is set in my mind right next to the Viper, as a combat ship, and not as a freighter, but in fact, with up to 56 tons cargo capacity, it is a huge improvement over the hauler´s 19 tons and therefore mandatory to take if you want to make cash with trading.

First, I locate a shipyard with a Cobra: This is in Russel Ring, Eravate, for 379.718 CR. Then I fly back to Ackerman Market and make my calculations: I have 207.114 CR cash, selling my Eagle for 269.270, selling my hauler for 67.000 CR, would be enough to start hauling with a Cobra, sporting about double my current ship´s cargo capacity. I could later rebuy my Eagle, with the downside that I would have to pass by a few stations before it is again properly outfitted. But right now, the larger cargo with the Cobra will definitely boost my profits and thus get me a fully pimped up Eagle much much faster! If I still want it after flying the formidable Cobra, that is.

Since it is late, I will ponder a bit about this decision until next game session.

Annoyances

Wohler Terminal, Kremainn system. I have my A1 power coupling, but no cash to actually make use of all the new additional power. Cash... maybe I should do some traderuns on my "tobacco route" (if it is still profitable after patch)? 100k CR are quickly done like this. Hmmm... no... want a bit more of action. One more run into the ring!

Arriving at the extraction site, it takes a bit until I find a "wanted" Cobra, then I k-scan it and engage. Routine. What is not so routine, though, is that this one was heading directly towards a peaceful Anaconda, and as it of course had to happen, I miss a shot which promtly hits the Anaconda. Sigh; "wanted" again. But I just do not turn tails and run. Yet. I mean, a little I do, until some asteroids are between me, the Anaconda, and a bunch of additional, missile throwing ships. Then I note that the orginal target actually followed me, the rest not. Hehehehe.

Turn, boost to close the gap, attack. The Cobra launches some missiles at me, but they are unguided and easily dodged. Then we wrestle in circles. Moreso, this "master" Cobra pilots quite well (frequent and well executed "slow down and turn" maneuvers) and I really have to be on my toes to be not caught in its seeming endless missile stash; plus the lasers, of course. Then, a security Eagle joins the fray, also with missiles. And it is on the Cobra´s side; when two "wanted" ships fight each other, I seem to always be the priority target... Somehow, I still manage to dodge most of the fire and finally destroy the Cobra. It was worth the hazzle, as this particular Cobra had 11.000 CR on its head. Then it is time to head out, as I have no quarries with security (sometimes I ask myself why I do not, since I am marked "hostile" with the Federation, anyways...)

During the fight, CMDR Wheeljakk sends regards. I now reply the chat while I approach the station, almost forgetting to request docking. He wrote a threat on reddit because finally meeting a fellow commander was a good experience for him, too. However, before I can enter the station, I get scanned and immediately following, the mighty station guns open fire on me. Can´t even say "oops" and I have already landed on the insurance screen instead of on the landing pad! No idea why this happened; I am pretty sure I did not have any cargo on me. Since when does the station open fire on "wanted" ships? Or did my reputation finally dive below any threshold of tolerance?

Glad I still had 24.000 CR in my pockets, because the insurance wants 11.000 CR thereof. One more mishap like this and I will be washing space dishes.

In my chat with CMDR Wheeljakk, I commit to doing some teamplay, screw the cash grind. In my enthusiasm, I almost forget to cash in the 11.000 CR bounty for the Cobra; pays nicely for the loss of my ship! There is also something new, which I did not see before: I have a "dormant" bounty on me, and I cannot seem to pay this one off in the station´s contacts menu. It is only shown in the rightmenu under "reputation", but also not in the lower left overview; there it says "bounty: 0". No idea about this.

I launch and try to rendez-vous with CMDR Wheeljakk, but do not see him on my scanner. Explainable, since my scanner is very weak and short range. Before I can find him though, the station again opens fire and destroys me. WTF! What is this?

After this, I launch and make away from the station very quickly. Will have to inquire about this station agression in the ED forum. Unfortunately, CMDR Wheeljakk can neither be seen in supercruise, where there are no limits from weak scanners, even though I can chat to him all the time. We drop testwise and repeatedly into an extraction site, but no success. A victim appears and as I shoot it, another ship swoops  into my line of fire. Sigh. Wanted again, back to the station and hope it does not shoot me down again. It works, and after clearing my "wanted" status, the "dormant" bounty has also gone, finally. I should be save now again from the station, but I do not really want to test it!

I guess there is also a problem with the chat in general, because also another one from my friend list, CMDR Lazoreyes is shown in the comm menu, but there is a "-x-" next to his name and I cannot chat with him. Same happens now with CMDR Wheeljakk. First there is a loading wheel indicator, then a "-X-". It seems that I am alone again.

Some more time passes with some bounty hunting in the extraction site, only small bounties to be found, and  my fellow CMDR continues to stay tucked away in a different part of the multiverse. Pity. I should probably move on.

So I pack my stuff and move back to Eravate, Ackerman Market. The plan is to do some hauling and checking the new outfit options each station has gotten added by the gamma1.05 patch. But for starters, there seems to be nothing new at Ackerman Market. Still only the complete range of exploration scanners; good to know but not my priority right now.

There is a fetch contract for 4 silber, 30k CR. This is a quicky buck. I think Potriti had all metals, albeit in low supply. I take my chances and jump there. Yah, well, my memory was correct, but I had forgotten silver´s high price and the low supply thing. I pay 20k CR for the 4 tons of silver, slimming down my profit on this contract to a mere 10k CR. This venture was not worth so much, after all!

Now some serious hauling! Back to Ackerman Market. And then I realize, time is already up for this session. What a pity. Or maybe not; this game session was overall just riddled with annoying bugs, hampering any sound flow of the game for me. Well, ups and downs, I guess. Better playing something buggy than still having to wait for a game to be released at all, I guess.

Bounty hunt and space combat training

Wohler Terminal, Kremainn system. Gamma patch 1.05 has arrived and it has immediate effect; a class A1 powerplant is now available at this station. This is about the best piece of equipment which the short breathed Eagle requires for being a better combat ship! The only problem for me right now is: It costs 160.224 CR, and I just have about 100.000 CR. Well, I can remedy this soon. Launch for bounty hunt! (I know that trading might be faster when you have already figured out a profitable route, but I yearn for some action. With some luck, a good flow of bounty rewards will come in, too.)

Uhm... why is the station a red blip? Why am I hostile to the Federation, as my rightmenu shows? Oh man... I hate it when you have no idea about why and what. As a speculative idea, this might probably because of me two or three unsuccessful smuggler runs into this station from earlier. Oh my. I have no idea what this negative reputation is going to cause (maybe even the high cost for the power plant???), so I am a bit worried. If I cannot remedy that bad rep, I will be driven towards being an Empire or Alliance affiliated pilot...

Back at the Kremainn 2´s ring system, I soon spot a Cobra, wanted for ~5000 CR. It drops lots of cargo before obliteration. Atmosperic processors, they should be worth something. Before I can scoop one, a sidewinder loops out in front of me and snatches the cargo away. Wow, never saw this before an NPC ship doing! I scan it and it is "wanted". Two reasons now to blow him to bits, what I do in the next minute. Then back at the floating cargo units, shortly before I finally scoop the cargo, I am suddenly scanned by a security vessel. Uhm. Better not to scoop stuff then, if I want to continue my hunt!

- the ring looks like a veil at this distance; actually from an unidentified signal location shortly before entering the ring






Another "wanted" Cobra becomes my target, but I am rudely interrupted by two sidewinders who for whatever reasons choose to attack me. I focus on one, but get under heavy fire from the other one: railguns! Before I can break, my hull has mostly melted away to 18%! Then I get support from some security vessels. Before engaging, I had remembered a tip from the ED forum; on the rightmenu, there is an option "report crimes on me". I had taken it to "off", because I wanted to avoid security vessels to "steal my bounty"; but this might also be the reason why clean ships attacking me did not become "wanted" in the process, thereby causing me to be "wanted" once I returned fire. Very convoluted system. I had remembered to switch it back to "on" before I started my exploits here.

However, after I engage and destroy the second sidewinder, I am "wanted" anyway. First, an Eagle security vessel is a red blip, and as it opens fire on me, the whole rest of all ships around me turn red, too! I barely make it away. Actually I was very lucky, with my low hull. So, I still don´t get it and have to assume a bug.


There is a second extraction site, and I drop in despite my low hull. Call it risk affinity. CMDR Wheejakk in a Viper hunts in there, too. I attack a "wanted" Cobra and am "wanted" myself again; hrrrrrrrm.... Once I fled into supercruise, the "wanted" status is suddenly gone again. Back. One kill. Then next target, a stray shot of mine lands on a security vessel, which loops in right in front of my guns, and I am "wanted" again, this time for real. I break and finally take this occasion to supercruise back to Wohler Terminal. Costs: -2500 CR ammo -649 CR rep -300 CR "wanted" removal +17.000 CR bounties. Still a profit, but the loss of time flying here because of the "wanted" issue is annoying. As a side note: The cost relations for ammo and repairs seem to be a bit weird.

After quite a while of further bounty hunting, and running away again, I reencounter CMDR Wheejakk. We both quickly spot a "wanted" Anaconda, already in fierce battle with about 6 security ships, and smell the occasion. That Anaconda has a bounty of 51.000 CR on it! It takes quite a while to whittle down the opponent, and I let the other ships to all the work. My Eagle is far too squishy to survive a full salvo from an Anaconda´s turrets, and on top I have to note how this Anaconda turns and rolls very quickly. But my plan is thwarted; as the Anaconda is at 17% hull, it suddenly explodes. No idea what happened. CMDR Wheejakk said he got the bounty, so I assume he launched either a missile or torpedo or his hits were delayed by lag and registered finally all at once on my client. I also remember having seen this kind of early demise already earlier, always with Anacondas; maybe another bug?

- this "wanted" Anaconda is swarmed by security ships like by angy wasps...

- ... and here is the reason why I am part of that swarm: a 50.574 Credit bounty









The rest of the game session inperceptibly passes away while I slowly make my cash rise up to the required 160.000 CR for the A1 power plant.

It is interesting to note the flight patters of different skilled AI ships, and sometimes it seems rather irrational. For example, there are some Cobras who just seem to be eternally trying to outcircle me. This of course does not work on the more nimble Eagle. But if they just had rolled about or used flight assist off-turning techniques, I would have been in much more trouble. Some Cobras did so, infrequently and seeming independend from their skill rating. They would suddenly launch an advanved maneuver and thus surprise me and achieve a firing solution, inevitable bringing my shields and parts of my hull down on just one or two salvos, and then resume fruitless circling until destruction. (I will be so happy once I find - and can afford - a class A3 shield generator!)

The preceived advanced maneuvers mainly are:
- Fly on a vector and turn around with flight assist off. This almost always gives you at least a brief firing solution because it is very difficult for the opponent to timely realize this pattern. Only usefull if you do have superiour fire power, because there is almost no evasive vector possible during the turning. But Cobras indeed do have superiour fire power towards my Eagle.
- Roll about to make the opponent face the hand of your ship where your turretted guns are. So easy, but it seems the AI does not have this in its repertoire. Thank god.
- Use boost and immediately slow down to blue speed and turn around. If you are on edge, you can out-maneuver this with the more nimble Eagle. However, if the Cobra has sufficient distance, I got under heavy fire before I was able to close the gap again.
- Slow down to a stop to make the opponent overshoot (this was the most frequent additional maneuver I observed, but it is very easy to counter with an Eagle, as it has much better acceleration/deceleration capacity).
- Reverse flight and fire. The opponent can overtake you and get out of your firing solution, but it is harder and takes longer than normal. Downside: Your own evasion capacity is a bit weak like his.

On a related note, there are now and again questions in the forum on dogfighting tactics. I can only recommend this very nice webpage, as well as some general research into real life air combat school teachings (which are much more complex, but some basics apply also here, testament to a very well done space combat flight mechanics in this game).

Sometimes, there were "wanted" Anacondas, but those ships take an eternity to let them taken down by the NPC ships and soloing them in an Eagle, at least in my measly un-upgraded version, is simply not possible for me at this stage.

- these cracks in the canopy appear when you take on more than you can chew

CMDR Wheejakk and I did not hunt together. The fights were easy enough to manage solo and bounties are not shared, anyways. We both regretted this, and in hindsight, this would have been a good occasion to practice wing maneuvers. So, I have to chide myself, the only reason I did not do this was because I wanted to grind money for the A1 power plant. So you might see this case as a good example for those situations where emerging gameplay is smothered by a game´s grind mechanic, the main "sickness" of most modern MMO games.

All in all, I spent a bit too long in Kremainn´s ring systems, I indeed felt relieved of "the grind" at the end of my session. On the plus side I am now a happy owner of a A1 power plant. For the next sessions, I commit to look more for fun and will try to ignore the game´s "grind incentives"; money will come anyways in time, no need to rush it and loose fun moments because of rushing!

It´s a hard life of a bounty hunter

Hartsfield Plant, Potriti system. Comm chatter from the ED forum informed me that trying to look for either Wraak or Black Crow for those juicy assassination contracts could be a rather unsatisfying and unsuccessful effort. I should choose easier and less elusive prey in order to have fun.

4800 CR if I go to Volta Station in Kremainn and deliver 2 untis of scrap. Gladly so, dear sir. Done, next stop, Wohler Terminal in the same system. Outfits, maybe finally a better frameshift drive? Well, nope.

On my way, an unidentified signal. A wanted sidewinder and a clean viper. Goddamn Viper does a kill steal on me. Hmrp. To be fair, it opened fire first on that sidewinder, ah so what.

Then a visit to Kremainn´s rings. There should be extraction sites, maybe a good source for "wanted"ships? Well, that venture does not go well.

- the ring system looks a bit glitchy like this









First, I spot what you could call "phat loot", a Lakon Type 9 which is "wanted". I also k-scan it. Thing is, that ship is accompanied by two system security ships. But hey, they are the law, they won´t stand in the way of some rightful bounty hunt, right? Right.

- a "wanted" freighter with security ships, of all, as an escort? Right.








As I attack the freighter, those security ships indeed stay neutral. Satisfied, I wail away on the hapless freighter. But then I am hit by laser fire, and it is not coming from the freighter. Irritated, I check the radar. Two sidewinders opened fire on me. Probably some kind of additional protection service for the freighter? Right. I spin around and return fire. Bam, I am "wanted". Right.

Two ships, no matter even if only sidewinders, can give you a hell of a problem, and those two here are of that kind. I loose shields and large chunks of my hull (50%) before I can destroy the first of those two. The second follows quickly after. But in the meanwhile, the security ships apparently got wind of my "wanted" status and open fire, too.There are two security Eagles, and while I almost manage to destroy the first, down at 15 % hull myself, unfortunately, it is time to bail out. Only problem is, no asteroids close to find cover behind (I followed the freighter far out above the ring). And, it is actually three Eagles. Moments later, my ship is gone, as in, scrapped.

You know there are moments where I wonder when Frontier can finally get some game mechanics finally working without bugs? Unfair, I know, but this is just frustrating. This encounter was again so random and unpredictable that I hardly felt in control of what transpired. Yes, I am a bit annoyed.

 - dirty dustball and chunks of rock. Romantic, kind of.









Launch. I want a revanche. On my way to the planet´s ring, there is an unidentified signal. A nice yield awaits in there, a wanted Eagle, wanted Hauler, wanted Cobra. The last drops 5 units of marine equipment, which will sell for around 2000 CR each on the black market. I manage to destroy one container by noobish piloting, but my cargo hold can only fit four untits anyways.

On my way back to the station, shortly before docking, some security vessels come dangerously close. I want to activate silent running, but hit the landing gear button instead. Slowed down and non silent, the ship has an easy job scanning me.... yep, I had it coming this way. 18.000 CR fine for illegal goods in my hold. And I am "wanted" again. 5000 CR for bounty vouchers, 8.000 CR for the goods on the black market, minus 18.000 CR fine. I started this evening with roughly 100.000 CR, I am down to 88.000 CR. Sigh. Life in Elite is a bitch sometimes.

Plus, I cannot undo my "wanted" status in my contacts. A relog solves this and the "wanted" vanishes.

Another try. Goddamnit! And, finally, I am also lucky. One wanted Cobra after another appears, and the last one even drops some gold! Now it is only a matter of getting into that station without being fined...

 - finally, some happy fishing for "wanted" Cobras








On my approach in supercruise, I shut down every module not needed. I drop in, boost towards the station. Uh-oh, this does not look good. As I am almost at the docking entrance, security vessels appear on my radar, very close range already. It would be probably worth it to invest in a better scanner in order to time a better arrival. I hit silent running, but to no avail. Moments before I enter the hatch, I am scanned again.

Awwwwwwwwwwww!

22.000 Credits is the fine this time. There goes a large chunk of my profits. On the plus side there are bounties worth 32.000 CR and the loot for 10.000 CR. Minus, again, 4.000 CR for the ammo and repair costs. Overall not a minus business, but the unsucessful attempt at smuggling for sure hurts. I wonder what I could do better to sneack in here? Next time, I will try to wait until I am sure that the security ships are on the far other side!

Next time, that means, next session. Over and out.


Addendum: Finally, a very enlightening post from Frontier´s lead designer explains how and why some "wanted" situations appear so wrongly. Basically, you always need to have your target in scan position and wait until as if an initial scan has finished, even when the ship (wrongly) shows alreadyd and immediately as "wanted" because it shot you. Very helpful, thank you!

Meanest kill steal ever

Maine Hub. The outfit vendor sells top quality A1 (20.000 CR) and B1 (8.000 CR) power couplings. This increases power output for shields, weapon and engines; for my hauler, I do not really need the more expensive one so I settle with the B1 class.

Bringing basic medicines to Ackerman Market, the bulletin board over there offers a hauling contract of 16k CR to Portriti. Good occasion to check commodity prices over there. Which turns out to be disappointing; only low supply metals there. But at least I have found a supply of metals.

Kremainn is a few light years away and I extend my prices check to it. There is a high supply of most metals. Indium is at a very good price, and I can bring a full load back to Cleve Hub in Eravate, for around 1100 CR profit per unit. Cleve Hub offers a "fetch"-type contract for 48.000 CR. The cash temporarily blinds my logic and I accept it before I realize this mission requires "Indite", not the supply of "Indium" which I just have discovered in Kremainn. Screw!

Still cursing, I call up the galaxy map and look for systems marked as extraction economies. Indite is a mineral, coming from extraction, indium is a metal (probably smelted from indite...). There are two "red" = extraction systems; Apoyota, LHS 3479. However, the system map information I have to buy first for 100-250 CR. It then says that those systems in fact need to import indite? What is this? I don´t know how this bought data is supposed to work, this does not make sense, but I am also not in the mood anymore to explore those two systems. 

- another nice constellation, encountered during my travels in LHS 3447








Instead, I opt to go to my starting system, LHS 3447, as a lot of stations there seem to supply minerals; at least it is not stated that they import indite! Arriving there, I am reminded again why I left. The supercruise distances are excruciating! 110.000 ls is a minimum! No way I am gonna trade here! Systems like this, which could be a vital supply/demand markets (7 stations with commodity trading over there!), but so tedious to reach. This makes me want to leave this forsaken, end-of-the-world star system cluster a.s.a.p.! Not even one hightech system is reachable here. I wonder where I will ever find a better frameshift drive which could actually propel me out of here...

Finally, I find indite in LHS 3447, at Yaping Enterprise. I take the time to get data on thee more stations which are close, then I am done here. On my way back, to Eravate, I am interdicted. I am just in a hauler, but I already took down an Eagle and a Sidewinder with it, so I try my luck and let me pull out. Uh-oh, a bit overconfident: an Anaconda awaits me. I escape thanks to a better speed of my hauler, but it costs me a little bit of my hull integrity.

Finally my mistake of selecting a wrong mission corrected and fulfilled, I grab basic medicines and make way back to Ackerman Market, the main hub for Eravate. My cash is now at 199.000 CR. Having had enough of hauling, I want some action again. My cash should help me to have now a significantly upgraded Eagle.

Before I do so, I spot another juice fetch mission, for 38k CR (bertrantide). I know where... it is ...sigh... some 110.000 ls travel out there.... here I come. Since I took note of the commodity data, I know that animal meat is in high demand at Yaping Station, and it is at high supply here in Ackerman Market. Packing some animal meat, which yields me 600 CR profit per unit. Hauling back the 12 untis of bertrantide, I also cash in the 48k CR and then finally go back to flying an Eagle, which I buy at Ackerman Market. I keep my hauler stored there, since it is already upgraded with B1 power couplings and 8ton racks, aquired from two different stations.

Now it is time to upgrade my Eagle. I was content with a gimballed multicannon as a third gun, as it complements the loaned pulse lasers nicely. I can keep all three guns in one fire group and a short burst will only fire the lasers, while the multicannon needs some moments to ramp up. A full fire spread with unleash also the multicannon, which I do in a good firing position and when the shields are already down from my laser-only short bursts. Then, a new paint job from the Frontier shop. Shut up and take my money, I want this game to succeed and deliver everything they can´t at this point yet. I chose the artic blue camo design. Next, since I know that an A1 power couplings is available in Maine Hub, I make way there.

Interdiction. Oops, a Python! Rated "Novice". Of course, the Python attacks. My first reflex: Boost away. Then, I reconsider and accept the challenge! However, I am badly prepared: my firegroup is not set yet with the multicannon, and the k-scanner is not embedded into a firegroup. Try doing this while desperately dodging a quatruple laser fire spitting Python!

- a hell of a fight! a pity my shadowplay video capture does not work








I stick to his underside. No guns there. Twice he turns and shows his upper side towards me: two turrets happly wail away at my poor Eagle! But I manage somehow to get back on his underbelly´s side while we circle each other like crazy. Hull integrity at 87%. My saving grace is that the Python´s "novice" AI does not simply roll over while circling, to show me his turrets; I would be so dead. Turrets are too powerful for a light little fighter as the Eagle is.

Also, the Eagle´s capacitors are short breathed. Slowly and under very precise maneuvering to avoid the Pythons surprise twists and turns, I whittle the Python down. As I pause for a last moment to collect capacitor energy for a final sustained burst, suddenly lasers flash from upper-behind me, hit the Python and it exlodes. Stunned I stare at the screen. WTF.

WTF. This was the meanest goddamn killsteal I have had so far in this whole frakking game!! Holyshit am I pissed off. After about 10 minutes of desperate struggle, even managing to properly set my firegroups in-between and k-scanning him, some forsaken stupid security ships jump in and burn away its last sliver of hull integrity, right in front of my nose!?! Whaaaaaaaaaaa!

No idea about the bounty I would have gotten! And you know what, I do not want to know or I would probably chew on my keyboard. To add insult to the injury, I am again shown as "wanted" (did not realize when this again had happened) and the two security vessels who did this bloody killsteal also attack me!

- "wanted" myself, those kill-stealing corrupt security forces hunt me away like a rabid dog








I am without shield and so furious I would love to take them apart, screw by screw. But, no, cut your losses in time, I boost and some evasive maneuvers bring me finally back to supercruise. Docking at Maine Hub, and I need a goddamn drink after this one. ARRRRG! Cheers! Prost!

This should have been the time to go to bed, but no, the pro bounty hunter thinks he can drink and pilot afterwards all the better... So launch, I do again.

Cleve Hub should have the 4ton cargo rack and maybe some more stuff to complement my Eagle´s outfit. On my way there, an unidentified signal (US) pops up and I drop in. In there, a lone "wanted" Cobra circles lazily. I start to k-scan it, but it goes for range, even with boost I cannot get near enough to complete it. This should have warned me that a higher skilled AI is at work here.

I shoot to make it start evade so I can come close. Works. And almost immediately, the ship drops its cargo. No way, friend, you are dead! One cargo pops against my cockpit, bang. Unfortunate, hope it was not too valuable. Then another. And another. My shields are down and I am dumbfounded and drunk. Two more bangs and my ship explodes. Another long stunned stare at the screen.

This must have been mines. So, why does my scanner show them as white blips as if they were cargo??? I cannot believe this. Twice now, I have been given a big fat giant finger by the gods of randomness and unpredicability. I am so glad I grinded some money before this disaster... or I would be back to zero by now. Stay sharp, this is the best advice I can give to anyone I guess. Well, at least I learned something important about mines!

An insignificant (compared to my wealth now) insurance fee later, I roam the vast void again in order to finally make it to Cleve Hub. Almost there, I notice CMDR Toraque´s Cobra doing a weird dance in supercruise. Then I see a second faery close to him dancing with him. Ah, an interdiction. I decide to help out.

It takes a bit to turn around, get away from the planet´s gravity well, but when I arrive at the low energy wakes left in supercruise, I can still target one of those and thus drop into the same location. CMD Toraque is still fighting the enemy Cobra. I textcomm "help has arrived!" and swoop with extended claws down on the Cobra.

However, as I open fire on the enemy, it ceases all activity and just sits there. I don´t ask or discuss and destroy it quickly for 2000 CR bounty. CMDR Toraque has seen this strange behaviour too but has no explanation. A bug, most probably.
After a brief chat, the colleague then asks me about a good trade route. Hm, this is a bit like asking for the amount of my salary, you know. Besides, you have even more cash than me, riding a Cobra! But, so what, I have my policy of transparency, so tell him about the tobacco route. I am gone from here anyways as soon as I find a better frameshift drive. After a quick thanks, he is gone and I cannot chat to him anymore. Maybe he logged off? The comm system works weird sometimes.

In Cleve Hub, I find a 4ton cargo rack, but nothing else useful. I also realize that my last encounter had a double bounty. One with the faction here, one with another faction. So I have to fly to a station owned by the other one to get the second bounty. On my way to Sylvester City I am interdicted by a Cobra. This one delivers a tough fight, but in the end it succumbs, and also drops some natural fabrics. Unfortunately, Sylvester City does not have a black market, so I do the tour back to Ackerman Market after cashing in the bounty.

- another interdiction on my way, with an agressive Viper as a host, is no problem to handle









Over there, the bulleting board finally shows up again a kill contract. Has been a while! It is about an old acquaintance: Wraak. Let´s see if I find him this time! Somehow I broke a dam. While I supercruise through different systems in search of Wraak, I find "wanted" ships galore, and my interdictor gets plenty of work. The improved power coupling works wonders during fights, yielding much more endurance for weapon capacitors, speed and shield regeneration.

After some more while, I am entirely content with the exciting many dogfights I have had today and the game session has to end.

From bounties to commodities

Ackerman Market, Eravate. My first bounty hunt today went well. I had complemented my Eagle with an interdictor, as well as a kill warrant scanner. On my supercruise out, I sighted a "wanted" Cobra, headed for this station. Some defect prevented the interdictor to fire, even though interdiction range was around 2Mm. As the Cobra dropped into norm space at the station, I managed to scan it, which caused the Cobra to take evasive action. Like this, it would not get anymore into the station´s anti-fire perimeter and I was able to score a kill. Tough bastards, those Cobras, though. In the end, it tried to bargain for its hull integrity by dropping off some cargo. Its destruction yielded me 1987 CR, and gleefully I also scooped in some high value smuggleware - personal weapons for another 4180 CR. A pity though that my cargo racks can only hold 2 tons, as there were 5 out there. They decayed quickly, though, probably rigged with some self-destruction detonators.

I think I should repeat some runs in order to find out about the magnitude of the interdictors defects. Launch!


Another Cobra, but superficial scans show it as clean, so I do not bother. Then a Viper appears on my warp scan. It is wanted. As I approach it, the colleague over there seems to do the same; this results in some pseudo dogfighting while both of us obviously try to get to a firing sollution for our interdictors. At least I can identify the problem which made my interdictor not fire; it was a faulty fire group setting.
Once I realize the Viper´s eagerness to interdict, I let it happen. The disadvantage like this is that he starts in with a firing solution and I have to first outmaneuver him. With an Eagle, though, it is not so much a problem to deal with.

 - "competent" Viper, no problem, as it does not use its advantage of superiour speed







After it is over, I am 4625 DR richer. Unfortunately, some electronic defect marks me as wanted. Back to base, have to correct this quickly. Before I can do so, an Eagle security vessel jumps in and scans me. The resulting chase is a close one. Thankfully, my shields hold, with barely a sliver though, and I am away.
On my way to base, I am tempted by an unidentified signal (US). Lots of ships in there. My first k-scan of a Viper reveals only a clean slate. As I turn towards the next, I get scanned by it in return. This is when I realize that it does not make much sense to go hunting for bounties while with a bounty yourself. The Viper attacks me, but I cannot shoot back as I am the "criminal" in this bugged case. So, jump out, thankfully unharmed.

The wanted fee is 293 CR. The loss of time and effort is more annoying, though. I clear the bounty, at least I think I do, but when I launch I am still wanted. Sigh. Quickly out, loop back in.

Since I somehow made this system to my hunting grounds, I might as well get aquainted with all stations in here. Set course for Cleve Hub. Always scanning for victims, of course, but this time my flight time is eventless.^The most interesting thing to know is the available outfits, of course. As I hate inefficiency, some noting of high supply or demand commodities does not hurt.

 - Maine Hub is a small outpost, and they to like tobacco over there 








 
Bingo. A cargo rack with 4 tons is ready available here. Finally. And that´s it.  Now that I have access to a good range of cargo racks, given all those lucrative haul contracts, I deside to exchange my Eagle for a Hauler. Commodity analysis already indicates some good potential profits, too. But first, I want to continue my analysis. Russel Ring. A Sidewinder tries to interdict me but fails. Mcmahon Dock.  Silverster City. Maine Hub. After this, my first route, plus some fetch missions ( 4 fish, 6 grain), is from Ackerman Market to Maine Hub (both have a black market, too). Should make good profit, bringing Fish or Coffee to Maine Hub.´The only problem is: What is the round trip? No high demand items are eyecatching, so I have to look for medium commodities, too.

I am interrupted by an inderdiction. Did not see it coming, should pay more attention. The Sidewinder starts in firing position and with worries I see my shields going down too quickly in order to make it away. So I engage. The sidewinder will now experience what it is to try a hauler piloted by a former bounty hunter! After a short dance, the sidewinder joins the void, and I happily scoop the two cans of liquor which it lost. Conveniently, Ackerman Market has a black market.

Docking there at high speed in order to avoid scans for my liquor. They pay nicely for repairs. I fill up my 18 ton cargo capacity and launch. In my haste to undock, I forget to analyse the market for a round trip. So it will stay a single trip, but maybe I should take time for an indepth look, now that I know most of the markets in Eravate.

- Ackerman Market, Eravate, is the main trading hub








 
Which makes me discover a 1100 CR profit if I bring tobacco from Ackerman Market to Maine Hub. On my way back, I am interdicted again. This time, it is an Eagle. That might make things difficult. I figure there are no chances to really get away from a nimble ship like this, so I engage. I works well enough, the Eagle pilot is in for a surprise. However, I panick when that ship suddenly launches missiles; boost! This boost carries me out of close range, at the same time reducing maneuverability of my hauler to near zero, thereby giving the nimble plenty of opportunity to line up his guns. My shields are fried and hull down to 80% after this mistake. Then I am back in the dogfight and can finally nail the bastard. The bounty is just 427 CR, but at least enough to pay for the repairs...

Some more runs between Ackerman Market (load tobacco) and Maine Hub (load basic medicines). In my sloppy routine, I do not read a contract properly and mix up agri-medicinces with basic medicines. No freaking system in range sells agri-medecines, I am screwed with that contract. But why should I care, since I just do commodity trading, anyways. It is probably time to look for trans-system routes, as this one is not good enough if I want high profit also on the round trip.

The trips are tense. I evade two more interdictions, and I still have all my wealth invested into tobacco. 13 units and 149 CR left in my pocket. You do not want to be interdicted and shot down in this situation...


After five or six runs, I have enough capital to afford a full load of tobacco. This gives me 18.000 CR profit for a short trip of 290 ls, a sum which would be very time consuming and difficult to earn as a mere bounty hunter in this early stage of the game. However, more is possible, e.g. a round trip with >1000 CR profit each. It will take some time to find one, but it is worth it in the long run.

Next session, as this one has to end. With 109.971 CR, I leave the game rather content.