I'd really like to get in on this part of gameplay, but I'm kind of flummoxed. I'm having a great deal of difficulty sorting out what should be bought and sold where, and smuggling seems riskier to me than it probably is. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed. (Basically, my Mercenary is pegged & I'm slowly building Bounty Hunter...I want another aspect to gameplay than just killing people! )

Trading
Look at the star system you are in, what does it produce? (the list of 5 symbols showing different goods in the starmap). Go into the trade station and the trade menu. Look for anything that has full green bars as these are cheap and plentifuly. Things higher in the list are normally cheaper to but but you will make less profit, lower things cost more but you make more profit. Once you've bought what you want check out other star systems in range that don't produce the thing you just bought. Fly there, sell the goods, buy more goods and repeat. I trade alot when just moving around the different systems, e.g. if I need to get to a new system to forward the plot or get an artifact I will buy and sell along the way. This way I always seem to have tons of money to buy new upgrades.

Smuggling
Find a rebel or pirate system that produces dodgy goods (check the starmap again) fly there and purchase the cheapest goods. Go back the starmap are check for systems that considers the goods you have to be illegal (they're below the 5 goods the system produces and have a red border, some systems nothing is illegal and others consider different goods to be illegal). Hyperspace there and then save the game straight away. Fly to the station and try to avoid police, if they bust you just load your save and try again. A cargo jammer can save you're bacon but they don't become effective till later levels. Once you dock with the trade station you will see a new option in the bottom right called smuggling, sell the goods here for major profit.

If you're keen on both these options make sure you purchase the cargo space upgrades asap so you can carry more cargo.

(20-08-2010 12:21 PM)KING5TON Wrote:  If you're keen on both these options make sure you purchase the cargo space upgrades asap so you can carry more cargo.

That's the one item I haven't found yet; is there a minimum level for the DS1 that you have to reach before they become available? I'm in Mortok space right now & the DS1 is lvl 6.

Also, I discovered that you're unable to use the Landing Computer if you're smuggling anything--which is a damned shame, as I'm a lousy pilot and have a 80/20 chance of hitting the damn station instead of landing.