[TC] Vanilla Rapier

[Frelion]

The awkward set up where I ask for help:
Hey everyone. I've been wanting to upgrade my desktop and get this game as soon as I found out about such a big universe and the reviews from it, so now I have.

The Background:
You maybe are all laughing at my n00bness but I've always done better as I fly faster in space combat and am doing fight missions with a rapier, started terran and I've discovered half of the sectors by now and have earned 2.5 mil just doing combat missions as I've started and restarted and played the last couple hours, run in and out bounty hunter stuff. I am about 3 levels or so away from the tops in the race reputations and halfway through the universal combat rank thing. Oh and I'm doing this vanilla... if by that it means without cheats and mods, still learning this stuff.

The issue:
I am not a fan of slow fly trading but it seems the only way for me to start raking in the credits for better ships. I've read the manual and looked at some of the stickies but I wanted just some personal opinions please on how to best start out as a fighter and who you would go to in my position to begin doing trading, I understand using trade software and letting autopilot handle it, but will I need to escort the transport I buy or does that just depend on the sectors?

Also, who/what should I go with in ship buying? Should I do this first and then build a station?

If you could just let me know what you typically would advise that'd be great, I just need some varying opinions please so I can see what I may be missing. The reason I'm asking opinions is because looking at ship stats when you're new to a game and to trading doesn't mean anything, otherwise I could stick to the manual, but I'm glad they got this site here to help starters like me. Thanks all.

[7Circles]

I'm pretty new myself (2nd post in fact) but fighter missions generate a lot of cash for me. It's slow going at the start as you build up enough cash but once you've got a decent, well armed M3 the money starts coming in a lot quicker. I capped some random M4 which I used until I capped a Nova Raider. That M3 kept me happy for ages. My fight style meant I did almost all my combat by dog fighting. Arm it with PBG's (Plasma Burst Generators) and lay waste to everything in front of you (within 900meters anyways). Just be careful using PBG's on protection missions. They seem to hit stations a little too easily. (Friendly fire is a problem so pick and choose your fights with that in mind).

[Prutz0r]

you haven't capped an m3 yet?

The rapier is quite fast and well armed, for an M5, but I'd go with a Commonwealth M3, when the opportunity presents itself. Terran ships aren't as effective at capping other ships, since those EMPC's tend to eat through the hull of fighters.

My trading start was quite simple. I had bought a couple of secondhand Mercury freighters (the 100 m/s max 4000 cargo variant) and I bought them trading soft MK3 and set them to sector trader in Ore belt. After they reached level 10, I made them both sector trader in Home of Light with a 2 jump radius. Since then, I've used Ore belt for training about 10 sector traders, which are all around my known space, all with 2 jumps range, providing a slow, but very steady income.

I can really recommend ST's for HOL and nearby, because I have had an unshielded freighter flying there since game day 1 and I'm at gameday 17 now .

[Frelion]

Thanks a ton, I'll keep my eye open for an M3 and buy some simple TS with Trade mk3. Appreciate it.

[Prutz0r]

Mind you, take safe sectors for ST's. especially OOS, they're killed off quite quick.

[Frelion]

are you referring to building STs in safe sectors Prutz0r?

[Nanook]

ST's are Sector Traders, the first few levels of your Universe Trader Trade Command Mk III software. He's advising you to find safe, NPC-protected sectors to initially start them so they'll be relatively safe from marauding pirates, Xenon and Kha'ak. Good advice.