[TC] Got a load of money, wondering what to do with it.

[Aeshi]

So I've amassed a small fortune of 113M and was thinking I should probably get round to spending it.

I've done the Terran, Goner and Kha'ak plots and was just starting another plot whose name I can't recall (I'm stopping a Terraformer called 'cafe' or something) and I'm more or less set in terms of military might (if there is a fight my current fleet cannot win, I have yet to see it)

I was considering buying a TL and then building a complex in Weaver's Tempest to sustain the IBL plants there but it's proving kinda difficult as the complex calculator I'm using is designed for player stations, not NPC ones

[wRAR]

How did you make that fortune without a TL?

[Jumee]

have you started the HUB plot? it requires you to build some massive infrastructure and tbh 113M is not even closely enough if you want to finish that plot more or less fast

[Disako]

My IBL complex is as follows:

3 x Crystal Fab L (Ar)
1 x Bliss Place M (Tel)
3 x Cahoona Bakery L (Ar)
3 x Cattle Ranch L (Ar)
1 x Space Fuel Distillery M (Ar)
1 x Dream Farm M (Tel)
1 x Wheat Farm M (Ar)
1 x Ore Mine L (Ar)
3 x Silicon Mine L (Ar)
1 x Solar Power Plant XL (Ar)

That supplies everything that both IBL forges need (including secondary resources for extra income).

[Aeshi]

How did you make that fortune without a TL?

By doing Operation Final Fury at Battlemaster rank. Let's just say that at the higher ranks they become VERY rewarding (towards the end I was picking up about 8M a mission including bounties. Kinda sad it ended)

have you started the HUB plot? it requires you to build some massive infrastructure and tbh 113M is not even closely enough if you want to finish that plot more or less fast

I have it at the point where I need to get 500 Microchips. But to be honest I think for the cost of completing the HUB plot I could just give every ship I own a jumpdrive and a lifetime supply of E-cells.

My IBL complex is as follows:
3 x Crystal Fab L (Ar)
1 x Bliss Place M (Tel)
3 x Cahoona Bakery L (Ar)
3 x Cattle Ranch L (Ar)
1 x Space Fuel Distillery M (Ar)
1 x Dream Farm M (Tel)
1 x Wheat Farm M (Ar)
1 x Ore Mine L (Ar)
3 x Silicon Mine L (Ar)
1 x Solar Power Plant XL (Ar)

That supplies everything that both IBL forges need (including secondary resources for extra income).

Thank you. My current complex is quite similar but now I can see what I need to add. I assume the Ore and Silicon Mines are on the richest asteroids?

[wRAR]

The Hub is the prereq for the PHQ.

[Sinxar]

I would take those pennies and invest in something that would make more cash faster.

Like get 20 LTs going then get 10 UTs started. After that there might be enough left to build a self-sustaining complex. You could build a weed/booze complex and just sell the excess output. Don't forget to factor in the cost of the TL though. I would go with at least an Orca, its a good value for complex building. don't need weapons/fighters. just shields and software unless your using it as a carrier.

IMO

heh since the hub was mentioned...

Spoiler

Show

For the hub plot, instead of building massive amounts of complexes I decided to go with CAGs and getting an early start on chips. What I did from the game start is setup infrastructure with LTs/UTs with several smaller complexes generating cash. Just recently built a weed/booze plex to feed the pirate IBL forge and sell the excess. Setup that food plex and have everything that makes any profit pump it into the HUB. Got 4x CAGs simply buying the materials needed. Now im at the silicon stage and already have over halve delivered in just over a day (RL) play time and still making a profit. I then reinvest that profit into either tech complexes (computer stuff and chips) or creating more LTs/UTs.

[Disako]

Thank you. My current complex is quite similar but now I can see what I need to add. I assume the Ore and Silicon Mines are on the richest asteroids?

Yes, although I'm afraid I've forgotten what the original asteroids were now, so you'll have to check for yourself.

[Aeshi]

<snipped text>

I was considering either the Elephant (for the speed), the Mammoth (for the Cargo) or the MMBS (for the Cargo/distinctiveness) for my TL myself. Dunno about the LT/UT thing, never used them before.

[Master of the Blade]

Choice of TL depends on how you'll use it. For large scale building, the Mammoth and MMBS are better because you can build more stations per run. For doing build missions the Elephant's better because it can get to shipyards from gates faster, meaning you spend less time waiting for it.

[Morkonan]

...I was considering either the Elephant (for the speed), the Mammoth (for the Cargo) or the MMBS (for the Cargo/distinctiveness) for my TL myself. Dunno about the LT/UT thing, never used them before.

The Elephant is great for speed and its generous hanger capacity. But, you will miss the cargo space of a Mammoth when building complexes.

If you're doing lots of build missions, which is one of the fastest ways to generate cash, then an Elephant would be just fine, as it's rare you'll need to get two factories from the same shipyard. But, for building complexes, the Mammoth is king.

The MMBS is fun and can mount four mining lasers.. But, that's about it. I have a couple I use just for "flavor" as they're the hubs in two different mining operations. For station building missions, I use an Elephant with a hanger of fighters, scouts and utility craft, serviced by a dedicated tender that keeps it fueled up. (Sometimes, the Elephant will be potentially dangerous sectors and its perfectly capable of taking care of itself against most common threats.)

For complex building, I've been using the Elephant, but will move over to a Mammoth once I start my next one - I want that extra cargo space!

On what to do with your money - There is only one appropriate answer for that and it's the same here as it is in "real life." What you do with your wealth is obvious - Use it to generate more wealth!

Get your trading fleet together. Build a fleet of Sector/Local/Universal Traders to keep your coffers full as you outfit your fleet. Build complexes, to sponge credits off the NPC races and build your armaments. Establish your economic dominance to the point where you can build entire fleets to throw away at risky conquests and not even feel the pinch...

[Triaxx2]

Yes and no. I definitely use my elephant when building complexes. I use it and a couple of Ryu's to haul the CCK's I need. Because I invariably find I haven't bought enough, so they're faster to go get more than Mammoth's.

[Burnt Pies]

I think the MMBS also has the biggest punch in OOS fights; if it isn't destroyed in the first volley, those PSPs should let it take down a Carrack. (I have two that I bought after losing an Elephant to a Carrack in Contorted Dominion. They've both got a 4 Solano escort, which usually buys it time to put PSPs through the shields of any pirate patrol)

[mimeo]

If you're doing lots of build missions, which is one of the fastest ways to generate cash

I`ll have to add to this that the highest profitable job (and continuous that is) is taxi-ing...
I get around 9.5 mil cr to drive few guys 1-2 sectors away so Phantom paid for himself up like 100 times so far...
So this would have to go to second spot, altough while scouting for taxi missions, I usually check out for build missions as well - sometimes it would make it so that you`ll have 3 build missions to be done in same sector, while at same time you can take taxi mission (or 2 if you are skilled and fast enough), and get like 20-30mil per "sector visit"....
Altough there are ways (without cheating) around speed so all it leaves to you is patience to scout for such missions (eg jumpdrive+docking computer makes wonders here).
Try it out. I got from like 50mil stash to 600 mil in around 8-9 game hours...(possibly less)

[Morkonan]

If you're doing lots of build missions, which is one of the fastest ways to generate cash

I`ll have to add to this that the highest profitable job (and continuous that is) is taxi-ing...

I agree completely.

However, I wrote "one of the fastest ways to generate cash", not the "fastest." Taxi missions are the best way to generate a huge amount of cash with almost no up-front, or back-end, costs and no risk. At "Mogul", I'm pulling in 9-12 million on "Hard/Very Hard" missions, or thereabouts.

But, the biggest reason, aside from a nice payment, I do a lot of Station Building missions is that I can increase the trade opportunities for my trading fleet. I focus my efforts on sectors where I have STs and in other areas, where there is a lack of weapons or base supply for weapons fabs. The Station Building mission is also easier to spot. But, I do check for taxi missions whenever I can, while looking for Station Build missions.

[Urineartist]

Spoiler

Show

FYI the New Home Plot requires 388 Million to complete.

[Lelouch]

My IBL complex is as follows:

3 x Crystal Fab L (Ar)
1 x Bliss Place M (Tel)
3 x Cahoona Bakery L (Ar)
3 x Cattle Ranch L (Ar)
1 x Space Fuel Distillery M (Ar)
1 x Dream Farm M (Tel)
1 x Wheat Farm M (Ar)
1 x Ore Mine L (Ar)
3 x Silicon Mine L (Ar)
1 x Solar Power Plant XL (Ar)

That supplies everything that both IBL forges need (including secondary resources for extra income).

... or buy a Trading station and 2 CAGs. Set one CAG as Shopper with a decent jumprange, buying all required wares and the other one as a non-jumping Trader with a trade range of 1 sector. The Trading Station is some kind of storage warehouse. A TL might work too - haven't tried it yet.

.oO(I have a couple of unused Arans. Hehe.)

[Aeshi]

I don't have the Bonus pack so I'm just gonna go with that factory, but I'd like to know how that idea of yours turns out because I kinda like the idea of using a TL as a Mobile Base for Traders. Wish the Pirates operated like that.

Spoiler

Show

FYI the New Home Plot requires 388 Million to complete.

Ouch. All the more reason to invest what I do have at the moment I guess

[Morkonan]

I don't have the Bonus pack so I'm just gonna go with that factory, ..

Why not? It's free and is part of the standard "Vanilla" game. (It won't result in your game having the "Modified" tag.)

X3TC "Bonus Pack" - Look at left sidebar for other game versions and their downloads

Note: If you're running the Steam version, it may already download the Bonus Pack. I don't know, so check your documentation or the forums.