I've been playing a week now, so I still consider myself new...
BUT
here are some words of advice and encouragement that I've picked up:
1) if you're here, you're in the right place. I can't believe how "popular" I already am. There's never been a time I've gone into the game without at least one person online as well to at last chat with.
2) my experiences anyway - hanging out with veteran players that are patient with noob issues (muting Wing chat, navlocking so I can't FSD, etc)
that "show you the ropes"
is priceless.
3) for credits: googling "elite dangerous rare trade route"
will get you started into the credits, if advice #2 isn't your thing. Honestly, one can get a Sidewinder D-rated fairly quickly with just missions in Eravate, LHS 3447, and the surrounding short jump area. From there, check out the closest "rares" trade station. Honestly "Thrudd's Elite Dangerous Trading Tool"
http://www.elitetradingtool.co.uk/ is the best for that. It's the far right option, "Rares"
Hop there, grab 4T of rares, and then run to another rare station 140LY away. Using Ed-td.space's
http://ed-td.space/en/24/Route+planner route planner will get you there. You can also use that to double check stations to pick up fuel at, which in a D-rated Sidey is important.
As soon as you get to that other rare station, and trade in that 4T of rares, I bet you can afford a hauler, and start really rare running with routes like this one:
http://www.reddit.com/r/EliteTraders/co ... ng_routes/4) don't be afraid to ask, don't be afraid of google, reddit, this forum, and others. Searching for things is your greatest ally and teacher. I cannot believe how much I learned thanks to just these two guys on Youtube:
Commander ChaosWulff:
https://www.youtube.com/user/KompaniLingeWoTand
Vornskyr:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Vornskyr1I earned 500K in my first night, going from sidewinder to eagle, just hanging out with UnmarkedBoxcar doing "security patrols" as I've coined them in NAVbeacons and RES sites. Yes, I got ganked in that sidewinder. Yes, I splashed an asteroid or 4... and I swear! That guy
was wanted!
and then finally, the
philosophy I honestly can't put it better than this:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=118364Running rares, can be boring. If it's not your thing, do something else. Games are supposed to be fun, but starting out, when your account has less than 5MIL in assets (like mine still) rares are the best way to make credits per hour. Also, if you feel like it, I'm pretty sure PowerPlay can and does create a nice little "weekly salary." I know quite a few CMDRs now that make a decent living just doing PowerPlay. So if you enjoy combat - sign up for Hudson (Federation) or Arissa Lavigny Duval (Empire) as they're both combat orientated... or don't and just undermine opposing factions irregardless of who you actually back. Just be ready for a fight when you're in a "hostile" system.
Honestly, I've come to learn I really enjoy combat, and I also enjoy the art of flying with FA:OFF. So, running A->B routes in a trader like a T7 or even T9 sounds like a TON of fun, trying to make that mail slot as efficiently as possible. I enjoy mining because it's fun using the asteroids as reference to practice FA:OFF like Isinona:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtD41MRibe4So spacetrucking itself... I dunno, haven't tried it yet. But as far as SC approach to stations, approach, request, and docking in-stations... that to me is an adrenaline rush every time. So I bet I'll enjoy space trucking.
But I enjoy blowing stuff up on those security patrols with UnmarkedBoxcar as well. I honestly look forward to them every night.
And yes, I have accrued quite a bit of wealth in all of one week, I guess. I don't know honestly. Haven't bothered to check minus my overall amount in the bank vs the cost of my insurance!
As long as the insurance is 5X less than my bank, I'm good!
and most of all, it's a big galaxy, with plenty to explore, truck, trade, dock, crash, kill, plunder, loot, and explode. And often enough, it happens to you, not the other way around. But have fun most of all.
And if you're the social type, or even if you're not, add me. "Broc Badger McGregor" is also my CMDR sign in.
TLDR: I promise I didn't intend this to be so large, but the starting out did intimidate me... until I got that message from UnmarkedBoxcar and just had fun flying around. I think that's the key.