With FD removing the distance multiplier from the passenger missions they really have not addressed the actual problem Board Hopping it is boring and really should be axed Lol.
CONFESSION It was very hard to resist the 200m a run in my flying eggshell so I ended up board hopping despite not liking it, some times I would tell myself that I would only do 1 more cycle but I would do 2 or 3 more cycles instead and I hated that I did it.
IMO an incentive to use a smaller ship for the Run by changing the destination to a smaller port or restricting the number of passenger missions you can have active at once would have still let the credits flow and makes the smaller ships viable.
OR make a fully decked out larger ship a must as when running refugees and rebels to a base you need to get passed a blockade and a barrage of fire so between repair bills and shields and some fines etc.. (this would be so much fun)
Both of these options would have lowered pay organically and not make a 40 minute flight pay the same as a 2 minute one.
So what ways do you know how to make credits that do not rely on board hopping
Do Cargo missions have a simular distance multiplier?
Do Data Missions have a simular distance Multiplier?
What do you do to make Money?