Tom's Hardware > Forum > Games General > Games General Discussions > X3:Reunion - advice needed expanding my empire...

X3:Reunion - advice needed expanding my empire...

Forum Games General : Games General Discussions - X3:Reunion - advice needed expanding my empire...

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Ask the community Add a reply
Word :    Username :           
 
llama_man   03-01-2006 at 06:57:44 PM

I'm a little way into the game and have managed to amass a little empire of 4million credits and 5 Argon Mercury freighters. I'm now looking to buy some factories (partly so I can stop spending my time running freighters and go and do something else).

My current plan was to get a wheat farm in Boron space (maybe Queen's Space?) and maybe attach a power plant to supply it.

Is this a good investment of my hard-traded profitsssssss (sorry, slipped into Teladi there), or does anyone know of any better locations? Remember I only have 4 million, to both buy the factory(ies) and get them started. But I do have freighters already. I don't have a defence fleet, so I'm looking to build only in safe sectors to start with - I'll start building in the outer systems later when I can afford some defence.


As a side question - has anyone tried mining using the mining laser and ore collector? Is it worth it?

Add a reply
Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
Wolfy   03-01-2006 at 09:06:40 PM
- 0 +

Bet you you would get better advice from X3s own forums.

Is the game anything like X2 tho? Do energy cells still factor in the game cos the best earner in the last one was to set up solar cell factories in systems that had a good or nearby supply of crystals. Wheat farms in the last game were only useful if you created your own self sustaining factory "loop".

If I remember it went something like solar cells fab supplied by crystal fab and wheat fam to supply argu beef to supply crystal fab with solar cell supplying energy for free..... The end result was usually a surplus you could sell.

But that's all based on the last game. Check out X3s own forums for I'd say a complete wealth of info.

Reply to Wolfy
llama_man   03-02-2006 at 01:51:17 PM
- 0 +

I would have done, but my internet at home is borked (yet BT are still charging me £20 per month - how nice of them) and I can't access the X3 boards at work (Websense blocks any "games" related sites).

The best low-cost earner in X3 (and X2) is sunrise flowers. you can regularly buy at 6-10 credits and sell at 30+. Plus, they only take up a cargo space of 1, so even a smallish frieghter of 3,000 units can make 60,000 or more per run, which is pretty good, since they only cost 300k!
Next best money spinner is silicon wafers - can very often buy at 230 and sell at 500+ - sometimes 700+ if you travel a sector or two.

My doubts about the wheat farm in Boron space is that the Boron market is heavily regulated and has low price variations. Having said that, wheat always seems to be in demand at around 23 credits, which I'm sure I can produce it for if I can source cheap energy cells.

Reply to llama_man
Wolfy   03-02-2006 at 02:59:23 PM
- 0 +

If it's the same as X2 then solar cells are the best low earner. In fact were the best earner full stop as the market pyramid was turned upside down. Sure you can make big factories to build really expensive shit but they don't sell very often and take ages to build whereas everyone needs solar cells. Accordingly solar cells in terms of what your own factories make were by far and away the best earner, build one in Kingdoms end and you just sat back and watched the millions roll in.

However X3 may be different but in order to think about what makes the most profit, look at what's the cheapest to run, has the quickest creation of "final product", is in demand by everyone and is in short supply in the region your placing station.

Reply to Wolfy
llama_man   03-02-2006 at 07:09:33 PM
- 0 +

Maybe for factories, but not for trading.

The cheapest cells I've seen are 12 credits (it may be the minimum), but it's hard to sell them for more than 17-18 unless you travel a long, long way (and then you would need a jumpdrive on the freighter, and burn cells, etc). There is a far better return on investment shipping sunrise flowers from Spaceweed Drift to Greater Profit (just 1 gate).

But a solar cell factory makes sense, as you can sell to all races and factories, plus use your own cells if you start building other stuff.

Reply to llama_man
Wolfy   03-02-2006 at 08:06:05 PM
- 0 +

Trading sucks man..... Trading in X2 was only used till you had enough money to buy a factory.

Look at it this way, like I said above the idea is to loop your factories into self sustaining units.... This is X2 info but usrely the same applies to X3...

Start off with buying a solar cell factory. Importantly here is that it outputs a final product quickly plus u have constant neverending demand. Importantly here also is that you dont have to ship your own product, npcs will come to you. You can buy your own freighters and have one to supply your cell fab with crystals and the other to "sell to highest within x jumps" assuming they still allow that.

Eventually the idea is to buy the factories that will ultimately supply each other. Crystal fab to sypply cyrstals to the solar cell fab and whatever factories are needed to keep the crystal fab going. Initially it's a massive outlay of money BUT once they are up to speed and your loop starts to over supply itself you can sell the surplus from all the factories as they are all now essentially making their end product for free.

Anyway, enough from me..... Have a look at the game mechanics and see what you can get up to. The beauty of X is that you can do just about anything.... but leave behind the trading, that's gotta be a killer, let your freighters on autopilot do that for u leaving u to go do other cool stuff.

Reply to Wolfy
llama_man   03-03-2006 at 01:12:39 PM
- 0 +

Trading is ok. with the best buys/selling software and the trading system upgrade you can control everything remotely. Half a dozen freighters are perfectly manageable (any more gets a handful) and you can make money VERY quickly. I made 1million last night in 1 hour! 8O Wish I could earn like that in "real" life...

I tried to buy a solar power plant last night, but I couldn't hire a ship with ST class freight capacity.When I comm'ed them, the "I want you to move something" option wasn't there. Maybe I need to do a bit of the storyline first :( Off to the X3 boards for me! :arrow:

Reply to llama_man
Pelican   03-04-2006 at 02:42:54 AM
- 0 +

Egosoft (makers of the X series) have one of the biggest PHPbb forums in the world.

Reply to Pelican
Ask the community Add a reply
Tom's Hardware > Forum > Games General > Games General Discussions > X3:Reunion - advice needed expanding my empire...
Go to:

There are 1223 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Forum map
Bestofmedia Forum ©
2000-2009 Bestofmedia Group
Page generated in 0.273 seconds
Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel
Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
Related Topics
See all relatives topics
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them