X-TRA POLLS Round #10 | What are your favourite methods for gaining quick money? (vote five options!)

[Tomonor]

Greetings, Members of the X-Community!

The last poll has concluded and we've received valuable data on how you modify your game.
Thank you for voting, especially if you took the time to voice your opinion and provide us with feedback!

The next poll is: “What are your favourite methods for gaining quick money?”
Notes: We are interested in how you like to earn money without investing too much time in the process. The list includes the most common ways on how you'd earn quick money, however you'll have to prioritise your choices because you're only allowed to choose 5 options. Do note that any method that requires longer preparation work is not considered here and is omitted accordingly (eg, planning and building stations, setting up automated miners/traders). That being said, feel free to comment your method if it's not covered in the poll options, or if you feel like your method is justified to be in the list! You can revote this time if you feel like your want to correct your choices.




How does the Poll work?
Every two weeks, we’ll be rolling out polls in the forum where you can weigh in on crucial aspects of our games. Your votes will play a key role in helping us gather valuable insights to shape the future of our games!

But hold on, there’s more! Beyond just data collection, we’re keen on fostering discussions and hearing your thoughts. Alongside each poll, there’s a dedicated discussion thread going on where you can share your insights, ideas, and feedback related to the poll topic. It’s not only a great way to engage with fellow gamers but also an opportunity for us to gather additional valuable input.

However, it’s important to note that while we value your input, the results of the polls won’t necessarily guarantee implementation or consideration.
These polls are primarily for fun and data gathering.

So, get ready to have your voice heard in The X-tra Polls! Let’s shape our beloved X-Universe together!



Previous Polls:
Poll #9: In what way do you modify X4: Foundations?
Poll #8: Which factions do you usually consider your adversary?
Poll #7: Do you leave your game running when you're Away From Keyboard?
Poll #6: Have you played multiple gamestarts?
Poll #5: What type of ship do you primarily use?
Poll #4: Which is your favourite race of the playable races?
Poll #3: How long have you been playing your current savegame?
Poll #2: Which phase do you enjoy the most in X4: Foundations?
Poll #1: In your opinion, which X4: Foundations expansion was the most worthwhile?

[LameFox]

I use taking and selling ships to fund a few L miners (kha'ak and pirate proof) and a few L traders to set manual trades for plus scout ships to uncover stations and train pilots.

That is pretty much every game now. Other things just don't really feel worth doing. I could take some of those assassination missions but they trash my rep and fixing it is tedious, nvidium mining... well last time I tried that in person I could fly for hours and not see a single rock, despite the resource field claiming it existed. I could auto-mine for it but I had to keep changing the orders because they'd fill up the stations. Crystals are better but I only use them to upgrade my starter ship mostly, or when I just feel like relaxing. Salvage mechanics are boring in person, so is combat looting—sad but there's really neither a sense of reward or danger in it. "Exploring" is just shooting locks and turning lights green, nothing interesting to find. Setting up auto-salvagers just gets them killed in Avarice before I can build my own stations elsewhere, and even then, one manticore can keep the whole station busy. Piracy for cargo doesn't really seem worth the effort because even high value cargo in this game is not really that valuable, same issue with personal trading. Even illegal wares aren't really impressive.

[G315t]

Salvaging is no good way to make quick money because you need to invest into several Manticores first. And because the ships are super slow it takes too long especially if they drop the wreck because of fleeing from the Avarice flood.

Otherwise It always depends on what I plan. If I want to be a Trader I obviously use trading if I want to be a miner I do manual mining the only thing I always do is missions and pick up stuff that I can find in containers while exploring the sector.

[Alan Phipps]

Capturing and selling SCA pirate ships is my main go-to method to build up credits at the start. Station missions provide good and regular background income but at the start of the game the pay-outs are quite low.

Once the game is established, setting up my own ware production stations for effective trade (I avoid shipbuilding as it is far too cheesy in my opinion) is how I build up finance for the big plot expenditures. There is no need for 'quick money' by then as entertainment and immersion are my goals rather than quick progression.

[Nanook]

I voted 'other' because I don't generally go for quick money.**

Whatever role I'm playing in a game determines how I make my money. For example, if I'm playing a combat role, then the majority of my credits come from combat-related activities, such as blowing up ships to get any drops, taking combat missions, capturing and selling enemy ships, etc. However, if I'm playing a miner, that's what I do: mine, collect asteroid drops including crystals, building up a mining fleet, etc. Same goes for trading.

Whatever theme I choose at the start of the game determines how I make credits. But none of it is what I'd consider "quick money".

**Quick caveat: A couple of times I've played to see how quickly I could make a billion credits. In those cases, I use all of the above methods as I come across them. $$$

[birdtable]

If I need a quick million or 2 I just travel to Split Land and capture a dragon ... Easy Peasy ,,does not get any easier, After nearly 6 years very very easy weasy peasy.,,
As a side note ,, getting the Peregrine at the beginning of a game is not as easy as it once was, that could be driver error but they do appear to be well escorted these days ,,, Regardless I voted "other" .

[thegreybetween]

I really prefer exploration-forward game play, so lockboxes, data vaults, and crafting items from lockbox loot is good revenue.

I also picked Crystal hunting because I love doing it and it is semi-lucrative (early). But I really wish you'd rethink the current policy to transform all crystals to purple once you score a profitable node. I'm sure it was probably abused earlier, but it is a single-player game and abusers are going to find something to abuse (fly-by boarding, etc), and crystal hunting is a fairly unique system that gives an exploration player something to do. I'm sure there must be a compromise between "Crystals are crazy OP" and "Crystal hunting is basically dead", and I always have my fingers crossed that the next Beta patch includes a note on improving Crystal Hunting mechanisms again.

But yeah, any system that lets the player directly get their hands dirty with just a single ship, ideally in an exploration/adventure capacity, is something I'll happily play with in my games.

[Feloidea]

I don't usually have quick money concerns past the early game, but things I always keep an eye out for are public missions (this should be selfexplanatory) and hidden missions (particularly pirate hacking missions and black market trader access missions). For the latter I also always loot battlefields I come across (or make by myself in case of Xenons or the small SCA S fighter groups) as having a constant supply of the wares needed for these missions is of course necessary. The latter also has the benefit of providing most of the needed modding materials lik,e high energy catalysts, etc. for later in the game when I want to mod some ships. Selling captured ships is really just an opportunity when I feel like nabbing another Minotaur, though I do scan any SCA destroyer I get across to check how tough they'd be to take when I already have my own frigate and can do impromptu boarding actions.

Crystal mining isn't something I do specifically to earn money as that avenue has largely been neutered with the crystal spawn changes and just doing normal missions is much more profitable. But every now and then when I fly through an asteroid field and see the blinking I get a little crystal mining rush and just go for it. I don't even really sell these anymore, but it's just one of these little activities that are oddly relaxing and you can pick up other valuable stuff on the side like unstable crystals, plus if there's NPC miners around cracking asteroids: lode stones and spacefly eggs.

[Galdric]

I usually flatten xenon ships and craft/sell the loot and get money for destroying them or just trade/mining with ships etc... .
I haven't tried scrap yet...but it's on my list
Hunting crystals is good for the start but then I personally don't enjoy it as much as fighting or commanding traders etc.

[jlehtone]

I voted 'other' because I don't generally go for quick money.

This. I don't like quick money.

But, missions, MORTs, ... and bounties (which was not on the poll?).

[Erqco]

I will not share it, or it will be nerfed.

[Thomas2052]

At first, scavenging and missions. Scavenging has been nerfed / re-tuned in latest patches (fairly, I think, as living off scraps shouldn't be too lucrative!)

Scavenging's main value now comes from collecting heuristic cores to craft security bypasses for panel hacks, which are usually bundled in missions for PIO and ANT to aquire ships, which are good mid-money spinners.

(I would argue these missions are cheesy but then look at the profits thrown at private companies in real life by governments for product acquisition eg. UK during covid /politics)

I also considered SCA capture cheesy for a while, but I just actually enjoy it so it's a regular - currently sitting with about 7 SCA Destroyers ready to trade in for a Boron Fleet - sell them to stock the Shipyard with their parts when I purchase rays.

I rationalise it as being a private defense service, particularly in Boron space.

Big quick money injections for me come from TER one way or another - their build fleet missions if allied or, in this play through, pirating intervention fleets and vulnerable patrols. There are a pair of Syn patrolling Getsu Fune that look very tempting at the moment, and the Hydra is the ultimate boarding ship for such a job...

That first Terran scout met this playthrough shouldn't have been so rude on refusing to help with directions!

Regards

[Maze Morgenstern]

I like the early-game, so i'm not in a hurry to get rich.

My usual start is doing public missions for reputation and prospecting good sectors for "lokal auto mining", if i see a blinking light while flying through an asteroidfield i'll take it.

After seting up some M-Miners and maybe a few Traders i got enough money to build my own Refinery.

[BitByte]

I did huge amount of container collecting while HOP & PAR had their fight ongoing in Pious Mists II. Excellent place to loot stuff and spend hours Then crafting and selling stuff to get credits (when police came and tried bust me).
Also selected buy & sell products remotely as I had my traders operating in core sectors and going around to buy & sell energy cells and other stuff (like hull parts). I liked to pause game, make queue for ships (10-30mill cr) and then let them fly around to perform money making while I was concentrading to missions and plots.

Even I liked from crystal hunting (didn't choose that for vote) I never used that as way of making money (ok yes small amounts I sold but mostly not). As side job while doing hunt I collected spacefly eggs for caviars and missions (learned to keep minimum 50 eggs and 5 caviars as reserve just in case such mission appear where those were needed). Caviars gave urgent help if needed get new ship or make sure I don't run out of credits before getting myself to feet and earn first 200 million. At that point couple self built stations provided base income to help.

[LetMeIn11]

I tried "hacking stations to drop their cargo" in my previous playthrough and even with disabled turrets and security vessels a station still sends its defence drones on a first pick up so you should have a small fleet to keep them busy, sometimes injected wares fly right into the station geometry and you need either to help your traders with your "container magnet" or just order them to flee because otherwise they are stuck. And yes, you may loose your ships in the process so this option may be fun occasionally but it doesn't sound like a quick money, doing "hacking" missions is a lot easier and more profitable in average than this.

[Darkhan]

Mostly collecting drops and ships for me.
- Auto-traders I tend to use more for rep farming than profits. I can make quicker money with other activities honestly.
- Crystal collecting for me is more of a relaxing exercise. Sure it can pay decently on the very rare ones, but I just enjoy zipping around in asteroid fields for fun.

Early game is usually more collect some early conflict loot, get a few miners to do the raw material sell, eventually build a small refinery and sell those products, build bigger station etc..

[humility925]

Cheat Mod! It's fastest gaining quickest money I ever know.

[Cresent]

The methods with highest ratings will get nerfs

[Tomonor]

I will not share it, or it will be nerfed.

I will not tell the my colleagues, pinky promise!

[Codejnki]

I've only ever hacked a station because someone was going to pay me 500,000 credits to do it. Not because I wanted the cargo.