Dublin-NB-Munich-Southampton route is a profitable one and with a high risk. The thing is, nobody is pirating there. If you go there from time to time, you are bound to earn some good cash as a pirate.
And about the profit of the Ore routes. To make full profit, simply do double trading with a partner and the only thing you use is time for mining.
I'm not sure about you, but i find ores more fun rather than going back and fourth with the trades. besides, it cuts down on buisness for other ships who want to carry a load, if this were to happen.
Why not add certain bonusses like some companies have mining bonusses attached to them? Some companies can only haul certain commodities while others can't (because of laws,...). Some small examples, something i've been thinking of for a long time. Prime example (as i am a fan myself of this company) OSC: has access to liners (still no specific ones - too general, Sirius/civilian, basically everyone can use 'em) which are the only ships (according to Laws Of Liberty) which can haul passengers - and no the "prison liner" aka passenger liner isn't even able to haul more than 650 passengers so yet again a limitation.
Why didn't OSC receive some kind of bonus towards passenger transportation? One piece of whiskey, Ale, Rheinbier,... in your inventory could increase customer happiness of your passengers for example (which results in tips or...). VIPs, probably a prime example here. While i haven't discovered everything yet (account got deleted... restart) i know the standard price of a VIP is 5.000$, which is already a huge risk considered you might lose this load. If i take the maximum price (Luxury Liner Hawaii, sigma-19 from Cortez, 19,466$) this is, yet again, a huge risk. I'm going through enemy territory to bring these VIPs towards their destination, I'm carrying 4mil of goods around!!! Same with regular passengers, Ambassadors, socialites,... the list is endless. OSC has so much RP value, but considering you don't earn as much as others do, and might even want to slow down, RP-wise -> passengers sightseeing planet New Tokyo or... you're just not paying the bills. If i want to RP (add crew, food and drinks) i'm even earning way less. Not even considering hiring a player escort (again a lot of RP value) to support me (any kind, if i'm in liberty i'll ask someone from the NAVY,...) or even players from OSC in a democritus for example.
Made a post waaaaaaay back if there is a possibility to add some kind of passenger module on bases. You know it exists - the bowls which certain stations have attached to them, some kind of dome, see picture. or add some kind of liner model : Freeport 6 TAU 29 - Domes example Another example; diversity in the player bases, idk!
Make limitations to certain goods to allow only transportation by X company (not all, specific!), add bonusses towards these goods delivered by company X (in $ or delivery capacity -> because they are experts are delivering commodity X they know how to store them very carefully,...). This will make players join forums to look for certain companies, or add an extra description/link in IDs to encourage more teamwork. This is just a quick brainstorm (especially about only one company) but i guess there are way more possibilities to add more diversity in trading!
As a smuggler you're generally a target for almost everyone you can possibly meet. Also because of this you might want to consider going off the grid, lanes and use holes instead of JGs. All that effectively makes the run more stressful and more lengthy time-wise. Also because of possible conflict you might want to cosider using a 2,5 - 3,5 armored transports, not 5kers. Add that to your calculations.
On the other hand Ore mining was always more appealing (much more) when looking at stress->time->profit balance. It's simply more profitable. It's less stressful thanks to protction from military and thanks to POBs in mining fields that supposed to be a 'place where miner is explosed to piracy'(it's not). Also mining provides a better moneygrind in timescale perspective.
Some other notes:
1. Retarded scanner ranges
2. If you're caught..
on smuggler
- if it's navy then you're most likely lose all cargo. Also most likely be killed. Also if you're neutral IDed then you'll have a fee that you must pay or FR5 (you'll have to make new char).
- if it's pirates that are hostile to that 'kind' of contraband then you're, again, most likely lose all cargo, also most likely end up dead.
- if those are pirates neutral to cargo they probably still pirate you for some cash.
- if those are mercs then you're most certainly dead.
on miner
- if those are navy then you're in safe harbor in most cases.
- if those are pirates you can most likely simply pay and be off still making coin.
- if mercs then you're dead, but mercing is dead too so no biggie.
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