Stryker AuneJames HussarMhera Bathana
No, I'm an explorer. Like I said. I don't have enough credits for an Asp Explorer (fitted the way I want). Smuggling is something I have yet to do, and I hope I'm never forced to do it. (I say that because I've noticed that the game gives better rewards for smuggling) but knowing my luck I would get scanned. (actually what happens when you do get scanned while smuggling. Does the station destroy you?)
Smuggling is a great way to get the money for a well-fitted AspX. Before I tried doing it, I read some hints and tips on how to do it successfully, and then I practiced a bit without illicit cargo. Random pirate and authority interdictions are a great opportunity to practice evasion, and you can speed/sneak into a station with nothing to hide just to get a "feel" for the tactics. Doing it with some illegal salvage, worth minimal credits, is also a great way to practice - you have the risk of a fine, but the fine will be proportional to the value of the cargo, so a ton of salvaged biowaste is a low risk way of working the kinks out of your technique.
Once I got comfortable with the how-to of smuggling, I was able to stack a dozen or so missions and in one run easily made in excess of 20 Million credits that got me into a well-appointed AspX - this one for exploration as I already had one that I kitted out for smuggling in the first place. That smuggling Asp got me into an Anaconda very, very quickly, and that has been the ship I've done most exploration in, even though it's rigged as a general purpose ship and thus has crap for jump range.
Smuggling can make good money, but how do you stack the missions?
Edit: Stacking missions that require the movement of cargo.
In the old Robigo days, it was taking as many missions as you could manage and heading out in one big trip. Since you were traveling 300-400 LY back into the bubble anyway, what's another 50-100 LY jumping around once you're there (side note for noobies hence the popularity of the AspX - decent cargo, great jump range, good speed if you get pulled over).
Not sure how this works out now, as I've not smuggled in quite a few months.
