Star Citizen Real Money

These are some wild and crazy times. It feels as if the world we once knew has been blown to bits, and we’re destined to spend the rest of our days trying to put it back together. In so many ways, we‘re reconfiguring what it means to be a neighbour, a citizen, an ally, a human being. For those who orbit Star Citizen news and are aghast at why its business model — a winner of this site’s Worst Business Model award for four years running — keeps on raking in money, you might be interested in hearing the thoughts of one of the game’s whales who was interviewed by the folks at BoredGamer.

Star Citizen Money Guide
Is Star Citizen Pay To Win
Can You Make Real Money In Star Citizen
Star Citizen Real Money

How to make money in Star Citizen the easy way

This guide is aimed for starting players looking to easily make money in Star Citizen. It is broken down primarily by ship.

Valid up to Alpha 3.12

Disclaimer

This guide does not take into consideration bugs from patches which might interfere with certain ships ability to earn an easy income by the methods discussed in this guide. This guide assumes 'normal' ship operability and average Persistent Universe stability.

Scout Ships (Terrapin & Xi'an Scout)

Making Money (aUEC) Without A Ship

There are a several possible ways players can make money without having access to a ship in Star Citizen. Some ships in Star Citizen do not have quantum drives making them almost as effective as not having a ship when it comes to money making in Star Citizen Alpha. These money making methods apply to players who cannot quantum but still need to earn money in Star Citizen Alpha.

Ask to take part in shared missions

The easiest way to make Star Citizen currency in game is to ask players in the chat to share a mission with you and help you earn money as a new player. This could end up in the adventure of a gaming lifetime so this is the first thing you should try when trying to earn money without a ship.

Dangers: It could be a trap.

Hand Mining

To make money mining by hand you will require the following items:

Rucksack (To store the mined material)
Multi-tool
Orbig Mining Attachment

In Game Availability of Hand Mining Parts

Hand mining requires a multi-tool and mining attachment. Also useful is a spacesuit with inventory such as the Rucksack.

Prices for the equipment vary but are about:

Mining-tool - 500 aUEC
Mining-attachment - 350 aUEC
Rucksack - 3000 aUEC

Mining without a Ship

If you don't have a ship you can fly to the caves to mine you can ask players in chat to take you to the entrance of a cave for hand mining. Generally, you will find someone after a while that will offer to take you.

Once at the cave you will find mining deposits that you will be able to mine provided you have the above mentioned items equipped.

Payouts can be worth thousands of aUEC so hand mining can be profitable albeit grindy and often dangerous.

Dangers: You could be killed in the cave by other players or NPCs and lose your mined goods as well as your mining multi-tool and attachment.

Where to buy mining parts

As of Alpha 3.12 mining parts can be found also at refinery stations as well as previous locations. This means that hand mining equipment is available at many locations. To find items in Alpha 3.12 please use an item finder.

Search for Missing Person In Cave Missions

Combine your mining in caves with the Missing Persons game-generated missions for extra money.

Dangers: You could get lost in the caves searching for the body.

Game Generated Missions

By opening MobiGlas there are available different types of missions. Some missions will ask you to locate missing people or even activate disabled comm arrays. These missions will sometimes pay well but can be hard to figure out and complete. When all else fails, these types of missions are easy ways to make money and other players can take you to the locations if needed.

Dangers: You could get frustrated trying to finish some missions.

Bunker Missions

First Person Shooter players can go on missions to clear bunkers or space stations of NPCs. Ask in chat for people looking for more players to go on bunker missions. It shouldn't take long to find a crew!

Dangers: You might get killed and will have to respawn far away.

Asking for money

If you really have hit rock bottom in Star Citizen then perhaps it is worth trying to simply ask for money. Players during Alpha amass large amounts of credits and are often happy to help someone out by sharing their wealth.

Dangers: You could lose your pride.

Starter Ships Under $100

Aurora (MR, ES, LN, LX)

The Auroras can easily make money via delivery box runs as well as with combat.

Delivery Missions

Delivery box missions are a good source of cash. Some missions overlap at delivery locations so players can take multiple boxes and increase their earnings. Always check your routes and missions before you start to maximize easy profit!

Dangers: Your own greed.

Call To Arms / Combat

The Auroras can handle some combat, enough so that taking the easy missions might be able to generate some income. If you have missiles just remember that they cost money to restock.

Dangers: Your life (Respawn / Reclaim time).

Aurora CL

The Auroras CL is the cargo runner of the Aurora series and as such it can make decent money even compared to larger ships.

Delivery Missions & Trade Runs

Combine cargo running with delivery missions. Check your Mobiglas for the Delivery run routes and check your trading lanes with the latest trading apps on the Star Citizen Resources page.

Dangers: Your cargo investment and time.

Mustang Alpha

The Mustang Alpha is designed to be a starting money maker. It can do a little combat as well as trade cargo. It is also a fast ship meaning your time to travel will be much shorter. The real money maker for the Mustang Alpha however is:

Combat

The Mustang Alpha can equip 4 weapons and no missiles. Due to its great maneuverability it can do decently well in combat. Take the Call to Arms missions for extra money. Test your skills as a combat pilot!

Dangers: You could die in combat.

Cargo Running

The Mustang Alpha can do trade runs and generate a little income. For players who are not suited to combat this is one option to make easy money.

Dangers: You could lose your investment.

Game Generated Missions

Players with this ship should also look into the missions generated in game such as ECN or Private Investigation missions. While not a great option the investment is zero, besides your time, that is.

Dangers: You might fail the mission and waste your time.

Mustang Gamma and Omega

Racers at this time have basically the same options as players without a ship. The difference being your racer can get you to the mission quickly.

Dangers: If you wanted to make money fast and easy you shouldn't have bought a racing ship.

Mustang Beta

The Mustang Beta can bring the player nearly anywhere in the verse but when it comes to making money it goes nowhere fast. Look at the section for making money without a ship.

Dangers: How much money can you make in a single person camper van?

Mustang Delta

The Mustang Delta is a combat ship and besides the money making methods available to anyone this ship is combat focused.

Combat Missions

Take combat missions from the MobiGlas. Call to Arms mission for bonus kills.

Danger: Rockets could cost more than you make. Git gud.

Anvil Pisces

This small ship is capable of doing cargo running and delivery box missions.

Delivery Missions & Trade Runs

Combine cargo running with delivery missions. Check your MobiGlas for the delivery routes and check your trade routes with the latest trading apps on the Star Citizen Resources page.

Dangers: Your cargo investment and time.

Avenger Stalker & Warlock

Combat Missions

These ships should take the combat missions available to earn aUEC easily.

Danger: That moment when you realize your true skill in combat.

Avenger Stalker Titan & Renegade

These Avengers with Cargo can make money in combat as well as combining cargo and delivery runs.

If you're not able to earn aUEC easily with these ships then maybe Star Citizen isn't the game for you.

Dangers: Your own ego.

Arrow

The Arrow is a lethal light fighter that is suited only for combat.

Combat Missions

Take combat missions in your MobiGlas. Try to combine things like Call to Arms with other missions for extra profit.

Dangers: Rearming missiles can be expensive.

300i

The 300i is a strong starting all-rounder.

Combat Missions

Take combat missions in your MobiGlas. Try to combine things like Call to Arms with other missions for extra profit.

Dangers: Rearming missiles can be expensive.

Cargo Missions & Delivery Missions

With 8SCU of cargo, the 300i can combine delivery runs with trade routes to make a decent living, effortlessly.

Dangers: Your investment in cargo.

315p

The 315p is a great money maker for a solo pilot.

Cargo Missions & Delivery Missions

With 12SCU of cargo, the 315p can combine delivery runs with trade routes to earn decent profits.

Dangers: Your investment in cargo.

325a

The 325a is best suited for combat but can also earn credits with delivery boxes and trading.

Combat Missions

The 325a is a combat ship that is quite capable. Take combat missions in the MobiGlas.

Dangers: Missiles and repairs can get expensive.

Cargo Missions & Delivery Missions

With only 4SCU of cargo, the 325a can combine delivery runs with trade routes to additional limited profits.

Dangers: Your investment in cargo.

350r

The 350r is a racing ship with a bed. As such one should probably stick to fast delivery box runs to earn quick credits.

Delivery Missions

Use the 350r's speed to delivery your boxes slightly faster.

Danger: To yourself and others by going too fast.

Star Citizen Money Guide

Reliant Kore

The Reliant Kore is quite a large ship and as such it can be a big target in combat. For easy money stick to delivery and cargo running.

Delivery Missions & Trading

Combine delivery boxes with profitable cargo routes for optimal results.

Dangers: The ship is overly large for its capabilities.

Reliant Mako & Sen

Ships without their gameplay can be quite poor at earning money in game. See also the section for making money without a ship.

Delivery Missions

Delivery mission boxes for profit.

Danger: Boredom

Reliant Tana

The most exciting in the Reliant series for making money.

Combat Missions

Open your MobiGlas and do combat missions. Combine with Call to Arms mission for extra payouts.

Dangers: Large target. Missiles could get expensive.

Herald

Delivery Missions

Open your MobiGlas and do delivery box missions.

Dangers: You might travel too fast.

Gladius

Combat Missions

Open your MobiGlas and do combat missions.

Dangers: What danger? They should fear you!

Combat Ships (Any Price)

Fighter ships generally are capable enough to teach a player the ropes of combat in Star Citizen. All combat ships should focus on... well... combat to earn a living.

Combat Missions

Take combat missions from your MobiGlas. Once you have gotten enough skill and are bored of crushing the NPC enemies then you can start looking into PVP Bounty Missions.

Mercenary Missions
Bounty Hunting Missions (PVP then PVE)
ECN Combat Missions
Claim Jumpers
Pro Tem Bounty

The Pro Tem bounty contract will start you on the bounty hunting missions that will lead to PVP bounties.

Call To Arms contract will pay you per criminal neutralized based on their CrimeStat.

Dangers: You could die, repeatedly.

Cargo Ships $100+

Dedicated freight ships for over $100 should focus on cargo running. Trading requires investment money and familiarity with the routes. If you have no initial capital to invest you will need to do box delivery missions until you have several tens of thousands of aUEC to invest in cargo running.

Cargo Running

Basically combine trade routes for profitable goods. Check the Star Citizen Resources Page to look at Trade apps to help you find the best routes.

Dangers: You could lose all your money.

Mining Ships

Mining ships make money by... mining!

Mining

There are several mining guides available online. The best and most up to date is still Space4Games Mining Guide.

Dangers: Mistakes go boom!

Scout Ships

Scout ships are not for making money, they are for scouting. If you really only have a scouting ship then refer to the section for Making Money Without a Ship. At least you will have a fast scout ship to get places.

Dangers: Your own poor judgement.

Exploration Ships

Exploration ships generally have a fair amount of cargo space in order to bring back things found while exploring.

Unless you have a large exploration ship with a lot of cargo space like a Carrack then:

Combine Cargo Running and Delivery Missions

By taking box delivery missions and finding optimal trade routes to the same locations exploration ships above $100 are easily capable of earning good income.

Dangers: You could lose your cargo and time without discovering anything.

Is Star Citizen Pay To Win

Racing Ships (Excluding 350r)

So all you have with a quantum drive is a single-seater racing ship? And you still need to make money fast you say? Well with your fast ship you can use it to do the missions for people who have no ship.

Dangers: You bought your ship too fast if this is your only ship capable of earning aUEC.

General Tips For All Money Grubbers

If you want to make cash faster always consider the following:

Upgrade your quantum drive - This will greatly reduce travel time!
Plan your routes ahead - This will save running out of fuel or routing problems!
Avoid missions on planets! - Going in and out of atmosphere takes more time
Check your time - Keep track of how long it takes you to make money with each method
Combine missions / trading routes
Check the server stability before start

Sources for this article

Bonus Content

A decade ago, developers released video games as a complete experience that did not require the purchase of additional content. Nowadays, however, paying more in order to gain access to new features -- whether it be new quests, weapons, skins, or skills -- has become common with DLC and microtransactions. If done properly, these ideas can lead to significant profit for the development studio, but some creators have taken this model to questionable lengths.

This is the case with the upcoming game Star Citizen -- an intergalactic exploration simulator which allows players to wander through the unknown confines of the universe aboard ships that can be either unlocked or purchased. The game hasn't released yet, and the release date has been pushed back multiple times with little explanation from the developer, but the official website still allows fans to purchase ships at a variety of costs. Among all of the options available for the community to buy, one stands out: the Completionist Combo. It features nearly every ship in the game. It also costs $15,000 USD.

The questions that begs for an answer is...

What motivates someone to spend approximately the equivalent of one semester of college tuition on extra content for a game that hasn't even released yet?

To address this, it is important to understand first what makes a person spend any money on virtual assets for a video game, regardless of whether it's one dollar for a skin or $15,000 for a pack of ships. Using real money to purchase virtual property seems to be an illogical decision...but is it really?

There are a few tricks that video games, both free to play and not, can use to convince players to pay “few” extra dollars, in order to enhance their experience. And the psychology that goes into that is the basis for what possesses Star Citizen backers to fork over so much cash.

Keeping the player engaged

In an online game, the most fundamental part of creating a compelling experience is having as many players to fill the game universe as possible. A game that cannot keep a community is doomed to fail. As such, game developers often create additional content for their games that players can purchase in order to prolong the experience and retain users after the base game has already been fully explored.

If players stop progressing in the game, they will soon wither away and find other things to do. But if there's the possibility of new content in a game that a player already enjoys, they'll come back. This is one the reasons why players pay for additional content. They want to get access to new features and items, in order to maintain the sense of novelty of the experience.

In Star Citizen, this principle is key, considering that the game is currently in its Alpha stage; therefore, it is crucial that developers continue to add more content to it. They need to ensure that players remain interested in the project throughout its development and continue to put money in it, thus allowing to further refine the game.

The team behind this project have excelled in providing to players new features to be excited about, in order to receive more funding from them. Need proof? Check the image below.

If you must play, you won't play.

This sentence may seem like a fallacy, but it makes sense. Video games are meant to be enjoyable activities, but if players were forced to play a game, the sense of obligation would overshadow the fun of the experience. This same principle holds true for microtransactions.

It is important to let players feel free to choose whether they wish to purchase additional content or not. The mistake many games make is designing a system in which players must buy additional weapons or skills in order to progress in the experience or stand a chance during a PvP encounter. This leads to the sense that you must buy extra content, and that obligation will be detrimental to the experience of the user -- meaning they'll ultimately disengage with the game altogether.

Developers must always respect the free will of their consumers. If a game engages the community and players have an actual choice in whether they will buy more content, they most likely will -- because if the game is good enough, people will want to continue playing.

Star Citizen applies this model by allowing its audience access the available experience by purchasing packages that cost $45 dollars and provide either the single-player or the multiplayer experience. If they wish to play both modes of Star Citizen, they can do so with a $60 package -- which, despite being basic, still offers to its buyers the key elements of the experience that will enhance what they've already seen. The game does not impose that you need to buy the most expensive pack in order to succeed -- which makes it a lot easier for them to open their wallets without feeling forced to keep paying.

Convenience

There only are 24 hours in a day, and life will often fill those hours with responsibilities, including education, family, and work. When people are busy with their daily routines, gaming frequently gets pushed to the sidelines, as they cannot dedicate as much time to their hobby as they wish.

Aware of this situation, developers offer items or packs that allows players to progress faster in the game, but without breaking its balance. This allows people to play who would otherwise be totally disengaged because they didn't have the time to dedicate to the game.

This is an area where Star Citizen shines, as it incentivizes its players to purchase additional ships in the game. Exploring the universe takes a long time, and most people do not have as much free time to do so as they wish they did. As such, given the possibility of buying a better ship in order to progress faster, players that would otherwise set the game aside can give it another chance.

It is fun!

People outside the gaming community may regard buying additional content for a video game as futile, but those individuals usually turn around and spend money on things like books or movie tickets. These activities do not pay you back in any concrete way, so why do people invest their hard-earned money in them? For the same reason gamers buy more game content -- it's fun.

When performing tasks, humans are driven by two different motivators: extrinsic and intrinsic. The former regards the external stimuli exerted upon a person, in order to incentivize him/her to do something. This may be a reward, such as material goods or a salary. The latter denotes the internal desire a person has to engage in a task. Voluntary work is perhaps the best example. People dedicate their time and effort to an activity that will not pay them back in a quantifiable way, but they do it anyway, because they care about the cause or about the people involved in it. And simply engaging in that activity is the reward itself.

Can You Make Real Money In Star Citizen

Intrinsic motivation is the reason why we spend money on entertainment. Despite not getting an actual concrete reward for watching a film, reading a novel, or playing a video game, people still do all of that -- because the fun of the activity, in and of itself, is the reward. In gaming, players purchase extra items because they feel those will enhance the playing experience and maintain its sense of novelty.

This concept is perhaps the most appealing aspect of Star Citizen. We all have looked into the sky at night, wondering what lies beyond the stars. A curiousity that's fueled by sci-fi franchises, our desire to explore outer space speaks to us dearly.

With gameplay based on exploring the galaxy, Star Citizen promises to allow players to fulfill their wildest imaginings -- and as development continues and more features get added, players engaged in the experience will be more willing to invest more money in it.

Sure, they won't receive any actual reward or return for that investment. But the experience of exploring the galaxy like players have always dreamed is more than enough reward for the financial sacrifice.

This is the power of intrinsic motivation.

Psychology aside...who is actually buying those $15,000 ships?

On November 6^th, 2015, PC Gamer published an interview conducted with a man who is the perfect embodiment of intrinsic motivation applied in gaming. Chris (whose last name is not listed in the article) purchased the US $15,000 pack, not only once, but twice -- totaling $30,000 spent on the game.

According to Chris, his support of Star Citizen mostly lies in the fact that it promises to help him realize some of his wildest dreams. In his interview, he explains from where his fascination for space travel began.

“Well, we’re all of the era growing up with Star Wars, Star Trek, just the fantasy of not being stuck to this planet. Through growing up with all the different flavors of Star Trek, and Star Wars, Battlestar: Galactica, and Starship Troopers, and Firefly. All these science fiction movies and you just wish you could live that life.”

People can say what they want regarding the choices of this man, but he is just a fan trying to live his fantasy. In the end, is it not what we are all trying to accomplish by playing video games? This fan just so happens to have more money available than most people would.

There is also the sense of contributing to a greater purpose, as Chris says:

“I’ve helped create a project that I think is going to be game changing for the next decade”.

On Reddit, a user that goes by name of “YT-0” also endorses the idea. He did not buy the $15,000 pack, but he claims to have purchased several smaller packs that amount to approximately to the same figure. The reason? He wishes to see the project succeed, just as much as Chris does. He says on the thread:

'I want this game to succeed, and I want to be able to say I was a part of it. I love this genre and even if Star Citizen doesn't turn out to be exactly the game that I want, this is my way of helping to say that we're here and this is what we want and we are willing to pay for it.

I am a firm believer in voting with your wallet when it comes to games. I've thrown money at Star Citizen for the same reason I've refused to buy an EA game since being slapped in the face with Battlefield 3.'

So what drives an individual to spend $15,000 on a single game?

Apparently, it's the desire to fulfill a meaningful, lifelong fantasy of exploring the stars, and the sense of purpose that comes from helping to fund a project believed to hold great potential to change this industry for the better.

Star Citizen has a solid system that encourages players to invest their money. It allows them to live their fantasy, thus keeping intrinsic motivation high, whilst adding more content to the experience, maintaining its novelty. Players do not need to buy these ships or spend this much cash to have an enjoyable experience, but the way the experience is set up highly encourages further investment without making it feel like an obligation.