Star Citizen: Ultimate Guide to Getting In-Game Credits/Money

If you’ve found this page, you are ready to venture into the unknown. And if you’re going into the dark void of space to see what, exactly, is out there, you want to come prepared. But if you’ve come here, you also want to make the most of your time in outer space. While your friends may have expensive spaceships, you’re more frugal than that. How do you make the most credits in the least amount of time? This guide will tell you everything you need to know!

What is Star Citizen?

But first, what is Star Citizen? Star Citizen is a massively multiplayer online trading and combat simulator. It takes place in the 30th century. As the name might imply, it takes place in space. Customizing your ships for different tasks is part of the game, leading some players to invest in spacecraft that must be bought with real money. Thanks to the game’s out-of-this-world graphics, it is PC-exclusive.

Is Star Citizen Free to Play?

Star Citizen is in no way a free game. There is not even a standard 30-day free trial period. Some free trials come around, but you need to be fast—they don’t last long. They can range from 7 to 30 days. Read the fine print.

The game is usually purchased using Roberts Space Industry (RSI) packages. These packages start at $45, but many people will opt for the $65 package that includes both single- and multiplayer modes. Subscribers can also pay smaller fees monthly or yearly to unlock bonus perks.

Some players also spend real money to acquire more effective ships. But why would someone do that in the first place?

Why Would Someone Pay Real Money for a Virtual Ship?

Some readers may be scratching their heads as to why, exactly, people are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a bunch of pixels. These pixels usually are not necessary to fully enjoy the game. Most of the time, not only are things bought with premium currency earnable, but they only serve to make your experience go more quickly.

And that’s the crux of the matter: if nothing else, it takes time to get those items. Some people enjoy the hard work it takes to get an item they want. Other people would rather not spend that time. Your desire for time versus money will probably affect whether you buy a ship or not.

In other words, just like anything else, you are spending money on something that would otherwise cost time. There are already markets for this sort of thing in games like World of WarCraft, Final Fantasy XIV Online, and other MMOs. Star Citizen is no different.

Can I Get a Cool Ship Without Spending Real Money?

What if you see an amazing ship that isn’t behind a paywall? You can get those without opening your wallet. If your dream ship is one of those, all you’ll have to pay is the $45–65 for the starter package. Star Citizen is not pay-to-win.

All buying a paid ship will do is expedite whatever missions you have to do. It is by no means necessary to play the game. But there is one major reason to get a paid ship that will come up later. For now, let’s get into the tips and tricks to get you a cool ship more quickly!

What Are Some Effective Ways to Make Money in Star Citizen?

There are only so many hours in a day. You realize that buying a ship could save you time, but you don’t want to spend money either. What are the ways that you can get the most money during the game time that you have?

There are several methods that players can use in-game to get credits in Star Citizen without spending real money. Many guide-makers use Aurora-MR as an example; we will focus on that ship as well.

Method 1: Deliveries

Deliveries may seem basic, but if you’re completely new, they are a good place to start. After getting past a tedious mission worth 8,000 credits, missions worth 45,000 credits will start popping up.

Method 2: Destroy Skimmer Missions

Destroy skimmer missions require excellent use of scanners and flight skills. Don’t waste time chasing the AI. Just locate the square targets on your scanner and fire away. Skimmers don’t shoot back!

Method 3: Bounties

Bounty hunting is great if you are past your starter ship. Work yourself up from your group bounty certification into high-risk targets (HRTs) and very high-risk targets (VHRTs). The riskier the target, the more you get paid.

If Aurora is all you have, you might want to hold off on bounties. The Avenger Titan is good for bounty hunting, so if you can rent that early, it may be worth your time.

Method 4: Mining

If you have a good mining ship like the Prospector, you may be able to make a lot of in-game currency by mining. If you are far enough in the game, go to Lyria in the ArcCorp System and start pinging around mountains for Quantanium!

Method 5: Salvaging

Salvaging as its name implies consists of doing salvage either by hand or by ships like the vulture on other ships or parts of ships found in the verse, specifically at asteroid fields and lagrange points. Search for parts/pieces and not the whole ship, you'll spot these by looking at the highest RS signature you get while scanning and going to that point as those are the most profitable ones you need to focus on for your best UEC per hour.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to make shiploads of credits in Star Citizen—and many of them depend on what you enjoy most about the game!

General Tips

Here are some general tips while grinding away for those sweet, sweet credits:

• Master flying. Delivery missions are great for this!
• If one server runs out of missions, switch to another server.
• Play the method that you will enjoy the most.

But here are some things you shouldn’t do if you want to make the most of your game time:

• Don’t mine without a mining ship. You won’t get the best materials without one.
• Don’t salvage without a salvaging ship. You won’t get the best profit without one.
• Don’t choose skimmer destruction missions under the “personal” tab. It increases your crime rating!

Will I Lose My Ships After a Wipe?

In the past, players could lose their ships after a database reset called a “wipe.” But is that still the case now? CIG has made some claims to the contrary.

During the 3.17 wipe, players got to keep both their reputation and whatever ships they had purchased with real money. However, things such as items, in-game currency, and ships were all lost. Again: paid ships were safe.

Conclusion

Star Citizen is an MMO PC game with stellar graphics and an astronomical budget to match. The game has both subscription perks and offers several very good ships for real money. But aside from the starter packages, you shouldn’t need to spend real money to get the spaceship you want.

If you see an expensive ship that you like, however, it may be worth it. The player base does not bat an eye at buying pricey ships if it means customizing their experience. Paid ships are also safe from database wipes. These expensive vessels are still not a good idea for 100% new players who may not know what they enjoy most about Star Citizen. Explore the galaxy before you splurge.

But if you just can’t wait, stop at StarCitizen-ReferralCode.com before you make your account and pick up a package that will make that oxygen-free environment a little more hospitable. We cycle through offers that will let you mine, shoot, and deliver that much faster. The packages also do include some credits, add to that the use of our Referral Code and you'll get even more credits just to give your new account extra fuel.