How do I make PED?

A noob's second question

Because of the emphasis in MindArk's promotional efforts of Entropia Universe on it's "real cash economy" and the possibility to earn real cash, combined with the fact that every new colonist starts with absolutely nothing but their tattered orange jumpsuit and an empty PED card, it is inevitable that after the first few questions about navigation that a noob will ask the question "How do I make PED?"

This will most likely turn out to be a rather long post, but the information contained within it will give you some insight into the Entropian economy, and may carry you a long way if you take the time to thouroughly read and understand it.

Understanding the Entropian Economy

Before I start going too much into detail about how to actually make some PED, there are a few key points that need to be understood about Entropia Universe and it's economy. First I will start with one of the most important points. If you came to EU solely for the purpose of making money, you should be able to relate to this point completely, though don't let it discourage you as the opportunities in Entropia Universe are nearly endless. To put it bluntly: MindArk is a for-profit company. They are not a charity nor are they going to hand out money to everyone simply for joining or playing Entropia Universe. If they were to attempt such a thing, they would go bankrupt very quickly and Entropia Universe would cease to exist. It is up to each individual player to find his or her own method of making money within EU, if that is what the individual desires.

EU is very much unlike most other MMOs that you will encounter. It is true that there is absolutely no subscription fee whatsoever to join, and it is entirely possible to play 100% free of charge, given that you have the desire, the persistance, the dedication, and/or the creativity to make it happen. It has been and is being done by many Entropian citizens. It is, however, a bit irrational to expect to "get rich" off of EU overnight, with little to no effort.

The majority of other MMOs out there are subscription-based. For those you pay a flat monthly rate to "play," with little or no possibility of ever taking anything back from the game the money or time that you have put into it. Most of these games are also generally extremely easy to master, and once you become 'uber' there is not much more to look forward to. This is a far cry from Entropia. Here, there is not a single soul who has entirely mastered the game, and the colonists vary anywhere from those who play entirely for free to those who have deposited hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, with successful business people of both the depositing and non-depositing variety. As for the other MMOs out there that do have a real cash economy, I have yet to personally see one that offers as much of a gaming aspect nor as many possibilities as EU has to offer to it's inhabitants.

Player types

From my personal observations, I would guesstimate that roughly 75% of EU inhabitants are those who deposit/buy PEDs on a regular basis to play the gaming side of Entropia Universe at a level that they are comfortable with. This is basically "paying for entertainment." Though it is possible to play entirely for free, it takes less effort and is much faster to buy PEDs if you're just looking to play the game. As mentioned earlier, if these players were playing another MMO, they'd most likely be paying a subscription fee anyway, and with EU there is more flexibility as to how much money you want to put into it. Want an expensive item? If you have the extra cash...just deposit to buy the item. Completely broke this month? That's fine too, you don't have to deposit anything...and you won't lose your account or get it locked just because you don't have any money to put in this month. Some of these players will end up with their avatars being worth more than their initial investment, some less...but there are very very few ways to lose everything you've put into EU. So unless you get scammed, hacked, break the EULA & lose your account, give away everything you put in, or make a really incredibly stupid purchase, then you can pretty much rest assured that you'll be able to withdrawl at least a decent portion of what you've deposited into EU if you ever have the desire to do so.

I also guesstimate that about 10% of Entropians are those who now make money after a moderate to very large monetary investment, and another 10% are those who basically turned nothing into something and are now either making a lot of PED, or just enough that they don't have to deposit in order to play the gaming side of EU. The remaining 5% would fit into the "other" catagory, perhaps using EU as a fancy chat room, for example.

Remember that the observations in the above outline are my own, and are most likely not 100% accurate (not to mention a very narrow view of who plays EU,) but are intended only to give a rough idea of what can and cannot be expected of the Entropian economy.

Where to begin

Where, exactly, to begin really depends on what your overall goals are, whether or not you are willing/able to deposit & what amount(s), how much time you plan to invest, and other factors. If you came here solely to earn money, you probably want to avoid the main "skilled" professions within EU, at least until you have a steady income for your avatar, as MindArk is a for-profit company and it does cost money to "play" the gaming side of EU. While it is possible to profit from hunting, mining, crafting, etc. and some people do, it is highly unlikely for most to do so. Instead, the focus should be to earn money by offering services to other Entropians that you can charge them a fee for, and not attempt to make a profit off of MindArk/Entropia Universe directly. MindArk has incorporated some systems/objects that allow players to earn income from the playerbase, and many Entropians have also taken it upon themselves to come up with their own creative ways of earning PEDs.

Non-depositors/beginners

MindArk has incorporated and advertizes 3 ways to earn free PED:

Sweat gathering Anyone can gather vibrant sweat from the wild creatures that inhabit this universe. Vibrant sweat has a Trade Terminal value of 0.001pec, or 1pec per 1000 bottles. Thankfully though, sweat has an actual practical use, making it of value to other players who do not wish to take the time to gather it themselves. The market value of vibrant sweat varies depending on supply vs. demand. At the time of this writing, the average prices range from .5pec per bottle to .6 pec per bottle, or 5 to 6 PED per 1000 bottles. This is the most practical and easiest of the 3 ways to earn "free" PED.

Fruit and Dung gathering Both fruit and dung spawn randomly on the ground in the wild, and can be picked up by anyone. Like vibrant sweat, both of these have a very low TT value, but will sell for a higher price on the market. It is easiest to spot fruit or dung while standing still or walking slowly. If you're running, chances are you will pass by the spawn before the graphics have time to render on the screen. If you're walking along and suddenly see butterflies or flies, you know you're close to a fruit or dung spawn.

The oil rig The oil rig is an actual small rig by the eastern coast of Eudoria that spawns random-sized stacks of oil at random intervals, that anyone who can get close enough to the rig is free to pick up. Oil has a higher TT value and an even higher market value than sweat, fruit, or dung, at 1pec per barrel * market value (currently around 115% I believe,) so of course it is quite difficult to get to the oil rig. The rig is actually located in the very center of a PvP (player vs. player) zone, and is also surrounded by rather large and aggressive creatures. Though it may be quite difficult, it is not entirely impossible for a brand-new OJ to get to the rig and actually get some oil. I will post an oil-rig guide in another thread when I get the chance, and link to it from here. Edit: Done! Click here!

These three methods of earning PED are really only intended to give you something to start with, and are not very practical to use as a long-term source of income for your avatar. It is best to use these methods to save up as much PED as you need to start in another business venture instead.

Other income sources

There are many other methods of earning PED within EU, once you have enough money to invest. Some of these methods have been created by MindArk, others by Entropian citizens, and some a combination of both. With a little luck & creativity, you may actually be the next Entropian to discover your own brand new unique method of earning PEDs.

A few Money-earning professions

Trading
Event organizing
Land Owning
Pilots
Beauticians
Artists
Advertisers/getting a job
Shop owners
Pets & pet handlers
FAP-ers
hunters-for-hire
& more