Also depends on what you want - and who you want it from. One of the Hope L-p's was rich in Maas shipping, but they only had metal goods like rivets and miscasts. Maas bases are good if you're willing to wait - dont hit the megafreighters with 6 escorts (wait until you're in scene 3 and have the teeth to do so), but you can frag the little guys with the one-ship escorts and haul away decent stuff. I managed to get a pod of Plutonium that way, though Jaffs wouldnt come near the joint since there were Cruisers inbound. I docked with the pod and haulled it me own self.
For just stuff - if you want just a gazillion tons of soya and mood stabilizers for recycling into missiles and whatnot - wait for the distress calls - and go to the ones that are hitting freighters. Usually by the time you get there the freighters have dumped their cargo - whack the marauders and tag the jettisoned cargo.
For megafreighters, unless you're armed with toys that you'll only see in the encyclopedia until late in the game, ignore megafreighters. However, when jumping from L-points, keep an eye (and an ear) open for megafreighters jumping in. Sometimes Maas Megafreighters get rammed by their fighter escorts and explode. Free loot! Sometimes I've scored really great stuff just by not jumping out at the last minute and scooping up the remnants of a Maas accedent.
"Our crack 4-pounders made an awful din
but with one fat ball the Yank' stove us in
The Antellope shuddered and pitched on her side (how I wish I was in Sherbrook now)
Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
And the Main Truck carried off both me legs"
Stan Rogers "Barretts Privateers"
The Original Plan - get into as much trouble as possible, then shoot your way out
The Original Plan - get into as much trouble as possible, then shoot your way out
