i dunno if you can acctaully set up a mine field, i've never tried. i just drop em as people follow me. i'll try later to drop a tonne of mines and shoot out a trade ring

Trading always gets the biggest income the fastest.
That, or looting a valuable shipwreck.

I believe you can go full pirate when you get a stop in the main storyline, and it won't hinder the campaign a bit. You just have to go mental and shoot everyone in sight, that's about all it takes.

hmmm

is there any kind of specific place where i could go about finding these shipwrecks? i remember hearing about them at the start of the game, but now i just beat mission 8, and i still havent found any.

i have done pirating. in fact i started once in a server as a xenos pirate. everyone is hostile. i was stationed at colorado xenos base oura(or something) and i could mine diamonds there. maybe you get 1 diamond out of 15 rocks. i also raided a lot and lane hack too as well! it's actually my basic money generator and a relationship improvement of the other pirates. in time i was able to get friendly with liberty rogues and bought the dagger. from there i bought the dromedary after a looong and dangerous travel. had probably more than 15 ships chasing after me in west point and LA planet. once i get the planet i went back to my hunting ground and start shooting trains. i got 39 engine components last time and i was insta rich. just 40k anyway. but it's good enough for a pirate like me. it's a starting point for my sabre savings. wheee! for me it is fun! and more creative to survive in freelancer world. and in time i will be able to be friendly to all illegal groups in freelancer thus i can equip myself some nasty equipment!

oh as to raiding... choose your target well... it's no use killing a train carrying water.