EVE New Citizens Q&A

Try Exploration in low / null sec?

PvP would find you, I'm sure. And from what I hear it can be a lot of fun to frustrate hopeful PvPers by slipping away under their grasp...

I'm a complete newbie, mind you. But I'm reading a lot and I think I would like to do that, too, once my skills are up to it...


Cheers, Ryder

It takes almost no skills to do low sec explo. I see 2-3 month old characters probing down low sec sights all the time. Just be quick with the d-scan, know what us going on while you're playing loot-kakke

Exploration like trading is probably one of the professions that doesn't benefit so much from being in a group. That said, you learn more and faster in a group of people that have similar interests.

One thing you can do while you are finding your feet again is to join the ingame channel Exploration and just lurk in there. There are some useful links in the MOTD and the talk of low sec riches might tempt you out there.

It still makes sense, IMO, to get some experience exploring in high sec to start with so that when and if you venture to less secure space you can focus on what is around you rather than get ganked because you are so caught up with learning the mechanics of exploration.

edit : typo

Solo low-sec exploration has many benefits: first, it's profitable, then it's actually much more fun, rewarding and much less dull than high-sec PvE as it will teach you how to use the d-scan in a defensive fashion and how to evade people who are actively trying to put you down. Although not combat (if you find yourself in your PvE ship engaged in a PvP combat situation, you're screwed), that makes a nice introduction to the inner mechanics of PvP.
And while playing cat and mouse with pirates you might actually make some friends with them or with other locals (at least I did, on more than one occasion).

Solo null-sec exploration takes it to another level, it's actually much more dangerous and much less predictable, although it somewhat still depends on the area you're in (Curse is not Syndicate which is not Providence which is not GW which is not conquerable space...). It also requires much higher resources, constant awareness and even better knowledge of the game mechanics. I would certainly not recommend it to a new player that is yet not quite comfortable in low-sec.

Solo wormhole exploration is not feasible, I guess, or require skills and resources that are way out of reach of a "new" player anyway.

By the way, in my book "solo" means no alts, no scouts, no links.

Open the map, find an area that suits you, get to know its topography, get to know the locals and get started! Remember that you only need a T1 scanning frigate (but train for covert ops ASAP) and an assault frigate if you plan to do combat sites (of course I'm obviously not talking about Sansha Annexes, here).

Actually Zoe, I have to disagree with you on these points.

In my experience, it is better to head for null sec then low sec. Much better loot and a lot fewer players out hunting you. Yes, the null sec alliances that lay claim to a give part of null probably hate us with a passion, but solo explorers are probably the least of their worries, and not worth the effort to try and push us out.
We are like flies around that pile of freshly deposited and still steaming doggie do-do. Yes, they will swat a few of us, but more will swarm in to suck up that lovely null sec goodness.

I regularly work WH systems too, mainly mining for rare ores, gas mining, and if I find a particularly quiet system I will also do the exploration sites there.
Ok, by 'working' I mean 'ninja' raiding rather than trying to set up and live out of a POS in one.

The trick when soloing a WH system is not to think "If I lose a ship" to "When I lose a ship". I have lost maybe half a dozen ships to WH systems. But I go in with a clean clone and a cheap and cheerful 'Throw away' ship.

I can drag more out of a WH system with in-between losses being a nuisance then an issue.

Oh and I am also talking about soloing in exactly the way you have defined.

One character, no scouts, no alts, no nothing Meta gaming wise. It can all be more then done, it is a challenge, it's not easy, but that is what draws me too it. Max goes anywhere he wants, does anything he wants to do, and will cheerfully thumb his nose at anybody who tries to stop him. And takes his 'lumps' cheerfully when they do stop him and stomp on him!

Goonies are the Bee swarm of Eve, Max is that annoying Blue Bottle that buzzes about your bedroom when you are trying to get to sleep. It's there, it's bloody annoying, but it's just too much effort to get out of bed and grab the fly spray!

I have been doing Solo PVP since I started playing.

Damn, it sounds like even null is not safe in Eve any more :(

Now seriosly: Exploration is one of the solo career path listed, but it is not that profitable since the Odessey patch. And if you are looking PvP side of things in PvE activity, you probably better off with missioning. Proper Exploration fit is not suited for PvE combat and PvE combat fit is in most cases something different from PvP combat fit. If you are going to use Gnosis as all-in-one ship for all activities you will lack hacking bonus of cover op frigates during exploration, your shield recharge rate, low speed and number of other things will criple your combat abilities. So if you decide to go exploration - you should probably focus on getting cover op frigate ASAP. And it is not a solo PvP ship. If you are going to try PvP or PvE combat activity - you should probably skip learning exploration related skills.

Just for clarification, when I was talking about pvp rather than pve, I was less talking about chasing ships down and shooting them, than I was the part of the game that is driven by interactions a dealings with other players. Basically, not mining and not missions.

On a side rail, we have new faces now? When did that happen?

What Max said.

I choose to go and kill people when I want. I don't need to share isk I made from drops or from people that pay me to go away.

Even though my gameplay is Solo I do have a lot of contacts/intel/friends that I can call on for support.

When you join bigger entities you are basically required to stay in-line and work with the group to achieve something. As a solo player my only goal is to enjoy myself and that is what I do.

I don't pve or do industry. I make enough ISK from PVP to support my PVP gameplay.