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EVE New Citizens Q&A

 
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Need some tips for explorer hunting!
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Smelly Boyhehe
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#1 - 2014-03-07 16:15:04 UTC
I've recently discovered how much fun it is to throw a probe scanner on a hound and hunt explorers by sitting in data/relic sites.

But! Where I go to hunt, it's usually pretty quiet and it's seeming to take forever for people to actually warp in. About 1 kill in the past four hours.

Would anyone recommend systems in the Minnie area?

Would I be better checking out systems next to Trade hubs (Such as rens) and such?
Nalelmir Ahashion
Industrial Management and Engineering
Mouth Trumpet Cavalry
#2 - 2014-03-07 16:22:36 UTC
Patience little grass hopper....

The whole point of your choice of activity is the hunt if you just want to shoot ppl go to AMAMAKE https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Amamake_(System)
Smelly Boyhehe
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#3 - 2014-03-07 16:27:43 UTC
Just gets a little tedious after an hour o:

I'll be more patient though. The tears are worth it.
Artora
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#4 - 2014-03-07 16:44:07 UTC
It is indeed a game of patience. Though usually a guaranteed kill as exploration frigates don't usually fit for survival. I have tried it a few times but the wait is just too boring for me to handle.
Smelly Boyhehe
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#5 - 2014-03-07 16:47:22 UTC
Artora wrote:
It is indeed a game of patience. Though usually a guaranteed kill as exploration frigates don't usually fit for survival. I have tried it a few times but the wait is just too boring for me to handle.


I do it whilst studying or when I'm having to alt tab and such, pretty good in that sense since it requires little attention.
Alice Ituin
Doomheim
#6 - 2014-03-07 16:57:59 UTC
Personally I like to hunt near null sec entrances. Chances are that an explorer comes back from a null sec trip with some nice loot in his cargo and just can't resist that last relic site on the way out. Pirate

However I use two characters for this. My scout disguises himself as an explorer and prepares the warpin for my main who then kills the target with a venture.
That way I can do other stuff on my main while I wait and the explorer doesn't get scared of by an obvious PvP char in system.
Reason for using the venture is, that most explorers won't abort a hack when they see a venture on d-scan. By the time they could have checked the killboard it's already too late.
Of course you can't kill a properly fit astero with this method - but a bomber can't either. (most asteros aren't fit properly anyway)
J'Poll
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#7 - 2014-03-07 17:18:02 UTC
As said, the long wait times are part of the game you picked up.

Explorer hunting and fast delivery of ship2ship violence dont go well together.

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Trevor Dalech
Nobody in Local
Of Sound Mind
#8 - 2014-03-08 06:51:21 UTC
I generally patrol a loop of about 5 to 10 systems. Bookmark everything, and include the 3 letters of the sig ID in the bookmark. That way you immediately spot new sigs when you revisit a system. If you scan down a relic or data site, also make a bookmark at least 150km away from the cans.

Once you find that data or relic sites are disappearing, it means there's an explorer active in the region you're patrolling. If you warp to one of the cleared bookmarks, you'll often find they left a jet can filled with carbon or other junk there. Show info on the can will tell you their name. The hunt is on!

If you see probes or an exploration ship on d-scan when you jump in system, or if you see a known explorer in local (I add every explorer I see as a neutral contact, so they show up gray) you warp to the 150km bookmark you made off a relic site and wait. Once the explorer shows up and starts hacking you can warp to the can he is hacking, decloak, and open fire.

Try to reach the explorer before he opens the first can, partially cleared sites (especially when some of the more valuable cans such as remains are unhacked ) are a signal to other explorers that something is up. You also don't want the site despawning, as that means you lose the camp site you just so carefully bookmarked.

Fit two warp scramblers, most explorers fly with several warp stabs. If you can afford it you might even want to consider a faction scram for a total of 5 points, some magnates and asteros will have 4 stabs fit.

Do realize that a well tanked exploration frig with good drone skills can make short work of a stealth bomber. It's how I keep the competition down.

Good hunting!
Praxis Ginimic
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#9 - 2014-03-08 07:54:25 UTC
A lot of people will tell you to use a bomber because there's no lock delay but I find that a cov-ops scanning frig is much better.

Try to think of it as an actual hunt. What you are doing in the bomber is finding a watering hole where you expect the game to show up. Then you climb into your tree stand and wait for your prey.

With a scanning frig you're actively stalking your prey from system to system. If you see probes on scan then it becomes more important to scan down all the signs faster then they can. If you see a frig on scan then you have to scan down the site they are in before they finish.

I find that the imicus is great for this. You can use all of your slots for tank, dps, e-war, scanning upgrades, etc and have 4 hob goblins to do the work... all with an expanded launcher. I have taken out atrons and algos in mission pockets with the imicus.

Another way to change things up is to hunt big game. Stash an anti-mission runner fit frig in every system in your area so you can kill drakes. Switch out for a cruiser when you find a caracal, vexor or myrm.

One more tip. If you are good enough at combat probing you won't need a cloak for the exploration frigs. Combat probes let you land right on top of them instead of at the site warp-in point.

Have fun