Ships & Modules

The other day I presented a question in regards to whether or not cross training from Gallente platforms and into a Raven for running missions would be efficient in the long run. After having put some thought into my own question and some of the answers I had received I figured I would expand onto my own question(s).

To note - I have roughly 6.7mil sp. I currently mission in a Domi using a fitting that boosts sentry drone damage. I can only use T1 Sentries atm. I enjoy my Domi, but I have considered cross training away from Turrets and into Missiles due to inconsistent dps.

To elaborate on what I believe to be effective; Something with consistent dps and speedy mission times. I recently completed Angel Extravaganza (minus the bonus wave.) With salvage time included it took around an hour and a half. I've heard of people doing that in less than half the amount of time it took me.

So to the meat and bones of this question. What is the most efficient Tier 1, non faction battleship for completing level 4 missions?

Cross training into another ship is not a problem. I have minimal skills for missile platforms, but after playing around with EVEMon and EFT I can fit myself into a Raven with a respectable tank and DPS in 30 days (give or take a few days.) Within that same 30 days I'll have completed my training for T2 Sentries.

I refer to cross training into a Raven due to it being on the complete other side of the board in terms of Skill training, not because I am solely stuck on the idea of flying one.

I have right around 1m SP in Drone skills, 2.5m in Gunnery and 1m in Mechanics. Im not sure if that helps any, but there it is.

Feedback is much appreciated =)

if i were you i'd rather train up minmatar and save up for a machariel. 1bil really is not that much if you are running lvl4s properly.

Maelstrom or Raven.

+1. Was going to post pretty much exactly this. I hear a lot about the raven (although I have only ever used the golem), but am reasonably certain that a properly fit/skilled dominix can beat it out.

Heres the link to the previous thread.

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&find=unread&t=136253

My SP is low, but having been on a lengthy hiatus has dimmed me a bit. There is alot that I need to try and remember or catch up on. These new Drone Modules or Faction Drones for example are brand new to me. Having seen these new additions have definitely reinvigorated my priorities.

When I was last playing I solo Missioned myself into boredom. Its partly why I went on a hiatus. The other part was me rage quitting after noobishly joining my buddies corp without realizing he was war decced and being popped in the middle of a mission no more than 20 minutes after joining.

This character is 3 years old, and I've never consistently played for more than a few months without taking a hiatus and I believe its due to my lack of understanding with the way the game works. As far as I knew then and practice now, my options are mining and mission running to make isk. While I know this is not true, I admit I am too carebear-ish to venture into low sec without friends, and I wont venture into Null sec until I am part of a much larger entity. Again, I avoid low sec and null sec out of fear. I have no inhibitions in admitting this.

While intriguing as they are (and profitable I'm sure) I'll stick to my random RvB skirmishes for PvP experience and zombie click away in L4 missions until my EvE sack drops and I risk going into unsecure space.

Anyways, thanks again for all of the suggestions. They are all very much appreciated.

@Liang - If running missions is that bad, what alternatives can you share? This is not skepticism, but genuine curiosity.

If I had to scrape up some ISK quick, I'd do one of the following (in order):
- Sell some stock on the market. This is how I make the overwhelming majority of my ISK.
- C2 WH with a C2 static. I think I'd like to try this with a Kronos, but I know that Sleipnir + Noctis generally pulls in 100-150M/hr. This is where I make my "PVE ISK".
- Low Sec FW. My bomber pilots are hands down the most profitable thing I've ever done. My peak ISK/hr over an 8 hour period was around 450M/hr and the price of Slicers is looking pretty good [hint, hint].
- Low sec L5s. I've done this in a solo PVP (triage fit!) Nidhoggur, but I think I'd like to try it in an actual mission fit with a marauder on the side. Solo Niddy pulled in ~100M/hr and I'm betting an actual mission fit + marauder could bump it to above 200M/hr.
- 0.0 L4s + High sec AFK L4s. I guess this was pulling in ~120-170M hr, depending on whether I got camped in 0.0. I was using a Vargur in 0.0 and an overtanked FOF Tengu in high sec.

Let me know if you have questions.

-Liang

Ed: Just to be clear, I make most of my ISK from the market. The goal here is to do what I want to do in Eve and not spend time hamstrung by a lack of ISK.

Also, I forgot that I spent several months training up a series of PI alts and still haven't done anything with them. Invading a C1 WH for them would be a good plan too.

The best thing to do, honestly, is to have several mission ships to choose from. Pick the one with the best natural resistances to the enemy. That way, you can fit less tank and more gank without getting pwnt. For example, gallente armor ships vs angels generally isn't a good idea since you have a huge exp hole to plug, and you can't fire into their exp hole. So naturally the maelstrom is great for the job. However vs serpentis, the AC mael will have trouble with long range boats and the arty mael will have issues with the faster, close range blaster boats...not to mention it's slow as balls, and can't do kinetic damage...so a megathron or hyperion would be a much better fit, due to railguns' very adaptable engagement range and those ships' superior gtfo ability. The raven is a common go-to ship because it can kite from a long way off and still hit things partially negating the need to have high resists, and can shoot into any faction's weakest resist, but its actual dps output (and thus mission completion time) is quite a bit lower than what you get with gunships.

Better yet, get both. They're both differently good. :)

-Liang

Heh, I ended up selling my mission CNR to a corpmate who was still doing L4s. I did keep the Tengu, but I turned it into a C2-3 WH runner instead. I do have several fallback mission ships though:
- Hype in Ylandoki
- Drake in Ylandoki
- Domi in Inghenges
- Maelstrom in Inghenges
- Drake in Audaerne
- Nighthawk in Audaerne
- Abaddon in Turnur

And yes, that's the first time I've ever disclosed where I did my missioning. ;-)

-Liang

Ed: I forgot about my Vargur... it's somewhere out in Stain but I don't really know where. Obviously my care is so great. Also, the Hype, Drake, Domi, and Maelstrom all pretty well inaccessible. It'll be a cold day in hell before those characters enter high sec for more than a suicide gank.

I played around with EFT some more: 4.2km optimal and 48.4km falloff (with +5% falloff implant, 2 TEIIs, 1TCII+script, RF EMP).

And 72.xkm falloff with barrage for Angel missions.

I think that soundly beats the Golems pitiful 40km/60km. And, in contrast to the Golem, the Maelstrom won't have any trouble vaporizing frigates and cruisers if their angular velocity is low enough.

Having just switched to a Vargur, I really enjoy this ability. AE or DoD spider drones? With the Golem, it's "get out the drones and wait for them to slowly chew through the two spider drones; with the Vargur, it's "start locking the two little pests at ~80km and pop them with one shot each when the lock completes at ~40km".

It's a bit ironic that the Golem, being a "we don't do drones" Caldari ship, is the only marauder that requires drones to function properly.

But now I'm a bit too far beyond the original topic of this thread.