These forums have been archived and are now read-only.

The new forums are live and can be found at https://forums.eveonline.com/

Ships & Modules

 
  • Topic is locked indefinitely.
 

High Sec Exploration Ship progression
Author
Previous Topic Next Topic
Gosch Ti
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#1 - 2013-10-12 13:08:14 UTC
Hi all,
Can you give me hints for Ships to use for Exploration?
Want to be able to run sites too with it. I have read that the Tengu or another of the Strategic Cruisers is well suited.
Problem is that I have a Month of skills to get into any one strategic cruiser. Just want to ask what I should use in the meantime and what to focus on.

Kind Regards,
Gosch Ti
Bertrand Butler
Cras es Noster
#2 - 2013-10-12 13:12:58 UTC
You dont really need any firepower to do a high sec exploration site now.

Start with a T1 scanning frigate, and then move on to a covops.
CallieX Darklighter
Deep Space Exploration and Salvage
#3 - 2013-10-12 13:36:12 UTC
Unless you are planning on using a strat-cruiser for high-sec relics and artifacts sites, which is extremely overkill btw I would recommend the following:

For Caldari ships: (missles and shields)
Kestel> Caracal>Cerberus (you can throw a drake in before the Cerb, up to you)

Gallente: (drones and armor)
Tristan> Vexor>Ishtar

Amarr and Minni have some decent ships but IMO the progression isn't near as fluid. With Caldari and Gallente ships you easily progress to the next step up in ship type. All Skills directly transfer to the next one, etc. As for the T3s (strat cruisers) they are no longer allowed through high-sec combat sites. So while both paths will lead you towards a T3, they aren't really worth focusing on for exclusive high-sec exploring.

*IF* I was new and planning on exclusive highsec exploring, my goal would be the Cerberus. And I've explored in a Ishtar for almost 2 years now on my main, overall the Ishtar is better. But you said HighSec so...
Fia Magrath
The Clown Inquisition
#4 - 2013-10-12 15:50:46 UTC
plexing and doing data/relic sites on top of scanning in the same ship isn't very viable imo. Sure an ishtar or a cerberus are capable of pulling it off quite easily since they don't really need a tank.. But consider this - a specialized probing/hacking frig will find the sites faster and complete them faster and with more success, a specialized combat ship will complete the plex faster and is more capable of snatching the loot under fire should it be necessary. Also unless you completely gimp your tank and max scanning skills you wont be able to pin down some of the signals in unbonused ships. Hisec exploration is all about speed and this kind of setup has none.

So.. do what everybody does and roll both a HAC and covops toon and dualbox!
Zhilia Mann
Tide Way Out Productions
#5 - 2013-10-12 15:56:29 UTC
CallieX Darklighter wrote:
Unless you are planning on using a strat-cruiser for high-sec relics and artifacts sites, which is extremely overkill btw I would recommend the following:

For Caldari ships: (missles and shields)
Kestel> Caracal>Cerberus (you can throw a drake in before the Cerb, up to you)

Gallente: (drones and armor)
Tristan> Vexor>Ishtar

Amarr and Minni have some decent ships but IMO the progression isn't near as fluid. With Caldari and Gallente ships you easily progress to the next step up in ship type. All Skills directly transfer to the next one, etc. As for the T3s (strat cruisers) they are no longer allowed through high-sec combat sites. So while both paths will lead you towards a T3, they aren't really worth focusing on for exclusive high-sec exploring.

*IF* I was new and planning on exclusive highsec exploring, my goal would be the Cerberus. And I've explored in a Ishtar for almost 2 years now on my main, overall the Ishtar is better. But you said HighSec so...


Pretty much agree with all of this. To repeat the most important part: T3s are not allowed in any rated sites in high sec (discounting the near-mythic high sec 5/10). Do not train for one if high sec exploration is your end goal.

As for the Cerberus versus Ishtar: it depends. There Cerberus probably wins out in Caldari and Gallente space where the kinetic bonus gets put to great use. On the other hand, the Ishtar can do pure EM and that puts it well ahead in Amarr space. Either will work in Minmatar space.

Vagabond and Cynabal both work nicely as well. Sacrilege can work but is kind of crappy on range.

Command Ships are an interesting option now but they can only enter 4/10s in high (see 5/10 caveat above). They're also a bit slower than HACs, especially racers like the Vaga/Cyna, so they might lose some contests. The utility highs mean that they don't lose any damage to fit a probe launcher though -- and that can be rather nice. The second utility high can always take a cloak if you want to venture to low as well.