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Career Progression - Aim is to be doing the fastest LVL4 Security Missions
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An7hrax Virus
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#1 - 2013-11-11 15:51:05 UTC
Hi Guys,
Firstly, Thanks for reading my post.

I'm a Gallente pilot that just finished all the tutorial missions.
I've decided that my main source of income will be security missions where I can hopefully salvage along the way (if that's not the most profitable way of doing things, please let me know)

Anyways, I want to get really good at PVE missions, and level 4 seems to be the highest that people talk about Soloing. I live in Australia and don't have friends that play this game, so finding people to run missions with me is a big ask

With this in mind, and reading that Gallente pilots favour drones, I chose Droneboats as my weapon of choice. But I'm beginning to doubt this is the right choice for long term speed running based on all the forum hate about Drone Aggro, and just using sentries.

Currently the only skills of Merit are:
Gallente Frigate V
Hull Upgrade IV
Drones IV
Scount Drones II
Drone something else III etc

So... what I'm hoping for is someone who has travelled this road to provide me with some advice on WHAT ships I should train for each Level of Mission and whether maxing out the ship before attempting the mission is necessary (eg Max out the level 2 ship before skills wise before attempting level 2 missions) . I will use EveMon for skill planning and find the best PVE layout for that ship on Battleclinic. (if there are multiple choices I may need more help)

Also, I'd like the ship progression to share the same core skills so I don't have to branch out too much (moving from one faction to another etc), with the ultimate aim to have a ship progression to Level 4 missions

So, if anyone would be kind enough to share their knowledge...

Best Ship for Level 1 Security Mission
Primary Weapon Class (Short / Long Range ; Missiles ; etc)

Best Ship for Level 2 Security Mission
Primary Weapon Class (Short / Long Range ; Missiles ; etc)

Best Ship for Level 3 Security Mission
Primary Weapon Class (Short / Long Range ; Missiles ; etc)

Best Ship for Level 4 Security Mission
Primary Weapon Class (Short / Long Range ; Missiles ; etc)


If I'm going to be subscribing to this game, and investing time in it then I'd like the best ROI. So ISK/Hour is my primary focus.

Thanks
Ertur Adestur
Hek Xplo Ltd
#2 - 2013-11-11 16:31:30 UTC  |  Edited by: Ertur Adestur
I don't have any knowledge on Gallente boats, so no specifics on that from me. But don't forget your support skills. Power, capasitor, CPU. All vital, regardless of what you choose to do.

*Edit: Here. Much goodness. Smile
http://blog.beyondreality.se/Newbie-skill-plan-2
An7hrax Virus
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#3 - 2013-11-11 16:52:02 UTC
Ertur Adestur wrote:
I don't have any knowledge on Gallente boats, so no specifics on that from me. But don't forget your support skills. Power, capasitor, CPU. All vital, regardless of what you choose to do.

*Edit: Here. Much goodness. Smile
http://blog.beyondreality.se/Newbie-skill-plan-2


Thanks for that post. I don't really care if it's Gallente ships or not to be honest.
Just looking for the ships that possess the best progression
For example, please don't tell me to use a Dual Rep Ishkur at mission level 3 and then goto a Mach at mission level 4.
Ertur Adestur
Hek Xplo Ltd
#4 - 2013-11-11 17:06:28 UTC
Well, there's plenty of ships in the game, but you've probably noticed that skill training takes time, so it's best to start with what you've already got. Questions to ask is: What NPCs are you likely to face in your area of operation? And what weapons and tank counters them most effectively? And what ship supposrts that fit best?

(Frigs on L5 already? Woah.)
Cara Forelli
State War Academy
Caldari State
#5 - 2013-11-11 17:13:20 UTC
The tech 1 Gallente pure drone-boats are:

Tristan (frigate - levels 1s)
Vexor (cruiser - level 2s)
Myrmidon (battlecruiser - level 3s)
Dominix (battleship - level 4s)

Get drones 5 ASAP so you can have a maximum amount of drones and start training drone interfacing, which gives a hefty increase in drone damage per level. You'll want to aim for having a tech 2 tank and sentries for sure before trying level 4s. Drone boats are still viable, you just can't go afk while they do the mission for you anymore. You'll either have to manage them carefully or plan to replace them (tech 1 drones are quite cheap and available - just consider them "ammo"). All the Gallente drone boats have large holds so you can bring extras and launch them when your drones are popped.

Want to talk? Join my channel in game: House Forelli

Titan's Lament
Elena Thiesant
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2013-11-11 17:20:07 UTC
Drone boats are fine, the larger ones tend to be used with sentries and they have little trouble with aggro as long as you're at the keyboard.

That said... Don't rush. The game's not a race, it's not World of Warcraft where you're useless unless you're max level. Making money isn't the b-all and end-all. The goal should be to have fun.
An7hrax Virus
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#7 - 2013-11-11 23:37:27 UTC
Hi All
Thanks for the advice.

Drone boats simply won't do it for me on Level 4 missions. I don't want to camp in one spot and use sentries because every other drone sucks.

I've read that Mach's are the best Level 4 mission runner in the game. Let's assume that's what I want.
My new question is - How do I transition from Gallente to what that boat requires, while still being ultra competitive at all mission levels? What ship should be my Level 2 mission ship now?
Sabriz Adoudel
Move along there is nothing here
#8 - 2013-11-11 23:53:43 UTC  |  Edited by: Sabriz Adoudel
I don't recommend purely doing missions. I started EVE that way, and would have quit had I not discovered the joys of scamming, piracy, ganking and backstabbing.

That said, I do actually run missions a fair bit (whenever I need to repair my security status after blowing up too many exhumers). When I do, I fly a microwarpdrive Ishtar with a very light active armor tank and a full rack of tech 2 railguns.

The Ishtar is fast moving (for all those missions with 60km between gates), and allows you to quickly swap between sentry sniping at medium range (74km with my skills, 85 with perfect) and brawling (MWD in to a target, double web it, and set Ogre IIs on it with close range ammo).

Best of all, because an MWD HAC can dictate range well in PVP and the Ishtar can spare a medium slot for a warp scrambler, I can mission in either lowsec, or (even more dangerously) in highsec with publicly available killrights. I actually want to be attacked by people that think 'helpless mission runner, easy prey'. (I will however avoid interceptors and Vindicators, two ships I'm pretty cold to).


Edit to add: Drones are fine in missions. Just carry spares for the occasional one you lose, the Ishtar has enough drone bay to carry 6 sentries, 6 heavies, 10 light and 10 EWAR.

I support the New Order and CODE. alliance. www.minerbumping.com
Praxis Ginimic
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#9 - 2013-11-11 23:59:27 UTC
T1 destroyers & cruisers will rock out most any L2. Since you have gal frig V try a rail fit enyo. T2 small rails have a pretty mind blowing range. A blaster enyo will require slightly more tank ( in the sense that a pve rail enyo requires no tank) & will be faster not to mention more engaging.

I am not a pve'er so don't take my word for it but as I understand it:

Only pack just enough tank... the more damage you can put out the faster you can turn in missions.
Tailor your tank and damage profile to the rats you will be facing. (this is why so many pve players prefer missiles and to some extent projectiles, selectable damage)
Many pve players like to be cap stable but as I see it if you're not burning up all your cap then you haven't made an optimal fit. You will rarely be running all the things for very long.
Lastly, don't ignore drone skills just because you're not specializing in them. All larger ships will require the use of drones.

If I warp into your mission and start flashing I have opened fire, shoot back! Blink
Sar Carstic
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#10 - 2013-11-12 00:02:50 UTC  |  Edited by: Sar Carstic
Hiya,

I am an Aussie as well, and have trouble finding people to mission with also - or possibly it's just my personality, can't really be sure on that. I would be interested in mission running with others though, let me know.

I have used drone boats and gun boats to do level 4's and both have merits. Even if you choose gun boats, sniping is going to be more the way you do the missions rather than using close-up weapons. I say this from my experience and what I have also read of other people's. I am happy to stand corrected if there is a good way to use a blaster boat or similar in lvl 4 missions.

I have used both a Dominix and Navy Megathron and both have advantage and disadvantages - I used the Domi first and went to guns just for change. Guns are definitely fun, and with rails and antimatter can still take on battelships and battlecruisers at fairly close range if need to. I still enjoy taking out the Domi though, so I would suggest to play around with both. Whichever you choose, you are going to want to get drones to 5 pretty early anyway, so it is worth experimenting while doing level 2 and 3 missions to see which play style you like, then you can focus skilling on what you need to do the level 4's with whichever ships and weapons suit your style of play.

Gentlemen you can't fight in here, this is the War Room!
Thomas Builder
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#11 - 2013-11-12 01:08:21 UTC
An7hrax Virus wrote:
while still being ultra competitive at all mission levels? What ship should be my Level 2 mission ship now?
Nobody really cares about being competitive at lower missions.

Of course you shouldn't use a logistic ship, but any combat vessel will do. As you will want to use projectile turrets for the Mach, the typical progression will be Rupture -> Hurricane -> Maelstrom -> Machariel

Also, obligatory disclaimer: there are only about 120 different lvl 4 missions and after you've done them all, they can quickly become boring. You might not so much focus on ISK/hour but more on something you find fun.
Richard Ramlrez
Doomheim
#12 - 2013-11-12 03:39:36 UTC
Indeed. One of the biggest mistaks that new players do is going for the minimum requirements to fly a ship. Upgrading your shields, armor and power requirements to level 4, at least, is a must.
Good Apollo BS4
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#13 - 2013-11-12 07:16:06 UTC
Missioning is a good income source... Might want to read up on salvaging other peoples missions, complexes etc... Low risk high reward. Ppl get mad as hell too, but don't really do anything bout it :) it's a nice break from missions though...

As stated don't fly stuff you only meet minimums on... If you fly a BC make sure it's gonna out dps your frigate ;)

And I flew a myrm for a while, but got bored and went for rail fit brutix... Still has some drones but primary dps is guns. Faster and more fun for me anyways. But prefer domi to megathron for l4s.

Fly safe!
J'Poll
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#14 - 2013-11-12 07:41:33 UTC
Thomas Builder wrote:
Also, obligatory disclaimer: there are only about 120 different lvl 4 missions and after you've done them all, they can quickly become boring. You might not so much focus on ISK/hour but more on something you find fun.


As this can't be said enough.

Missions are nice when you start.
Missions are nice as a stable source of income.
Missions can be fun if you occasionally run them.


Missions likely become quite boring if you do nothing but missions, as there is a limited amount of missions and you eventually learn them all.

EVE is not about rushing to max level
EVE is not about having the biggest bank balance (well, to some it is).
EVE is not about having the biggest ISK/hour activity

EVE is about having the most fun you can possibly have while playing. If you ain't having fun playing, you are doing it wrong. If you have fun playing EVE, you won EVE.

Personal channel: Crazy Dutch Guy

Help channel: Help chat - Reloaded

Public roams channels: RvB Ganked / Redemption Road / Spectre Fleet / Bombers bar / The Content Club
lollerwaffle
Tribal Liberation Force
Minmatar Republic
#15 - 2013-11-12 10:25:03 UTC
An7hrax Virus wrote:
If I'm going to be subscribing to this game, and investing time in it then I'd like the best ROI. So ISK/Hour is my primary focus.

Thanks


The 'best' ROI you can have in this game is to have fun playing it. While this is subjective, ISK/Hour cannot even begin to compare to the battleshakes you get in your early PVP.

That said:
The best ISK/Hour does not come from hisec level 4 missions. They come from other sources. Missions are merely stable (and some say a bit too high) income which can be done in a relatively safe and risk-free environment.

However, if you're set on running them only for the rest of your EVE career:

Level 1: Frigate/Destroyer
Level 2: Destroyer/Cruiser
Level 3: Battlecruiser
Level 4: Battleship

Which ship depends on what kind of weapons you prefer.

The old staple used to be Caldari missile boats:
Kestrel/Corax -> RLML Caracal -> Drake -> Raven

Haven't run missions since the first year I played this, and I started Caldari, so no personal experience to mission running in other races' ships.
Hu Tai
Republic Military School
Minmatar Republic
#16 - 2013-11-12 13:26:06 UTC  |  Edited by: Hu Tai
Just here to point out: amarr ships also use drones and they often have bonuses to energy weapons. And energy weapons means rapid adaptation to the changing range + zero ammo additional costs. Once you bought frequency crystals, you do not have to buy new and new ammo for missions. You do not have to stress about when to start fire so ammunition will not be wasted due to the range.

L1:
[Coercer, Coercer: Level 1 Blitz Mobile]
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II

Tracking Computer II
Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I

Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I
Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I
Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I
Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I
Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I
Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I
Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I
Dual Modulated Light Energy Beam I

Small Energy Burst Aerator I
Small Energy Locus Coordinator I
Small Energy Locus Coordinator I

Read more: http://eve.battleclinic.com/loadout/64878-Coercer-Level-1-Blitz-Mobile.html#ixzz2kR8sdUxu

L2:
[Omen, L2 PVE Omen for New Pilots]
Medium 'Accommodation' Vestment Reconstructer I
Extruded Heat Sink I
Extruded Heat Sink I
Beta Reactor Control: Capacitor Power Relay I
Prototype Armor Kinetic Hardener I
Prototype Armor Thermic Hardener I

Eutectic Capacitor Charge Array
Experimental 10MN Afterburner I
Optical Tracking Computer I

Focused Modulated Medium Energy Beam I
Focused Modulated Medium Energy Beam I
Focused Modulated Medium Energy Beam I
Focused Modulated Medium Energy Beam I
Focused Modulated Medium Energy Beam I

Medium Capacitor Control Circuit I
Medium Capacitor Control Circuit I
Medium Capacitor Control Circuit I

Read more: http://eve.battleclinic.com/loadout/64933-L2-PVE-Omen-for-New-Pilots.html#ixzz2kR9NI3qA

For L3 missions you can decide between drone boat (Prophecy) with strong passive tank or damage boat (Harbinger) with good DPS capability. L3 still have plenty of quick ships to deal with, so not much job for sentry drones anyway.

For L4 missions you have 2 drone boats (Armageddon or Armageddon Navy Issue) or 2 sniper boats (Apocalypse and Apocalypse navy issue). There is also Abaddon as tank ship for medium range combat, if you want to change usual pattern in sniping L4 missions:

[Abaddon, Abaddon Level 4 Mission Runner - Reactive Armor Hardened]
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
Reactive Armor Hardener
Armor EM Hardener II
Armor Thermic Hardener II
Imperial Navy Large Armor Repairer

Tracking Computer II
Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II

Mega Pulse Laser II
Mega Pulse Laser II
Mega Pulse Laser II
Mega Pulse Laser II
Mega Pulse Laser II
Mega Pulse Laser II
Mega Pulse Laser II
Mega Pulse Laser II

Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Energy Discharge Elutriation II
Large Energy Discharge Elutriation II


Hammerhead II
Hobgoblin II

Read more: http://eve.battleclinic.com/loadout/61918-Abaddon-Level-4-Mission-Runner-Reactive-Armor-Hardened.html#ixzz2kRBIQWGW
Dkeh Weis
Digital Innovations
#17 - 2013-11-12 14:43:54 UTC
I took the gunboat route for missions.

Rifter > Thrasher > Rupture > Hurricane > Maelstrom

That being said, L4 missions are boring as hell.
I rushed into a Battleship, and had crappy skills because of it.

I made more ISK running a single unrated PLEX in 20 minutes in a Battlecruiser than I did doing 50 missions in a Battleship. L4's are definitely NOT the best ISK/Hour.

Eve will make you work a solid month all on your own for your first cookie. Then kick you in the nuts and take that cookie, and laugh at you for thinking you could have a cookie at all.
Ertur Adestur
Hek Xplo Ltd
#18 - 2013-11-12 15:16:16 UTC
Yeah, i'm grinding for standing at the moment. L4 distribution. And I'm pulling in maybe 300 000 per job. That's not impressive.

An alternative is of course to buy and resell nice stuff with loyalty points. But generally, it's might be steady income, but it wont make you rich.
J'Poll
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#19 - 2013-11-12 16:25:52 UTC
Dkeh Weis wrote:
I took the gunboat route for missions.

Rifter > Thrasher > Rupture > Hurricane > Maelstrom

That being said, L4 missions are boring as hell.
I rushed into a Battleship, and had crappy skills because of it.

I made more ISK running a single unrated PLEX in 20 minutes in a Battlecruiser than I did doing 50 missions in a Battleship. L4's are definitely NOT the best ISK/Hour.


In a lot of cases Level 3 missions are actually better in ISK/h then Level 4s. Because you can run them much faster.

Personal channel: Crazy Dutch Guy

Help channel: Help chat - Reloaded

Public roams channels: RvB Ganked / Redemption Road / Spectre Fleet / Bombers bar / The Content Club
Dkeh Weis
Digital Innovations
#20 - 2013-11-12 17:08:13 UTC
J'Poll wrote:


In a lot of cases Level 3 missions are actually better in ISK/h then Level 4s. Because you can run them much faster.


I have actually found this as well- I should have mentioned it.

A Hurricane fit with Autocannons and a Passive Tank will absolutely tear up L3 missions.

Eve will make you work a solid month all on your own for your first cookie. Then kick you in the nuts and take that cookie, and laugh at you for thinking you could have a cookie at all.
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