EVE New Citizens Q&A

You can do exploration sites solo... just be aware that there is a bit more risk involved.

In relic and data sites your primary risk will come from other players. What you must learn is how to multi-task between using Local, Directional Scanner, your Overview, to keep safe... meanwhile perform whatever else you are doing... in that order.

In the new Ghost sites you may need something a bit beefier as they have a tendency to "summon" NPCs that wish to end you and explode (also potentially ending you).


For ships... Covert-Ops (Tech 2 cloaking frigates) are the clear choice for beginners and can easily handle most low-level, low-threat places. For more threatening places... if you are quick enough to pull off hacking and looting you can stay in Cover-Ops... however, in more threatening places you may want to upgrade to a Recon (Tech 2 cloaking cruiser) or regular combat ship that can take punishment.

Correct. Any ship that you use other than Covert-Ops, their Tech 1 variants, and the new Sisters of EVE ships will not have a scanning/hacking/analyzing bonus.

Assault Frigates would be ideal in many circumstances due to their much higher ability to absorb damage (relative to Covert-Ops ships) combined with their high mobility (relative to other combat focused ships).
If you need more damage absorbing ability you might consider Tech 1 cruisers... though you would lose more mobility.

The nice thing about Tech 1 ships overall is that they can be insured for most of their hull value (while docked at a station)... which makes their loss (when you incur a loss) hurt MUCH less. Tech 2 ships do not have this same benefit though.

I advise that you use one ship to run sites in, and a different ship to move any really valuable loot drops.

Interceptors excel at the latter. Basically nothing can kill you unless it's a smartbomb gatecamp (rare outside a couple of specific systems), an instalock gatecamp that are lucky, or if you make a mistake.

In nullsec, the ability to warp gate to gate without worrying about bubbles dramatically drops travel time.

It takes 5 to 7 days to get [Racial] Frigate to level 5... a few more days beyond that to get all the other necessary skills at about level 3 or 4... so about 2, MAYBE 3, weeks altogether to have the minimal skills necessary for either an Interceptor OR a Covert-Ops.

Bear in mind that the skill paths to all Tech 2 frigates are closely linked with one another (there are only a few minor skill differences to get into each one... more than few differences to use each one properly).


While you are doing this training though you can gain "practice" in the Tech 1 variants of each ship and learn their various nuances (so you can use their more expensive versions better when you get them).
Remember that it is not the ship that decides success... it is the pilot and his/her personal skills. The ship merely provides an extra "edge" here or there.

The 'second ship unless you have a T3 or gimp your highslots' problem is now non-existant: outside wormhole space data and relic sites have no NPC encounters. As people have said T1 exploration frigates are a good start, working up to a Covops frigate pays off because of the ability to warp cloaked. Specialization in either two... I happen to be able to fit T2 data analyzers and have some invention skills. It's no requirement but a 'nice to have' for either data or relic sites.

Exploration is a great way to solo. Most important about low and null security space would be to understand the rules and risks. It will come with experience. T1 exploration frigates aren't that expensive looking at the rewards of the activity. Restrain yourself from using expensive implants and do venture out of hisec. Once you are comfortable with dodging the baddies in lowsec, nullsec is not much different with an increased risk to your pod. That's why it's a good idea to learn how to cope with a hostile environment early on, when your ship and your pod are still cheap to replace.