EVE New Citizens Q&A

Since I’ve quickly become bored with high-sec exploration, I’ve spent the past few days reading and watching videos on how to learn just enough to maximize my chances of survival transitioning into exploration with more risk/reward, that being low/null sec. I don’t want to spend the next week in analysis paralysis, I expect to get blown up, but I’d like to minimize the “god that was stupid” moments and take any efficiency tips I can find in making this jump. I did note there seem to be a lot less null-sec exploration vids than low-sec ones.

I’ll start out by saying I’m barely a week old, just about to scratch 400k sp, I’m going to wait until my hacking/archaeology and other relevant scanning skills are up to 4 before making the jump, and I’m running this imicus cheap frigate fit atm: http://eve.battleclinic.com/loadout/67666-Imicus-null-explorer.html

I know, it's cheap, it's low SP, and I did consider buying an exploration char off the bazaar that can do cov ops, but I figured I'd see just how well this supposed null-sec exploration frigate works.

With all that said, there are some lingering questions:

1.) I’ve read on message boards that some players feel that you should just skip low-sec and go straight to null for exploration. Their arguments are:
a. The loot isn’t good enough in low compared to null
b. Because of the above, you’re better off hopping around null and whenever you see someone on local, go to the next jump. They claim that hopping around null and just skipping the zones where there is anyone in local is less nerve racking and more profitable in the end than constantly waiting for someone to jump on you in low sec for the crappy cheap loot in comparison.

What do you suggest is better?

2.) I’ve read conflicting stories of how to go about dealing with your loot in low/null. Some people say bring some sort of container people can’t find/scan at a safe spot, warp to it, and regularly dump your loot in there instead of carrying it on your ship, that way you might lose a ship (which in this case is a cheap frig). Is this something explorers typically do in low/null? I’m still confused exactly how the process goes and what exact container to buy. They make a safe spot in every zone they go in and stick a container there, and then warp to it after every hack, then pick it up and go to the next zone, rinse repeat?

3.) How painful is it going to be doing low/null in that frigate fit compared to a covops? It seems the covops fits end up being about 40-50m, this imicus fit is less than 10m total I think. Is the only difference patience? Or will the frigate die so much more that the cov ops is significantly better? The other consideration was going for the astero, but I can't see flying a 100m ship + whatever the fit cost is considering how much I see people making in low sec exploration.

4.) Should I eventually look for an exploration corp or stay solo? If I should, what exactly are the core things I should be looking for in one?

Thanks for any answers.

Why not stop aiming for data/relic sites and start focussing on high sec combat sites? Quite good income and still "safe".

Thanks. In regards to the cloak thing, this is why I was looking for clarification, as I said in my original post, these T1 frig fits do include a more limited cloak (prototype), and obviously these fits are uprated on battleclinic like the one I linked in OP, but as I've seen in videos, they have a disadvantage compared to covops (or the astero) in that they can't fit the full out cloak that lets you fly around full speed and warp with it.

With the ability to use the full version of the cloak, I am wondering if skilling to fly an astero is actually worth it in this regard. It costs significantly more than the covops fitted (more than double), but it seems wildly popular looking at this fit, which actually also has some DPS to fight back: http://eve.battleclinic.com/loadout/68556-Astero-It-039-s-Greek.html

Though with the payouts I'm hearing people get in low-sec relic/data, I can't imagine a fitted astero being worth it. You'd probably have to run 6+ hours in low-sec and not die just to pay it off considering the ship itself is 100m excluding the fit. My cheap Imicus is probably paid off after 1 or 2 sites. The chance of not dying with that better cloak would have to be exponentially better to warrant the investment, no?

I'm not sure how much this limited cloaking on the standard T1 null/low fits will actually put me at a disadvantage. What I mean to say is that since you have to be uncloaked anyways when you're hacking data/relic, is the only actual significant advantage of the covops cloak going to be jumping across null-sec systems when I hit gates?

This was one of the things that put me off a bit when I saw these null-sec T1 frig fits with a prototype cloak. It seems that with this, you absolutely have to only explore in null-sec systems with no players, whereas with a covops you can probably be a bit more daring and do it with players in local.

Let's see.

1. a) Low-sec loot can be decent. But as with everything in exploration, it's largely based on luck.
1. b) I'd say give both a try and decide for yourself. I know people who prefer to stay in low-sec (and deal with locals, pirates, losing ships etc) compared to having to deal with warp bubbles in null-sec when in a T1 frigate.

2. Loot. If you're in low-sec you can simply stash it in stations (might be a good idea to get insta undock bookmarks for the ones you end up using). In null-sec, I just check http://www.evepraisal.com/ and pick the cans with the most expensive loot (that also usually takes least space). This is especially important considering that the cov-ops' cargohold is much smaller than the T1 frigate's.

3. I did low-sec exploration for a while when I was starting out in a T1 frigate without a cloak. Jumped into a gatecamp (that I could've avoided if I had looked properly at the statistics for kills during the last hour on the map) only once. As long as you pay attention to local/d-scan and pick your route (and the systems you do exploration in) you shouldn't have too much trouble. As far as null-sec goes, exploring in a T1 frigate seems much more riskier. You never know what's going to be waiting on the other side of the gate and if you jump into a bubble you're pretty much screwed. Of course, you can try scanning a way through wormhole space to null and back and thus avoid most gatecamps. Still, a cov-ops definitely makes things much easier.

4. I don't think exploration corps are really a thing, since it's mostly an activity done solo. You can however start looking for a PvP corp (or whatever else interests you).

You don't need too high skills to do exploration. I'm doing fine in null with a cov-ops frigate, Astrometrics IV, rest of the scanning skills at III and Archeology and Hacking at III as well. Your scanning skills will be also useful if you do end up going for PvP. Also, the astero isn't worth it, imo.

Lots of really good, useful advice being given in this thread. I've been dabbling in low/null exploration too, with really no idea what I'm doing. I ran straight into a bubble for the first time yesterday (exiting from null to low) and if it wasn't for the fact that I was the only one there, I would most certainly have died.

Thanks for posting the question OP, I'm learning a lot about how to do this properly.

I agree that as a new player it is probably best to start in lowsec, because of bubbles and interceptors. In a frigate in lowsec, people need to be pretty good to catch you if you are being cautious. Most people will still kill you if they can catch you, but they may not see you as being worth the trouble of hunting very hard.

Azual Skoll wrote a good guide to lowsec survival that is worth a read.

You're showing a lot of progress and ambition for a week old character. Eve makes you develop patience while waiting to get the skills and equipment you need. I think that's a major reason people enjoy playing the game for years.

I think you're approach will work if you won't mind getting your ship and pod blown up occasionally/regularly. A slower approach could be to use Dotlan to find a section of high-sec that has a good run of .5-.7 systems that has connections to pockets of low-sec. You could make a home base that you can use to run a loop of systems looking for sites. I think the income will be plenty good for a brand new player. Learn how to use local and d-scan. Learn to spot the regulars and unsavory types. Learn to probe fast, and then learn how to run the sites quickly while keeping an eye on d-scan. Learn how to make safes and undocks. Make enough isk to acquire and fit some spare scanning frigates so you aren't out of action when you lose a ship.

Then start including some low-sec systems in the loop you run.

I think it takes about a month of skill training to get into a cov-ops ship. I think it's almost a requirement to live in low or null sec full time as an explorer.

Congrats on your progress so far - you're very knowledgeable for a week old character. I think you should definitely head out to low sec as soon as you can fit a cloak. You've stated several times that high sec is boring and low/null give that extra danger that makes exploration fun again. As far as the high sec combat sites are concerned, they can be quite lucrative, but aside from "racing" others to the prize there isn't much PvP involved.



You're quite right that you will be hunted in your t1 scanner, and it can actually be quite fun though it is not "traditional" PvP between equally matched parties. Just to correct any misconception, a covert ops frigate will NOT significantly increase your "firepower", but it WILL make you much safer as you can warp cloaked and move much faster while cloaked (allowing you to evade bubble camps more reliably). There are more advanced covert ops ships, like bombers and tech 3 cruisers which you can make a long term goal if you want to combine exploration with pew pew.

Edit:

As far as the use of covert ops in low sec, warping cloaked is just incredibly useful. It allows you to move around the system, using directional scan and visuals to determine where the locals are and if they pose a threat. With a T1 scanner you are limited to a single position to d-scan from. As soon as you want to move you have to uncloak and become vulnerable. As I said earlier you also move faster while cloaked. Every ship gets a massive velocity penalty when cloaked, but it is vastly reduced for covert ops capable ships.

Starting in low is better for you as the hacking game is going to be very tough (read: mostly impossible) for a character with minimum skills in 0.0 sites. A covops skill is 100% worth it, not just because it's safer but because it's also much faster to travel around. You are almost impervious to most gatecamps, you can be almost perma cloaked due to the reduced timer and most importantly you scan faster and have an easier time hacking due to the extra virus strength bonus. Make this your top priority. Also, that container tactic looks pretty weird... Never done it, and if you're that worried about bringing your loot safe back home you should consider finding a way back via wormholes (note: this can take a long time).

I would not even go to Lowsec witouth the ability to fit a basic cloak, though. While it's perfectly possible to even go to null with a t1 frigate and a basic cloak, it's considerably more dangerous and a much slower process overal. If you need to know some particular tactics to stay safe in null, let me know.

If your really just focusing on ISK at this time, disregard the following:

It really is possible to survive and thrive in low/null without a cloak. By never learning how to survive without one, you pass up on numerous skills you could develop to make you a true native in any sec.

Your young, which means your stuff is cheap. This means that one good haul should pay for 100 or so hard learned lessons ( assuming you don't learn after the first two or three ).

I would encourage you to head try and head out with out a covops cloak, learn to make Bookmarks in the systems you will explore and use them to survive and thrive. You don't even "need" a regular cloak but it makes it handy for AFK moments etc when in hostile space. Good safe spots make that less necessary especially if your still in cheap ships and cheap clones for the off-chance someone bothers to scan you down when not at a site.

The reality is that the combat probes require the expanded core probe launcher which is murder on fitting, so most hunters you will run into won' be in a position to scan you down easily either. It will happen eventually, but even then, if your not afk you should be able to evade all but the most determined attempts to find you and small ships are still hard to grab under those circumstances.

My neutral alt runs sites in Null with just a heron and a protocloak. I got nabbed once or twice at gate camps with inties but that has been the smallest percentage of my experience.

Learning how to survive without a cloak will be a direct benefit to later running around solo in combat ships that don't have the luxury of cloaks.

Your main advantage of being new is that you have no reason to fear anything. your ships are cheap, clones are cheap and the rewards are the same as the 7 year players.

best of luck in Eve :)