Missions & Complexes

New player here, I already read tons of forums/articls on Exploration but have not been able to find the info I need so thought I would ask the vets.

Here is my problem, I want to explore low/null sec but am trying to figure out how to do so without just dieing haha which I have done a few times now...

I watch local and warp out when I see someone that looks hostile but doing this never gives me enough time to scan stuff down. My current plan is to study Cloaking and save up enough isk (or just noob out and buy a plex) to get the Sisters of Eve exploration frigate (forget the name) and then warp in, launch probes then cloak while I scan... Does this work? and if not what is the best way to solo explore low sec without dieing and/or running away all the time?

Thanks in advance for any useful info.

Also this is just a sidenote question, I have warped into wormholes 4 times, each time there has been a guy waiting on the other side to kill me... is this normal or do I just have really bad luck?

Hacking/Relic.

Would not mind doing combat sites later on once I get enough skills and isk to do so but until then just Hacking/Relic.

Then start with flying a T1 exploration frigs, with t1/meta modules. You will die, but it will teach you the basics of low-sec, dealing with gate camps, saving you pod etc.

You should not buy the faction frig before you have lost a few t1 frigs.

You can fit a normal cloak on the t1 frig, you just can't warp around while cloaked. Once you are in a system, warp to a celestial at range and cloak up while you scan down the signatures. If you click warp, and right after that release you probes you should be ready to cloak right as you exit warp.

1) Pirate pre-scans Relic/Data Site(s)
2) Pirate leaves positive sec status alt cloaked in system.
3) You jump in, scan down RelicData site(s), start hacking/analyzing
4) Pirate jumps in, uses ÜberCeptor of choice to insta warp to your location.
5) You die.

Just saying, count with this. Quite a handful to hack/dirscan/loot/stay aligned all at once...

Jumping in because I'm almost in the same boat. What are we talking as low-sec? 0.5?

My advice is that if you should use a prototype cloak on a t1 scanning frigate, and learn how to scan that way. They are good ships and you can buy and use them right now, without buying a rather expensive ship to learn in. You can enter a system, warp to a planet/moon/sun and make a safespot, then cloak, and scan while you cloak. You can do data/relic sites with the ship and even do lowsec or nullsec data/relics, simply because the ship is very cheap to replace. Then you can train for a t2 covops frig, giving you the ability to also warp cloaked. Don't worry about the Astero, you can start doing what to do now, and you'll end up in a t2 frig that is pretty much better than the Astero. And best of all, you won't have to save up 100m isk and put it into a single ship that is going to explode sooner or later. You can train for the Astero later, and by then you'll probably have enough isk to buy one, because you've learned how to make a killing, relatively speaking, doing exploration.

Do not buy a plex. It is not necessary for what you want to do.

Do not mess around mining or missioning if you want to do exploration. Just go do exploration and start training for it now.

Lot's of talk of losing ships, or using a "cheap scanning frigate" with prototype cloak.

I don't know if exploration is above my ability or not, but I cannot afford to "lose" my scanning frigate. Nor can I afford to purchase the cloaking skill.

I don't mind losing ships when I can afford to, and from what I read it sounds like I can be happy and useful in frigates for a long time, but right now I cannot afford to "lose" anything. It would be nice to at least experience a successful scanning outing, at least once. Let alone being worried about losing my only scanning vessel.

I am happy that this conversation has taken off a little bit more as it has given me some more information. Currently I have been splitting my time between mission running and exploration. From what I have read in this forum I am going to put mission running on the sideburner for now and just focus on my frigate skills (I mission run with cruisers) that way I can get to the point where I can explore low sec faster.

For now I think I need to stick to high sec a little bit longer and get a few different exploration frigates built that way when I venture into the unknown if I lose one it will just be a learning experience rather then a maddening/depressing experience.

By all means if anyone has any further tips or questions etc... keep the conversation going.

Ok couple of pointers, hi sec exploration can give you a reasonable return to give you a buffer before going to losec.

On average data sites pay better than relic in hisec but there are exceptions.

Use a cargo scanner to look at the drop before hacking, on data sites blueprints are in data and decriptors are in parts cans. The others contain mainly ballast.

Sisters probes are worthwhile but the launcher is quite expensive wait for that.

Scan boost probe rigs are cheap you can fit 2

Each race has a scanning frigate with boosts to virus strengh, well worthwhile. And cheap.

You want one with 4 mid slots, prop mod , cargo scanner , relic and data analysers..

Train scanning skills everything 4 or 5 before doing null sec sites scan speed not so important.

Skills at 5 and t2 analysers will help massively in low and null. And at this point you will be flying a covert ops, I rate the helios.

Wh relic and data sites are killers. Avoid for now.

Do not take an exploration frigate into a ghost site. They hurt.

Look at dotlan, pick a chain of systems rarely visited, more chance of sites.

Complete or fail all sites so they despawn, do not leave an odd empty can there, either you or someone else can then get the site when it respawns.

Sigs rename after downtime, if you see one out of sequence later, it means it is a new spawn.

I may be wrong but i tend to get better drops in .6 or .5 systems. But all worthwhile.

You should soon have enough for a few fitted ships.


Hope that helps, good luck.

Honestly this is a lot of work for someone to pop a T1 ship. I just haven't seen it.

People that have killed me mostly did it because I wasn't paying attention.

I even hack the sites with 7 or 8 people in local (as long as there is a station) and haven't had a ton of trouble.

Drop you loot off often, and you will be ok. I relic site buys me 5 frigs so who cares if I lose a few.