Missions & Complexes

Is the risk versus reward model for the "Serpentis Logistical Outpost" balanced as it currently stands?

Currently the complex has an initial site (which for me appeared in Low-sec) that requires scanning down which then in turn will escalate to next site (again, in Low-sec). Part 1 of this complex is relatively doable so I will focus mostly on part 2 (escalation).

From online my research it seems that part 2 (escalation) has a chance to drop Serpentis BPC (all the way up to the Vindicator) along with other very respectable complex loot and thus it seemed like a worthy expedition. I did notice that quite a few reviews of this complex stated that it was unusually long and painful to finish this complex. Specifically, the reviews mentioned that the last room of this complex has multiple scramming frigs (which seem to spawn in waves also), has massive DPS from multiple BS along with towers and other random NPCs, and then to top it off has a tier 3 neut tower with ridiculous HP and powerful neuting potential.

To handle this situation I decided to use 3 accounts and to use 2 carriers to jump my PVE/PVP ships to the closest/safest Low-sec station system to where the escalation was located. As it turned out, that was a seemingly, relatively quiet Low-sec station system that was 2 jumps from the actual Low-sec system where the escalation was located. The PVE ships consisted of a Paladin with proper anti-Serpentis harderners, a dual small shield booster omni-tanked Tengu, and a falcon for scouting and anti-piracy support.

Next, I used the Falcon to scout my PVE ships to the Low-sec escalation system and begin the grind. Room 1 was challenging but doable. Room 2, I warp in the Paladin and then start to tank all aggro along with the heavy neuting. I counter the neuting by injecting cap boosters (which I had to restock multiple times as I dodged the newly arrived pirates trying to get a juicy Paladin kill). Next, I bring in the Tengu to help clear out the scram frigs. After some time, the aggro switches to the Tengu and it quickly begins to have it's capacitor neuted to oblivion and ofc a new wave of scram frigs spawns. The Tengu is pointed and thus cannot kill the newly arrived scram frigs before it pops from the heavy neuting and DPS.

To wrap it up, I finally finish the complex with the Paladin after many waves of new BS and scramming frigs and the typical officer and he ONLY drops the overseer loot (worth 50 mil'ish) with no other loot worth mentioning. To complete this process I lost a Tengu and had pirates constantly chasing me from stations, star gates, and scanning me out which I countered with my own pirate boats (Cynabal/Curse/Falcon/etc).

The bottom line: To finish this complex I spent ISK on carrier/cyno fuel, bought new modules/ships/ammo, lost a Tengu, might've lost a Paladin if I messed up. I gained a 50mil loot drop along with maybe another 50mil in bounties. Thus, my conclusion is that I will not run that complex again until the risk or reward is adjusted.

Does this complex seem balanced or does it require a reiteration? Does the current density of RL-pirates make Low-sec complexes relatively more difficult and thus should at least have their minimum loot drop increased? Thoughts?

TL;DR:
Hard complex so let's fix it's risk versus reward model? Remove/alter the tier 3 neut tower in the last room of the escalation or increase the odds of good loot dropping for this complex.

With all the various changes and nerfs that's been done to Exploration it seems to me that CCP doesn't want it to be profitable, just time consuming.





DMC

I do agree that the MJD makes a huge difference in this site. Without the MJD, the site would've been far more difficult.

You don't feel that there should at least be a minimum payout for a complex that requires this level of commitment other than the overseer effects?

A couple years back, I used to do 4 or 5 of these a week. I would solo them in a Tengu and *If I recall*, a bad drop was still worth 80 million+ along with all the bounties.
Sometimes the string of bad drops was pretty severe.
BUT: I liked the solo work vs reward, and I liked how part 2 needed probes to find me. I would generally do part 1 and save part 2 for the next day, then find another part 1...

Granted, back then, an invuln had passive resists after neuting.
*If I recall* the approach was to kite away from the big DPS, kill the frigs FIRST THING, and kill the neut next.

Lots of people would decline the outpost, so they were always available. I think that bad drops + long hours was the reason.
Add in low sec traffic and it's probably a bad choice to do them.

There's no such thing as Risk vs Reward in Exploration.

--> *points to GSO*

I do Blood Raider Naval Shipyard (THE hardest exploration site, with enough DPS to make an incursion Vanguard site blush) and many times I've only gotta the OPE. No, I don't think any complex should have any kind of minimum reward above the OPE, if they did the reward would soon be meaningless.

The first time we did a Provincial HQ as a corp, we lost 5 or 6 T3's :(
And there is a good chance it was my fault

Eventually we learned, but oh man, what a learning curve.

I appreciate all the replies.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to a real consensus other than "that crap is tough and it should be". I was hoping more for a "fix X and then Y will be balanced."

If it isn't profitable, you are doing something wrong...

While it might not be the gold-mine it was before, I'm fairly sure (out of personal experience and what I hear left and right) that exploration is still a fairly lucerative business overall.

Obviously, certain aspects aren't, like high sec radar / relic sites or ded1/10 or ded2/10. Then again, L1 missions aren't very profitable either.

But, but, but you can't reset escalation timers any more and I have a deep seated belief unsupported by facts that they nerfed the loot! The low prices and huge amounts of exploration loot on the market mean nothing!