Missions & Complexes

On several occasions I've spent hours exploring low sec space only to find nothing but wormholes, gas sites and combat sites. Today in over two hours I found one data site worth just over 100,000 ISK. I really like the idea of exploring space to find stuff but with such slim pickings it seems like a waste of my time. Am I just having a run of bad luck or is this what I should expect from exploration?

I kill explorers on a regular basis who have a few million in hack/arch loot in their holds. Seems to be working for them. vOv

Try the area around Barleguet. I've found many data and relic sites in that part of Placid.



Do this too. On the occasions that I've found WH chains that lead to systems deep in nullsec, I've got lots of good loot from them.

Don't give up. Exploration is based on luck. Sometimes i didn't find sig for whole evening sometimes i get relic every jump. Check "pocket systems", off main routes. Signatures are often stacking there. Move to less populate regions. Explore Lots of new toys in lowsec, so activity is increased.
Minigames are harder in null but only on 90 system core coherence cans (without tech2 hacking device and without luck you will fail on this most of times). Example site may contain 2 ruins can (90 coherence), 3 remains (70), 2 rubble (70 easier that remains). Nullifier is strongly advised.

Hm, thanks guys. I think I still feel fairly risk averse as I've only just got the skills to fit my first Imicus and I don't want it to blow up My first haul yesterday netted me 18 million ISK which isn't a lot but enough to pay for a few more Imicus replacements.

I think it's time to take the plunge to null. Hopefully all the containers won't explode on me... damn restoration nodes...

This evening I was pulling out my little probe fitted ship to do a bit of exploration, pinged the dir scan as a reflex and there were at least four full flights of probes on scan...
turned aronund and returned in station.

That.

And it is less a matter of luck.

First: Region you are in.
Second: Time you play.
Third: the lower the sec status, the better.
Fourth: Play it like hegdehogs have sex: very careful.

Pirates are only lowsec and some of them are brave enough to enter the first 2 nullsecs after the lowsec border. Behind that pirates are only a.) already dead or b) not there.

Id go with with far more random than, that. Just got back from an eve sabbatical, jumped in a heron with basic exploration skills. 2 jumps from Jita relic site, worth 3m ISK. More than paid for equipping it

I... have to take issue with this. T3s do this well; the Stratios and Astero are built for it. Some CSs can do an admirable job.

In fact, Blops are one of the worst choices for what you describe. They have no bonus to scanning, no bonus to hacking, and gimped combat capabilities. They can't even warp cloaked in hostile space. They only thing they can really do is get in and out if you have another ship doing the rest of the work for you and even then see gimped combat capabilities.

Relic sites seem to be more common than data sites. I see a bunch of Relic sites when I'm scanning for Combat sites. I even catch quite a few gas sites (though the ones that spawn in hisec tend to be pretty worthless - they're the new omber ore site as far as trolling you goes). I've run a couple of the hisec relic sites, and they range from pointless to merely okay. The best I've done in a hisec relic site is ~2.5M ISK. Not bad, but not great either. Data sites (when you can find them in hisec) are even worse than Relic sites as far as ISK goes.

In general, the further away from Caldari space you roam, the more sites you'll find. I have to push back on the low-sec exploration advice: it's not worth it unless you're in it for the thrill of dodging pirates. The ISK payout isn't much better than in hisec. Nullsec and WH sites are where the best ISK is (but WH sites require high skills because the Sleepers are deadly enemies).