Missions & Complexes

I don't profess to know all there is to EVE, or even most, or some, but I would say I know a little. My EVE career, such as it is, is one of meandering. I've some some null sov, wormholes, faction warfare, and a smattering of everything else. I like to think this has given me a greater understanding of the EVE world, and what I as a player can do in it.

My understanding of EVE's progression of systems works something like this crude demonstration. Highsec (new players/low skills) > Lowsec (Intermediate skills) > Null/Wormholes (Experienced). These levels of experience are more than just skill points. It's more about player knowledge and understanding, than pure time subscribed. All this prattling leads into my point, if you'd bear with me.

My play time is all over the place, so my interaction with the exploration community may be rather limited. However, the majority of people I chat with/read about on the forums, are racing it out in highsec. These are not unskilled players, or people with T1 ships (read any exploration post, and the first ship one is told to get is a Gila). The same people who run these highsec combat sites in faction fitted pirate cruisers, are the same who complain about the declining prices of faction loot, and the amount of people they have to contest with.

If one has the skill points to properly fly a Gila (I'll be using this as the overall expensive ship that far exceeds what's necessary, example), then one likely has the skills to delve into lowsec, or beyond. I understand that EVE is a lot about finding what works the best for a given situation, while maximizing profits, while at the same time reducing overall loss. For this basic math, highsec combat sites in a pirate faction cruiser does add up.

However, by doing so, you're choking off what newer pilots have access to in terms of ISK making. You're making it more difficult for those with a lighter wallet to fatten it. I think we all know that prices of faction loot have dropped significantly, due in part to easier scanning mechanics, which in turn has brought more people into exploration. Now, by having pilots zip through these lower end DED sites, especially in the safety of highsec, the market is flooded even faster by these faction modules, which in turn lowers their price. With no risk involved in getting these modules (from players), the price also drops. You're hurting yourself, economically, by burning through the lower end DED sites in highsec.

As someone who lives in lowsec, let me tell you, that it really isn't terribly dangerous. Most people who do low to mid-range DED sites, typically do them in a cruiser class ship. The greatest opponent of lowsec travel/living, that I've encountered, is pilots being concerned about gate camps. The only place in lowsec that I've seen gate camps in, with any kind of relative persistence, is in faction warfare systems. Otherwise, I haven't personally encountered one in my travels in a very, very long time. Flying these cruiser class hulls, means that I've been able to be nimble enough to zip through these sparse gate camps that I've encountered. Yes, there is ALWAYS risk. There's risk in everything we do in EVE. It's what drives the economy.

Pilots are actually doing the economy good, by upping the risk, and flying in lowsec (or more dangerous space). The chance of space death increases prices of modules and ships, more so with the loot we seek. The more dangerous it is to get, the more expensive it becomes.

Losing ships sucks. I lose them rather frequently by stress testing fits, and seeing what they can and can't handle. But each time I undock, I'm learning more. Every ship I fly that gets exploded, I'm gaining more knowledge. I've had faction fitted pirate cruisers pay for themselves in an hour of exploration. If you take that greater risk, you will be rewarded. If we pilots have the skills for lowsec, then let's get out there.

Leave highsec for those of a lower skill points base, or for those who are still gaining the applicable knowledge (and ISK) to engage in EVE's more difficult challenges. If you are wanting to lowsec live (or beyond), and are unsure of how to proceed, then feel free to send me a PM, or start a conversation with me whenever I might be in game.

Take the risk, and make more ISK.

/end_prattle

This IMO need to change, players should be able to go to what ever security or area of space they feel comfortable with and there should be corresponding activities for them when they get there.
As of right now there is an increased risk traveling from high sec to low sec, but for combat sites often no increase in reward as 1-4/10 complexes drop the same loot in high sec as low sec and now 5/10s are able to be done in high sec through the escalations from Den combat anomalies.
Data and relic sites are hit and miss everywhere but again there is a sharp increase in difficulty based on where the Devs though you should be based on character age and skills.
The sites should have better loot based on what security status group(high, low, null) you complete them in, so the same combat site completed in high sec would drop worse loot than in low sec, and the best loot would drop from null sec.

Point I am trying to make is there should be content everywhere for both new and veteran players throughout all space and not have difficulty spikes based on where you "should be".

I've trained the T3D's because I thought it was time to start exploring the darker corners of New Eden and to engage in new activities, .....but not to make isk.

EVE is not a linear game. You don't progress from high -> low -> null -> WH, just as you don't progress from frigate -> destroyer -> cruiser -> battleship. Everything is simply a choice/option/flavor. Battleships are not better than frigates, and highsec/nullsec is not for noobs/veterans.

Noobs can buy a cheap disposable T1 exploration frigate and hop a WH into low/null and start making good ISK running data/relic sites before they even have the ability to survive a hisec 4/10.

Lowsec/Nullsec exploration loot has continuously tanked in value as well. And the sites take longer to run. Traveling around in low/null also takes longer. So no, they are not really all that profitable compared to running hisec sites.

If you want to help raise prices of exploration modules, fit a scram, camp Caldari hisec 4/10s, steal loot, blow up angry explorer, and leave loot sitting in a station rather than putting it on the market.

Lowsec exploration sucks unless you live there or are in an extremely deserted region.

If you try to run a combat site you'll see the local pirates come out with combat probers and you'll have to abandon the site which they'll then camp until they can run it themselves. Hacking sites in low are so bad and unpredictable it's not worthwhile if you are actually trying to make ISK. Null is marginably better but still unreliable.

The key to EVE PvE is farming in highsec, or living somewhere with friends and lots of scout alts so you can farm outside of highsec with minimal risk.

Doubt it, but perception is reality for most.

I went to low and wspace to bridge the gap between the skills required t run level 4's effectively and what you get stuck with in the begining. Cruisers for low and a Drake for WH's.

But I didn't do plexes and stuff down there, I just went belt ratting and trying to avoid PvP, or occasionally engage when i caught a lone frigate.

IMHO you'll lose more Gilas than you can pay for by running sites, but if you don't good for you. I ran ruptures because they were cheap and could take out NPC battleships easilly, and were good for PvP.

I still dont run sites when I explore now, I have a Stratios pilot and i still belt rat, but mostly explore, literally. With the improved WH system, its pretty fun.



To each their own, I guess. I have a blast.

I suppose the mentality comes from min/maxing. Covops arent the best DPS ships, but are the most survivable.

Don't get me wrong I go to lowsec to derp around, hunt, look for sites/unique rats and generally do stupid **** that costs me ships, but I don't expect to pay for my PvP running sites or anoms in lowsec. Data/relic loot is terrible and the ships required to run combat sites are a giant target for the local blob. And finding decent sites is too unpredictable. Need a predictable cash flow.

Mr. Dante, what you have just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.