Missions & Complexes

Let's talk about something. It's a topic near and dear to any carebears heart. The level 5 mission agent.

I know why they were moved to lowsec, I know what they pay out and I know how hard they are to do (sans capital ships). What I don't know is: why don't pirate factions have level 5 agents?

Personally I'd rather CCP just add more to the bounties and loot drop value and increase the difficulty in Level 4s than bring level 5s to high sec.

Level 5s can stay in low-sec, otherwise it'll turn into another desert wasteland just like null sec. Now adding a lot more level 5 agents in low-sec is what needs to happen so that Level 5 mission runners aren't so easily hunted.

Anyone can run L4s solo, so what would be the point of making it even easier for players to earn ISK? L5s are team-building, but the only players that run L5s are those with established ties in low-sec. I'll reiterate: when you can make upwards of 200m ISK/hour risk-free in high-sec, what's the point of making less than half that by incurring the additional risk?


Works for me.


Sure, but does this expand L5 content or merely provide more systems for low-sec dwellers to farm? (because you'd have to avoid Faction Warfare systems)

I hope that since you are so concerned about relative levels of income you also oppose people running incursions in highsec in almost total safety?

It seems to me the only people who die in incursions are either new or traveling between systems.

Sounds like you have a problem with players being able to make isk in hi-sec period. In that regards you sound like the bittervet known as "baltec1".

I kinda agree that allowing level 5s in hi-sec is a wee bit overkill for us carebears but it needs to be more widespread and available in low sec than it currently is.

CCP also needs to do something about the pitiful state the LP stores from the 4 major empires are in. If the LP actually had better value than they currently do, it would entice more players to take the risk and run those level 5s in low-sec.

Players can already make insane amounts of isk in hisec with 0 risk, and that is not even counting Incursions. There is no reason CCP needs to bring L5s back to hisec.

I tend to agree that Incursions are out of whack when it comes risk vs. reward. I'm still waiting for CCP to replace Sansha Incursions with Drifter Incursion. That will at least bring the risk vs. reward back into perspective, and make for some exciting gameplay.

The reason why there are no pirate level 5s is because that would be insane.

Blitzing regular lvl 5s in a carrier (pulling in 900k to 1.1m LP per hour), selling LP for 500 isk per LP can net you 4-500 mil per hour right now, with very little actual risk.

Even if you account for the alt you need to "Rubber Band" your standings (ie the alt gains standings while you burn them down blitzing, then the alt accepts the missions while your main recovers etc), that's 200 to 250 mil per hour per character. Better if you take the time to sell your LP wisely instead of just dumping it all in 500 isk/lp implants/hardwirings and skillbooks etc.

Now imagine there are PIRATE level 5s where nothing in the lp store goes as low as 500 isk per lp (until the over-farming happens). It would be insane as all hell, and people redeeming pirate LP for blueprints of ships and modules would SCREW every single explorer in the game. If you think Mach BPs are cheap now at 250m isk, make a single Angel Cartel lvl 5 agent anywhere near me and watch them turn into 10 million isk items LOL.

See how the Imperium over-farming the north with afk Ishtars and carriers has made Guristas Deadspace gear and ships dirt cheap? Magnify that by 100 for ALL pirate factions with lvl 5 agents as Alliances seize and control NPC null stations so their line members can farm. And it would be safer farming that farming anoms, because anoms are warpable beacons where as lvl 5 missions require scanning down (not that that would matter as a good carrier blitzer is done with a lvl 5 missions in 3 minutes or less).


As someone who does lvl 5 missions (with carriers for profit, and MJD ravens for fun), I see posts/discussions like these and i get the distinct feeling that people asking about lvl 5s have very little experience with lvl 5 missions lol.

Carriers are not allowed in high-sec, and the LP reward for high-sec L5 agents would be substantially less than low-sec L5 agents. Under ideal conditions you'd still be looking at less than 200m ISK/hour.

Honestly both are equally bad ideas. Lv5s are old outdated PvE with old AI and outdated gameplay that neither brings any new content nor mechanics to the game.

ive only really started lvl 5's but its funny blitzing some of the missions and getting that mad payout of 90k lp, makes lvl 4's seem stupidly pointless to run