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Exploration Plan Review
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Church Vo'kaan
Imperial Shipment
Amarr Empire
#1 - 2016-02-05 21:21:52 UTC
So I'm fairly new, but I have been loving the number-crunching and planning involved in Eve. I have recently decided to take my exploring up a notch to turn a higher profit, and wanted to run my ideas by the forums to see what some of the more experienced players thought.

I just bought an Astero (it won't be leaving the dock until I can afford to replace it) and used the EFT to make a GTFO-based exploration fit. The main idea is to hit rat data/relic sites in C1 W-space.

[Astero, Cricket]
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
'Refuge' Adaptive Nano Plating I
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II

Data Analyzer I
Relic Analyzer I
1MN Monopropellant Enduring Afterburner
ECM Burst II

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Sisters of Eve Probe Launcher, Sisters Core Scanner Probe

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Particle Dispersion Augmentor I
[empty rig slot]

Hornet EC-300 x15


Starting from the top, the repairer and plating are to help withstand the occasional gank, which I likely won't survive, being in a lowly frig), but with the Astero's quick align time coupled with nanofiber internals (2.3s with afterburner off) I am hoping to have a chance of escape. Analyzers for running sites. Afterburner for the speed boost when running sites as well as fleeing when hopelessly outgunned (which is always). ECM Burst which will be coupled with the Hornets to jam any potential ganker and keep my flying loot piñata intact. A CovOps cloak because of course. A sisters probe launcher because of course. Finally a rig for armor repping (buying time) and a rig for jamming (also buying time).

Hopefully that gives you an idea of why I chose what I chose, but feel free to critique, or just tell me I'm dumb, that works too.

The actual plan I have is pretty straightforward. I will take my Astero, lots of nanite paste and probes, a Giant Secure Container, and anything else I need into a C1 wormhole (ideally with static holes to other C1 systems), find a clearable signature, deploy the GSC there, then clear the site so that it disappears, bookmark my container and use it as storage while I stay in the system looting for a week or longer, then eventually ferry my loot out.

From what I have read, GSCs cannot be scanned down with probes, only DScan, so not only would it be moderately difficult to find, but placing it way out of the way using a site would make it so that one could only get there via bookmark or countless hours of manual flight. The idea is that it will be too much of a pain in the tuchus to reach and password locked, and thus relatively safe (of course, having met some players, I have no doubt one of you would totally be down for flying in the same direction for days just to pop my wonderful loot-filled cherry). Obviously, my ship can still be scanned down, so I will avoid the GSC for the most part, and use safe log-off elsewhere in the system to go offline.

So that is generally what I plan on doing, but I am still looking around for exploration advice and such, plus it will be a week or so before my skills are adequately trained, so it will likely be revised before then, but I just wanted to put this out there to see if anyone had any suggestions, improvements, or alternatives. Any help is appreciated!
Cidanel Afuran
Grant Village
#2 - 2016-02-05 21:55:05 UTC  |  Edited by: Cidanel Afuran
I would drop the SOE probe launcher down to a core probe launcher 1, IMO it isn't worth the extra cost for the marginal benefit it gives. Also, I would bring 5 hornets, 5 warriors, and 5 hobgoblins. 15 is pretty overkill. Even if you manage to get out and leave some behind, it's pretty easy to jump back to empire and resupply. I would drop the ECM burst and data analyzer, and replace with a scan rangefinding array and a point, or something along those lines. You will be scanning a lot, so anything that cuts down on time spent scanning is nice. Even with maxed scanning skills and implants, scanning gets tedious. Asteros are tough enough if you come across a non-astero explorer, you can get a few easy kills, so having a point is nice. Why run the sites yourself if someone in a buzzard can do it for you?

I also wouldn't use a container. If you get popped, you're not going to find a way back into that hole, and you just lost all of your loot. It would be safer to jump out to the closest empire system when your cargohold is full (or you come across some high value loot) and drop it off. I would only drop a can if you have a second character in that hole that can scan out an exit if/when you get killed.

C1's don't have statics to C1's (or any wormhole space for that matter)

Every C1 always has only one static, to either, high, low or null
N110 (high)
J244 (low)
Z060 (null)

Having lived solo in a C1 for a while, you're going to get bored and run out of sites if you're doing nothing but exploration and trying to stay in the same WH. The lack of j space statics mean you're going to be sitting around with nothing to do. I had my own pos, combat/ratting/gas mining and exploration ships, and there were times I used my lowsec static for content in lowsec because there simply wasn't much to do as someone solo in a C1. There weren't sites, or all the neighboring WHs were too hot for me to risk going through on my own.

I would think you would be better off not picking a single WH, but just wandering through them. You should be quick enough in an astero to either get away from WH camps, or if bubbles are involved crash the hole and get back. you will find far more exploration sites roaming through C1-C3s than setting up a 'home' (for only exploration, at least)

Good luck, keep me updated/let me know how it goes, regardless of if you listen to anything I just said or not
Andrew Jester
Collapsed Out
Pandemic Legion
#3 - 2016-02-05 22:35:25 UTC
warp stabs instead of nanos obvi B)

If thuggin' was a category I'd win a Grammy
Church Vo'kaan
Imperial Shipment
Amarr Empire
#4 - 2016-02-06 19:16:51 UTC
Cidanel Afuran wrote:
I would drop the SOE probe launcher down to a core probe launcher 1, IMO it isn't worth the extra cost for the marginal benefit it gives. Also, I would bring 5 hornets, 5 warriors, and 5 hobgoblins. 15 is pretty overkill. Even if you manage to get out and leave some behind, it's pretty easy to jump back to empire and resupply. I would drop the ECM burst and data analyzer, and replace with a scan rangefinding array and a point, or something along those lines. You will be scanning a lot, so anything that cuts down on time spent scanning is nice. Even with maxed scanning skills and implants, scanning gets tedious. Asteros are tough enough if you come across a non-astero explorer, you can get a few easy kills, so having a point is nice. Why run the sites yourself if someone in a buzzard can do it for you?

I also wouldn't use a container. If you get popped, you're not going to find a way back into that hole, and you just lost all of your loot. It would be safer to jump out to the closest empire system when your cargohold is full (or you come across some high value loot) and drop it off. I would only drop a can if you have a second character in that hole that can scan out an exit if/when you get killed.

C1's don't have statics to C1's (or any wormhole space for that matter)

Every C1 always has only one static, to either, high, low or null
N110 (high)
J244 (low)
Z060 (null)

Having lived solo in a C1 for a while, you're going to get bored and run out of sites if you're doing nothing but exploration and trying to stay in the same WH. The lack of j space statics mean you're going to be sitting around with nothing to do. I had my own pos, combat/ratting/gas mining and exploration ships, and there were times I used my lowsec static for content in lowsec because there simply wasn't much to do as someone solo in a C1. There weren't sites, or all the neighboring WHs were too hot for me to risk going through on my own.

I would think you would be better off not picking a single WH, but just wandering through them. You should be quick enough in an astero to either get away from WH camps, or if bubbles are involved crash the hole and get back. you will find far more exploration sites roaming through C1-C3s than setting up a 'home' (for only exploration, at least)

Good luck, keep me updated/let me know how it goes, regardless of if you listen to anything I just said or not


I see your point with the drones - what you suggested was actually my original drone loadout - but I realized that in a month or so of wormhole diving I have yet to run into another explorer, but i have been ganked by a couple SBs, so I changed the fit more for running away since I have no chance against a SB anyways; at least I'll have a chance of escape. I think I may swap out the data analyzer for a point though; I am just worried that I won't be able to find enough relic sites to make a good profit.. I went into a few C2s and C1s yesterday and found roughly a dozen data sites but only 8 or so relic sites...

I think you're probably right about resupplying drones, though. In your opinion, if I were to run into another explorer whom I then attack, which drones should I field? Considering I can only have 4 out at a time, should I field all of a DPS or 3 DPS and a Hornet?
stede b0nnet
Tradors'R'us
IChooseYou Alliance
#5 - 2016-02-08 08:50:34 UTC
Hi,

I started out with an Astero daytripping C1 - C3 wormholes, I've currently lost about 6 Astero's and maybe 500m in loot.

I decided that enough was enough, i now fit out an Imicus with a total cost of 6m isk. Since i swapped ships, i've not lost one and made roughly 1.5b isk doing sites.

Once you've scanned and committed to hacking a site, i doubt your Astero would survive against a would be stalker as your mind will be on numerous things, whereas he will be ready and waiting.

But that's just my way of thinkingSmile

Good luck
Kevin qt
Plug My Hole
#6 - 2016-02-08 10:56:28 UTC
stede b0nnet wrote:
Hi,

I've currently lost about 6 Astero's and maybe 500m in loot.


seriously?

A well fittet Astero is ok for a beginner without good core Skills. But remember: A T2 Frig like Anathema is a lot better due to bonus to Scan Strengh.
Haria Haritimado
Itsukame-Zainou Hyperspatial Inquiries Ltd.
Arataka Research Consortium
#7 - 2016-02-08 11:13:32 UTC
Church Vo'kaan wrote:
The actual plan I have is pretty straightforward. I will take my Astero, lots of nanite paste and probes, a Giant Secure Container, and anything else I need into a C1 wormhole (ideally with static holes to other C1 systems), find a clearable signature, deploy the GSC there, then clear the site so that it disappears, bookmark my container and use it as storage while I stay in the system looting for a week or longer, then eventually ferry my loot out.


Hy!

I suggest you never drop anything important at a signature/site. There are enough people out there who keep track of newly spawned signatures for many reasons. So your container, or mobile depot or whatever you leave there, might be potentially bookmarked by more pilots than you will ever know. Dropping stuff at offset safe points is a more secure option, though even then, someone could take the time to use combat scanner probes and pinpoint your structure (or ship?).

Fly safe

o/

Corporate ID
Vartan Sarkisian
Phoenix Connection
#8 - 2016-02-08 19:31:55 UTC
Kevin qt wrote:
stede b0nnet wrote:
Hi,

I've currently lost about 6 Astero's and maybe 500m in loot.


seriously?

A well fittet Astero is ok for a beginner without good core Skills. But remember: A T2 Frig like Anathema is a lot better due to bonus to Scan Strengh.


According to the info in each ship in game an Astero has a 37.5% core and combat scanner bonus and the anathema only 10%, However in saying that the T2 ship is a lot cheaper than an Astero. I read somewhere on these forums that someone used to just do them in a Heron, they didnt care if they lost the ships as the amount of times they didnt lose anything paid for everything 10 fold.
Kines Pavelovna
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#9 - 2016-02-09 13:59:36 UTC
[Astero, «☼»{3t} copy]

Small Ancillary Armor Repairer
Damage Control II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Small Armor Repairer II

5MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive
Small Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 400
Tracking Disruptor II, Tracking Speed Disruption Script
Warp Disruptor II

Sisters Core Probe Launcher, Sisters Core Scanner Probe
Covert Ops Cloaking Device II

Small Targeting System Subcontroller I
Small Low Friction Nozzle Joints II
Small Auxiliary Thrusters II


Hobgoblin II x5
Hornet EC-300 x5
Warrior II x5


Nanite Repair Paste x28
Tracking Speed Disruption Script x1
Navy Cap Booster 400 x9


If you stay out of scram range, you should be able to kill anything that can outrun you and outrun anything that can kill you.
Warp stabs no because bubble.
Refit the tracking disruptor to a data/relic mod if you want to run a site. Orbit the can at 1k while you hack.
Persephone Alleile
Tartarus Covert Operations
#10 - 2016-02-09 14:47:30 UTC
Vartan Sarkisian wrote:
[...]According to the info in each ship in game an Astero has a 37.5% core and combat scanner bonus and the anathema only 10% [...]


10% Per level of Covert Ops Frigate skill, so at IV you have better scan strength then an Astero.

I agree with others when they say to fly something cheaper. You will lose ships every now and again while hacking cans, no matter how safe you think you are (for example, you never know when a smartbombing Proteus is sitting next to the can you are trying to hack) and the Astero has a heftier price tag than other exploration frigates so those losses will really cut into your profits.

Covop frigates are nice on account of the covops cloak, but as others have mentioned the t1 frigates are perfectly viable as well.

I also agree with the others when they say to wander around rather than stay in one c1 and to skip the GSC. If you hang out in a c1 you may get a couple of sites a day, but then otherwise you'll just be twiddling your thumbs. On the other hand, if you have a c1 with a nullsec static you might get access to some nice empty stretches of null to explore.

The Astero is nice . . . but I find it more suited to hunting explorers than exploring.
Kines Pavelovna
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#11 - 2016-02-09 22:33:35 UTC
Persephone Alleile wrote:

The Astero is nice . . . but I find it more suited to hunting explorers than exploring.


Ya that bonus to the ISK/hr is what makes it competitive.
Persephone Alleile
Tartarus Covert Operations
#12 - 2016-02-10 14:56:58 UTC
Kines Pavelovna wrote:
Persephone Alleile wrote:

The Astero is nice . . . but I find it more suited to hunting explorers than exploring.


Ya that bonus to the ISK/hr is what makes it competitive.


That is true, though in my experience most covops explorers don't fit any weapons so you can just strap a rocket launcher and a scram on your buzzard or whatever and go to town ;)
Cidanel Afuran
Grant Village
#13 - 2016-02-11 21:34:06 UTC
Church Vo'kaan wrote:
I see your point with the drones - what you suggested was actually my original drone loadout - but I realized that in a month or so of wormhole diving I have yet to run into another explorer, but i have been ganked by a couple SBs, so I changed the fit more for running away since I have no chance against a SB anyways; at least I'll have a chance of escape. I think I may swap out the data analyzer for a point though; I am just worried that I won't be able to find enough relic sites to make a good profit.. I went into a few C2s and C1s yesterday and found roughly a dozen data sites but only 8 or so relic sites...

I think you're probably right about resupplying drones, though. In your opinion, if I were to run into another explorer whom I then attack, which drones should I field? Considering I can only have 4 out at a time, should I field all of a DPS or 3 DPS and a Hornet?


Wormhole diving for the day and staying in them for a few days are very different. If you're only diving into them from HS/LS, it will take you a while to find multiple holes. If you're scanning from hole to hole though, you can go through a dozen WHs in an hour checking for sites/targets.

Never only use one ECM drone. It takes a full flight of five ECM drones to equal the effect of one ECM module on your ship, so one by itself is fairly useless. If you're trying to take out another explorer, go full DPS, and if you're low skilled, don't take on other asteros.

If what you want to do is pure exploration, however, I would suggest forgetting the astero completely for now. What you're doing with a probe is the way to go. Assume your going to die a lot at first, you can lose 25 probes to equal the cost of one astero. You'll learn more (and make more profit) from the ISK spent on 25 probes than you will on losing that single astero.
Payne Dakara
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#14 - 2016-03-17 13:10:40 UTC
Vartan Sarkisian wrote:
[quote=Kevin qt][quote=stede b0nnet]Hi,

According to the info in each ship in game an Astero has a 37.5% core and combat scanner bonus and the anathema only 10%, However in saying that the T2 ship is a lot cheaper than an Astero. I read somewhere on these forums that someone used to just do them in a Heron, they didnt care if they lost the ships as the amount of times they didnt lose anything paid for everything 10 fold.


Learn to read before posting covops have 10% per level scanning bonus which makes them better than Astero at l4.

The drawback on covops is that if you get caught on site when hacking you have no options but to die, still the 25mil price tag compared to 100mil on astero allows to get 4 in place of one astero.

So if your goal is just exploration covops are better they save you time when scanning multiple wh's. If you want to have options when caught in site take astero but there is no guarantee that you will survive.