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So basically Hacking/Archeology is a waste?

Author
Kaizla
Delerium Enterprises
#1 - 2016-02-26 04:59:21 UTC  |  Edited by: Kaizla
Posting this here as I have returned after being on hiatus since 2011. I trained up some scanning skills and already had some decent ship skills.. hopped in a Helios and proceeded to go from system to system for 4 hours until I finally found a decent system with a healthy amount of cosmic signatures. each can was giving me maybe 1 million worth of ISK and on the 3rd site some idiot warps in .. jams me and kills me..

I mean really? that is supposed to be fun ?

What am I missing? Where is the payout? I was in 0.4 space which isn't null but isn't high sec either. I can hop on one of my mission runners and earn infinitely more ISK than that.
Iria Ahrens
Space Perverts and Forum Pirates
#2 - 2016-02-26 05:09:55 UTC
Exploration is not consistent payout, like mission running and mining. It is boom or bust. There are really big days, and a bunch of crap in between. Because of this, the good explorers are very fast at selecting their sites, beating the mini-game, and clearing them. Some of us consider the paranoia some of the fun too.

If you already have a developed mission runner, then there is no way you'll beat that income with a new explorer. Most of the isk in exploration is in the combat sites. You can make a few billion in a day, then crap for weeks. But then you make a billion in a day, and that never happens in missions.

Some things you can do. Use a cargo scanner to scan the containers and determine if the loot is worth the effort. Cloak up when someone enters local.

My choice of pronouns is based on your avatar. Even if I know what is behind the avatar.

Kaizla
Delerium Enterprises
#3 - 2016-02-26 05:33:12 UTC
Thanks for the tips!!... combat sites are exactly that right? fighting? or are there things to scan , hack , loot etc there?
Smart Bomb
Nomad Collective
#4 - 2016-02-26 05:33:26 UTC  |  Edited by: Smart Bomb
personally just fly a cloaky and go to null with a minimum of lvl 4 skills for hack/data. Find an empty system with alot of signatures and start scanning. I can make 25-60m per site pretty consistantly. Look for data & relic sites with a pirate name
Iria Ahrens
Space Perverts and Forum Pirates
#5 - 2016-02-26 06:13:17 UTC
Kaizla wrote:
Thanks for the tips!!... combat sites are exactly that right? fighting? or are there things to scan , hack , loot etc there?


yup. Exactly that. They come in DED rated and unrated varieties. Basically, the big payoffs happen in the expeditions. Many, if not all combat sites have a chance of spawning an expedition, which is an upgraded mission, that at least you won't have to scan down, but it is often in the next lower sec. So many specialize in HS combat sites, which have LS expeditions.

Combat sites have nasty rats that warp disrupt, so I've lost a couple ishtars from reds interrupting. Also, if you leave the expedition, it is done, so you lose out on that reward. Sometimes an expedition leads to another expedition. Each one will have a higher level officer and a better chance at a high quality drop.

T3 cruisers are often considered the best for combat exploration. But other ships can do the job too. Although I'm operating on hearsay, never did above a DED 5 myself.

My choice of pronouns is based on your avatar. Even if I know what is behind the avatar.

Cara Forelli
State War Academy
Caldari State
#6 - 2016-02-26 07:37:56 UTC  |  Edited by: Cara Forelli
Wormholes are another place to look. Class 1-3 wormholes now have pirate faction data/relic sites on par with null sec (which means no rats). Just watch out for the sleeper data/relic sites because they DO have rats and they will own your hacking frigate.

That said, while some people love it I usually find exploration gets boring pretty quickly. The mini-game is tedious and I can get the same "rush" of being hunted from "standard" pvp, with an actual chance to come out on top instead of running. The great thing about EVE is you don't have to like every aspect of the game. You just need to find a niche (or several) that you enjoy!

Want to talk? Join my channel in game: House Forelli

Titan's Lament

Tipa Riot
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#7 - 2016-02-26 08:39:56 UTC
Data sites are better now but still crap (unless you find a rare high value BPC), focus on relics. Also relic sites only "pay" well in certain regions, because of the pirate faction specific T2 salvage loot. If you want to compete income-wise with a skilled mission runner, you have to go to nullsec.

I'm my own NPC alt.

Hyeon Ansuya
Kitzedoba Fleet
#8 - 2016-02-26 11:13:25 UTC
may I join the discussion and ask something?
What is a good list of equipment to start exploring safely? Or relatively safely, at least... including the cloaking device that has been mentioned, possibly :)
I hope I'm not annoying with this question.
ergherhdfgh
Imperial Academy
Amarr Empire
#9 - 2016-02-26 11:56:11 UTC
Hyeon Ansuya wrote:
may I join the discussion and ask something?
What is a good list of equipment to start exploring safely? Or relatively safely, at least... including the cloaking device that has been mentioned, possibly :)
I hope I'm not annoying with this question.

Operating in null or wormhole space in relative safety has a lot more to do with knowing how to conduct yourself than it does what ship you are flying or how you have it fit. Even for situations where ship or modules can make a difference if you don't know how to use them just telling you what they are called won't do any good.

On top of that I think a new player is much better off learning how to fit a ship rather than just taking someone else's fit that they don't know how to fly.

All that being said a cloak is nice to have. You can sit in a safe spot and scan with no worries of anyone finding you. A covert ops cloak is even nicer as you can warp around cloaked, assuming you know how to not get yourself accidentally de-claoked.

Aside from having a covert ops cloak knowing how to use it to not get popped by bubble campers will take some learning and experience.

Also know that there are tricks to exploring in general. Some people will cargo scan the cans and only hack the valuable one(s). So know to see if a site has been partially run or not. Also some people will scan down sites just so that they can sit and wait for someone else to come by and run them and then blow you up and take your loot just as you are finishing the last can.

So read up more about exploration in general. Me just linking you a ship fit will do you little good, especially since any fit that I would link would need to be adjusted for your skills but more importantly your playstyle.

Want to talk? Join Cara's channel in game: House Forelli

Memphis Baas
#10 - 2016-02-26 13:13:56 UTC
The covert ops cloaking device can only be installed on certain Tech 2 ships, but is preferred because it allows you to warp around cloaked, so you basically only uncloak when you want to interact with something (gates, wormholes, or the exploration site).

Some of the cov-ops ships have bonuses to probing things down, which is also nice as you spend less time searching. In fact it's so nice that people almost always use the Sisters of EVE versions of the probes and launchers, for extra probing bonus; the higher cost is justified because you don't lose the probes, you just recall them.

The cov-ops frigates will probably not have the defenses or firepower to deal with the enemies in a lot of the sites, so typical use is: people use the frigates to scan down the site, then bookmark the location from the scan window, and switch to a stronger combat ship.

Or you can train for the bigger exploration ships (the SoE cruiser, or a Tech 3 cruiser assembled from the appropriate lego subsystems), for the convenience of being able to probe things down AND kill the enemies you find there.

Of course, PVP is always going to happen; your special exploration ship is worth good points on a killboard, so in lowsec, null, and wormhole space, people will probe locations down, then switch to a PVP ship and lie in wait, or they'll probe your ship down and attack you. The PVP goes with the area that you're in, and it's not tied to exploration only... miners, haulers, everybody is attacked.
Lulu Lunette
Savage Moon Society
#11 - 2016-02-26 15:15:34 UTC
This is probably going to sound real risk averse, but I've sort of made it my own policy to not really bother with wormhole exploration unless I'm sure that I'm alone (famous last words..) as in no active forcefields or ships on the directional scanner. Local chat is such a powerful tool. There's lots of nullsec that's empty and you can see instantly if you're alone or someone enters system.

When I lived in a Class II and Class I wormhole, I used to leave our own relic and data sites alone so that I could easily behead people like you that showed up.

I don't bother with cargo scanners, would rather have more scanning mods instead. To each their own.

@lunettelulu7

Persephone Alleile
Tartarus Covert Operations
#12 - 2016-02-26 15:48:23 UTC
Couple small tips:

-Keep cans at range of 2500m when hacking so you can hit your cloak instantly if something seems fishy.
-Mash the d-scan. Especially in wormhole space where you have no local chat to show you who's around.
-IMO wormholes are your friends, my biggest payout are usually from empty c3 wormholes (usually with a lowsec or nullsec static), shattered wormholes or else empty nullsec pockets found through wormholes.
-Get used to losing ships, it happens. Try not to fly anything too expensive and you should be able to recoup any losses pretty easily.

I make most of my isk from exploration and it's enough to replace any PVP ships I lose so I don't think it's a waste.
SurrenderMonkey
State Protectorate
Caldari State
#13 - 2016-02-26 16:34:23 UTC  |  Edited by: SurrenderMonkey
Tipa Riot wrote:
Data sites are better now but still crap (unless you find a rare high value BPC), focus on relics. Also relic sites only "pay" well in certain regions, because of the pirate faction specific T2 salvage loot. If you want to compete income-wise with a skilled mission runner, you have to go to nullsec.


Certain types of data sites can be quite good.

-Sleeper caches are data sites and are generally worth it, though they're not without risk.

-Ghost sites are now data sites.

-I think silent battlegrounds are technically data sites, though they have both kinds of cans.

-Drone region data sites can be quite valuable.

Finally, a word about this, OP:

Kaizla wrote:
each can was giving me maybe 1 million worth of ISK and on the 3rd site some idiot warps in .. jams me and kills me..


Nobody likes a sore loser, and the Eve community likes them less than most. There is a good chance that the guy on the other side of the blasters is, in fact, an idiot, but you would do well to remember that he is an idiot who just got the drop on you. ;)

"Help, I'm bored with missions!"

http://swiftandbitter.com/eve/wtd/

Kaizla
Delerium Enterprises
#14 - 2016-02-26 16:48:41 UTC
Wow lots of great information here!! Thank you all! Going to regroup and mission for a bit and plan out a better strategy for this next time around using all of these replies Big smile

Been gone so long I have to re-learn some of the basics again. Its amazing how deep this game still is.
Tipa Riot
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#15 - 2016-02-26 17:27:33 UTC
A personal note about drone land data sites ... I spent about 15 hours hunting for data sites, and I made only about ~500m in loot AFTER building all the blueprints. There was no single escalation, which easily can make you a couple of billion ISK. So I gave up ...

I'm my own NPC alt.

hipotecadoydesgraciado
Incursion Omega
Cosmos Origins
#16 - 2016-02-26 21:20:58 UTC
of course its profitable..
Espcialy in high when you can get 10 m each round or even 200m if you find a good combat site
ergherhdfgh
Imperial Academy
Amarr Empire
#17 - 2016-02-29 23:52:25 UTC
Memphis Baas wrote:
The covert ops cloaking device can only be installed on certain Tech 2 ships,

This used to be true. Now SoE has the faction frigate that is T1 and can use the cov ops cloak.

Want to talk? Join Cara's channel in game: House Forelli

Helios Anduath
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#18 - 2016-03-01 00:24:04 UTC
ergherhdfgh wrote:
This used to be true. Now SoE has the faction frigate that is T1 and can use the cov ops cloak.


Don't forget the Stratios and Luxury Yacht (cruisers) and there is an alliance tournament ship or two floating about as well that can covops too.
Mephiztopheleze
Laphroaig Inc.
#19 - 2016-03-01 06:38:05 UTC  |  Edited by: Mephiztopheleze
I routinely run data/relic sites in both my home C2 wormhole and in our statics.

Payout is pretty decent on the Relic sites, with the added bonus that you might get a sweet BPC every once in a while.

edit: I just trained up my Utility alt with Hacking/Archeology V. Those T2 analysers are worth it.

Helios Anduath wrote:
and there is an alliance tournament ship or two floating about as well that can covops too.


you can pretty much forget about ever owning such a vessel, unless you're ridiculously space-rich.

Occasional Resident Newbie Correspondent for TMC: http://themittani.com/search/site/mephiztopheleze

This is my Forum Main. My Combat Alt is sambo Inkura

Pandora Bokks
Pangalactic Frontline Supply Agency
#20 - 2016-03-01 08:27:50 UTC
Hyeon Ansuya wrote:
may I join the discussion and ask something?
What is a good list of equipment to start exploring safely? Or relatively safely, at least... including the cloaking device that has been mentioned, possibly :)
I hope I'm not annoying with this question.


[Astero, [S] Explo]

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Sisters Core Probe Launcher (Sisters Core Scanner Probe)

Coreli C-Type 5MN Microwarpdrive (you can use any other MWD)
Data Analyzer II
Relic Analyzer II
Cap Recharger II

Damage Control II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Coreli A-Type Small Armor Repairer
Warp Core Stabilizer II

Small Anti-Explosive Pump I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump II
Small Capacitor Control Circuit II

10x Hornet EC-300
5x Warrior II



This I use for all sites including standard sleeper cache (for superior you need a Stratios/T3). I do not cargo scan cans, but it is also an option.

If you are not doing ghost / sleeper cache sites, you can do a Nano instead of the Repper and a Cargo Scanner instead of the Cap Recharger and maybe a second WCS/Nano instead of EANM (I do not like the short targeting range though). Put a mobile depot and spare WCS in your cargohold - I also take some cargohold expanders with me in case I find the very rare silent battleground in a WH (sleeper relics are big unfortunately).

Get your Archeology/Hacking skills to V - it is definitely worth doing if you plan to do exploration on a regular basis.


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