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EVE New Citizens Q&A

 
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help with exploration and cosmic signatures!

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Vex Malleus
Alternative Management Solutions
#1 - 2016-08-18 00:44:50 UTC
So I'm getting into exploration. My ship (a Probe) is outfitted for data/relic sites. So far I've found 2 unstable wormholes, and 3 combat sites. What "treasures" can be found there? When I directional scanned the area after entering the WH, I just saw a bunch of other sigs, and several planets. Is this normal? Or do I just need to keep exploring? So far I haven't made a dime. lol

Also, where are the best places to find lots of sigs? I jumped around to several systems in like 0.8-1.0 space and found only 1 sig in the one system, and 3 in the other.

Thanks!
Zoltan Lazar
#2 - 2016-08-18 00:52:35 UTC
Sigs are purely random where they are. In high-sec there are a LOT of other players looking for them.

The most valuable sites (if you can run them) are DED complexes. However, in hs they get run really quickly after spawning.

The second most valuable are relic sites.

Google is your friend for finding out more information.

http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Exploration
Vex Malleus
Alternative Management Solutions
#3 - 2016-08-18 00:57:12 UTC
DED Complexes is like combat, right? k, thanks for the link! Big smile
Lulu Lunette
Savage Moon Society
#4 - 2016-08-18 00:57:13 UTC
Hey there!

Exploration is a very common career choice, so the sigs are highly sought after!

Basically, keep doing what you're doing. The relic and data sites you are after specifically are the named faction ones. (Gurista, Angel, Blood Raiders, Sansha, Serpentis) Inside wormhole space, there are Sleeper ones, and you won't wanna do those because they will have Sleeper rats that will make you explode!

There are also Sleeper cache sites which I would also recommend skipping for now.

Anyways the mentioned faction relic/data sites can spawn in any kind of space, with the most lucrative ones being in wormhole and nullsec. (I've noticed that the Drone regions don't really have these sites, maybe I'm wrong)

~Assuming that you are new? I think this is one of the best ways for a rookie to start out, learning how to scan is a great skill no matter what you get into.

Cool

@lunettelulu7
Vex Malleus
Alternative Management Solutions
#5 - 2016-08-18 01:01:05 UTC
Lulu Lunette wrote:
Hey there!

Exploration is a very common career choice, so the sigs are highly sought after!

Basically, keep doing what you're doing. The relic and data sites you are after specifically are the named faction ones. (Gurista, Angel, Blood Raiders, Sansha, Serpentis) Inside wormhole space, there are Sleeper ones, and you won't wanna do those because they will have Sleeper rats that will make you explode!

There are also Sleeper cache sites which I would also recommend skipping for now.

Anyways the mentioned faction relic/data sites can spawn in any kind of space, with the most lucrative ones being in wormhole and nullsec. (I've noticed that the Drone regions don't really have these sites, maybe I'm wrong)

~Assuming that you are new? I think this is one of the best ways for a rookie to start out, learning how to scan is a great skill no matter what you get into.

Cool

I've played on and off for years. This is my most recent char (created the middle of last year) and I took a break from March this year until about a month ago. I've never explored before and always mined.

So lower sec space might have more sigs and more valuable ones? What happens when a player scans down a sig? Does it then become unavailable to other pilots?
Lulu Lunette
Savage Moon Society
#6 - 2016-08-18 01:06:45 UTC
Vex Malleus wrote:
So lower sec space might have more sigs and more valuable ones? What happens when a player scans down a sig? Does it then become unavailable to other pilots?


Definitely not. The risk in playing in lesser security- or especially in wormholes is they might see you coming for a long time (like as you're probing down all the signatures) and they will already have had the place probed before you got there.. so they will go and set up next to one of the cans you're gonna hack and behead you while you're focused on the hacking minigame. Blink

@lunettelulu7
Vex Malleus
Alternative Management Solutions
#7 - 2016-08-18 01:10:37 UTC
hehehe k thanks!
DeMichael Crimson
Republic University
Minmatar Republic
#8 - 2016-08-18 01:32:19 UTC
Welcome back to Eve.

To be competitive in exploration you'll have to be able to quickly scan and complete the sites asap. That means you'll need to be skilled up and use top level equipment.

For High Sec exploration, best go to systems off the beaten path, away from mission and market hubs. Check Star Map stats for systems with low amount of population, ship kills, jumps, etc.

As a new explorer I suggest you concentrate on low level combat sites, both Cosmic Signatures (DED 1/10, 2/10, Hideout and Lookout sites) and Cosmic Anomalies (Hideaway and Burrow sites) as well as the Hacking sites.

Create a few different areas or routes to scan. Each route should consist of a dozen systems connected in a pocket or dead end pipeline. If one route doesn't have very many sigs, go to another route. Also try them out at different time zones. After a while you'll know the best times to probe each route.

Good luck to you.



DMC

'The Plan' | California Eve Players | Proposal - The Endless Battle
ergherhdfgh
Imperial Academy
Amarr Empire
#9 - 2016-08-18 02:25:31 UTC
IMHO in high sec the only thing worth scanning for is wormholes that lead to other wormholes that have sites that are not run. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time jumping from system to system and looking for signatures. If you do find a site more often than not it will be partially run with any decent loot gone and the site not de-spawned.



Vex Malleus wrote:
What happens when a player scans down a sig? Does it then become unavailable to other pilots?

Not only does this not happen but a somewhat common tactic is for players to scan down all the sites in a wormhole system and then stay cloaked and watch you run them and then blow you up and take the loot as you are trying to leave system.

Exploration is dangerous. But it can be very lucrative. Luckily the ships needed to run the hacking sites are not very expensive. So the risk versus reward chances of loosing a ship might be highish but the risk versus reward on the isk scale is pretty good. You can make good isk and only risk a cheap ship in the process.

So if you can shrug off a few ship looses here and there and understand that your exploration ships are more similar to a consumable item like ammo than they are a constantly usable item like a tool, you should be good.

Want to talk? Join Cara's channel in game: House Forelli
Shallanna Yassavi
qwertz corp
#10 - 2016-08-18 03:52:14 UTC
When running around in wormholes, make sure your pod is cheap too.
10M ship? Next one ready to go. 150M pod? That's going to be a little more painful.

Jump clones are your friend.

A signature :o
Vex Malleus
Alternative Management Solutions
#11 - 2016-08-18 06:16:19 UTC
I give up on exploration. I just couldn't narrow the scans to 100% after trying and trying. I'm going back to mining and mission running.

Also thought about checking out some null sec corps. Big smile
DeMichael Crimson
Republic University
Minmatar Republic
#12 - 2016-08-18 06:47:08 UTC
Vex Malleus wrote:
I give up on exploration. I just couldn't narrow the scans to 100% after trying and trying. I'm going back to mining and mission running.

Also thought about checking out some null sec corps. Big smile

That's a shame, probably just need to train up a few levels in scanning skills, use a ship with scan bonus and fit up Sisters Launcher and probes. If needed there's also rigs, implants and modules that will help increase scan strength.

There's a lot of different types of exploration sites available which can be very fun and profitable, especially after gaining experience and setting up some good routes.


DMC

'The Plan' | California Eve Players | Proposal - The Endless Battle
Tao Dolcino
Garoun Investment Bank
Gallente Federation
#13 - 2016-08-18 10:54:01 UTC
Vex Malleus wrote:
I give up on exploration. I just couldn't narrow the scans to 100% after trying and trying. I'm going back to mining and mission running.

Also thought about checking out some null sec corps. Big smile


Giving up so fast ? Sad
As for every activities, you have to invest a bit of SP and studying time. Exploration is not very SP intensive compared to other specialities, and you can relatively fast have fun and start to win money from it. It's also a very good way to learn to travel and survive in hostile environment.
Maybe put a few explo skills in your skill queue and give it a try again later ?
Major Trant
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#14 - 2016-08-18 11:36:02 UTC  |  Edited by: Major Trant
Don't give up, those sites you can't get a 100% hit on, are the valuable ones, you just need to improve your chances and there are bags of options.


Skills:
Astrometrics
Astrometric Acquisition
Astrometric Pinpointing
Astrometric Rangefinding

Get them to L3 as a Priority and then revisit them after racial Frigates to get them to L4

Train your T1 racial Frigate skills to at least L4, the T1 Scanning ships have 7.5% bonus per level to the strengh of your probes.

Train your T1 racial Frigate skills to L5 then train Covert Op Frigate to L3/L4, buy a Covert Op Ship which has a +10% bonus per level to the strength of your probes.


Rigs:
Small Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I

Fit two of them to your scanning ship, do not fit the T2 version, the calibration of the T2 rig is 300, thus you can only fit one of them. Two T1s is better and cost peanuts.


Use Sisters Core Scanner Probes, they are a bit pricey, but worth it.


Once you have a Covert Op Frigate, buy a Sister Probe Launcher. Not recommended for a T1 frigate unless you are rolling in money or stay in high sec.


I think there are scanning implants too, but not certain.
Tao Dolcino
Garoun Investment Bank
Gallente Federation
#15 - 2016-08-18 11:56:50 UTC
Major Trant wrote:
I think there are scanning implants too, but not certain.


Indeed, in Implants, Scanning category :

Poteque 'Prospector' Astrometric Pinpointing slot 6
Poteque 'Prospector' Astrometric Acquisition slot 7
Poteque 'Prospector' Astrometric Rangefinding slot 8

The slots 9 and 10 ones are bonuses for hacking data and archeology sites.
Lulu Lunette
Savage Moon Society
#16 - 2016-08-18 11:57:50 UTC
Dont give up yet Brother Sebiestor!

@lunettelulu7
Vex Malleus
Alternative Management Solutions
#17 - 2016-08-18 18:47:20 UTC
Well I kept my Probe and all the modules. I'll try again at some point! I did train up some exploration skills already.

Thanks everyone!! Big smile
Kalmr Varys
State War Academy
Caldari State
#18 - 2016-08-18 19:15:50 UTC
Also for even more help join a corp. A good active corp is a good way to learn Eve.