EVE New Citizens Q&A

So my sub is about to run out and I cant financially afford to resub for a while, hey times are tough. So I'm trying to figure out what I should focus on while in alpha state. I've been working on mining and digging it, but I hate the idea of going from my covetor to a venture.

So i'm thinking this would be a good time to branch out and try out other isk making opportunities. Skill-wise I've devoted basically everything to mining. So whats another good ISK making technique for Alpha's? IS there anything I should just absolutely avoid while in alpha state?

If all you need is maximum isk with minimal investment, scam. Zero (character) skill needed, no Alpha limitation applies.

I presonally prefer scavenging. Sniffin' around for loot, askin' people if they have spare scrap lying around, keepin' a D-eye on every MTU until their owner packs or abandons 'em. Profit is medium to low for my standards, with lucky spikes here and there. Suggesting the above method instead if fun is not enough incentive.

On the longer run, I'm learning the ways of a tackler n' scout from a certain group, so I'll be able to assist the Lords o' the Universes in their eternal struggle in me humble ways.

From reading your answer, I would suggest you think about joining one of the large new player nullsec corporations, as I advised to another poster. If you want to participate in those big fleets, that's where you will find these fights, and alphas are very welcome.

Additionally to PvP experience, the resources out in nullsec are much better. You can rat pretty decent isk even in a simple Catalyst destroyer. If you still like mining, even a Venture can make far more in nullsec than in high sec, plus you can try gas mining.

You will get free ships to rat in, PvP in and even mine from several of the corps. The nearest ship to a Star Destroyer (at least in looks) is provably the Hurricane, a Minmatar battlecruiser that is easy to train into, and widely used is nullsec fleets - though I don't think alphas can train battlecruisers. You can try out the T1 cruisers that are often used, and I know at least one of these alliances give out free logistics cruisers for fleets.

Remember that even if you train a skill at omega, once you go alpha, if the skill is not in the alpha set, you can't use it till you sub again. As an alpha, I'd concentrate on gaining experience with the smaller ships just as you note. Another advantage of being in a bigger corp is they provide alpha training plans that will help you make the most of your skills.

Not knowing what you enjoy is a great opportunity to try as much as you can. My advice is to avoid thinking about things in terms of isk return at this early stage, because you just end up doing a very poorly paid job, and will probably quit.

There was a guy who posted on reddit about how he started playing eve and plexed his account within the first month as an alpha clone. The secret was he joined a corp in null sec, then went out there and did salvaging in a destroyer. He made like 50 mil per hour or something like that doing salvaging. three hours a day is 150 mil per day. After 10 days that's more than enough to plex your account. So there you go, salvaging.

*edit* here's the post I was talking about. He actually made 60 mil per hour doing salvaging. https://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/5o9ucz/diary_of_an_alpha_clone_multi_billionaire_in_43/

Another low maintenance activity is Trading, which if you couple it with overnight Manufacturing jobs can add a bit more money into your wallet. And the premise is easy: buy low, sell high!

When I did mining back then, i was supplementing it with PI, Trading and a bit of missioning for the salvage and loots. The other activities were there because just mining will burn me out of the game.

Having difficulty with PI? Try the eve uni pages for it:
http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Planetary_Interaction

There is... the lower tier production, perhaps 100~200M possible income per month here in hisec. You basically extract the lowest tier planetary materials, make em go inside factories to convert it to the next tier and either collect that and sell into the market, or convert it to the next tier again. Extracting has a limited timer, converting has a timer, and you have to interact with the Player Owned Customs Office (POCO) to get the items off the planet (subject to taxes).

Then there's these 'factory planet' configuration, where you only have factories to convert lower tier stuff into the highest stuffs. You basically buy the lower tier stuff from markets, insert the stuff thru the POCO, and convert them into the highest tier stuff.

You can even make these factory planets near the market hubs (but beware the taxes) to ease the resupplying of the mats. I made my PI planets between my trade hub and mining area. That way on my way to sell my ores, I can pick up my finished PI materials, and on my way back to my mining area, I resupply my PI factory planets with raw mats. And it takes just a few minutes to set these things up..

So I really hope you revisit doing PI cause its a low maintenance isk printing activity.

You might consider mission running. Also salvage and light trade in ore and materials. You can also explore C1 class wormholes. Consider courier work. Some folks find it fun.

Clone Status: Alpha

Mission running: Guaranteed pay and salvage adds a good bonus but for efficiency requires about a 10 million investment

Hacking: High pay, in some cases the highest of Alpha able, simple gameplay way. Though to get highest pay you would have to hack wormhole cans and as an Alpha I can tell you, it is aggravating and stressful

Mining: Offers steady pay but with at best of 2.9 billion annual salary in high sec it is not worth it unless you like production

Play the Market: this one takes time but I watched the Fanfest video where a guy made a trillion doing it so... good pay, boring, needs much attention

Gas Harvesting: High pay but needs a good carrier, the sleepers are not really an issue as 5 sleeper frigates can be beaten by a condor with minimal warping, or 1 amarr destroyer without warping

Green-Sites: offer bounty pay, salvage, and in rare cases may offer a module worth 20-60 million

Those are the definite ways to get money (unless you can't hack cans then you'll get nothing form those)

The other ways (I don't do these ones so am unsure how good they are)

Scamming: requires... trickery? I hear the pay is good but never trust a scammer so... meh

PvP: good salvage, usually expensive modules or loot

Salvage: pray for T2 or Lorentz Fluid

Ganking Fleets: usually tend to pick on industrials, some are worth little, some a lot, maybe some have plex, you never know

Selling Wormholes: Some are worth half a billion

Those are the key ones I guess