Missions & Complexes

I have an interest in doing exploration stuff but I keep reading its best to do that type of stuff when you have a Covert Ops ship? Is it possible to do in a Frigate? or is it just better to run missions until your skills catch up and allow you to fly a better ship?

If you like low sec you can go around looking for Clone soldiers/Mordus rats in a Algos. If you find a mordus bigger then a frig you will need to reship into something bigger but the payout can be very good, even if its just clone tags.

But yea it really depends on your playstyle. If you like constant, reliable, safe payouts, go with missions.

If you like to play more dangerous, you can try combat sites in low/nullsec. A lot of times you get nothing but bounties and overseer effects, other times you come out big with pirate BPCs and deadspace and fraction modules.. All in 1 site.

As for the data/relic, they are a bit more constant, but can still have their ups and downs.

As for best profits.. its hard to say.. It depends on how much space you explore. Obv the more space you farm, the more you will yield.

The main difference is its a different style of play. It can sometimes pay off big, other times you can go a week without anything but crapsites

Missions can provide a nice steady income, once you can do L4 efficiently for a corp with a good LP store. Before that, it's meh. I've started doing null-sec exploration recently, just data/relic sites in a covops. Can't say I've been impressed by the isks, but it's certainly a change of pace. I believe it would be doable in a T1 frig with the MWD/cloak trick to travel, but you still need the astrometrics/hacking/archeology skills at a decent level to get anything done. Haven't tried combat sites so far, don't have the SP for a T3. Keep in mind that anything done in low/null-sec or WH space is going to have a lot of downtime, depending on other players activities.

I am paying with Cash, I don't have the income atm to pay with Plex and even if I did i'd be more interested Selling the Plex on the market than actually using it!!

Well thanks for all the feedback, I am kind of interested in PVP functions as I have done that in the past in MMO's i've played and I really enjoy that, I don't want to get stuck into like Mining and industry as that seems like it could get very boring, i'm more of an adrenaline junky.

you can run data sites in high-sec and earn decent isk. it doesn't require much skill training either

Yes do this. once you get used to the hacking, go to low/nullsec. its MUCH better income then hisec sites. (even when you do loose it, its less then a 10 mil loss. Just dont carry too much loot at once :p)

also IMO the imicus is the best t1 explorer. you can have 3 warp core stabs, plus everything you need for the sites themselves, including a cargoscanner to pick the best ones to hack. however the best defnse is not getting pointed in the first place :p

Do hisec sites while training a covops frigate and you may as well train interceptors while you are at it.

Note that Racial Frigate V is one of the most useful (whilst also most neglected )early skills. It gives you access to Bombers, Covops, Interceptors, Assault Frigates and Ewar frigates.

High - Cloak
Mids - Data and Relic Analyzer, 1mn MWD, Cargo scanner
Lows - 2 warp care stabs , nano fiber
Rigs - Either GRavity Caps or Memetic/Emission (you can only fit 2 of either)

In low/Null people will generally not attack unless they have enough points to catch you (2 scram) so fitting 3 warp cores is of little value , it just nerfs the range/speed at which you can cargo scan the cans. They are most valuable in getting past gate camps where 2 is enough for the most part and the extra speed /agility of the Nano fiber often helps more (burning out of a bubble, warping away before you get healed ect)

I assume he was thinking (hoping) I was smart enough to assume that the probe launcher needed to be there :D

*Snip* Removed reply to a deleted post. ISD Ezwal.

As far as losec, WH space or null goes I have yet to see a single CODE gatecamp or any other CODE presence in low, null or any WH I have scouted. I am sure they DO occasionally pop up in low or null but the chances of bumping into them outside hisec is is close enough to nil.