Whats really the difference between low and null sec?
In-game someone said JUST the fact that in null sec there is no local chat. But I thought in low sec the stations and gates would attack an aggressor, though understandably not the same as Concord.
Is hanging near a station or gate, say while you scan cosmic signatures, going to deter anyone or give any protection at all?
The main technical difference is that in lowsec there are gate guns that sort-of help to protect you from campers. In nullsec people can also deploy warp bubbles that can prevent you from warping away, which changes the strategy a bit.
The real difference is that lowsec is full of trigger-happy yahoos that are just looking for action - and they will shoot at anything, even if it is probably bait.
Nullsec is much more organized, and most of the effort there is to amass huge amounts of money. They like to have overwhelming fleets so that they don’t lose any ships - because ships cost money. They also try to be allies with everybody, to avoid any ship losses. They have semi-automated intel channels so they can avoid PVP unless it is on their own terms.
There is also something called NPC null, which cannot be “owned” by anybody. It is like an extension of lowsec, but with warp bubbles and no gate guns.
I was in low sec doing some exploration. instead of just stilling still i orbited the gate. Would doing this protect me AT ALL? do the gate guns deter anyone or are they a joke? Same with stations if the system has any.
You would be surprised at how incompetent some players are. Unless your ship is a T1 exploration frigate then yes, the guns at the gates and stations do provide some benefit. Orbiting the gate within the insta-jump range also helps - because some gankers fit very short range guns.
Hisec: Concord rules apply, concord punishes criminals.
Lowsec: Concord rules still apply (Criminal/Suspect timer), but no CONCORD only gate/station defences
Nullsec: Anything goes, the rules you can enforce apply.
WH: see nullsec, but with no active local.
As for hanging on gate/station. No it won’t safe you. First of all the gate/station guns can be tanked AND if you warp of grid and come back, the guns have totally forgotten you did something wrong.
I strongly suggest to join a public roam to Nullsec to find out yourself.
in course of that voyage, the experienced players and FC usually are eager to answer any question a new player may ask.