If you run L4s in high-sec, the prevailing wisdom has always been: burner, blitz, clear, take another mission and then only (rarely) salvage.
But suppose you’re trying to preserve your standings and take every mission as it comes up? (rather than taking standings hits for successive declines) Is it actually better to just take another mission instead of salvaging the last one? The numbers may surprise you…
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†Most of the value in Zazzmatazz is in the hacker card and the very rare Zor implant, so there’s not a huge difference if you blitz/loot Zor vs. clear/salvage.
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Salvaging these missions takes less than half the time to run them in the first place, so it’s actually a really good ISK/hour return by salvaging when you can. Plus it offers a way to break up the routine a bit.
That’s actually why I do it. I’m less interested in “super max efficiency ISK/hr” and more into doing things the way I’d likely do them if I was actually there.
I don’t mind sticking a salvager in a high slot even on (some of) my combat mission ships. Then it’s Drop MTU → start fighting → salvage 1-2 wrecks as they occur during the fight → at fight end, launch salvage drones to finish up.
It adds a bit of target-juggling to EVE’s relatively sedate combat mechanics and adds some variety to my routine. As well as providing resources later that I can either sell off or use.
Some people do the “drop MTU → bookmark → salvage multiple sites later” routine but I’d rather just grab 2-3 missions and do it all in one run.
I’m doing Drop MTU → Clear Mission/Pocket → Swap Drones to Salvage Drones → Grab a Drink/Take a piss/Do 5 Push-Ups → Pick Up Drones and MTU → Next Mission/Pocket
I cannot believe that AE dropped 40 mISK in salvage. Perhaps loot and salvage? However, I agree that salvage is still profitable enough for me to do nearly on all missions. WC yielded 19 million in salvage, today. Add loot and bounties and it keeps me flying.
That is why I always had another account run, at first a salvage catalyst and then a salvaging hurricane with cargo expanders, tractor beams and salvagers, then they made the noctis and I trained into that. Though for null sec the hurricane is a better option cuz you can tank it and less people think your salvaging due to ship type. PsyOps ftw!
Lots of missions used to be semi-blitzable, when Elite Drone AIs were 15mil each I made a fortune off blitzing and farming those L4s baby!! Or Zors implants. Oh yeah!! The good ole days before the prices collapsed. Gotta think outside the box.
I’ve always salvaged both mission and exploration combat sites, use to do it for all sites, now I mostly bypass the small wrecks and mainly salvage medium and large wrecks…
When running level 4 Epic Arcs or large combat missions, I’ll use my Noctis… I actually have one stationed in each level 4 Epic Arc area and another in my home base so I don’t have to spend time moving an extra ship around… For small exploration and mission sites I have a single ‘Dunk’ Salvage Drone in Drone Bay to clean up those sites, usually the ‘Dunk’ Salvage Drone is quick enough to clean up the wrecks while I collect the loot… I also keep a Salvager mod in Cargo Bay just in case…
As for the Salvage I collect, it all goes into storage for future use to build Rigs… The Loot either get’s ‘Quick Sell’ on Market or if the price is low, it then get’s reprocessed with Metal Scraps into minerals.