I’m just getting to Exploration in this game, I’m trying to understand where the real bottleneck in relic/data site running actually is.
If I can already resolve most signatures with decent probe strength (Core Scanner Probes, Sisters launcher, basic scanning skills at IV), but still occasionally fail hacks or have to burn through multiple Relic Analyzer attempts, am I correct in thinking that scanning skill investment quickly hits diminishing returns compared to hacking skills?
In other words: At what point does improving scan strength stop being the main limiter?
Is it generally more efficient (ISK/hour-wise) to prioritize Hacking/Archaeology V over pushing Astrometrics support skills to V?
Or do experienced explorers view fast, high-precision scanning as the bigger long-term advantage compared to marginally easier hack minigames?
I’m trying to avoid spreading my skill training too thin, so I’d love to understand how veterans evaluate the trade-off between finding sites faster vs. clearing them more reliably.
The first time you run into a Covert Research Facility you can’t scan down, you’ll want Astrometrics 5.
The first time you scan one of those down, and blow up the can that has the billion isk implant BPC in it and your scanning ship, you’ll want Hacking 5.
scanning time
– scanning irrelevant sigs
– wasting time on scanning half-hacked sites
hacking
travel time within a site from can to can
While I haven’t precisely timed my exploration runs, hacking doesn’t take much of it in my experience. With good skills and knowledge of the hacking minigame you can click about as fast as the numbers refresh. And with Zeugma + blackglass combo you can click even faster as it doesn’t even matter to see what nodes you click.
Scanning and finding the right site in a system takes more time, and travel within and between the sites/systems too.
But usually you don’t have to choose one or the other, just improve both!
Given the choice between archaeology/hacking V and astrometrics supports to V, I’d personally go with the former since that lets you use the t2 analyzers which are a lot better than t1.
In the end it’s also not so much about how much isk/hr you can make running solo, but what you bring to the corp you end up joining.
To a wormhole corp, an experienced scanner will be able to scan out chains and find good trade routes, or potential targets to invade, quickly after you roll your static.
To a low/null sec pirate corp, you will be able to combat scan DED site runners so quickly they never see your probes.
The ability to move quickly and not to get caught is the priority. Navigation skills play a big role.
Then comes the ability to find the sites fast. A site is useless if you are reported in intel channels and stick too long inside the system trying to find it. So scanning skills are very important, but not as important as navigation skills.
Hacking skills are not that important, since the hacking minigame is 50% luck. Level 4 should be enough, level 5 if you want a bit more convenience and have nothing else better to train (and if you want to use T2 modules, of course). They are, however, useful in Sleeper Cache sites where failing to hack a container can trigger an explosion or an alarm and make you lose your ship. Ghost sites used to be like that, but CCP reduced the hacking minigame difficulty in them a couple of months ago.
While placement of the nodes is random, clearing them, using the utilities at the right opportunity and finding the final node fast definitely is a skill you can improve by getting better as player.
Besides that, having extra coherence from the respective hacking skill as well as extra strength from a T2 hacking module is definitely going to make hacking faster and more reliable. Level 5 in these skills is well worth it for someone who regularly explores data or relic sites.
Even if the hacking game were mostly luck, which I disagree with, then still getting the hacking skill to 5 significantly increases your success chance and hack speed, minimizing the time you’re vulnerable.