Solo life in NPC null - What to bring?

New Citizens Q&A
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Hi all

I’m considering trying life in NPC null sec space.

ISK generation isn’t first priority, it’s more important to be able to live in peace.

I expect to do mining, exploration, ratting, anoms and be as self sufficient as I can.
I’ll probably fill up a covert ops fitted hauler (blockage runners? The ones with a ship hangar).
So where would you suggest going and what ships to bring?

For the record, I’m not 100% settled on this yet and may just join a nullsec corp, so I am aware of the possibility of taking that route as well.

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I am by no means an expert, but I have done this twice and gotten more or less what I wanted from it. This would have been Great Wildlands from 2018-2020 and Pure Blind from 2020-2023. I am a super casual soloist who dabbles in most things and excels in nothing.

First thing to understand is living in peace solo is somewhat of a contradiction in NPC null. Most of the time, you’re prey. Some days that’s okay, some days that’s a roadblock. In GW, I focused on manufacturing for other locals. I kept destroyers and cruisers stocked, plus their mods, and made some mining and hauling ships as well. Did okay, eventually won back my investment. Talking to people, advertising your contracts, this might win you some leeway when you’re out mining/huffing. But they also have their own Indy people so you’re still competition. Everyone is hostile until proven neutral. No one is blue.

This brings me to the second point: you have a very limited number of stations to base from, depending on what services you plan on using. This means it will be easy to determine where your home is located and what you tend to do there. If a bloc decides you’re a gnat they want to swat, not much you’re going to be able to do about it other than send tributes or try to timezone-tank their animosity. Something to consider when planning.

I would start with a DST. It will be highly advantageous to get Transport Ships to V since you’ll want every bonus you can get. The ship hangar is useful and you can pack a great deal in a single trip. CovOps, Expedition Frigate, BR, and a BC can all be fit in there, with all modules and ammo. Everything you need to explore, mine, and shunt your loot back to a market with as much safety as possible. So here’s point three: remember EVE rule number one and don’t fly this if you can’t afford to lose it.

Join the Signal Cartel public channel in-game. Use the Thera and Turnur shared bookmarks folder, but bear in mind everyone else has those bookmarks. Don’t advertise or telegraph what you’re doing. Then wait for a connection through Thera to your desired NPC region with an entry that is not anywhere near a major tradehub. The shorter the route for you between that entrance and your prospective base, the better your chances. Once you’re in null, never travel gate-to-gate. Always bounce off celestials to create your tacticals, and approach gates from an oblique if possible. If you make it, congrats, you’re now staged.

At this point, you may want to consider using public JF services to bring a care package of starter equipment to your new home. Could be anything pertinent to the content you enjoy. This is just an option if you have the funds and inclination.

Greybill blog has a good guide on bookmark hygiene, as well as a few for solo fits for null. Research the null belt/ratting fits that suit you, and see if you can build those for yourself, though it may be a while and you may need to rely on outside sources for supplies you don’t have immediate access to. If you can, integrate into the local economy and market. If it helps generate content for others, you’ll be a welcome part of the ecosystem. Good luck and have fun.

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What Divine said. Plus (as you mentioned living self sufficient): bring BPO or a decent amount of BPC for everything you might need - Ships (selection of Frigs, Destroyers, Cruisers), Modules, Charges (Ammo and Probes at least), Rigs, Components (these can happily be BPC for the start). Make sure you got at least halfway decent manufacturing and research skills to copy, invent and build the items you will need out there. Depending on where you go, things might be either terribly priced or worse, not available at all or just occasionally (usually not when you need them).

Datacores and Decryptors are likely found in abundance via exploration. Same for Salvage. Set up PI to produce what you need for T2 production (Construction Blocks, Robotics, Consumer + Miniature Electronics…) and find a source for T2 Materials so you can build your Components.

Definitely have a DST and BR as well as a nullified travel Ceptor plus a CovOps. A Recon that does not appear on DSCAN is nice too both offensive and defensive.

(If you want to play on hard mode, only use T1 and Meta items you build or loot :melting_face: )

It is a lot of work, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to DIY stockpile what you need to live 70j from Jita. That place is a stinky dot of fly droppings on the map anyways.

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Thank you for your insight :slight_smile: Lots of things to consider here, especially about an actual community out there.

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I actually never took the time to get into manufacturing and research, maybe now would be a good time.

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Neither a DST nor BR have a ‘‘ship hangar’’, whatever you two mean by that. There is no such hangar on any EVE hull. Ships have a ‘fleet hangar’ --which is what the DST hulls have-- and a ‘ship maintenance bay’. The difference between the two is that only SMB can carry assembled hulls. Not a single subcap ship besides Odysseus has a ship maintenance bay. Bowhead, a freighter, is the next smallest ship that has one.

You don’t need a specialized hangar to carry repackaged hulls. In a DST fleet hangar you can at most fit 2 assembled frigates in, not even a single cruiser, much less another transport ship.

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You probably want an Odysseus - seems to be intended for this.

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Thank you for clarifying for our OP, this is the correct nomenclature.

Below, please see an example of what a pilot might take on a journey like OP describes, to start operating solo in NPC null.

Summary

M2XAx0I
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@Le_Badass You can fit quite a bit into both the fleet hangar and cargo bay (which itself is less than half full with fittings for all hulls carried). Note that the Stiletto is assembled, fitted and rigged, while all other ships are packaged. However, since it isn’t an SMB, you cannot refit in space. Part of the fun is figuring out how to pack for the trip, once you have an idea what you want to do while you’re there. Plenty of ways to make it work, it’s up to you.

There are in-game channels for this kind of activity but I can’t recall the names since it’s been a while.

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Is it just a solo character, or are you a group of alts? This drastically changes most of the advice I would give.

Otherwise, I assume there’s still areas full of NeRDS, and their silly Not Red Don’t Shoot philosophy. That might be a bit more your speed, as it allows you the independence you want to do your own thing while still having a bit of support and mutual defense from the people who live around you.

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Dang, thanks man, that was a very detailed answer. I just need to buy the click button and undock.

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Very good point. Wild if they let neutrals live in their space.

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The Orca.

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I keep forgetting about the existence of that one.

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Don’t sleep on the orca as a mobile home, it’s smaller than the Bowhead, but it can cloak trick (either faction cloak and overheated MWD or inertial stabs instead of tank in the lows).