Where Do You Explore?

Exploration Gameplay Center Known Space
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I guess this could also go in W-Space…first time posting a new topic. Sorry it’s a bit wordy.

Anyway, I’ve been playing for about two months, and have been focusing exclusively on Exploration for the time being. For now, I’ve been limiting myself to Relic/Data sites (including ghost and sleeper caches), but I’ve done it in all relevant areas of the game–Hi, Low, and Null Sec, as well as W-Space.

Hi sec stuff is not really worth it, so let’s ignore hi sec for now. Do you prefer low, null, or WH exploration?

I ask because, having done a decent amount in all three places, I’m kind of torn. Low sec offers middling, but consistent, returns at relatively low risk. The problem with null that I’ve been finding is that it’s almost site-less. Almost every null system I’ve been to has between 0-2 signatures, which are (almost) always combat sites or WHs. I went 20 systems deep yesterday and found ONE data site. I know the sites are lucrative, but you gotta find em first, you know?

I’ve found one fabulous WH Relic site that got me 250 mil. That said, I’ve done A TON of WH exploration and that’s the first time I’ve found such a site. WHs are opposite of null–an overabundance of sites, but typically they are either 1) more WHs; 2) Unsecure/Forgotten sites; 3) Gas sites. I spend a ton of time scanning down everything, only to be unable to actually loot any sites. In addition, WHs are just more dangerous due to the lack of local as well as a general lack of available intelligence. I mean, at least I can look at the F10 map to get a sense of what’s going on in null.

Maybe I should focus on WHs and just resign myself that I may go days without finding a site, but that when I do it will make up for lost time? Where do you guys explore, and why?

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When I was doing exploration, I exclusively harvested Sansha relic sites in nullsec around Stain for intact armor plates. Intact armor plates are still the best loot drop among the profession sites, and only found in Sansha sites.

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Awesome, thanks for the tip. Intact Armor Plates did indeed make up the bulk of that 250mil WH site, so that makes sense.

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Both null and wormholes are good places to explore and each has some tradeoffs. Adding signatures to the agency was a recent poor change making it possible for explorers to go straight to systems with sigs. If you play in EU primetime, expect more competition on that score than if you play in US or AUtz. For finding sites in whs while daytripping, try scanning up from LS. LS is much more interconnected with wspace than null and is pretty deserted making wormholes with LS statics less picked over.

With regards to danger, null is now in local blackout raising the danger level closer to wspace. Kspace has map intel but you can still check the citadels and zkill of the resident wormhole corp to see if they are likely to be camping sites when you are hacking. I’ve caught many explorers who neglected to do that. :smile:

Also you should make sure to maximize your efficiency in wspace by avoiding C4 and up. With a few exceptions there aren’t pirate sites higher than C3. Maximize your efficiency in null based on the local rat type. Sansha>Guristas>Serpentis>>>Angels>Blood Raiders source:https://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/af7536/the_ultimate_nullsec_faction_relicdata_sites/?utm_source=BD&utm_medium=Search&utm_name=Bing&utm_content=PSR1

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High Sec. just started a small project around flying around empire space and hacking whatever is avaliable on top of salvaging the remains of whatever wreckage is found at gates (Suicide Ganks are basically jackpot but rare to find it seems).

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Nice, appreciate the tips. I do most of that stuff, but I didn’t think to see if there were any third-party tools to help with determining the likelihood of site campers. Definitely something to check into. I think I’ve only died twice in WHs to campers, and one of those times I knew there was someone in there and got greedy :stuck_out_tongue:

I stay out of C4-C6 space. Regarding Null, I’ll admit the only region I’ve explored to any real extent is Querious, because it seems to me NO ONE LIVES THERE. Stain is a lot more inhabited, and also SO FAR AWAY from my current main base of operations. I think one of the skills I really need to improve is WH mapping so I can get to remote areas of the map without having to actually jump the whole way. Either that or I need to install jump clones and establish several jump-off points for exploration runs.

@Sienna_Khalifa Sometimes I do that when I want to relax a bit. People will still gank you if you let your cargo get too valuable, but it’s not the same “oh god everyone wants to kill me” feeling I get in lower security space. I’ve done almost no salvaging though.

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I tend to explore in NPC null sec. There’s always a station nearby to drop off loot, unlike wormholes. You can also design a route to maximise your efficiency.

I stick to the eastern half of Syndicate space when doing null sec exploration. The station at M2-CF1 makes a good base. It gives you three laps to choose from. Once you finish a lap, head back to base and choose another one.

The Great Wildlands is more quiet. If you want to explore in relative peace, then this is a good option. Just beware of chokepoints as the region is more “pipey”.

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I am looking to branch out from HS Exploration to LS, NS and WH’s. I see lots of WH’s now but am leery on entering and not finding my way back out. Not sure how do this.

My obstacle in LS, NS etc, getting there and not getting camped on, this may simply be my perception and not a reality of the actual risk is no more than any other.

If you do find a quiet place to explore how do you haul back to Jita or do you???

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Wormholes, always have probes, always bookmark your entrance.

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It’s a legit concern, especially in null with no local. It’s pretty easy to avoid site camps in Low since you can always wait for an empty system. I check the F10 map a lot and filter for average pilots in system in past 30 mins.

If you’re really worried about gate camps, I use https://eve-gatecheck.space/eve/. There are also game mechanics you can use to increase your likelihood of surviving the camp. The MWD + cloak trick is super helpful.

I do drop off my stuff at hubs usually. I check to see if there have been a ton of kills before I go in case someone is station camping. If you set up an insta dock bookmark, you’re usually pretty good. Campers have a ton of targets.

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Wormholes generally. But if you do exploration for ISK primarilly, you will be disapointed eventually. Take it as a journey, where the journey itself is a goal. The risk shall always present. Would you really like it without it? If you have gut fit and pay attention you can cope with the risk… mostly.
Cheers and have fun

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While not strictly necessary for solo daytripping, a wh mapper can help you keep track of the chain. I strongly prefer tripwire https://tripwire.eve-apps.com/ for its organization but pathfinder might work better for your purposes https://www.pathfinder-w.space/.

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Bookmark on the way in and then warp back and exit. sounds easy enough.

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Dont know how to set an instadock BM. I have to investigate that one.

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Is Wormhole mapping a skill???

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I typically find half a dozen pirate relic sites a day in WH space while casually scanning, far more if I put some effort in.

I suspect the difference is that you’re starting from high sec. So you’re starting from the same spot that 90% of all other explorers start from, and so you find systems which have already been cleared.

I live in a wormhole and I scan deep chains. Most of the relic sites I find are in abandoned low class holes with a low or null static, I’m probably the first one to roll into them and scan for weeks.

It’s called exploration for a reason, go off the beaten path, go to systems where no one has been.

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I only go to WHs in low or null sec, but I typically don’t go more than one deep, so that’s almost certainly one of my issues. I really should be more adventurous.

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Yeah, you need to realise every K162 wormhole you find has been jumped through recently (within the last 16-24h depending on the hole) by someone coming from the other side! Even if you find a Z971, R943 or X702 (k-space to C1, C2 and C3 WH), odds are low you’re the first to scan it, unless you actually saw it spawn. Possibly someone else found it first. In both cases they may have already run the relic sites.

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No you’re totally right man. Honestly, WH mechanics is the most important exploration skill I haven’t really looked into yet.

Going to study that hard here shortly.

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So, you operate from lowsec and daytrip to WH.

In my experience, you could get a rabbit hole of linked WH from your initial C2. Many C2 got static of A239 (lowsec) and D382 (another C2), and somehow they often linked together. Add them with other C2 that often connect you to other J-space, and you usually got rabbit holes from WH you find in a lowsec system.

So, yeah. You should get inside of those holes you see inside of the initial WH, and find out what class is it and static or current WH it has.

Just never use a WH in EoL (End of Life) if you dont want to get stranded.

Always be careful in a J-system that obviously picked clean (or left with just ore sites and unsecured sites). Check that new WH Killboard you just found, multiple explorer killer from certain guy is a red flag.

Some shattered WH, that cannot have tower or citadel anchored in it, usually quite active somehow. I always see another probes in every shattered I found. Especially C13, multiple Confessors lives in it.

Tips from me. Sometime you got yourself inside a labyrinth of WHs. Always use one name for the WHs you came from. Example, I name mine with “out”, so when I want to store my loot back I just use the WHs with bookmark named “out”. Several “out” later, I got back to my homebase. Thats what im using before my corp using pathfinder. Im still using it even now.

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