1941

When you have the starmap open there’s a control panel with a search tab. Type the name of your destination system in there, hit search and then right click on the correct result to set destination. You also have some filters for the route in the autopilot settings that will avoid systems above or below 0.5 sec, systems that have seen a lot of pod-kills recently or any systems that have been entered into your personal avoidance list.

That’s the easiest way to use the starmap to find a destination however it should be noted that there’s an even faster way if you already know the system name.

Simply type it into chat but don’t send it, highlight it and then right click -> link item. Choose System from the list and you’ll turn the name of the system into a clickable link that you can set destination from. You can then either delete it from your chat window or send it for others in your fleet to use as a destination source.

1942

What’s amazing about this game is that even when you think you know a lot, there is still a ton more to learn. It’s a very deep and complex MMO, and I like that it rewards you the more time you spend in it, versus the WoW style of experience everything quickly, then reroll to have more fun.

I think this style leads to more attachment to the game the characters you play. I’m not a game designer though. I’m sure Eve has a ton of things that would land on the “don’t do this” list of design guidelines, but overall it works.

1943

you can even just type in part of the name and if there are no other systems that begin with those same letters it will link it. If there are other systems it will pull up a list you can choose from.

Just don’t confuse 0 and o. or 8 and B. Even 6 and G look alike in that stupid font they use.

1944

I know how to “set destination” and how to search for things. What I was saying that if I had to navigate a route purely by looking at the starmap, I wouldn’t have a clue. It’s just too cumbersome. I just use Ombey’s maps and either alt-tab to occasional systems, or print out ones I’m in a lot.

I was really just trying to get across what Eve is like for a few hour old player.

1945

I have an alt account that is currently looking for something to do. She was my original character that I used when I first signed up, and foolishy thought mining would be interesting. So, she can fly a Covetor and Iteron V’s. Then I decided to make her into a probing/scouting character, so she can fly covops (but not bombers.) Currently I’m grinding courier missions with her, so I can get to Research Agents and gain some amount of a passive income. All the while I train her for PVE so eventually I’ll be able to grind Level 4’s.

I was thinking about production/research/invention though. That seems like a nice way to carebear my way around during downtime from PVP. There looks like there’s almost zero profit in T1 production, just because the sale prices are so low except on ships. T2 production, rig production and ship production, look at a quick glance to be much more viable.

So, my questions are, what do I need to do, and look out for with production/research/invention? And more importantly/specifically, how integrated do my supply chains have to be? Is it simply enough to set up a load of buy orders and buy in all the compenents, once I have the skills to put them all together, or do I need to be mining for myself, salvaging for myself, researching for myself, etc? The industrial side of Eve looks fun, but not like a good earner. No matter which product I look it, it seems that I’d be making a loss whatever I do with them.

1946

T2 production is not such a difficult thing to get into although unless you can commit a chunk of capital to it at the start then you’ll take a while to see any kind of returns from it.

Firstly do some research on the market in your local area. Find out what is selling and at what price. Then plug those items into a spreadsheet and figure out what it would cost you to build those items.

Mining your own ore will hardly make a dent in your profitability as the majority of the cost of T2 items is in the invention cost and the T2 materials (which are all moon reactions). Minerals are a vanishingly small percentage of the total.

You will save money by building your own T2 components but this will require access to a materials research lab which are very hard to find in Empire.

Your main bottlenecks will be copy slots, you’ll find that public slots are usually booked up a week or more in advance. If you can launch and operate your own POS, you’ll find that your life becomes a lot easier although this obviously brings a significant cost.

You don’t need to micromanage a T2 invention/production business but you will need to keep up-to-date with it. Something like Eve MEEP or your own homegrown spreadsheet will be required to make sure that you’re not selling stuff at a loss.

Above all, things to remember are:

[ul]
[li]Your time is not free, factor in invention and production times to your profit estimates.[/li][li]Datacores you get from your own R&D agents are not free. They have a value and you are spending that value when you use them.[/li][li]Minerals you mine yourself are not free.[/li][/ul]

1947

With covert ops and industriel ships have a look at the blockade runner, which can fit the cov ops cloak. With that PI in low-sec maybe as part of industriel operations?

Depending on what race you can fly the minmatar is the only BR with two highs, so you could actually put a core probe launcher in it as well ;) .

1948

Im training an alt for minmatar BR, i have no idea why tho.

1949

I’m about to get back into Eve after an eight-month absence and I have a very basic question. What type of agents give courier missions?

When I played last year all I ever wanted to do was courier contracts for players, but it’s difficult to make much money doing that full-time.

1950

Eve agent mission matrix

Basically Production, Accounting and Archives divisions will give you ~90% courier missions.

1951

Thank you.

1952

So, after a bit of time away for the SC2 campaign, I poked my head back into LowSec and took a wander…

A few systems away, what looked suspiciously like a returning trial player in a Dominix.

Out go the probes. He’s near a belt… Could he be ratting? Oh, gone.

Check around.

Now there is a Coveter out.

Same belt. Warp in at 100km. Yep, same guy, in a bloody mining barge in LowSec.

Warp out, warp in to him at 0.

30 seconds later, I have 15 million more ISK than I had before.

It’s good to be back.

1953

Solo mining barge in low sec? I would be so happy to see that :(

All I see is systems full of 10 pirates and that old “industrial dead 15km off gate” trick.

1954

Yeah, I was a bit cautious, given that there was a high sec gate in system.

But I figured he probably wasn’t bait, and he was in fact just foolish.

Had there been a local spike, I’d have popped him and run.

1955

I could never be a pirate myself (I’d feel too bad, even if it’s just a game) but your stories never fail to entertain, Dave

1956

Just think of it as extreme Faction Warfare.

BYO Faction.

1957

mmm my subscription ends in 3 days and i got a bit bored with the game, dunno if to buy a plex and keep training while i dont play or save the money.

1958

Well, whenever I take a break and don’t keep my subscription running, I always end up kicking myself for not ponying up the $15/month to get all the delicious skills I want.

1959

Since I know I will regret it if I let my sub lapse, I just buy my subscriptions a year at a time. Best rate, and I get that lovely lovely training time.

12 days or so to AWU V (which I need for the Dual-Neut Nano-Cane).

1960

I’m currently cross training some new racial ships. I’ve gotten extremely bored with a mostly Caldari flying main and alts so I’m having each character train something new. This could be fun. :)

Dave I wish I had AWU 5. Nice skill, bud.