Planetary Interaction is a very simple way to generate passive income in EVE with very little investment of both skills and ISK. There are a number of different ways to go about PI but in short, it is the process of setting up a robotic factory on a planet that will extract different resources depending on the type of planet and then manufacturer something out of those which we can sell on the market. PI products are used in a variety of activities across EVE including T2 production, Fuel production, Citadel components and even that Nanite Paste (that you should be carrying) is produced through PI.
The number of resources available on a planet scales by two factors.
The Security Status of a System will affect how abundant resources are on a planet. The lower the Security Status, the more resources there are.
The amount of factories operating on a planet will reduce the amount of resources you have access to as the resources will be spread between everyone. The more people using that planet, the less it will make for you.
These two factors lead to the myth that PI just isn't worth the hassle. That myth comes from people who try to do PI in HiSec. In HiSec, you begin with planets that already have poor resources due to the high Security Status even before you have the unwashed masses sucking each planet dry for anything and everything, so the profit that you make is often really low. NullSec is different because the planets are rich in resources and the local traffic is very low, meaning we can easily turn a great profit for very little effort. Depending on the markets, very simple P0>P2 extraction planets can generate between 3-5M ISK a day. If you are running 5 planets, that is roughly 15-25M ISK or a fully fit T1 Cruiser, per day, for free.
With that in mind, why would anyone not want to do PI in NullSec if they are already living there? You should know that your return will depend on the markets, how often you micromanage your setup and how efficient your planets are. Your millage will vary!
These are the recommended skills for successfully conducting PI at the NSC. You will only need to recommended skills, however the advanced skills are definitely worth the train in the long run. The recommended PI skills will allow you build 5 P0>P2 planets in the NSC backpocket, while the advanced PI skills will allow for a 6th planet, and the required upgraded Command Center, that can be use for a P4 production planet. The recommended ship skills will allow you to fly the standard E-UNI WH/NullSec Epithal fit. The Epithal is the preferred PI industrial due it's unique planetary commodities cargo hold. The advanced ship skills will increase the survivability of the Epithal and the amount of PI materials that it can carry.
Recommended PI Skills
Recommended Ship skills
Advanced PI Skills
Advanced Ship Skills
~ X days and X hours
~ X days and X hours
~ X days and X hours
~ X days and X hours
Remote Sensing III
Planetology IV
Advanced Planetology III
Command Center Upgrade IV
Interplanetary Consolidation IV
Cloaking III
Gallente Industrial I
Shield Upgrades IV
Tactical Shield Manipulation IV
Command Center Upgrade V
Interplanetary Consolidation V
Acceleration Control III
Evasive Maneuvering IV
Gallente Industrial IV
High Speed Maneuvering IIII
Navigation IV
Spaceship Command IV
The Epithal is a specialist Gallente Industrial Ship, similar to the Miasmos, with a unique cargo bay that can hold very large amounts of planetary commodities.
At Gallente Industrial IV, the Planetary Goods Bay can hold 63,000 m³. It can use the MWD+Cloak trick to travel in relative saftey. Ship and Fittings cost approximately 17M ISK, you can make that back in two days with NullSec PI.
Fitted cheaply and with only basic skills needed to fly it, it makes for the perfect PI hauler in NullSec. The one issue with the Epithal is that it's regular cargo hold is not big enough to carry a Planetary Command Center, therefore you will need another Industrial ship for this. Use an unfit Industrial from the Corp Hangers for this, and return it once you have deployed the Command Centers.
Null-sec/WH PI Hauler
Epithal: Null-sec/WH PI Hauler
EFT
[Epithal, Null-sec/WH PI Hauler] Improved Cloaking Device II Core Probe Launcher I
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II EM Ward Field II Medium Shield Extender II 5MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive
Nanofiber Internal Structure II Warp Core Stabilizer I Warp Core Stabilizer I Warp Core Stabilizer I
Medium Low Friction Nozzle Joints I Medium Ancillary Current Router I Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Core Scanner Probe I x8
FITTING DIFFICULTY
EVE VERSION
YC118 1.0
ALPHA CAN USE
UNSET
EFT
SKILLS
NOTES
RECOMMENDED SKILLS
NOTES
Relevant information:
3 AU/s warp speed. 9 sec align time 8,604 effective hit points @ All 5. 550+67,500 m3 cargo capacity @ All 5
The Core Probe Launcher I module is purely for use in WH space, however as much of the information on this page can also be applied to wormholes, it has been included in the fit. Remove the module for use solely in NullSec.
Now that we have the required skills and an Epithal for moving our goods around, we need to choose what to produce with our PI planets. When it comes to what to produce, there is no single right or wrong answer. The markets and the demand for certain goods do change, however there are three broadbrush groups of PI commodities that do turn a solid profit.
Coolant, Enriched Uranium, Mechanical Parts, Oxygen and Robotics are all use to produce Fuel Blocks and are therefore always in constant demand. This means they also sell well locally and there is not the requirement to ship them to Jita. For those who want to go the extra mile, there is also an Ice Belt in AK-QBU which gives the remaining materials needed to produce Oxygen Fuel Blocks.
Microfiber Shielding, Polyaramids and Silicate Glass are all P2 products that cannot be manufactured on a single planet. They require P1 materials to be imported from a separate planet. As the majority of players want minimal involvement with PI once setup, these are generally under produced and therefore can bring excellent margins for players willing to put in the extra effort.
All the P4 commodities are required for the production of Citadels and Engineering Complexes and therefore are always in demand and bring a solid return. They do require the use of a P2>P4 or a P1+P2>P4 factory planet to manufacture, which again requires more effort than the average capsuleer is willing to put into PI.
To make the most money from PI, you should look at both at the local market and the Jita market and compare what items are selling fast with the items are selling for more ISK. If you find something that is both quick selling and for a higher than normal amount, that is the product to manufacture.
Where to Manufacture?
This maps shows how local systems link together to form the NSC Syndicate backpocket. The deeper into the pocket you go, the safer you will be. Safer does not mean safe, however.
Do not do Planetary Interaction within PC9-AY. Large numbers of neutrals visit the system to poke the NSC into fighting. You will die. Horribly.
One of, if not the most dangerous places to be in NullSec, is on a Gate. Where possible, it is better to limit all your PI production to one system and ideally a system that also has a Station or a Citadel blue to the Uni. The tables below show all the planets and systems within the NSC backpocket and also what PI commodities can be produced completed within each system. One other factor to be aware of is the further into the pocket you go, the safer you should be due to the increased warning of Neutrals entering PC9-AY. Again, you are never safe in NullSec and should not get complacent. Neutrals do log off in the backpocket and there are often wormholes that bring visitors. Always pay attention to local and dock up/go safe if you see anyone not blue.
T22-QI
T22-QI IV - Moon 8 - Trust Partners Warehouse
T22-QI V - Moon 14 - Intaki Syndicate Academy
T22-QI VI - Moon 6 - Intaki Syndicate Academy
T22-QI VI - Moon 9 - Intaki Space Police Testing Facility (NSC Industry hub)
T22-QI VI - Moon 12 - Intaki Syndicate Academy
T22-QI VI - Moon 13 - Trust Partners Warehouse
T22-QI - Planets
T22-QI I Plasma Radius 4480 Km
T22-QI II Barren Radius 3940 Km
T22-QI III Oceanic Radius 10050 Km
T22-QI IV Gas Radius 39140 Km
T22-QI V Gas Radius 34010 Km
T22-QI VI Gas Radius 65380 Km
T22-QI VII Barren Radius 5280 Km
T22-QI VIII Ice Radius 12100 Km
T22-QI - Planetary Resources and Products
Resources - P0
Basic - P1
Refined - P2
Specialized - P3
Advanced - P4
Aqueous Liquids
Base Metals
Carbon Compounds
Complex Organisms
Heavy Metals
Ionic Solutions
Micro Organisms
Noble Gas
Noble Metals
Non-CS Crystals
Planktic Colonies
Reactive Gas
Suspended Plasma
Biocells
Construction Blocks
Consumer Electronics
Coolant
Enriched Uranium
Fertilizer
Livestock
Mechanical Parts
Microfiber Shielding
Miniature Electronics
Nanites
Polytextiles
Rocket Fuel
Super Conductors
Synthetic Oil
Test Cultures
Transmitter
Water-Cooled CPU
Biotech Research Reports
Cryoprotectant Solution
Guidance Systems
Industrial Explosives
Nuclear Reactors
Robotics
Smartfab Units
Supercomputers
Transcranial Microcontrollers
Ukomi Super Conductors