Guide to combat sites
The reason is:
General cleanup/updating on the "The Basics" section etc. would be welcome, but especially the Combat Anomalies/Static Complexes/Combat Signatures sections have long lists of detailed info on rat waves etc. that isn't necessarily relevant here. Maybe move each site's info to its own wiki article and provide links and at most short summaries here, or set up a table summarizing the sites somehow; see also e.g. http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Cosmic_Anomalies#Combat_Sites and http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Scanning:Scan_Results#Combat_Sites
This page covers combat anomalies and combat signatures found via exploration that are doable by a new player. They should only require a scanning frigate and a combat frigate/destroyer to complete, and the combat anomalies can be found with just the onboard scanner that every ship has, instead of needing a scanning frigate with probes. Salvaging capabilities will also be very handy if you want to make some additional ISK. Once you get good at clearing sites you can make several million ISK per hour from basic sites.
Getting Started
Skills
Basic skill you will find useful (apart from normal combat skills) include:
- Astrometrics I (for scanning)
- Your racial Destroyer skill (to fly a destroyer)
- Mechanics III (pre-req for Salvaging)
- Survey III (pre-req for Salvaging)
- Salvaging I (for salvaging)
- Science III (for tractor beams).
The Basics
To sum up, the basic process is:
- Open the probe launcher window by clicking the radar icon next to your ships capacitor in space and selecting "probe scanner"
- There is now a list of cosmic anomalies, go ahead and warp to one of the green bars
- You will now enter a dead space pocket and a pre-defined waves of enemies will engage you, kill them.
- Once all the enemies are dead bookmark the location by pressing control+b.
- Then come back with a fitted salvager ship to loot all the wrecks.
- Repeat!
- With the loot either sell it or stockpile it.
Advantages:
- You can start making a significant amount of ISK with only Astrometrics I and a good frigate, and more with a combat/salvaging destroyer.
- There is no need to grind standing up for agents.
- It can be more exciting to scan things down and do them rather than repeating the same missions over and over again.
- There is a chance of a faction spawn that might drop really good/expensive loot.
- For those basic sites, you don't really have to be worried about EWAR. Some frigates will target paint you, which should be taken care of, but there won't be any warp scrambling frigates to worry about.
Disadvantages:
- Faction spawns in some of the simplest sites will probably not drop very expensive loot.
- You have competition - not a lot with the cosmic anomalies, but it gets worse on combat sites that have to be scanned down. In missions you get your own deadspace pocket (although you can be scanned down in it).
- To be somewhat effective you should be a few jumps away from the Uni HQ, to reduce the competition from other Unistas, which will reduce your ability to quickly join up with PvP fleets if you want to.
- After a while, the sites do tend to get repetitive, sometimes as much as missioning.
- Drops can be very inconsistent. Most of the time you get nothing but any of the sites can drop several hundred million isk worth of loot at once.
Fittings
Old fittings can be found on the talk page for the article
Basic scanner
Core Probe Launcher I, Core Scanner Probe I
Relic Analyzer I
Data Analyzer I
5MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Warp Core Stabilizer I
Warp Core Stabilizer I
Core Scanner Probe I x1
Basic scanner
Core Probe Launcher I, Core Scanner Probe I
Relic Analyzer I
Data Analyzer I
5MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Warp Core Stabilizer I
Warp Core Stabilizer I
Type-D Restrained Nanofiber Structure
Type-D Restrained Nanofiber Structure
Core Scanner Probe I x1
Basic scanner
Core Probe Launcher I, Core Scanner Probe I
Relic Analyzer I
Data Analyzer I
5MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Warp Core Stabilizer I
Warp Core Stabilizer I
Type-D Restrained Nanofiber Structure
Core Scanner Probe I x1
Passive signature runner
Core Probe Launcher I, Sisters Core Scanner Probe
425mm Medium 'Scout' Autocannon I, EMP M
425mm Medium 'Scout' Autocannon I, EMP M
425mm Medium 'Scout' Autocannon I, EMP M
425mm Medium 'Scout' Autocannon I, EMP M
Kinetic Deflection Field II
Large Shield Extender II
Thermal Dissipation Field II
10MN Monopropellant Enduring Afterburner
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Tracking Enhancer II
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Hobgoblin I x5
Sisters Core Scanner Probe x9
EMP M x1
Phased Plasma M x1000
- Switch hardeners to match incoming damage.
- Switch ammo to hit weakest resist
- Use speed to mitigate damage from cruisers and larger.
- Can run all high sec signatures up to vigil without issues. Even vigil is possible with skill and knowledge.
The sites
Combat sites can be divided anomalies, signatures, escalations and static complexes.
- Cosmic anomaly.
- Visible in probe window without scanner.
- Low chance to either contain faction spawn or escalate.
- Cosmic signature
- Needs to be scanned down with probes.
- Unrated has moderate chances for faction spawn and low chance to escalate.
- DED rated have guaranteed faction spawn that can drop DED modules.
- Expedition
- Escalates from anomalies and unrated signatures.
- Static complex
- Relic of the past and should be mostly ignored.
- Visible beacon on overview that can be warped to.
The System security determines how hard sites spawn while region determines what pirate faction sites spawn. Most high security sites can be completed in cruiser.
In addition to these there are occasional in-game events that contain combat sites. These sites show up as beacons on the overview and run for limited time.
Cosmic Anomalies
Cosmic anomalies are the first type of exploration site, they appear automatically in the ship scanner whenever you enter a system. Cosmic anomalies come in a few varieties; this article deals only general site structure, see Cosmic Anomalies for a fuller listing.
Cosmic anomalies are ungated pockets in space. They have several waves of rats that spawn when a trigger is triggered. Usually next wave appears once the previous wave has been destroyed but on some sites destroying a specific ship will trigger next wave. The last wave can contain a faction commander spawn. This commander has different name from normal rats and can drop caluable faction module, implant or pirate faction ship blueprint copy. Destruction of the last wave can also escalate the site. If an escalation occurs a text window will pop up with escalation message and the escalation is added to expeditions page on journal.
When looking for faction spawns or escalations and your ship is able to tank the incoming damage of the waves it is possible to trigger all waves as soon as possible to get the possible faction spawn and escalation.
Once a Combat Anomaly has been completed it will disappear few minutes after you warp out, so make sure to bookmark the wrecks if you want to salvage them later. Ore sites will despawn when all asteroids have been depleted, or after an internal timer expires.
To see information on a specific cosmic anomaly see Cosmic_Anomalies#Combat_sites.
Cosmic Signatures
Cosmic Signatures are more advanced exploration sites that need to be scanned down with probes. They are gated deadspace complexes with limits on what ships can enter.
The deadspace complex usually consist warpin and one or more additional rooms. Any warp into the site will land on the warpin. In each room there is an acceleration gate that will fling ships to next room. The acceleration gates are however most of the time locked. Most common requirements for unlocking the gate are destrying all hostile NPC ships in the room, unlocking it with a tag (consumes tag), destroying a specific ship or destroying a specific structure.
Each room can also contain multiple waves of enemies. As with anomalies the next wave is usually triggered by destroying all ships from previous wave or by destroying a specific ship. Other triggers are proximity to an object in the room, damaging certain ship or structure and timed spawn.
The prize of the site waits in the last room. DED rated complexes are quaranteed to contain an overseer or a structure that drops DED modules and on some sites pirate faction ship blueprints. In unrated complexes destroying ceratin targets has a chance to spawn a commander ship that can drop a faction module, implant or faction ship blueprint copy. Unrated complexes also contain two or more escalation triggers. Destroying the commander is always one escalation trigger but the sites always contain an alternative trigger that can be triggered if commander does not spawn.
The complex can also have split routes and multiple opportunities for faction items. For example serpentis narcotic warehouses contains two routes that both contain an overseer cruiser with small chance to drop a faction module and a structure in last room that can drop DED modules and a faction ship blueprint copy.
When running cosmic signatures it is often best to rush to the commander as fast as possible as they are the most profitable objects in the sites.
Each site is unique. Spawn triggers, defender waves and escalation possibilities can be found for each site in Scanning:Scan_Results#Combat_Sites.
One often forgotten combat site group is chemical labs. They only spawn in certain low security regions and show up as gas sites. They are defended by two defender waves and to get the valuables you need hack containers with data analyzer. They can drop drug related commodities, drug blueprint copies, drug related skillbooks and drug related implants. For more information on chemical labs see Scanning:Scan_Results#Chemical_Labs
Escalations
Sometimes, completing an exploration site will escalate to an expedition. These are like followup missions and usually have a chance to happen if you kill a faction spawn at the end of a site. If an escalation occurs a message window will appear with escalation message and the expedition is added to your journal on expeditions page.
Escalations from cosmic anomalies will lead to a deadspace complex that are normally found as cosmic signatures. Escalations from unrated cosmic signatures are unique four part expeditions that are only found as escalations. Each part has a chance to lead to location until fourth location is gained. Each of the three first locations have high chance to contain a faction commander with normal commander drops and the fourth location will usually contain quaranteed DED module drop.
You'll generally only have 24 hours or so to complete an escalation. When you warp to an escalation site, make sure to make a bookmark, since the bookmark in your journal only marks the system you need to travel to.
More info on escalation is found in Scanning:Scan_Results#Expeditions_.2F_Escalations
