Difference between revisions of "Jump clones"

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{{Hatnote|This page covers the jump clones used by players to use different sets of implants and to move quickly around New Eden. If you are looking for the mechanic that used to be called the "medical clone", see [[Home Station]].}}
  
== Introduction ==
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'''Jump clones''' are a technology used by players to transfer ("jump") their consciousnesses from one body to another. They are effectively a "fast travel" mechanic in EVE, and they can also be used to maintain different sets of [[implants]] used for different purposes.
You're probably familiar with clones used in the event of player death. Those clone are called "skill clones" or medical clones. They preserve your skill points up to the maximum level of skill points allowed for a given clone grade.  
 
  
A jump clone is different: you can actively 'jump' into a jump clone instead of having to die to activate it.  
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== Summary ==
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[[File:Jumpcloneexample.gif|thumb|An animated guide to how jump clones work.‎]]
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You can only have one active "body", but by using clones, you can move between two bodies in two different places, regardless of the distance between them, or you can swap between bodies within one station or player-owned structure.
  
When you activate a jump clone, your current body, with all its implants, is left behind at the station where you are. Your old body effectively turns into a new jump clone and you can jump back into it later. After jumping, you have to wait for at least 24 hours before jumping into another clone. Think of it as jumping with your 'mind' or 'soul' between the bodies. You bring all your skills and standings, but leave the body (and its implants) behind.  
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When a character "clone jumps" from one body to another, they take their skill points, standings, corporation membership, and cerebral accelerator effects with them. However, they cannot take any items with them, and implants remain with the old body. (This makes logical sense if you think about implants as things applied to a particular physical brain.) The old body turns into a new jump clone, and they can jump back into it later. Any drugs, including their negative effects, in use at the time of the jump will be lost once the jump is complete.
  
Both skill clones and jump clones are purchased at medical facilities in stations. (A list of NPC corporations with medical facilities is available [[Jumpclone Facilities|here]].) You can also get a jump clone installed aboard a capital vessel that has Clone Vat Bays fitted. At this time the only types of ships that may use Clone Vat Bays are [http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Titan#Titans Titans] and [http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Titan#Capital_Industrial_Ship:_The_Rorqual the Rorqual].  
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If your pod is destroyed, you wake up in a fresh clone at your previously-designated [[Home Station]]. This new clone replaces the one that was lost in your pod, and your jump clones are untouched.  
  
If you die (get podded), your jump clone is not affected at all. You will end up wherever your skill clone is and all your jump clones will still be available. Your skill clones are independent of your jumpclones, so even if you have a jump clone somewhere, you still need a skill clone to make sure you don't lose skillpoints when you die. As such, you will still need to update your skill clone again when you die.
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== Creating jump clones ==
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=== Required training ===
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To create or use jump clones, you need at least one level in the skill {{sk|Infomorph Psychology}}. This skill has no prerequisites and its first level is very quickly trained, but it does cost 1 million ISK when seeded on NPC skillbook markets and is therefore not normally an immediate purchase for very new players.
  
== Jump Clones  ==
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{{euninote|EVE University members can get full reimbursement for this skill, among many others, through the University [[Skillbook Program]].}}
  
=== What do I need to get one?  ===
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=== Clone bay ===
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Normally, you must also be in an NPC station or [[Upwell structures|player-owned structure]] with "clone bay" facilities. Clone bays in NPC stations charge a moderate installation fee of 900,000 ISK. Player-owned structures have fees set by their owners and based on your standings to the owners. Friendly structures might charge much less than 900,000 ISK, down to an essentially meaningless minimum of 1 ISK.
  
You need at least one level in the skill '''[http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Skills:Science#Infomorph_Psychology Infomorph Psychology]'''. Every level in that skill will allow an additional jump clone.  
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{{expansion past|
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Before the Aegis update on July 14th of 2015, there was a requirement that you, or your corporation, have a standing of 8.0 or better with the corp that owned the station where you wanted to buy a jump clone.
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}}
  
Since the Revelations patch, '''you or the corporation you belong to need to have 8.00 standing with the corporation that owns the station''' where you want to buy the jump clone.  
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To find a clone bay:
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# Access your map (default: {{Button|F10}})
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# Click on the second icon from the left in the title bar, the multicolored circle called '''Color By'''
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# In the '''Services''' section, select '''Clone Bay'''
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Your map will highlight all the systems with clone bays, hovering over the system will tell you exactly which station.
  
=== How do I activate my Jump Clone?  ===
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You can also look for clone bays in player-owned structures, which are often cheaper than stations, but might one day be lost:
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# Access your game menu (the first icon in the top left)
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# In the '''Utilities''' sub-menu, click on '''Structure Browser'''
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# Click on '''Service Filter''' and select '''Clone Bay'''
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The list will update with all the nearby structures with clone bays. The "Jump Clone Installation" column will show the installation fee for NPC structures.
  
Once you have a jump clone installed, you can activate it from your character sheet after momentarily pausing your current skill training and exiting your ship -- keep in mind that there is a delay of roughly 30 seconds between exiting your ship, and being able to jump between clones. '''Note that you can only jump into a new jump clone once every 24 hours.''' The station you jumped from does not require a Medical Facility for your old body to be available as a new jump clone. You can jump back to this new clone, or jump to any other inactive jump clone, after waiting 24 hours.  
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=== Clone installation ===
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[[File:Jump_clone_interface_2021.png|thumb|This pilot is docked in a station with a clone bay, and the "Install Clone" button has lit up as an available option.‎]]
  
You are free to equip your new body with implants, e.g. special hardwire implants to help you fulfill a certain role in fleet combat as a specialized clone pilot. If your new body is destroyed, your skill clone will automatically activate and you will only lose the implants you had plugged in at the time of death. Your original body will still be intact and available to you as a new jump clone.
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Once docked in a station or structure with a clone bay, either:
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* Click on the "Clone Bay" icon in the station menu (which is, by default, on the right-hand side of the screen); or
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* Open your [[Character Sheet]] either from the Neocom or by pressing {{Button|alt}}+{{Button|A}}, select the "Character" tab and the "Jump Clones" subtab
  
=== Example of how to use Jump Clones ===
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Then select the "Install Clone" button available on the right-hand side of the window. When the game asks whether you accept the payment for installing a jump clone, click "Yes".
  
Original Clone: +4 implants in all attributes, plus perhaps some ship component (CPU, PG, Capacitor) boosting hard-wiring implants. Used in PvE, mining, exploration (NOT Wormholes), etc..., where there is no risk of being podded.
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You now have an inactive clone in the station where you are currently docked.
  
Jump Clone: NO implants or if willing and able to risk losing some ISK, could have +4 implants in TWO attributes and some role-enhancing (Tackle, EWAR, DD) hard-wiring implants. Used mainly in PvP, Wormholes, wartime or when travelling through low/null-sec for PvE or other careers.
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== Clone activation ==
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To jump between clones, you must be docked up, ready for a session change, and only in your pod, i.e. not inside any kind of ship.
  
During peacetime, many use their Original Clone and when EVE University is at war (usually in the 24-hour warm-up period), they jump into their Jump Clone which is usually located in Aldrat. Once war is over, they jump back into their Original Clone back at the station where they were running missions, mining, exploring, etc...
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Open your Character Sheet window, and navigate through the "Character" tab to the "Jump Clones" subtab. From this menu, you can rename any of your existing clones (e.g. "Costly Implants" to remind you what's in the clone's head), destroy a clone, or, most importantly, jump to a clone, by clicking the "Jump" button next to it. You will immediately jump to the selected clone's location. The clone you were just in is now itself a jump clone.
  
=== Can Jump Clones be lost?  ===
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Leaving a jump clone behind at the station or structure you are jumping from requires you to pay a fee (because someone then has to look after one of your inactive bodies). This fee is 900,000 ISK at NPC stations. Owners of Upwell structures can set whatever fees they like.
In most cases, your inactive jump clones will swim in the clone vat of NPC stations, and they are completely safe there.
 
  
There are two ways to lose a jump clone and the implants installed in it:
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Alpha clones can jump between clones the character already had during an Omega clone status.
  
* A destroyable location which carries one of your inactive jump clones is destroyed. Example: When the capital ship that is carrying your inactive jump clone is destroyed, the installed jump clone, and the implants installed in it, are lost.
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=== Cooldowns ===
* You ignore the game's warning when clone jumping from a location where you already had a jump clone installed. This is explained in more detail in the next section.
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Jumping is instantaneous but incurs a 24-hour cooldown timer before your next clone jump. Training {{sk|Infomorph Synchronizing}} cuts this cooldown by 1 hour per skill level.
  
=== Careful, careful  ===
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If you jump from an active clone to an inactive clone stored in the ''same'' structure or NPC station<ref name="NPC Cooldown" />, you do not get a cooldown. You can jump "within" an Upwell structure or NPC station{{Verify|title= Is this true for NPC stations?}} in this manner even within a clone jump cooldown.
  
You can never have two inactive jump clones at the same station. Due to the way game mechanics work, it is possible to lose implants if you are not careful, and you ignore the game's warning.  
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=== Jump clones in wormholes ===
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Note that you cannot clone jump into, out of, or between [[wormhole]] systems. Wormhole systems can only be entered through wormholes. The sole exception is the special wormhole system [[Thera]], which has NPC stations and acts like known space for clone jumping purposes.
  
Suppose you have the following clones:
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Players ''can'', however, install a clone in an Upwell structure with a clone bay, and switch clones within the same structure. This means that characters living inside wormhole space can keep a training clone with learning implants safe in a player-owned Upwell structure, and only put a clean clone at risk in the dangers of wormhole space.
  
*In Jita, you have a clone contract (Medical Clone).  
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== Uses ==
*In Jita, you have an inactive jump clone with a memory implant.
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There are three main advantages to using jump clones:
*In Rens, you have an inactive jump clone with a willpower implant.  
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# '''Quick travel to other parts of the EVE universe''': You can have jump clones (with a few ships and modules) positioned in various parts of New Eden, allowing you to easily jump between these stations to participate in activities suitable for that location.  
*In Agil, you have an active clone, with a perception implant.
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# '''Safeguarding valuable implants''': the destruction of your pod destroys any implants you had in that clone's head. You can switch to a "clean clone", that is, a jump clone with no implants when there is a significant risk that you will be podded. Players typically use clean clones for PvP in nullsec and wormhole space, and sometimes for trips into [[Abyssal Deadspace]].
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# '''Specialization for particular tasks''': as [[Implants#Skill_Hardwirings|skill hardwiring implants]] give very specific bonuses (e.g. the {{co|wheat|Zainou 'Deadeye' Large Hybrid Turret}} implant gives a bonus to damage for large hybrid turret weapons only) and cannot be removed without destroying them, it may be worth having jump clones with implant sets geared towards different activities.  
  
At any time, if you are podkilled, you will wake up in Jita, at which point you will have an active clone and an inactive jump clone, both in Jita. Your skill clone will preserve whatever number of skillpoints you have saved in the clone contract, regardless of which jump clone died. The skillpoints saved is a property of the skill clone that is created when you die, not of the clone that was killed.  
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=== Examples ===
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* A pilot is running high-level missions for two NPC corporations, which are located far away from each other (to, for instance, balance out her [[Faction Standings|faction standings]]). Instead of flying her slow battleship between the two mission hubs, she installs a jump clone (and stations a fully fit battleship) at each mission hub. She can then clone jump between the two locations easily to run missions for both corporations (on alternate days).
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* A new member of EVE University has taken advantage of the University's [[The +3 Implants Program|implants program]] and installed a set of +3 learning implants to speed up his skill training. He wants to poke his toes into low-sec but is worried about being ganked and losing his implants. He creates a jump clone without any implants and switches to it before heading into low-sec, thereby safeguarding his implants. He can then switch back and forth between his clone with implants (to speed up his skill training) and his clean clone (for venturing into lowsec) depending on what he wants to do that day in EVE.
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* An experienced pilot wants to specialise in running [[Incursions]] but still enjoys some frigate PvP to relax. She creates a jump clone and fits it out with high-level (and expensive!) implants to maximise the performance of her incursion-running battleship (e.g. implants to boost the amount of armor on her ship and the damage of her large laser turrets), but switches to a clone without any implants when she just wants to jump into her frigate and shoot at anything that moves.
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* An industrialist runs an extensive manufacturing operation in a quiet, out-of-the-way system. They hate hauling, so to sell their final product they ship their items via [[Contract#Courier_Contract|courier contract]] to a [[Trade hubs|trade hub]]. They then create a jump clone at the trade hub, and use it periodically to get to the trade hub to sell their products faster than they could fly there in a ship).
  
Note that it is safe to create a jump clone at a station where you already have a skill clone. You will have two clones at that station, one inactive jump clone and one skill clone which will only be activated if you get podded.  
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== Capital ship clone vats ==
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The Clone Vat Bay is a high-slot module that can only be fitted to [[Rorqual]]s or [[Titans]]. The relevant Rorqual or Titan pilot must have the skill {{sk|Cloning Facility Operation}} at least level I. Each level of this skill increases clone bay size by 15%; depending on pilot skill, a Rorqual's clone capacity ranges from 6 to 12 clones, while a Titan's ranges from 86 to 150.
  
Now suppose that you fly your active clone from Agil to Rens. You will now have an active clone and an inactive jumpclone in Rens.  
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Each use of the Clone Vat Bay consumes 1 Liquid Ozone as fuel. Activating the Bay immobilizes the host ship during the Bay's 5-minute cycle time, though it does not break the tether from a friendly player structure. Pilots wishing to use the Bay must be within 5,000m of the host ship. The host ship pilot can right-click any other pilot and choose "Offer Clone Installation". This sends a prompt to the other pilot to accept the offer. Acceptance transfers 900,000 ISK from the SFI pilot to the Titan pilot and installs a clean clone.
  
If you try to install a second jumpclone in Rens, the game will refuse to install it. You will not lose anything.  
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For pilots to clone jump to the host ship, the Clone Vat Bay must once again be active. Pilots then select the "Jump" button next to the relevant clone as they would with any other clone in their Character Sheet. This subtracts a further 900,000 ISK from the jumping pilot's wallet for the act of jump cloning to a facility that is not a player structure. The jumping pilot then spawns in an empty capsule about 5,000m from the host ship itself.
  
If you try to jumpclone from Rens to Jita, the inactive clone in Rens will be destroyed and replaced with the clone containing the perception implant. You will lose the inactive clone and its willpower implant. The game will warn you and allow you to cancel the clonejump.  
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Clones are stored in an invisible part of the ship and are not destroyed if the Clone Vat Bay is unfitted, but if the host vessel is destroyed then the clones installed are lost. Clones are visible to the host vessel with the "Configure Clone Facility" option in the capacitor doughnut, which lists the pilots with clones installed, the available clone space remaining, and the option to invite or destroy a clone from another pilot. Only one clone can be installed per host vessel per pilot.
  
You can however jump from your current body in Rens with the perception implant, to your inactive jumpclone in Rens with the willpower implant without destroying any jumpclone.
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Clone Vat Bays are rarely used in the current metagame, although they can offer a specific advantage or utility in some niche circumstances. Titan Bridges and Ansiblex Jump Gate networks are more effective means of rapid long-distance transport and allow pilots to bring their ships with them.
  
=== Step-by-Step Setup for first Jump Clone  ===
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== Losing jump clones ==
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Several events might cause a jump clone installed in an Upwell Structure or a Clone Vat Bay fitted on a [[capital ship]], to be disabled or destroyed, even if the pilot didn't choose to manually destroy them. Jump Clones installed in stations are safe in most cases unless the station is destroyed.
  
Most people will want to set up their first Jump Clone to save their implants from impending death that may occur from PvP during wars against E-UNI.&nbsp; Here is just one suggestion as to how you can set up your first jump clone.&nbsp; There may be others, depending on your standings with other corporations.&nbsp; To speed up the process (as you will be making approximately 50 jumps), it is suggested you use a shuttle of your choosing (or two as you will need transportation back to Aldrat).<br>
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Some situations might disable one of your jump clones. Disabled jump clones cannot be used, while they still count towards one's jump clones limit.
  
#Choose which station (from those listed below) that you wish to install your clone (for purposes of this example, Isikano IX - Moon 11 - Wiyrkomi Peace Corps Logistic Support)<br>
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There are a few events that would disable one of your jump clones:
#Fly to Isikano IX - Moon 11 - Wiyrkomi Peace Corps Logistic Support (As stated below, <span style="color: red;">'''DO&nbsp;NOT'''</span>&nbsp;talk with any agent there.)<br>
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* Jump clones in a structure are disabled when the Clone Bay Service is offline, either turned off manually by its owner, shutdown due to structure armor being destroyed and entering its hull reinforcement timer, or simply out of fuel. Should the structure survive and be powered back up, you will regain access.  
#Use the medical services to install your clone.&nbsp; <br>
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* Jump clones in a structure are disabled if the owner of the structure changes the structure's [[Access List]] to exclude you.
#Fly back to Aldrat (if this is where you wish your jump clone to be, you could also choose any station close to PTS)<br>
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* Jump clones in a Clone Vat Bay fitted on a capital ship are disabled when the Clone Vat Bay is not active. It remains even if the Clone Vat Bay is unfitted.
#Pause any training<br>
 
#Go to your character sheet, right-click on your installed clone ("Located in Isikano IX - Moon 11 - Wiyrkomi Peace Corps Logistic Support"), and "Clone Jump"<br><u>''At this point you have just jumped into your "Clean Clone" (no implants), and your "Implant Clone" is at Aldrat.''</u><br>
 
#Fly your "Clean Clone" once again back to Pator Tech School and you will be ready for any wardecs that may occur, and you can take part in Fleet Ops without having to worry about losing your implants.<br>
 
  
<u>'''"Shorter Way"'''</u>-- Not as many jumps, but just a little more expensive (as you will be updating your med clone) ''submitted by Reed Tiburon on the forums''<br>
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Some situations might destroy one of your jump clones, removing it with its implants permanently without you being present.
  
*Make sure your medical clone is set up in Aldrat at one of the stations and can handle all your SP
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There are a few events that would destroy one of your jump clones:
*Fly out to one of the jump clone systems (Erenta, etc) and buy your JC.  
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* Jump clones in a structure are destroyed when the Clone Bay Service is unfitted from the structure manually by its owner.  
*Fly back to Aldrat and clonejump into your new clone in Erenta (or wherever).  
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* Jump clones in a structure are also destroyed if the structure that holding it is destroyed or unanchored.
*Undock, self-destruct pod. Wake up in Aldrat. Update medical clone
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* Jump clones in a Clone Vat Bay fitted on a capital ship are destroyed if the ship holding it is destroyed or repackaged.
  
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Pilots with jump clones destroyed will receive a mail about it immediately, with the person responsible for it (such as who unfitted the Clone Bay Service) included.
  
''Note: Some other wiki pages (notably Grismar's) list outdated information, stating that it is possible to create a jump clone from an NPC corp (because they have high standing with other NPC corps).  This is no longer a viable workaround (tested in Incarna 7.11.306979 with '''Perkone''')''
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You can also destroy any jump clone via the Jump Clone tab on your character sheet. This can be handy for freeing up a jump clone slot so that you can install a new one at your current location, especially if the other jump clone has no implants in it.
<br>
 
  
== E-UNI's Jump Clone Stations  ==
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== Relevant skills ==
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; {{sk|Infomorph Psychology|icon=yes|price=yes|mult=yes}}
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: Allows 1 jump clone per level. Most pilots train at least some levels in this.
  
[[Eve University]] has enough [[Standings#Standings|standing]] with two corporations, [[Wiyrkomi Peace Corps]] and [[Khanid Innovation]], to access Jump Clones for all members.  
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; {{sk|Advanced Infomorph Psychology|icon=yes|price=yes|mult=yes}}
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: Allows 1 additional jump clone per level. This is useful for pilots who need ''lots'' of jump clones, but many pilots never train it.
  
<span style="color: red;">
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; {{Sk|Elite Infomorph Psychology|icon=yes|price=yes|mult=yes}}<ref>Patch notes: [https://www.eveonline.com/news/view/patch-notes-version-20-10#Skills Version 20.10 for 2022-11-08.1] Add skill Elite Infomorph Psychology</ref>
'''WARNING:'''</span> Do not start a conversation with any agents for '''Wiyrkomi Peace Corps''' or '''Khanid Innovation''' as we will lose these facilities and you may be asked to leave E-UNI.  
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: Allows 1 additional jump clone per level.
  
{{Jump Clones}}
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; {{sk|Infomorph Synchronizing|icon=yes|price=yes|mult=yes}}
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: Reduces time between clone jumps by 1 hour per level. Since the minimum possible cooldown, at level V, is still 19 hours, and since the cooldown can be avoided by swapping between two clones within an Upwell structure or NPC station<ref name="NPC Cooldown" />, this skill might not be much help to anyone who isn't constantly hopping around New Eden.
  
All of these systems are in high security space. Just make sure you set your autopilot to avoid low security systems, so that you do not pass through dangerous space while traveling.
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; {{sk|Cloning Facility Operation|icon=yes|price=yes|mult=yes}}
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: Required for the installation of the Clone Vat Bay module on a Rorqual or Titan. Increases a Clone Vat Bay's maximum clone capacity by 15% per skill level. This skill is only relevant to capital ship pilots.
  
=== Why so far away from Aldrat?  ===
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== References ==
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<references>
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<ref name="NPC Cooldown">Patch notes: [https://www.eveonline.com/news/view/patch-notes-version-20-07#2022-08-09.1 Version 20.07 for 2022-08-09.1] Removed Jump Clone Cooldown when swapping clones at NPC stations</ref>
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</references>
  
The ability to install a jump clone at a station is based on 'excellent' (i.e., 8.0 and above) personal or corporate standing at that station. This means that E-UNI needed to identify a corporation that is unlikely to be used by members for missions. Therefore it needs to be small and unappealing, but still have medical facilities.
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{{Template:GettingStartedNav}}
  
Because of these restrictions the locations of the corporations with available clones facilities will tend to be somewhere out of the way, some distance from typical mission running or member activity. While a similar corporation may be a great deal closer, there is a significant chance a member may inadvertently run missions for them, preventing jump clone access for all E-UNI members.
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[[Category:Getting Started]]
 
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[[Category:Game mechanics]]
The reason behind the "do not speak to the agents" rule is because of the way that standings are calculated from the NPC corporation to Eve University.  Standings are calculated as an average of every pilot in Eve University who has a relationship with that NPC corporation.  As long as you do not have any standings at all with the NPC corporation, you do not get included in that calculation.  If the average stays above 8.0+, all Eve University members can make use of the facilities to create jump clones.
 
 
 
== An Alternative: Estel Arador Corp Services  ==
 
 
 
If you are not a member of Eve University, there is another jump clone service available to you: the player corporation "Estel Arador Corp Services" [EACS]. It accepts all recruits for just a few days so that they can install jump clones at any of a wide variety of stations, and then leave. Anyone joining EACS is responsible for acquiring their own copy of Infomorph Psychology and paying the 100,000 ISK jump clone installation fee to the NPC corporation of their choice, but the service is otherwise free.
 
 
 
[http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1400554 Click here to find out more information about EACS]  
 
 
 
<br>
 
 
 
[[Category:Guides]]
 

Latest revision as of 19:13, 10 September 2024

This page covers the jump clones used by players to use different sets of implants and to move quickly around New Eden. If you are looking for the mechanic that used to be called the "medical clone", see Home Station.

Jump clones are a technology used by players to transfer ("jump") their consciousnesses from one body to another. They are effectively a "fast travel" mechanic in EVE, and they can also be used to maintain different sets of implants used for different purposes.

Summary

An animated guide to how jump clones work.‎

You can only have one active "body", but by using clones, you can move between two bodies in two different places, regardless of the distance between them, or you can swap between bodies within one station or player-owned structure.

When a character "clone jumps" from one body to another, they take their skill points, standings, corporation membership, and cerebral accelerator effects with them. However, they cannot take any items with them, and implants remain with the old body. (This makes logical sense if you think about implants as things applied to a particular physical brain.) The old body turns into a new jump clone, and they can jump back into it later. Any drugs, including their negative effects, in use at the time of the jump will be lost once the jump is complete.

If your pod is destroyed, you wake up in a fresh clone at your previously-designated Home Station. This new clone replaces the one that was lost in your pod, and your jump clones are untouched.

Creating jump clones

Required training

To create or use jump clones, you need at least one level in the skill Infomorph Psychology. This skill has no prerequisites and its first level is very quickly trained, but it does cost 1 million ISK when seeded on NPC skillbook markets and is therefore not normally an immediate purchase for very new players.

E-UNI Emblem.png EVE University members can get full reimbursement for this skill, among many others, through the University Skillbook Program.

Clone bay

Normally, you must also be in an NPC station or player-owned structure with "clone bay" facilities. Clone bays in NPC stations charge a moderate installation fee of 900,000 ISK. Player-owned structures have fees set by their owners and based on your standings to the owners. Friendly structures might charge much less than 900,000 ISK, down to an essentially meaningless minimum of 1 ISK.

To find a clone bay:

  1. Access your map (default: F10)
  2. Click on the second icon from the left in the title bar, the multicolored circle called Color By
  3. In the Services section, select Clone Bay

Your map will highlight all the systems with clone bays, hovering over the system will tell you exactly which station.

You can also look for clone bays in player-owned structures, which are often cheaper than stations, but might one day be lost:

  1. Access your game menu (the first icon in the top left)
  2. In the Utilities sub-menu, click on Structure Browser
  3. Click on Service Filter and select Clone Bay

The list will update with all the nearby structures with clone bays. The "Jump Clone Installation" column will show the installation fee for NPC structures.

Clone installation

This pilot is docked in a station with a clone bay, and the "Install Clone" button has lit up as an available option.‎

Once docked in a station or structure with a clone bay, either:

  • Click on the "Clone Bay" icon in the station menu (which is, by default, on the right-hand side of the screen); or
  • Open your Character Sheet either from the Neocom or by pressing alt+A, select the "Character" tab and the "Jump Clones" subtab

Then select the "Install Clone" button available on the right-hand side of the window. When the game asks whether you accept the payment for installing a jump clone, click "Yes".

You now have an inactive clone in the station where you are currently docked.

Clone activation

To jump between clones, you must be docked up, ready for a session change, and only in your pod, i.e. not inside any kind of ship.

Open your Character Sheet window, and navigate through the "Character" tab to the "Jump Clones" subtab. From this menu, you can rename any of your existing clones (e.g. "Costly Implants" to remind you what's in the clone's head), destroy a clone, or, most importantly, jump to a clone, by clicking the "Jump" button next to it. You will immediately jump to the selected clone's location. The clone you were just in is now itself a jump clone.

Leaving a jump clone behind at the station or structure you are jumping from requires you to pay a fee (because someone then has to look after one of your inactive bodies). This fee is 900,000 ISK at NPC stations. Owners of Upwell structures can set whatever fees they like.

Alpha clones can jump between clones the character already had during an Omega clone status.

Cooldowns

Jumping is instantaneous but incurs a 24-hour cooldown timer before your next clone jump. Training Infomorph Synchronizing cuts this cooldown by 1 hour per skill level.

If you jump from an active clone to an inactive clone stored in the same structure or NPC station[1], you do not get a cooldown. You can jump "within" an Upwell structure or NPC station[Verify] in this manner even within a clone jump cooldown.

Jump clones in wormholes

Note that you cannot clone jump into, out of, or between wormhole systems. Wormhole systems can only be entered through wormholes. The sole exception is the special wormhole system Thera, which has NPC stations and acts like known space for clone jumping purposes.

Players can, however, install a clone in an Upwell structure with a clone bay, and switch clones within the same structure. This means that characters living inside wormhole space can keep a training clone with learning implants safe in a player-owned Upwell structure, and only put a clean clone at risk in the dangers of wormhole space.

Uses

There are three main advantages to using jump clones:

  1. Quick travel to other parts of the EVE universe: You can have jump clones (with a few ships and modules) positioned in various parts of New Eden, allowing you to easily jump between these stations to participate in activities suitable for that location.
  2. Safeguarding valuable implants: the destruction of your pod destroys any implants you had in that clone's head. You can switch to a "clean clone", that is, a jump clone with no implants when there is a significant risk that you will be podded. Players typically use clean clones for PvP in nullsec and wormhole space, and sometimes for trips into Abyssal Deadspace.
  3. Specialization for particular tasks: as skill hardwiring implants give very specific bonuses (e.g. the Zainou 'Deadeye' Large Hybrid Turret implant gives a bonus to damage for large hybrid turret weapons only) and cannot be removed without destroying them, it may be worth having jump clones with implant sets geared towards different activities.

Examples

  • A pilot is running high-level missions for two NPC corporations, which are located far away from each other (to, for instance, balance out her faction standings). Instead of flying her slow battleship between the two mission hubs, she installs a jump clone (and stations a fully fit battleship) at each mission hub. She can then clone jump between the two locations easily to run missions for both corporations (on alternate days).
  • A new member of EVE University has taken advantage of the University's implants program and installed a set of +3 learning implants to speed up his skill training. He wants to poke his toes into low-sec but is worried about being ganked and losing his implants. He creates a jump clone without any implants and switches to it before heading into low-sec, thereby safeguarding his implants. He can then switch back and forth between his clone with implants (to speed up his skill training) and his clean clone (for venturing into lowsec) depending on what he wants to do that day in EVE.
  • An experienced pilot wants to specialise in running Incursions but still enjoys some frigate PvP to relax. She creates a jump clone and fits it out with high-level (and expensive!) implants to maximise the performance of her incursion-running battleship (e.g. implants to boost the amount of armor on her ship and the damage of her large laser turrets), but switches to a clone without any implants when she just wants to jump into her frigate and shoot at anything that moves.
  • An industrialist runs an extensive manufacturing operation in a quiet, out-of-the-way system. They hate hauling, so to sell their final product they ship their items via courier contract to a trade hub. They then create a jump clone at the trade hub, and use it periodically to get to the trade hub to sell their products faster than they could fly there in a ship).

Capital ship clone vats

The Clone Vat Bay is a high-slot module that can only be fitted to Rorquals or Titans. The relevant Rorqual or Titan pilot must have the skill Cloning Facility Operation at least level I. Each level of this skill increases clone bay size by 15%; depending on pilot skill, a Rorqual's clone capacity ranges from 6 to 12 clones, while a Titan's ranges from 86 to 150.

Each use of the Clone Vat Bay consumes 1 Liquid Ozone as fuel. Activating the Bay immobilizes the host ship during the Bay's 5-minute cycle time, though it does not break the tether from a friendly player structure. Pilots wishing to use the Bay must be within 5,000m of the host ship. The host ship pilot can right-click any other pilot and choose "Offer Clone Installation". This sends a prompt to the other pilot to accept the offer. Acceptance transfers 900,000 ISK from the SFI pilot to the Titan pilot and installs a clean clone.

For pilots to clone jump to the host ship, the Clone Vat Bay must once again be active. Pilots then select the "Jump" button next to the relevant clone as they would with any other clone in their Character Sheet. This subtracts a further 900,000 ISK from the jumping pilot's wallet for the act of jump cloning to a facility that is not a player structure. The jumping pilot then spawns in an empty capsule about 5,000m from the host ship itself.

Clones are stored in an invisible part of the ship and are not destroyed if the Clone Vat Bay is unfitted, but if the host vessel is destroyed then the clones installed are lost. Clones are visible to the host vessel with the "Configure Clone Facility" option in the capacitor doughnut, which lists the pilots with clones installed, the available clone space remaining, and the option to invite or destroy a clone from another pilot. Only one clone can be installed per host vessel per pilot.

Clone Vat Bays are rarely used in the current metagame, although they can offer a specific advantage or utility in some niche circumstances. Titan Bridges and Ansiblex Jump Gate networks are more effective means of rapid long-distance transport and allow pilots to bring their ships with them.

Losing jump clones

Several events might cause a jump clone installed in an Upwell Structure or a Clone Vat Bay fitted on a capital ship, to be disabled or destroyed, even if the pilot didn't choose to manually destroy them. Jump Clones installed in stations are safe in most cases unless the station is destroyed.

Some situations might disable one of your jump clones. Disabled jump clones cannot be used, while they still count towards one's jump clones limit.

There are a few events that would disable one of your jump clones:

  • Jump clones in a structure are disabled when the Clone Bay Service is offline, either turned off manually by its owner, shutdown due to structure armor being destroyed and entering its hull reinforcement timer, or simply out of fuel. Should the structure survive and be powered back up, you will regain access.
  • Jump clones in a structure are disabled if the owner of the structure changes the structure's Access List to exclude you.
  • Jump clones in a Clone Vat Bay fitted on a capital ship are disabled when the Clone Vat Bay is not active. It remains even if the Clone Vat Bay is unfitted.

Some situations might destroy one of your jump clones, removing it with its implants permanently without you being present.

There are a few events that would destroy one of your jump clones:

  • Jump clones in a structure are destroyed when the Clone Bay Service is unfitted from the structure manually by its owner.
  • Jump clones in a structure are also destroyed if the structure that holding it is destroyed or unanchored.
  • Jump clones in a Clone Vat Bay fitted on a capital ship are destroyed if the ship holding it is destroyed or repackaged.

Pilots with jump clones destroyed will receive a mail about it immediately, with the person responsible for it (such as who unfitted the Clone Bay Service) included.

You can also destroy any jump clone via the Jump Clone tab on your character sheet. This can be handy for freeing up a jump clone slot so that you can install a new one at your current location, especially if the other jump clone has no implants in it.

Relevant skills

Icon skillbook2.png Infomorph Psychology (1x, 1M ISK)
Allows 1 jump clone per level. Most pilots train at least some levels in this.
Icon skillbook2.png Advanced Infomorph Psychology (5x, 36M ISK)
Allows 1 additional jump clone per level. This is useful for pilots who need lots of jump clones, but many pilots never train it.
Icon skillbook2.png Elite Infomorph Psychology (12x, 500M ISK)[2]
Allows 1 additional jump clone per level.
Icon skillbook2.png Infomorph Synchronizing (2x, 5M ISK)
Reduces time between clone jumps by 1 hour per level. Since the minimum possible cooldown, at level V, is still 19 hours, and since the cooldown can be avoided by swapping between two clones within an Upwell structure or NPC station[1], this skill might not be much help to anyone who isn't constantly hopping around New Eden.
Icon skillbook2.png Cloning Facility Operation (10x, 125M ISK)
Required for the installation of the Clone Vat Bay module on a Rorqual or Titan. Increases a Clone Vat Bay's maximum clone capacity by 15% per skill level. This skill is only relevant to capital ship pilots.

References

  1. ^ a b Patch notes: Version 20.07 for 2022-08-09.1 Removed Jump Clone Cooldown when swapping clones at NPC stations
  2. ^ Patch notes: Version 20.10 for 2022-11-08.1 Add skill Elite Infomorph Psychology