Repairing security status

Although the majority of security status losses occur due to hostile acts, such as piracy or griefing, you can sometimes lose a few points from accidental activities. Repairing this security status loss can be a tedious process but with a few alterations to your method the time taken can be shortened.

Security status gains are achieved by killing NPC’s from the various pirate corporations (Guristas, Sanshas, Serpentis, Angel Cartel, etc). Note that Faction rats such as Amarr or Gallente will only give faction standing changes, not security status.

Security gain mechanics

A security status gain occurs for the HIGHEST value outlaw NPC you kill within a 15 minute time period PER SYSTEM.

Each rat is worth a certain security percentage. There doesn’t seem to be any hard data as to what each rat is worth, but the harder the rat is to kill, the higher it is.

To find out the actual security gain for each rat, times the difference between your security status and 10.0 by the security percentage of the rat.

So, for example, if your security status was -0.5 and the security percentage value of the rat you killed was 0.2%, then the calculation would be:

Security gain = 10.5 x (0.2/100)

              = 0.021

Note also that you can maximize your security standing increases by training the Fast Talk skill - each level trained provides a 5% bonus to effective security rating increases.

The quick method

Depending on your current skill level there are three methods to pick from which will provide for a rapid increase in security status. Each take advantage of a 15 minute timer per system that you need to pay attention to. In either case the basic principle is the same: kill the highest value rat available, leave the rest, and switch systems. Do the same in each system you jump into. You can return to your original system after 15 minutes and start the process over again.

Example:

1. Kill rat in system 1 - note the time 2. Move to system 2 - kill rat - note the time 3. Move to system 3 - kill rat - note the time 4. etc... until 15 minutes have passed for system 1 5. Return to system 1 - rinse and repeat 6. There is no #6

Note that for each of the three methods below you can mix and match as the local conditions dictate. Don't feel that you have to only stick to one method if another opportunity makes itself available.

Method 1: Mission Rats

If you are a low level character capable of doing L1-L3 security missions you will want to pick up a number of security missions within 3-5 systems of each other. DO NOT PICK FACTION MISSIONS (Check http://eve-survival.org/ if you are unsure). Note that not all rats from missions and/or deadspace give a secuirty status gain. In general if it involves the Angel Cartel or starts with Pith.... then there is a good chance you will get a security increase).

Pop into the mission space - kill a high value rat as part of the mission pocket and then move on. Keep track of the time.

The nice part of this method is that if you get a couple of good missions in different systems you can milk each mission across 5-7 days. This is due to the mission reset that occurs each day so long as the mission remains uncompleted. So you can essentially 'mine' the mission for secrurity status for a few hours each day until the mission timer runs out or you decide to complete the mission.

Method 2: Belt Rats

If you are comfortable operating in low-sec or null-sec and have a ship capable of taking on rats in these areas, then belt ratting will be faster than mission ratting. Essentially you would find a decent string of 5-10 systems and just start belt hopping. Find a rat in the first system and kill it. Jump to the next system. Keep doing this until you are back in your original system. If you time it right, you should only get back to this system after the original 15 minute timer is up. Keep it up until you get the security status gain you want or you get bored and go do other things.

While you could also do this in high-sec, in general the value of belt rats in high-sec are so low as to not be worth it unless you come across an opportune target (i.e. complete random chance) and have no other options available in that system.

Also, expect to have travel time built into your belt plan. While it may be possible to find 5-10 systems in a circle this won't always be possible. Obviously however this is preferable to having to back-track 5 systems.

The nice part of this method is that all rats will provide a security status increase.

Method 3: Anomally Rats

Scanning down anomalies is an often overlooked method of finding rats in a system. If you can't find a security mission or a belt rat in a system you are mining for security status, it is always a good idea to check for anomalies. Rats in these pockets almost always lead to a security increase. Pop off a rat and then move to the next system same as before.

There are up-sides and down sides to anomally ratting. One of the down sides is that anyone can obviously warp into the middle and finish it off while you are out security mining other systems. The upside, especially in high-sec, is that other people will often leave an anomally pocket alone if they see that there are wrecks in the area -- it is not guarenteed but certainly a pocket will persist until all the rats in that pocket have been eliminated.

Which systems should I do it in?

As stated above, the harder the rats are to kill, the more security status gain they are worth. Systems that have a lower security rating have harder to kill rats and thus are worth more personal security status gain. The most common guidelines suggest killing BS rats in 0.0 space, but obviously you should take all normal precautions for travelling in lowsec or nullsec space. Killing ratting ships is a speciality of many lowsec PC pirate corporations, so beware. For small security status repairs low end highsec such as 0.5 systems yield valuable enough rats over time.

Example

The following example shows you how you might apply all three methods using a constellation having 5 systems (alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, echo).

1. Start in Alpha System and pick up an L2 security mission (Pirate Intrusion in Bravo System)
2. Travel to Bravo System and pick up an L2 security mission (Cargo Delivery in Delta System)
   1. Start Pirate Intrusion
   2. Kill the first high value rat
   3. Note the time
   4. Note the system
3. Warp to Charlie System
   1. Scan for anomallies (e.g. WTT-800)
   2. Warp to WTT-800
   3. Kill the first high value rat
   4. Note the time
   5. Note the system
4. Warp to Delta System
   1. Start Cargo Delivery
   2. Kill the first high value rat
   3. Note the time
   4. Note the system
5. Warp to Echo System
   1. Scan for anomallies
   2. If no anomallies - check asteriod belt Echo I - Belt 1
   3. If no rat move to Echo I - Belt 2
   4. Do not spend more than 5 minutes looking - move on if no rats present
6. Warp to Alpha System
   1. Scan for anomallies
   2. If no anomallies - check asteriod belt Alpha I - Belt 1
   3. Kill the first high value rat
   4. Note the time
   5. Note the system
7. Warp to Bravo
   1. If your time in Bravo is less than 15 minutes after your last kill in this system - take a bio break
   2. Once the 15 timer has run out - warp to Pirate Intrusion deadspace pocket
   3. Kill the first high value rat
   4. Note the time
   5. Note the system
8. Warp to Charlie
   1. .... etc ....

Once you have almost completed the security missions - break for the day. Tomorrow the mission will reset and you can kill the rats over again. This is especially important if the mission is a good test of your PvE skills. If the mission is too easy - finish it and see if you can trade up for a new one.

Notes

1. Skip any empire faction missions - these do not give security status increases.
2. The 15 minute time starts as of the time of the last kill in that system, not when you leave it.
3. Not all rats give a security status increase.
   1. Sentry guns for example have a bounty on them but do not give status increase even thou other rats around them may.
   2. Named NPC targets typically do not give bonuses (e.g. Mercenary Lieutenant)
4. Trading up missions doesn't always work - if you get 2 or 3 decent missions you might want to stick with those even if they don't test your PvE abilities. This is because you could end up getting 5 or 6 missions in a row (such as Gone Beserk or Rogue Drone Harrassment) which do not give any security status increase even though they look as if they should.

Missions to Avoid

Certain Missions look as if they should give a security status increase but they don't. The following missions should be declined.

1. Any mission that is an empire faction mission (see http://eve-survival.org/ if you are unsure)
2. Gone Beserk
3. What Comes Around Goes Around
4. Silence the Informant
5. Rogue Drone Harrassment
6. Cut-Throat Competition