Skill Farming: Difference between revisions

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You pay 5% at NPC markets for a reason: they’re more active, predictable, secure, and stable. But a 0.1% sales tax means you save almost 26M ISK per large injector (assuming you’ve trained Accounting V). Where’s the tipping point? Your call.

== '''Alternate suppliers''' ==

Enhancers, extractors, and other necessities can also be purchased from Loyalty Point Stores, the New Eden Store, etc., rather than on the open market. Those suppliers will require some other form of currency (Loyalty Points, PLEX, etc.), but look into them. There are bargains to be had! For example, as of this writing the New Eden Store is selling extractors at 10 for 1,120 PLEX. At an exchange rate of 3.2M ISK per PLEX, that’s about 353.9M ISK per extractor. Market prices for extractors run about 356.8M ISK, so the New Eden Store saves me almost 3M ISK each. Plus, if I buy them from the New Eden Store, I can redeem them in any structure. Even I can do that math!

If you intend to use your profits from skill farming to pay for your EVE account, you’ll also need an honest reliable source of reasonably-priced PLEX (because you can’t pay for your EVE account directly with ISK). As a currency, PLEX are a bit more secure (thanks to the PLEX vault), and anything you purchase with them from the New Eden Store can be redeemed at any structure by any character on the same account.

Note that you can’t pay for your EVE account with PLEX if you purchased that account through Steam or another third-party retailer. Those retailers accept only IRL currency. You can open another account directly with EVE, but you’ll be starting over as a noob.

== '''Small injectors''' ==

By now you’ve noticed that there are both small and large skill injectors on the market. What’s the difference? When you move 0.5M skill points into an extractor, it produces 1 large skill injector. That large injector can then be split into 5 small injectors by right-clicking it. But there’s no such thing as a small skill extractor. You can’t extract a small injector directly; it can only be produced by splitting a large injector.

The good news is that the split is 100% efficient and complementary: 1 large injector with 0.5M skill points produces 5 small injectors with 0.1M skill points each, and 5 small injectors can be re-combined into 1 large injector. The same diminishing returns apply to the end users of both small and large injectors (based on the user’s total skill points). Even their physical volumes correlate: a large injector occupies 0.01 m3 of space; each small injector occupies 0.002 m3.

So, do you split them or not? It all depends on the local market at the time. As you might guess, small injectors tend to sell better near the ‘starting’ systems, while large injectors sell better in NPC nullsec. If you can earn a greater profit from small injectors, split them! If today’s hot market is in large injectors, don’t split them. Split some but not all if you like; whatever you do today has no effect on tomorrow’s injectors. Note that, as of this writing and except for a footnote, EVE University’s UniWiki doesn’t distinguish between small and large injectors, but discusses only large injectors.

== '''Remap''' ==

Now that you’re ready to start training your ‘farm’ skill, it’s time to do a neural remap of your attributes. Proceed carefully because you must wait a year before you can remap again (unless you have bonus remaps available). Set all attributes to their minimums (17 without enhancers), then set your ‘farm’ skill’s primary attribute to its maximum (27 without enhancers), and its secondary attribute to the remainder (21 without enhancers). These attributes affect nothing in the game except training time, but in skill farming training time is profit!

== '''Harvest''' ==

Jump into one of your ‘farm’ clones, drag your ‘farm’ skill into the training queue 5 times (once for each level), and click “Start”. Note how long the queue will run and find something else to do for that time.

When the queue is empty, jump into your ‘market’ clone and dock at your market’s structure. Use the extractors you left there to extract your ‘farm’ skill. (Note that you can’t move unallocated skill points directly into an extractor.) Drag your ‘farm’ skill into the training queue again. You may not need all 5 levels this time, depending on how many skill points you trained and extracted. Apply any unallocated skill points, click “Start”, and note the time until your next harvest.

Pause to check things out. You’re in this clone for a day, may as well make use of the time. Decide if you’re going to split your injectors (see Small Injectors) and how you’ll price them. Place your sell orders. Look for good buys on PLEX, extractors, and anything else you need. Do you have outstanding orders here that need attention? (I keep buy orders open at all my clone markets for PLEX, extractors, etc., at 80% of their average sell prices. If you can afford the escrow, it’s a good way to grab a bargain.) Done? Return to your clone bay and await the next harvest.

Ready for advanced skill farming? Install clones at as many different markets as your skills allow. At harvest, use your market tool to decide which will give you the greatest profit. Jump to that clone, then extract and sell there. Or extract a few large injectors here, sell them, then jump there and extract more to split and sell as small injectors. If you’re willing to travel a bit and sell to buy orders (or even contracts), you can throw your net wider still. Between harvests, keep an eye out for good prices on injectors; it’s always possible to have a partial harvest and take advantage of them. If you purchase your extractors from the New Eden Store, you can redeem them on any of your clones at any structure.

== '''Budget''' ==

If the initial costs are an issue, start small. Buy extractors one at a time as you need them. Don’t buy enhancers until you’ve built up a bank. Hold off on buying your ‘farm’ skill book until you’re ready to train it. You can extract skill points from the starting skills or any other skill you’ve trained (with a few exceptions), so begin by training up some of those starting skills (such as Thermodynamics or Tactical Shield Manipulation). When you’re over 5.5M skill points, extract what you don’t need, sell that injector, and invest in two extractors. The biggest initial expense will be that first extractor at about 356.8M ISK. Shop around, because if you can make it over that hump, EVE will never cost you a dime again!

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 You pay 5% at NPC markets for a reason: they’re more active, predictable, secure, and stable. But a 0.1% sales tax means you save almost 26M ISK per large injector (assuming you’ve trained Accounting V). Where’s the tipping point? Your call.
+== '''Alternate suppliers''' ==
+Enhancers, extractors, and other necessities can also be purchased from Loyalty Point Stores, the New Eden Store, etc., rather than on the open market. Those suppliers will require some other form of currency (Loyalty Points, PLEX, etc.), but look into them. There are bargains to be had! For example, as of this writing the New Eden Store is selling extractors at 10 for 1,120 PLEX. At an exchange rate of 3.2M ISK per PLEX, that’s about 353.9M ISK per extractor. Market prices for extractors run about 356.8M ISK, so the New Eden Store saves me almost 3M ISK each. Plus, if I buy them from the New Eden Store, I can redeem them in any structure. Even I can do that math!
+If you intend to use your profits from skill farming to pay for your EVE account, you’ll also need an honest reliable source of reasonably-priced PLEX (because you can’t pay for your EVE account directly with ISK). As a currency, PLEX are a bit more secure (thanks to the PLEX vault), and anything you purchase with them from the New Eden Store can be redeemed at any structure by any character on the same account.
+Note that you can’t pay for your EVE account with PLEX if you purchased that account through Steam or another third-party retailer. Those retailers accept only IRL currency. You can open another account directly with EVE, but you’ll be starting over as a noob.
+== '''Small injectors''' ==
+By now you’ve noticed that there are both small and large skill injectors on the market. What’s the difference? When you move 0.5M skill points into an extractor, it produces 1 large skill injector. That large injector can then be split into 5 small injectors by right-clicking it. But there’s no such thing as a small skill extractor. You can’t extract a small injector directly; it can only be produced by splitting a large injector.
+The good news is that the split is 100% efficient and complementary: 1 large injector with 0.5M skill points produces 5 small injectors with 0.1M skill points each, and 5 small injectors can be re-combined into 1 large injector. The same diminishing returns apply to the end users of both small and large injectors (based on the user’s total skill points). Even their physical volumes correlate: a large injector occupies 0.01 m3 of space; each small injector occupies 0.002 m3.
+So, do you split them or not? It all depends on the local market at the time. As you might guess, small injectors tend to sell better near the ‘starting’ systems, while large injectors sell better in NPC nullsec. If you can earn a greater profit from small injectors, split them! If today’s hot market is in large injectors, don’t split them. Split some but not all if you like; whatever you do today has no effect on tomorrow’s injectors. Note that, as of this writing and except for a footnote, EVE University’s UniWiki doesn’t distinguish between small and large injectors, but discusses only large injectors.
+== '''Remap''' ==
+Now that you’re ready to start training your ‘farm’ skill, it’s time to do a neural remap of your attributes. Proceed carefully because you must wait a year before you can remap again (unless you have bonus remaps available). Set all attributes to their minimums (17 without enhancers), then set your ‘farm’ skill’s primary attribute to its maximum (27 without enhancers), and its secondary attribute to the remainder (21 without enhancers). These attributes affect nothing in the game except training time, but in skill farming training time is profit!
+== '''Harvest''' ==
+Jump into one of your ‘farm’ clones, drag your ‘farm’ skill into the training queue 5 times (once for each level), and click “Start”. Note how long the queue will run and find something else to do for that time.
+When the queue is empty, jump into your ‘market’ clone and dock at your market’s structure. Use the extractors you left there to extract your ‘farm’ skill. (Note that you can’t move unallocated skill points directly into an extractor.) Drag your ‘farm’ skill into the training queue again. You may not need all 5 levels this time, depending on how many skill points you trained and extracted. Apply any unallocated skill points, click “Start”, and note the time until your next harvest.
+Pause to check things out. You’re in this clone for a day, may as well make use of the time. Decide if you’re going to split your injectors (see Small Injectors) and how you’ll price them. Place your sell orders. Look for good buys on PLEX, extractors, and anything else you need. Do you have outstanding orders here that need attention? (I keep buy orders open at all my clone markets for PLEX, extractors, etc., at 80% of their average sell prices. If you can afford the escrow, it’s a good way to grab a bargain.) Done? Return to your clone bay and await the next harvest.
+Ready for advanced skill farming? Install clones at as many different markets as your skills allow. At harvest, use your market tool to decide which will give you the greatest profit. Jump to that clone, then extract and sell there. Or extract a few large injectors here, sell them, then jump there and extract more to split and sell as small injectors. If you’re willing to travel a bit and sell to buy orders (or even contracts), you can throw your net wider still. Between harvests, keep an eye out for good prices on injectors; it’s always possible to have a partial harvest and take advantage of them. If you purchase your extractors from the New Eden Store, you can redeem them on any of your clones at any structure.
+== '''Budget''' ==
+If the initial costs are an issue, start small. Buy extractors one at a time as you need them. Don’t buy enhancers until you’ve built up a bank. Hold off on buying your ‘farm’ skill book until you’re ready to train it. You can extract skill points from the starting skills or any other skill you’ve trained (with a few exceptions), so begin by training up some of those starting skills (such as Thermodynamics or Tactical Shield Manipulation). When you’re over 5.5M skill points, extract what you don’t need, sell that injector, and invest in two extractors. The biggest initial expense will be that first extractor at about 356.8M ISK. Shop around, because if you can make it over that hump, EVE will never cost you a dime again!