Datacore farming: Difference between revisions

== How do I start to farm datacores?  ==

There are three steps involved in becoming an effective datacore farmer:  

* Train the required skills  

* Reach the required standings with R&D agent's corporations.

=== Training skills for datacore farming  ===

The following skills are required to start using one R&D agent:  

* {{Sk|Science|V}}

* {{Sk|Mechanics|V}} (or) {{Sk|Power Grid Management|V}} (or) {{Sk|CPU Management|V}}

Note that the above skills give you access to one (and only one) R&D agent. To maximize your income, you will want multiple R&D agents working with you. The following skills are required to use more than one R&D agent:  

* {{Sk|Research Project Management|I}} - Each level gives you the ability to use another agent up to a maximum of six at level V. (Beware though, this one costs 40 million).

=== Developing R&D agent relationships  ===

[[Image:EVE-RDA1.png|thumb|Dialog window with an R&D Agent.]]Not all non-player character (NPC) corporations offer R&D agents, so some pre-planning about which corporations you will select for your datacore farming plan is absolutely required for success.  

In order to maximize the production of RPs, and therefore to produce more datacores, you will want to work with the highest level R&D agents - level 4. (Note: there are no level 5 R&D agents - though some agent-finder sites may show them, this is an error.) The corporations with level 4 R&D agents, sorted by their associated factions, are:  

There are also some non-Empire faction corporations with a few R&D agents:  

Only level 4 agents produce datacores in useful quantities. Because the good Gallente R&D agents are scattered between three corporations, they are not an optimal choice, unless you have already started grinding missions there, or are otherwise committed to their faction.  

To see what faction and corporation standings you need to speak with an R&D agent:  

* Look under the "Agent Info" tab, and look at the "Compatibility" section at the bottom. (If there is no "Compatibility" section, then you already have access to that agent!) It will say something like: "Your effective personal standings must be 3.00 or higher toward this agent's corporation in order to use this agent, as well as an effective personal standing of 5.00 or higher toward this agent, its faction, or its corporation in order to use this agent's services."

To establish high faction standings:  

* Run the tutorial agents for that faction  

* Turn in tags from ratting or missions to that faction  

=== Start the research flow  ===

Once you have the standing level needed to speak with an R&D agent, go to the station where the desired R&D agent is located, and begin a conversation with him or her. One of the options that they will provide to you is to start research - select this option. They will offer you their areas of applied science to research. Select the one(s) in which you have trained your skills. The agent will then start to produce research points (RPs) for you.  

The formula for how many research points you'll get in a day is:

      

Where:

There are only three skills that can improve the amount of RPs generated per day. These are:  

* Negotiation: Directly improves the effective quality of your agent, and is the most efficient skill for raising the number of RPs you earn each day. Negotiation IV, for example, raises Effective Quality by nearly 20 points.  

* Connections: Improves effective standing with the agent (The skill does not apply to "no standing" entities. You will need to do at least one mission for the agent for it to apply).