How to earn ISK: Difference between revisions

*'''Mission Runner''' – One of the first ways that every player makes ISK in EVE is by executing assigned missions assigned by agents in non-player corporations, or by running through deadspace complexes[http://eve.grismar.net/complexes/index.php].  Mission running is worthy of an extensive guide all by itself, so we won't belabor all aspects of this career option here.  Suffice it to say that to earn real ISK as a mission-runner, players must invest in larger ships and develop the skills to fly them, so that they can earn access to higher level agents, higher level missions and the much higher levels of rewards that come with them.  Invaluable resources for finding agents and missions include EVE-Agents[http://eve-agents.com/] and Grismar's Guide[http://eve.grismar.net/wikka.php?wakka=AgentMissions].  The UNI library also includes several very useful recorded classes on successful mission running.[http://www.eve-ivy.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Eve_University_Audio_Class_Library] And don't forget the very useful Missions.E-UNI channel available to all EVE University members - many players form teams for running higher-level missions together there.

*'''Ratter''' – Hunting and killing NPC pirates (a.k.a. "rats") can earn some ISK.  But frankly, this is not the most lucrative way to earn money in EVE.  Still, as a supplemental source of income, ratting can be fun, and a great way to refine some combat skills.  To be a ratter, players only need to develop some combat skills and have a suitably outfitted fighting ship.  High-sec rats are relatively easy to kill, and they spawn most frequently in asteroid belts - low-sec rats are a little tougher, but ratting in low-sec space is riskier because real-player pirates, who are infinitely more dangerous, also lurk there.  Player beware!

*'''Mercenary''' – If you can develop very high levels of combat skills, you can make a decent living by hiring your guns out to corporations that can use you for fighting pirates or war targets. Mercenaries are typically hired by large corporations who want something done without their name being all over it.  A mercenary could also be a hired guard for miners, an extra hand in a full scale war, or an escort through low sec areas, among other duties.  If you are serious about being a mercenary, joining a dedicated mercenary corporation is a good idea, as the one thing you need more than anything else as a "merc" is contacts. Be wary of courier assignments ending in low sec areas - they may actually be an ambush set up by a crafty pirate.

*'''Bounty Hunter''' – Many players that pursue outlaw careers (more on this later) have bounties assigned to them. Players can hunt down these characters using locator agents[http://www.eve-wiki.net/index.php?title=Locator_agent] and intelligence gathered from other players, and collect the bounties.  While this sounds like an exciting career, it is really very difficult to execute.  You must have extremely high combat skills, a powerful ship, and a lot of luck - you must also have the element of surprise.  For this reason, bounty hunting, when it occurs, is usually a venture of opportunity, rather than of planning.