User:EVE Mastery

The Basics of Finding a Base

So...you have finished the career agents, trained the basic skills, and now you're wondering, where do I set up my base of operations? Well...it depends on what profession you wish to go into, for example, doing lowsec PvP or doing belt ratting. We'll be going into several common professions and what are ideal bases for each of them

How to find a good location

There are several aspects as to how you choose your base of operations, for example, how easy or difficult will it be to move in supplies/bring out loot (logistics). You will also have to think of the locals in the area. If you're doing, say lowsec exploration, it would be best to find a quiet cluster of systems that you can explore in. Similarly, if you are more of a PvP guy (or girl), then more populated systems should be your target.

Now that we have gotten the basics out of the way, now comes some examples of bases for different professions

Profession: Industrialist

Now, the first thing any industrialist will have to consider when building items is, where am I gonna source my raw materials (PI, minerals, salvage etc). To combat this problem the best location to set up shop will be near a trade hub, since you will be able to buy the materials relatively easy. You will also want to find a system with a couple of Engineering Complexes with low manufacturing tax, as it will increase your trade margins and reduce overhead costs. However, if you are the type to source your resources yourself, you will want to find a system, preferably with a good amount of asteroid belts to mine ore from, and a couple Athanors with refinery services for low taxes. Alternatively, you can look for stations with a high reprocessing efficiency that you have good standings with, to reduce the ever-pesky Equipment tax

Profession: Missioner=

A popular profession for newbies would be mission running, and I can't disagree with that. Missioning can pay good ISK, for those with the patience to farm LP (loyalty points) with the corp of their choosing. For mission running, it is best to either find a single system with several mission agents from the same corp, or a cluster of nearby systems with agents from the same corp. It is also recommended to find a station with level 1, 2 and 3 agents, as it removes the time spent moving all your stuff from one station to another. As of September 2020, CCP released a new update that removed Alpha clone access to level 4 agents (I know, its a pain, but we just have to bear with it), which means that Alphas should be looking for stations with multiple Level 3 security agents from the same corp in order to make the most ISK.

Profession: Hauler

Nothing much to say about this. If you are running distribution missions, follow the advice I have given in the previous section. For player courier contracts, however, you will not need a base of operations as courier contracts will usually end up all over the place, and having a base of operations will not help much in the way of ISK making.

Profession: Anomaly Ratting

Another good profession for newbies, ratting is the act of killing pirate NPCs for ISK bounties and loot/salvage. Occasionally, you can get real lucky with these sites and get an escalation, which has the potential of dropping heaps of ISK worth of faction or deadspace modules and implants that sell well. For these sites, it will be best to find a cluster of quiet systems with not a lot of players in it. You will also want to be relatively close to a trade hub, for convenience when hauling your loot and bringing back ammunition to load your weapons with. However, don't set up your base of operations like 5 jumps from Jita, or along a major trade route. Solitude would be a good example of quiet systems, as it is isolated from mainland New Eden and thus hard to get to, ensuring that the juicy combat sites will not be completed that quickly

Profession: Explorer

Now this is a favorite of mine, exploration involves scanning down cosmic signatures in space using specialized core scanner probes, that are launched from a core probe launcher. Explorers will mostly stumble upon relic and data sites, DED sites and wormholes. These signatures will occasionally lead to decently expensive loot, especially when relic sites are involved. I mostly run these sites in wormhole space, as the relic and data sites here have the potential to hold the most loot. However, I would suggest new explorers, especially those coming to the game for the first time, to move to a quiet lowsec pocket and explore there. This will ensure some level of safety as local will be working and you can see if a hostile comes in system. It is best to find a pocket that is somewhat close to a trade hub, but not too close that there are like 10+ people in local on average, as any valuable sites that exist will most likely have been snagged up by others.