Planetary Industry for dummies
This page was created because there are way too many sources online, be it from a person in chat or social networks, that hype you up about Planetary Industry (PI for short) but do not explain it. This Loru Gaming video is a prime example.
The truth is that PI is one of the most complex topics in the game. It is extremely difficult to learn and execute. Return is decent but to say it is "passive" is an outright lie. You will need to invest hours or days of learning, hours or days of preparation, and 15-20 minutes a day upkeep until you get a hang of it and realize daily management is not worth it before adopting "lazy" management modes.
Preface
Not Omega? Stop here.
Before getting into it, you can check EVE Online support article here describing differences between an Alpha Clone (free to play) and Omega Clone (paid and/or subscription) accounts.
As stated "Alpha clone cannot export from their colonies" for the purposes of "Planetary Interaction".
You cannot export what you make. You cannot sell what you cannot export from the planet. Do not waste time and resources on PI.
Goal
Goal of this guide is to educate you, a new player, on PI using simple terms and get you running as fast as possible. This is written by a newbro for newbros. It is meant to demystify information from these sources, give you honest perspective and easy guide on getting into it.
My story
I started the game in January 2026 as Alpha Clone. I was generously gifted Omega game time my third week into play and immediately wanted to see the benefits. I quickly came across tons of media regarding benefits of PI and got into it. I have spend days watching videos and reading articles. I have spent hours talking to veterans about topics. Finally, I prepared and set up my first PI operation in lowsec system on 5 planets mid February 2026. A month in, mid March 2026 I have produced some P2 resources worth about 350mil ISK, but have not yet exported and sold it.
Perceived vs. Reality
- You think you'll earn billions a month and be able to use this ISK towards buying PLEX and Omega time for your account.
- Reality is that you will spend enormous amount of time upfront, not enjoy the game and not realize that you can make ISK faster elsewhere.
- In highsec, with 10 days worth of PI skills, your monthly earnings on 5 planets would be about 200mil ISK. This is due to saturation and extra tax in highsec. This is approximately 6.6mil ISK per day. In comparison, you can earn upwards of 100mil ISK per hour running Homefronts (HF).
- But, what if I create 2 more characters and do PI on three characters.
- You will not need triple the effort but you will need triple the upkeep (management). This means on three accounts, 15-20 minutes turns into one hour a day of managing. Again, this would be equivalent to 20mil ISK per hour.
- I know it's hard but it will get easier.
- It is hard, and it doesn't get easier. It gets tedious. You will be living on a timer. You'll be forced to log in at odd times to check things didn't stop or run out.
- Why are you trying so hard to convince me not to do it?
- I am not. I am just trying to warn you of dangers of plunging into PI with wrong expectations. It is not free ISK. It is not simple. It is not low effort. It is not for everyone.