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Exploration
If you prefer to work alone, then exploration might be your favoured option. Fly solo through system after system, scanning for the abandoned structures that can be looted for valuable materials. It’s a great chance to really hone your solo skills; in low or nullsec, avoiding gate camps and explorer hunters will teach you the importance of the d-scan and how to avoid the bad guys, and the occasional big score will make up for any losses.
How To Do It
Read the Brave Dojo's Guide to Exploration, which contains detailed explanation of the skills you'll need, the types of ships and fits you should use, and how to perform the two key aspects of exploration: scanning and hacking. For another, more personal look at exploration in nullsec, you can read Brick Hunter's guide to exploration.
If you're starting off in High Sec, you will have less to worry about in terms of random encounters with other players, but correspondingly smaller rewards from the exploration sites.
When exploring it is best to use a tool to help you record where you've been and what you've found. In Brave Empire we use Eveeye. It has a little bit of a learning curve, but once you've surfed it, the value of the tool reveals itself. Ensure you select to share data with the "Cloud Service" and "Shared with Alliance" when setting up the tool. Ask leadership or a mentor for help if you get stuck.
When using corp bookmarks for Wormholes in conjunction with Eveeye. Please use the following simple standards.
- * (Star) - Start a BM with this if the WH leads towards Nikh or Oishami. "Follow the stars home"
- ! - Use this to mark something as end of life, or danger
- NC - "Not Clear" add this to the end of Gas cloud bookmarks, this ensures people know there is likely rats on grid
- CLR - "Clear" The gas cloud has been cleared of rats and is safe to warp to
- C1, C2, C3 …. etc for WHs over the J name, if there are multiple of the same type, then add the sig after it.
- System name or HS/LS/NS for empire/null exits
Where To Do It
Everywhere! Exploration is probably the activity that will see you roam the furthest in EVE, as you search through system after system for elusive data or relic sites to loot. In a small, nimble ship outfitted with a cloak, you can easily dip into low-sec and nullsec with ease, increasing the possibility of finding a big score to bring home.
What To Do Next?
The materials you obtain from exploration are used in the manufacture of items like rigs, so will fetch a good price on the market (if you don't want to start manufacturing yourself). You can either sell them to one of the alliance's buyback services, or haul them to a market hub system.