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I'm trying out exploration at the moment and there are some aspects that don't really work well yet. I gave up on low-sec exploration as there were simply too many people that would hunt you down as soon as they noticed someone doing exploration.

The problem in high-sec now is that I simply don't find enough combat sites. I've tried to use the Dotlan maps and filter according to jumps or NPCs killed, but I don't see any pattern that would help me do exploration more efficiently. Even if I explicitly search for quiet systems, odds are that the few people in there are doing exploration, probably because it is a quiet system. Most systems I visit have typically no more than two scannable sites, and if I bother to scan them they're more often wormholes than not. And if I find a site, I often have to compete with another player running the same site.

I can run a DED 4/10 site very quickly in my Ishtar, but at the rate I'm finding them (and the rate they drop anything valuable), I might as well do level 4 missions.

Are there any tricks to high-sec exploration that make it more efficient? How can I find combat sites more efficiently?

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  • As far as game design goes, HighSec exploration is not meant to be efficient. It is interesting in High Sec for newer player because of the luck factor, but for an older player wanting a steady stream of ISK, it is sub-efficient. Either you go L4 missioning, or you explore some place with higher risk and higher rewards.
    – Lysarion
    Commented Oct 28, 2014 at 14:50
  • @Lysarion is not actually correct. Exploration is less consistent then high sec missions, but if RNG is on your side the payout can be substantial even in high sec. That being said, Exploration in lowsec/null through a wormhole can be easy and highly profitable as well.
    – Ashterothi
    Commented Nov 1, 2014 at 18:39

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The secret to High Sec exploration is getting to things faster then everyone else. The chance of their being a good site as you meander the systems is pretty low. HOWEVER, when a site is closed, a new one shows up in the same security band. That means that new sites are popping up fairly frequently.

What most High Sec scanners do is choose 4-8 systems and go through them scanning them all down, record the signature number, and site type for each. Once all systems are documented you have a list of what "should" be there. Now you can patrol your chosen systems and look for new signatures. This will allow you to cherry pick valuable sites and get on them faster then your competition.

If you find yourself with too much downtime, you can cast your net wider, it's all up to you.

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