[Reporting interval] financial report

Another month, another whatever.

Part of the reason for the difference between net income and delta net worth is that I sold off some exploration gear.

Exploration in hostile nullsec for the chronically risk-averse (Rubicon edition)

Since CCP changed salvage and whatever sites, "exploration" seems to have taken on a new meaning as something you can do in a frigate. Here, we're going to do real exploration. This method will allow you to take off from jita 4-4, fly out to the edge of the galaxy, whack a couple combat sites to see what falls out, and fly back to jita, all in near-perfect safety.

The post-AI-changes iteration of ninja exploration, which dual-boxed a billion isk stealth bomber and an RR tengu, was silly as shit. Luckily for us, the introduction of the mobile depot removes the need for the bomber, making ninja exploration a proper easy-mode profession.

The fits:

This is your scanning fit:

• Note: The cargo expanders let you run another site or two before you run out of missiles. If you aren't super confident about your cloaking skills, you could consider switching them for warp stabs.

This is your site-running fit:

•  Note: This is a cheap fit, and at times you will have to run the AB and orbit something to reduce incoming damage. Using shiny modules can increase your tank and damage, make it easier to achieve cap stability, and so on.
•  Note: Assuming you're doing guristas sites, once you realize that only the DED 6/7/8 are worth doing you will want to switch to mostly scourge fury missiles, and just keep a few navy scourge for clearing large groups of sub-BC.

Your cargo should look like this:

• Note: Unlike previous builds, I did not include a codebreaker (data analyzer). This is because the sites formerly referred to as LADAR hacking sites now use that silly hacking minigame. Even if they can still drop the neurotoxin control book, they take several times longer to run and half the time it will be destroyed anyway. I deem them no longer worth the effort. This is a modest exploration nerf.

To maek isks:

Scan down a site, launch the mobile depot at a safe spot, and use its' cargo bay and fitting service to refit as follows:

-Move missiles to depot
-Remove 2 cargo expander
-Remove probe launcher
-Remove cloaking device
-Switch locus analyzer for efficiency gate
-Switch covert reconfig for accelerated ejection bay
-Switch interdiction nullifier for fuel catalyst
-Fit 4x BCU
-Fit 2x launcher
-Move missiles to cargo

Then re-online your modules and run the site. When you finish, do the same refitting steps in reverse and scoop the depot. If somebody enters the system while you're doing the site, pound dscan until they leave. If you see probes, warp to your depot, quickly refit, scoop your depot, and warp off. Delete the safe and make a new one.

Sauce: Last room of the 7/10

Other thoughts:

Since the exploration changes, apparently space near empire is full of newbies running around in scanning frigates. They'll constantly be interrupting you, and if you ignore them you're going to end up murdered by a black ops fleet, so I recommend heading toward the edge of the galaxy until they aren't a problem.

Also, you can only run 3 to 6 sites before running out of missiles. Operating out of an NPC station where somebody stocks them will let you stay out much longer.