After pounding the proverbial systems looking for a suitable Class 3, I found myself mostly "chaining" (in some cases 3 or 4 w-space systems) deep into W-space, hoping for a good C3.
I actually found a packed C1 system with two Class 3 exits, a Class 2 exit and a LowSec exit. I figured (wrongly as it turns out) that at least one of the C3's or the C2 would be static, and with the extremely close proximity to my staging base (get this: one K-space jump + 3 W-space jumps!), I figured this was as good as any to move my "Large POS package" out to W-space.
With the 2 new Iteron V's packed and ready to go, I made quick work out of deploying a Small POS and Hanger to the C1, where my plan was to stage everything there until I found a good C3 exit spawn. Essentially, the small POS and Hangar are the "beachhead" to store the large POS package of tower and all associated modules. The 2 "currently adjoining" C3's were heavily populated, so I was willing to park myself and the entire C3 Large POS package until a good C3 spawned.
Well, turns out that this Class 1 only has a SINGLE static exit, that to LowSec. This is the first time I recall ever seeing W-space with only a single static exit, so I was pretty miffed. This could be common with C1's? But, since the system was packed with over 34 sites and I was a bit rusty after being offline the last month, I decided to go take down some sleeper sites. Because this is a C1, I could not bring in my BS's, so this was all about the trusty Drake. I knew from the earliest of early Apocrypha days that my Drake would not even break a sweat in a C1 even if I fully spawned the whole site. I cleared 10 sites in just under 2 hours.
It has been so long since I was in a Class 1 that several things occurred to me after my first day there:
- The first observation mentioned above - that the C1 had only a single recurring exit. This one was to LowSec. Literally every w-space system where I have take up residence had two recurring/static exits. The fact that the only recurring exit is to LowSec means that I will have less likelihood of a quality adjoining system spawn and may mean I need to move my deployment package back to K-Space once I clean out this system. If a quality exit spawns before I empty this C1, then fine - C1's are low yield ISK.
- C1 Sleeper sites are dominated by Emergent (Frigate) spawns, which have a skewed effect on drone consumption. My only prior experiences with C1 systems were "day-trips" while I was still getting up to speed on sleeper sites and ship fittings. At that time, I had not used drone DPS to any great extend and missed this observation. As compared to C2 or C3 sites, which are dominated by Cruiser and BattleCruiser sleepers, C1 sites are spawns of mostly frigates, which love to go after the drones. The BC's have poor tracking and it is really rare to lose a light drone to a Sleeper BC or BS. For example, in the last four Class 2/3 systems in total, I have lost no more than 9 drones. We are talking 100+ sleeper sites and tons of sleepers. But, in the first 5 sleeper sites alone for this system, I lost 6. As such, I need to slightly correct my prior statements regarding drone usage from "Ideal for C3 and below" to be "Ideal for C2 and C3" sites. Sentry drones would actually be ideal for C1, as they can be immediately recalled and the Emergent sleepers always come to you, whereas you need to strategically warp-in for C2/3 sites for efficient sleeper BS pwnage.
- Proportionally smaller ISK yield. I would have expected C1 systems to yield less valuable loot, but linearly, not exponentially. Whereas there is a reasonable lift in yield when going from a C2 to a C3 system, the drop in yield from a C2 to C1 is substantial. Class 1 systems are a good starting point for testing your skills, but I am now going to regularly advise Class 2 and the minimum class for your first POS deployments.
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So a C1 would reasonably support a fleet consisting primarily of newer players in frigates and cruisers, with a few of us more experienced players in slightly heavier ships like Drakes and whatnot?
ReplyDeleteNo, I guess I am pointing out that the ISK Yield from a C1 is exponentially lower than a C2, such that an identically-fit ship (or ships) could clear a C2 system nearly as easily as a C1, so really you should start with small corp POS efforts in a C2, not a C1.
ReplyDeleteEven minimally-skilled pilots in new eden can get up to battlecruiser-capable skills and tank C2 sleeper sites, especially if there is a "teacher" with remote repping capability.
So, the issue with C1 is more about the lack of ISK yield to support a single player, not to mention a small corp...
The WH I just left a week ago was exactly like that, a C1 with a static J244 to LowSec - I forget what system ID it was as I'm at work, but I got it noted down at home somewhere. Came in through a HighSec WH, ended up leaving it through the static LowSec one because after a few days it seemed to stop spawning an additional WH exit.
ReplyDeleteWas loaded with LADAR sites and the very odd radar/mag site... but as figures, just as my fuel on the POS was getting critical I had not one but THREE grav sites spawn. Figures!
I agree with the ISK, as cost of salvage/gas/loot covered the cost of the small tower and fuel with only a very small margin left over... but it has higher value in potential manufacturing later.
@Star Defender: Using drones is simple in wspace. If you are the only Player launching and using drones, then sleepers will at some point switch to your drones and kill them off.
ReplyDeleteIf you are in a fleet of players, each launching drones, the sleepers will turn to your ships only after they have tried to circle each and every player ship and have found that the tank cannot break. We had once observed this, when our DPS was pathetic and it took us ages to clear a wave. Suddenly sleepers turn around and start shooting all our drones.
In any case drones are awesome against sleepers, especially T2 ones - Luminus when flying a Domi uses 5x Garde II's and they hit the sleeper BSs really hard! :-)
@Casiela Truza: Anything less than a BC will have issues staying allive. Especially T1 Frigate or Cruiser. I now mostly use my Assault Ship to kill sleepers in smaller classes but it's a PVE fitted Hawk that does massive repair amounts with a Gistii B-type Small Shield Booster. If your small ship gets webbed - you dia. And most of the sleeper frigs pack a webber.
I'm living in a hub system with a static exit to class 1 systems, so I see those everyday.
ReplyDeleteThere are indeed some class 1 WHs with more than one static exit but they are very rare. Most of them seem to have a static to high sec (about 70-90%) some lead to low sec and i've yet only found 2 systems out of about 100 wich have their static exit to null-sec. I've seen a few with a 2nd static to another class 1 or 2, never into something higher and even those are the absolute minority.
Concerning class 2 sites, how much ISK (average) do you get out of one of those sites? I'm currently skilled best in my drake and optimized for dps without drones and do class 1 sites in about 8 to 10 minutes solo while my alt cares about the loot. In those houndreds of sites i've done so far, I salvage an average of 3.5 Melted Nanoribbons in each site wich I thought was quite profitable. I only tried class 2's a few times but got the impression that it takes much longer so the ISK/hour was not much bigger.
I guess I'll give T2 drones a try. Skill finishes in 4 hours ;)
3.4 MNR's per site in a C1??? That is definitely more than I have seen in this C1. As I have not run a lot of C1's, I cannot attest to which of us is seeing the norm.
ReplyDeleteWell-stocked C2 sites will yield between 1.2B and 2.0B ISK in my experience. Well stocked meaning you have at least 25 sites of various kinds to run, including at least 2 Mag or Radar sites. Time spent clearing the C2 sites are not really measurably different IMHO. I actually think C2's are faster to clear, with less sleeper frigates and more cruiser/BC class sleepers.
Just to give ya an update...in the C1 I am currently in...the most MNR's I have recieved from one anomaly site is 9. I usually get at least 3 but i have had 3 sites that gave none at all. Average right now for salvaging 3 sites in a row is 5-9 MNRs.
ReplyDelete