Leaking money

Didn't play EVE a lot this week. But I did spent ten minutes mining ice in a lowsec system, just because it was there. Not something particularly sustainable, even if it wasn't very boring, because there are too many people passing through the system. Or apparently jumping in and out every few minutes, as the case might be. Scouting I guess? Also mined a Retriever hold-full of ore in highsec, just to remember why I gave up on mining. Because it is boring.

It might still gives more ISK than anything else I can do in EVE, now that exploration loot prices crashed. Even with decreased prices of highsec ores. Although a proper lowsec exploration pass should still be better per hour. And I guess L3 missions might make more, if done properly. But I am still mostly burnt out on missions after getting the jump clone rating, and don't really want to build up to L4. I am relatively close, I think I need Mechanics V and Hull Upgrades V for full T2 tank, and a long range Dominix build should be viable, although it might need T2 drones. Or at least Drone Sharpshooting V for whatever module boosts drone optimals and just hit them with micro jump driver and sentries.

I should have bought a Dominix before the Odyssey hit. I was even aware that the mineral cost was going to be risen as part of tiericide changes, but since I didn't really plan on hitting L4 missions I just decided to wait. And now it about tripled in price. I still have enough ISK for that, but it would take a lot.

I am considering L4 missions more because I bough and fitted a Brutix, nominally for lowsec ratting. But seeing the ISK counter dropping made me worried about losing it too much. Especially since it is probably a bad idea, a blaster Brutix that is, because rail Myrmidon could kite rats while keeping alignment if necessary. Assuming a Brutix with my skills can even complete lowsec anoms. It should, since I beat one of those very slowly in a Thorax, and probably definitely if I finally train for T2 armor tank, but who knows.

It is fit with a cloak and a microwarpdrive, so it should be able to jump through most gatecamps. Or at least most opportunity pirates. Which works on a Brutix much better than on cruisers, at least Gallente cruisers, since I didn't really look at other ones, since it has an utility high slot. And an improved cloak costs almost as much as cruiser. But I am sort of afraid to find out. Which is silly, since I could afford about five more of those before I ran of out ISK. I would feel better though if I could afford to replace it without dropping below half-billion ISK. Which while I don't need for anything, since pay subscription normally, and for now shelved the idea of plexing training for the second character. I mostly gave up on FW for now.

Not that I even expect lowsec anoms to make that much ISK. But really, I just want enough to replace the ship I'm flying, so that I don't play extremely defensively. Right now somehow lowsec feels overpopulated, despite there still being between zero and ten people in most systems. What would be neat, and more explicit than the security rating, is just straight up put on player profile time since last getting suspect/criminal flagged. Not that that would guarantee anything, but it would allow at least a degree of risk management. Honestly, the systems in EVE start feeling very small once you start feeling threatened by other players. Between d-scan and combat probes an enemy can be dropping on you with no warning inside warp disruption range within seconds.

I think I might be leaning towards the opinion that L4 missions should be removed from highsec, or at all, because their presence tends to loom over everything else that I can be doing. I suppose it would be different if I cared about PvP, but I don't that much, and solo PvP in EVE doesn't make much sense anyway. It would also be different if I joined a properly run player corp, but I am this week in even less of a mood to interact with people that usual, and the usual is not very high, so that will have to wait even more. In any case, I was doing things because they are fun, rather than because they make ISK, but then I saw my ISK dropping… well, such is life in EVE.