My first datacores
16th April 2009 – 10.50 amI have some datacores! I only have a handful, and only of one type, so I am not about to start inventing, but it is progress. I started the research process not too long ago, racking up twenty five research points a day from a low quality level two agent. With each datacore costing fifty research points I knew it would take a while to accumulate a sensible amount, but it is better to start sooner than later, particularly as there is no drawback to dealing with a single R&D agent.
The rate of accumulation of research points is not calculated once a day, at which time twenty five points are added to a total, but typically for EVE Online the points are accumulated continually at the stated overall rate. I find this out when checking to see whether I could afford my first datacore and noting that I have earned a number of research points down to two decimal places, not a multiple of twenty five. Whilst a daily accumulation would be useful for my current agent, with a datacore's worth of points gained ever other day, if other agents don't earn research points in handy divisions or multiples of fifty the steady increase will be beneficial.
I will need to work with other R&D agents too, if only because invention looks to require at least two types of datacore per job. Whilst it is possible to work with a single R&D agent at any time, to work with more than one at once requires the research project management skill. It could be possible to gain all needed datacores by starting research with one agent, grabbing some datacores and then abandoning that agent to work with another, but it would need a lot of managing. Working simultaneously with multiple agents will be much more efficient. The only problem is that the required skill book costs forty million ISK, which isn't quite petty cash for me yet.
I have thought about selling the early datacores I get to fund the purchase of the expensive skill book, which would then let me accumulate datacores at double the rate, at least. But unless I can sell the datacores for a hundred million ISK each I think the problem will remain psychological in basis, not wanting to fork out forty million ISK for something I can't pilot through space or cause doomsday explosions with. My industrial operations are still turning good profits, though, so hopefully soon I will bite the bullet and buy the research project management book.
Even though I probably won't sell the cores I want some tangible proof that I am making progress, which is why I pay my agent a visit and buy the datacores off him. He had contacted me before with some garbled message about there being problems with the research and that I should visit him, but I was prepared for his attention-seeking tomfoolery. The R&D section of Karox's EVE Online Guides helpfully point out that you can ignore such pleas and research will continue normally, so there is no need to rush half-way across the region just to spice up your agent's dull day of research with tales of hunting deadly pirates in null-sec or, in my case, making another batch of missiles.
As I am visiting my R&D agent anyway I see what the fuss is about. He apparently needs some documents that are in another station, in the same system, orbiting a moon of the same planet. Research agents may be smart in some ways but it seems they haven't heard of shuttles. That's not such a bad situation, though, as for a minute of effort docking a couple of times I am rewarded with an additional twenty five research points. It's not quite enough to get an extra datacore but it is a useful boost. Just after I undock from the station I get another mail, from the same agent I just left, informing me he's encountered another problem. Silly man.
It may be worth dedicating some time keeping my research agent happy, though, not only to get more research points and thus datacores but also for the standings gains and working towards storyline missions for the corporation. But at least I leave the station with some electronic engineering datacores in my hold, some tangible proof that I am making progress towards Tech II invention.
4 Responses to “My first datacores”
Research agents are weird. Each day they will have a mission for you that if you complete will double your earned research points for the day, i.e. get 50 instead of 25. The next day they send an evemail asking for more help but if you ignore them, nothing bad happens. Next time you visit, the mission will still be waiting there. :)
Oh, its worth noting that those research missions count towards getting the next storyline mission.
-Just chiming in to say that i enjoy your detailed and engrossing descriptions of what would otherwise be "mundane" activities in EVE. (In these earlier posts) I just recently ran across your blog, and really enjoyed the detail in which you describe your wormhole activities. Im still learning alot myself, but I fly lots of ships, in varying pve and pvp roles, but t3 ships and wormholes are not on that list. Your recent blogs really give useful info on that stuff, and ive decided to read the whole back-log. It's funny. Your time in EVE has covered exactly the opposite of what ive done, so even over 1 1/2 years into the game, im learning a ton.
Thank you. I like to think the more mundane activities form a necessary counterpoint to the more exciting moments. Whilst there is plenty of activity and combat I believe it can only be appreciated fully when the ponderous tension leading up to the fight is properly built-up.
I may find myself spending a few days wandering through systems seeing no other soul, but I feel I need to get that sensation of isolation and emptiness across so that when I see a lone ship on d-scan the anticipation of the hunt can be shared. Even then, nine paragraphs of the hunt followed by one of actual combat also shows how brief, and thus tense, the encounters generally are.
I'm glad you're finding my writing interesting and informative, and thanks for the comment.