A Low Sec Challenge

@noizygamer @mord_fiddle @poeticstanziel @powersv2 Just saying that lowsec as an area is not an place in need of an ISK buff.
— Xander Phoena (@midi2304) February 9, 2014

I know that I play EVE Online a little differently than others, but I would sure love to see some of that ISK flowing through low sec.  Looking through the scant records I have, the most I've ever made is 830 million ISK in the five weeks leading up to the launch of the Odyssey expansion.  That is enough to let me replace my most expensive ship, but nothing to brag about.

I guess to those living outside low sec looking in, low sec is a land of milk and honey where ISK flows from the buttons in factional warfare complexes that faction bears circle in multi-stabbed frigates.  But low sec is more than factional warfare.  I play the game doing the usual MMORPG crafting activities.  You know, going around gathering crafting materials and creating interesting and valuable items.  I then sell (or use) the items and sell off any materials I don't plan on using.  I just play in a PvP environment where a ship loss is marked down as a financial loss in the ledger books.

But is Xander right?  If I just applied myself instead of wandering around bookmarking new systems and taking screenshots, would I find myself drowning in ISK?

Not making ISK

That leads to my next project.  Since I did a comparison of low sec at the end of Retribution and the beginning of Odyssey, why not do the same for Rubicon?  March is the last full month I can play EVE before leaving for Fanfest, so coming up with an evaluation of low sec after the two expansions makes sense.  At the same time, I want to see how much money I can actually make in a month.  I keep hearing about how much ISK people make running missions or trading.  Can I break one billion ISK for the first time?

The rules are fairly simple.  No factional warfare activity.  Travel in high sec is allowed, but all agents handing out missions must live in low sec.  That includes all the research agents I may use for datacores.  Only run data and relic sites in low.  All minerals are obtained from either mining in low sec, a wormhole accessed from low sec, or purchased from a market system.  I sell all my manufactured goods in a low sec trade hub in Molden Heath.

The only difference for this experiment is where I may sell excess ice, minerals, and planetary interaction items.  I'm thinking that this time I may sell these types of items in either Rens or Hek.  I think I could sell the extra ice and minerals in low sec, but I'll have to see how big of a market exists for PI items.

Some people may think my rules are too restrictive.  But I want to try to concentrate on low sec and just how hard or easy it is to live and make money in the region.  Besides, EVE is a sandbox.  I can play with any rules I want.