Eve online guides -> Production 5: Modernization
When manufacturing in Eve, sooner or later you will have to face the so-called "glass ceilings". Obviously, you may have noticed that for 30 inventory lines from one account, you don't need 30 production lines, but 60 or 90. And this, accordingly, means paying for another account, training it out, and an additional 500 PLEX for renting another factory every month.
Then, for example, a rebalance patch comes out, and some type of resource: minerals, salvage, etc. becomes easier to collect, it becomes 25% cheaper, as was the case with morphite recently, and now to earn as much as before, you only need to build 25% more! Again, everything is solved by renting an additional factory and paying for another account, for a larger number of lines.
Or you can go the way of improvement and modernization due to skills for anufacturing speed, implants, and of course citadels, which will be discussed in this article. I wanted, purely for myself, to calculate when it is profitable to install a structure, and in how long will it pay off in cost? We will gradually throw parameters into a heap and maybe in the end it will be possible to derive a formula for calculating the profit of installing citadels!
1) Types of structures
The first Raitaru of our corporation was installed in one jump from Dodixie, following the example of Perimeter in Jita, with the aim of building cheaper goods than those that were sold at that time, 2020, I think. And for all the claims, in the end, it stood abandoned for six months, no one touched it. Then a patch came out where it was necessary to install expensive cores in the structures, and Raitaru died in the first wave of demolition of cytos due to cores from local Gallente pirates, who then moved to Amarr.
Astrahus - 3 billion
About 2-3 billion in fit, a discount on the cloning module for fuel and a bonus for combat rigs. Of all the medium structures, the most tanked and capable of equipped light fighters. Astrahus are installed so that there is an opportunity to dock often, these are wh, low, null, etc. where there are no NPC stations and cloning in the systems.
Raitaru - 2kkk
Own plant, compared to Astra is thin, but has good bonuses for production, namely:
1% discount on materials for all work
15% acceleration of construction and inventory
3% reduction in the cost of construction and inventory
In addition, with engineering rigs and space (low, high, null), you can significantly reduce your construction costs for materials. But, as you understand, such a hat as logistics appears.
Athanor - 2 billion
Everything related to the extraction of resources and their subsequent processing. Of the features:
2% bonus for ore and ice processing. With a T2 rig in highs, you can squeeze out 74% reprocessing.
Athanor in lowsec and below can compress gas
Athanor in lowsec and below can brew reactions for produsing.
Athanor can help mining moons starting from 0.5 systems and below, then reactions are brewed from moonmats.
Large structures are a feature of all large structures, the ability to stick a market, and 5 slots for modules. Additional reinforcement timer, armor.
Fortizar - 20 billion
Astrahus's big brother, even more HP, fighters and attack modules. Like its predecessor, Fortizar is often used for strategic reasons. For example, in logistics, if I'm not mistaken, dreadnoughts can get to the fortizar. In wormhote in C2, for example, it is more difficult to evict from the fortizar than from the astrahus.
An interesting topic of the fort is that the market module becomes available, this is 0% trading in plexes, injectors, extractors and free buy orders for any type of goods. And also large structures have "dual" rigs, with large bonuses compared to medium citas.
Azbel - 10 billion
The elder brother of the raitary, from the new:
20% to construction speed
4% reduction in construction cost
You can also set up a market and trade plexes. But the azbel is thinner compared to the fortizar and has fewer weapons. But the production rigs will show themselves in all their glory. Oh, and the capital construction module is also available, you can build dreadnoughts, etc. You can't build a Titan or a Mothership.
Tatara - 15 billion
Improved version of Athanor, more tanking and better bonuses. It seems like in highs with a T2 rig you can get a max 75% yield from processing ore and ice, or even more?!
For nothing to do, just for fun we'll add extra large structures. Of the features, you can't put them in highs. Titans and Supercars can be docked in Keepstar, and they can be produced on Sotiyo. Even better rigs with bonuses for construction and defense. More slots for modules.
Sotiyo - 40 billion
Max bonus for construction.
Keepstar - 250 billion
So, there is a certain set of structures with their cost. Let's move on to the next parameter on the list.
How to get 1kk sp on main / Как получить на основу 1кк сп?
On any account, even an old one, follow the link, and at the bottom under the fields, click "Log in to become a recruit". You don't need to fill out the form: 1млн навыков бесплатно сп / 1mln free skills.
2) Life cycle
The second corp citadel was Astrahus in the highsector. It stood for one year, it came to installing a rig on it for building ships. In terms of costs, about 5 billion were spent on maintenance and about 50kk ISK in profit from taxes for using services. It was killed by highsector pirates, benders, a fleet of leshaks.
In different parts of space, citadels live differently. Some for a long time, and some do not. You may be surprised, but the presence of a rig on a structure also shortens its life cycle. After all, the natural process of the free market sooner or later leads to a monopoly, the displacement of competitors, or even to unfair types of competition, in the form of sawing off a neighbor's structures.
Let's take the pessimistic option that there is no fleet for protection and the tanking is on a timer for 3 am. Accordingly, now we will pass the citadels through various cosmos of New Eden, and see how long they will live:
1) Capitals of lowsec collectives. Unlucky, opened wormhole:
all citas die on the first 15-minute timer, and if you are lucky, then on the second, after installing the core. Lifespan is 1 day.
2) Highsec - 1 jump from Jita:
All citas die within - 7 days, on average.
3) Highsec - 1 jump from Amarr, Rens, Hek, Dodixie:
The life cycle of citadels is on average 30 days.
4) Highsec - deep wilderness:
Astrakhus - 1 year
Raitaru, Atanor - 1 month
Azbel, Fortizar, Tatara - 2 months
5) Lowsec - deep wilderness:
Astrakhus - 1 month
Raitaru, Atanor - 7 days
Fortizar, Azbel, Tatara - 1 day
Keepstar and Sotiyo - 1 day
6) Wormhole C1:
Astrakhus - 6 months
Raitaru, Atanor - 2 months
Fortizar, Azbel, Tatara - no data
Keepstar, Sotiyo - no data
Now, in addition to the cost of the structure, we also have a visual representation of its lifespan. For further comparison of results, you will need preparatory material:
Activity
"The third structure of the corp was Astrahus in Wormhole C1. It stood for one year, was cut out by a multiboxer on Eos and Nestors, 20-30 windows, no chance."
All types of activities in Eve are divided into three types, like the structures listed above, you either:
Extractor - extraction of resources, raw materials, PVE farm, materials for construction. Ore processing. Athanor, Tatara - extraction and processing of ice, ore, etc.
Builder - production of products from resources obtained by the extractor. Raitaru, Azbel, Sotiyo for construction.
Trader - purchase of products, resources cheaper and sale at a higher price. Astrakhus, Fortizar, Keepstar. This is not only trade but also safe logistics, for example, jump trucks. Conditionally.
All other activities, this can be said to be an addition to the three main ones above. The interesting thing is that the extractor can live on astrahus. For example, the same wormhole, he just farms and spends the night in the citka. And the merchant can use azbel, because there is a trading module enabled there, etc.
The ratio
"Athanor was the fourth corporate station, on it they mining the moon every week at 0.5 for several months until it was demolished by local lowsec pirates."
Let's compare the prices of structures to their life cycle:
1) Capitals of lowsec collectives. Unsuccessful, opened wormhole:
2-250kkk - 1 day = 2-250kkk
2) Highsec - 1 jump from Jita:
2-20kkk - 7 days = 300kk-3kkk
3) Highsec - 1 jump from Amarr, Rens, Hek, Dodixie:
2-20kkk - 30 days = 70kk-700kk
4) Highsec - deep wilderness:
Astrahus 3kkk - 365 days = 80kk. Raitaru, Athanor 2kkk - 30 days = 70kk
Fortizar, Azbel, Tatara 10-20kkk - 60 days = 200-300kk
5) Lowsec - deep wilderness:
3kkk Astrakhus - 30 days = 100kk
2kkk Raitaru, Athanor - 7 days = 300kk
10-20kkk Fortizar, Azbel, Tatara - 1 day = 10-20kkk
40kkk-250kkk Keepstar and Sotiyo - 1 day = 40-250kkk
6) Wormhole C1:
3kkk Astrakhus - 180 days = 16kk
2kk Raitaru, Athanor - 60 days = 35kk
Conclusion
Having compared prices and relative lifetimes, we have received a minimum turnover per day from construction and trade, or profit from PVE extract classes, if the structure was installed for the convenience of farming. If the citadel was installed to get fun and fights, then it will be possible to clearly see how much of the opponent's ships need to be killed per day and how much time it takes for the costs of such fun to be justified.
Thus, you can tank not only with a defense fleet or a 3-am timer, but also with turnover from the installed structure. Pay off the citadel faster than the pirates will destroy it. Install a new one and live on the difference.
Fuel
"The fifth citadel was again an astrahus in C1, stood for 30 days and was demolished by a solo guy in three windows, two marauders and a hauler with cap batteries. Which was then demolished by random guys, in his C1 dreadnought phoenix and fortizar, 2 months after the astrahus was washed away."
It is important to mention that the calculations were made without a monthly fee for modules operating on the citadel. They can be added to the cost. Like taking the cost of the citadel per day and adding fuel costs. You get a clear minimum turnover, an indicator of when you can put the structure.
Pandemic-Goons war 2025
With the sudden attack of the Goons on the Pandemics in June, the turnover in trade and production increased greatly. In 10 days, the turnover reached the monthly norm, and then returned to the normal summer minimum. It would have been possible to make x2 profit if there was a greater depth of orders, manufacturing lines, production capacities, or a buffer in the storage of finished items / raw materials.
Interesting conclusion, those who produce / supply weapons for it love war the most, they will support it in every possible way so that it does not end. And the question of workers from a military factory in real life "When will we be able to earn so much money?" sad, but current reality.
An unbreakable wall?
Written based on a video where the author shares his experience of building in the game. In short, he farmed ISK for a month to buy a sotiyo, put it in lowsec and build motherships and Titans on it. The idea is basically good for a newbie in the game.
He paid some guys to guard him during the installation of the citadel, but they never showed up, taking the money. And when he was taking the core and blueprints to sotiyo in a truck, he was killed by low-sec pirates, who demanded several billion so that they wouldn't blow up sotiyo. But he didn't have any isks at all because he spent everything he had. And they blew up his structure, and the guy left the game for a year.
This is a standard trap, which teams that play for 10-20 years, catch newbies and new corporations, not allowing them to develop. That you invest all your ISK in one thing, they drain it from you, you leave the game. Be it a vexor for expeditions in low, an multispectrum with 4/10 inside a gila in Uedama blown up by gankers, or a phoenix navi dreadnought on the 5th agent, dropped by a dozen dreadnoughts.
The author of the video came to the conclusion that 10-20 year old corporations are sitting on resources and do not allow new teams to develop. Since they are deeply entrenched in space, they have concreted everything. This is a kind of impenetrable wall, and here the choice is you either join these teams as a pilot or a corporation (you become "part of history" or "a legend" :), they absorb you, or they simply do not allow you to develop. Moreover, in any space. It's good that everything has a beginning and an end o7
And as in evolution, it is usually not the strongest species that survives during changes, but the one with a mutation capable of resisting new conditions. The remaining species are simply discarded by nature and die. And the mutated species continues to develop in the new world. \0/
The developer of the ISKPerHour construction app wrote today that he will no longer support the project and will close the Discord after 18 years of operation:
How and where to place the structure?
I decided to write a mini-guide; maybe it will be useful for someone on how to best protect themselves in the high sector from pirate alts that are cutting down everything.
Three levels of protection:
1) Timer for 3 am
Citadels in the region are mostly hacked by those living in low-sec zones on alts. You can see which corporations reside there and what time they play. For example, in Gallentia, piracy is primarily in the Chinese and European time zones, so we confidently set the timer for 2-3 nights, so they at least have to stay awake to hack your raitara.
2) Closed access
The second level of protection after the timer is to not make the citadel public. Open it only to alts and perhaps a corporation at most. If the citadel is public, you immediately enter the timer, as wankers will quickly find you, and the first thing they'll do is dump any item into the station's hangar:
An openly accessible structure will also be visible to everyone in the galaxy, according to the system's information. Pirates won't even have to fly through systems to search. Once a structure is secured, a pirate scout will automatically be given a precise time when it's running low on fuel or about to be unmoored, allowing them to fly in as an alt and snatch the structure and its core for themselves. True story, by the way. There are a lot of risks if the quote is openly accessible, in short.
3) Distance from the gate
The third level of protection is to never place structures near gates, NPC stations, in the sun, or within the maximum scanning range of these objects.
This is done so that station wankers in high-altitude environments will have to not only fly through systems, because your Astrakhus doesn't show up in regional info, but also rewarp to objects in each system to see subscans.
Flying around one region takes about 100 jumps, and if it's a region with a primary trade hub, it's 200 jumps because there are more systems there. That works out to about 2-4 hours in warp time to clear out scout stations. If you're not on a nut scan, multiply the time by 2-3, which comes out to 4-12 hours just to find an Athanor and clear it out for 700kk at 3 AM on Tuesday when everyone's asleep.
4) Bonus: No office
Before Astrakhus cut down the wanker on a pack of Eos and Nestors in Wormhole C1, we transferred people to the VH according to this scheme:
- 30 days in the corp - connection to a closed in-chat
- Interesting/Not Interesting - Disconnecting from in-chat or connecting to in-books.
So one day, a guy showed up at the corp and said, "Move me to the VX. I know from the offices that the corp has a citadel in the VX." Obviously, no one did it. So, if possible, avoid putting the main corp's offices in the structure.
5) Bonus. Counter-terrorist win
With the new freelance project mechanics, you can create projects to destroy all types of ships that have disrupted your structures or ganking your corporation:
You invest 5 billion ISK, and the pirates get 10 billion worth of kills. It's better than paying them. Space is cleaner, etc.
Why do pirates destroy structures?
The main motive isn't 600kk+ cores, but rather, since they're doing this from the altcoins of neutral entities living in low-tiers, they're cutting down the cythes in high-tiers so you don't grow to their size and have the opportunity to destroy the pirates. This is the main reason to prevent them from having competition.
By the way, the article above is preparatory material for the topic:
Why Blocks Are Needed in the Game
This can be proven based on a motif from the programming book "Expressive JavaScript":
In one of the chapters, the author describes the motive that he created an eco-system in the game, like:
Trees <- Herbivores <- Predators
To regulate the game world. More herbivores means farming, no trees, everyone will farm, too many predators means no PvP players, and then the predators will eat each other, which also doesn't work. Blocks in this chain transferring to EVE:
Resources <- Farmable PvPers <- Pirates or "Neutral Entities" <- Blocks
There should be a nuclear weapon in the game that ends the life of any neutral entity. This explains why pirates hate blocks so much, and without them, it will be a nightmare for farming at x10: suicide, machine gunning, racketeering, endless roams, camps on every nut, etc.
I was just too lazy to write everything out in a separate article.