Last Updated on 2024-02-09 by Kshal Aideron
The Explorer Career Agent Missions (are supposed to) teach new pilots the basics of exploration in New Eden. However, the 5 mission story arc does a really horrible job of it. The fact is, most pilots will either give up at this point or will have to google how to probe.
It’s our hope here at Eve Rookies that we can take some of the pain out of this particular set of missions and get you moving on.
Explorer Career Mission Overview
You can start this series of missions out in a corvette, one of the frigates that you got in an Enforcer mission, or even the Venture.
Unlike the other 4 career agent missions, Explorer only has 5 missions in its story arc.
You will earn roughly 1.1 million ISK depending on skills.
Note: when you earn isk, the starter corp you’re in will take a portion for taxes. So if You don’t receive the exact amount that the reward states, this is why.
Cosmic Anomalies 1
| Isk Earned | Non Isk Rewards | Items Granted | Mission Objectives | Notes |
| Reward: 112,000 – 123,000 Bonus: 103,000 – 112,000 | N/A | N/A | Get the Proof of Discovery from a Cosmic Anomaly | There is nothing to “probe” or “scan” down in this mission. Some combat anomalies will automatically show up on your Probe Scanner Window. |
In the 1st explorer mission, you will need to open your Probe Scanner Window.
Click on the “radar” looking icon to open an icon sub menu. You will want to click on the icon that looks like a flower.
Once your Probe Scanner Window you’re going to look for an “Anomaly Training Site” which is a combat site. Right click on it and warp to 0. You’ll see a training container in your overview that you can burn over to and loot the Proof of Discovery.
Cosmic Anomalies 2
In Cosmic Anomalies 2 you will be granted a exploration frigate. While you can finish out the career mission arc in a venture or a combat frigate, the exploration frigates have bonuses to scanner probe strength and data/relic analyzer virus strength.
You’ll be going through several pockets to learn about the different types of things that you can come across in your explorations. It’s important to remember in the 1st room to pick up your exploration equipment!
| Isk Earned | Non Isk Rewards | Items Granted | Mission Objectives | Notes |
| Reward: 104,000 – 142,000 Bonus: 118,000 – 131,000 | Logi frigate based on faction. Amarr – Tormentor Caldari – Bantam Gallente- Navitas Minmatar- Burst | In 2nd pocket, you will find a container with the following: – Probe launcher – Core scanner probes – Civilian data analyzer – Civilian relic analyzer | Go through each pocket and read about the different type of exploration. | DO NOT forget to pick up the exploration equipment! |
Cosmic Anomalies 3
The 3rd explorer career mission is usually the one that new players will rage quit on. In mission 2 you’re given a probe launcher and some probes and now you’re expected to magically know how to use it. CCPlease… this is just horrible mission writing.
Beneath the mission information I’ve left a video explaining how to probe an anomaly in under 5 minutes. Use this for Cosmic Anomalies 3 and 4.
| Isk Earned | Non Isk Rewards | Items Granted | Mission Objectives | Notes |
| Reward: 136,000 Bonus: 98,000 | N/A | N/A | Scan and hack a data site to get the Proof of Discovery. | Make sure you fit the probe launcher, probes and analyzers from the last mission |
Cosmic Anomalies 4
This is almost a repeat of Cosmic Anomalies 3. Instead of scanning down a data site, you’re now looking for a relic site to scan and warp to.
| Isk Earned | Non Isk Rewards | Items Granted | Mission Objectives | Notes |
| Reward: 122,000 – 142,000 Bonus: 104,000 – 112,000 | N/A | N/A | Scan and hack a relic site to get the Proof of Discovery. | This is like mission #3 but you’re scanning for a relic site instead. |
Cosmic Anomalies 5
In the final mission of the Cosmic Anomalies story arc, you will visit a gas site. Before undocking, make certain you’ve put the gas passkey into your ship cargo hold. If you forget, you will need to fly back and get it.
A Few Words on Gas Sites
Gas cloud harvesting is an activity that overlaps exploration and mining. The gas clouds are all found in cosmic signatures and need to be scanned down. Then in order to harvest the gas in the cloud, a pilot needs the Gas Cloud Harvesting 1, Mining 4, and the Mining Frigate skills.
In addition to either a Venture or Prospect, the ship will need to be fit with a Gas Cloud Scoop.
| Isk Earned | Non Isk Rewards | Items Granted | Mission Objectives | Notes |
| Reward: 0 Bonus: 107,000 – 117,000 | Frigate of your faction type. | Gas Passkey | Find a gas site and fly to it to retrieve a Proof of Discovery | Make sure you have the gas passkey in your ship hold. |
On mission 2 you get exploration frigate nor logi frigate. There is error in the rewards table.
Logi frigate is rewarded after mission 5
Whoops, I think you caught a copy/paste error. I’ll get it updated! Many thanks – Kshal