EVE Online has this weird superpower: you can log in with a rusty frigate and no clue what “transversal” means… and still end up building a living. And do so fairly quickly.
Not a questline living. Not a “the game hands you gold for showing up” living (though there's a bit of that of course).
But a real one.
New Eden is one of the only game worlds where “making money” isn’t a side activity. It’s a whole ecosystem. You can be a scavenger, a prospector, a courier, a trader, an industrialist, a pirate, a soldier-for-hire… and the economy actually has room for all of it because other players create the demand (and the chaos).
Crazy, eh? I know!
That’s the hook for this series. I’m putting together a practical, blueprint-style set of posts that maps out the major ways capsuleers make ISK—from the stuff you can start doing today, to the systems that feel like you accidentally enrolled in an MBA program run by space criminals.
No fluff. No “top 10 secrets.” No pretending there’s one “best” way.
Just a ladder you can climb.
The premise
There are two versions of EVE wealth:
- ISK you earn
- ISK you keep
A lot of pilots fixate on the first one and ignore the second… right up until they “upgrade” into a ship they can’t replace and discover a new hobby called gnashing of teeth.
So this series is built around a simple rule:
Make more than you lose — consistently — and stack systems as you go.
If you do that, your income doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be repeatable.
One more thing, because it matters: I’m writing this series as much for you as for myself. I want to share practical paths that help other capsuleers build their own economy… but I also want to shine a light on just how ridiculous (and brilliant) EVE’s sandbox really is. And if I’m being honest, part of this is me rebuilding my own mental map of New Eden’s money-making systems—figuring out what still works, what’s changed, and what's possible today in New Eden.
A lot of these ISK-generating career paths are completely new to me. So a lot of research and watching ISK-making videos, listening to podcasts (The OZ Report comes to mind), or digging up Reddit.com/r/eve, will go into making this series.
The series structure
This is a four-part experience ladder. Each post stands on its own, but together they show you how to go from “I need ISK” to “I have an economy.”
1) Starter ISK
How to stop being broke (without needing a miracle or a blingy ship)
We’ll cover the early engines that get you moving fast and teach survival habits while you earn:
- exploration and event sites
- high-sec mining
- missions + salvage
- basic hauling (smart contracts, not faceplanting into scams)
2) Intermediate ISK
Your first real income engines (repeatable, scalable, and not soul-crushing)
- market trading basics (spreads, volume, patience)
- faction warfare and LP cash-outs
- ratting + escalations
- gas huffing
- event farming when the timing is right
- “light” industry
- burners, datacores, and LP arbitrage as actual strategies
3) Advanced ISK
Stacking income streams like a grown-up capsuleer (timers, logistics, bigger bets)
This is the “EVE becomes an RTS” tier:
- PI at scale
- deeper industry (T2 invention, reactions, production chains)
- incursions
- higher-tier Abyss
- wormhole PvE
- null-sec operations with intel + logistics
- blueprint research/copying + BPC selling
- abyssal module rolling as a business
4) Expert ISK
Where the big money is… and why it’s political
This is the endgame economy: reputation, coordination, and consequences.
- mercenary work (paid PvP, timers, intel)
- structure and moon operations
- large-scale hauling/logistics networks
This is where “ISK-making” stops being a solo activity and starts being tied to people, power, and planning.
What I’m not doing here
I’m not going to pretend there’s a single “best” activity. Cause that stupidity bordering on heresy!
Some people love the calm, steady churn of market trading. Some want the adrenaline of low-sec. Some want passive systems ticking in the background while they do other things. And some folks are happiest when their income involves another human being having a very bad day. Yarr!
All are valid. All are EVE.
The point is to help you choose intelligently, based on:
- your risk tolerance
- your patience level
- how social you want to be
- and how much complexity you actually enjoy
What you can expect from each post
Each entry in the series will be written like a playbook:
- what the activity is (in plain language)
- what you need to start
- the “don’t be your own worst enemy” mistakes
- and the “graduation checklist” that tells you when you’re ready for the next tier
Because that’s the real value here: not just ways to make ISK, but a path to becoming the kind of capsuleer who can keep it.
If you’ve ever looked at New Eden’s economy and thought, “This game is ridiculous… I love it,” you’re in the right place.
Next up: Starter ISK — how to stop being broke.
Give me a week or two and I'll have that one ready for you.
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