Missions and Agent Types

by Darren "The General" Lee and Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle

Before an agent will speak with you, you must meet their individual standing requirements. As you progress, more agents of differing quality (the higher the quality, the better the rewards and the tougher the mission) will become available. Level 1 agents provide level 1 missions (duh) which can generally be completed with a well-equipped frigate. Level 2 missions require a destroyer or cruiser, Level 3 missions require a battle cruiser, assault frigate, or battleship, and Level 4 missions cannot be soloed (except by the most advanced player... the one that's too busy ganking me in low sec space to do missions).

There's four basic mission types in EVE Online.

Kill missions require you to fly somewhere and blow up something (or somethings). These missions may or may not require a trip to a deadspace instance, so you may run into limits on what ship you can bring to the fight (consult the deadspace complex guide for details -- remember, no MicroWarpDrives (MWDs) in deadspace, afterburners only!). Build up a good standing with Command, Internal Security, Security, and Surveillance agents if you prefer carnage to travel.

Taking a courier mission means you'll be transporting goods from point A to point B. It's important to note that either point A or B may be the agent's home station, or neither. Make sure that you research the routes you need to take to complete the mission before you accept, as these missions kill more newbies in <0.5 space than any other type of mission. If you've got speed, stealth, and cargo space, go for it. Manufacturing, Marketing, Production, and Storage agents give you the best chance of lining up a courier mission.

Mining missions require you to purchase minerals (or refine ore to attain minerals) and bring those minerals to the agent. Trade missions are very similar to mining missions, but in lieu of minerals you'll need to procure some sort of item for the agent. Note that you'll usually come out ahead on profit from these missions (if you choose to buy for the mining missions, that is), but not always. They're usually pretty simple (depending on availability of the materials in your present system) and usually worth it (even at a slight loss) for the quick standing gain. Check out Astrosurveying and R&D agents for your best shot at these types of missions.

In table format, here's the type of agent and the percentage chance that you'll get each type of mission:

**Note: R&D agents offer no loyalty points for completed missions, just "research hours" which increase your standing in the draw for research results.