In late 2024 I decided I wanted to try renting a system from Pandemic Horde, so I entered a lotto and eventually my name was drawn. Renting a system as a single player is a LOT of work which is why even though it SEEMS appealing, I would not recommend it to anyone. I know there’s a lot of “renting is EVIL” out there, but that’s not what this post is about.
I had 8 structures in my system. Most were for moon mining, and I reduced the structures down to 5. Each structure needs to be fueled, and you need a surplus of fuel because there’s all sorts of rules about not letting your structures go into maintenance mode which tends to draw the enemies, something you want to avoid.
It was right around the time that mercenary dens were being released, which added another layer of chores to anyone renting because you also had to take care of them – plus there were skyhooks, and all that fun no one asked for. I got to figure out power and workforce and how to add PVE encounters and ore to a system using the resources that particular system had. It was a huge pain in the ass (but also thrilling for anyone who enjoys spreadsheets).
As a renter you’re also required to keep your ADM above a certain level, and while it’s not impossible as a single player, it does require multiboxing and spending a lot of time on it, depending.
My system was set up for industry and mining (both moon and ore) with a little bit of combat tossed in there. I really enjoyed it, but it was just too much for me as a single character (even with 3 accounts) to make proper use of. After only one month, I decided renting simply wasn’t going to be the path I wanted to take, and I returned to my regular scheduled program.
What this did prepare me for is how structures work, anchoring, un-anchoring, the cost, and how an industry process would look. What sorts of industry I enjoyed working with. This all helps me with my other accounts who are living in a wormhole especially since I was contemplating setting up a structure (I’ve since changed my mind, and continue to use the plentiful Wormlife Freeports available). I also made a lot of ISK from it, more than enough to cover the rental and then extra for whatever I needed at the time. When I gave the system up, I wasn’t out any ISK, which is always nice.
I can at least consider it a learning experience. I got to do a bunch of stuff in EVE that I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. Plus, it was pretty awesome to be the owner of structures and set them all up the way I wanted with the boosts and buffs I planned.
As always, happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!
A Pixel Nomad 