I built an alt that's geared towards combat (my main is a miner), but I'm having trouble turning a profit running missions.
I can do level 2 for the Caldari Navy, but they payout isn't so huge, and repair costs tend to drive my bills to the point where I actually lose money with each mission I run, not gain it.
I carry my own armor rep, and that helps with the repair costs, these missions (plus the bounties) don't pay enough right now to warrant doing.
Any advice on how I can turn a profit so I don't have to get rid of this build?
Best Answer
Low-level missions are not very lucrative, but you still shouldn't make a loss on them if you are doing them properly. Level 3 missions should earn you okay money, but to make a reasonable amount of money for your time you need to fly level 4 missions.
If you fly a shield-tanked ship (I assume you're still flying a Caracal), you shouldn't let yourself get shot into armor. Just warp out and dock at a station to fill up your shields quickly again. Your only cost should be your ammunition. Some missions are harder, and you'll have some difficulties in the beginning when you're still learning, but if you have that much trouble in most missions you're doing something wrong.
You should learn about fitting your ship properly, making mistakes there can make a huge difference. Your skills also matter quite a bit in the beginning, even with only one or two weeks more worth of skills it'll get a lot easier. Make sure to have your main ship skill and your weapon skill at 4, basic shield skills and weapon skills at 3-4. Read mission reports on EVE survival to learn the triggers of the missions, that will help you to avoid aggroing too many enemies at once.
I'm keeping this a bit vague as there are whole guides written about these topics. I'd recommend to just read up on the basics of EVE combat and the missions should get far easier quickly. And don't mind losing money on the level 2 missions, train up for a Drake and try out the level 3 missions once you have the necessary skills.