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= How to Set Up Your First PI Planet =
Setting up your first Planetary Industry (PI) planet in EVE Online can feel overwhelming at first, but the system becomes very straightforward once you understand the workflow. Your first planet should not aim for perfection or advanced production chains. Instead, it should focus on one goal: '''turning raw planetary resources (P0) into a simple, reliable income stream'''.

This guide walks you through a clean, beginner-friendly setup that avoids unnecessary complexity while still giving you a strong foundation for scaling into more advanced PI later.
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= Before You Start: What You Need =
Before setting up your planet, make sure you have:

== 1. Planetary Industry Skills ==
At minimum:

* Command Center Upgrades I–III
* Interplanetary Consolidation I–III
* Remote Sensing (optional but helpful)

You can start PI with very low skills, but higher levels give more power and flexibility.
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== 2. A Suitable Planet ==
Open the '''Planetary Industry interface''' and look for:

* High resource concentration (bright “hotspots” on scan)
* Low competition systems (less important in NPC space)
* Easy access to trade hubs or your corporation’s space

For beginners, good starting planet types include:

* '''Barren planets''' (simple and stable)
* '''Temperate planets''' (balanced resources)
* '''Oceanic planets''' (easy P1 chains like Water / Proteins)

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== 3. A Clear Goal ==
Your first planet should be one of these:

* P0 → P1 extraction planet (recommended)
* Simple factory planet (later stage)
* Hybrid setup (not recommended for beginners)

Most new players should start with '''P0 to P1 extraction''' only.
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= Step 1 – Open the Planetary Industry Interface =

* Right-click your character portrait
* Select '''Planetary Industry'''
* Choose your planet from the list

You will now see a full planetary surface view with resource heatmaps.
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= Step 2 – Survey the Planet =
Click '''Scan / Survey Mode'''.

You will see resource distribution maps showing where P0 materials are concentrated.

=== What you are looking for: ===

* Bright, dense hotspots (highest yield)
* Multiple overlapping resource areas if possible
* A location that is easy to place extractors on

Tip: Don’t place extractors randomly. The hotspot matters more than anything else.
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= Step 3 – Place Your Command Center =
Your Command Center is the base of your colony.

== How to place it: ==

* Click '''Build'''
* Select '''Command Center'''
* Place it anywhere on the planet (location does NOT matter much)

Important:

* It does not need to be near your extractors
* It only provides power/CPU limits

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= Step 4 – Place Your Extractor Control Unit (ECU) =
The ECU is your main income generator.

== How to set it up: ==

* Click '''Build'''
* Select '''Extractor Control Unit'''
* Place it on or near a strong resource hotspot

Then:

* Open the ECU
* Select '''Install Program'''
* Choose your resource type (e.g. Aqueous Liquids, Noble Metals)

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== Set Your Extraction Cycle ==
You must choose program length:

* 1–2 days = high efficiency (active players)
* 3–5 days = balanced
* 7–14 days = low maintenance (beginners)

For your first planet:<blockquote>Use 3–5 day cycles for balance</blockquote>
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== Place Extraction Heads ==

* Move extractor heads over the densest part of the hotspot
* Spread them slightly to maximise coverage

More overlap = more yield.
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= Step 5 – Place a Storage or Launchpad =
You need somewhere to store materials.

You have two options:

== Option A – Launchpad (Recommended) ==

* Acts as storage + import/export hub
* Simplifies logistics
* Best for beginners

== Option B – Storage Facility ==

* Pure storage only
* Requires separate launch structure later

For your first planet:<blockquote>Always use a Launchpad</blockquote>
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= Step 6 – Build a Basic Industry Facility =
This is where P0 becomes P1.

== Example setup: ==
If you are extracting Aqueous Liquids:

* P0: Aqueous Liquids
* P1: Water or Ionic Solutions (depending on chain)

== How to place: ==

* Click '''Build'''
* Select '''Basic Industry Facility'''
* Place near your Launchpad

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= Step 7 – Create Links Between Structures =
Now you must connect everything.

== Required links: ==

* ECU → Launchpad
* Launchpad → Industry Facility
* Industry Facility → Launchpad

== Tips: ==

* Keep links as short as possible
* Longer links = more CPU/power usage
* Avoid unnecessary complexity early on

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= Step 8 – Set Up Routes =
Routes define how materials move.

== You need to configure: ==

=== 1. ECU Output ===

* Route P0 materials → Launchpad

=== 2. Launchpad Input ===

* Accept P0 materials

=== 3. Industry Facility Input ===

* Pull P0 from Launchpad

=== 4. Industry Output ===

* Send P1 products → Launchpad

----Once set, your planet becomes fully automated.
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= Step 9 – Start Your Extraction Program =
Go back to your ECU and press:

* '''Submit Program'''

Your planet is now active.

It will:

* Extract resources automatically
* Process them into P1
* Store them in your Launchpad

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= Step 10 – Export Your Products =
Every few days:

* Open Launchpad
* Select products
* Click '''Export'''

You can:

* Haul them to market
* Sell directly
* Move them into higher-tier production chains

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= What Your First PI Planet Should Look Like =
A simple beginner setup:

* 1 × Command Center
* 1 × Extractor Control Unit
* 1 × Launchpad
* 1 × Basic Industry Facility

That’s it.

No complexity. No multi-tier chains. No overbuilding.
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= Common Beginner Mistakes =

== Overbuilding too early ==
New players often try to build P3/P4 setups immediately. This reduces efficiency and causes confusion.
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== Poor extractor placement ==
If you are not on a hotspot, your income will be weak.
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== Long extractor cycles without checking ==
14-day cycles are convenient but inefficient for beginners.
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== Forgetting routing ==
If you don’t set routes correctly, nothing moves.
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== No export plan ==
PI is useless if materials stay stuck on the planet.
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= How Much Can Your First Planet Make? =
A basic P0 → P1 planet typically generates:

* Low skill: modest passive income
* Medium skill: steady daily ISK
* Optimised planet: strong early passive income stream

PI income scales heavily with:

* Number of planets
* Skill level
* Resource quality
* Attention to extractor efficiency

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= When to Upgrade Your Setup =
Once you are comfortable, you can:

== Upgrade 1 – Add More Planets ==
Interplanetary Consolidation increases total income dramatically.

== Upgrade 2 – Specialise Planets ==
One resource per planet = better efficiency.

== Upgrade 3 – Move Into P2 Production ==
Combine multiple P1 inputs into higher value goods.

== Upgrade 4 – Build Factory Worlds ==
Import materials and produce advanced commodities.
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= Final Summary =
Your first Planetary Industry planet should be simple, stable, and focused entirely on learning the system. A basic P0-to-P1 extraction setup teaches you how to scan resources, place extractors, manage routes, and export goods without overwhelming you with complexity.

Once you understand this foundation, PI becomes one of the most powerful passive income systems in EVE Online. From a single well-set-up planet, you can expand into multi-planet production chains that support fuel production, advanced manufacturing, and large-scale industrial operations.

Master the basics first, scale second—PI rewards efficiency, not complexity.