I'll be taking another month away from New Eden, though not through being burnt out or tired of the game itself. It'll be perhaps the best Christmas I could envision and I plan to make the most of every second of it. Unfortunately, Eve doesn't quite factor into this concept.
I leave you with the last song affixed for this year most likely, as my blog will be gathering the cobwebs until January rears it's dreaded face and stares at the world.
Nice, live, harps and pretty vocals. Fly safe.
Merry Christmas everybody, may you find happiness during the festive season for there is plenty to be had!
P.S. Miura, I will be contacting you about your commission soon (within a week) with a finalized draft! I'm hoping you like it.
Friday, 10 December 2010
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Blood Bank
Oh Imperial Navy Slicer, aren't you so wonderful!
After the aforementioned isk injection mentioned in my previous post, I took it upon myself to at least stock my hangar a little... Fortunately I had a second Firetail hull, the one won from the painting contest sat in Jita. I decided it would be best to own 1 Firetail and 1 Slicer, rather than 2 Firetails and thus threw the 2nd up on the contracts market at a slightly higher price than the Slicer I purchased!
With all the necessary modules already sat in the hangar from times long ago, I was able to quickly fit it up to specification and get out there. What I ended up with was nothing short of magical...
After some uneventful flying around Verge Vendor I was parked firmly in Ladistier chatting away to my fleet member Taek'li about various things. My spirits couldn't have been higher as it had been snowing in the UK and I hadn't long been back at the helm after some epic snowball fights, with that under my belt I was ready to take on death itself!
Instead a Dramiel decided to try it's luck, rather I should say, he was being a fool and cycling through belts. I awaited him with a warm welcome and opened fire on his vessel. I had a faint idea of his fit based upon his speed and killboard record, the intelligence I gathered didn't disappoint and I soon realize I was fighting a Dual-MSE Dramiel. Whilst that benefited me in some regards due to a lower speed and turret DPS, the extra tank only gave more time for a potential error on my behalf as the fight went on.
Did I mention there was a boat load of asteroids? Trying my best to keep range on a ship who's afterburner alone was allowing him to clip at my heels was bad enough, let alone with drones swarming me and having to manually dodge the roids. After some tense 13km moments and my tank beginning to strain under sustained drone and turret fire... He gave up the ghost.
Glorious! My first solo Dramiel kill to date, even filled with a nice little bit of faction loot to boot. But wait, the pod's lockable! POINT. I quickly began to ransom the fellow, first attempting to gain liquid isk (which he allegedly had none of) and secondly trying to get a ship contracted to me after he foolishly divulged that he was sporting +4 implants. He was proving difficult but I wanted to try and get a Dramiel contracted to me so I persisted. What I hadn't realized was that during the engagement we'd burned 120km off the belt and there was his warpable wreck right next to me. At the same point, a Brutix landed at 0km to the belt, spotting me and my hostage. He began burning away to put himself 150km away from the wreck and I called in Taek'li to go kill him for me!
After some tense moments I told Taek to warp to me as the Brutix had now reached the 140km marker, 'Already in warp to the belt at 30km' he told me. Panicking I targeted the now looted Dramiel wreck and popped it just in time, destroying the warp-in just as the Brutix hit 150km from me. I began burning to over 150km from Taek and popped my prisoner for his lack of cooperation.
Unfortunately his warp in had coincided poorly with the burn path of the Brutix and Taek was scrammed and webbed by the time I'd concreted my place on the field. We took him to low armour but Taek's shield cane could not hold and he was destroyed...
Determined to revenge my corpie I proceeded to work on his remaining tank whilst still avoiding asteroids and drones, fully aware of his scram/web combination. Here, however, is the kicker to this story. The Brutix was sporting a flight of Hammerhead II's, inadequate at hurting me and occupying his full drone bay. What I hadn't bargained on, however, was for him to utilize the Hornet EC-300's left scattered on the field by Taek during his attempt at an escape against me!
I believe my reaction was 'Wait... what the?' As I locked up the drones and worked as fast as I could. With only 1 drone left it hero-jammed me and the Brutix fled the scene in structure. We exchanged the 'gf' and had a short, pleasant chat. He even asked if he could collect his old drones, I of course obliged after seeing that awesome display of ingénue!
I zipped back to Hevrice to deposit the Dramiel loot and in doing so, got better acquainted with new corp members Pippin Slimjim and Tansyaster. Together we brought down a Myrm and I logged off with a smile on my face.
It's absolutely great to see those superb use of game mechanics to pull the impossible out of the bag. Part of me is sore over losing the kill in vengeance for my fellow corpie, yet the other part applauds the Brutix pilot for exercising his right to be tricksy! Another one escapes the blood bank...
After the aforementioned isk injection mentioned in my previous post, I took it upon myself to at least stock my hangar a little... Fortunately I had a second Firetail hull, the one won from the painting contest sat in Jita. I decided it would be best to own 1 Firetail and 1 Slicer, rather than 2 Firetails and thus threw the 2nd up on the contracts market at a slightly higher price than the Slicer I purchased!
With all the necessary modules already sat in the hangar from times long ago, I was able to quickly fit it up to specification and get out there. What I ended up with was nothing short of magical...
After some uneventful flying around Verge Vendor I was parked firmly in Ladistier chatting away to my fleet member Taek'li about various things. My spirits couldn't have been higher as it had been snowing in the UK and I hadn't long been back at the helm after some epic snowball fights, with that under my belt I was ready to take on death itself!
Instead a Dramiel decided to try it's luck, rather I should say, he was being a fool and cycling through belts. I awaited him with a warm welcome and opened fire on his vessel. I had a faint idea of his fit based upon his speed and killboard record, the intelligence I gathered didn't disappoint and I soon realize I was fighting a Dual-MSE Dramiel. Whilst that benefited me in some regards due to a lower speed and turret DPS, the extra tank only gave more time for a potential error on my behalf as the fight went on.
Did I mention there was a boat load of asteroids? Trying my best to keep range on a ship who's afterburner alone was allowing him to clip at my heels was bad enough, let alone with drones swarming me and having to manually dodge the roids. After some tense 13km moments and my tank beginning to strain under sustained drone and turret fire... He gave up the ghost.
Glorious! My first solo Dramiel kill to date, even filled with a nice little bit of faction loot to boot. But wait, the pod's lockable! POINT. I quickly began to ransom the fellow, first attempting to gain liquid isk (which he allegedly had none of) and secondly trying to get a ship contracted to me after he foolishly divulged that he was sporting +4 implants. He was proving difficult but I wanted to try and get a Dramiel contracted to me so I persisted. What I hadn't realized was that during the engagement we'd burned 120km off the belt and there was his warpable wreck right next to me. At the same point, a Brutix landed at 0km to the belt, spotting me and my hostage. He began burning away to put himself 150km away from the wreck and I called in Taek'li to go kill him for me!
After some tense moments I told Taek to warp to me as the Brutix had now reached the 140km marker, 'Already in warp to the belt at 30km' he told me. Panicking I targeted the now looted Dramiel wreck and popped it just in time, destroying the warp-in just as the Brutix hit 150km from me. I began burning to over 150km from Taek and popped my prisoner for his lack of cooperation.
Unfortunately his warp in had coincided poorly with the burn path of the Brutix and Taek was scrammed and webbed by the time I'd concreted my place on the field. We took him to low armour but Taek's shield cane could not hold and he was destroyed...
Determined to revenge my corpie I proceeded to work on his remaining tank whilst still avoiding asteroids and drones, fully aware of his scram/web combination. Here, however, is the kicker to this story. The Brutix was sporting a flight of Hammerhead II's, inadequate at hurting me and occupying his full drone bay. What I hadn't bargained on, however, was for him to utilize the Hornet EC-300's left scattered on the field by Taek during his attempt at an escape against me!
I believe my reaction was 'Wait... what the?' As I locked up the drones and worked as fast as I could. With only 1 drone left it hero-jammed me and the Brutix fled the scene in structure. We exchanged the 'gf' and had a short, pleasant chat. He even asked if he could collect his old drones, I of course obliged after seeing that awesome display of ingénue!
I zipped back to Hevrice to deposit the Dramiel loot and in doing so, got better acquainted with new corp members Pippin Slimjim and Tansyaster. Together we brought down a Myrm and I logged off with a smile on my face.
It's absolutely great to see those superb use of game mechanics to pull the impossible out of the bag. Part of me is sore over losing the kill in vengeance for my fellow corpie, yet the other part applauds the Brutix pilot for exercising his right to be tricksy! Another one escapes the blood bank...
Friday, 26 November 2010
Blue
Things have begun to look up in the world of Kishin Hattori! I was given a rather kind donation by a reader of my blog who admittedly did not want personal acknowledgement, my current wallet is looking a bit less blue.
With that I've decided to scale back on what I've been flying a little. Yes, that does mean no faction Dramiels for quite some time yet. It'll be tough but I shall have to survive...
The sad spell is over and I've begun picking my killboard up off the floor and dusting it down, injecting at least a kill a day of semi-decent quality. The ship I am enjoying most right now is the Taranis, so expect to see me zipping about in one.
Oh and I entered a paint competition for my corporation and came second... I won a firetail! Here's the submission;
Here, as always, is the complementary song with which I shall divulge unto you all, with a little bit of documentary thrown in for good measure. Aren't you lucky? Fine art and fine music all in one! (Waits for the laughs) Regardless, look forward to some (slightly) more upbeat combat logs and pew pew posts soon!
Till next time o/
With that I've decided to scale back on what I've been flying a little. Yes, that does mean no faction Dramiels for quite some time yet. It'll be tough but I shall have to survive...
The sad spell is over and I've begun picking my killboard up off the floor and dusting it down, injecting at least a kill a day of semi-decent quality. The ship I am enjoying most right now is the Taranis, so expect to see me zipping about in one.
Oh and I entered a paint competition for my corporation and came second... I won a firetail! Here's the submission;
Here, as always, is the complementary song with which I shall divulge unto you all, with a little bit of documentary thrown in for good measure. Aren't you lucky? Fine art and fine music all in one! (Waits for the laughs) Regardless, look forward to some (slightly) more upbeat combat logs and pew pew posts soon!
Till next time o/
Monday, 22 November 2010
Only The Young
After a series of unfortunate events that has left my economical and psychological back cleanly snapped in two, I am reaching a point in my career in piracy where I fear the worst.
I could have avoided the large majority of these I'm sure, others were just unfortunate. Here is a list of the negatives that have befallen me over the past nine days...
Sader loss; no biggie, just doing my job as a tackler! I will hop into the only station and fit up whatever I can find.
Terrible fit Retri loss; oh a Harbinger... I'm nanoed I'll get out fine... BOOM. In my pod and no worries I'll just warp out...
Snake loss; oh... Oh the pain.
So me being a fool with a pretty hearty wallet and station full of glorious ships I bought a new set. Wallet's looking meagre by this time but at least I have the tools to get that isk back through piracy right?!
Well...
Dramiel loss; Oh god... I couldn't just have a quality Dramiel duel? Triple web Celestis ftw!
Comet loss; And another one bites the dust. Two seemingly unaffiliated Dramiels sneakily teaming up to take little ol' me down.
There's been another bunch of Rifters down the drain since these horrific displays of failure. As we speak a lossmail involving POS guns and my now dead Slicer is awaiting API upload, I just didn't have the heart to do it myself.
My hangar is rapidly emptying, my wallet is following suit. The tunnel gets longer and longer as I begin to lose the light. Each un-dock is a prayer unheard for something juicy and even with strings of kills on faction frigates and other such things nothing is happening.
I am brought to contemplation by a stanza of song lyrics;
I could have avoided the large majority of these I'm sure, others were just unfortunate. Here is a list of the negatives that have befallen me over the past nine days...
Sader loss; no biggie, just doing my job as a tackler! I will hop into the only station and fit up whatever I can find.
Terrible fit Retri loss; oh a Harbinger... I'm nanoed I'll get out fine... BOOM. In my pod and no worries I'll just warp out...
Snake loss; oh... Oh the pain.
So me being a fool with a pretty hearty wallet and station full of glorious ships I bought a new set. Wallet's looking meagre by this time but at least I have the tools to get that isk back through piracy right?!
Well...
Dramiel loss; Oh god... I couldn't just have a quality Dramiel duel? Triple web Celestis ftw!
Comet loss; And another one bites the dust. Two seemingly unaffiliated Dramiels sneakily teaming up to take little ol' me down.
There's been another bunch of Rifters down the drain since these horrific displays of failure. As we speak a lossmail involving POS guns and my now dead Slicer is awaiting API upload, I just didn't have the heart to do it myself.
My hangar is rapidly emptying, my wallet is following suit. The tunnel gets longer and longer as I begin to lose the light. Each un-dock is a prayer unheard for something juicy and even with strings of kills on faction frigates and other such things nothing is happening.
I am brought to contemplation by a stanza of song lyrics;
"Look back in silence; the cradle of your whole life.
There in the distance, losing it's greatest pride.
Nothing is easy, nothing is scared. Why?
Where did the bow break?
It happened before your time."
I've been once more harshly reminded of the fickle nature of both a life in New Eden and in pure piracy-based survival. Had I an alt to go bring the bacon home I'd laugh these off, yet as I live by the ships I fly and die in I do not feel quite so confident.
Apologies for the lax in the blogging to any who may care, it's been a rough week. Here's to a better one soon. I leave you with Brandon Flowers, a man who grew up in Las Vegas. I think it's only apt to portray the concepts of New Eden as a gambler's game with a song written on the very subject...
Friday, 5 November 2010
I Must Belong Somewhere
It's been a long time coming. As of today I can officially fly every single frigate in New Eden to an effective level. That is to say, tech II fit ships across the board with no skill alterations between racial guns/missiles/hulls/tanks.
I'm currently at 17,200,000 skillpoints, though battleclinic thinks highly of me and is adamant that I must have 20,000,000! My character hasn't been devoted to this goal since day one, that's for sure. I most certainly believe that a heavily focused character could achieve the same thing in about 16,000,000 should it be your goal.
Whilst there is a good portion of my being that is filled with elation at the achievement here, another part of me just wonders how much I've actually shot myself in the foot. The whole journey was a largely unconscious one at first, inspired by fellow corp mate and current ghost (to my sadness) Kirith Darkblade. Upon hearing about his plan to max out the skills on his Rifter I immediately pledged myself to the path of the frigate pilot... Whilst I wasn't quite patient enough to achieve what he still endeavours to do, I instead have ended up reaching my own frigate-based milestone.
I look back on the months of skills being trained and remember my first week of being in the Tuskers where I flew grossly inefficient Jaguars until I realized that such $$ ships just won't work out well for me in the long run. I scaled back to my Rifter roots and have been periodically undocking in them since. So whilst it's great that I've now gained access to over 40 different frigate based hulls, I can't help but wonder what I've exactly 'given' to my corporation. I suppose this is a tie-in to my recent post in regards to Crazy Kinux's (who is celebrating the 6 year blogging milestone, keep rocking buddy!) monthly blog banter, where we discussed why we loved the corporation we were in.
In reality it is quite acceptable to understand the any normal corporation would ask for progression from their pilots, at the very least improvement. Considering we are a pirate corporation that has (in my opinion) garnered a collective aim of excellency in our combat endeavours, I wonder whether my stubborn and stagnating skillsheet has allowed me to benefit the corp as a whole. Factoring in that applications do open and close based upon player number, along with the increasingly grandiose operations we take part in, I wonder whether there was someone else in the world of New Eden who would have better filled the shoes I now walk in. Contemplating the fact that I'm still here only further cements my loyalty to the Tusker banner fortunately, I guess I'm a rather lucky guy.
A few final questions that I have for whoever is still reading; does anyone else in Eve have the same ability to fly every frigate currently in-game to a tech II and high skilled standard (98% of Lv V skill efficiency)? And secondly, what personal plans and goals do you have/had for yourself and have you achieved them?
I'd love to hear some other pilots thoughts on the various concepts (I hope) I've raised in this post. Till then, all the best o/
P.S. As is new protocol, the song which I use for my title is now being posted at the end of my entries. Music is a large portion of my life too and I only see it fit that Kishin loves it too!
I'm currently at 17,200,000 skillpoints, though battleclinic thinks highly of me and is adamant that I must have 20,000,000! My character hasn't been devoted to this goal since day one, that's for sure. I most certainly believe that a heavily focused character could achieve the same thing in about 16,000,000 should it be your goal.
Whilst there is a good portion of my being that is filled with elation at the achievement here, another part of me just wonders how much I've actually shot myself in the foot. The whole journey was a largely unconscious one at first, inspired by fellow corp mate and current ghost (to my sadness) Kirith Darkblade. Upon hearing about his plan to max out the skills on his Rifter I immediately pledged myself to the path of the frigate pilot... Whilst I wasn't quite patient enough to achieve what he still endeavours to do, I instead have ended up reaching my own frigate-based milestone.
I look back on the months of skills being trained and remember my first week of being in the Tuskers where I flew grossly inefficient Jaguars until I realized that such $$ ships just won't work out well for me in the long run. I scaled back to my Rifter roots and have been periodically undocking in them since. So whilst it's great that I've now gained access to over 40 different frigate based hulls, I can't help but wonder what I've exactly 'given' to my corporation. I suppose this is a tie-in to my recent post in regards to Crazy Kinux's (who is celebrating the 6 year blogging milestone, keep rocking buddy!) monthly blog banter, where we discussed why we loved the corporation we were in.
In reality it is quite acceptable to understand the any normal corporation would ask for progression from their pilots, at the very least improvement. Considering we are a pirate corporation that has (in my opinion) garnered a collective aim of excellency in our combat endeavours, I wonder whether my stubborn and stagnating skillsheet has allowed me to benefit the corp as a whole. Factoring in that applications do open and close based upon player number, along with the increasingly grandiose operations we take part in, I wonder whether there was someone else in the world of New Eden who would have better filled the shoes I now walk in. Contemplating the fact that I'm still here only further cements my loyalty to the Tusker banner fortunately, I guess I'm a rather lucky guy.
A few final questions that I have for whoever is still reading; does anyone else in Eve have the same ability to fly every frigate currently in-game to a tech II and high skilled standard (98% of Lv V skill efficiency)? And secondly, what personal plans and goals do you have/had for yourself and have you achieved them?
I'd love to hear some other pilots thoughts on the various concepts (I hope) I've raised in this post. Till then, all the best o/
P.S. As is new protocol, the song which I use for my title is now being posted at the end of my entries. Music is a large portion of my life too and I only see it fit that Kishin loves it too!
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
My Little Demon
I promised I'd give a write up of the specific fit I used for my Dramiel a few weeks ago and after a deal of procrastinating and some helpful kick up the pants by the concerted effort by Arrhi to attempt to revitalize the entire concept of solo low-sec pvp, I've finally gotten round to divulging my fit... So now you'll all build the perfect counter and kill me!
_______________________________
Here's the basic fitting
Karma Police
H: 150mm Autocannon II x 2
H: Corpii C-Type Nosferatu
M: Gistii B-Type 1MN Afterburner
M: Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler
M: Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor
M: Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor
L: Coreli C-Type Adaptive Nano Plating
L: Damage Control II
L: Coreli C-Type Small Armor Repairer
R: Small Anti-Explosive Pump I
R: Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
R: Small Semiconductor Memory Cell I
Warrior II x 3
_______________________________
Pros
Fast among frigate hulls (though slower than a Shield Dramiel) as it kicks in at 1886m/s with level V skills.
Above standard tackle giving leeway for a lot of freedom on the battlefield. You have complete control of how you want to dictate the fight.
The tracking disruptor is phenomenal. Whether it's disrupting the range of a smaller ship to kite against or to cut up tracking speed of a hulking Hurricane... It is a life saver.
Extra range and pulling power of the nos gives quality cap life (4 minutes with ALL modules running, even rep!)
Totally unexpected!
Cons
No real buffer can cause some distress in a difficult situation.
Life dependant upon cap... Larger targets hurt ability to repair.
Slower than other Dramiels (though ultimately better IMHO)
Average dps overall (155 combined)
________________________________
I can understand why this might not be a ship suited to the majority of pilots out there, though when you actually look at what is on offer here, it actually shines as a proto-Ishkur in my opinion. You lose the same level of buffer tank for much improved speed, better tackle and not too shabby DPS. Most would argue that the Comet is the obvious choice for a speedy Ishkur but whe tracking disruptor just sways it for me. I'd provide a lengthy discussion post over why I believe this is not only the ultimate Dramiel fit but also the fit to truly crown the Dramiel as the undeniably best frigate in the game... I just don't think it's even necessary.
A final note that I think also benefits the ship; you can utilize the 3rd and 4th 'additive' mid slot (i.e. web & td) to achieve many different roles... Want more tank? Fit a Cap Booster over one of the modules. Want DD pwnage ability? Fit dual webs and kite him to death. Want better fleet support? Throw two TD's in the mix and a long point for some awesome tackling ability.
The possibilities for this fit are so multi-layered that you can really customise this to fit whatever you need, when you need it. I love it to death... Well to the point of it's inevitable death. Then I cry at my wallet and pray for another to hit my hangar bay.
Discussion and/or questions please guys and girls! Till I get them enjoy some damn good music...
_______________________________
Here's the basic fitting
Karma Police
H: 150mm Autocannon II x 2
H: Corpii C-Type Nosferatu
M: Gistii B-Type 1MN Afterburner
M: Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler
M: Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor
M: Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor
L: Coreli C-Type Adaptive Nano Plating
L: Damage Control II
L: Coreli C-Type Small Armor Repairer
R: Small Anti-Explosive Pump I
R: Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
R: Small Semiconductor Memory Cell I
Warrior II x 3
_______________________________
Pros
Fast among frigate hulls (though slower than a Shield Dramiel) as it kicks in at 1886m/s with level V skills.
Above standard tackle giving leeway for a lot of freedom on the battlefield. You have complete control of how you want to dictate the fight.
The tracking disruptor is phenomenal. Whether it's disrupting the range of a smaller ship to kite against or to cut up tracking speed of a hulking Hurricane... It is a life saver.
Extra range and pulling power of the nos gives quality cap life (4 minutes with ALL modules running, even rep!)
Totally unexpected!
Cons
No real buffer can cause some distress in a difficult situation.
Life dependant upon cap... Larger targets hurt ability to repair.
Slower than other Dramiels (though ultimately better IMHO)
Average dps overall (155 combined)
________________________________
I can understand why this might not be a ship suited to the majority of pilots out there, though when you actually look at what is on offer here, it actually shines as a proto-Ishkur in my opinion. You lose the same level of buffer tank for much improved speed, better tackle and not too shabby DPS. Most would argue that the Comet is the obvious choice for a speedy Ishkur but whe tracking disruptor just sways it for me. I'd provide a lengthy discussion post over why I believe this is not only the ultimate Dramiel fit but also the fit to truly crown the Dramiel as the undeniably best frigate in the game... I just don't think it's even necessary.
A final note that I think also benefits the ship; you can utilize the 3rd and 4th 'additive' mid slot (i.e. web & td) to achieve many different roles... Want more tank? Fit a Cap Booster over one of the modules. Want DD pwnage ability? Fit dual webs and kite him to death. Want better fleet support? Throw two TD's in the mix and a long point for some awesome tackling ability.
The possibilities for this fit are so multi-layered that you can really customise this to fit whatever you need, when you need it. I love it to death... Well to the point of it's inevitable death. Then I cry at my wallet and pray for another to hit my hangar bay.
Discussion and/or questions please guys and girls! Till I get them enjoy some damn good music...
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Blog Banter 22: Girl With One Eye
This month's topic is brought to us by L’Dene Bean of Nitpickin’s who asks: Why, and how did you pick your corporation? Is your loyalty solid or just until a better placed organization “recruits” you. The shorter version: Who holds your Unshakable Fealty and why?
Okay well I would hope that the corporation I belong to needs little to no introduction for the majority of the bloggers that so much as take a glance at this blog but for those select few that have absolutely no clue I shall give a quick run down of our 'role' within New Eden.
The Tuskers are essentially a pirate corporation, sharing the same age old tradition as many other successful (and less so) piracy based corps in Eve. What I feel sets us apart and also the reasoning behind my application, (and Jolo is going to murder me for saying this) was the fact that we pride ourselves on good etiquette and being generally trustworthy. This could in some circumstances correlate to the idea of 'honour', though general consensus suggests that honour is a nigh impossible thing to chase within the profession of piracy. We do purposefully ruin people's days for a living of course...
So now I've made sure to safeguard myself from having the Tusker name corralled into the 'honourable pirate' category I can steam forward with the rest of this entry!
Not only do we have the aforementioned 'honourable' reputation but it's been apparent since day one that the majority of Tuskers are quite competent pilots. It would make sense considering it is our life blood (some more so than others) and our main connection to the wonderful thing that is Eve. This atmosphere of quality, noticeable through our killboard statistics and less than flexible application process, means that generally only like-minded and worthwhile pilots get into the ranks. This isn't to suggest that the Tuskers are a bunch of elitists or anything, they did accept me afterall.
The people are friendly, I have a great deal of freedom as to how I play the game. I fly what I want, when I want and go where I want. Occasionally fellow corp members tag along too and then things usually get really interesting. I can't really think of much more that I would want.
Could I survive in another pirate corporation? Sure I could.
Would there even be a point in going elsewhere to look? Most certainly not. That whole 'greener grass' mentality has never stuck well in my head. A quite clear cut example is in the fact that I still can only fly frigates at a rather respectable 17 million skillpoints, yet all I hear about is the grandiose nature and awesomeness that is the Battlecruiser. I actually think I get told on a daily basis to start training... Do I? Of course not!
I've found that through the Tuskers I've managed to forge some semblance of a name for myself too. Admittedly the larger portion of that name comes purely from being a flashy red Tusker (which usually causes anyone to flee the scene) but nonetheless I am thankful for being able to parasitically improve my skills from the people within the corp, buff up my wallet with the wonderful kills and fair system for splitting loot and generally just finding the best parts of my life through the connections and reputation our corp has.
I would hope that the Tuskers feel I am still a worthwhile addition to the ranks that it hasn't been quite so one-sided a relationship as I've portrayed. Hell, even if it was they'd have a tough time booting me out the door. I am here to stay.
Much like Arrhi's experience I've seen plenty a pilot leave the Tuskers, some very good friends. The experience does indeed change everytime I log on and to realize that I am allegedly a 'veteran' among the blood now is a strange revelation to experience. I still see myself as the fool who's got a terrible skillset and refuses to bend, the guy who's getting murdered all over the shop and the 'new guy' who get heckled by the rest of the gang when I log on to vent.
Essentially, I am the Girl With One Eye. I'm not complaining.
Okay well I would hope that the corporation I belong to needs little to no introduction for the majority of the bloggers that so much as take a glance at this blog but for those select few that have absolutely no clue I shall give a quick run down of our 'role' within New Eden.
The Tuskers are essentially a pirate corporation, sharing the same age old tradition as many other successful (and less so) piracy based corps in Eve. What I feel sets us apart and also the reasoning behind my application, (and Jolo is going to murder me for saying this) was the fact that we pride ourselves on good etiquette and being generally trustworthy. This could in some circumstances correlate to the idea of 'honour', though general consensus suggests that honour is a nigh impossible thing to chase within the profession of piracy. We do purposefully ruin people's days for a living of course...
So now I've made sure to safeguard myself from having the Tusker name corralled into the 'honourable pirate' category I can steam forward with the rest of this entry!
Not only do we have the aforementioned 'honourable' reputation but it's been apparent since day one that the majority of Tuskers are quite competent pilots. It would make sense considering it is our life blood (some more so than others) and our main connection to the wonderful thing that is Eve. This atmosphere of quality, noticeable through our killboard statistics and less than flexible application process, means that generally only like-minded and worthwhile pilots get into the ranks. This isn't to suggest that the Tuskers are a bunch of elitists or anything, they did accept me afterall.
The people are friendly, I have a great deal of freedom as to how I play the game. I fly what I want, when I want and go where I want. Occasionally fellow corp members tag along too and then things usually get really interesting. I can't really think of much more that I would want.
Could I survive in another pirate corporation? Sure I could.
Would there even be a point in going elsewhere to look? Most certainly not. That whole 'greener grass' mentality has never stuck well in my head. A quite clear cut example is in the fact that I still can only fly frigates at a rather respectable 17 million skillpoints, yet all I hear about is the grandiose nature and awesomeness that is the Battlecruiser. I actually think I get told on a daily basis to start training... Do I? Of course not!
I've found that through the Tuskers I've managed to forge some semblance of a name for myself too. Admittedly the larger portion of that name comes purely from being a flashy red Tusker (which usually causes anyone to flee the scene) but nonetheless I am thankful for being able to parasitically improve my skills from the people within the corp, buff up my wallet with the wonderful kills and fair system for splitting loot and generally just finding the best parts of my life through the connections and reputation our corp has.
I would hope that the Tuskers feel I am still a worthwhile addition to the ranks that it hasn't been quite so one-sided a relationship as I've portrayed. Hell, even if it was they'd have a tough time booting me out the door. I am here to stay.
Much like Arrhi's experience I've seen plenty a pilot leave the Tuskers, some very good friends. The experience does indeed change everytime I log on and to realize that I am allegedly a 'veteran' among the blood now is a strange revelation to experience. I still see myself as the fool who's got a terrible skillset and refuses to bend, the guy who's getting murdered all over the shop and the 'new guy' who get heckled by the rest of the gang when I log on to vent.
Essentially, I am the Girl With One Eye. I'm not complaining.
Friday, 22 October 2010
World In My Eyes
Just a quick post to introduce you all to a new blogger and fellow pilot in Mew Eden (and yes, he is a Tusker!)
His name is Buck Flintrock and his blog is readable here.
I chose a wonderful b-side song by The Cure (as the title of course, all my titles are songs) for this inaugural third party cannoning of Buck's blog into the community that is us, the bloggers. I hope you guys go take a look, follow if you like and keep a tab on the various goings on of this stellar guy.
Oh and I got first follower, so you'll all just have to vie for second... *victory dance*
Welcome to the blogging community Buck, wishing you all the best in the future!
His name is Buck Flintrock and his blog is readable here.
I chose a wonderful b-side song by The Cure (as the title of course, all my titles are songs) for this inaugural third party cannoning of Buck's blog into the community that is us, the bloggers. I hope you guys go take a look, follow if you like and keep a tab on the various goings on of this stellar guy.
Oh and I got first follower, so you'll all just have to vie for second... *victory dance*
Welcome to the blogging community Buck, wishing you all the best in the future!
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Karma Payment Plan
So as some know, others didn't but know now and the rest that couldn't give a flying; I am back on eve. To commemorate this I first perused through the blogs of my friends whom I have admittedly not been keeping up to date with. One post particular caught my eye and I read it. Cartoon Boy's post pertaining to the idea of karma (which was eloquently titled the same) had me ready to come back to the blogging and pirating world, so much so I left a comment on there. It reads as thus;
"A perfect song for a rather sombre topic.
I name my Dramiels after the same song; 'Karma Police'. I rage so hard when they die that the many kills I obtain with it all equate to the same pain I feel when it finally explodes.
Karma indeed."
(He had 'Karma Police' by Radiohead attached to the entry!)
"A perfect song for a rather sombre topic.
I name my Dramiels after the same song; 'Karma Police'. I rage so hard when they die that the many kills I obtain with it all equate to the same pain I feel when it finally explodes.
Karma indeed."
(He had 'Karma Police' by Radiohead attached to the entry!)
So obviously when I returned after a period of pirating, karma had surely forgotten about little old me right? Eh... Not quite. It was in fact, plastered all around the cockpit of my faithful Dramiel 'Karma Police'. I should have checked the lock a bit better when I put it in the hangar that last time because a mere 24 hours after my return to Eve, it went down in a blaze of FAIL. What did I do wrong? Everything.
Now I know Dramiel's aren't stellar craft for dispatching Daredevil's at the best of times but with the backup waiting I genuinely thought I'd be fine. Well, had I done the checklist of do's, I just might have been.
Instead I forgot to launch my drones, activate my web, overheat my afterburner and keep the necessary range to not be one-shotted. Unfortunately I didn't do what used to be a second nature habit of mine and for this I lost the ship I loved the most... I'll be writing up why I used the fit I have done, how it netted me a good 50 kills and is my favourite Dramiel fit out there. Expect to see a synopsis in the next instalment of this blog series.
The rust is peeling off, I promise. One loss at a time.
Saturday, 16 October 2010
High On Rebellion
So I'm finally back, after around 40 or so days of inactivity I believe (should my memory serve me correct).
I'm back for a rather specific reason, mainly pertaining to fellow corp mate Bourreau's tri frigate tournament that he has put together. I'm really looking forward to it and am also in the search for some teammates!
Rules have been updated since his post, so I'll get on his case and get him to post up a new blog with updated rules for all you fellow pvpers who are interested. Whether my activity will hold after the tournament is a complete mystery to me, there have been some rather large revelations in my life (real, naturally) and thus I'm taking a step back to look at my options. Hopefully during that time Eve will find a comfy place to exist, I do love the ol' spaceships!
Glad to be back for the time being, hopefully for the future too. *hugs the entire world of Eve* I missed killing you!
I'm back for a rather specific reason, mainly pertaining to fellow corp mate Bourreau's tri frigate tournament that he has put together. I'm really looking forward to it and am also in the search for some teammates!
Rules have been updated since his post, so I'll get on his case and get him to post up a new blog with updated rules for all you fellow pvpers who are interested. Whether my activity will hold after the tournament is a complete mystery to me, there have been some rather large revelations in my life (real, naturally) and thus I'm taking a step back to look at my options. Hopefully during that time Eve will find a comfy place to exist, I do love the ol' spaceships!
Glad to be back for the time being, hopefully for the future too. *hugs the entire world of Eve* I missed killing you!
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Old Before Your Time
Things have been absurdly hectic recently and my time pirating has taken a huge turn for the worse. I would rather people understand that I won't be particularly active in my duties both as an avid pirate and blogger; I know it's been a few since I've done a meaningful post.
The charger is in, hopefully my Eve batteries will be done sometime in the near future. Until then I'll be a tad quiet in New Eden. Hopefully things will be just as interesting upon my return!
Take care everyone, go kill some stuff in my honour.
Sunday, 5 September 2010
AF Tournament TIMES TWO
Just a second post here to quickly shout out about Sulei's Assault Frigate Tournament that will be held in non other than Hevrice! More in depth details can be found here for all you rule police, unfortunately I am unlikely to attend as I'll be going to an Ice Hockey game in real life. (I know, evil me) so make sure to apply and make this a successful event so that Sulei will run another and I'll be able to come along and kick all your asses!
Till then o/
Till then o/
Sunday, 29 August 2010
From an Honest Beginning...
I've seen a few other pilots do this themselves and I think it's a nice thing to add to my blog, partly for my own happiness to have it archived here for as long as I need it and also to allow you guys to see what kind of applications evil pirates like me put up. Yes, I was a kiss ass. I have a rather hilarious audio file to add to this, recorded by our very own ex-Tuskers Don Pellegrino, although I am an internet n00b and thus have not figured out how to get the audio file on my blog yet. As soon as I do, it will be attached to a random post of my choosing!
1. Your real-life age and country of residence (include timezone).
19 years of age, university student studying English Literature. Currently residing in the United Kingdom (GMT+0)
2. Why do you want to join the Tuskers?
After initially joining Eve and putting it down after a month or so of play, I came back to the game sometime late September, determined to give it my all before making a final decision. I quickly joined up to a player corporation, who whilst full of wonderful guys who helped me learn the ways of New Eden, they were unfortunately part of a NRDS alliance. Initially it wasn't a bother but the more I flew as one of them, the restrictive nature of NRDS took it's toll upon me, forcing my leave.
After some soul searching I decided to teach myself how to fight before concreting myself in another player corp. I stumbled upon Wensley's Rifter guide and began to learn the finer art of pvp over the coming months. I've often sat and chatted with you all in your public channel, I've been killed and tried to kill many of your members and I genuinely know that I could fit in perfectly. Now finally beginning to feel like I might be of use within the corp, I am applying as a means to find myself a new home. I admire the way you all conduct yourselves and would love nothing more than to share my love of piracy with other like-minded individuals.
3.Tell us about your previous EVE and other MMORPG experience, if any, including any leadership roles you may have held.
Whilst this may be slightly off-centre for what you are looking for, I played Final Fantasy XI for an extended period of time before coming to Eve. The reason I am telling you this, is due to the nature of that game itself. The necessity placed upon teamwork is insurmountable, and playing a white mage as I did, I learned the value of staying alive and working in an efficient way towards a common goal, all the while looking after those I am fighting alongside. After my long time there, I moved to Eve.
Within Eve, I've had the majority of my experience revolve around pvp. I flew in low security and 0.0 very often with my old alliance REAL, learning the ways of interceptor craft and scouting. I have ample experience at avoiding harm whilst travelling and am confident in my scouting abilities and hope they may be of help. I also gained some experience in FCing during my time in the alliance, though it was only in small 4-5 pilot squads. Whilst FCing I really got to grips with quick on the fly decision making when I was placed with the lives of others in my care, knowing when to fight and when to run is a valuable asset, something that I feel I have put to good use when flying solo. After leaving, I have honed my skills as a solo pilot, flying frigates for the most part. I value the men in my fleet more than anything and actively enjoy working as a team in achieving the impossible.
4. Declare your willingness to abide by the Tusker Code. (Please don't let's call ourselves "honorable;" that's a term that means different things to different people.)
I understand and will abide by the Tusker Code.
5. You must have a minimum of 5 million skillpoints.
I currently have around 6,500,00SP, I have less SP than my character's lifespan would suggest, due to the absence I took from initially getting into the game, to the time that I got completely engrossed in Eve around September.
6. Successful PvP is more about pilot attitude than SP; skillpoints provide a measure of flexibility to a pilot’s tactics. The Tuskers require recruits to document five solo kills (link to the kills at a killboard such as BattleClinic), including two kills above the candidate’s ship class. We don’t care if you’re a grizzled PvP veteran, a reformed carebear who’s accumulated your kills over time, or if you’re a young pilot just able to fly T1 frigates. (Rookie pilots can read this thread for suggestions on how to rack up the required solo kills, and visit Tusker Academy for more help.) Please be sure you can point us to all five of these kills before posting your application.
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8886704
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8896227
The two next kills I hope qualify as above hull class kills, these are perhaps my two favourite kills due to the intensity of the fights.
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8887307
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8966076
This is the kill that has helped me feel ready for the Tuskers. My maiden flight in a Jaguar, a ship I have wished to fly for a long time.
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=9536113
7. Two-way voice communication is essential for successful gang combat. Currently, Ventrilo is working best for the Tuskers, but all our pilots must be willing and able to use Teamspeak or EVE Voice if future circumstances demand. These programs are free to download and install. You will not be admitted to the corporation if you do not have a functional microphone and speakers--please indicate that you have them.
I have a microphone, speakers and both Ventrilo/Teamspeak installed and in fully working order.
8. Candidates must not be alts of other active characters. You may have a trader alt or a mission-runner alt, but they may not be a member of any other player corporation without permission.
I have only one character, namely Kishin Hattori. I have purposefully kept the only character, as I feel that if I want anybody to know who I am within New Eden, it will be as Kishin. I am planning to try and fund my life as a pirate and remain as the one character, but will of course make a transport alt if I cannot maintain the life. Kishin is and will always be who I am within Eve.
9. We need the Full Access API Key (the "strong" rather than "limited" one) and User ID for all accounts you own. This allows us to extract information from your skills and wallet which helps to detect ISK-buyers and unacknowledged alts. Provide us with the name of one character from any additional accounts you may own; once you have posted your application, we will provide you with a URL where you may enter the required API information.
I am prepared to supply my full API Key upon request.
Thank you for your consideration of this application in advance, Take care.
1. Your real-life age and country of residence (include timezone).
19 years of age, university student studying English Literature. Currently residing in the United Kingdom (GMT+0)
2. Why do you want to join the Tuskers?
After initially joining Eve and putting it down after a month or so of play, I came back to the game sometime late September, determined to give it my all before making a final decision. I quickly joined up to a player corporation, who whilst full of wonderful guys who helped me learn the ways of New Eden, they were unfortunately part of a NRDS alliance. Initially it wasn't a bother but the more I flew as one of them, the restrictive nature of NRDS took it's toll upon me, forcing my leave.
After some soul searching I decided to teach myself how to fight before concreting myself in another player corp. I stumbled upon Wensley's Rifter guide and began to learn the finer art of pvp over the coming months. I've often sat and chatted with you all in your public channel, I've been killed and tried to kill many of your members and I genuinely know that I could fit in perfectly. Now finally beginning to feel like I might be of use within the corp, I am applying as a means to find myself a new home. I admire the way you all conduct yourselves and would love nothing more than to share my love of piracy with other like-minded individuals.
3.Tell us about your previous EVE and other MMORPG experience, if any, including any leadership roles you may have held.
Whilst this may be slightly off-centre for what you are looking for, I played Final Fantasy XI for an extended period of time before coming to Eve. The reason I am telling you this, is due to the nature of that game itself. The necessity placed upon teamwork is insurmountable, and playing a white mage as I did, I learned the value of staying alive and working in an efficient way towards a common goal, all the while looking after those I am fighting alongside. After my long time there, I moved to Eve.
Within Eve, I've had the majority of my experience revolve around pvp. I flew in low security and 0.0 very often with my old alliance REAL, learning the ways of interceptor craft and scouting. I have ample experience at avoiding harm whilst travelling and am confident in my scouting abilities and hope they may be of help. I also gained some experience in FCing during my time in the alliance, though it was only in small 4-5 pilot squads. Whilst FCing I really got to grips with quick on the fly decision making when I was placed with the lives of others in my care, knowing when to fight and when to run is a valuable asset, something that I feel I have put to good use when flying solo. After leaving, I have honed my skills as a solo pilot, flying frigates for the most part. I value the men in my fleet more than anything and actively enjoy working as a team in achieving the impossible.
4. Declare your willingness to abide by the Tusker Code. (Please don't let's call ourselves "honorable;" that's a term that means different things to different people.)
I understand and will abide by the Tusker Code.
5. You must have a minimum of 5 million skillpoints.
I currently have around 6,500,00SP, I have less SP than my character's lifespan would suggest, due to the absence I took from initially getting into the game, to the time that I got completely engrossed in Eve around September.
6. Successful PvP is more about pilot attitude than SP; skillpoints provide a measure of flexibility to a pilot’s tactics. The Tuskers require recruits to document five solo kills (link to the kills at a killboard such as BattleClinic), including two kills above the candidate’s ship class. We don’t care if you’re a grizzled PvP veteran, a reformed carebear who’s accumulated your kills over time, or if you’re a young pilot just able to fly T1 frigates. (Rookie pilots can read this thread for suggestions on how to rack up the required solo kills, and visit Tusker Academy for more help.) Please be sure you can point us to all five of these kills before posting your application.
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8886704
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8896227
The two next kills I hope qualify as above hull class kills, these are perhaps my two favourite kills due to the intensity of the fights.
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8887307
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=8966076
This is the kill that has helped me feel ready for the Tuskers. My maiden flight in a Jaguar, a ship I have wished to fly for a long time.
http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/k ... id=9536113
7. Two-way voice communication is essential for successful gang combat. Currently, Ventrilo is working best for the Tuskers, but all our pilots must be willing and able to use Teamspeak or EVE Voice if future circumstances demand. These programs are free to download and install. You will not be admitted to the corporation if you do not have a functional microphone and speakers--please indicate that you have them.
I have a microphone, speakers and both Ventrilo/Teamspeak installed and in fully working order.
8. Candidates must not be alts of other active characters. You may have a trader alt or a mission-runner alt, but they may not be a member of any other player corporation without permission.
I have only one character, namely Kishin Hattori. I have purposefully kept the only character, as I feel that if I want anybody to know who I am within New Eden, it will be as Kishin. I am planning to try and fund my life as a pirate and remain as the one character, but will of course make a transport alt if I cannot maintain the life. Kishin is and will always be who I am within Eve.
9. We need the Full Access API Key (the "strong" rather than "limited" one) and User ID for all accounts you own. This allows us to extract information from your skills and wallet which helps to detect ISK-buyers and unacknowledged alts. Provide us with the name of one character from any additional accounts you may own; once you have posted your application, we will provide you with a URL where you may enter the required API information.
I am prepared to supply my full API Key upon request.
Thank you for your consideration of this application in advance, Take care.
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Assault Frigate Tournament
Suleiman Shouaa from the Tuskers is organizing an Assault Frigate Tournament for the 18th September. Anyone who wishes to join us in the fight are welcome and details can be found in full here at Sulei's blog.
I have some other posts in the pipeline and they'll be out shortly, I've not been flying a great deal recently unfortunately but hopefully that will change and I can get back into the life of pirating.
I have some other posts in the pipeline and they'll be out shortly, I've not been flying a great deal recently unfortunately but hopefully that will change and I can get back into the life of pirating.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
During my earlier days I would sit in Tusker Ventrilo listening in as my corp mates would bring down gangs twice their size, effortlessly kiting and pulling apart fleets and grabbing the kills before dashing off into the night. The two most prominent figures that stand in my mind when I think about this type of flying would be Proxyyyy and Suleiman Shouaa. Shortly before Proxyyyy actually took a break I decided to discuss this aspect of pvp that seemed an impossibility to me, both limited by my ship type and skill as a pilot. It's been on my mind since then and I think I have finally made my first foray into conquering the notorious blob.
My past week of piracy has been a painfully slow one with barely a kill coming my way most days, I've had a few nice fights here and there but otherwise very little has happened. This has caused me to move out further afield in an effort to antagonize the inhabitants of low sec. Most commonly I've been travelling to Amamake in Rifters as a means of getting some interesting engagements but today I figured that I would take out my Dramiel to see what I could get done. My pilgrimage gathered quite a crowd and before long we were a 5 man strong fleet rag-tagging our way into the heart of the Minmatar Militia's home. One awesome looking Legion (that was sat on a station) later and we arrived in Tararan. Novantco found a Thrasher sat at a planet and we went in for the gank. As we begin it was clear that this was a trap so we took the Thrasher out and awaited what would come. Two Jaguars! We cheered and the fleet went to work in blissful ignorance... Stabber, Caracal, Rifter, Thrasher, Claw. They all dropped simultaneously and we began to panic. This was not an official roam, there was no FC calling the shots. Novantco queried the warp out and Vent went awfully quiet for a second, save for me stuttering as I tried to assess a situation that had changed astronomically in the space of 3 seconds. 'Get out, get out!' I shouted and the majority of us managed to escape. Unfortunately we lost a Thrasher and Rifter in the process.
At this point our spirits were dampened and I was rather frustrating with my pathetic performance at saving my fellow wingmates. Why I froze is beyond me, I did and am still contemplating it now. I did however have things perfectly sorted out in my head at that point and decided to get some revenge for the losses incurred...
A wolf had been chasing me away from the fleet as I never actually warped off grid during the chaos, instead I chose to zip around at about 100km from the main fleet. This worked in my favour and I quickly leapt on the Wolf and went to work. Using the tracking disruptor I crushed his optimal and falloff ranges and sat in at about 6km. Whilst I kept a close eye on the fleet as they burned away to get within warp range I had somehow let him out of my grasps and he escaped in structure, my heart sank once more. Not only had I let my corp mates die due to my incompetence but I couldn't even take down a target in revenge.
All was not finished though as I watched them all warp off grid in one direction and a sole Jaguar in another. I chased the Jaguar down and attempted to tackle, only to watch him warp off to a faction warfare static plex. Under no illusions that it would be a trap, I geared myself up for a wild ride and warped in at 70km from the gate. A Stabber and the elusive Wolf sat at 30km whilst the Caracal and Jaguar sat at 0km from the gate respectively, all staring right at me. The rest were unaccounted for but I took the advantage I had been given fighting on an acceleration gate and began working on pulling the ships apart. The Stabber and Wolf began closing in and I decided on assaulting the Stabber as he came in range, I couldn't afford to let him kite me. Drones out, scram, web, tracking disruptor all on him as I began tearing him down. The Wolf closed in and I switched my TD to him as a means to decrease his potential dps. The Stabber fell as the rest of the gang warped off, bar the Wolf. I caught him too and began working through his tank, aware that they would be landing any moment on me.
Our fierce duel had pulled us back closer to the gate, around 40km by now and I saw the bulk of the fleet begin to land. Caracal, Claw, Rifter and Jaguar. Fortunately they must have failed to remember the warp disruption rules of plexes and thus landed at 0km. I had more time and focused back on my target. Kmang Satrow came to the fray in his Vengeance almost simultaneously and landed in the middle of the enemy fleet. I watched helplessly as he fought for his life, taking down a Rifter and forcing a Claw into 1/2 armour before his inevitable demise. The fleet now barrelled down towards me and I engaged the Claw and Jaguar, once more disrupting the secondary target's optimal range (the Jaguar) whilst eating through the already wounded Claw. Suffice to say he didn't last long and I then swapped back over to the Jaguar. We'd burned back to the gate now in the confusion and the enemy Caracal was somehow 40km away, my only understanding was that he was scooping loot in the midst of the battle. A Rifter and finally left in system Teak'li (also in a Rifter) landed as the Jaguar succumbed to the Dramiel's rage...
My modules were on the brink of their thermal threshholds, my ammo was beginning to thin and I knew that my time was coming to an end. My armour repair module was working on overtime as I patched up armour from the many fights I'd been in, I don't think it had much a break during the whole fight. Teak went for the Caracal whilst I murdered a Reaper that landed on top of me (also likely collecting loot).
Before I could finish the Rifter that had me webbed and scrammed off and dash over to the Caracal a second Jaguar landed and caught me, committing me to the rest of the fight. Unfortunately Teak was in low armour and had to bug out, leaving me once more to tear my way out. I utilized the exact same tactic before, disrupting the secondary target's optimal and bringing the primary to the ground. The Rifter too met it's end by my autocannons and I turned on the final Jaguar...
Time to bug out. A final wave of their units landed, a Thrasher, Hyena and the Caracal all landed on me and I knew I couldn't fight my way out of this one. A final overheated cycle of my afterburner and I pulled my ship from the brink of death, armour in the very critical ranges, capacitor all but gone and nearly an empty cargo of ammunition.
The feeling was phenomenal; cathartic beyond belief to have dealt such critical damage to the enemy fleet. They held the field in regards to loot from lost ships but I still felt as though we were victorious. This was by no means a solo effort, at some point during the 25 minute two-pronged engagement my allies had aided me invaluably, whether through distraction, wounding targets beforehand or giving me intel on the fly. Good fights were exchanged after the dust settled and I bucked it back home to Hevrice to catch some R&R.
I may take a retrospective look at what was done to achieve the victory, though I also don't believe that I am in any position to lecture on how to fly frigates and I don't mean to patronize. Regardless, this has been perhaps the most exhilarating engagements to date in my Eve career and I can only look forward to more.
The train is still here by the way (if you didn't already notice) so does anyone have some ideas on what could adorn the back of my blog? Answers on a postcard please.
/endofridiculouslylongpost. BYE! *frantic waves*
My past week of piracy has been a painfully slow one with barely a kill coming my way most days, I've had a few nice fights here and there but otherwise very little has happened. This has caused me to move out further afield in an effort to antagonize the inhabitants of low sec. Most commonly I've been travelling to Amamake in Rifters as a means of getting some interesting engagements but today I figured that I would take out my Dramiel to see what I could get done. My pilgrimage gathered quite a crowd and before long we were a 5 man strong fleet rag-tagging our way into the heart of the Minmatar Militia's home. One awesome looking Legion (that was sat on a station) later and we arrived in Tararan. Novantco found a Thrasher sat at a planet and we went in for the gank. As we begin it was clear that this was a trap so we took the Thrasher out and awaited what would come. Two Jaguars! We cheered and the fleet went to work in blissful ignorance... Stabber, Caracal, Rifter, Thrasher, Claw. They all dropped simultaneously and we began to panic. This was not an official roam, there was no FC calling the shots. Novantco queried the warp out and Vent went awfully quiet for a second, save for me stuttering as I tried to assess a situation that had changed astronomically in the space of 3 seconds. 'Get out, get out!' I shouted and the majority of us managed to escape. Unfortunately we lost a Thrasher and Rifter in the process.
At this point our spirits were dampened and I was rather frustrating with my pathetic performance at saving my fellow wingmates. Why I froze is beyond me, I did and am still contemplating it now. I did however have things perfectly sorted out in my head at that point and decided to get some revenge for the losses incurred...
A wolf had been chasing me away from the fleet as I never actually warped off grid during the chaos, instead I chose to zip around at about 100km from the main fleet. This worked in my favour and I quickly leapt on the Wolf and went to work. Using the tracking disruptor I crushed his optimal and falloff ranges and sat in at about 6km. Whilst I kept a close eye on the fleet as they burned away to get within warp range I had somehow let him out of my grasps and he escaped in structure, my heart sank once more. Not only had I let my corp mates die due to my incompetence but I couldn't even take down a target in revenge.
All was not finished though as I watched them all warp off grid in one direction and a sole Jaguar in another. I chased the Jaguar down and attempted to tackle, only to watch him warp off to a faction warfare static plex. Under no illusions that it would be a trap, I geared myself up for a wild ride and warped in at 70km from the gate. A Stabber and the elusive Wolf sat at 30km whilst the Caracal and Jaguar sat at 0km from the gate respectively, all staring right at me. The rest were unaccounted for but I took the advantage I had been given fighting on an acceleration gate and began working on pulling the ships apart. The Stabber and Wolf began closing in and I decided on assaulting the Stabber as he came in range, I couldn't afford to let him kite me. Drones out, scram, web, tracking disruptor all on him as I began tearing him down. The Wolf closed in and I switched my TD to him as a means to decrease his potential dps. The Stabber fell as the rest of the gang warped off, bar the Wolf. I caught him too and began working through his tank, aware that they would be landing any moment on me.
Our fierce duel had pulled us back closer to the gate, around 40km by now and I saw the bulk of the fleet begin to land. Caracal, Claw, Rifter and Jaguar. Fortunately they must have failed to remember the warp disruption rules of plexes and thus landed at 0km. I had more time and focused back on my target. Kmang Satrow came to the fray in his Vengeance almost simultaneously and landed in the middle of the enemy fleet. I watched helplessly as he fought for his life, taking down a Rifter and forcing a Claw into 1/2 armour before his inevitable demise. The fleet now barrelled down towards me and I engaged the Claw and Jaguar, once more disrupting the secondary target's optimal range (the Jaguar) whilst eating through the already wounded Claw. Suffice to say he didn't last long and I then swapped back over to the Jaguar. We'd burned back to the gate now in the confusion and the enemy Caracal was somehow 40km away, my only understanding was that he was scooping loot in the midst of the battle. A Rifter and finally left in system Teak'li (also in a Rifter) landed as the Jaguar succumbed to the Dramiel's rage...
My modules were on the brink of their thermal threshholds, my ammo was beginning to thin and I knew that my time was coming to an end. My armour repair module was working on overtime as I patched up armour from the many fights I'd been in, I don't think it had much a break during the whole fight. Teak went for the Caracal whilst I murdered a Reaper that landed on top of me (also likely collecting loot).
Before I could finish the Rifter that had me webbed and scrammed off and dash over to the Caracal a second Jaguar landed and caught me, committing me to the rest of the fight. Unfortunately Teak was in low armour and had to bug out, leaving me once more to tear my way out. I utilized the exact same tactic before, disrupting the secondary target's optimal and bringing the primary to the ground. The Rifter too met it's end by my autocannons and I turned on the final Jaguar...
Time to bug out. A final wave of their units landed, a Thrasher, Hyena and the Caracal all landed on me and I knew I couldn't fight my way out of this one. A final overheated cycle of my afterburner and I pulled my ship from the brink of death, armour in the very critical ranges, capacitor all but gone and nearly an empty cargo of ammunition.
The feeling was phenomenal; cathartic beyond belief to have dealt such critical damage to the enemy fleet. They held the field in regards to loot from lost ships but I still felt as though we were victorious. This was by no means a solo effort, at some point during the 25 minute two-pronged engagement my allies had aided me invaluably, whether through distraction, wounding targets beforehand or giving me intel on the fly. Good fights were exchanged after the dust settled and I bucked it back home to Hevrice to catch some R&R.
I may take a retrospective look at what was done to achieve the victory, though I also don't believe that I am in any position to lecture on how to fly frigates and I don't mean to patronize. Regardless, this has been perhaps the most exhilarating engagements to date in my Eve career and I can only look forward to more.
The train is still here by the way (if you didn't already notice) so does anyone have some ideas on what could adorn the back of my blog? Answers on a postcard please.
/endofridiculouslylongpost. BYE! *frantic waves*
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Kittens, Cakes and Cuddles
The overhaul is finally underway! I finally had a go at messing about with the new design stuff blogger has came up with this. Basically, I failed hard because I couldn't upload a picture that worked I decided on this awesome TRAIN!
Also my friend made me this epic banner which now adorns the top of my blog. Things are still being altered but I'm overall rather happy with the change so far.
I haven't had much time to really get some piracy in lately as I have been rather busy. Suffice to say I've logged on an hour late for some of the best kills us Tuskies have had in quite a while. Examples here and here. Here's hoping I don't miss the next few!
I should have some more riveting posts to dish out soon, although having people throwing expensive ships to die at me always helps so don't skimp on the top belt Orca's!
P.S. If someone has a better idea for a background than a train do let me know, not sure it is in keeping with the blog...
Also my friend made me this epic banner which now adorns the top of my blog. Things are still being altered but I'm overall rather happy with the change so far.
I haven't had much time to really get some piracy in lately as I have been rather busy. Suffice to say I've logged on an hour late for some of the best kills us Tuskies have had in quite a while. Examples here and here. Here's hoping I don't miss the next few!
I should have some more riveting posts to dish out soon, although having people throwing expensive ships to die at me always helps so don't skimp on the top belt Orca's!
P.S. If someone has a better idea for a background than a train do let me know, not sure it is in keeping with the blog...
Thursday, 5 August 2010
I'm a Noob, I'm In a Rifter and I'm In Amamake.
This post is inspired by a post by fellow blogger Laedy whose blog I only found recently and am enjoying greatly. If you didn't get enticed by the hyperlinked name click on it and you'll find the specific post I was referring to.
Up to speed now? Good.
So off I went in my classic Rifter cutting cookies all over the shop. 200 plate, repper, holy triad of tackle, I had it all, Amamake didn't know what was coming...
Well things weren't quite as intense as I had hoped although I felt proud to do my bit in keeping the solo scene alive. I mainly found some other lone Rifter pilots looking for a tussle, dispatching them with relative ease. After having such a blast dodging Dramiels and oversized gate camps I extended this ethos to my home life in Verge Vendor and claimed a few more Rifters. Fellow tusker Mal Asha (who's exploits can be read about in Wensley's blog) was awake at some absurd time in his country and tasked me with keeping him awake and I of course obliged, deciding that taking him up to Amamake would be the cure for his sleepy soul. We shipped up, shipped out and made best speed to the Heimatar region with hopes and dreams or piracy and fun all round. Unfortunately things weren't quite as peachy as we hoped and we decided on some whim to ship up to Jaguars (the reason why is beyond me). We claimed a few lives but nothing particularly spectacular.
Mal then took us over to Evati to see the locals and hopefully bag some kills, which we did. That kill right there is why I abhore dual-prop close-range Dramiels, they just can't stand up to Assault Frigates. Bear in mind the fight was largely a solo affair so he was held down by only 1 web and 1 scram for 95% of the fight. I wish I could write an epic post in regards to the fight but it quite literally became a Gallente affair; overheat everything and tear him to pieces.
Time passed, we saw some friendly faces from our public channel and both lost our Jaguars in suicidal manoeuvres, which is all in the name of fun. After a break we returned and I piped up in local to see if anyone would be kind enough to sell me a shuttle for my journey home. Just to my luck a pilot whom I have always been aware of but never had the pleasure of talking to for any length of time stepped in and offered me a ship, the same went for Mal. I docked and a trade window opened with Lady Shaniqua with a fully fit Rifter inside. Epic, the roam continued! I gave what isk I could spare in appreciation and we headed home after a long roam. It was great fun and although I lost more ships than I probably should have on a normal day I also had a better time than I usually do darting from system to system.
So here's to Rifters and Amamake! (I must be honest I hoped to see Laedy around so I could ask for a duel, I had no such luck. Perhaps next time!)
Up to speed now? Good.
So off I went in my classic Rifter cutting cookies all over the shop. 200 plate, repper, holy triad of tackle, I had it all, Amamake didn't know what was coming...
Well things weren't quite as intense as I had hoped although I felt proud to do my bit in keeping the solo scene alive. I mainly found some other lone Rifter pilots looking for a tussle, dispatching them with relative ease. After having such a blast dodging Dramiels and oversized gate camps I extended this ethos to my home life in Verge Vendor and claimed a few more Rifters. Fellow tusker Mal Asha (who's exploits can be read about in Wensley's blog) was awake at some absurd time in his country and tasked me with keeping him awake and I of course obliged, deciding that taking him up to Amamake would be the cure for his sleepy soul. We shipped up, shipped out and made best speed to the Heimatar region with hopes and dreams or piracy and fun all round. Unfortunately things weren't quite as peachy as we hoped and we decided on some whim to ship up to Jaguars (the reason why is beyond me). We claimed a few lives but nothing particularly spectacular.
Mal then took us over to Evati to see the locals and hopefully bag some kills, which we did. That kill right there is why I abhore dual-prop close-range Dramiels, they just can't stand up to Assault Frigates. Bear in mind the fight was largely a solo affair so he was held down by only 1 web and 1 scram for 95% of the fight. I wish I could write an epic post in regards to the fight but it quite literally became a Gallente affair; overheat everything and tear him to pieces.
Time passed, we saw some friendly faces from our public channel and both lost our Jaguars in suicidal manoeuvres, which is all in the name of fun. After a break we returned and I piped up in local to see if anyone would be kind enough to sell me a shuttle for my journey home. Just to my luck a pilot whom I have always been aware of but never had the pleasure of talking to for any length of time stepped in and offered me a ship, the same went for Mal. I docked and a trade window opened with Lady Shaniqua with a fully fit Rifter inside. Epic, the roam continued! I gave what isk I could spare in appreciation and we headed home after a long roam. It was great fun and although I lost more ships than I probably should have on a normal day I also had a better time than I usually do darting from system to system.
So here's to Rifters and Amamake! (I must be honest I hoped to see Laedy around so I could ask for a duel, I had no such luck. Perhaps next time!)
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Self Destruct This Please
Ok so this goes out to CCP; sort self-destructing out! I don't mind self-destructing being in the game but there definitely needs to be a few changes to make it a fair game mechanic.
Why am I bringing this up? An Orca that blew itself up in front of my face after myself and few Tuskers caught it in a belt. Obviously it does show up in the log but when your frigate's gun cycle round constantly and you are being shot by npc rats that message can easily slip by. I would also keep my log open but unfortunately the large portion of screen real estate I have is filled by the cumbersome UI CCP have given us and the many chat windows that I have opened for whatever tactical reasoning.
To fix this aggravating issue you need to do a few things;
Why am I bringing this up? An Orca that blew itself up in front of my face after myself and few Tuskers caught it in a belt. Obviously it does show up in the log but when your frigate's gun cycle round constantly and you are being shot by npc rats that message can easily slip by. I would also keep my log open but unfortunately the large portion of screen real estate I have is filled by the cumbersome UI CCP have given us and the many chat windows that I have opened for whatever tactical reasoning.
To fix this aggravating issue you need to do a few things;
- Remove insurance on self-destructed ships.
- Add a timer directly on the ships hull for visual aid, rather than a single text message that practically always is overlooked.
- Generate a killmail for those involved (not mandatory)
- Give a fair loot drop rather than having all fitted modules destroyed. I see no reason why having a ship explode through overwhelming firepower is any different than a single explosion from the pilot's choice.
It really isn't hard, wouldn't take much work but would make people far happier and improve the way things are played. I hope somebody takes a look at this and agrees because it borders on insanity to have any other way.
Roll on the next Orca to land in a belt with me, I don't think it will get a chance of a ransom next time!
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Flee on Sight!
Just a quick post to give a shout out to a fellow wingman Suleiman Shouaa, director and now turned blogger! He's recently began writing a blog called Flee on Sight and it's great. I recommend everyone to go check it out and I'm sure you'll enjoy it too!
Welcome to the blogging community Sulei o/
Welcome to the blogging community Sulei o/
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
How It's Gonna End
I am a foolish pirate. It's become more and more apparent to me as I've played Eve and rather than actually trying to rectify the issue I merely ignore it. Thus I get losses such as this and more painfully this. When I shouldn't do something, I just think of what the best but almost impossible situation is and get it in my head it will work. Obviously it never does.
More fool me.
As some of you might know I make all my isk from piracy and I don't have an alt to support me in any tangible or worthwhile way. My 100,000sp hauler barely qualifies to actually carry anything of value and other than that it's Kishin on his lonesome. Why, then, don't I wise up? Answers on a postcard please.
The Daredevil is a wonderful ship by the way for those that contemplate flying it. I know had I not attacked those Dramiels that I would be flying it quite regularly and hopefully racking up some great kills. I would go into detail about what really draws me to the ship but I didn't get quite enough flight time to figure it out. Eve is a thinkers game and I'm beginning to realize that if I continue in my sloppy ways I'll be left in the dirt whilst others soar above me. This echoes a new chapter for me as a pilot and I plan to buck up and fly smart from now on, these kinds of losses have really punched me in the face. Do any of you find you harbour any particularly bad habits? If so, what and how do you combat them when out flying?
Hopefully something good will come of this, at least before any more bad stuff! I'm going to take a deep breath, relax and begin sorting myself out. Thus ends the emotionally fueled rant of a butthurt pirate!
More fool me.
As some of you might know I make all my isk from piracy and I don't have an alt to support me in any tangible or worthwhile way. My 100,000sp hauler barely qualifies to actually carry anything of value and other than that it's Kishin on his lonesome. Why, then, don't I wise up? Answers on a postcard please.
The Daredevil is a wonderful ship by the way for those that contemplate flying it. I know had I not attacked those Dramiels that I would be flying it quite regularly and hopefully racking up some great kills. I would go into detail about what really draws me to the ship but I didn't get quite enough flight time to figure it out. Eve is a thinkers game and I'm beginning to realize that if I continue in my sloppy ways I'll be left in the dirt whilst others soar above me. This echoes a new chapter for me as a pilot and I plan to buck up and fly smart from now on, these kinds of losses have really punched me in the face. Do any of you find you harbour any particularly bad habits? If so, what and how do you combat them when out flying?
Hopefully something good will come of this, at least before any more bad stuff! I'm going to take a deep breath, relax and begin sorting myself out. Thus ends the emotionally fueled rant of a butthurt pirate!
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
Part of me wants to write a completely different post than the one I am at current. Unfortunately I'm a bit of a fool when it comes to deciding the name of each entry and thus pretty much all of them are songs that I like. I suppose in a way you can find out a little more about me just by finding the song that heads whatever of my writings you decide to read. This title in particular pertains to the Tom Waits version. Moving on swiftly.
All pirates are pvpers. All pvpers are not necessarily pirates, far from it. This much is true within Eve. Some I suppose could argue that those who scam are the dark side of industry but I wouldn't regard them specifically pirates, we'll focus on those that yyaahhhrrr for now. So here's the question I put forward to you the reader; what allows a pilot to gain this 'pirate' status. Is it the bounty on our heads? Perhaps the negative security status (for those that are really hardcore) or is it the sacred art of ransoming? I personally opt for the third. Anyone can come out of a bad engagement and want to get some revenge (however futile bounty revenge is) and any avid pvper can let his security status slip enough to be flashy. On another counter to this argument a majority of self proclaimed pirates have neutral security statuses, most likely for tactical reasons or otherwise.
So now we've isolated what I believe makes a pirate I basically want to see who actually does ransom victims primarily? I intend to ransom every target that I come up against and through following this mantra rigorously I actually do make my living off piracy on it's own. Whilst the isk isn't in any way a stable cash flow, I find that a little planning and careful piloting allows for a decent career as a pirate. One thing that can be said for piracy done in such a way is that pvp evolves to become a different style of game. Assessing a situation becomes even more crucial than it would be for any other combat pilot as the stakes are so much higher. In effect, whilst a POS is the lifeline for an industrialist and a mining barge is a miner's right hand, a pirate plays a far more dangerous game (wouldn't you have guessed) as the vessel that is being pit against the torrential onslaught of an entire world embodies a pirate's all; money, life.
I really feel that ransoming is becoming a dying art form and I want to begin spearheading an initiative to change this. Please keep an eye out for future announcements here to try and re-invigorate the art of ransoming!
All pirates are pvpers. All pvpers are not necessarily pirates, far from it. This much is true within Eve. Some I suppose could argue that those who scam are the dark side of industry but I wouldn't regard them specifically pirates, we'll focus on those that yyaahhhrrr for now. So here's the question I put forward to you the reader; what allows a pilot to gain this 'pirate' status. Is it the bounty on our heads? Perhaps the negative security status (for those that are really hardcore) or is it the sacred art of ransoming? I personally opt for the third. Anyone can come out of a bad engagement and want to get some revenge (however futile bounty revenge is) and any avid pvper can let his security status slip enough to be flashy. On another counter to this argument a majority of self proclaimed pirates have neutral security statuses, most likely for tactical reasons or otherwise.
So now we've isolated what I believe makes a pirate I basically want to see who actually does ransom victims primarily? I intend to ransom every target that I come up against and through following this mantra rigorously I actually do make my living off piracy on it's own. Whilst the isk isn't in any way a stable cash flow, I find that a little planning and careful piloting allows for a decent career as a pirate. One thing that can be said for piracy done in such a way is that pvp evolves to become a different style of game. Assessing a situation becomes even more crucial than it would be for any other combat pilot as the stakes are so much higher. In effect, whilst a POS is the lifeline for an industrialist and a mining barge is a miner's right hand, a pirate plays a far more dangerous game (wouldn't you have guessed) as the vessel that is being pit against the torrential onslaught of an entire world embodies a pirate's all; money, life.
I really feel that ransoming is becoming a dying art form and I want to begin spearheading an initiative to change this. Please keep an eye out for future announcements here to try and re-invigorate the art of ransoming!
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Not Ready To Make Nice; Fashion Pirates!
As we all know my abilities with photoshop or microsoft paint are far below that of many others, you only need to look at my banner on this here blog to clarify this statement. Thus a good friend of mine (who has also recently become a blogger; link here) has endeavoured to draw me a new banner for my logbook of New Eden life to give it a much sleeker and more bad'ass look. When asked what ship I wanted showcased on said banner I fell on my face. I wanted a ship that would represent me as a pirate and still look damn cool. This is how it all began...
Initially the Rifter springs to everyone's minds and for good reason; it's reliable (for a minmatar ship) and has been immortalized in the lore of Eve as a young pirate's greatest asset. Not wanting to fall under this whilst still being a Matari pilot at heart I needed a different ship to represent who I was. What I wasn't expecting from this mindless contemplation that I of course divulged to all my corp mates in ventrilo (because I barely ever shut up in vent), was that Kirith would turn this into a really interesting blog post! I read it with glee and found some of his choices very interesting considering both of us are currently rooted to our frigateering ways (that is totally a real word for frigate flyers only!) I then noticed a second blog about said subject by Mail Lite. Thus I have decided to follow suit and throw my perspective into the mix.
I wanted to make this a combination of both functionality and style when deciding on what ships I thought were a good asset for a pirate. Obviously frigate hulls have taken slight precedence in my shortlist as I have a soft spot for them but I've made sure to keep the list at least somewhat diversified!
Number Five: Hurricane
Number Four: Taranis
Number Three: Arbitrator
Number Two: Rifter
And finally at number one and the choice for my new blog banner...
Republic Fleet Firetail!
My reason for this ship is many fold. Firstly it looks awesome. Secondly it is somewhat affordable yet still good enough to make you feel special on the battlefield. Thirdly it IS a pirate ship, which you can learn if you read the description of the ship itself! It is a ship that I enjoy flying and have had great success with and it allows me to blend the two greatest aspects of Kishin; my Minmatar heritage and my life as a pirate.
Till next time fellow pilots!
Initially the Rifter springs to everyone's minds and for good reason; it's reliable (for a minmatar ship) and has been immortalized in the lore of Eve as a young pirate's greatest asset. Not wanting to fall under this whilst still being a Matari pilot at heart I needed a different ship to represent who I was. What I wasn't expecting from this mindless contemplation that I of course divulged to all my corp mates in ventrilo (because I barely ever shut up in vent), was that Kirith would turn this into a really interesting blog post! I read it with glee and found some of his choices very interesting considering both of us are currently rooted to our frigateering ways (that is totally a real word for frigate flyers only!) I then noticed a second blog about said subject by Mail Lite. Thus I have decided to follow suit and throw my perspective into the mix.
I wanted to make this a combination of both functionality and style when deciding on what ships I thought were a good asset for a pirate. Obviously frigate hulls have taken slight precedence in my shortlist as I have a soft spot for them but I've made sure to keep the list at least somewhat diversified!
Number Five: Hurricane
Number Four: Taranis
Number Three: Arbitrator
Number Two: Rifter
And finally at number one and the choice for my new blog banner...
Republic Fleet Firetail!
My reason for this ship is many fold. Firstly it looks awesome. Secondly it is somewhat affordable yet still good enough to make you feel special on the battlefield. Thirdly it IS a pirate ship, which you can learn if you read the description of the ship itself! It is a ship that I enjoy flying and have had great success with and it allows me to blend the two greatest aspects of Kishin; my Minmatar heritage and my life as a pirate.
Till next time fellow pilots!
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Moar Frigate Fights Plx
After a request by someone I shall leave anonymous to blog more about frigate fights (I'd link you to the blog post but he unfortunately deleted it) I figured I would oblige and give you all an after action report on a fight I had last night. I also got shouted to update my blog in Hevrice local today so special thanks goes out to Zurakaru Ze for getting my lazy ass in gear! He has a great blog that I found thanks to the power of google and you can all enjoy it here.
It all began with my triumphant return to New Eden, well, not so much. Still I had taken a small break whilst some skills ticked over and my real life got the better of me, a shame indeed right? So the fabled Gallente Frigate V has finished, drone skills are looking pretty tip top and my support skills are finally about fleshed out. Life is officially good again. The wallet is chirpy and my array of ships has increased ten fold thanks to the training plan I've stuck to in order to fly the Dramiel. Now that you are all caught up to speed I can actually begin the tale...
Myself and a bunch of Tuskers were zipping around the Hevrice system and decided to go find trouble and in a matter of moments we were all sat in various frigates (and a Rupture) raring for fresh blood. The initial composition of the fleet escapes me, suffice to say it would be something of a worthless piece of information as for the next two hours things were very slow. No targets, not even in the holy grail of pain that is Amamake. Spirits broken a final five of us limped back towards Hevrice with nothing to show but another dent in New Eden's carbon emissions. These five gung ho pilots I shall now create aliases for in regards to the Famous Five:-
It all began with my triumphant return to New Eden, well, not so much. Still I had taken a small break whilst some skills ticked over and my real life got the better of me, a shame indeed right? So the fabled Gallente Frigate V has finished, drone skills are looking pretty tip top and my support skills are finally about fleshed out. Life is officially good again. The wallet is chirpy and my array of ships has increased ten fold thanks to the training plan I've stuck to in order to fly the Dramiel. Now that you are all caught up to speed I can actually begin the tale...
Myself and a bunch of Tuskers were zipping around the Hevrice system and decided to go find trouble and in a matter of moments we were all sat in various frigates (and a Rupture) raring for fresh blood. The initial composition of the fleet escapes me, suffice to say it would be something of a worthless piece of information as for the next two hours things were very slow. No targets, not even in the holy grail of pain that is Amamake. Spirits broken a final five of us limped back towards Hevrice with nothing to show but another dent in New Eden's carbon emissions. These five gung ho pilots I shall now create aliases for in regards to the Famous Five:-
- Robert Mason shall be Julian; the herioc leader of the group that leads us into danger. Also he's like totally my father.
- ItsmeHcK1 is Dick; though not for the reasons you might think! Despite being FC of this roam wikipedia's faithful depiction of the character just screamed Itsme. Go look for yourself.
- Snake Bliskan is going to have to be Anne; his voice is so silky smooth it's scary.
- Taek'li will take the role of George; I'm not sure why but I felt harsh making him a dog.
- I will be Timothy; yes the dog.
As we rushed home to catch much needed sleep or go find some food to fill our empty bellies, a gang of cruisers and frigates that we had seen earlier but been unable to engage just so happened to be sitting around trying to do a faction warfare plex. We took the oppurtunity to attack despite their Blackbird support and larger fleet size. This is where things got interesting.
As we landed on the gate to the plex their fleet suddenly warped off rapidly, except for the Blackbird. Our famous group managed to get points and precious deeps on the evil ecm boat and it fell without any hassle. Whether the pilot choked on the call to warp out or just got left behind for another reason I cannot say, yet the knowledge that the linchpin of their setup was gone made us all breath easy as we prepared for a response. The pilot was invited to chat and ransoming proceeded with our obvious intentions being to draw their fleet back in to the fight. After some big talk that they were about to 'have some fun with us' and our shooting him into smithereens their fleet landed at range and then proceeded to warp away again. We made chase and just missed catching a few rogue members in belts before having to rally back upon the plex that they had all skulked into beneath our noses. At this point our FC Dick decided to call us into battle, we aligned with the acceleration gate and were promptly threw into the deep unknown...
Warped away, again. Their fleet disengaged and scattered out. We gave chase once more perhaps through ill-judgement on our behalf, though with the length of the roam and lack of fights who could blame us? Once more events repeated themselves and we formed upon the plex gate of the site that they once more took refuge in. This time however, things happened. Primaries were called and despite being told to go directly for the Stabber I couldn't resist but put the enemy Taranis out of action. With this being my Taranis' maiden flight I suffered from the same symptoms all pilots do with a new toy; fear, excitement, wallet checking. I overheating my guns and launched my drones, immediately tearing into his armour. Seconds later his ship tore into a fragment of glittering shards and I remained victorious. I quickly assigned my drones to aid with the assault upon the enemy Stabber and took on the various tech 1 frigates that littered the field.
Unfortunately for me, the battle was swinging back and forth, far above my head for me to notice. George's Rupture had succumbed to their combined force and call outs of our gang taking damage was flooding into ventrilo at an alarming rate. Both myself and Julian were under fire and Anne was bravely tanking as much as possible. I quickly made work of an Incursus as my armour hit 50% and I began pulling range as best as possible, throwing my drones upon enemy drones and spitting bullets out in a venomous rage at all who closed in.
At this point everything went blank.
Whatever happened after then is a mystery to me, I only wish I could gain different perspectives of the fight so that I could fill in the various gaps that remain. Suffice to say I made it on every killmail in the fight and left with 37% armour. I think Julian came out in structure and unfortunately Anne's Ishkur was lost. We were victorious! Frantically those that had the cargo space looted like frenzied ferrets (yes, check out the analogy) and we made our escape into the night as a Vagabond and Rifter squadron arrived on scene to put us in our places.
Fights don't get as good as this, nor do they happen everyday. Despite what many people will chime in local about blob fleets etc. can see that without a fleet this glorious fight would have never happened and thus my blog wouldn't have awoke from it's writing slumber. So be thankful for small gang combat and I'll remain in awe of my new favourite ship the Taranis.
As a disclaimer I can't verify how famous any of the Tuskers mentioned are, nor can I say that our adventures were quite as fantastic; here's hoping.
Till next time o/
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Just to spread the word
I'm just going to say my peace now and be done with it as this post isn't in any particularly way related to me. A fellow blogger, whom I follow and enjoy reading, posted a rather interesting topic about account security and the prospects of banning through 'shady' business in the world of Eve. By shady I mean selling items and/or isk for real life monetary gain.
After reading the post and doing a bit of extra reconnaissance on those involved I felt it necessary to oblige Mail's request to spread the word and thus I am linking you to the very post in question. If this is indeed true then I can only hope the issue is resolved quickly.
I would throw in my opinion on the whole issue but in all honesty I can't see what good it would bring. Mail has said the best part of what needs to be said and the event speaks clearly for itself. I would hope that through this the people whom do violate EULA regulations take a chance to reconsider their actions as it has now gotten to a point where they ruin other people's game.
I can't assume they would give any thought to this though.
All the best.
After reading the post and doing a bit of extra reconnaissance on those involved I felt it necessary to oblige Mail's request to spread the word and thus I am linking you to the very post in question. If this is indeed true then I can only hope the issue is resolved quickly.
I would throw in my opinion on the whole issue but in all honesty I can't see what good it would bring. Mail has said the best part of what needs to be said and the event speaks clearly for itself. I would hope that through this the people whom do violate EULA regulations take a chance to reconsider their actions as it has now gotten to a point where they ruin other people's game.
I can't assume they would give any thought to this though.
All the best.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
... And I shall use their bodies as steps if I have to!
Just a very quick post to announce a new milestone in my life as a capsuleer; I have now peaked at just over 500 kills lifetime! Not something of merit to the many 0.0 dwellers out there I'm sure but for a low-sec pirate I am rather proud of myself. I promised myself that I would reach this mark before I hit 100 losses and for a while I didn't think I would actually succeed and through some divine stroke of luck I have. I have all the many frigate hulls of mine that have died in a fire during this difficult process to thank, may they rest in peace... In space.
In other news I had a rather interesting ransom earlier today. I actually ransomed a pilot to give him a 'fast travel ticket' to his pre-specified clone vat. You can see a write up of this particular ransom here, along with all other ransoms that I have honoured (which is every single one of course) in that singular thread. The ransom I am referring to is the current latest on the board, posted on the 22nd June in case you have trouble finding it! This just shows that there is money to be made in piracy people, although this particular sum wasn't particularly juicy it is nice to enjoy a conversation with such a fine tempered fellow.
All the best, till next time pilots.
In other news I had a rather interesting ransom earlier today. I actually ransomed a pilot to give him a 'fast travel ticket' to his pre-specified clone vat. You can see a write up of this particular ransom here, along with all other ransoms that I have honoured (which is every single one of course) in that singular thread. The ransom I am referring to is the current latest on the board, posted on the 22nd June in case you have trouble finding it! This just shows that there is money to be made in piracy people, although this particular sum wasn't particularly juicy it is nice to enjoy a conversation with such a fine tempered fellow.
All the best, till next time pilots.
Friday, 18 June 2010
EVE Blog Banter #18: You know what, I've still got the same damn shirt on!
Welcome to the eighteenth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by none other than me, CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed tocrazykinux@gmail.com. Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!
Based upon those that I have read in regards to this edition of the banter, I didn't begin quite in the same way most did. I wasn't invited to join the game, I had no prior contacts or friends who played the game (I did, however, have many who mockws it! The term 'excel spreadsheet' comes to mind.) Despite my fellow mmo players guidance to play something like Ultima Online or Final Fantasy XI (which I did try and do enjoy) I took the plunge into Eve... And got bored. I cancelled subscription and left Kishin to twiddle his fingers inside station. I eventually came back to Eve in October, randomly chose a corp advert in my home station and clicked apply.
I was most definitely among the lucky people in New Eden when I jumped on to ventrilo for the first time with the members of High House of Shadows. Not specifically a pvp corp I inquired about the prospect of some roams to the CEO and he gave the green light. I have never been a competitive person in any aspect of my life, I dislike confrontation so I can't really recall what led me to this desire, perhaps the boredom of missioning and mining. Things went well at first, I spent the days missioning low level missions to gain enough isk for a Rifter hull and the nights flying the low-sec systems with my corp hunting the villainous pirates that I had been informed of through what felt like tales of myth. Yes that's right, I was an anti-pirate. Admittedly this wasn't through personal choice, but by mandate of the alliance we were a part of; Republic Alliance. I've never had a liking for them or what they stand for, none the less I stayed on board purely due to the people in HHOS. Things came to a stand still for me when the majority of my friends moved to 0.0 and I still barely flew Rifters to any level of efficiency. I gained insight from Wensley of the Tuskers (at the time) and followed my heart towards getting 5 solo kills and joining the Tuskers!
A little over three months after I set off alone to become a pirate I succeeded and joined the Tuskers. I would fill in the large gap of time there but it's all available via my blog which began the very day I quite High House of Shadows. In terms of the banter I would say that I differ in most as I never engaged in the activities of a PvE player in any true way. I've never gained any tangible amount of isk through anything other than piracy and as far as knowledge regarding anything in the realms of Eve's industry goes I am incredibly limited. I've had a stab at trading; it went poorly. I've tried missioning; didn't make it to level 3 missions. I've tried mining; didn't get past a Scythe. My entire life in New Eden has been riddled with frustration through isk difficulties and lack of knowledge about the environment around me. Heck, I didn't even do any of the tutorials to help me out bar the mandatory one. I jumped into Eve, fall on my face and crawled for 5 months straight. Then when my application to the Tuskers was accepted, I picked myself up, dusted myself down and finally felt at home with the life I led.
I won't say that I didn't have fun before the Tuskers as the groundings of my knowledge as a pvper came from pilots such as Masquitar and Sagantor, what I can say is that I've definitely expanded on my skills and knowledge since then. I command fleets with pilots whose skill points out-rank me five fold, I am confident in performing any task given to me by an FC without fail and I am able to make a positive income through my life as a pirate.
I'm still ridiculously young and many parts of the game hold an enigmatic quality to me, such as 0.0 warfare and wormhole life, yet the more I read blogs about them, watch videos and enter into those environments I realize they aren't for me. Piracy is my place in Eve and will continue to be until I see fit otherwise.
On May 6th 2010, EVE Online celebrated its 7th Anniversary. Quite a milestone in MMO history, especially considering that it is one of the few virtual worlds out there to see its population continually grow year after year. For some of you who've been here since the very beginning, EVE has evolved quite a lot since its creation. With the expansion rolling out roughly twice a year, New Eden gets renewed and improved regularly. But, how about you the player? How has your gaming style evolved through the years or months since you've started playing? Have you always been a carebear, or roleplayer? Have you only focused on PvP or have you given other aspects of the game a chance - say manufacturing. Let's hear your story!I've never written a single blog post related to the blog banters that CrazyKinux kindly instigates but I have read the majority of them since my dive into the world of Eve blogging. In honesty I thought that only those in the blog pack chosen by Kinux could actually write these, though my naive vision and tentative nature washed away and I realize that as with many things, it's all a means to make the community grow. Thus I have decided that from now on I shall put my all into future banters and what better a beginning could I ask for than to ramble on about my life in New Eden? That being said, lets begin.
Based upon those that I have read in regards to this edition of the banter, I didn't begin quite in the same way most did. I wasn't invited to join the game, I had no prior contacts or friends who played the game (I did, however, have many who mockws it! The term 'excel spreadsheet' comes to mind.) Despite my fellow mmo players guidance to play something like Ultima Online or Final Fantasy XI (which I did try and do enjoy) I took the plunge into Eve... And got bored. I cancelled subscription and left Kishin to twiddle his fingers inside station. I eventually came back to Eve in October, randomly chose a corp advert in my home station and clicked apply.
I was most definitely among the lucky people in New Eden when I jumped on to ventrilo for the first time with the members of High House of Shadows. Not specifically a pvp corp I inquired about the prospect of some roams to the CEO and he gave the green light. I have never been a competitive person in any aspect of my life, I dislike confrontation so I can't really recall what led me to this desire, perhaps the boredom of missioning and mining. Things went well at first, I spent the days missioning low level missions to gain enough isk for a Rifter hull and the nights flying the low-sec systems with my corp hunting the villainous pirates that I had been informed of through what felt like tales of myth. Yes that's right, I was an anti-pirate. Admittedly this wasn't through personal choice, but by mandate of the alliance we were a part of; Republic Alliance. I've never had a liking for them or what they stand for, none the less I stayed on board purely due to the people in HHOS. Things came to a stand still for me when the majority of my friends moved to 0.0 and I still barely flew Rifters to any level of efficiency. I gained insight from Wensley of the Tuskers (at the time) and followed my heart towards getting 5 solo kills and joining the Tuskers!
A little over three months after I set off alone to become a pirate I succeeded and joined the Tuskers. I would fill in the large gap of time there but it's all available via my blog which began the very day I quite High House of Shadows. In terms of the banter I would say that I differ in most as I never engaged in the activities of a PvE player in any true way. I've never gained any tangible amount of isk through anything other than piracy and as far as knowledge regarding anything in the realms of Eve's industry goes I am incredibly limited. I've had a stab at trading; it went poorly. I've tried missioning; didn't make it to level 3 missions. I've tried mining; didn't get past a Scythe. My entire life in New Eden has been riddled with frustration through isk difficulties and lack of knowledge about the environment around me. Heck, I didn't even do any of the tutorials to help me out bar the mandatory one. I jumped into Eve, fall on my face and crawled for 5 months straight. Then when my application to the Tuskers was accepted, I picked myself up, dusted myself down and finally felt at home with the life I led.
I won't say that I didn't have fun before the Tuskers as the groundings of my knowledge as a pvper came from pilots such as Masquitar and Sagantor, what I can say is that I've definitely expanded on my skills and knowledge since then. I command fleets with pilots whose skill points out-rank me five fold, I am confident in performing any task given to me by an FC without fail and I am able to make a positive income through my life as a pirate.
I'm still ridiculously young and many parts of the game hold an enigmatic quality to me, such as 0.0 warfare and wormhole life, yet the more I read blogs about them, watch videos and enter into those environments I realize they aren't for me. Piracy is my place in Eve and will continue to be until I see fit otherwise.
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