My Lucky Day

I've flown a freighter exactly once.

One day a few weeks ago I was plexing and had three faction frigates shot out from under me in about an hour and a half. And they weren't even close fights. It happens. So I thought to myself: This must be my lucky day. Let's try lo-sec hauling. 

I flew back to Dodixie and found the Iteron Vs to be a nice, cheap 2 million. Wow, I didn't know that. I thought the V was all leet or something. I fit it with shield tank (Couldn't fit a Large Shield Extender; 3 Mediums would have to do!) and Warp Core Stabs. I loaded it with half a billion ISK of faction ammo and a Firetail (gotta have something to get blown up once I get there, que non?).

It's 10 jumps to Nenn; we have a full shield tank and warp stabs, and half a billion ISK in cargo. We've never done this before. It's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.

So I set a course and hit it! All went pretty well. The agility rigs seemed to be working alright and aligning me tolerably fast toward the next gate. There was even a three-man gate camp half an hour earlier that had conveniently disappeared for me. 

And then, in the middle of me aligning to warp to Nenn station, a pirate fleet landed on grid. They had at least 15 Wolf assault frigates with EWAR and logi support, all flashy red in my overview like Christmas morning. 

Phew. If I had come through a second and a half later...I shudder to think. 

Now if that ammo ever sells, that'll be another story. 

Tristan on Tristan action

One of my favorite things to do is to plex in marginally busy systems and wait for the gudfites to happen. They're releasing a new model for the Tristan today-ish, so I figured it was time to take the Fat Man out for a last hurrah. 

The Tristan has a lot of options, because its high slots are kind of meh to most people. Two guns with a minor tracking bonus; what to do with the third high? I was on Failheap Challenge looking for good Tristan fits, at least something that might be better than mine. 

Some people actually skip fitting anything in the highs in favor of massive speed and drone boosts. Another classic trick is to fit 3 neutralizers, which can cap a frigate out in something like 20 seconds. Bad news if you get close.

I found one of those. I had just happened to fit my Tristan to orbit 12km with 75mm rails and faction iridium. He was afterburner fit too, but with no nano and armor tank, he couldn't quite catch me. He seemed to realize he was doomed as his ancillary armor repper was going to run out, and he redirected his drones at my drones; I could, after all, conceivably slip up and not reinforce them or not have any replacements at all. In retrospect, he may have had a better chance if he heated the afterburner. I had to in order to stay away and he would have outlasted me until he could get the neuts on. I tend to assume everyone carries a web, but he did not. Or he would have heated it and got me at 12km anyway, come to think of it. I think I'll change to Spike and orbit 20km going forward.

He popped. GFs exchanged. No one seemed to be coming, so I scooped loot, finished the plex and returned to base. 

Shield-tanked rail Tristan, orbiting at sufficient range, kills triple neutralizer Tristan. Alert Anderson Cooper. 

What B-R looks like to faction warriors

B-R5RB happened about six weeks ago. The Teginator and others have noticed statistical data and plentiful anecdotes that new players have come in for good fights and are largely not disappointed, thanks to good instigators like Brave Newbies and some courageous souls in Faction War even, who have taken it upon themselves to actually bash iHubs to flip enemy systems when they become vulnerable. Quel concepte!

The veterans start chiming in and trying to channel them. And the newbies have been good sports about it. I think this is working as intended, and it's a good thing socially. It elevates militia chat above bad dick jokes. 

Sometimes, though, it seems as if the veterans are still trying to control their Isk/LP ratio, even at the expense of these new eager recruits that want to raise our Tier. They will try to talk said newbies out of bashing certain systems for what look to me like not-strictly-strategic reasons. And I get pugnacious over that, because for once in the last three months in GalMil, we're making progress. 

Faction war is not a war simulation, is it? It's a war profiteering simulation. I guess the profiteer and the soldier have different ideas of progress.

Plex Banter

We've all had this happen. You're about to cap a plex and a new guy comes in, sees that you're almost done, and decides he's safe to stay and get some of those sweet, sweet Loyalty Points at your expense.

Last time that happened I locked him up. He didn't leave. Time to huck some missiles and teach him some healthy suspicion for his Militia mates. Then he leaves.

Minerva Zen > and stay out, christ
Red Acted* > sad face
Minerva Zen > it's bad manner to vulch plexes

Same night. It happens again. You'd think we just hit Tier 2 warzone control or something. Same story. Locked him up,

Minerva Zen > 10 seconds

I had to huck missiles before they left. I am thinking in the future I should not further jeopardize my security status just to chase someone off.

This time, though, I ran into the same fellow later. I warped into HIS plex right as it was finishing up. I acted fast and warped off.

Minerva Zen > o7
Ubi Sub Semper* > Minerva Zen  thx
Minerva Zen > it's what is done :)

I'm guessing that's got the better chance of changing someone's mind, presuming he recognized my name.

* Not real names. Maybe they're free for yet more alts!

Another EVE blog, WHY?

Many reasons.

1) So I can have my picture next to my responses to Ripard Teg's posts.

2) So I can attract unwanted attention to my in-game activities.

3) To highlight my playstyle, which is apparently wacky. I am in Faction War (FW), and I pursue objectives (farm plexes) with a combat ship, waiting for fights to happen. I have a kind of brain trauma or something, where I look at a game and play it the way its presentation suggests. This is probably why I suck at EVE. Also, I love frigates of all kinds and specialize in them. 

So hey! Maybe I'll see you around.