Alien Breed - Evolution

A long time ago in a galaxy not so far away I used to play an Amiga500. The available games were simply brilliant, despite a processing clock speed of only 6Mhz. One of the best co-op games on the system was Team 17's Alien Breed. Set in a dark future where hostile alien creatures have taken over a ship, you must battle to regain control of the vessel and eliminate the Xenomorph infestation.

X-Box Live Arcade has just released an updated next generation version of this classic title called; Alien Breed Evolution. If you have an X-Box 360 then this game is highly recommended. Classic gaming excellence from the Team 17 studio.



Related Links
Team17 (official site)

X-Massness

Traditionally around this time the powers that be grant us lowly souls a gift for the annual celebrations. I’m eager to know whether and what this years prezzy might be. My snowballs have melted and the launcher rusted so an item is needed to let those of us who celebrate, let our hair down and commit social suicide by behaving badly.

Will it be a new shuttle? Or perhaps the stations could become adorned with twinkly lights and snow. Even better would be a giant bearded fat fellow, dressed in red and stood at each gate, laughing and endlessly churning out seasons greetings.

I think the latter option may cause some aggression toward gate staff. We must remember however that New Eden does not share the same religious beliefs, and the multicultural nature of the cluster should be remembered.

For some unfathomable reason I tend to gain an extra tyre in weight, which I duly burn after the celebrations have tired. This year I’m almost out-of-my-mind from all the quafe I’ve consumed. There’s a tradition in my family that asks us to abstain from acts of violence during the celebrations but I’ve decided to make this year an exception.

Whatever your plans this time around I wish you all happy yarr! time, and trust that you will celebrate to the fullest extent of the law, and then some.

Merry hunting…

The Fear Factor

It is wise to choose a vessel because of its abilities regardless of its appearance. However, the design of any vessel brings with it the notion that, although we want to defeat every foe, the way a ship looks is only important in so much that it suits the role it’s intended for. For many, this simply is not the case.

I tend to choose ships based on their appearance first and build from that point. B13 does not; his choices are determined by the abilities of the ship. For this reason his designs are almost always more capable, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable flying a pirate ship which looked like a broken satellite or a lopsided chew toy.

The Damnation was for years my preferred hull. However, I found myself flying an Absolution more often purely because its abilities suited my needs better. I occasionally undock the Damnation and fly her to the moon and back, my camera drones endlessly snapping shots of her wonderfully dark hull but she is quickly becoming a relic.

The Cynabal cruiser is of excellent design. This little monster is hard to fit, but she looks terrific. I adore the teethy grin on her bow and the circular engines mounted on her hide. It’s one of those ships which looks very scary but statistically does not deliver. Many pilots have told me that the revised version is much better than the old, and so I’ve added a Cynabal to my purchase orders to revise this tiny terror.

I own a Nightmare for my own amusement. This ship has lately seen something of a renaissance. She is capable of delivering serious amounts of firepower on any stationary target and her appearance is dark, organic and spiky, like a demonic fly. The ships’ little sisters; the Phantasm and the Succubus also look the part and would make excellent pirate ships.

My favourite has to be the Daredevil because it resembles the bones of a demon. Its abilities make it very capable, but its initial costs outweigh its appearance. I’ve attempted piracy in a Daredevil, but it did not fare well and this idea was relegated to a whim.

It’s a shame that we are not permitted to choose an exterior colour for our beloved vessels, and most must agree that a colour coordinated fleet would appear to be well organised, or that every pirate vessel would be black. Perhaps care-bears should be mandatory pink, I’d vote for that.

Happy hunting…

Hauler Hell

Old Man Star is haulers hell. It’s regularly patrolled by warring pirate factions whom seek all life and civilizations to pillage. I needed to traverse this system or face a lengthy detour along the fringes of Empire which I was not prepared to endure and so a plan was hastily constructed which relied on the eagerness for looting that pirates regularly exhibit.

I’d estimated a years worth of modules for which I would require whilst living on the edge. The modules were split into useful and not, the useful modules I loaded into my hauler and the poorer into Miss NExUS’ to act as bait and as a means of recycling.


My elite slave ventured into Old Man Star without hesitation. She was instructed to propel the hauler away from the gate at the earliest tangent. Using an overheated micro-warp-drive the hauler picked up speed as the boosted ECM burst disrupted the inevitable hostilities’ targeting attempts. With the hauler nearly 30km from the gate and the pirates struggling to bring her down, I jumped into the system.

My hauler materialised and I witnessed fire billowing from my ALTs ship, and soon enough there was a white flash as the vessel exploded spilling debris into the fray. The bulk of the blockade was still swarming Miss NExUS’ industrial wreck picking through the spoils, leaving the gate unguarded. Within moments my pre-aligned hauler warped to a safe spot and cloaked.

Although my ALTs hauler was lost to the pirates, the price paid was much reduced had my vessel been the punch-line. I’ve since replaced Miss NExUS’ clone and her precious hauler and thanked her, personally. Thanks to her sacrifice my realm is that of the lost and the damned and I pray to flourish within these confines, as I vow never to return to Empire…

Where The Wild Things Are

I find animals interesting from the sense that some are excellent to hunt, and pose a significat threat when cornered. Others are simply pathetic, and serve only as the fodder on the upward food chain of predators.

However, find the correct soundtrack, and you have a moment of awe and wonder...



Related Links
Dramtic Cat (YouTube)
Dramatic Gopher (YouTube)

Heads Up!

Our PODs have problems. Navigating the integral systems is something of a chore. The Jovian interface has seen little revision over the past 500 years and current technology is beginning to feel a little ad-hoc.

I have to believe that ergonomics are currently examining the interface and I trust that improvements are to be implemented. It can’t come soon enough but there is certain to be a period of grace where familiarising ones self with a new interface. Many of us may have intricate designs on the current system where-by any significant change would be met with resentment and bewilderment. I’m not yet decided on whether I want an entirely new system or whether the current dog should be improved.

Those of us who operate dual screens are probably better equipped than most and that a complete redesign seems excessive but intuition appears to have bled from the HUD over the decades. Noobs rarely find the HUD easy to understand and these are the impressions which matter the most because they haven’t had to live with the inadequacies of the Jovian interface and become accustomed to it's flaws. At face value the system needs to be obvious, despite being complicated which is a hard mandate to achieve.

I’m an expert at the current configuration and any redesign would upset my own methods, but I can clearly see that change must occur even if it’s more fundamental than additions or revisions.

“Bring Out Yer Dead…”

I have a secret – quite a few actually. The one I’m sharing is a disturbing compulsion to collect dead flesh. Currently I have over 160 frozen corpses stuffed in a cargo container at the rear of my hangar in my 0.4 safe system. The smell and sight of such a collection of meat is quite horrific and only my janitor dares enter to maintain the catalog and remove any grubs which nibble on the dripping rotting flesh.


I'd commissioned an insulation installation to maintain the corpses below freezing to prevent the inevitable thaw but for some bodies it was a little too late. The gruesome task of removing several soft green stinking popcicles was left to the janitor, as they were loaded into Miss NEXUS's hauler to eject them into the void. The repulsive smell lingered for weeks and my loyal elite slave displayed her mood with insubordination. She was subsequently punished in our own private fashion.

With my recent relocation into lawlessness the bodies have remained in my safe system as I can’t think of a legitimate reason to maintain such a morbid collection of victims. With the w-pos deployment imminent I need to decide what to do with my meaty museum. Perhaps they could decorate the docking ring on the POS as a warning against any rival pirates in the area. Unfortunately I don’t enjoy necrophilia and I have plenty of hat stands, beyond this I’m exhausted for ideas as to the fate of this miserable collection of the dead.

Perhaps they would sell in Jita, anything goes…

Weapon Of Choice

Blazing light slices through the sky as a multitude of beams carve their line of sight through the void. Defences evaporate as the focused energy overloads shield matrices' and melts armour. Tachyon Beams are my preferred weapon of choice.

Many of my ships actually house Pulse lasers because they are actually more efficient at dismantling space craft as they get better tracking and a better fire rate, although their range is more limited. Statistically many may argue that lasers are not the best weapon of choice for many, but they serve my needs perfectly and require very little maintenance.

Ammunition is rarely an issue as lasers require only capacitor to fire. My Zealot regularly blows crystals at an alarming rate and although they are expensive, they are still more cost efficient than using fired ammunition. This also means that precious cargo space is not used for storing thousands of rounds of ammunition meaning there’s more room for loot.

I used to fly Gallente ships although this is very rare that I PvP in a hybrid platform. As Gallente use drones my skills are second to non. The extra DPS gained from training Drone Interfacing to level 5 can be quite impressive, especially on Tech II sentries. I learned early on not to depend on drones for combat however and usually use them as anti-drone work. Drones can be destroyed and are not the best choice for PvP unless you are proficient at babysitting them.

Hybrid weapons can deliver massive amounts of pain onto a target but I found that range was always and issue, not to mention reloading, ammunition changes and supply. In addition to this problem they also use capacitor which is a lot to ask of a pilot.

So I continue to deliver pain by light, injecting my target with photons and heat until they pop! I love it so…

Happy hunting...

EvE Online OST

The music to my exodus. The black wastes beckon me unrelenting and uncaring. I follow without distress, slipping into the darkness once more to become a ghost of the sky...

A Life In Turmoil

I’m sick. Sick from the sweet words in local from carebear to noob, sick of the mission runners whining about the cost of missiles, sick of being stuck in hauler traffic, sick of the pompous politics and sick of being tagged with a measly security rating of -2.45. This must change or I'll go crazy(er).



The Emperor knows I’ve attempted relative peace but I can’t condone it any longer. Currently I’m collating possessions into one single system for easy access by Miss NEXUS, whom has been recalled from her tour of duty in the Minmatar Militia to once again serve my cause in the lawlessness of null sec providing supplies and intel. I’ve done this once before approximately two years ago, but since I returned to Empire I have felt uneasy with my place in New Eden. Once upon a tale my security rating was a wonderful -9.98 and being bad felt good, but I’m beginning to feel like I’m missing the best part of my life by poncing around Empire and the low sec borders.

B13’s presence has been requested and I await his response to my invitation to join me in my endeavour. The w-pos is to be deployed on schedule in ten days time and will serve as a staging point for our occupation in null sec. Whatever path B13 chooses will surely involve piracy, whether to the lengths I plan or not is irrelevant. My enrolment in I-A must unfortunately come to an abrupt end to avoid anticipated reprisals from my enemies.

It’s a new dawn for me and my crew. My mission is indulgence as an outlaw on the fringes of low sec. Over the past few years I have had the privilege of serving in the Amarr Militia, I have acted as sentry to massive alliance mining operations, I have been involved in the deployment of an Empire POS, hunted bounties across the galaxy, stolen many lives and possessions and earned the respect of my colleagues.

My reports will not suffer from the prolonged occupation of this realm, indeed I may have more interesting tales to tell. As I bid farewell to Empire I may smart-bomb Jita just for my own amusement. The plan is in motion and I am beside myself with anticipation. I guess it was innevitable when I kidded myself I would be content within the Empire. So back to the darkness where I belong, back where I was forged and where I'm at my best.

Happy(er) hunting…

Shield Manipulation Level 5

Being Amarr I have little use for shields. My on-board shield is rudimentary and acts as a buffer against unwanted collisions with space junk or frozen corpses, but for the main part I find that my armour is as robust as my needs necessitate.

A colleague of mine, LPn is Caldari. Now I would never normally give a Caldari the time of day but as a member of the I-A I am obliged to converse in civility with any member of the Corporation. During such conversing I recently learned an interesting fact regarding active shields. LPn has maximum skills in shield harmonics meaning that he can brush off over 1k DPS without a sweat in many of his vessels. He told me that with Shield manipulation level 5, during combat any foe must first delete his shield before he takes any damage on his rudimentary armour.

This may sound obvious but a ships armour will begin to take damage when the shield falls below one quarter strength, even though there are points left on the shield. With Shield Manipulation trained to level 5 armour damage is not taken until the shield is completely deleted. If you were to actively shield tank, your ability to absorb damage is very robust and effective as the Shield Repair cycle must be deleted before any armour damage is taken.

As Amarr I find this information slightly dull but I am aware that some may find it useful.

Goon Gank Squad

New Eden is a dangerous place. Even the deceptive safety of Empire is subject to suicide gank squads. There are reports that members of Goonswarm are currently attacking pilots undergoing agent missions within Empire. This is an action which I completely condone and occasionally undertake myself, but it carries huge risks and should only be attempted by the most accomplished and disciplined pilots.

It’s a costly and dangerous profession and one that the local Concord forces do not take kindly to, penalising aggression with deliberate destruction and subsequent security hit of the offending party. The composition of the Goonswarm gank squad and the methods they employ are a carefully guarded secret but I can reveal that some serious firepower is needed as the target vessel will more than likely be able to sustain serious amounts of damage before succumbing to the void.

A target is only worth the loss of your crew if it has factional items aboard either in cargo or fitted. For this reason a scan of the ship is absolutely necessary before any engagement is committed and should only be undertaken if the estimated loot from the target comfortably exceeds the investment of the gank squad. This can be done using a passive targeter to avoid suspicion and a ship and cargo scanner. For this reason is it wise not to utilise expensive riggings and modules. It is wise however, to use battleships as they have enough bulk to withstand the onslaught that is sure to come from both the target and Concord when the fighting begins. The gank squad needs to survive long enough to destroy the target, but another passive vessel will be needed to collect the loot.

The target must be scanned with a recon probe within their respective complex during a mission. A good indication of a mission runner is to scan for drones. This is by no means certain and many savvy mission runners will refrain from using drones to minimise this means of detection. If the target is a faction ship then it shouldn’t be too hard to differentiate from the many signals. It also helps to observe the target entering warp as this will give a good indication of the vector in the system where the mission is undertaken.

Upon locating the target the fleet should stand by for 5 seconds while an interceptor or similar rapid targeting vessel warps ahead and points the ship immediately upon arrival on the grid, with the gank squad following. It may be the case that the target is located in a complex which has gates. If this is the case then the delayed warp order should be followed each and every time. With luck the interceptor will be overlooked long enough to trap the target and then the gank squad can engage with maximum deliverance.

The target may attempt to retaliate and can pose a significant threat. This is more pronounced the later into the mission the target may be as there will be fewer distractions on the battlefield. ECM drones are a good idea but ECM modules are quicker to execute to suppress any retaliation. Once the target has been destroyed enter the passive hauler and scoop up the bounty. It is worth noting not to assist the hauler in any way fearing criminal flagging by Concord.

An operation such as this is hugely dependant on the squad operating efficiently and with precision. The timing of the engagement is crucial to success and every ship in the squad should be engineered to fulfil it’s role as effectively and as cost efficiently as possible. A manoeuvre such as suicide ganking is expensive but can reap huge rewards if the correct target is selected and taken down. Groups of mission runners are not advised unless your squad is confident enough to engage multiple targets swiftly and surely but it is always much easier to neutralise a single vessel ahead of Concords arrival.

This guide is by no means definitive and there are many ways of executing mission runners in Empire. Above all remember that the timing is crucial and the mission is only a success if the target is destroyed.

Happy hunting…

Related Links
Goonswarm (EvE Wiki)

A Long Lost Friend

I just received an eve-mail from my loyal engineers regarding the salvation of my beloved Malediction; Bite-Back. She was found drifting around a small moon deep in Gallente space, hopelessly smashed after a vicious battle to re-capture some renegade slaves was lost.

The ship was thought to have been destroyed but a small convoy of Gallente haulers found her slight signal and homed in on the wreckage. Fortunately one of the Gallente crew members was a good friend of EvS and contacted him to enquire of the origins of the ship as she bore the mark of the I-A corporation. This ship and I had been through a lot together and I was incredibly annoyed when I had to abandon her to the Minmatar rebels, but I couldn't bring myself to destroy such a beautiful hull.

The engineers kindly included an engine test of one of the recovered F-35 thrusters and I'm pleased to see that at least one of them has made it. They have assured me that the ship can be repaired but it will be almost entirely a new vessel, save for the recovered engine. I just hope that she still feels as sharp as she once was, and that we can get re-acquainted again soon.

Alternatives

Back in the dark ages my security rating was almost a perfect -10.00. I say almost as it is incredibly difficult to hit the magic -10.00 security rating and only a handful of pirates have managed such acclaim (It’s one of my many missions in this life and the next). During this time it became increasingly difficult to obtain supplies due to the local Concord forces wanton destruction of my vessel. Faction ammunition was especially hard to come by even with my loyal I-A Corporation funding my motley crews’ cause deep in low sec.

For me an ALT account became essential, but fearing a significant loss to my training gain I decided to temporarily purchase a slave account and train an ALT to the required levels to make supplying my escapades easier. The plan was to train Miss NEXUS to the required levels then transfer the account onto the main. This never happened as I found new and interesting ways to use my new found freedom.

As an ALT Miss NEXUS has the liberty to do what she pleases even more so than myself, Mr NOXx. As a member of an NPC corporation she cannot be held accountable for her actions. This means that War-Declarations are forbidden and complaints are unheard beyond direct contact. I’ve come to believe that if you wish to pirate it is wise, nay essential to use an ALT to ‘clean-up’ in the wake of destruction left by such acts of aggression and to maintain a healthy supply line to Empire.

Miss NEXUS has become an invaluable part of my repertoire of piracy in many ways. She regularly supplies me with faction ammunition, acts as my eyes and ears in low sec and helps me maintain a legitimate foothold on my home; Sarum Prime.

There are many other uses for an ALT dependant on ones intentions, but if you don’t have an ALT it is recommended to get one, particularly if you intend to operate within the lawless confines of piracy. CCP regularly offer discounts for buying slave accounts(The power of two) but if you don’t mind losing a week or so in training(an ALT cannot be trained simultaneously to your main), an ALT can be born from a spare POD slot of which every pilot has 2 of(3 including your main).

Of course this is entirely up to you, but I can personally vouch for the practicalities of having a loyal slave.

Happy Hunting...

The Headlines

Always upon the pulse of our beloved galaxy, the EvE Tribune is a plethora of useful guides, informed opinions and the occasional story. If you want to know what’s hot in New Eden there are few places better than the EvE Tribune.

I’ve been reading with earnest for the last few years and I look forward to each weekly edition with great enthusiasm. They occasionally have ship fittings which prove to be very capable, as well as Kirith’s Fighting Spacecraft; a detailed report on a chosen spacecraft detailing it’s development history and the reasons behind it’s commission. Most recently it was the turn of the Amarr Battle-cruiser; Prophecy and it’s command versions, which just also happens to be some of my favourite ships within the Amarr Navy.

A few weeks ago a link to comment was finally included on the posted articles, a welcomed addition which confirmed that the readers of the Tribune are all fine pilots who crave intelligent and topical conversation. This week there’s a hilarious write-up on the mercenary corporation; Angelic Souls of Fury Reborn, in which Miyamoto Isoruku hired them to do the business on his enemies. What transpired was almost completely pathetic according to Miyamoto. Of course this is here-say and the subsequent comments were a mixed bag of flame n’ shame. The topic was so potent even the legendary Garmon submitted his pennies worth to the argument as I’m sure he’s never short on the motivation to conflict.

Over the past month there have been regular interviews for the CSM candidates to put forward their respective cases for election. I’m not one for politics except when confronted with a ransom opportunity but it’s still an interesting read.

The EvE Tribune is always a well written, invaluable and informative weekly e-zine for which I highly recommend to any pilot seeking relevant and currant articles on the status quo of New Eden.

Related Links
EvE Tribune

2001: A Space Odyssey

When it was released in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was Stanley Kubriks' masterpeice and has since become one of the most important and critically acclaimed films in history. There are few films I have seen that can claim to have pioneered viaual effects or that can match the grandeur of the visuals or the scale of the subject matter, and I consider that this film to be the greatest film I have ever seen.

As a fan of both Arthur C Clark and Kubrik I read the book and watch the film regularly, I have even bought the gigantic psycadelic iris poster. I especially love the opening sequence where the planets converge in a line as Richard Strauss'; Also Sprach Zarathustra swells the music to incredible heights.

When I watched this version performed by the Portsmouth Symphonia Orchestra I simply cried with laughter. It's absolutely brilliant in a really bad way.



Related Links
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A SPace Odyssey Explained

An Astronomical Oversight

With Dominion, the fidelity of our beloved galaxy is to be completed, finally. Astronomical bodies such as planets and moons are to be lavished upon with great attention and illumination. This marvel can already be observed on Singularity and it’s a sight to behold. Such delight prompts endless snapping of the camera drones aperture while these sights are novel but, although a welcomed improvement in line with our adored space-craft and stations I am unsure whether the powers that be will implement the lushness with the necessary thought to make New Eden consistent.



Our solar system has several types of planets and these are formed and determined by the gravity effects from the central star and each others interactions over billions of years. Planets which nestle comfortably inside the asteroid belt are smaller and are composed mainly of rocks of various elements. These planets usually possess atmospheres and little or no moons as their gravity is too feeble to create such masses. The outer planets tend to be gas giants harbouring many moons within their huge gravitational fields as well as beautiful rings of debris in some rarer cases. The further out one goes from the central star the colder and more inert the planets become until they resemble nothing more than snowballs of unremarkable ore and frozen gas. The light available to such planets is far weaker than the central occupants enjoy making for some very dark objects indeed.



These details are superfluous to the mechanics of New Eden and Singularity is not subject to the same laws as the reality we enjoy, but I hope and trust that CCP look towards the composition of our own heavenly objects for inspiration, as well as the mechanics of solar system creation.

Related Links
Planet Formation

In Space No-One Can Hear You Cry

As a pirate I occasionally receive hate-mails from disgruntled ‘customers’ who complain that I took from them in a few moments that which they had worked hard for months. I would just like to share some of these with you complete with grammar mistakes.

Hello. Why did you shoot me? I didn’t shhot you yet you shot me. If you don’t give me back the property you stole fom me then I will have to email ccp and get you banned from the game. I hope you read this soon because I will send letter next week an get you banned. Its up to you if you want me to not get you kicked from the game then get me back asap.

Okay, I shot you because it’s funny. Period. Thanks for the hate mail though, it’s the icing on the cake. Yum yum.

I hate people like you. You ruin the game for everyone. You think that you are clever attacking players smaller than you but it is just a cowards way. If I see you again I am goinf to attack you and take you life then you will be sorry for eva attacking me.

Scumbag

This one made me laugh because the pilot seems to have signed his letter as Scumbag.

I cant understand why you want to blow my ship up. What did I do to you? Why don’t you just f(ed)k off and die you f(ed)king asshole.

Just a quick note this one. Apparently I am a asshole (a donkey?) because I play the game properly. An interesting perspective but partially accurate, parts of me do resemble a donkey.

Normally I honour my prey by offering them a free instant re-cloning service, but if I ever receive hate-mails I normally send an appreciation of one million ISK so that they can rebuild their space-ships, re-enter low sec and become victims all over again.

If any of you plucky pirates have hate mails please post them here, I love a good giggle.

Happy Hunting…

“I Name This Space-Ship…”

In an ideal galaxy the name of your ship should represent the nature of that ship. If you hunt for prey however, it can be a disadvantage calling your ship “I’m gonna kill you.” I have seen various pilots name their ships ‘Veldspar’ believing that the vessel will be overlooked upon scan results.

Occasionally I have come across a ship or pilot with what can only be described as a mechanical name. Ships such as 11555866 or pilots called 44115632. These vessels never respond to hails and generally operate within Empire constantly mining the local minerals repeatedly without pause. I believe that these individuals are not POD pilots of flesh and bone, but they represent a scourge known as a Macro; a program designed to replace the thought processes of a real POD pilot. The motives behind such installations are unclear but I suspect that the black market is somehow involved.

The name of ones POD is also important. I never leave dock without first tagging my POD with a non-descriptive name, usually 001. I can’t stand PODs or ships carrying their pilots’ name and believe such individuals to be of a lazy disposition, or perhaps they have more important activities to contend with.

There are many ways of creating interesting names for your ships. B13 prefers to name his killing machines with scary little pictures such as ‘;..;’ I find these names enchanting and I’ve been guilty of naming a few ships similarly.

Typically I allocate a descriptive name to a ship inspired by the legend of the Earthly pirates that used to roam the ancient seas millennia ago. Whilst consulting various available media such as the Encyclopedia Galactica(www) I found a useful site which will generate various names for your spaceship. The link can be found below.

Happy hunting…

Related Links
Pirate Ship Name Generator

“She Kanny Take Any More Cap'n…”

Overheating is the new black. If you are unable to overheat you are missing out on expensive repair bills and the endless replacement of Nanite Repair Paste. I regularly overheat my modules, sometimes to distracted destruction.

The arrangement of modules upon the ship helps contain heat damage produced when a module is overloaded. It’s desirable to have passive modules racked adjacent to the overheating module(s). Positioning the modules such helps dissipate the heat and reduces the instances of damage caused by overheating. The overheating of the primary also heats up the passive module(s) and can cause damage, but some modules are more efficient at venting heat and it is wise to account for this whenever fitting ships.

Excursions into w-space will help support the funding of a Tech 3 cruiser as well as supply many of the vital components. The specifications of this ship are to include the Supplemental Coolant Injector which will permit extended overheating of on-board modules. I realise that heat damage will still present itself, therefore I intend to maximise through training; the specific bonuses before launch. With additional excursions and a new training pattern I intend to construct and competently operate this vessel but, beyond the deployment of the w-space POS, this is my mission post POS deployment.

Holy POS!

Mission: To successfully deploy a POS in w-space
Location: Unknown

Phase one of the w-POS is complete. At present there are 3 POS of different configurations online within w-space with only the latest being maintained. All of them are to be found on Singularity as tests for the final phase of the mission. B13 and I have been living within various versions of these POS’s for the past three weeks refining the deployment process.

There were concerns that additional manpower was required to achieve our mission but in practice we found that deployment was (relatively) straight forward. Our POS specialist; EiD has contributed to the cause by supporting us with technical advice regarding arrangement of the POS systems and what supplies are needed to maintain the POS indefinitely.

The purpose of this mission is to seek out new life forms and new civ…er Ahem. The purpose of this mission is to farm the local Sleeper sites and manufacture Tech 2 and Tech 3 components for the building and sale of various modules and subsystems as well as construct our own Strategic Cruisers. The POS also provides an excellent staging area for excursions into the local populace wherever an exit wormhole may develop.


At the time of this report the third POS is undergoing reconfiguration. Initially we decided that only shield hardeners would be necessary but we have since agreed that it is wiser to support the POS with some form of defence beyond the passive nature of the POS shield. As the state of the wormholes fluctuate it is necessary for my ALT to remain within the POS shield to ensure that there is always a POD within the realm ready to scan an exit if required.

Logistically, operating in w-space is difficult. As wormholes are inherently unstable and an exit is not guaranteed, the tonnage of fuel necessary to maintain the POS shielding must be taken into w-space in bulk and at the earliest opportunity. At present we have enough fuel stored to last a desirable two months.

The state of this w-space is rich as it points from a 0.5 secure system. So far we have uncovered a constant stream of asteroid belts, complexes and gas clouds and we have been un-molested during our time there. This will obviously change when the POS goes live within New Eden itself. Unfortunately the gas clouds are not suitable for booster manufacture but with the wormholes appearing regularly we may yet be able to find an exit into a system which harbours the correct type.

The final stages of the mission are to take place over the next few weeks where B13 and I will attempt to use what we have learnt to successfully deploy a POS within New Edens’ w-space. The mission carries huge risks but, if you’ve ever been into a wormhole you must agree that the rewards are mountainous.

It’s a very exciting period for us both and we intend to maximise on our position when it occurs to bolster our own notoriety and wallets. To good health…

1K DPS

I have an addiction. I adore Ganking(careful now). Squeezing one thousand damage points per second from almost any sub-capital hull is a tall order but it’s a challenge for which I feel compelled toward and enjoy achieving.

There are only a handful of sub-capital ships capable of this task. These vessels are highly specialised and highly strung harbouring little room for much else. The drag racers of the Galaxy. In the right situation however, they can devastate the lives of others so quickly they take many by surprise.

These ships are best used as pure gank and require additional support in the form of a remote rep tank. Used in this role they can obliterate targets in under thirty seconds. In some cases smaller ships appear to explode almost instantly which is very satisfying. Unfortunately rapid destruction leaves little time to ransom.

In most cases these ships require a high level of skills to hit their target of 1K DPS and this figure is by no means guaranteed, but they are a lot of fun, if a little expensive. I would not recommend using these setups for PvP due to the inherent cost but if you do, be sure that the situation is in your favour because your vessel will not last long under heavy enemy fire.

Deimos
Lows
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II x5
Tracking Enhancer II

Mediums
10MN MicroWarpdrive II
Warp Scrambler II
Medium Capcitor Booster II

Highs
Heavy Neutron Blaster II x5

Ammunition
Dread Guristas Antimatter

Rigs
Medium Hybrid Burst Aerator II
Medium Ancillery Current Router I

Drones
Hammerhead II x5

Based on the Gallente Thorax, this Heavy Assault Cruiser(HAC) is a point blank blaster platform designed to get in range quickly and bring down serious amounts of pain on the target. As a cruiser the Deimos possesses more manoeuvrability than a battleship or battle-cruiser.

For the Deimos to achieve 1K DPS requires a colossal amount of skills and some expensive implants, but observing this cruiser in action is captivating. Many pilots do not expect such ferocity from such a small ship, albeit a Tech 2 cruiser and fail to identify the danger until it’s too late.

Abaddon
Lows
Tracking Enhancer II
Signal Amplifier II x2
Capacitor Power Relay II x2
Heat Sink II x2

Mediums
Sensor Booster II x2
Cap Recharger II x2

Highs
Tachyon Beam Laser II x8

Ammunition
Dark Blood Multi-Frequency

Rigs
Large Ancillary Current Router II
Large Capacitor Control Curcuit II
Large Capacitor Control Curcuit I

Drones
Curator II x3

The mighty Amarr Abaddon is able to snipe 1K DPS utilising only the best lasers available. Fitting eight Tech 2 Tachyon Beam Lasers does mean that the ship itself is unable to support much else due to the huge pressure on the ships’ capacitor and power-grid.

The Abaddon has quite high natural resists enabling the battleship to absorb impressive amounts of damage even without a tank but be warned, it is not a viable PvP ship without sufficient support due to its size and (lack of) speed. Still, observing all 8 turrets inject focused beams of heat into a target is intoxicating.

Dominix
Lows
Damage Control II
Large Armour Repairer II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungston Plates I
Magnetic Field Stabiliser II x3

Mediums
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Disruptor II
Heavy Capacitor Booster II
100MN MicroWarpdrive II

Highs
Heavy Neutron Blaster II x6

Ammunition
Dread Guristas Antimatter

Rigs
Large Hybrid Burst Aerator II
Large Trimark Armour Pump I x2

Drones
Ogre II x5

The Gallente Dominix can deliver the 1K DPS target with relative ease. Fielding five Tech 2 heavy drones combined with the six Heavy Neutron Blaster IIs, the Dominix can deliver over and above what’s required. As the turret hard-points are not exclusively delivering the DPS, it is possible to include a moderate tank helping the ship survive some retaliation.

Best used up close and personal this setup can vaporise most targets quickly while shrugging of incoming fire. Be warned though, the heavy drones are the key to the ships arsenal and should be carefully managed to avoid destruction.

All of these setups are tried, tested and are proven to work but they do require top skills to hit the golden target of 1K DPS. If any of you fine pilots out their in the massive cosmos have 1K DPS setups I would very much like to browse your fittings particularly if they require lower skills or less hardware; it’s an addiction.

Happy ganking.

Cannon Fodder

As Demi-Gods we appear to be unaware of the thousands of souls working tirelessly to operate on-board systems to our every whim. Without hesitation we hurl our precious hulls at adversity irreverent of the human cargo we carry. During any fleet engagement there are literally thousands of lives lost on either side and these lives consist of highly trained, specialised personnel whom signed onto various crews seeking notoriety, adventure or any other viable personal destiny.


This sense of loss is more profound whenever an experienced ship is destroyed. I lost a Harbinger recently which was built by the I-A corporation and equipped with salvage and parts from the corporation hanger. This Harbinger was statistically unremarkable, but I’d flown her many times through w-space, hunted within DED-space complexes, participated in gate-camps and had even maintained security during mining operations on behalf of the I-A.

Lost to a pirate blockade(karma) I mourned the loss of my vessel but, unbeknown to me at the time were the thousands of crew member’s lives lost, probably entirely loyal Amarrians whom were unjustly denied a moments thought post ship destruction.

It made me wonder exactly what motivates such selflessness in individuals to surrender their fate to the POD pilots. With this sentiment the next ship lost will harbour a greater sense of loss as it’s my duty to honour my crew members whom serve me without fear and who deserve a greater fate than an undignified burial in the frozen vacuum of deep space.

In honour and remembrance of the thousands of brave souls who gave their lives in battle serving on the Amarr Battle-Cruiser; Guile-Villain.

You will not be forgotten.

May your souls find peace...

Line Of Sight

The mechanics of space flight in New Eden leave a lot to be desired. Many fundamental laws are absent from the galaxy for various reasons but Line of Sight (LoS) is something which could potentially change the universe.

Imagine you’re mining in a belt, bored and lonely. Suddenly a pirate warps onto the beacon looking for a meal. Positioning the mining vessel such that the LoS is obscured from the enemy could mean that the overview fails to locate your fragile mining ship helping to keep you safe(r).

A mission runner encounters problems containing the incoming fire from several faction battleships. Positioning the ship behind a structure found within the complex shielding a majority of the fire from the mission runners’ ship assists the management of the damage.

LoS could be the next logical step in the evolution of our galaxy. Imagine a formation that shields support vessels from enemy fire. This could be quite a valid tactic and would work beautifully with the addition of fleet formations.

I realise that server calls would be increased impacting on the clusters performance and that this performance hit would increase further within large engagements. Without technical knowledge to comment I am unsure whether this idea may even be valid but I’m curious as to what you may think.

Again, just a thought...

"To You, To Me, To You..."

The ability to slot ones ship into a formation within a fleet is something I dearly wish was possible. At present there is no automated system to allow such manoeuvres making any attempt difficult at best.

Although there are no specific details yet on the subject CCP announced, during their Keynote Speech at this years Fanfest, their plans to introduce formations into New Eden.

This is a feature quite close to my blackened heart. For years the blob effect has made large engagements a melee of metal and missiles because the battlefield quickly becomes choked with vessels all carving their individual paths through laser flak and stasis wakes. Without any specific details it would be improper to comment on this new development but I’m absolutely in support of any system that imbues fleet combat with a construct.

Formations have been used for hundreds of years in traditional warfare with devastating effect. Any force in formation is greater than the sum of its parts because all the combat effectiveness is concentrated and the individual units contribute to the whole. An experienced commander can quickly identify where the battle is turning and which units are relative to assist. This is particularly effective on a two dimensional battlefield but there are concerns that such an approach would be unsuccessful or irrelevant within the three dimensions of space.

There is no denying that the structure of a fleet down to the ship types is an element crucial to victory but that alone does not guarantee victory. At its most basic level fleet combat is effectively the priming of a single target with the fleets combined DPS. To this end it would be an advantage to construct the formation such that the optimal range of any weapon medium within the fleet terminates on the primary vessel. This would maximise the effective capabilities of the fleet as a whole.

It is also worth noting that an experienced Commander could observe the formation of an enemy fleet and determine weaknesses within its composition making formations a disadvantage. CCP commented on granting formations with bonuses, the specifics of which are not known. This may be the key in helping to solidify formations as an advantage rather than a gimmick.

Whatever the outcome: at worst some incredible screenshots will be taken, at its best formations may become an essential part of any successful fleet. I’m looking forward to either outcome.



Related Links
EvE-Search - Formations
CCPs' YouTube Channel
EvE Online Forum Discussion - Formation Flying

"I Used To Have One Of Those...!"

Battleclinic, a veritable banquet of ship fittings, advice and general usefulness has recently launched a video entitled: Battleclinics' new Guide To Amarr Tech 1 Frigates. The video is very well produced and contains plenty of sound advice for all you new players out there. So watch the video and learn...learn...learn.

(The sound is a little loud and distorted)

Related Links
Battleclinic.com

Rifter - Pirate Fitting

The lowly Minmatar rifter is widely used and accepted as the best pirate frigate in New Eden, for the price. Fitted with a shield buffer tank, many pilots give up their notions of escape when they notice your ships shield is not depleting as it should. Orbit at optimal and overheat if allowed to acheive a quick kill. Beware of enemy webs as speed is the rifters main defemce. Used correctly a ship like this can kill vessels twice its size.

Rifter
Lows
Tracking Enhancer II x2
Damage Control II

Mediums
1MN Afterburner II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Medium Azeotropic Ward Salubrity I

Highs
150mm Light AutoCannon II x3
Rocket Launcher II

Rigs
Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Core Defence Field Extender I
Projectile Burst Aerator I

Tried and tested several times over; definatley one of the best productions to come from the primative Minmatar faction.

Babylon 5

Babylon 5 was one of the most violent depictions of a traditional sci-fi future on TV thus far. I remember watching Star Trek and hoping that something would kick-off. It never did of course, diplomacy always won.

Babylon 5 was exactly the opposite to this endless peace. If diplomacy was used the protagonists would be assassinated throwing entire regions into war. There was always a murder and a fist fight every episode, it even had a head on a pike once. It was great. The Emmy award winning effects were produced on a bank of Amiga2000 platforms utilising Video-Toasters which was amazing to me at the time. Did you know they had a clock speed of only 7MHz!

A dark vision of the future, so dark it had shadows upon shadows. The tone of the show was as close to EvE Online I've seen so far, without the PODs...?



Related Links
Babylon 5 Series

Super Capital Slug-fest

Earlier today the rescheduled Super Carrier patch test was undertaken by the many thousands of lucky pilots able to log onto the test server; Singularity. Every pilot was promoted to maximum skills and encouraged to construct a theoretical Super Carrier for pew pew. The test, designed to maximise interaction and identify any significant in-balances went well clocking up hundreds of wrecks every hour.

Within the violently bizarre realm of Singularity, Super Capitals (Mother Ships) are no longer granted the ability to fit Triage modules, Clone Vat Bays or additional Ware-fare links. Instead a hp boost and a new class of drone; Fighter Bombers have been docked to reclassify the role for the craft into a supporting role. These deadly new Fighter Bombers have one sole purpose; the destruction of an enemy Titan.

Seeing these little drone ships in action on Singularity is quite hypnotic as they launch huge volumes of high explosive missiles at the target resulting in a fireworks display of light and debris. The server has enjoyed a thousand pilots online throughout the day and many have had to queue a few hours until their turn. The changes are significant, some would say controversial; pilots have 'rage quit' in disgust at CCP's decision to amend the Mother-Ships role, an unusual method of contributing to the evolution of our beloved galaxy.

Fortunately my ships are entirely sub-capital so there is little chance of me rage quitting any time soon, so long as they don't nerf podding.

Related Links
Rage Quitting (ShackNews.com)
Dominion; The Capital Battlefield (CCP Dev Blog)

"...and now for something completely different..."

...a music video by Permaband called HTFU. What's the relevance you may wonder? It's all about EvE Online and is performed by a talented bunch of CCP staff who formed the rap group.

This was the last thing I expected to see coming from CCP lately but if you feel a desire to chuckle at CCP, if only to realise they are human after all and not just buff-nerfing-algorithms then watch the video, it's class!



Related Links
CCP (Facebook)
CCP (YouTube Channel)

The BoB Blob

EvS looked over the station, it was almost deserted due to the recent evacuation. Detritus littered the huge hangar floor and a lack of hustle n’ bustle made the station seem very eerie.

A massive fleet of Dreadnaughts, Battleships and Carriers loyal to the feared 'Band of Brothers' (BoB) alliance had been reported amassing within the Querious region just three jumps from Z-UZZN. The intent of this fleet was well known and the evacuation by local forces began almost immediately; only the pirate faction dared remain within their reinforced POS orbiting one of the many moons.

More than one thousand space-craft had passed through the gate to relative safety of the Amarrian low security space in the last few hours. Pirates had spotted the surge of pilots through the pipeline serving Empire and were using rapid attack raiders to prey on any stragglers left behind during the mass convoy out of 0.0. It wasn’t a pretty sight to see such chaos but the BoB threat was very real and very close. Everyone had heard the stories of what happened to pilots unfortunate enough to become prisoners of the mighty BoB alliance.

It had been reported a few weeks ago by other alliances that BoB was on a campaign; code named Max Damage. Its mission appeared to be to strike at its enemy’s territory with impunity and to take down local forces swiftly and without mercy. The 'Brotherhood Of Steel' (BOS) alliance, once a strong and noble alliance during the Great War was now in full retreat. Little remained of the loyalties between the many different corporations that made the alliance once so strong and its forces were becoming scattered.

EvS had become embroiled in this war via his corporation whom had joined the BOS forces some months ago. He had never felt at home in this part of 0.0 and despised the brass. The evacuation had caught him off-guard, never experienced in running from combat he found himself in such disarray that he surely would be the last to leave this sad place.

He had a hauler crammed with rudimentary fittings, rigs, scripts, faction modules, ammunition, drones, literally the best of the pickings from the hanger. The destination locked in was another null sec station still apparently friendly to the BOS alliance. He could not head into empire on account of his outlaw status and because the pirate raids had made the journey incredibly dangerous, this appeared to be the only option.

The hauler fired into life and groaned under the weight of its precious cargo as the thrusters lifted the ship from the hanger’s gravity. EvS felt uneasy about the journey ahead, something was just not right. Exiting the hanger force-field for the last time the hauler eased herself into warp and headed for the first gate jumping through without incident.

The second and third gate too passed almost unnoticed. Only a couple of jumps remained. Scanning ahead several ships were picked up along with a couple of wrecks, it looked like a gate camp. Already in warp, the huge hauler was not the best ship to be hurtling toward a blockade in and EvS prepared for the worst.

As the warp tunnel terminated he could see the gate and three ships rapidly approaching his field of view as his velocity dropped. The hauler eventually came to stop just moments from the gate and sat there for a few. The three unknown vessels, two thorax and a Tristan seemed uninterested in the presence of the hauler save for a signal advising EvS that a scan had been performed. ‘Gate Activated’ said Aura and the mighty hauler was propelled safely to the next system.


Upon materialising he was presented with the most terrifying sight, an armada of ships three hundred strong loyal to BoB collected at the jump gate. His mind shouted orders at the hauler to warp to the nearest aligned point in the heavens. Warning indicators began thumping in his mind as the hostile fleet locked the hauler and attempted to scramble the warp field it was desperately generating. Eventually the precious cargo ship shuddered into warp on account of the warp core stabilisers crudely glued to the engines prior to leaving the ED station.

As the ship came to a standstill around the fourth planet the ship melted into the starscape as the ships cloak initiated. Moment’s later two interceptors ground to a halt on the grid 75km from his hiding, no doubt searching for the hauler. Although they were 75km they were closing fast. The hauler was instructed full velocity on it’s Z axis, straight down from the landing point. With the cloak enabled the ship crawled painfully slowly into position.

Eventually the interceptors peeled into pairs scouring the area. Three more ships arrived on the scene and deployed drones to increase their effective size. Smart bombs were also initiated hoping to knock out the cloak of the hidden hauler. At times the enemy were getting to within four thousand metres of the hull but a steady nerve retained the cloak.

The hostiles eventually gave up searching a quarter of an hour later and left the planets orbit. The ordeal was not yet over as a safe port was still necessary. Keeping an eye on local he kept the ship in cloak until sure that the enemy fleet had dispersed. One gate activation later and the hauler was docked at a friendly station.

The station guard initially greeted EvS but did inform him that due to the state of the alliance the station would not be a suitable home. The alliance was due to collapse any day now and all standings would be reset and a local code of practice; shoot on site would be reinstated against any non corporate members. With no other option other than a forty jump round trip through null sec and known pirate haunts the hauler was reluctantly left within the station with its precious cargo. At least it was intact but EvS knew of no plan to recover the goods once the station was vacated. Upon exiting the station in his POD EvS warped to the sun and ordered the POD to self destruct.

As the countdown reduced he pondered on the fate of the station under fire from BoB forces. The state of this realm will be changed back into BoB territory once again and he knew of nothing in the universe that could stop such a force. Little did he realise that within 3 months BoB would be destroyed by one man and the entire region would be changed once again, but that is another story…

The Last Starfighter

The Last Starfighter was an epic film from my youth. I remember watching this film over and over again until I knew every single word. I especially loved the CGI animations although they have not aged well.

This film is still a blast and as I write this I realise that my 7 year old son has never seen it. So it's next on my list of films to order, fantastic.



Related Links
The Last Starfighter (movie)
Download The Last Starfighter (video game)

The Void

Wormhole space (w-space) is the latest frontier in New Eden. Appearing without warning they harbour unimaginable danger as well as incredible riches and resources. Before entering this unpredictable realm your mindset should be prepared for what to expect.

I would recommend watching this documentary about an ancient vessel which became trapped in a void very similar to w-space. The hardships they encounter follow very closely what you can expect to find should you feel bold enough to venture into w-space…



Related Links
Wormhole Exploration Guide

Red Alert

The on-board computer known as 'Aura' has the most soothing yet authorative voice. I remember how hard I listened to her teachings when I first started the tutorial those many years ago. She still clears her throat every now and then to tell me of star gate activation but she’s rarely heard beyond the tutorial or introduction. Listening to EvE radio recently I heard Auras voice again warning pilots of entering low sec systems, low capacitor and other useful snippets and I thought how wonderful it would be if they were an actual part of the game.

EvE Online lacks a healthy dollop of audible warnings, the most dangerous event; being targeted by a hostile unit hardly registers at all. I’m not saying that we should be able to play passively, only reacting when the sirens go off (by then it’s usually too late anyway) but it would be nice to have additional audible warnings to more events.

I also feel that the on-board computer Aura should have more of a say in the events the ship finds itself in. I just think that it may be a more personal experience if the ship were to talk to you, perhaps not conversationally but to advise and reason with you on certain criteria. The option to switch off such conversing would be mandatory as we should always be given a choice, but I do think there is room for more audio contributions from the ship and I’m sure it would add a little atmosphere to space.

Just a thought...

"I Was A Schizophrenic, But We're Alright Now"

My avatar, Mr NOXx is an extension of my psyche, but for some unknown reason my avatar represents the nemesis of my real personality. This is an interesting phenomenon and one which I have searched my own soul to try and explain.

One can argue that the avatar allows us to live a life opposite to ones reality to create balance in ones life. My real career has always been one of helping others selflessly but online within EvE I enjoy ruining my fellow POD pilots life by depriving them of everything. Before EvE Online I can't recall or did not feel a need to do this so there must be something about EvE Online, or indeed any MMORPG which encourages this behaviour to surface.

My original character I played for six months. He was very similar to what I thought was my actual personality. His features were modelled on me as much as possible and his career followed what I asumed I would’ve done had I been born within New Eden. After a few months of play I became restless with my role in EvE. The termination of said character was executed without remorse or reproach. In fact I was rather looking forward to it.

Mr NOXx was born overnight and appeared to represent everything opposite my real personality. Three years later we are still together and enjoying our time together immensely.

Perhaps the nature of an RPG is at the crux of the effect goading us to become something opposite, even negative. Escapism is key here and although games such as Halo allow us to live out the fantasy of an elite cyborg; saviour of earth, these avatars are already packaged, stamped and have their roles mapped out according to the designers whim. Only in an RPG like EvE Online can one truly live any life, and one which has no rules or definitive ending.

Perhaps ones own subconscious plays a role as this is, as popular belief has it, opposite to our consciousness. Now I have never dreamed of murdering PODs or ganking cruisers but this is what I do best, and what I feel compelled to do. Perhaps I did dream of it, but being so deep in REM the conscious mind has no ability to remember. To be honest if this were the case I would be a little disturbed at this knowledge.

There’s another explanation; I get great pleasure from helping my fellow human being and the rewards are a feeling of achievement and well being, of making a real difference.

I also get great pleasure from murdering my fellow POD pilot. The feeling I get is almost identical just more so. My first kill was such a rush that I was literally shaking from head to toe. An adrenalin addiction is a likely cause because every time I kill the feeling is less pronounced, just like an addiction.

Whatever the reasons I find it fascinating that avatars become extensions of our psyches' nemesis and that playing a MMORPG seems to promote this effect. Perhaps they should have mental health warnings?

The Old Hermit

Ambulation and the meandering it enables may breed a new type of EvE player. With all the entertainment consoles, bars, shops and all else it’s quite possible that there will be players who become so attached to their limbs (beyond the physical) that they’ll rarely venture further than the ship hanger and gaze at the business outside. A new phobia may be needed to shoehorn such occupants to rationalise their choice to remain inside the embrace of the station walls.

The slang will come, and I’m sure it will evolve quickly based on a single comment, delivered with sincerity and dispersed around the entire community. Perhaps there will be different descriptive words dependant on the type of station inhabited. Clank, Tin Can Man or a Dweller come to mind, or maybe just a plain old Hermit.

There is a name for everything, Pirates and Care-bears, Industrialists and Ratters, whatever the slang it will become second nature and we’ll all know who they are, what they do and to some degree, why they do it. This isn’t to say that ones play style is rigid, once upon a time even I was a Ratter and a Mission Runner but the smell of blood was too much to ignore and so I sought out combat deep in null sec.

There are many weird and wonderful characters out there in the cosmos, I should know I am one, we all are. In fact we represent a population that is incredibly diverse. If we look deeper into the community we can find players that have their own niche and stick to it. With the addition of Dust 514 this community will become even more varied and widespread. EvE players that don’t own a single space craft? What a strange notion.

Whatever your pleasure, EvE Online is here to indulge your senses and we can all find contentment in our chosen profession. Having tinkered with most aspects of life in New Eden, Piracy is the most fun for me but some of you are so weird you consider mining enjoyable. What a strange bunch we are.