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.
Heads Up!
“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...
