Tackling Adversity

Survival in New Eden is a tale of frustration and cloning. Every-time I un-cloak I suspect the dangers surrounding me, eager to steal everything from me including my precious life. As a clone I am immortal, but the loss of life still bears the pain of death.

If we want to grow as a community we have a responsibility to take care of our fellows. Many disciplines have a code of conduct and piracy is no exception. Attacking fresh pilots from the academy rarely breaks a sweat and therefore harbours little rewards. I abstain from such behaviour; identifying such a young pilot in low sec prompts assistance in the form of advice and in some cases ISK. This happens with alarming regularity and indicates a need for clarification.

A right of passage into low sec is one of experience. Be certain about your fate if you venture into these lawless lands without the necessary preparations as you will surely lose everything. If you’re finding it hard to maintain any sort of healthy existence in Empire you must understand that the riches found in low sec or null sec are only obtainable with the correct tools to survive.

Intelligence
Intel is the most important factor which is vital to survival in low or null sec. A lack of intel will surely turn your final destination into a clone vat bay. For this reason, operations in low sec are best planned and should have a specific role. Research the area you plan to ‘visit’ and check the last known kills in the system as this can usually indicate whether the system harbours a blockade or pirates.

Local
The local beacon contains the most readily available intel. It identifies pilots within the system and also shows their security status or their state. A low security rating should heed a warning, although a high security rating is by no means a guarantee that the pilot is honourable. Dependant on your intent, try to find a system that is devoid of pilots and either dock at the local station or cloak your ship until the local beacon is cleared. This valuable intel should always be open and available on your HUD.

Warp Core Stabiliser
These ridiculous modules prevent the warp-field from becoming disrupted or scrambled. A side effect reduces your ships ability to target effectively. This can also result in the inability to target smaller craft. I would only recommend using WCS (Warp Core Stabilisers) if you intend not to engage in combat.

Cloaking Device
This little item is one of my favourites. Generally most of my ships are designed for covert operations but occasionally I will risk the drop in combat effectiveness for the added security a cloak can offer. Similar to the WCS they reduce the ability of the ship to target as well as reduce the speed of the craft significantly. Use wisely and ensure that you are not within 2500km from any floating body including gases as they will disrupt the visual distortion field and disable the cloak.

Corporations
If you’re not yet enrolled within a corporation beyond the academy it is advised to make this a priority. Ensure that you research the corporation you intend to apply to as there are organisations that will take advantage of inexperience, tricking them into submitting ISK. An application to a corporation costs nothing and kosher corporations do not require you to submit any ISK except through taxes.

As a new pilot you may find it difficult to apply successfully to some of the bigger corporations but there are groups out there who specialise in training young pilots. A good place to start is the Recruitment Forums or the Recruitment Channel(in-game).

Enrolling within a corporation is by no means mandatory but it does present you with more options. New Eden is best enjoyed in tandem with other pilots and corporation enrollment provides additional man-power and security for your excursions.

Awareness
This is a skill that cannot be taught but which becomes increasingly natural the more time spent in your POD. Combining experience and intel, awareness is the ability to judge situations quickly and proceed with the appropriate tactical actions.

Testing
If combat is what you seek you would be well advised to stay out of low sec and enter Singularity. Here all fittings, ammunition, ships, skills and all else has a default price of 100 ISK. Here you can refine your fittings and test them to destruction almost for free. Podding is outlawed on Singularity making for a safer and less frustrating environment for all. There are disadvantages to Singularity but combat is so easily available here that the basics can be self taught through trial and error very quickly.

Fit To Lose
If you’re at the stage where you are ready to enter low sec make sure that whatever you fit on your ship you are prepared to lose. I generally fit items I have appropriated from my prey which helps keep costs to an absolute minimum or I build my own modules from parts and salvage. Don’t fit best named modules and never fit faction equipment, unless you are stinking rich. Stick to Tech 1 items and use the specific abilities of the ship, paying special attention to it’s bonuses.

Experience
There is simply no substitute to experience. Regularly engage in a cheap hull and don’t become disheartened by losses. Train to specialise in your chosen profession and become proficient at the frigate sized vessels before moving up a class. New Eden is a violent and un-forgiving landscape and one which refuses to be tamed. Only experienced pilots dare venture deep into null sec for a reason, it’s very dangerous. Don’t be a fool until you’re ready.

This guide is by no means definitive and is only meant as a rough guide. Use your head and your eyes effectively, and the rest will come naturally. Fly safe...

Related Links
Ten Top Tips For New Pirates
Recruitment Forum

Macro-Hunting

In New Eden not everything is as it seems. Some individuals may appear to be quite helpful, right up to the moment they blow you up and steal your stuff. They are the scourge of the galaxy; pirates. But this group is not the worst of scum and villainy. Macro-Miners are automated mining vessels designed to strip entire systems of their precious ores and are a menace which is sadly on the increase.


To combat this economic threat you may wish to destroy Macro-Miners but first you will have to locate them. Macro-Miners tend to, but not exclusively operate within Empire space enjoying the protection of the local law enforcement.

Identification
Elimination of this global threat is a noble and just profession, but unfortunately identifying a Macro-Miner can be problematic. The first thing to be done is to join macrointel; a dedicated intel channel devoted to identifying and hunting macros.

Name
The name of a pilot can explain a great many things about the individual, but names can also mis-lead. If the name of a target is something binary or appear to be a random collection of letters and/or numbers then it’s a good bet they are a macro.

Age
The age of a pilot indicates their experience. This does not definitively identify a macro, but if the pilot is young and mining in a mining barge then this can indicate a very specialised role toward just mining. This isn't to say that every specialist pilot is a macro, but a macro will not train unnecessary skills to maximise the investment of time and productivity.

Security
A pilots security status is a good indication of their occupancy within New Eden. Generally a macro will have a security rating of 1.0. There may be some variation as the macro kills the local rats but these increments are so small it is unlikely to affect the rating significantly.

Killmail
Check the pilots name against popular kill-boards such as Griefwatch. This can help identify whether the pilot has ever undergone real combat. A macro would find it impossible to fight effectively therefore if no kills show for the pilot this can indicate a macro.

Behaviour
A macros’ nature is to operate in the same manner for hours at a time. Watch the pilots behaviour closely to observe the cycle of the ship. If the ship doesn’t dock immediately upon completion of its cycle this could indicate a real pilots’ presence.

There are no alarms to warn pilots that their cargo hold is full and many may be pre-occupied with other duties to notice for some time, but a macro miner will generally dock as soon as the hold is full and the lasers cease their cycle. This doesn’t mean that if the ship does dock immediately it’s a macro, only if it doesn’t it may not be a macro.

Conversation
The best way to identify a macro is to begin a conversation with the pilot. A macro cannot communicate therefore any pilot that does not respond may be a macro. Be careful though, as mentioned before some pilots may not notice your communications request immediately. It is wise to give the pilot some time to respond. If it is a macro then there will be no response or the communications may be rejected.

I am yet to discover a method which can identify a macro reliably, therefore these points are only a guide. If you are unsure of a pilots status then an attack must not be initiated, but it is a judgement call and the more often one undertakes this role, the more accomplished at correctly identifying a macro you may become.


It is important to note that while macro mining is rife, many innocent pilots can become the victims of an attack simply due to a mis-identification. The ability to reliably identify a macro has yet to be developed and any attack should proceed with caution. If the target retaliates, intelligently (such as moves the ship, deploys drones or uses any kind of e-war) then the attack should be ceased immediately. Similarly if the target attempts to contact you, stop the attack.

Elimination
There are many different ways to kill a macro but as macros usually operate from Empire, it can be difficult to destroy them cleanly without receiving reprisals or penalties from the local law enforcement.

Baiting
If the macro is mining into a jet-can you must claim ownership of that can to force the macro to aggress. To do this approach the jet-can and deposit a portion of the mined ore into your cargo hold. This will aggravate the macro, granting it permission to attack you. If the macro has drones deployed and your lucky, you may be attacked. Once the macro has engaged your vessel you are free to destroy the macro with utmost vigilance.

Unfortunately this method has seen a dramatic decline over time as macros have almost completely stopped mining into jet-cans for this very reason.

Ganking
The other option open to you is the obliteration of the target. This is only viable if the wreck is likely to harbour modules which will compensate your inevitable loss. The best places to kill macros 'illegally' is within 0.5 security systems because the local law will not respond as quickly. There are three popular methods to reliably eliminate Macro-Miners.

1. Smart-Bomb Battleship Suicide Squad.
This method is particularly useful against larger groups of macros. The inherent cost is high, but the time taken to destroy all the macros in range is very short indeed. Utilising Raven battleships equipped with smart-bombs is a sure way to kill off a large group of macros quickly and absolutely.

There are drawbacks with this method. Any loot dropped can easily be destroyed by the AOA bombs making the venture more akin to pure cleansing rather than trying to make a living from Macro-Hunting. Use caution.

2. Frigate Suicide Gank Squad.
For this method to work a lot of pilots are needed and the target should be a group of macros. Ensure that the combined DPS is sufficient to destroy the macros before the inevitable local law enforcement arrives to enforce its misplaced justice. This method works better for smaller groups of macros and the costs are much lower. It's also possible to protect loot drops within the wrecks as the firepower is directed exclusively at the macros and not the general spacial area.

3. Suicide Gank Cruiser.
This can be accomplished solo. I've found the best ship to do this is the Gallente Vexor. Fitted with maximum DPS it can kill a Mackinaw in less than 60 seconds, which is sufficient. Your Vexor only needs to survive long enough to kill the macro before becoming a target itself, but the costs involved are very manageable.

In all cases you are looking to destroy the macros as swiftly as possible before your own ship decompresses. Insure your ships as they will be lost. It's also wise to have a neutral pilot present to gather the loot and salvage the wrecks. It's worth noting that the agressors' security rating will be severely compromised by any illegal actions undertaken therefore one should be prepared to grind the security status back to acceptable levels.

This guide is based on my personal experiences of macro hunting. There may be other methods of hunting, identifying and killing macros but these methods have been proven to work despite the inherent risks and penalties. Be prepared to lose everything while possibly gaining very little as this is the unfortunate nature of macro hunting. You may rest assured that your actions will be appreciated by many and the experience is not completely without its merits.



Above all else remember that, although macro mining is widespread, not every stationary mining vessel harbours a macro and caution must be observed whenever making the decision to attack a mining vessel.

Happy hunting...

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Brilliant Sunshine

Sunshine is one of those films that lingers with you for ages afterwards while your mind makes sense of the imagery and the raw power that exists within the heavens. Best seen on large screens; Danny Boyle's iconic sci-fi delivers on so many levels and is seen as one of the best sci-fi films of the last decade.

Some may say the ending is fuddled, but it still presents a great spectacle and has one of the best movie soundtracks featuring Underworld and John Murphy, whom also worked on 28 Days Later.

If you haven't seen it...please do so.



Related Links
Sunshine

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Bubble Bobble

System: Unknown
Security: Unknown
Mission: To Blockade a Wormhole

The sound of a POD decompressing is such a terrific sound, unless of course it’s ones own fragile shell bursting into the void. The bubble blowing contest went well scoring three juicy kills in two hours.

B13, CT, EvS and Miss Nexus and I set up camp in a 0.5 wormhole awaiting the arrival of prey. The system was part of a high traffic bottleneck into 0.0 and also served as a gateway to a trading hub. The wormhole itself was located between the 2nd and 3rd planet and led to an achingly beautiful binary system.


With Miss Nexus acting as scout outside the wormhole a pair of Megathrons were reported approaching. Their mission was assumed to be one of exploration as no POS’s had been scanned within the w-space. When they appeared in the system, the duo was allowed to warp to a destination of their choosing. Soon enough they were located and warp disrupted with an interdictor bubble.

The ensuing battle was very bitter. We lost EvS to concentrated hybrid platform charges and an ECM swarm; we soon avenged his loss with the destruction of both Gallente battleships and their respective PODs. The drops were all Tech II; even the drones were Ogre IIs. EvS left our gabble and proceeded to re-arm but whilst he was excused another battleship entered the system. This time it was a sole Scorpion.

The pilot had guts entering on his own, but the resistance of his ship left a lot to be desired. It wasn’t long before he was podded and his wreck looted. The contents of his ship left us all bemused at what his intentions may have been as his ship possessed both an active shield and armour tank. The high slots contained a mixture of hybrid rail turrets and standard missile launchers; the whole ship was a collection of named rat drops. Tragic.

I’ve declared the mission a success, despite the singular loss, and my fellow Corp collegues have agreed that we should embark on such excursions into the void more often. So be it.

Happy hunting…

Macro-Menace

In New Eden drugs are illegal, and in most cases detrimental to ones health. This doesn't mean that the production of drugs is not wanted. Many shady characters risk imprisonment to produce and sell drugs within New Eden as there's a clear demand for the supply of narcotics to certain individuals for one reason or another.

The same analogy can be used to argue Macros. Although against the EULA and the spirit of New Eden, there exists a need to use Macros, regardless of the legality or moral standing of such activities. The reasons for their use may be just and plentiful to the user, but I personally do not condone the use of Macros. Although Macros are widespread, they are detrimental to the galaxy’s economy and the need to eliminate them continues to grow as does their apparent demand.

Macro hunting is therefore a noble profession, but as the hunting continues the Macros become wise to the methods of entrapment. Many are so astute that any interruption of their mining cycle or presence of potential aggression, and they’ll retreat back into the safety of a stations docking ring for a pre-determined amount of time allowing for the danger to pass. Personally I’ve killed a score of Macro-menaces; some kills legal in the eyes of local law enforcement and the drops are worth the risks, but it has been a tad since I ‘retired’ a Macro to the viscously-vast-vacuum.

Macro aggravation is becoming much more problematic as they develop further mechanics to protect themselves. This is causing New Eden’s economy to gradually succumb to its influence, and many get rich quick, but I for one will continue to hunt this scourge and make way for the little guy trying to carve out a legitimate living on the rocks.

00100 1110101…

The Heretic

A long, long time ago I bought this neat little craft before I could actually fly it. My reasons at the time were that it was a black destroyer and I had more money than sense. Only lately have I trained the skills to fly this little craft and use its most interesting ability; blowing bubbles.


As an interdictor it can deploy an AOA Warp Disruption sphere approximately 20km across. It’s my new toy within w-space and will be used over the coming weeks to trap would-be-wanders in this realm.

B13 and I head out within the next few hours with a select few of our motley Corp to see what we can catch, and I hope that everything works as intended. The Heretic doesn’t possess a great tank; I figure it’s the sort of ship that deploys then runs leaving the camp to mop up the victims. Having said that it does posses a healthy dollop of DPS and may be able to hold its own properly supported. It shouldn’t become primary as its destruction does not eliminate the Warp Disruption Sphere, and the little beast has a small signature helping it to avoid larger turret fire so I may be neat.

I’m looking forward to our excursion and hope the outcome of the mission is favourable. I have the utmost confidence in my crew to battle through so I’ll return victorious, or it’ll be the last tour they ever do. Literally.

Happy Hunting…

Sittin' on the Dock o' the Bay...

To pass time I’d sometimes sit by a station dock and watch the ships roll in, and then watch them roll out again.


Mesmerising.

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Tech Demo

Apart from their looks, the Tech III class ship is designed to fulfill dozens of focused roles. Using a racial hull as a base, as the 5 different sub-systems change altering the appearance of the vessel, each combination of sub-system (of which there are 4 types) changes specific bonuses and attributes on the ship. This means there's almost nothing a well fitted Tech III vessel can't do. My kind of fun.

A Warm Welcome

I am pleased to announce a new contributor to this blog; my mentor and oldest friend EiD. Fourteen years ago he expedited my release from Sarum Prime as I was due to be court marshalled for my crimes against the Amarr Navy. His assistance sacrificed his own career within the Navy and we both sought new homes far from the Empire.

He’s always been a great source of knowledge and an inspiration to me, a champion in his field of science and industry, there isn’t much he doesn’t know. He spends his days making millions on the galactic market selling his inventions, and occasionally tackles the odd level 4 in his nightmare with Mr NOXx. These missions cannot take long due to his busy schedule, and they don’t; mere seconds in-fact.

He is a very busy man and his services are constantly in demand so it’s with great honour that I welcome his input. I trust he will have plenty to say and that a new perspective will be welcomed.

Welcome to the blog Sir; /me salutes EiD.

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