Random Posts from Auga

What Makes EvE Real (Blog Banter 32)

A quick view of the Eve Online forums can always find someone complaining about being suicide ganked, whining about some scam they fell for or other such tears. With the Goons’ Ice Interdiction claiming a vast amount of mining ships, there were calls for an “opt out of PvP” option.

Should this happen? Should people be able to opt-out of PvP in Eve Online. Should CONCORD prevent crime rather than just handing out justice after the event? Or do the hi-sec population already have too much protection from the scum and villainy that inhabits the game?

Why does feel Eve real? One key contributor is that adrenaline rush created by the ‘real’ danger of combat that can occur at any time, even in hi sec. You are never 100% safe, and it both keeps you on your toes and provides a thrill that no other game can match. Without that omnipresent danger presented by other ‘real’ pilots, Eve would not be the game that it is.

I can still recall my great anxiety the very first time I had to travel through the dreaded ‘low sec.’ That warning made my gut wrench, I expected to ambushed the moment I jumped through. What a relief when nothing happened.

Then there was the time I saw my first pilot that was yellow, and then the first time I saw a blinky. My corp mates (ironically, now mostly hard-bitten PvPer) all clamored for me to dock. That flashy dude was SCARY.

Then there was my first PvP loss—ratting innocently in my Stabber in Bosboger, I was chased around the belts by a guy in a Ferox. I still have him set to red. I let him chase me around, but then at one point I spent too much time trying to get info on him and got scrammed. I couldn’t believe how fast that guy wiped me out, and how ineffective my own damage was. I keep hoping we’ll meet again now that I’ve got thousands of kills of my own under my belt now.

Then there was null sec. I was so nervous the first time I jumped through—it was Great Wildlands, I was in a ratting cyclone fitted with a cloak. The gate was camped and bubbled. I cloaked up, then actually slow boated my way back, barely dodging clouds of drones and guys buzzing around in orbit trying to decloak me. Moving at about 30 m/s, I actually made it… it was awesome.

All these happened before I became a confident PvPer, but I still get that rush of excitement each time I jump into Amamake or the war zone, with or without backup. I get that rush when I’m just hauling stuff around and running gate camps. Without the possibility of this danger, I might as well mine all day.

Even hi-sec mining is full of danger nowadays—does that bother me? Not one bit—just makes me fit a better tank and pay more attention to my overview. Sure, I lose a mining ship now and then. But hell, my alt miner also gets the occasional kill mail…

For other blogger’s thoughts, see Seismic Stan’s blog.

4 months ago 1 note

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ooc: Blog Banter 30: The Melting Pot

With the Winter expansion possibly being named ‘Crucible’, it certainly is a melting pot of refinements and tweaks aimed at making the EVE experience smoother and more wholesome. If the developers suddenly found themselves some spare resources and approached you for an additional feature to include before release, what single concept would you pitch them and how would you implement it?

For bonus points, the one thing lacking from this “patchwork” of iterations is a cohesive storyline to package “The Crucible” together. How could this expansion be marketed to potential new customers?

I enjoyed the post at Sand, Cider and Spaceships… so I thought I’d build off that and do an RP version of Faction Warriors’ reactions to this, in character…

As I strolled into the HUANG ready-room, I quickly noted the buzz of excitement and talk among the capsuleers and crew members alike. CONCORD was making some changes to the rules governing the years-long faction war.

HUANG was different than many other capsuleer corps—it was a dedicated Minmatar Militia corp with over 5000 enemy ship kill-credits, and actively sought out the services of crew and capsuleers dedicated to defending the Republic’s frontier from pirate and Amarr incursions, as well as defeating Amarr forces in the war zones. However, CONCORD rules had long hampered our efforts.

Our losses of men and material were difficult and expensive to replace. and for every step we took to repel invaders and make headway into freeing our enslaved brethren, it seemed that nothing we did made a difference. The Republic didn’t provide any real backing or support, and it seemed for every Amarr fleet we defeated more just kept popping up, in an endless cycle of conflict that destroyed the lives of thousands and cost the capsuleers involved many billions of ISK. Morale was low, we felt we were the forgotten warriors locked in eternal war, ignored on the fringes of the Empires.

Now CONCORD was relaxing the strict rules it had allowed for the four Empires to participate. It was removing CONCORD Jove-tech from the various faction navies had access to within high security space, allowing Militia pilots to readily exercise their letters of marque within Empires. It was empowering the navies to issue bounties for their allied militiamen to all enemies, both empire and capsuleer—our stream of ISK income was about to spike up! And, it was allowing the empires to backup the strategic capture of frontier systems with logistical support and more naval firepower, while putting more restrictions on the rewards for attacking enemy sites. No more would false-militia capsuleers in stealthed frigates be able to so easily wreak havoc among the naval facilities and other bases, and collect so many undeserving rewards for so little risk.

Even more importantly, it was allowing more capsuleers to join into the Faction War, and removing CONCORD-imposed standings penalties for normal combat actions. They were really unshackling us from many of the onerous restrictions preventing an all out war, rather than these back and forth skirmishes.

The empire navies were also releasing new, powerfully armed battlecruiser hulls discounted to the militias, upping the firepower of the militia fleets. I saw Urik animatedly discussing the combat strengths and weaknesses of said hulls with close HUANG friend Dagren Darius, as both Dagren and Marl also discussed the logistics of getting these new designs into production as quickly as the BPOs would be released. Speaking of BPOs, the CONCORD is also promising the militias more control over planetary commerce in low-sec, allowing us to construct and maintain our own Customs Offices and depots in planetary orbit, and providing the schematics and blueprints at a steep discount to militia pilots.

There was a pause of silence as Koshua called out another announcement from CONCORD. They were releasing more previously prescribed Jove tech to capsuleers—improvements to our missile tactical displays, drone communication relays (I for one am infamous for leaving those poor robotic warriors on the field), and other combat aspects. There was a loud cheer (I believe especially from my own drone maintenance crew) at this announcement.

All in all, tomorrow was looking like a better day for the few but proud militia capsuleers… with more support from the Republic and fewer restrictions from CONCORD, maybe we could actually start making more of a difference….

Other blog banters (not CCP dev blogs)

CCP Ninveah - Ship Transport, D-Scan Improvements, Exploration Ships
CCP Madhatter - Stalemate Unleashed
CCP FakeDevBlogger - Faction Warfare Redesign
CCP Revenge - Joystick Control, Pirate Factions, Wormhole Changes
CCP Cozmik - Global Criminal Countdown Changes
CCP NinjaHoneyBee - EMP Blasts, New Rigs
CCP BadStudent - Navigation-Linked Market Tools
CCP Haberdasher - War Dec’ Changes, Hi-Sec PvP
CCP Ranter - Launcher and Turret Animation, PI Improvements, Motherships
CCP Anomaly - Incursion Iterations
CCP Veskin - Ammo Revolvers
CCP Margin - Product ‘Heat’ Map
CCP AngryLog - Deep Space Exploration
CCP NastyCop - Zero Tolerance Policing
CCP Mumbles - Good Samaritan Standings Boosts
CCP Cheapshoes - Advanced Camera Controls
CCP Epicentre - Temporary Jumpgate Jamming <- love this idea!
CCP Mack - Pirate Faction Rebalancing
CCP YoYo - Standings-Linked Market Prices
CCP Crab - Stealth Ship Hunter/Decloaker
CCP LabRat - Sovereignty/Incursion System Effects in Faction Warfare
CCP Icly - A Cartel Conspiracy (backstory)
CCP InPrivate - GCC/UI/Dynamic System Security (+ backstory)
CCP ForumTrollslayer - Market UI Improvements

6 months ago 1 note

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Blog Banter 26: The Beauty of EVE

Welcome to the twenty-sixth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month’s topic was proposed by @KatiaSae of the much praised “To Boldly Go” blog. Katia asks: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As an astrophotographer, I’ve found it in the stars and planets of New Eden. Where have you found it? Perhaps you’ve found beauty in the ships we fly? Maybe it’s the sight of profits being added to your bottom line? Or maybe it’s the pilot portraits you see in the comm channels? Where ever you’ve found it, write about it and post an image.” Don’t be afraid go beyond the simple visual aspects of EVE as well. Is the EVE Community in itself a thing of beauty? What makes EVE the game, the world, the Community, so appealing to you?

Why I Fight: The Beautiful Feeling of Battle

For me, the Sleipnir is a truly beautiful sight, especially when I’m in one spewing projectiles of death…

Why do I climb into pod day after day, risking the lives of my crews? Why to I keep flying, I ask myself each time I watch as those lives are snuffed out in the vaccum of space or as the value of a small planetary colony explodes in an agony of a matter-conversion explosion?

I fight because I am a part of something larger and more noble, and in being part of that I am myself catapulted to levels of something larger and far greater than myself. I fight for the Republic and what it stands for, and against the evils of the Amarr Empire and what it has and continues to stand for: the enslavement of an entire people.

I fight because of the bravery and camaraderie of my noble Companions of Late Nite. And I am proud to be numbered among these greatest of warriors who serve in the Tribal Liberation Force and fight in the endless Faction War. I die, am reborn, and die again alongside them, and as they do for me.

I fight because I am a xia, a dragon knight of the Huang Yinglong brotherhood, an organization that has resurrected the noble martial arts lore of our ancient Vherokior forefathers, long thought to be lost before the dark times, before the coming of the Amarr slavers in their golden ships. I fight for honor, glory, brotherhood and vengeance.

I fight because my enemies are many, some noble and honorable, others weak and despicable, yet powerful enough to prey upon the weaker and more helpless. I take deep satisfaction in slaying the enemy—pirate or Amarr, all deserve defeat. I do not look for ‘fairness’ as there is no fairness in war, only victory or defeat. Yet, a victory against large odds is always the greater one.

I fight because I revel in the exultation of battle and victory, of skill and bravery in battle, like the xia of old. The greater the odds, the greater the glory and joy of the victorious. I fight because as a capsuleer, I am as one of the War Gods of old, striding across the heavens wielding thunder and lightning.

I fight because that is what I am: a Vherokior Warrior, a Knight of the Dragon, a Companion of the Late Nite fleet, and a Soldier of the Republic.

List of Participants:

1 year ago 0 notes

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Random Posts from Auga

Ramblings on Faction War and the corp Huang Yinglong

What Makes EvE Real (Blog Banter 32)

ooc: Blog Banter 30: The Melting Pot

Blog Banter 26: The Beauty of EVE

Why I Fight: The Beautiful Feeling of Battle

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