So I am really enjoying my roaming Orca bases – in particular the Exploration base. I like being able to move from system to system, swap ships, fittings, carrying loot and covering lots of different contingencies, all while not needing to dock. I can’t fully explain it, but the notion of being a space nomad really appeals to me.
As reported elsewhere, and I think flagged in this blog already, CCP are making changes to the Corporate Hangers on Capital Ships (which Orca’s fall under).
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=164501
With further clarification here:
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=2123982#post2123982
Basically:
. All Capital Ship Corp Hangars will now be Fleet hangars
. Volumes stay the same
. Divisions and reliance on Corporate Roles are gone
. All assets currently stored in different divisions will be combined after the patch
Organisation and security will be managed by containers:
. 5 new non-compressive containers are being added to the game for use in Fleet hangers
. Only the flying pilot will be able to take items from containers
. Only the flying pilot will be able to remove containers
. Fleet or Corporation members will be able to drop items into containers, but not remove
. The Ship Fitting Service will always be available to anyone in your fleet or Corporation
. You can configure both Fleet Hanger and Ship Maintenance Array to allow or dis-allow access to Fleet members and / or Corporation Members
So far the only negative will be having to re-organise my spares and loot into containers, and make sure any security settings are appropriate for the ships use. But then there is this bit of information:
. Fleet Hangers will now behave like a normal cargo hold – and be able to be scanned and will drop loot
First, it makes sense and I am not opposed to the change. But it should not be underestimated – it is a dramatic Nerf to hauling, and a huge boost to Ganking.
It also throws a spanner in the works for my roaming Orca bases. During exploration you collect a huge pile of cheap Meta items, cheap Faction loot, Manufacturing and Invention Supplies. Even if the value of this loot remains below normal hauling risk limits, the scan results, along with the spare fittings you carry, mean you are now at far greater risk of being ganked.
So as far as loot is concerned, will I now be forced to drop it off at stations as I move around, and go back for it weeks / months later in some over tanked transport ship or cruiser?
And then there was this:
Forlorn Wongraven – “Great changes right there. Can we get drops from SMA as well, please?”
CCP Greyscale – “Yup. Anything in any kind of bay should now be able to drop (including drone bay, SMA, ore bay etc).”
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=2153829#post2153829
And therein might be the end my nomadic life style. While it doesn’t look like you can scan the SMA as yet, it becomes a loot pinata. Again, I am not opposed to the change just on the fact it makes sense to do it, it just makes my game style far less practical.
Can’t quite decide if an Orca’s fleet hanger is worth ganking for? Give it a go anyway, as you might drop something worthwhile from the SMA.
I would like some sort of mechanism to offset this a little – which doesn’t involve double wrap courier contracts. Maybe a container type which only holds half its volume, but can’t be scanned? Maybe a fitted module that gives a chance of self-destructing the SMA or Fleet hanger if the ship is destroyer? Maybe a module which has a chance of causing a ship or cargo scan to fail, or means it only reports 80%, or 60%, or less?
So – I don’t want to get all alarmist, but basically I think I will need to ensure my Orca’s carry less than 1Bil in assets, and loot which won’t be confused or overvalued. My mobile mining base should be safe from ganking for profit. My mobile mission base carries ships worth over 1Bil, but at the moment you shouldn’t be able to scan that. I guess I could just do missions in a Marauder which I fly between mission bases, and leave my Alt’s T3 at home to reduce the value of any drop. The Low Sec exploration base is relatively safe – aside from loot. My Hi Sec exploration base has a pimped out Legion in it at times – and of course will have the loot risk.
I wonder if the price of Orca’s will drop when the change comes in?
What’s the bet the price of Tornadoes doesn’t drop…
(I have no issues with the impact on my carriers, aside having to do some organising with them. No one scans them before deciding to gank or not – they just try to kill them regardless.)
Evehermit 
I’d say business as usual for my Orca alt. the only thing is fit the Orca for tank as opposed to cargo. Also train the Orca pilot for max shield skills, and always have a damage control active. This will mean the end of auto piloting…for me anyways. And I’m never around Jita. I think you can avoid a lot of risk just by doing that stuff, and not necessarily change your nomad play style.
I already fit my Orca’s for tank, and have almost max shield skills on my main pilots. The Obelisk I fly has 200K EHP, my standard Orca 204K EHP (216K overheated). As such it would only take the same effort to gank as a Frighter. With a T2 Reinforced Bulkhead it has 240K EHP (251K overheated). Certainly no where near enough to be safe from ganking. With the professional and well organised approach some groups take to ganking, you will not be safe anywhere.
Just as I skilled into an Orca 😦