Out

I finally moved the last of my stuff out of Syndicate. They had been clogging up my inventory list and annoying me, but each time I thought I should do something about them I would read an EVE news item about some active war going on in the region.

In the end the extraction was uneventful. I had hoped to find some wormhole to make the process a little safer, possibly quicker, but had no luck. I initially struggled with the scanning interface, which had changed again since I last used it. It was worthwhile practice in the end.

There are still some items that I re-listed on the market. If they don’t sell I will trash them.

On the plus side – the thing which triggered my exit, the long delays and blank screens on undocking, didn’t seem to be as bad any more.

Shattered

I’ve been a little bit busier in EVE since my decision to move back to one account.

I started by looking closely at my Industry Alt, Ilesha Rose.

For a year or two now Ilesha has done nothing aside hold my Corporation / Alliance, and on rare occasion sell some loot on the market. I started by handing over the reins of my Corp from Ilesha to my Main Character, Elmis.

Elmis is able to do everything in game that Ilesha can, aside creating an Alliance. I don’t need this ability, and I don’t expect I will ever create an Alliance again – but the symbolism of losing this felt oddly wrong. In part I tend to view my Main EVE Character as the sum of all of my EVE characters. I could have just left Ilesha unsubscribed with the skills, but there is more to this whole process than just saving a few dollars each month. There is an aspect of cleansing to it, and in my mind it seems unlikely that I will use that Alt again.

So with that admittedly not entirely justifiable mindset, I extracted 34M SP from Ilesha. I used what was required to upskill Elmis to Empire Control V – allowing him to create Alliances, then sold the rest on the market.

What was left of Ilesha is an each-way bet. She can still fly and basic fit a lot of ships and can do some trading. Many of her more technical skills are only a Skill Injector or three away from being available again if I need.

Ilesha, and a second Scout/Cyno Alt I haven’t used for years, then cleaned out most of their hangers and both left Corporation. For the moment I will leave them dormant.

The next order of business was to downsize my NPC Null Sec home. I had Clone jumped my Main Alt Jack down to Syndicate a week before, and was logging him in once every day or two to scan down the constellation looking for Wormholes. I had remarked that the area had gotten a lot busier during the Casino / Anti Goon war, but with that over it seems to have become much quieter again.

I had no real luck with my scanning until today (Sunday). I found a single Wormhole in the back of the Constellation to a C3 Shattered system.

After having a look around I scanned down the 15 Signatures available, finding two Wormholes to Low-Sec, both quiet systems, both next door to Hi-Sec, and both (just) under 20 jumps from my Hi-Sec home. This gave me the choice of two equal routes to move most of my gear out:

NPC Null (Station) > NPC Null > NPC Null > Shattered Wormhole > Low Sec > Hi-Sec > Hi-Sec > Hi-Sec (Station)

To make it slightly more difficult to catch me doing the same thing over and over – I used both Low Sec routes, running them over and over again with both Characters until my Null Sec home was left with a single jump clone and a ship for Elmis to run about in when he wants.

Unlike Ilesha, I do expect I will use Jack again at times. I downsized his hangers a bit, but he still has a couple Command ships waiting to test out the changes to gang links in November.

A few hundred Mil ISK worth of NPC Null loot and spares making its way back to home base.

Taking bat and ball

I’m in my 40’s now and am well versed in how dishonest and untrustworthy people can be. This is of particular note when it involves money, power, idealism or the news media. Convert this seemingly common sense but possibly conspiracist view into EVE, and you often find all these elements combined.

Although I am not in a position to know how factual or fanciful much of it is, reading about what is (or is not) going on in EVE at the moment around the war against the Imperium is fascinating.  From the staid maps and timer lists, to the commercial quality propaganda, and the personal blogs in between.

Even though it is huge news, I haven’t remarked on it a great deal here as I was expecting it to have fizzled out by now. I assumed the Imperium would have either paid or fought their way out of the mess. They are up against a somewhat loose coalition with some key members not known for sticking at long term grind gameplay. I figured all the Imperium had to do was consolidate, then bring big numbers to battles day after day for a few weeks. They have done that in the past. They didn’t even have to win – just ensure each battle took many hours, and do enough damage to the attackers to make it hurt. In the meanwhile, they would keep a sharp eye out for mistakes or openings, and cheaply roll back hard fought advances whenever the opportunity arose. I thought they would easily outlast their opponents in such a war.

Instead the Imperium’s allies were systematically steamrolled and the Imperium forces moved out of home promising the mightiest vengeance for a lost war that they don’t seem to have properly fought, or technically lost yet.

Gelvon suggests it is because they are actually weak.

http://greedygoblin.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/the-long-march-to-deklein-angels.html

Maybe, but I’m not convinced.

The Mittani – figurehead of the Goonswarm Alliance and Imperium Coalition released a War Update a couple of days back.

https://www.themittani.com/features/war-update-forging-goonhammer

I know it is propaganda, but it reads like a well-spoken toddler’s space tantrum.

In one way a sizeable Imperium on a long coordinated and sustained hunt for retribution would generate a lot of game content for some time to come.  Much more game content than if they had remained ensconced in their space.

Part of me is even hoping we are being trolled – as I presumed with the twitter suggestion yesterday that Goon’s were told not to attend EVE Fanfest or be kicked from the Alliance. Maybe there will be some big battles coming after all. Or maybe not.

Did the Imperium just view the situation as unwinnable given the array of forces against them? This approach allows them to retain much of their combative infrastructure for when their enemies disperse?

I get some impression that they might be rushing (a little too quickly) into a self-proclaimed defeated underdog status, just so they can again arise from the ashes in all the Goon obnoxiousness possible.

Then you have plenty of references to their many pilots who have not gone through such trials before. Maybe they did not have faith that they could. Maybe they hope this will cleanse and galvanize those who remain.

It will also be interesting to see who and how many try filling the space apparently left by the Imperium, and just how long they remain. If the Imperium with their numbers and coordination don’t feel like they can defend Sov, won’t the new owners be in exactly the same position?

I don’t know what I am talking about – but it doesn’t’ really matter. It is this sort of drama and conjecture that keeps me playing EVE. It is this sort of story that Solo players need to pay attention to and enjoy. Appreciate when – like I mentioned the other day, the big wars impact on your quiet little backwaters. Appreciate if you want, the opportunity to go look at things for yourself like Jakob Anedalle has.

http://evechecklist.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/the-fizzles-not-in-sov.html

Camping Expectations

This post is in effect a reply to a recent comment.

I used to operate my holiday camps out of Low Sec. I could find quiet corners where if I was patient I would be able to undock and get Carebear type stuff done.

Over time with game changes to resources, faction warfare and population movements (some out of Sov Null) I found it more and more difficult to find these sorts of Low Sec backwaters. When I did it would not be long before an active pirate group moved in, and I’d have to move out.

There are two aspects to the decision to have to run away.

The first is that I play a solo game. When a group regularly has 2 or 3 half competent and active players online in the area I am trying to operate from, most of what I do can be countered. It doesn’t matter how many Skill Points I have or how expensive the ships are that I am flying.

The second is the somewhat fluid tipping point on the danger level in the area. I will operate in space that through careful play I can mitigate most of the danger. You might lose ships occasionally through mistakes, inattention, skilled opponents or bad luck – but that’s ok. I don’t want to operate in space where I will inevitably lose ships regardless what I do.

This isn’t just a simple case of being risk averse. It is at the core of how I play the game.

As I have commented, I now find my camps are located in NPC Null Sec. It is in many ways poorer from a resource point of view, but there are quiet backwaters where a Carebear can still find moments of peace.

I do see risks to this sort of game play.

The first have been the changes to capital jump ranges. I used to be able to pack my camp into a carrier, and move it across a region or two at fairly short notice. Now it can require 3 or more jumps just to get across a region, with even longer travel inevitably putting you through carefully watched and hunted chokepoint systems. Now I have to rely on suitable wormholes to move in and out, which in NPC Null Sec are not reliable.

The second is the outcome of World War Bee. When Major Sov holders lose their space they regularly end up in places like Low Sec or NPC Null to regroup, reorganise and rebuild. Even if they don’t pick the poor and quiet systems I operate out of, they can displace other groups who then might. In the long run they will move on again – assuming the Sov mechanics encourage them to. The jury seems to be out on that.

The third are Citadels. As I have harped on, I don’t see them having the huge economic impact some fear, but I do certainly see them being used in dangerous backwaters to make them more habitable for small Corporations and Alliances. This will particularly be in those areas with few stations – the areas I historically get to operate in.

The more vibrant and busy all space is, the worse off it is for my particular style of play. I’ll have to cope that on the chin for the greater good.

Shifts in Space

While I don’t tend to remark on it, I do listen to what goes on in the greater world of EVE Null Sec politics. It is of course full of propaganda that you have to take with a grain of salt, but within that are the more personal dramas and stories that remind you why this game is great.

I’ve been noticing that certain tone of voice in some of those people who are losing their space homes. It comes with the hint of disorientation, melancholy and powerlessness. I don’t delight in that – but I am familiar with it. I’ve gone through that process a number of times myself.

Of course it is just a game and it doesn’t matter – but it does. If it didn’t, we probably wouldn’t have played the game for so many years.

Aside all the stories big and small, I also follow what goes on in EVE Null Sec as it can directly impact on my solo game.

As reported on various EVE sites and blogs, Space Monkey Alliance is leaving the Imperium and moving to Outer Ring to rebuild.

https://tagn.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/sma-leaves-the-imperium/

I was going to say that you do not go to Outer Ring to rebuild – it only has 7 NPC stations across 3 systems. You are too easily camped and harassed. With the arrival of Citadels however in a bit over a fortnight, the region could be made far more habitable. It might be interesting to see how it pans out.

As I have mentioned, I have a home (I should probably call it more of a camp) in NPC Null. It is not in Outer Ring, but it is in a bordering constellation in Syndicate and I occasionally visit parts of the region. I wouldn’t expect all 2,000+ Space Moneys to move there, but between those who do and those who would come to hunt them, the freedom I have to get stuff done in space will likely be impacted.

I expect I am going to have to be even more patient for a while.

Chaos

Linked in with my previous post, Gevlon very publically makes a stand for what he believes in. I don’t view him as representing the majority in game, but I generally find interest in his posts.

He has a very dim view of the impact Citadels will have on the High Sec market and wealth distribution in game, and has announced he will stop playing in a month.

http://greedygoblin.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/i-need-suggestion-for-new-mmo-and-you.html

The figures he quotes about possible tax incomes are horrendous, and I know it is plausible that a handful of powerful entities will anchor a new Jita, new Amarr, new Rens and what not next door to these traditional trading hubs. I just truly can’t believe a noteworthy number of risk averse Carebears will actually move to use them exclusively.

Even if there is some unexpected rush of enthusiasm, I think it is inevitable that it will end up costing players much more than the few percent of taxes that they might save. I cannot see my risk averse Carebear brethren making Gevlon’s nightmare come true.

If Gevlon does finish up his EVE experiment, lots of respect to him for what he has achieved. He has made lots of players think about topics in different ways, and generated a lot of in game content. I think he’s been good for the game with the sense of chaos he brings to it.

If his version of the future does hold true, I agree it won’t be good for the game. I would expect however it could be addressed by changes in tax rates.

What isn’t so easy to change – as Gevlon has been trying, is the entrenched stability of the few in game super powers. At the moment they make the game less dynamic and nullify the notion of a true sandpit.

I think the outcome of the current anti Imperium/CFC war will be more telling on the future of the game than Citadels. Will it grind down, destroy and reshape the alliances of old, and bring forth a new landscape? Or will it fizzle out quickly as some of the major players are again paid off or walk away as soon as they get the hint of hard work or boredom?

I fear from the overzealous propaganda and the rush for big battles such as todays Easter War in J-GAMP and M-OEE8, that the so called Allies are hoping for a headshot, and are not likely to be in this for the long haul.  I don’t see the Imperium as dying from a headshot.  Dozens of them maybe, dozens and dozens, but do their enemies have that much stamina and ammunition?

856 Days

It has been a busy couple of days in EVE, between PVE, revisiting ship fittings and asset sales. I figured I would round this off with some time in Null Sec. I started with the usual scan down of the constellation using my Alt. He currently does this in a Falcon, which might leave the locals uneasy.

To my surprise I actually found a Null to Hi-Sec Wormhole. The other side was to the ass end of the known Empire, but beggars can’t be choosers. I clone jumped my main down and basically started the process of moving out loot and a pile of combat ships I picked up off contract but which I decided I really wasn’t going to use.

There were a few of the local alliance members around, including one trying to PVE. He seemed to get spooked as I made my way through the system with my second PVP ship and left. Otherwise it was relatively quiet.

It is however never safe following a predictable pattern – and sure enough when moving my third or fourth ship out of station I had a run in with one of the locals.

I did the normal check – 3 people in local, all of them in station.  I assume it is because I play EVE from Australia and response times are slower, but once again between the time I clicked on undock and the overview loaded another player had undocked and activated a ship module.

In this case the overview was blank for a while, then the overview windows loaded but the image remained blank. I could see someone had undocked with me – so the first thing I did was selected my out gate and clicked on warp. The screen then loaded and I had a strange blue or green cyno type thing next to me, which I assumed was a jump field generator.

Sure enough this deposited me 100km off the station with a Pontifex. Given I was in a PVP fit Stabber and with nothing else to do, I figured this was an appropriate time to fight. I started by trying to lock the Command Destroyer, only to find myself almost immediately warping off to my out gate. Rather disappointingly it seems being jumped did not cancel my warp.

Thinking no worse of the local (who as I have remarked don’t seem particularly blood thirsty unless you make yourself an obvious target), I continued with my ship extractions. (The pilot had logged or moved on.)

The next ship was a Svipul. As I landed on my out Wormhole I found a Probe sitting on it with a 6-year-old toon. I waited for them to jump back to Empire space or Warp off, but they seemed AFK. I targeted them – but they still did not move, so fired one volley of artillery and destroyed the ship. The pod then followed.

(Meanwhile in my Captain’s quarters the housekeeper updated the “Days since the last unnecessary killing of another player” sign, crossing out 856 and putting in 0.)

Did I suddenly see the red mist of the killer instinct? After all these years am I about to become fascinated with PVP? No – my only thought in both encounters was a mild interest to see what the kill marks looked like. For the life of me however I couldn’t find it on the Svipul. Maybe I did something wrong?

I finished my session off by moving a Stratios into Null, which I had been wanting to do for a while, along with some of the ship fittings I had been missing. I still need a couple Covert Ops, possibly a Gila, and all the Carrier gear, but it was impractical to use the wormhole to collect those in a timely manner.  EVE game time success.

NPC Null V Low Sec for the Solo Carebear

I like to have some sort of base outside of Hi-Sec with a couple Jump Clones and a collection of suitable ships that I can visit when I want to. I enjoy the challenge of staying alive in that sort of harsher environment, and being able to experience the different content available there.

Historically that location would be in Low-Sec. In recent years however I have struggled to find a Low Sec area that was quiet enough to allow me to regularly undock and mine, rat or run exploration sites. Between Faction Warfare, changes to Exploration, the movement of large groups from Null to Low, and the rise of large organised pirate alliances, even out of the way Low-Sec systems are much busier than they used to be.

Recently I’ve operated out of a NPC Null Sec constellation instead. While it requires patience, I do have the place to myself at times and I am able to undock and “get things done” on a semi regular basis. Having been there for a while now I’ve decided overall, NPC Null Sec is actually a rather poorer cousin to Low Sec.

. Generally, it seems like there are less stations
. Generally, it is a fair bit more difficult to access Hi-Sec
. The market tends to be poorer
. There are a lot less anomalies
. There are a lot less wormholes
. There are less exploration combat sites
. While content can be more rewarding, it can take noticeably longer to run
. You can access similar mining options in Low Sec through Anomalies
. There are no tag rats
. You have to contend with bubbles and bombs (not much of an issue)
. In Low Sec other Carebears tend to be less likely to attack you due to security loss

The positives – aside being more quiet, include that Pirates seem to hunt you for much longer and more persistently in Low Sec, and there is a lot less competition for on overview resources in NPC Null Sec.

Where are the wormholes

There was a EVE meeting in Nottingham this weekend. There were a couple photos from CCP’s presentations on my twitter feed which were interesting.

https://twitter.com/wacktopia/status/701065006138445825

The first shows the new Carrier fighter controls, which appears to include modules you can toggle on and off for each flight.

https://twitter.com/wacktopia/status/701062705826938880

The second are changes to Watch Lists. Unless both parties have each other watch-listed, you will not be notified when another player logs in or out. That makes me a little sad as I tend to use Watch-Lists all the time to monitor local pirates, but in all honesty the change makes sense. I can see how it makes EVE safer and more dangerous at the same time.

(Should be interesting to see if anyone I watch-list is watching me..)

Otherwise I had an usually productive day in Null.

It started with scanning down the constellation for Wormholes – but unfortunately not finding any. I branched further afield, but also had no luck.

I then set out to collect three hulls that I had picked up off contract, spread around the place and including a mining barge and a battleship. I managed to get all three back to my home constellation without incident, including moving the battleship from a staging system of a well-known PVP alliance.

I then set about clearing the Data and Relic sites I’d come across while looking for wormholes. There were pilots online and moving about during the process. I’m normally very cautious, but the pilots were from an Alliance I have flagged as Neutral, and from observation, view as unlikely to hunt me unless I make myself a particularly obvious target.

Finally, when that was all done I figured I would do some mining. I then realised my newly collected barge lacked suitable crystals, and I couldn’t buy any off the market. Another day maybe.

Another successful session avoiding in game interactions.

The Waiters

I finished collecting the carrier fit into the one location. Between moving the old fits, picking up new items from all over the place (thanks to eve-central) and extra caution on the values I hauled, it took an inordinate amount of time. It was a sort of engaging process, but hard to explain to a non-eve player. It certainly wouldn’t make for a good EVE game trailer.

I am going to have to wait for a fortuitous Wormhole chain to get it all down into my NPC 0.0 Home. Probably more than one. That could take quite a while.

Again there were active Gankers on the trade route to and around Jita. I don’t normally see them as consistently as I have over the last week. It makes me wonder if it is an organised / concerted effort. However, I haven’t flown much over the last month or so – so maybe this is the new norm.

Feeling somewhat productive when that task was complete, I jumped down to 0.0. I searched the entire constellation for travel routes back to Hi-Sec, but only found the one wormhole to a C5 which I did not explore further. There seem to be a lot less wormhole connections in Null-Sec than I usually find in High-Sec.

I am finding the NPC 0.0 area busier than when I first moved in. Initially I had the place almost to myself, but after a while I kept seeing regular pilots from one Alliance turning up during my morning sessions. I knew from their behaviour and killboard that they were happy to target Explorers, so I have to be cautious around them. Cautious means waiting for them to move on or log off.

More recently pilots from a different alliance have started turning up during my evening sessions. Again I know from observation that some of them camp Exploration sites, so again I find myself regularly waiting.

Yesterday’s session was particularly unsatisfying – I was logged in for many hours across the day, but ended up with minimal opportunities to interact with stuff in space while I waited, and waited, for cloaked pilots to dock or move on or log off. At one point I was sitting cloaked 200km off a Data site for so long that it disappeared from my scanner list then the cans all exploded.

I guess I could have risked running sites regardless, but I knew they had them scanned and bookmarked, and I am just not inclined to give away my kill mails so freely. It is however the negative of playing a solo Carebear game in 0.0. If you want to operate out of a system with a station, it isn’t just a case of logging in and doing something when you want. You have to wait for your opportunities.

I could just leave my Main Alt there, and use them when the opportunity exists, but otherwise stay in Hi-Sec with my Main. It makes sense – that Alt has 171M SP and like my main, is a perfect skilled Explorer. I’m not sure if it is just me though, but I never really use any of my Alts except in direct support of my Main.

I did try to collect some of my market and contract purchases. Unfortunately, three systems out and in pipe I had no choice but to travel through I stumbled across a couple dozen Goons. That put a stop to that idea. I’ll have to wait and try again. There is lots of waiting in 0.0…

Left Right Left Right

January was a total bust when it came to undocking in EVE. I was constantly on edge, listening out for the beginnings of my daughter’s next meltdown – needing to be able to immediately try and interject. The irony of finishing my job, yet finding myself working harder than ever was not lost on me.

Then school went back and it was like someone flicked a switch in her head. Her behaviour went from extreme back to its normal difficult. The Paediatrician who coordinates the various services we use for our daughter (at ridiculous cost) was not surprised. It is apparently common behaviour for her high functioning clients in the autism spectrum. They find comfort in the clear and consistent routine that school gives them, and act up worse when outside of it. At least we have some ideas for next holidays.

My wife and I are still rather rattled, but I’ve finally been able to cautiously start enjoying my unemployment. With the help of YouTube, I’ve been tackling some of the home maintenance items on my To-Do list, such as repairing the drywall my daughter has damaged. I have also been able to undock in EVE.

I feel a little precarious in my NPC Null Sec home. I can log in and have the place to myself for an hour, or I can find one of the local Corps active and not able to do much. The location is still good, but as I mentioned previously I do need to be able to relocate everything at short notice if the situation changes. For that I need a Carrier (until Capitals are reworked anyway). I had two of those, but they were on the other side of the map. I spent some time mulling over how to get one or both of them into the area. The distance however was just too far, with too many dangerous bottlenecks to try and get through.

I thought about trying to build my own carrier, and purchased an Archon BPC set towards that goal. In reality however I’d likely have to move out many times before that hull became a reality.

In the end I stripped my old Archon and Thanatos and put them up for sale. In a process that required far too many Star Gate traversals, I hauled their old fits out of Low-Sec and back to my Hi-Sec home. After watching for a while I was able to purchase a new Archon hull that lies within one Cyno jump of my NPC home.

Next I spent a long time in EFT and looking at Killboards, making some notable changes to my normal Archon fit. Given I fly solo, if I am caught a strong active tank will just delay the inevitable. No one will be coming to rescue me. I’ve now gone for a bigger buffer and some tools to try and shake off initial tackle. I’ve purchased everything I was missing for the new fit, and am almost done collecting it in one place in Hi-Sec. Again this required a lot of travelling.

The next phase will be trying to get 50,000m3 plus of gear to the location of the hull (in a busy and hostile system), and then move the hull across to my NPC Null home all without losing anything. I’m not sure yet on how I am going to manage that. A long wait for a suitable wormhole I suspect.

Here’s the new fit I will probably go with:

[Archon, Transport v2]
Capital Armor Repairer I
Imperial Navy Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane
Imperial Navy Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane
True Sansha Capacitor Power Relay
Reinforced Bulkheads II
Reinforced Bulkheads II
Damage Control II

Shadow Serpentis Warp Disruptor
Sensor Booster II, Scan Resolution Script
Sensor Booster II, Scan Resolution Script
Dark Blood Cap Recharger

Drone Control Unit I
True Sansha Heavy Energy Neutralizer
True Sansha Heavy Energy Neutralizer
Shadow Serpentis Large Plasma Smartbomb
Large EMP Smartbomb II

Capital Transverse Bulkhead I
Capital Transverse Bulkhead I
Capital Transverse Bulkhead I

I’ve also added another new ornament to my hanger – a Bhaalgorn that I will probably never use in anger. For no good reason, I’ve always wanted one. Given the price of the hull is now well under 400M, I didn’t go overboard with the fit.

On the way home from Jita

I’ve kept my Rorqual while waiting for news from CCP about what changes they are going to make to it. They posted a teaser image to their Instagram page recently of what might be a capital mining drone. I expect that is what the Rorqual will end up being – an in-belt booster / mining platform. I can’t imagine a situation where I would do that as a solo player, but I’ll hold off selling the hull until its direction is confirmed.

Today I even flew the Victorieux Luxury Yacht for the first time in an age.

It has been good just getting out and about, well – in EVE. That of course requires not getting out of about as much in real life.  That has been nice too.

Lag and salting the earth

Somehow I get to do the kids morning routines and then watch them every weekend morning while my wife sleeps in. This might sound like I’m nice – but it is closer to being foolish given I watch the kids most mornings on work days, public holidays, when my wife has a day off, or when I have a day off. From what I understand when I dare raise this inequity, she has forevermore got the right to sleep in because she breastfed the kids overnight or something.

Anyway – on the weekend I will log into EVE, but I don’t tend to undock or do much until my wife finally gets up. Today was no different.

When I logged into my Null home there was another pilot in system who soon docked up.

They remained docked up for quite some time, but I paid them no attention while I busied myself with real life interjected with a quick check of contracts here, and shuffling some supplies there.

At some random point I decided I would undock in an Astero and sit cloaked in space, ready for when I could do something (which was to check for wormholes). The other pilot was still in station at the time. After clicking undock there was an abnormally long blank screen, during which I could hear some odd client noises then the low shield warning. The client finally returned to me and I was scrammed and quickly heading towards death. I clicked on dock, damage control and overheated my repairer, and was accepted back into the station with a slither of hull left.

I’m not sure if the guy was just lucky, or had sat there with his finger over the undock button for a considerable amount of time – but he had managed to undock his Svipul, lock and start shooting me, between the time I hit undock and saw space.

I had my Alt logged off in space in a Falcon and plenty of PVP ships in the station, however I was mindful of my son downloading a 6GB game off Steam – which I assume caused my long undock delay – so I remained in station.

Again – at some random and fairly long time later once my family had left for Church, I logged my Falcon Alt in. Within 30 seconds the other pilot had undocked in a Cynabal to sniff around.

Very lucky indeed.

I looked at his killboard and checked out the ships he usually flew. Most were actively tanked. I checked the motely mix of ships I had collected so far, but they were only stock standard buffer fits. I am not very good in PVP situations, especially if I am trying to dual box. My Alt is a get out of Jail Card, not a part of a hunting team. I could probably undock in one of my cruisers and drag him off station – then uncloak the Falcon. Given the speed of his ship (which he had kindly showed my Alt when flying around) and the fact he actively tanks, it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that I could both tank and then kill him before he docked or managed to kill both of us off.

So I gave the guy game content – by leaving my accounts logged in while I started to wrap Christmas presents. He remained docked.

Later still I had to go Christmas shopping, so I logged my Alt off and left my main docked. Many hours later I returned and when I remembered I was still logged in, I found he was too. I left my account there and headed off to do housework. Now I am watching the cricket and running around on another Alt. My account is still logged in, as is his.

I can imagine some of the bloggers I read jumping up and down and saying here was a golden opportunity – someone willing to fight! I should have taken it – especially as I wouldn’t have known the outcome.  Instead I’ve gone the passive aggressive path.

I expect this is not the pilots normal pattern – and I assume like me, he is AFK thinking he might be impacting my play while – like me towards him, not doing so.  I suspect we will both still be docked when downtime comes around.

In the meanwhile I re-checked each of the carrier options and then  picked up a full set of BPC’s to make an Archon Carrier.  I’ll move them down to Null and very slowly over time make the bits and pieces as I get the materials.  I am not too convinced that I’ll succeed, but we shall see.

Tenuous

I finished bookmarking the entire Null Sec constellation, aside the belts outside of my home system. The place is quieter than expected, and I’ve had plenty of opportunity to be out in space doing things.

I grabbed a 6th Hull off contract – a PVE fit Cerberus. After the task of collecting it was done, I did some initial belt ratting. I don’t do that to earn billions, but just as something extra to fill time. I’m not sure how the Cerberus will handle the combat sites – I will have to experiment. I just need more appropriate ammo first.

Looks kind of cool with all its launchers

The system I grabbed it from housed a lot of pilots from one of the three main alliances I see moving around. It would appear to be their main constellation. It was a reminder again about how my position in my new home is tenuous. All it would take is some 500-man alliance to move in, and my fun will be over.

I should probably get a carrier down there – so that if forced to move, I can do so easier. I actually think the region should always hold quiet pockets, but I might at times have to move between constellations. I think Dotlan said my carriers are currently 8 or 9 jumps distance, including moving through some well-known choke points. I might buy something more local – or maybe even try to build one for myself.  I’ll have to think about it – that would keep me busy for a while.

After a recent comment I’ve taken to monitor the Thera Wormhole connections in case something opens up in the area. EVE Scout maintain a rather cool list and map here:

https://www.eve-scout.com/

So far there has been nothing. I wonder if it is camped as much as it was in the early days, or if it is “relative safe”.

I’m not sure what I will be able to get up to this weekend. I scanned down the entire constellation last night but only found 2 Wormholes (a c5 and a c6) and 2 combat sites. Not much to initially play with.

There were some locals actively out hunting the area last night – although not apparently aligned with the main groups. They (although it probably was one person) were flying a Daredevil and a Kitsune. That would be a frustrating combination!

A ship I am using in the pocket which will also frustrate some

There has been a hell of a lot of interesting things to link to or report on, but I’m not getting those posts finished. I’m spending more time playing than writing at the moment. CCP released another Scope video which advances the citadel storyline and was cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyYs4sdBTvk

There was another one the other day about the new destroyers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLV2ZNuJVug

They also outlined how the ships will get dirty and how you can clean them (plus the killmarks, which isn’t likely to inpact me, aside appearing on other player’s hulls). I think the technology is pretty cool.

http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/dirt-killmarks-dirt-and-destruction-in-new-eden/

The last o7 Episode (11) is also available here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQQQODMd0z8

It was an odd episode which said a lot but little at the same time. Best go over to the EVE Update sites for the quite substantial list of changes coming in December:

http://updates.eveonline.com/date/2015-12-08/

13 new hulls alone is notable, along with plenty of visual updates such hit and module effects, the kill marks and hull wear and rust as mentioned above, missile disruptors and more. The next iteration of the Crimson Harvest will also start – called Operation Frostline with new twists, more variety, and loot drops never seen before.

I read someone seriously complaining the other day about the lack of changes CCP is making to the game.

Double Clones

I ended up purchasing 5 hulls off contract, all in the same location 3 jumps from my Null Home. A couple Recon’s I collected the other day, a couple Cruisers, and a Mining Barge. I collected the two Cruisers a day or two later without mishap. The Barge will have to wait for me to be in the mood for such a move.

I then went about the task of getting the important second clone down into Null for my Main Toon. I clone jumped out to Hi-Sec. I had initially planned to use a Covert Ops, but instead decided to use a Viator. I worked out the fitting changes I would use for the 5 contract hulls, and threw in some extra ammo and such, and set about flying it all back to Null.

As I made my way through Hi-Sec I used Dotlan to check the statistics for the Low and Null Sec areas I would be passing through. Snuffed Out had a recent Black Ops drop in the pipe, and Rote Kapelle was noticeably active, although not specifically in the systems I would be using.

Feeling a little uneasy, I forged ahead anyway. While I have only completely bookmarked around a third of the route, most of the other systems had rough safes setup between the gates. Using these I was able to pause where required and D-Scan out-gates before warping on top of them, including for one system which was unexpectedly housing the Rote Kapelle gang I had noticed on the Killboard via Dotlan. It took longer than my previous trips, but in the end I managed to dock up safely.

I still need to grab that Barge. I also need a couple Covert Ops, an extra scouting interceptor, plus a handful of small PVP hulls, a PVE ship (probably two) capable of handling the local combat sites, some more supplies, and I also need to consider if it is worth getting a Carrier down here to help move stuff around. Should keep me busy for a while.

Work

I forgot how much work trying to do anything in Null-Sec is when you only have yourself to rely on.

I picked up a number of hulls off contract, including a couple recons. (After a conversation request from the seller, it turned out he was redeploying and not wanting to move all his assets.) They were not perfectly fit, but gave me options in how I might respond to hostility. They were located only 3 jumps away.

In High-Sec I would just undock in my Pod and fly over and collect them, or I might take an Orca to move them all in one go. I would then refit them from my spares or run over to the nearest trade hub and pick up what supplies I needed. The whole process would be quickly over and done with.

Flying around Null Sec in a Pod is not ideal so I figured I would use shuttles to reach the other station. There were no shuttles however for sale nearby. I managed to remotely buy some blueprints and a stock of Tritanium, and kick off manufacturing some in a neighbouring system.

While those jobs were running I went off in a cloaky ship to bookmark the route between my system and the purchased hull’s location. This involved at minimum a perch bookmark 200+km away from each inbound and outbound gate, and a safe or two carefully placed to cover as many of the gates in D-Scan as possible. This process took a while but allowed me to get a feel for what pilots were moving around the pipe, what they were flying, what their Killboard looked like, and so on. I don’t have an Intel channel to monitor and I can’t rely on pre-existing standings to tell friend from foe, so this sort of reconnaissance is important.

Finally, when all that was done and I was comfortable with how quiet the area was, I collected a shuttle then went and picked up one of the hulls. I rinsed and repeated the process to collect the second hull, but still have a few more to grab when I have time. (I actually needed to wait for more shuttles to come off the assembly line.)

Now I need to carefully consider their fittings, see if I can scrounge anything on the local markets, and then make a shopping list for what I need to bring down from Hi-Sec. Bringing those spares down will likely be an even bigger job.

Of course I could have just flown my pod over to pick up the ships, and I could just settle with how they are fitted. But that will mean I will be playing EVE relying on luck instead of skill, which frankly doesn’t sound appealing.

Something else I have noticed – aside the need to concentrate more, is that I now generally have both my accounts logged in at the same time again, and my Alts are getting a work out. I guess I don’t just have myself to rely on – I have some imaginary friends too.

Vibes

I finished bookmarking the Null Sec constellation I am basing out of, and started to make use of some of its resources, primarily (given the ships I have available) running Data and Relic sites

The Null Sec mini game requires a bit more concentration

The vibe of the place remains good. There are three main groups I’ve observed, none with strong PVP stats. I haven’t noticed any hunting for me yet, although from their Killboard histories they would take an easy kill if I offered one up to them. I don’t plan to “shit in my own backyard”, so to speak – so at this point any aggression from me will only be retaliatory.

I’ve seen a handful of traditional pirates checking the area over, but not many. I’ve also seen various enemies of the CFC / Imperium active in one of the pipes, and a few different pilots moving capitals through. Overall however it looks promising as being the quiet little corner of unsafe EVE I’ve been looking for.

I have been surprised at the number of Interceptors flying around. It means I am more likely going to get caught on a gate at some point or another, but it also means I’ll more likely be able to fend one of those off.

It may sound dumb – but I did find an issue with how I had set up the various windows on my EVE client. The Overview was on the far right side of the window, and the local chat channel on the far left. Running at 3000×1800, I found watch the overview closely meant I wasn’t seeing changes to local out of the corner of my eye.  That is dangerous in Null.  I’ve experimented with moving all the windows to the same side of my client. I’ll see how that works in practice.

 

Yet another change to my client layout

A short mad rush

The game client selects a route of 25 jumps from my Home system to the new Null Station I am basing out of. 17 jumps through Hi-Sec, and 8 jumps through Null.

Instead I’ve been taking a 34 jump route, with 21 jumps through Hi-sec, 6 through Low, and 7 through Null.

The longer route is – in theory, the somewhat safer option. It trades a couple dangerous bottle necks for statistically somewhat less dangerous bottlenecks, and has more systems with multiple entrance gates, making them somewhat less likely to be camped.

For as much as I might carefully consider these options, in the end the success of my travels comes down to a not insignificant proportion of luck. What other players are in the pipe, what are they flying, what are they doing, and where and how exactly our paths cross.

After getting my Alt into the new system in a scouting Interceptor, I poked around for a day or three getting a feel for the location. It appears that during certain time frames I will often have the place to myself. Even on weekends, with more care, I should be able to get out and about and do stuff. Deciding it looked good, I jump cloned back to Hi-Sec.

Next I grabbed a Probe Launcher fitted Stealth Bomber and flew it through the pipe to the new Station. This gave me the all-important second clone in the location.

Heading towards the pipe

I scanned down the signatures in the local system across a couple of days. On my third session I happened across a wormhole to a low sec system, only 10 jumps from my Home system, 2 Low-Sec and 8 Hi-Sec. This was a golden opportunity to move a few ships in.

First came my Main with an Asteo, then my Alt grabbed a Falcon (sorry ECM detesters, but when you only have yourself to rely on, ECM gives me bang for my Alt buck), and finally my Main returned with his Wormhole Loki. By this time, it was already well past my normally late bedtime, so I called it quits.

I don’t have proper PVE or Mining ships yet, and I need a cloaky hauler, but the variety of scouting and scanning ships I now have is a good start.

As with my travels up and down the pipe, my time in this location will very much be at the whim of other players. If a large corporation or alliance decided to move into the area there is nothing I can do about it. I was forced out of the home I tried to make for myself in Low Sec Genesis when a large pirate group active in my time zone relocated to the same systems. This new area is at the arse end of Null value, so with patience I think most groups of note will move onto better areas. I will just have to wait them out.

Further afield

I pulled my Alt out of the Low Sec area I was watching. I don’t think I am going to find that elusive quiet pocket of space to play around in.

After returning to my Dotlan research I decided I would instead use Null Sec. I played around in EFT until I had an Interceptor that fit a probe launcher, cloak, tackle, a little DPS and tank. Yes, it does none of those roles well, but it allows me to scout around and gives me options if I happen across an industrial or explorer.

This will be my base of operations for a while.

It will be more problematic getting in and out of. I’ll probably need to wait for suitable wormholes to open up.