Back To The Future...

...well, getting there anyway.

Over the last several days, I've continued doing Level 2 missions until I built up about 15 million ISK for the Myrmidon Fitting Fund. Last night, one of the readers of this blog, Aleyna, gave that effort a major boost by giving me a nice cache of mods that have enabled me to fill out my lower slots without spending anything. The actual game itself aside, if there's one thing I love most about playing EvE, it's the great people I've met and have become friendly with since I've been playing.

It really does make a difference. A big reason why I left Everquest, besides getting tired of paying extra for every new expansion and becoming bored with the game just in general, is that, with some notable exceptions, a lot of the people I found myself interacting with in EQ were people who I'd never want to associate with outside of it. So often it seemed like the discussions in EQ seemed much like recess time at the grade school playground, just bashing and smacktalking simply because they could and there was no one to tell them they couldn't. I love kids, but I've been an adult for a long time and I really have no desire to play online games with children. I haven't been twelve for a very long time, and I really have no desire to participate in discussions which take place at that relative intelligence level, and it was probably as much of a factor in my decision to leave the game as anything else. In EvE, I've found that, while that element is certainly present, it's certainly not as common as in EQ, nor, from what I've heard, as in WoW or other similar games.

It's really not all that surprising when you think about it. EvE is the only video game I've ever played that's so complex and has such a steep learning curve that it's very useful to actually take classes in how to play different aspects of the game. The amount of time and energy a player has to put into EvE in order to become proficient and successful is so high that a lot of younger players bail out because they have to take so much time to prepare before they can go out and blow stuff up. As I remember, most of the basics one needed to know before playing EQ were learned in a single starting area and could be accomplished in perhaps a few hours at most. EvE offers a tutorial as well, but as anyone who's been playing for any length of time knows, that's only the very beginning of the learning curve. There are reasons why I'm still a member of EvE University, and it's not only because I like the people. If there's anything I'm certain of in this game, it's that I still have a lot to learn about it.

In addition, there's a feeling about EvE that EQ, and I'd expect other similar online games, don't seem to have. The best way I can think of to describe it is as a "coziness", if you will. I suspect that's due largely to the fact that EvE's player base can be measured in thousands, not millions. It's kind of the difference between living in a small to moderate size town versus living in a major city. While there's certainly a larger number or residents and probably more diversity in the city, it's very size prevents the residents from experiencing the familiarity and comfort of knowing your neighbors and hometown in a way only those who live as members of smaller populations can. For all the vastness of the New Eden star cluster, EvE is still a significantly smaller and cozier play space than any of those boasting millions of players.

This is both a good and a bad thing. It's good for the reasons noted above, as well as the fact that as a player, one feels less like just a single tiny voice among the teeming masses fitting themselves into content created by and for others, and more like a real part of the ongoing story, like what you do as an EvE pilot really matters, no matter if you're the head of a major alliance or just a relatively new "working class" mission runner who's still learning the game.

In addition, there's just this general feeling that even though players may find ourselves on opposite sides in battle, we're all in this together, here in New Eden. PvP is one thing, but on the personal, social level, such things are much more easily put on the shelf and the aggression of the battlefield is much less likely to spill over into public discussion spaces. It may be harder to be the little guy on a business versus business level, but in-game it can lead to a hell of a lot more fun.

That's been my experience at least. I know there are some, perhaps many, who take their in-game corporate and alliance loyalties to a level that exceeds the boundaries of that which is actually relevant to the gameplay, but I find that to be much less the case in EvE than other games, much as I've found the introduction of real-world personal attitudes and bigotries into the game to be far less than I found in EQ. Sure it's there, but you just don't have to deal with it at the same level you do elsewhere. It may not be something anyone really spends a lot of time thinking about while in-game, but I believe it makes the overall atmosphere a much more pleasant one.

So now, having fit my Myrmidon's lower and most of its upper slots, I've decided to run a few more Level 2 missions to give me just a bit more financial breathing space before I take it out and go back to Level 3's. When I finish getting those last several slots fit, I'll run the Thorax back to E-Uni HQ and clone jump back to the Myrm. Once I've done all that, I'll be pretty much right back where I was before I ran into those Veto ships a few days ago.

A pain in the ass? Sure. Time-consuming? Fuck yes. Boring? No, not in the way you'd think it might be to have to go back a level in most games. Unlike EQ and pretty much every other video game ever, going back a level does not necessarily mean that you have to repeat and successfully perform an exact sequence of events. I remember when I had to do that in EQ, it actually got to the point where I knew exactly what was going to happen when, and I could anticipate and prepare for it. Now THAT'S boring! Still, I'll be glad when I can once again leave these level 2 missions behind and go back to making some real headway in this game. Soon...very soon.

Another nice thing that happened was last night was I was contacted in-game by another blog reader who mainly just wanted to say hello and let me know they enjoyed reading it. That's always great to hear. Since I've been writing this blog, it's been really great to hear how many people are reading and enjoying it. While I love hearing from you both in-game and in the comments section here, one thing I'd ask those of you so inclined is to pass it on and let others know about it. If you have an EvE-relevant blog of your own, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd post a link so others can find it well. Thanks! :)

Ok, I think I've written enough for today. Catch ya out there!

EvE TV: Is It Worth Paying For?

Frankly, my answer is no.

While StevieSG is certainly pleasant enough eye candy, SpiralJunkie goes from somewhat difficult to understand to downright incomprehensible, at least to my American ear. Throw in some guests and you've got fast speaking, mumbling, thick British accents, making anywhere from half to two-thirds of the show as impossible to understand as if they were speaking Mandarin Chinese. To make matters even worse (if that's possible), they waste a ridiculously long amount of airtime interviewing plastered British players at get-togethers. I have to wonder why they believe this idiocy would be interesting to viewers who are tuned in and paying to learn more about EvE, not to see what kind of immature assholes men become when they drink too much.

Can someone please explain to me why EvE TV is worth even bothering to take the time to watch much less actually pay for? I did my bit. I like the idea of EvE TV, and I'm very inclined to do what I can to support new media, so I invested five bucks in some J-credits. Now that I've seen the first three episodes, I'm certainly not inclined to spend any more on this unless and until there's significant improvement.

As someone who makes media myself, I'm probably a bit hyper-critical, but I feel I have the right to be. The media I make is free to all...if you don't like my radio show, you don't have to listen, there's no price of admission required just to tune in. When I'm being asked to pay by the minute for it in advance, I've got a right to expect certain things, such as being able to understand what the fuck they're talking about without an interpreter. I also certainly have the right to expect that when I pay to watch a show about a game I love that the show is actually about that game with information useful to me as a player, and not have almost half of it taken up by interviews with drunks with almost nothing relevant or even intelligent to say. If I want that, I'll order the latest "Girls Gone Wild" video...at least then I'll get to see some pretty girls show off their tits.

In order for me to consider dropping more money on this show ever again, the first thing that needs to happen is SpiralJunkie needs to either be replaced or forced to take some voice lessons. Based on the on-air staff they currently have, if I were producing this show StevieSG and Farjung, who are at least consistantly understandable, would be the lead team, with StevieSG conducting the interviews. In addition, I'd insist that only those who can make themselves understood to Americans as well as Brits would be featured as guests. I know they have telephones in England, and I'd like to see them employed to bring on some Americans as guests...you know, from that country where the vast majority of EvE players live?

In all honesty, I'd be a lot less critical if I weren't being asked to actually pay money for this. In my opinion, this show is just far too Brit-centric to be of much value to anyone on this side of the Atlantic. Great idea...poor execution. EON Magazine costs money too, but the vast majority of its content is useful, comprehensible information, and that makes it a very worthwhile purchase. By that standard, EvE TV just doesn't measure up.

Better luck next time, folks.

The Thorax Flies Again...

...out of necessity, mainly.

I had another Myrmidon blown out from under me a couple of nights ago by a Veto gang. It was really my own fault this time. I'd gone to pick up a new mod in a low sec system (I forget which one...something starting with a "G"). I did see one Veto ship but figured I could handle it if attacked. My big mistake was that I forgot to check local before I left the station, and when I reentered space three Veto ships were waiting for me. I was toast in about ten seconds.

After reappearing in Korsiki, where I'd had my medical clone set for easy access in case of E-Uni emergencies and/or event participation, I jumped in my Thorax and flew it back to Gallente space. Once there, I bought myself another Myrmidon and insured it, but realized I didn't really have anywhere near enough ISK left over to fit it properly. Most of the usable mods I had lying around I'd already used in fitting my last Myrm, and so I've started doing Level 2 missions again in the Thorax to fatten the wallet a bit.

As long-time readers of this blog know, I never have a problem bitching up a storm when I believe I've been unfairly fucked over, but this time there's just no way I can do that. I should have checked Local before undocking but I didn't, and it was that mistake on my part which cost me my battlecruiser. Live and learn...again.

I think part of the problem is that I haven't been playing with any regularity over the last several weeks because I've been so busy in RL and so I'm probably more than a bit out of practice. A month ago, I doubt I'd ever have forgotten to check Local before undocking, and in this game that kind of noob mistake is all an enemy needs to take you out. The good part is that things are finally beginning to normalize in RL so I'm hoping to have more in-game time in coming weeks. It probably won't last, though. Right now, there's a lull in the demands on my time, but I expect that to change fairly soon so I'm going to try to take advantage of the extra playtime while I can.

The other good part is that you'll probably see more posts from me here in the immediate future. I really enjoy writing this blog, and I've missed not having the time to post more regularly. Again, I don't know how long this is going to last...such decisions are made by others...but I do plan to use the time to try to get back into the swing of playing and writing here. No promises though...it can all change at any time.

One new annoyance I've discovered is that since the Revelations 1.4.3 patch, some of the audio effects such as the music and the voice stopped working. After scouring the E-O forums for a solution, I discovered that changing my audio acceleration in Windows to Basic level solves the problem, at least for now. From what I've read, doing this may also render Teamspeak and/or Ventrilo useless, but I haven't had chance to test that just yet.

You'd think that for all the time and effort the devs put into making this game great they could at least give some attention to the audio. As it is, I have to turn it off every time I go somewhere where there's even the possibility of any kind of combat because the lag it generates can be deadly. I know the audio is the culprit here as I've done some of the same missions with and without sound and the lag in combat is always significantly less when the game sound is off.

To be honest, I don't know why it has to be that way. EvE is the only game I've ever played where the sound causes this kind of a problem with the gameplay. My understanding is that they're still using the same sound engine they had during beta, over four years ago. Given how much attention is given to other aspects of the game, I'm at a loss to understand why this hasn't gotten at least some dev love by now. According to recent dev blogs, audio fixes are planned, but what I've read on the forums is that CCP has been promising a new audio engine since the game came out of beta and most don't seem to believe that a fix is actually coming anytime soon.

Personally, I like the sound. It adds a depth to the game that's missing when I have to turn it off. I wish I didn't have to detract from my enjoyment of the game in order to have it run at maximum efficiency. Thing is, with the cost of death so high in EvE, there's really no choice but to use every possible advantage in combat, and that's the place where the audio can be the most useful in terms of warnings and such. It just doesn't make any sense to me that CCP has spent so much time and effort making every other aspect of this game the best it can be, but seemingly has this issue on a very low priority. Considering how integral to the overall experience of EvE the audio is, you'd think they'd want that aspect of the game to be as immersive as the rest, but as far as I can see, that obviously isn't the case, and I think that's really a pity.

OK, enough for now...RL calls.

Taking A Day In...

...at least one now and then.

I spent several hours in-game Monday, making a little ISK but mainly doing upgrades on my Myrmidon and relearning a critical lesson for any Eve player: Assume nothing, because if you do it will come back to bite you in the ass sooner or later. I never installed a warp stabilizer, assuming that I wouldn't have to deal with warp scrambling on missions until I started Level 4 missions...wrongo.

I get out there and I do good damage with my nifty new tech 2 guns until my cap starts getting low and I decide it's time to bail and recharge. I call back my drones and hit the button to warp out...and then I discover I'm being warp scrambled. Nowhere to go, my drones already back the bay, I send them back out and do as much damage as I can as I keep trying to unsuccessfully warp out.

I'm sure you've figured out the end of this story by now. Yep, baboom...do not pass into warp, do not collect several hundred thousand ISK, kiss several nice pieces of tech 2 gunnery buh-bye. Fuck.

Replacing and insuring the Myrmidon wasn't a huge problem, but fitting it is proving another story. While I've had some luck in having some useful stuff literally just conveniently laying around, there are some gaps in my inventory and not a lot of ISK left over to fill them.

Needless to say, I've now installed a warp stabilizer and eventually I'll find the time to try to do at least a passable fitting to get through some missions and fatten up the wallet some.

Sometimes in this game, the simplest rules are the most important ones.

Patching In...

...and it seems this was a good one.

The first thing I noticed was the new color scheme. The black is much nicer than that tired old grey. The opening screen is a very nice change as well. Then, it seemed like one change after another, as if every single part of the game one must pass through from opening screen to space itself has something new and different about it. Even the new trailer was nice, though I do wish they'd make these things in a somewhat lower res version so those of us who aren't running cutting edge technology supercomputers could run the thing as an actual movie rather than a series of stuttering still shots with a soundtrack. According to the comments on the forum the ending of the trailer was supposed to be quite dramatic, but I guess I wasn't able to get that from what my computer was able to display.

As far as gameplay goes, I guess I really haven't played enough yet since the patch, just a couple of hours last night, to detect any real differences other than the cosmetic. Of course, one can see how Heat will be used, but since I still have some training to do before I'll be able to use that ability it may be a while before anything in Revelations II actually impacts how I play the game.

Last night, I finished up a mission I'd been working on so long I was within a day of it expiring. The reality is that this media job I've started has been making a lot of demands on my time and of course, the first casualty of that is playtime. This is likely to only become more and more the case in upcoming weeks as the demands of this new position intensify.

Hopefully, I'll have some time to write more after I play more with RII, but right now that time is scarce. Please keep checking back, though. As with the start of any new business, the first few weeks are always intense, but hopefully things will normalize soon.

Until then, fly safe.

It Figures...

...I finally get some time to play EVE and the fucking server is going up and down like a yo-yo. Shit. Not much for me to talk about right now. All I managed to do before the servers went down for an emergency reboot was sell some stuff and make a bit o' ISK.

In the good news and bad news department, that media job I was going to be starting but then went away has suddenly gained a new lease on life. That's really all I can say at this point (because that's all I currently know), except that I've got a feeling that my RL schedule is going to get really, really, busy pretty soon. I'm not sure how this is going to play out in terms of my EVE playing time...I don't expect too much impact right away but as time goes on I fully expect it will more and more.

If nothing else it should be pretty interesting...more later if the servers stay up long enough to give me something to write about.

Slow Buildup...

...that's what you could call it, I guess.

In reality, it's more that RL is just taking a dump on me right now terms of demands on my time and so, I'm playing whenever I get a little time. Regular readers may remember that not so long ago I had to take a short hiatus from posting here to prepare for a new RL position. Sadly, that position does not appear to be materializing at this time. However, an alternative or sudden resurrection are not impossible so nothing is carved in stone at this point. At this point, all options are open.

As a result, I'm going to have to devote more time to RL pursuits for a while, and I'm sure both my playing time and my blogging time will suffer as a result. Of course, the more I have to deal with in RL, the nicer it is to take a break with EVE when I'm able. On the other hand, if I'm successful in my RL pursuits, it'll change my life significantly...just how much remains to be seen.

I wish I had more time to write, but right now, I don't...more soon.

Another One Bites The Dust...

...is it my fourth Myrmidon...or my fifth? I don't remember.

Still, a pretty simple matter to buy a new one since the insurance money currently not only provides enough to buy the ship but also refit it for the most part. The biggest PITA will be fitting the thing.

Ah well...I'll probably jump in-game for a while later, but I've got a lot of RL shit to do today...

All Fixed...Sorta...

What I ended up doing is was following Lucas' suggestion (see comments on the previous post). I podded myself back to Korsiki and then clone jumped back to Gallente space to do some mission running. Now, I'm back in my proper original clone with all those lovely implants and in about 23 hours or so I'll be able to jump back at will. In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to rack up as much mission running goodness as I can, I suppose...

I did manage to lose a Myrmidon earlier on a mission, but it was a simple matter to replace it this time around. Gotta be a little more careful. It always seems like just as I'm about to finally make some real headway, I lose another ship. Not an especially good pattern to find oneself in. I gotta stop doing that, too.

So, I think it's probably almost time to jump back in-game and have just a little more fun before bedtime...

Continuing To Be Bad...

...yeah, I really am.

Late last night, after checking Local repeatedly and finding it clear, I jumped in a shuttle and lit out for Gallente space. I took the faster route, which includes a few low-sec systems, and at one point found myself in the middle of a pitched battle between a couple of pilots who both had bad standing toward me (and toward each other, I suppose). Lucky me, they were so busy with each other that neither seemed to care about me and my little unarmed, empty shuttle.

Arriving at my current staging station in Gallente space, I did a couple of missions and then went to bed. This morning, I realized that since I actually flew the distance last night to Gallente space I have to fly back in order to restore my jump clone...or, I suppose I could fly to either Khanid Kingdom or a Federation Navy station to set another one, but at this point that seems kind of counterproductive since sooner or later I'd have to fly into Korsiki.

It's my own fault, of course. By now, I'd be able to clone jump back to Gallente space, but because I couldn't wait last night, I find myself in the interesting situation of having my medical clone in Korsiki and my jump clone in Gallente space. This is all because I had to get back to Gallente space I was willing to risk flying it, and now, because of that, the only way to fix it is by flying to Korsiki and then jumping back.

To be honest, I'm not yet sure what I'm going to do.

The Waiting...

Well, at least its a little more interesting than counting the number of lights inside a station.

I stood watch along with about 40 of my fellow E-Uni peeps for a couple of hours before I had to go. I'd have happily stayed a few more but I couldn't right then. I do plan to take a few later tonight though. In reality, I doubt anyone is going to see any action at all tonight...but then again, who knows?

Very weird. The interesting part was that is was something...people felt like they were doing something...and maybe some of us weren't, especially if, like me, they weren't in on the three MENTL kills earlier today.

Right now, I'm taking a break from the waiting. If I go back in, I couldn't clone jump again until tomorrow even if I wanted to, so it'll just be more guard duty...and I'm ok with that. They also serve, she who stands and protects...ok, so I made that one up, but it works... doesn't it?

Perhaps a nap and then I'll go babysit Korsiki for a while.

Still Being Bad...

...I suppose, anyway. I haven't been in-game yet today. Too many other things need doing before that happens today. In any case, though, I'm still in Gallente space, but I'm also ready to jump right back to Korsiki at a moment's notice if I'm needed.

This is my way of keeping the game fun for myself while at the same time making sure that I'm still in a position to fulfill what I see as my obligation to be there to help when help is needed. Still, a combination of RL responsibilities has conspired to keep me out of EVE thus far today...but not for all that much longer.

No, things are changing, I think...perhaps just for some of the noober of the E-Uni noobs, or perhaps for a wider group of players than that. This is where I suspect a lot of pilots are finally beginning to understand the true level of difference between EVE and everything else out there. This is war, and war isn't always fun...in fact, it's usually pretty fucked up. "Ah,", but you say, "this isn't real war, it's EVE war and EVE war is supposed to be fun.". Absolutely true. Another absolute truth is that part of what makes this game engaging and immerssive for those of us who play it is it's depth. Any game this deep is going to have fast, exciting parts and slow, not so thrilling parts, just like RL does.

Again, it's easy for me to say all this while I'm not even actually in Korsiki at the moment but in Gallente space running missions, but I'd never be doing it with a well-placed jump clone and an acceptance of the risks involved. Since I did lose 3 ships to the Privateers, I know exactly what the risks are at this point and therefore was able to make an informed decision to clone jump out of lockdown.

I will admit to feeling just a little bit guilty about doing it...but not really all that much. I knew I could be back within minutes were I needed. I still can be. I will be.

Sigh...this war is just an annoyance. Feh.

Ok enough typing...for now.

Enough Is Enough...

...and that's where I am now.

Last night, I did it. I just couldn't take it anymore. I clone jumped out of Korsiki to where I'd parked my Myrmidon in Gallente space and ran my first Level 3 mission in a while. I know, I know...but the reality is that there was absolutely nothing going on at HQ. As was suggested by one of the more experienced E-Uni members while I was watching chat last night, I kept an eye on Local even in high-sec and just ran the mission as I normally would. You know what? In the process of doing that, I think I've discovered MENTL's one weakness.

As potent as they are as individual pilots (and they certainly are), they're not a very large group. They simply can't be everywhere. I came to this theory while checking the killboard and realizing that all of their kills in this war have happened in or close to Korsiki. The fact that seems to be escaping some is that while meeting up with one or more of these guys is probably almost certain death for the vast majority of noobs or perhaps even just pilots flying solo, the chances of having one find you outside of the area close to E-Uni HQ is not very high at all. Note that I did not say impossible. Anything is possible, especially in this game. However, given that they only have about twenty pilots in their corp and given that all of their E-Uni kills have been in Korsiki except for one which was in nearby Olo, the chance of running into one of these fuckers outside of the systems local to Korsiki is, in my opinion, highly unlikely.

So, I did it...I took yet another risk and clone jumped back to Gallente space for mission running. It's where I currently am, but by the time I'm able to go in-game for any length of time today the twenty-four hour time limit will have expired and I'll be able to respond to a call for E-Uni pilots for PvP or other ops within minutes. I' m already a bit over a million ISK richer than I was before I did it, but there's also one other important factor that I'd like to offer in the form of a friendly reminder to any E-Uni leader types who may be reading this:

It was fun...a hell of a lot of fun, as a matter of fact. I got to shoot up some NPC's in my shiny new tech2-fitted Myrmidon, made myself some ISK, and didn't see a war target during the entire time I was doing it...and believe me, I was watching. I really wasn't doing it because I need the ISK, even though more money in the wallet never hurts, I was doing it because it was the first real fun I've had playing this game in the last two days.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy hanging with my fellow E-Uni peeps and watching the discussion in corp chat, now and then even throwing in my own two cents, but the reality is that if that's all it is, it does start to get old after a while. I think perhaps our E-Uni leadership needs to remember that, and that if and when EVE stops being fun that's when players are going to tend to start rebelling and just doing whatever they want, regardless of the risks involved.

I hate to be one of those people who says "Do as I say, not as I do.", but the reality is that some common sense is definitely called for here. I can do this kind of thing and get away with it because I have a jump clone set in Gallente space where I keep my Myrmidon and one at HQ in Korsiki. Trying to do this while having to actually fly the distance between the two points would definitely come under the heading of "asking for it" and therefore is not something I'd recommend. If you're a noob and reading this, consider it an illustration of why training Informorph Psychology and having jump clones available when you need them is a very, very, good thing to do, perhaps even while you're locked down in Korsiki.

For now, it's really not an issue. I have a full day ahead in RL, so I doubt I'll be doing more than just briefly jumping in-game to check for new EVE-mails until late today. At that point, I'll decide what my next move is.

Later...

Lockdown!

Basically there are just a few choices available: Members of E-Uni are currently under orders not to undock. One way to avoid this is to join TDROPS, the other is to go play on the test server. Not a great variety of alternatives.

It's understandable. One look at the killboard and you know why...these MENTL guys are having us for lunch. They've taken out sixteen of our ships and we've taken out exactly one of theirs. It's not surprising our commanders have ordered a lockdown...it seems that just about any encounter with these guys is going to ends up with a significant number of E-Uni ships blown up, so our commanders are simply waiting this out. Probably the most sensible strategy at this point, even if not the most fun to deal with.

I just wish there was something to do, because TDROPS is looking better and better right now, but in all honesty, I really don't wanna do that again this time...now that I've had at least some PvP training, it would feel like bailing out. Add to that the fact that I don't have the moral high horse to get on I did last time, and I'm really having a hard time rationalizing a move to TDROPS.

If only it wasn't so damn boring.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Look, I'm trying, ok? Really, I am. I just didn't think war was supposed to be this boring. Logged in a bit earlier and couldn't even find out if there was an op planned. I'm now considering just saying the heck with it and joining TDROPS for the duration of the war, or, alternatively, just jumping back to Gallente space for some mission running. Anything that lets me get back to actually playing EVE.

Yeah, I suppose I'll log in again in a little while and see if anything's going on. If there is, great, if not...well, I've got stuff to do, anyway. I've been asked to write a couple of pieces...one is finished, the other I've had to throw away my original idea for and I've yet to settle on an alternative I'm happy with. Perhaps this "war" lull will allow me the time to sit back and focus on what I want to write about and then write it up. I can't argue that it's certainly allowed me the time to write this post. Of course, "allow" probably isn't the right term. There's no requirement that I play EVE as much as I do, only my own interest and desire...and of course, when my interest level wanes due to lack of anything diverting to do in-game, I immediately start seeking substitutes.

In EVE, of course, war is a temporary condition at best. I'd expect that when this week's wardec expires so will MENTL's interest in continuing to fight us. I'm looking forward to that day, anxiously.

This War Is A Pain In The Ass...

...I mean really, it wouldn't be so bad if there were actually something to do, something to shoot, something...this though, this is just boring.

Waiting always is. The problem is that that's all the Uni seems to be doing, waiting. I guess one thing you can say about the Privateers is that at least there were some of them out there. I've actually seriously contemplated getting back into TDROPS again just so I can go back to doing something in-game besides listening to the conversation on Teamspeak.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. I was quick enough to bitch up a storm when the Privateers wardecced us over and over, but mainly my problem with them was their tactics and the cowardly way they went after ships already crippled from previous battles. It just seems to me that there should be a certain amount of honor among enemies, especially in a game like EVE, and that the Privateers, for the most part, just don't seem to have any. The Privs just offend my sense of honor and fair play, and it's because of that, more than anything else, that I refused to risk my ships or waste my time in battle against them. The corp that's wardecced us now, Mentally Unstable Enterprises, I really have no opinion of as yet, positive or negative, other than that by wardeccing a corp with as many more members then they have as we do, they certainly do live up to their name.

So, I'm more than happy to fight them, I just wish there were more of them to fight.

Feh.

Here We Go Again...

...but not quite as big a problem as before.

Once again, Eve University has been wardecced. This time however, not only am I not refusing to fight, I'm looking forward to it.

It's actually kind of ridiculous. This corp with something like 21 members has wardecced us, so they're going up against a corp of something like, I don't know, maybe 100 times that number? I mean, how utterly stupid is this? Basically, I don't see this as war as much as potential sport, and that's just fine with me.

So what I did earlier today was do my first clone jump to Khanid Kingdom from Gallente space. I then flew a Velator back to where I'd parked my Thorax and flew that to Korsiki. So now I have my medical clone and my Thorax in Korsiki, my jump clone and my Myrmidon in Gallente space (now all fitted out and insured for missions), and three PvP-fitted frigs in Nonni. I'm also now registered on the E-Uni Teamspeak server as well.

Now, I'm all set up for just about anything. I've still got a nice chunk of change left over from fitting the Myrmidon because I decided to sell off a couple of beta implants and rake in about ten million. So I'm really in no rush to go back to running missions, I'm exactly where I need to be in order to available for ops and such, and should it be needed, the Myrmidon is just a clone jump and then about 20 jump gates away. Not bad for a few hours time spent in game today.

Funny, I feel completely different than I did when last we were wardecced. I mean, I know perfectly well that there's a fair chance that I'll get podded sooner or later during this war as I plan to be on the front lines this time around, but I also know that it's also possible that I'll be the one doing the podding this time. I kinda have that "Oh yeah? Bring it on!" sort of attitude now. I guess that can be a good thing as it gets me into the fray, but I have to be careful that it doesn't make me cocky or sloppy. I'm not prepared to risk my brand-new Myrmidon in this war, but I have made the decision to offer up my Thorax in defense of E-Uni as needed. It's the very least I can do for this corp, and I'm more than willing to do it. If that's not enough, I'm also happy to jump into one or more of my PvP fitted frigs I set up for the AU class and fly those into battle as well.

By the time I log in tomorrow, hostilities will have officially begun. Should be interesting, to say the least.

Stay tuned.

New Horizons...

...and plenty of 'em.

I just got back to the staging system after my Agony Unleashed Basic PvP class a little while as I write this. Not only did I learn a lot, but I also had a hell of a lot of fun. I've now had, as our instructor put it, my 0.0 cherry popped. Our class didn't get to see a heck of a lot of PvP but we did have some and it was a lot of fun. One thing that wasn't very fun was the amount of lag I had to deal with. We had about thirty or so ships in our group and things like gang warping and similar stuff often slowed my screen to a crawl or worse at some points.

Even so, I'm a lot more confident as a pilot in general now that I know what I learned today, and I also know that a lot of what I learned will be applicable in any group or combat situation in EVE regardless of whether it's in 0.0 or not. Cool beans. Another nice thing about this class is that I can retake it free of charge whenever I like, and I'm sure I'll be doing exactly that sometime soon. Not only did I have a blast, but I also want to practice what I've learned. I could even have stayed later as many in the class continued with the instructor to look for more PvP, but a few quick but critical RL responsibilities demanded that I quit when the group was convenient to high-sec so I could go deal with them. Truth be told, I'd have loved to have rejoined them afterward, but I think I've had plenty for today.

A great bunch of guys, these AU folks. In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd want to formally join their corp as they are pure PvP'ers and right now, at least, I'm looking for a more well-rounded EVE education. Next, I expect I'll be looking to EVE University for classes on both the finer points of PvP and on other aspects of the game. Then again, who knows? Perhaps after I've had more experience and have a better idea of exactly how I want to play this game over the long haul, I might decide to apply to AU after all. One thing's for sure: If my experience today is any guide, I'm quite certain they'd be just a great a group both in terms of skill level and on a personal level to play EVE with as the E-Uni folks are. Given my experience with E-Uni, that's the highest compliment I can pay any player or group of players in this game.

I think what I'm going to do for now is just leave all three of the frigs I set up for this class right where they are. Since I know I'll be doing this class again sometime soon, it makes no sense to use them for other purposes other than perhaps in emergency situations. Also, since they're only about 11 jumps or so from E-Uni HQ they're handy enough should I need to jump in one to lend a hand on an op or something.

Another fun thing: While waiting for the class to start, I was trying to sell a few things I'd brought with me from Gallente space that should fetch a good price but no one was interested in there. While doing that, I managed to sell four units of Quafe Ultra Special Edition for a cool three million...a nice and very needed boost to the wallet, which had been depleted by my Myrmidon purchase.

And now, my thoughts fly toward the future. I expect I'll spend some more time, more than likely just a few more days at most, fitting and insuring my Myrmidon and building my wallet back up a bit. Once that's done, I'm going to be changing my base of operations to Korsiki and jumping back to Gallente space when I need to make some ISK quickly. When I'm ok in that department, I expect I'll be spending a lot of my in-game time with E-Uni, taking classes and participating in ops and events, and also beginning to build my standings in that area. As I've literally just begun learning Caldari ships, I definitely have a long way to go in that regard, but that's fine. I'm moving out there because I want to learn more, and that's going to take time.

Now that I've had my first taste of both true PvP and 0.0, neither are quite as scary as they were before. I may not yet really have a handle on exactly where I want to go in this game as yet, but I do think I've found some important signposts leading me in the right direction, toward new horizons, new battles, new challenges, and new experiences.

It just keeps getting better and better.

Pew-Pew Deja Vu?

So, I did it...today, I bought myself another Myrmidon. It's not in space just yet. I got it at an excellent price, about 10 million ISK cheaper than the last one I bought. I saw it for about 34.5 million and jumped on it. I don't yet have enough to finish fitting and insuring it completely as yet, but I'm working on it.

It's interesting how I seem to have become a true expert when it comes to doing Level 2 missions in my Thorax. Even the formerly unbeatable "Blockade" mission is now merely time-consuming, but also highly lucrative. I zip through these quickly now, and I plan to continue doing so for a while, at least until I get the Myrmidon in space.

I've also made my decision as far as moving. I'm going to do it, soon, but probably not immediately or completely right away. Since I'm well above the standing I need to set a jump clone with the Federation Navy, I'll probably move my main clone to Caldari space, set a second jump clone in Gallente space (my first is in Khanid Kingdom...nice to have, but currently useless), and have the best of both worlds...or both regions, anyway: I'll be able to take advantage of being local to EVE-Uni HQ and I'll be able to jump back to Gallente space to earn myself some ISK when I need to. Of course, all this will take place after tomorrow's class. I'll be flying myself out to the staging system for that either later tonight or early tomorrow. I've got actual RL plans tonight (yes, I do have something approaching an offline life...sometimes), so it'll all depend on how late I'm out and in what condition I find myself once I get home. It is, after all, Friday night.

Moderation Vs. Censorship

In the four months I've been playing EVE, this is about the saddest thing I've ever seen:

An excellent discussion thread about the possibility of having a regular "State of the EVE Universe" statement locked for being necromancy. Perhaps, had it A) not been interesting or relevant (in my opinion, it was and is both) or B) been old enough as to be no longer in concert with current reality, I could see it, but neither was the case here. In fact, the last post in the thread before the latest ones was just a mere five weeks old.

How very sad...but then, unnecessary censorship always is. This is what happens when you place power in the hands of too many people...it increases the chances that someone is going to use that power simply because they can.

In my opinion, that's clearly the case here. There was just no valid reason to lock this thread. The discussion was good and positive, the topic fresh and relevant. Speaking as both a present and former forum moderator, if I ever tried to do something like this on the forums I've had mod status on for a reason this lame I'd have had my head handed to me and rightly so.

The purpose of any discussion forum, the sole purpose, should be to foster and facilitate quality discussion about the topic or set of topics the forum is designed to cover. If the discussion taking place is an interesting and productive one, there's no reason why chronological time should have any bearing on it at all. There are plenty of good reasons to lock a thread, not the least of which is the quality level of the discussion. Simply being a few weeks old just isn't one of them. It is at precisely this point that such an act is no longer that of a moderator and becomes that of a censor.

If that's what CCP wants on their forums, that's fine...it's their forum. However if that's the case, then they should be up front about that. Let them call these folks what they are, censors, not moderators, and be honest about the kind of sanitized content they want there. That way, those who prefer a less restrictive discussion environment will know up front that they need to look elsewhere for it.

Personally, I'm very disappointed. I was actually considering applying to ISD to become a moderator, but I've now reconsidered because I refuse to be a censor. I've got far better things to do with my time than look for ways to prevent my fellow pilots from talking freely, openly, and honestly about this game we all love.

I'm sure I'll continue to drop by to read announcements and such, but I doubt I'll be wasting my time composing posts there anymore. Frankly, it just seems pointless now. Anything I have to say I'll say here, unmoderated and uncensored, or in the relevant unofficial forums.

What a pity that a game that's as open to unconventional play and variety of playing style as EVE suffers under such antiquated and restrictive policies on their discussion forums.

How very sad indeed...