My Thoughts after Fanfest

HUGE version of Fanfest board available for download

As many of you may remember my Fanfest experience last year was not a good one. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have attended, my life at the time was still pretty dark and that didn't help things. In addition, sitting in roundtables hearing the same old excuses repeated for the umpteenth time also didn't help. After last year's Fanfest I returned home angry, sad, and rather bummed about the whole experience. Not the best time to write a scathing article for Crossing Zebras, but that is what I ended up doing. It was a train wreck. And while I don't regret anything I said, it was the truth at the time, I do regret writing it in that frame of mind.

This year's Fanfest was the polar opposite of that experience. Not only is my life in a much, much better place right now - but I also purposefully decided to decline any and all responsibilities for once. This year, my Wife and I would attend as simply tourists and attendees, with zero agenda, no goals (other than to have a good time and meet people), and with a bag full of thank you swag to give out. If they had a Eve Store roundtable I would not attend. Turns out they didn't have one anyway. And the only time I entered the Eve Store section was to pay for the Incarna print I bought for charity. And Hilmar showed up and we had another great conversation. So even that worked out.

Fanfest was awesome. Warp Core Stabs are banned from FW Plexes, a goal I've been working on for a very long time. Once again I managed to affect change in the game by using good natured humor, memes, and activism and not by angry trolling. In addition, soon Logistics will be included on killmails as well, so that is yet another goal that we've managed to accomplish. This Fanfest was already looking up before it even started. Except for the fact that I had 400 printed Ban WCS stickers! I still gave them all away. During the Faction Warfare and Low Sec roundtable the CCP employees attending were sticking them all over themselves. It was good fun.

Which is how I think all things associated with Eve, CCP and the community should be - good fun. 

While it was obvious that some of the air from the recent layoffs still hung in the atmosphere, it was also obvious that something had changed from last year. Perhaps it was seeing CCP Mimic and nearly crying when I saw she was pregnant. Or talking with Seagull about Weegull. Or having dinner out with CCP PointyBits and hearing him sounding a lot like myself when I was his age. Or the conversation that happened after I told Hilmar that I was the owner of the Incarna key art and why I selected that one. Which is a good story, so let me tell you.

Incarna was not when I started playing Eve, I started back in 2008 right before Empyrean Age. However Incarna was when I started really playing Eve. On all fronts. That was the Summer of Rage for many Eve players, but for me it was the summer of activism. That's when I started putting hats on Avatars. (Another Eve in-game accomplishment - hats!) That's when I started trying to affect change, when many of us tried, by activating the community towards one goal. Beyond just more ships, or balance changes, but towards more lofty goals. Perhaps, together, we could change more than just the things inside the game. Maybe, just maybe, we could change more. Which I think any sane person, looking back over the past seven years of Eve would have to admit worked. Lots has changed.

The other side of that reason has to do with failure. Something I am personally familiar with. It's funny how many people fear failure, or see it as a weakness, when the opposite is true. Without taking risks there can be no reward, and whenever you take risks you risk failure. The cool thing about failure is that you learn more from it than you do success. And those lessons stick with you. To me Incarna was a a giant failure, a misstep, and a very valuable lesson. In hindsight it is obvious that mistakes were made and that CCP had stepped off the path at some point. But instead of quitting, they managed to pull themselves back onto the right path and re-commit to making Eve better. It is no mistake that the game itself, and the community around it, are both stronger now than we were before Incarna.

So that's why I wanted the key art. And why it will be hanging on my wall here shortly. A constant reminder.

I had a lot of conversations at Fanfest. And all of them were positive. There are some things I cannot share with you now, but I can tell you that I am optimistic and encouraged. CCP is clearly invested in Eve's success long-term, perhaps Eve will live forever. I think that is actually something that people are clearly considering right now. CCP is also trying to focus on making games and finally admitting that perhaps other people can be allowed to do the things that they shouldn't be doing. This is the reason why Eve-NT will be handling the AT this year. And they should be. Nashh and his team have worked their asses off for this opportunity. (Nashh in particular as you saw during CCP Games Games!) And perhaps this direction will lead to other things down the road.

Personally I'm excited about the new Triglavian space and the mutant modules that will come from it. There is concern that "enchantment" could get out of control, so we'll have to keep our eyes open - but that is a concern for the Devs as well. So we're not alone in that concern. The space excites me because it is a playground for new technology and a preview of sorts for the next level of Eve itself. Eventually all of Eve will be re-built using the technology that is being developed in Triglavian space. And that is exciting to think about. Intelligent AI, atmospheric effects, and more will be on display and tried out. Potentially, down the road, this could lead to line-of-sight, improved navigation controls, and much more.

As I've said before they could seriously stop making improvements to Eve and I'd still keep playing. I'm good to go. But I understand that is not a good business decision, so constant improvements and changes are a fact of life.

After this Fanfest I'm more excited than ever about the direction that Eve is headed in. And more confident than ever in the people driving that direction.

Onward and upward.

Fanfest 2018

On the o7 Show Set, I miss the o7 Show

Liz and I are leaving this week for Iceland so the blog will most likely be quiet until we get back. This is will be our third trip to Fanfest, and as I quickly learned back in 2015, blogging from Fanfest is not for me. I will of course be active on Twitter at #tweetfleet and various other places with photos, updates, stories, and tales from the 15th Anniversary of Eve.

The last two times we arrived slightly before Fanfest and stayed a few days after to see more of Iceland. This time we decided to arrive a week early and get all of our sightseeing in before all the drinking, talking, standing, and handing out of swag. I think this plan will work better. But we shall see.

Last year I printed 1,200 postcards and several hundred stickers to hand out. This year we went with the stickers. I printed enough so that 1,200 Fanfest bags will have a sticker in them from me. In addition I have more to personally hand-out, along with a few hats, and a selection of custom printed t-shirts for the A Band Apart Alliance mates that will be there. Another year of us giving back to the community, along with everything else we do during the course of the year. This community stood up and helped us when we truly needed it, and we won't ever forget that.

Liz is extremely excited because she managed to snag two tickets to see Bjork's dress rehearsal for her new concert while we are in Iceland. It should be incredible and I'm also looking forward to it, seeing her in a small venue in her native Iceland is a once in a lifetime chance. So that is very cool.

We plan on seeing even more of the Island, places we missed previously, or places that we want to explore more. We're taking a GoPro with us this time, so I'm hopeful that we'll capture some awesome video as well as our usual photography. The snowmobile trip on the glacier should be a highlight and I'm personally excited to finally get a chance to ride one. As a motorcycle rider it has been a lifelong dream, so I can't wait.

I also have Eve reasons for going. Obviously the 15th Anniversary and the new stuff that I'm sure will be announced. And meeting all of our friends again, or for the first time. It is getting harder and harder to imagine not going to Fanfest each year. 

We miss everyone. And we're looking forward to seeing everyone again. Old friends and new ones.

Look for us and do not hesitate to come up and introduce yourself. Please.

Until then...

WCS Banned?!?!?

From the Eve forums:

From CCP Fozzie:
Hello spacefriends and happy Easter!
 Today we are excited to begin gathering feedback on a change we have planned for release in one of our upcoming Q2 2018 releases. This change specifically impacts factional warfare and the restrictions around entering FW capture complexes.

Warp Core Stabilizers are an extremely powerful tool for evasion, which can sometimes have a place in a game like EVE. However since the proper functioning of the Factional Warfare capture system requires pilots to trade a certain amount of risk (spending time at a spot in lowsec with a system-wide beacon making you easy to find) for a reward (FW warzone control for your faction, LP and opportunities for enjoyable PVP for you) we believe that warp core stabs skew that balance too far in the direction of reduced risk. These modules are also a significant part of the strategies employed by botters in FW space, which provides increased motivation for us to put some extra restrictions on them.
Our current plan is to disallow any ship with a warp core stab fitted from passing through a FW capture complex acceleration gate.
We are also considering the option of disallowing ships with a cloak fitted to pass through as well for similar reasons (we believe that cloak restrictions would have an even bigger impact on botters than stabs), but we’re less sure about extending these blocks to cloaks and we’re very interested in your feedback on that option.

We are aware that there will still be ways for warp core stabs to be used in FW even after these changes (including using them at the unrestricted large complexes and refitting with a depot inside the complex). We will not consider these sorts of uses to be exploits, but we do reserve the right to make further changes to restrict them later if they prove to be a problem.

We are very interested in hearing your feedback on this concept, so please let us know what you think below.

If this is an elaborate April Fools Joke then, well played. Fozzie has certainly trolled me before, so I wouldn't put it past him to do it again. But on the surface this doesn't feel like a typical CCP joke post. So let's take it at face value for now.

First of all this is the exact step that I discussed with Fozzie and Masterplan back at Fanfest in 2015. An "easy" first step towards mitigating the negative impact that the module is having on Low Sec. Since 2015 that impact has only worsened due to the addition of Alpha accounts. Just last week I encountered 20+ Jackdaws during my roam, each of which was sporting WCS. While this has always been a problem, it has only gotten worse in the years since. Lately it is more than likely that the ship in that plex has WCS fitted.

As you all should know by now, my BAN WCS Campaign was never about getting rid of the module, but only in fixing it. There are certainly legit reasons for using the module in non-combat scenarios. Although I would also argue that, as a legacy module, it could certainly stand some upgrades. But that is beside the point today.

Keeping them out of FW Plexes is a simple fix to a more complicated issue. Changing plex timers would be yet another simple fix that would go a long way towards making Low Sec more vibrant and combat based. Instead of avoidance based, which it sadly is now. Timers should re-set once abandoned.

I've been at this a long time. Hopefully, if this post is true, we could all see the beginnings of the changes I've been lobbying for in-game. That is a HUGE deal.

And while I appreciate the Maulus Navy Issue (thank you Fozzie), it alone has not been enough to temper the waves of risk-averse Alpha accounts that have flooded our shores.

This is a historical first step. Or I've been trolled yet again.

Either way I'll be in Iceland here in a few days.  :)

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Dock

I will warn you up front that 99.99% of Eve players would not tell you this story. I do not come out of it looking good, smart, clever, or the hero in this one. In fact, I look like an idiot. And a dumb idiot. If you are shocked by my candor, then you must be new here. I've always been willing to share my epic tales of adventure with my readers - both the good and the bad. There are no f**ks in my field, it is barren.

Last night Eve was boring. It happens from time to time. I probably visited about 27 systems and found nothing to engage. Mostly it seemed like Jackdaw Night for Noobs, as the damn things were everywhere. But they were a jumpy, scared bunch of Alpha Jackdaws that ran at the slightest shadow in local. Twitchy, non-fun, bunch of rabbits. The ones I did manage to wrap a scram around turned out to be stabbed anyway. And some Gate camps. And a SC Titan in Aeschee. Yawn.

Which reminds me, I ran into a Shadow Cartel pilot the other night that was stabbed. Our 1v1 wasn't going his way and so he just bailed. I wasn't as surprised as I would have been if he was in Tuskers, but it was close.

But back to the narrative. I know you are wondering how this ends.

Time to log off for the evening. My Dramiel slips into dock... you know that split second when you are docking, but right before the screen turns black? Yeah, thats when the Impairor undocked. Now normally I'd let it pass and just log off, but gosh darn it, I had put some time in and gotten nothing. So I grabbed a Arty Cane and undocked to pop him. Which I did in one shot of course. But not before the Nidhoggur had cyno'd in and docked up.

I warped off and then warped back. But then a transport ship (I don't remember which one) undocked. So I shot it some. And it docked back up. And yes, I now had a timer.

My house can get extremely chaotic at times. Two or three kids, a Father-In-Law, eight cats, and lots of drama can unfold at any time. Such was the case at this critical time. And so I left my chair for a minute to deal with some real life drama. Only for the briefest of moments.

You are probably ahead of me now.

Yes, the Nid had undocked and had me pointed under the timer. All I could do was laugh as my Hurricane toasted. I posted lol in local and we had a brief chat. It was funny, and it remains funny.

I've lost 1,801 ships/pods in Eve. I once died stuck to an asteroid in Null. I once died in a "safe spot" while I was in the bathroom. I once died three times in the same ship in Providence due to a glitch. I've died because my mid-slots wouldn't activate. Or because I undocked without checking my cargo for ammo. Or drones. Or because my ship wouldn't move. The servers have killed me a dozen or more times. (That doesn't happen much these days thank goodness) I could go on.

None of these stories happen to people who fit stabs to their Jackdaws.

I've written over 2,000 blog posts on this blog because I have stories to tell. Stories happen to people who undock and are bold enough to make things happen. Nothing happens when you are trying to be safe.

Be bold. Don't be afraid. It's all just pixels.

I can't wait to log on tonight and see what happens next.

Firetail Encounter Illustration

Click to embiggen

This one has been sitting around half-finished for over a year. Today I had some time to finally finish it. I have a dozen or more of these unfinished pieces just waiting around for me to have time to finish them. 

Enjoy!

I also created an Alternative Version:

Click to embiggen

Come Fly With Us

If you've ever considered one day flying in an Alliance Tournament and making a run for the championship - maybe today is the day to finally take that step.

My Alliance, A Band Apart, is currently forming up our team for this year's Alliance Tournament run. We are practicing every week and getting ready for the big push after Fanfest. As always this time of year I write a blog post reminding people that if you want to play - now is the time to jump onboard. We don't know what the deadline will be this year but it is typically around May, so you only have a few weeks left to make your decision.

In my opinion that decision should be to come join our team. Especially if you come from a smaller Alliance or one that isn't planning on participating - or if you come from a larger Alliance and don't think you'll make your own team. I mean, there are only so many spots available. And not everyone is willing to give all pilots a chance. Those damn bitter vets man. That is not the way we build a team. Heck some of our pilots never did the things they did in the AT before they joined our team and started learning with us. FCs, Team Captains, Tackle, Logistics, all roles are constantly learning and practicing until they git gud.

It takes dedication, commitment and time to make the team. There are no shortcuts. But glory awaits those that take on the challenge. We came close to breaking into the final group last year and finished 11th. The year before we finished 14th. The year before that we lost both matches. Our intention is to do even better this year and maybe, with your help, break into the final four.

If you are interested in joining our team - send me an in-game mail about it and let's talk.

I can tell you this, there isn't anything else like it in New Eden. Flying with your teammates, winning the tough fight, the anticipation of your next match - it isn't like anything else you can do in Eve.

Think about it. Glory awaits.

Moon Pew Pew

What won't I shoot at!?!

So let me get this straight, we have a gigantic laser mounted on a structure that can shoot a very large chunk out of a Moon and drag it into orbit? Oh yes please, sign me up.

I know this is old news for you Industry minded pilots out there, but remember we are Pirates and it takes time for new technology to filter down to our level. We don't get all the fancy state-of-the-art High Sec gear out in lawless space until a few months down the road and then it takes us time to cobble together enough stolen goods to pay for third-rate merch - but eventually we just have to try it.

So why would a bunch of Pirates have a Moon shooting thing? Same reason we have Citadels. To learn the mechanics it is best to use the mechanics yourself. And second, these things are content creators just by being in space. They have guns and you can fly them! And then lastly, they do provide revenue. Even though we are scum-sucking Pirates, we also need revenue.

There is literally no downside. And it is just cool.

Which is the best reason of all.

Amusing Alpha Accounts

Last Night

People are funny. And they only continue to get weirder and weirder. Now that you can play for free and essentially pay your way into almost any ship, without actually putting any time in - things are only getting weirder. Someone on Discord the other day pointed out the killboard of a young player who is 0-97 and all of the losses are what even a hardened vet would consider significant ships. Like a Rorqual pilot warping to a HS gate and then losing another Rorqual later the same day.

Unlike most people who are screaming "Eve is Dying" over on r/eve or somewhere, I personally find these people amusing and I wish we had more of them. Send more paramedics! (You may not get that reference) Look, let's be honest here. Eve is not for everyone in its current iteration. Lots of these people popping in and spending cash on get quick schemes are going to fail out. But a few will stick. Hopefully the churn will keep the wheels spinning. And in the meantime, they sure are a blast to run into in local.

Beyond killmails, these new players have added to the local flavor. While new players typically don't have a good grasp on Eve's history, some of these Alpha's take that idea to new heights. I've honestly never run into a player-stranger that didn't want to know anything before. I often offer advice or counseling to fellow pilots after a fight, the typical response is either cold silence or thoughtful banter. Lately though a new level of weird and completely unearned arrogance has appeared. A couple weeks ago I had a player with about 200 kills to his name berate me in local. And while that is certainly amusing, I also find it a bit troublesome. Yes, that used to happen, it isn't anything new. It is simply the frequency that seems to have changed.

Which isn't the same as people trying really hard to smack talk me in local. Sometimes when I'm bored I will play along with these attempts for my own amusement. But the quality has dropped a lot lately. Again, it has become more tiresome than amusing. Although I still find it funny when some random stranger thinks he is God's gift to smack talk. Seriously dude, you are the 147th person to use that line. And no my Corp of 319 Pirates is not intimidated by you or the three other pilots in your little Corporation.  Sorry.

News flash - you are not going to be able to smack talk me. It doesn't work. The Mittani has tried. Grath has tried. And pretty much every other asshole in Eve over the last decade has tried. You are not going to be better at it than they are.

Another amusing use for Alphas is the obvious Alt accounts. Last week we had a random player-stranger show up in local and start smack talking. That isn't unusual. Thing is, the longer they talked the more specific the smack got. Eventually it was obvious which former Corp pilot they were. The proof was when I called them out... the smack stopped and they left local.

Bless the Alphas and keep them. I want more people to play Eve and stick around. Eve is much better in the long haul and I'd like to see it stick around for many more years. Mostly so we can keep killing Rorquals and Faction fit Proteus'.

Eve is FREE to Play!!

Rorqual Death

Click to embiggen

So yesterday this happened.

I was coming back from being blobbed in my pod when I noticed this Rorqual sitting on our station. I quickly jumped into one of my Bhaalgorns and undocked, mostly just intending to have some fun trying to bump it off station. I also started yelling in Corp chat. This is Eve and one never knows what might happen next.

Instead of bumping him I noticed he was aligned... at the High Sec gate. Fellow SF Pilot Devlin also noticed this and warped to the gate in his Slasher (iirc). Either way the Rorqual actually warped to the HS gate, so I quickly aligned down myself. Well, as quickly as a BS can. As you all should know, Capitals cannot jump into HS. At this point we just assumed he had a cyno and was just trying to buy time. But then Devin reported that he landed 10k off the gate and that he already had scram. I was already in warp and landed at zero as intended. I heated my MWD, got point, webs, dropped drones, and aligned right back at the Rorqual. That first bump was legendary and he bumped clear back to 17k off the gate. My weapons and neuts and heavies were already shredding, but Rorquals can be tough and I figured this was going to take some time.

By this time Devlin had left to go grab his own BS and I had Logi on the field to help with gate guns. At this point the only real worry was potential traffic, but local remained relatively calm. The ship was dying quickly, too fast for a Rorqual, when the pilot eventually decided to self-destruct. Devlin managed to get his pod and the salvage.

Turns out it wasn't fit at all. I had noticed this ship docking in our station a week or so ago and told everyone to be on the lookout for it. I never thought this would happen.

The truly mind-numbing part? This pilot lost another Rorqual later on last night.

I realize we are living in a new age here. And that there are people playing Eve who simply haven't gone thru the traditional learning cliff Hell that most of us had to endure. But on the other hand, there are so many more resources available now than ever in Eve's history. Videos, Guides, tutorials, blogs, forums, Slacks, Discords, the list of helpful and useful information is overwhelming. So how do you explain this?

I know I can't. 

But I do appreciate the kill. I won't forget it anytime soon.

I Have a Skin Disease

These are just a few of the more recent skin purchases I've made. I admit I initially poo-poo'd skins in Eve. But lately I've become addicted to them. It helps that so many of these newer skins are freaking amazing.

I need more!

Coming Home

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This is an unfinished idea I had for a full-scale piece awhile back and I thought I'd share it with you. This is the stage where I just throw ideas together in Photoshop and "sketch" them together to see if they are working. It's quick, but it helps work out any problems and get all the pieces the way I want them.

There are literally hundreds of unfinished projects lying around my studio, my computer, and in my brain. Someday I hope to get around to finishing more of them.

But, most likely, many of them will never be finished.

Such is the way of things.

NEW After Hours Podcast

The latest episode of After Hours is now available featuring my guest Mark726 of Eve Travel fame.

The episode is available on AudiBoom, iTunes, and Spotify. Be sure to like and rate it if you enjoy listening. Thanks!

Eve is Dying Form

Download for yourself

Yesterday morning I was grabbing some breakfast and noticed this paper on our refrigerator that I don't remember seeing before. Just some school notice or something, the front wasn't important - but the back was. It was some joke office complaint form and it sparked a thought. What if there was a form for reporting the constant and never-ending noise that is "Eve is Dying"?

I'm posting it here for archive purposes.

I still haven't figured out my schedule. There just doesn't seem to be time in the day to post regularly anymore. I will keep looking.

Guest Post: New Eden's Highwayman

New Eden's Trade Lanes Have Given Rise to an Old\New Profession

It is a common misconception by many to view empire space, in particular high security space, as “Safe”. While CCP Games had put many restrictions in that part of space to allow newer and older players relative safety, the reality is many players have found ways around these features, exploiting game mechanics to generate content for themselves, as well as a tidy profit. One such enterprising individual is Opec, a member of Hoover Inc. Pandemic Legion [-10.0]. Opec has been running a one man shakedown operation for several weeks, targeting the traffic that passes between major trade hubs located in high security space. His methods vary but their aim is all the same: Get as much money from unsuspecting travelers. In order to do so, Opec employs several tools, some of which had been used by high security space pirates for years. The most common shakedown method is bumping. Simply put, using a ship with sufficient mass and speed, a player crashes into another player’s ships, causing no damage but sending the two flying in opposite directions. Due to EVE Online’s unique physics, such mechanic is used by skilled players to push freighters and haulers off gates and out of alignment. Unable to align or jump back, a bumped ship cannot enter warp and escape, thus left to the mercy of the bumper who would often exact a heavy toll from his victim. Once the ransom is paid, the hauler is allowed to resume his or hers original course.

The second shakedown method is more nefarious. Using an alternate character, Opec offers his services to unsuspecting pilots who are in the process of being bumped off the gate. This usually come in the form of applying stasis webifiers which slow down a ship considerably. Since a slower speed allows a faster aligning time and entry into warp, many freighter pilots believe that such aid would help them escape the situation and readily accept. Suffice to say, such beliefs are unfounded in game mechanics.

Any act of aggression not sanctioned by a war declaration or a kill right in high security space would cause a CONCORD (NPC) fleet to spawn near the aggressor and proceed to blow him\her to smithereens. To get around that and to allow some limited warfare in high security space that is immediate and not costly, CCP Games had implemented a dueling system which allows two players to engage in consensual warfare. Both haulers and pirates quickly adopted the new mechanic in their line of work. Using a clean character, often fairly new with unblemished corporate history to offer aid in stasis webifying lowers the guard of many pilots who’d otherwise hesitate. Once a duel invitation is accepted, Opec’s character sheds its friendly façade and proceeds to warp scramble the unfortunate individual. Unable to warp off thanks to the warp scrambler’s effect, the victim is forced off the gate using a secondary character. Unable to jump out or warp off, the hauler is forced to either pay a hefty ransom or be destroyed. Many prefer to pay up rather than lose their ship and cargo, something which also works to Opec’s advantage as less time is spent on dismantling the ship and possibly losing part or all the valuable cargo thanks to EVE Online’s loot drop mechanics.

Of course, many veteran freighter pilots often employ their own secondary characters in order to provide their own stasis webifiers. For those cases Opec has a trick up his sleeve. Using a cruiser fitted to tank a lot of damage, he applies warp scramblers to stop the freighters from warping. Though the ship is destroyed within a few moments, the application of warp scramblers often causes freighters to decelerate as they are unable to warp off momentarily. This gives Opec a large enough window of opportunity to use another character to bump off the freighter and force it to pay a ransom. Not everyone is willing to pay a ransom or accept a duel request. For such cases, Opec must call for help. Thankfully Opec operates within the sphere of influence of CODE. [CODE.]. The alliance has made a name for itself for suicide killing, or as is commonly known in the game as “Suicide ganking” freighters. A large, well oiled machine, CODE. calculates the exact number of cheap, throwaway, ships needed to destroy a freighter or a hauler and still turn a profit from its cargo. Thus Opec can rely on CODE. to supply the firepower needed to destroy ransom refusers. Whatever loot drops is often split between those who participated in the gank.

The Loot from One Successful Gank

In the few weeks of operating, Opec has managed to amass a small fortune from his illicit activities. From ransom money to loot drops, Opec has gained approximately 30 billion ISK, and that is not counting the share that went to accomplices and helpers along the way. What is more, Opec is not alone in this line of work. Across empire space, plenty of other individuals and groups are stalking the trade lanes of New Eden, looking for future victims and extorting ISK and blood from unsuspecting pilots. In a way, they have become New Eden’s highwaymen, brigands whose only interest is in shaking up traders and who operate with near impunity. Making the long haul to Jita and other trade hubs one of the most dangerous activities in the game.

Guest Article written by Salivan Harddin (@SalivanHarddin)

NEW After Hours Podcast

After Hours is also available on iTunes and is also now available on Spotify! So it is even easier to listen to your favorite podcast. Which is After Hours obviously. Ok fine, perhaps it is "one-of" your favorite podcasts.

I know I haven't been posting much lately, nothing to worry about. I'll be back at it again, just trying to figure out where exactly I left the time I need to write a blog. I know I left it around here somewhere! I'm sure it'll turn up eventually.

Until then, enjoy the podcast.