You may have noticed the new banner. You might not have. Either way, we do have a new banner. The original banner served well for the past three months, but I felt it was time for a change. I was never 100% happy with the first one, and while I will never be 100% happy with anything I do, I like the new one better. Someone once said that art is never completed, only abandoned. I agree.
I won't be posting over the next few days. I know, I know. But it is Easter here in the States and while I am not a religious type person it is a good time to go and visit people and take a break from Eve. So that's what I am doing. I have prepared a new 1v1 Funnies for tomorrow, so you have something to entertain yourself with while I am gone.
Also, I expect us all to be mature and not leave empty beer cans and trash around the place while I am gone. Please pick up after yourselves and don't make me regret leaving the keys under the mat. And whoever left the pink panties on the mantle, please call me.
Enjoy your whatever it is you are doing and I'll see you tomorrow and then next week. That sentence is poorly written, but so has this entire post, so who will notice?
PS: For those readers reading on RSS Feed, you are excused from noticing the new banner... or anything else graphic for that matter.
EVE Fiction Winners
Silver's First Annual Fiction Contest has come to a close and your friendly neighborhood blogger is not among the winners. I didn't expect to win. I didn't even enter to win, although I'd be a fool to say I didn't "hope" to win. But those are two different things. My entry was also my very first attempt at writing a piece of Eve fan fiction. Despite being a writer that gets paid to write, writing your first piece during your lunch break isn't exactly a standard of excellence that deserves to be rewarded. But I had fun and I still think the story is a good one.
I would like to congratulate the winners. And say thanks to Silver for running the contest in the first place. It would have been nice to park a Vindicator in my hanger, but now I'll just have to do that the old fashioned way.
First Place: Wandering Stars
Second Place: Harvest
Second Place: Sic Semper
Third Place: For the State
Third Place: Intel Over Info
Third Place: Snakes
Third Place: The Good Days
Congratulations! I've read almost all of the submitted stories myself and while my own list of winners would be slightly different than Silver's, it wouldn't be that much different. I encourage everyone to continue writing and entertaining.
I would like to congratulate the winners. And say thanks to Silver for running the contest in the first place. It would have been nice to park a Vindicator in my hanger, but now I'll just have to do that the old fashioned way.
First Place: Wandering Stars
Second Place: Harvest
Second Place: Sic Semper
Third Place: For the State
Third Place: Intel Over Info
Third Place: Snakes
Third Place: The Good Days
Congratulations! I've read almost all of the submitted stories myself and while my own list of winners would be slightly different than Silver's, it wouldn't be that much different. I encourage everyone to continue writing and entertaining.
CREW CALL: AMARR
I thought it would be interesting to produce a Crew Call poster for each of the four races in Eve. I know the reality that they would actually post such a poster inside stations is probably remote, or the fact that many people seem to believe that these massive ships are piloted solely by Capsuleers, but I still thought the idea worthy. So today you get the first in the series, for Amarr.
I imagine Amarr as a kind of Victorian England gone mad with religious fervor, at least that is how the Empire seems in my imagination. I admit that I am the last person who adheres to a strict interpretation of Eve cannon, in my opinion if it doesn't directly affect my game play then it isn't all that important. However, I also know that it is important to many people and I've also come to respect it more and more as I write this blog. So I've tried to stay as true to the subject as possible. Within my own creative license of course.
This is what an Amarrian Crew Call posting might look like posted in a station in the Amarr Throne Worlds:
I imagine Amarr as a kind of Victorian England gone mad with religious fervor, at least that is how the Empire seems in my imagination. I admit that I am the last person who adheres to a strict interpretation of Eve cannon, in my opinion if it doesn't directly affect my game play then it isn't all that important. However, I also know that it is important to many people and I've also come to respect it more and more as I write this blog. So I've tried to stay as true to the subject as possible. Within my own creative license of course.
This is what an Amarrian Crew Call posting might look like posted in a station in the Amarr Throne Worlds:
Click to embiggen
Battlecruiser V
Two more days. Two more days and Rixx will have completed his longest skill train yet, the monumental Battlecruiser V. Why monumental? Many reasons actually, mostly because of what it represents. First of all finishing BCV will get me into a Nighthawk shortly, which has been a goal of mine for almost a year. Secondly it will open the door for me to finally finish Large Hybrid Turrets V which I keep putting off due to the choices I've been making in-game. And LHTV means I can finally fully Tech 2 fit a Rokh and a Megathron. I know, I've been putting that off for way to long.
From the beginning I've tried to take the long view with Rixx' skill plan. I say "try" because it hasn't been easy to do so. The one down-side to so many in-game changes, corps falling apart and corps switching alliances and starting and stopping your own corps, is that each of those changes brought their own set of priorities. Want to start your own corp? Well then, you'll need some skills for that. Want to put up your own POS? Well then, you'll need some skills for that. This Alliance favors T2 RRBS fleets, this one favors Sniper BS fleets, and this one favors HACs instead. While I am content with Rixx' skills at this point, he does tend to be an extremely well-rounded character, I have missed out on some of the fun a more single-minded approach may have given him.
So it is nice to finally start catching up. But once I'm in my Nighthawk and can properly fly a fully T2 fitted BS, both RR and Sniper, then what? Do I focus on my Drone skills? I can already use T2 Warriors, Hobs and Hammers, but should I burn to mediums and heavies? Or do I skill up Destroyer V and go straight into Interdictors? Or do I start cross-training Minmatar? Or T3 and get into a Tengu?
Oh Eve, you do tempt me so.
From the beginning I've tried to take the long view with Rixx' skill plan. I say "try" because it hasn't been easy to do so. The one down-side to so many in-game changes, corps falling apart and corps switching alliances and starting and stopping your own corps, is that each of those changes brought their own set of priorities. Want to start your own corp? Well then, you'll need some skills for that. Want to put up your own POS? Well then, you'll need some skills for that. This Alliance favors T2 RRBS fleets, this one favors Sniper BS fleets, and this one favors HACs instead. While I am content with Rixx' skills at this point, he does tend to be an extremely well-rounded character, I have missed out on some of the fun a more single-minded approach may have given him.
So it is nice to finally start catching up. But once I'm in my Nighthawk and can properly fly a fully T2 fitted BS, both RR and Sniper, then what? Do I focus on my Drone skills? I can already use T2 Warriors, Hobs and Hammers, but should I burn to mediums and heavies? Or do I skill up Destroyer V and go straight into Interdictors? Or do I start cross-training Minmatar? Or T3 and get into a Tengu?
Oh Eve, you do tempt me so.
1v1 FUNNIES: #4
There once was a pod pilot from Amarr, who wandered out of a bar. He spied some comely lasses, cause he fancied big fat... well, it is Friday and here is a new 1v1 for your enjoyment. Or potential enjoyment. It seems a bit arrogant of me to assume you will enjoy it. I mean, seriously. Where do I come off telling you to enjoy something? I post 'em, that should be the end of it for me. I have no right to put pressure on you without your consent. What if you don't enjoy it? Then what. Have I made some sort of non-verbal agreement with you that I am now be-holden to?! Y'know what, don't enjoy it then. Maybe that's the easiest thing, we'll just leave it at that then. But isn't that the same thing? Good grief, honestly I don't care anymore, do what you want. I hope you enjoy or don't enjoy the following 1v1 Friday Funnies. Whatever you want... no pressure.
Click to embiggen
Idiot's Guide: Bookmarks
What IS a bookmark anyway?
A bookmark is a spot in space that your ship can warp to. Without bookmarks you are limited to warping to set distances from objects in space, like gates, planets and stars. The furthest distance being 100 km from those objects. If you fly anywhere other than high security systems, built in warping will get you kilt.
How do I make a Bookmark?
Right click on an object in space, scroll down and select "bookmark". This is the way to bookmark containers and other objects in space, like Jump Bridges, POS, and whatnots.
The best thing is to have your People & Places window open, I have mine open ALL THE TIME. At the bottom of the "Places" tab is a button that says, "ADD BOOKMARK". Clicking this button will allow you to add a Bookmark for where your ship is at that exact moment.* This is the most important thing! So don't miss this, you can add a bookmark for anywhere your ship is at that exact moment. Huge thing. Not to be missed. So now we just need to get your ship to somewhere worthy of bookmarking.
*Important - The BM gets added when you hit enter on the naming window that opens after you hit the ADD BOOKMARK button. So if you want to do it fast, hit enter and then name the BM later. Or do it ahead of time and then wait to hit enter until you are right on the spot. Up to you.
Sidebar Thingie
Before we get to that, I'd like to mention organization. I currently have over 4,000 bookmarks in my library. That sounds like a lot (and it is) but it is important to remember that bookmarks are contextual. That means that only the BMs relevant to the system you are in are active when you right click in space! They're all in your folders, but only the ones that apply at that moment are in your contextual menu.
So, having 4k plus bookmarks means I like organization. I keep my BMs in folders, these folders are named with short, easy to understand names so that they can be immediately seen in the contextual menu. You don't want to have to go searching when you need to warp away to a safe spot. You could die.
You can name your folders anything you want, but I will share with you mine. I'll explain more about each:
• BOMB - These are bomb spots for my stealth bombers.
• GATE - These are gate spots.
• INSTA - These are insta warp spots from hostile stations... and Jita.
• SAFE - These are safe spots, some of which are safer than others.
• SNIPER - These are...huh, can't remember. Oh yeah! Sniper spots.
• TAC - Short for tactical, these are Jump Bridges, POS, Off Station, and other spots like that.
BOMB Spots
I'll be covering Stealth Bombing in a future installment of the Idiot's Guide. Suffice to say that Bomb spots are 30-35k from an object that ships like to hang out on, such as Gates, stations, etc. Usually in-line with a Celestial object like a planet or belt. "In-line" means the gate is 35k from you and right behind the gate is something you can warp to after you bomb the ships at the object. Why? Well you'll just have to wait for that other installment. Sheesh!
GATE Spots
Gate spots are probably the most important bookmarks you can have if you are traveling through zero space. Without them YOU WILL DIE. Oh yeah, you will. Because eventually your stupid butt will warp into a gate camp, an interdiction bubble, or be dragged screaming into a drag bubble. "Help me Mommy!" But your Mom can't help you, cause you are an idiot! But never fear, I'm here to help you.
If you warp to a gate at 100k you have to fly to the gate. Why? Cause you can only warp to an object that is more than 150k away from you! So warping to 100k is like the dumbest thing ever. So you need a minimum warp to spot above, or below every gate at least 150k away. It is better to have more than one, it is better to have spots 200k, 300k, even 500k or more away from really nasty gates. But you need AT LEAST one that is a warpable distance away. So you can land, see what is at the gate and then decide what to do.
Most drag bubbles are positioned behind the gate you want to warp to in-line with the gate you came from. The distance the bubble can drag you in from has something to do with Math. Who cares. The point is, the further away from that "line" your ship is, the better chance you have of not being dragged into it. So, you want your spot to be at a right angle above or below the plane that the drag bubble will be pulling from. So burn straight up or down from the gate (I usually choose the direction away from the nearest planet, since that is already a warpable object.) and fly as fast as you can out to 200-250k from the gate. Bookmark that spot. You now have one gate spot.
Depending on the type of player you are, how often you'll be visiting the system, and other smart people tactics, you may want other gate spots around the gate. I suggest that every spot you make be warpable from every other spot, this is cool when bad guys are trying to catch you and you just keep warping around and making them angry. There are gates in Catch and Providence that I have dozens of these spots around.
INSTA Spots
Insta spots try to eliminate that annoying aligning thing that ships do, which is also known as turning. Turning takes time, sometimes a lot of time, and during this time someone could be killing you. So an Insta Warp spot can be helpful. How do you make one?
The next time you undock from a station just keep going in the direction you undocked. You can use your speed mod, or just boat out, depending on your style. When you get past the 150k mark from the station (although I usually go past the 200k mark myself, since someone else probably has the 150 bm'd!) bookmark it. The next time you undock, right click in space and choose warp to that spot. Zip! Of course you still have factors to worry about, but this does give you a better chance of living in case the station is camped. If you undock in a Providence, the Insta Warp is not gonna help much. So be warned.
SAFE Spots
First of all, no spot is really "safe". Someone can always find you, probe you out, accidently bump into you, blah blah. But safe spots are more safe than other spots, so we still call them safe spots. The easiest safe spot to get is what I call the Mid-Warp Spot. Anytime you are in warp to another gate and you are about half-way there, click on the ADD BOOKMARK button and make a spot! Now you have a spot mid-way between gates at a random location. If the system is full of bad guys you can warp to this spot to wait them out, or log off. Making several of these is even better. They are great temporary spots to have and the easiest to make.
Another safe spot that is good to have and relatively easy to make is what I call the "Scan Gate Spot". If the gate you want to warp to has a planet nearby, warp to 100k off that planet and immediately burn away into deep space. This works best if you have a covert ops ship or a fast ship. Burn for awhile and then bookmark the spot. Next time you enter the system you can warp to this spot and then directional scan the gate to see if anyone is camping it. Now you look really smart. People will be impressed.
There are other kinds of safe spots. Afk burning away from an object until you get thousands of k away is a good one if you have the time. And there is a technique for making deep safe spots that is complicated and takes real brains to do, so I won't cover it here cause it would just confuse you. Plus it probably won't work after the next patch anyway.
MISC Spot
Sniper spots are self-evident and anyone who FC's Sniper BS fleets knows what they mean.
TAC Spots are really the MISC spots. Your low-sec POS, the undock points on the enemy station, scan spots on enemy pos or stations, warp to spots above enemy Ice Fields, the list is long and never ending. Kind of a catch-all really.
With over 4,000 spots or with only a few dozen, it is important to name your spots consistently. The spots might be contextual, but when you have multiple safe spots above the same gate, it can get confusing. So name them in a way that works for you. I have my way, which is a secret mystical way that I can't share or else I would be tossed soulless into the abyss, but you'll come up with something.
Bookmarks will save your idiot butt many, many times over. It sounds like a lot of work and it is, because it is important. The Devil is in the details.
Fly bold.
For more detailed reading I recommend this link.
Eve iPhone Wallpapers: The Rifter
Born Caldari, RJ's cross-training path is Gallente, Minmatar and then Amarr. The Gallente side is currently just about to go into Battleship, as soon as I have trained Large Hybrid Turret V. Which is up next after Battlecruiser V and Command Ship, the plan being to get into the Nighthawk and then train T2 Battleships finally. TMI probably, the point being that I haven't flown Minmatar myself yet. I have shot a bunch of them however and bunches of them have shot at me. As much as I love all the ships in Eve, the Minmatar designs are their own unique thing. Duct tape and string? Not to me, to me they're more that weird thing your Uncle built out in the garage that has 520hp, the panels are all different colors - mostly primer - but it sounds like a freight train on steroids and rattles down the straight-aways.
Either way, I present the Rifter iPhone Wallpaper. Enjoy.
Either way, I present the Rifter iPhone Wallpaper. Enjoy.
Click to embiggen and download
I found the image above to be a bit on the dark side when I got around to loading it onto my iPhone. So, being the wonderful and considerate friendly neighborhood eve blogger that I am, I am posting a slightly brighter version below. I'll leave the darker one up as well, knowing how dark the souls of some Rifter pilots are.
Rixx's Wife
I held on to that opinion for a long time, but I am always open to new ways of looking at things and that initial opinion started to evolve over time. I think the more complex the game becomes for you as a player, the more opportunities you begin to see another character becoming a solution. It is also nice to be able to fly other ships.
So at the end of last Summer I started a new account and a new character. I created "her" as the in-game Wife of my main character Rixx Javix. Her name is Anastasia Javix and for a long time all she did was skill train, haul stuff down from Empire to a low-sec drop off and run chores for RJ. But about two months ago, she was the focus of a new long-range plan for Rixx. Along with my friend Angor and his new character Violet, we began discussing the possibilities for the future. These plans were extremely primordial in nature, but we felt that the best thing for our new characters would be for them to form a new Corp and hang out together for awhile. Continue skill training and start making their support/logistics/industrial role more official in nature.
Those plans continue to form and take shape in our minds and I'm sure there will be more about that here in the coming weeks and months.
The cool part for me is that Ana is Amarr, and since RJ is Caldari and Gallente, I had never been able to fly Amarr ships before. So now I'm getting the chance to fly a Harbinger and shoot lasers at people. Which, having been Ammo dependent for so long, is a lot of fun. Ana certainly isn't a PvP'er, but I do enjoy running missions with her sometimes. And the other day she bought a Providence to move my supply of minerals from one place to another, as Ana has started to seriously pursue a manufacturing career. Whoa, that is a big ship! It takes about a decade to align, but even so it was fun flying it.
Pimp Your Ride
Freebooted has a post up that you should read, especially in light of the Pod Captain Debate from earlier. (See post below the one below this one, you know, scroll down.) I'm honored that one of the options is named after me. Funny stuff and worthy of a solid mention. Go on, click over there and read it. It's ok.
My thoughts:
• Being in a pod, piloting your ship is Eve Official Cannon.
(Sorta, there are many examples of this NOT being true, the Cannon isn't very consistent.)
• There are a lot of loose cannon materials out there that suggest otherwise.
(So that makes any "official" position impossible. Not to mention fan fiction, etc.)
• Imagination is more important than knowledge. (Thanks Albert!)
• None of it affects game play in the slightest.
(It really doesn't.)
• Have fun. Dream big dreams. Fly bold. Ya know.
My thoughts:
• Being in a pod, piloting your ship is Eve Official Cannon.
(Sorta, there are many examples of this NOT being true, the Cannon isn't very consistent.)
• There are a lot of loose cannon materials out there that suggest otherwise.
(So that makes any "official" position impossible. Not to mention fan fiction, etc.)
• Imagination is more important than knowledge. (Thanks Albert!)
• None of it affects game play in the slightest.
(It really doesn't.)
• Have fun. Dream big dreams. Fly bold. Ya know.
Going to the Dogs
No time for Eve today sadly, but I thought I'd keep my brisk posting schedule full by sharing a poster I did about six months ago. This was done for the Corp I was in at the time. We had just decided to leave Providence and head 47 jumps away to Insmother and a new Alliance called Dogs of War. That decision would continue the trend of me losing the bank I had managed to build up, a loss that would eventually exceed 12 billion isk. And also lead to the one decision I regret making in Eve. But that is a story for another time.
The Pod Captain Debate
Who are we inside our ships? There seem to be two distinct schools of thought regarding the Capsuleer inside his star ship. The first states that the pilot is suspended inside his pod within the ship, floating in a sea of liquid, hooked up to the machines that run his craft. The second, probably best popularized in the video series Clear Skies, is the standard Star Trek view of people wandering around like they do in an Aircraft Carrier today.
I'd like to propose a third view. One that encompasses both of those views, allowing for a more romantic ideal than the first, but fitting more within game mechanics than the second. I call my proposed view, "The Vader View" of Eve Captains.
We all remember the scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Vader is pulled from within his dark isolation chamber to deal with his flunky crew. It has become a very iconic moment in cinema history. My proposal is very similar to this moment, with some variations of course, but I think it is important to have this in mind.
But let's step back a moment and consider one ship in the Eve universe. The Dominix. I picked it because it's a pretty typical ship and I had to pick something. The area of the ship indicated as the Bridge is FIVE STORIES tall, if we go by the rows of lights on the model, which I do. The ship is listed as having 1,812 crew members! That is a lot of people running a Battleship. ( The USS Nimitz has a crew of over 5,000 if you include the air wing, for comparison. ) The Dominix is typical of ships in Eve, as it is very, very big. I would imagine that it is also extremely complex.
Now, according to most established Eve cannon, upon destruction of this massive ship - everyone dies. Except the Captain. Who somehow manages to escape in his trusty pod. This is the major reason, I believe, for the first view of the Captain swimming in his pod juices. I don't like it. It stinks of lazy writing in my opinion. The whole crew dies?! C'mon. How can I be expected to raise a good crew for my Null Space missions if everyone dies when my ship goes ka-blooie? A crew dumb enough to fall for that one would be too stupid to fly the ship. The universe may be very big, but no matter how big it is, there is a finite number of people qualified to be my crew.
The second view doesn't work either. If we were all running around the Bridge then sometimes the Captain would die. And since we ALWAYS escape in our pod, that can't be true. Why would the Captain sometimes die? Think of the scene in Starship Troopers were the Heinlien is exploding above the Bug Planet and the crew is desperately trying to get to their escape pods. Some of them don't make it, including the Captain. Things don't always go as planned and sometimes those darn blast doors fall on the wrong person.
What I am proposing is simply an imagination game anyway, since none of this really matters. But it is kinda important, since many of us like to write and read Eve fiction. So let me explain and you can decide for yourself what you think.
I imagine the Captain (us) sitting on the Bridge of that Dominix surrounded by his trusty Command staff, people he has probably flown with many, many times. Each of them, including the Captain, is mind-linked into the ship. Awesome special-effect virtual charts and data float everyone around them. The Bridge is massive, sprawling and a cyber-tech punk's wet dream. Now imagine the "Vader View" from above, except much cooler and more hi-tech and massive. The bottom half forms the Captain's Command Console, the top half forms the ceiling above him. Probably where all the mind-link apparatus resides, the computer and other tech stuff as well. The rest of the Command Staff has similar set-ups. The remainder of the crew, who need the freedom to walk around, have to rely on Common Pods that seat more than one.
Now, something bad has happened. Klaxons are sounding through-out the ship. Those nasty Nostromo lights are screaming everywhere, the ship has hit critical structure. It can't be saved. As fast as a Blast Door in the Death Star the top and bottom halves slam together and the pods begin to fill with life-saving juices. The crew rush to their designated Common Pods, sadly not all of them will make it, but enough to ensure word gets back to Empire that serving on a crew isn't a death sentence. The ship explodes and every single pod micro-jumps in place milli-seconds before the explosion, ensuring that they are not harmed by the explosion. (That's my theory anyway.)
All we see, all we care about since this story is about us, is our pod escape. But in reality, hundreds of pods are in space around us, warping off to safe haven. To meet up and do it all over again. If their pods aren't warp scrambled and kilt. Hate when that happens.
Like I said, this is just a mental game. How this all happens isn't important to game play and it really isn't all that important to anything else either. But I find it fascinating and worthy of some thought. If only to give the fiction writers something to think about.
So what are your thoughts? I'd be anxious to hear what my fellow Capsuleers think.
I'd like to propose a third view. One that encompasses both of those views, allowing for a more romantic ideal than the first, but fitting more within game mechanics than the second. I call my proposed view, "The Vader View" of Eve Captains.
But let's step back a moment and consider one ship in the Eve universe. The Dominix. I picked it because it's a pretty typical ship and I had to pick something. The area of the ship indicated as the Bridge is FIVE STORIES tall, if we go by the rows of lights on the model, which I do. The ship is listed as having 1,812 crew members! That is a lot of people running a Battleship. ( The USS Nimitz has a crew of over 5,000 if you include the air wing, for comparison. ) The Dominix is typical of ships in Eve, as it is very, very big. I would imagine that it is also extremely complex.
Now, according to most established Eve cannon, upon destruction of this massive ship - everyone dies. Except the Captain. Who somehow manages to escape in his trusty pod. This is the major reason, I believe, for the first view of the Captain swimming in his pod juices. I don't like it. It stinks of lazy writing in my opinion. The whole crew dies?! C'mon. How can I be expected to raise a good crew for my Null Space missions if everyone dies when my ship goes ka-blooie? A crew dumb enough to fall for that one would be too stupid to fly the ship. The universe may be very big, but no matter how big it is, there is a finite number of people qualified to be my crew.
The second view doesn't work either. If we were all running around the Bridge then sometimes the Captain would die. And since we ALWAYS escape in our pod, that can't be true. Why would the Captain sometimes die? Think of the scene in Starship Troopers were the Heinlien is exploding above the Bug Planet and the crew is desperately trying to get to their escape pods. Some of them don't make it, including the Captain. Things don't always go as planned and sometimes those darn blast doors fall on the wrong person.
What I am proposing is simply an imagination game anyway, since none of this really matters. But it is kinda important, since many of us like to write and read Eve fiction. So let me explain and you can decide for yourself what you think.
I imagine the Captain (us) sitting on the Bridge of that Dominix surrounded by his trusty Command staff, people he has probably flown with many, many times. Each of them, including the Captain, is mind-linked into the ship. Awesome special-effect virtual charts and data float everyone around them. The Bridge is massive, sprawling and a cyber-tech punk's wet dream. Now imagine the "Vader View" from above, except much cooler and more hi-tech and massive. The bottom half forms the Captain's Command Console, the top half forms the ceiling above him. Probably where all the mind-link apparatus resides, the computer and other tech stuff as well. The rest of the Command Staff has similar set-ups. The remainder of the crew, who need the freedom to walk around, have to rely on Common Pods that seat more than one.
Now, something bad has happened. Klaxons are sounding through-out the ship. Those nasty Nostromo lights are screaming everywhere, the ship has hit critical structure. It can't be saved. As fast as a Blast Door in the Death Star the top and bottom halves slam together and the pods begin to fill with life-saving juices. The crew rush to their designated Common Pods, sadly not all of them will make it, but enough to ensure word gets back to Empire that serving on a crew isn't a death sentence. The ship explodes and every single pod micro-jumps in place milli-seconds before the explosion, ensuring that they are not harmed by the explosion. (That's my theory anyway.)
All we see, all we care about since this story is about us, is our pod escape. But in reality, hundreds of pods are in space around us, warping off to safe haven. To meet up and do it all over again. If their pods aren't warp scrambled and kilt. Hate when that happens.
Like I said, this is just a mental game. How this all happens isn't important to game play and it really isn't all that important to anything else either. But I find it fascinating and worthy of some thought. If only to give the fiction writers something to think about.
So what are your thoughts? I'd be anxious to hear what my fellow Capsuleers think.
1v1 FUNNIES: #3
I think I've decided that Friday will be the day that new 1v1 FUNNIES will be posted, but I can't be sure... honestly I'm undecided about deciding that right now. But I can't be certain, I might change my mind about it, but I haven't reached a final decision about that either. Friday and decisions... not so much. To be fair, why should I decide? I mean, maybe making decisions is over-rated? Especially on a blog that appears to be pretty much me talking to empty space... I dunno. I'm unsure if I have readers or not. Have people decided, or do they remain undecided? What are they deciding anyway, and don't I have a say? Who are these people? And what gives them the right to decide anything! Yeah! Sheesh... people. Think they can just go around telling other people when to post things. I'll have you know that I will post things when I feel like posting things! So there. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Mr. Pushy Reader. Try to tell me what to do. I'll show ya.
New cartoon and you can't stop me. neaner neaner.
New cartoon and you can't stop me. neaner neaner.
Click to embiggen
I was certain I had something else to say...
Wallpaper Contest: Titan Sunrise
CrazyKinux (who I suspect might indeed be crazy, but in a good way) is running another contest over on his site, this one a Wallpaper contest. You can read the details for yourself if you are interested. I've been meaning to enter since it was announced, but man has this been a busy time, apparently Spring Fever isn't just words!
Anyway, I've had this screenshot sitting around gathering dust on the hard drive since July of last year and thought it captured a moment in time extremely well. I did do some minor editing of the image, but only cosmetic. I removed a couple of background ships that were caught off edge, one label that managed to identify the Titan pilot (oops) and a general overall Color Level and Balancing thing I like to call "Movie Magic" (which sadly for you is a proprietary blend of actions developed over 20+ years that makes images real purty and which I can't share. Not that I wouldn't, but mainly because it isn't written down it is just something that I do by instinct at this point).
I hope I win the contest, not because of vanity or anything, but simply because I could use the isk. Big changes are in the works that need to be properly funded. I can't share them with you right now, but rest assured that I will when the time is right. In the meantime, enjoy the wallpaper!
Click HERE to download the 2560x1177 original.
And, because I am such a nice guy, HERE is a 1280x1024 letter-boxed version!
Anyway, I've had this screenshot sitting around gathering dust on the hard drive since July of last year and thought it captured a moment in time extremely well. I did do some minor editing of the image, but only cosmetic. I removed a couple of background ships that were caught off edge, one label that managed to identify the Titan pilot (oops) and a general overall Color Level and Balancing thing I like to call "Movie Magic" (which sadly for you is a proprietary blend of actions developed over 20+ years that makes images real purty and which I can't share. Not that I wouldn't, but mainly because it isn't written down it is just something that I do by instinct at this point).
I hope I win the contest, not because of vanity or anything, but simply because I could use the isk. Big changes are in the works that need to be properly funded. I can't share them with you right now, but rest assured that I will when the time is right. In the meantime, enjoy the wallpaper!
Click HERE to download the 2560x1177 original.
And, because I am such a nice guy, HERE is a 1280x1024 letter-boxed version!
Star Wars Propaganda
This site is also about other work that I like and think you might be interested in. Joe Corroney has done a tremendous amount of Star Wars related illustration work, as well as other genre focused stuff. You can see a lot of his work on his website. He just finished a series of Star Wars related propaganda posters that I thought were very cool. You can purchase posters on his site as well. They're a bit steep cost wise in my opinion, but the work is cool.
I'll be highlighting other artists work from time to time. Enjoy. ( LOL I spelled propaganda wrong the first time. I fixed it, just thought that was funny. )
Click to embiggen
I'll be highlighting other artists work from time to time. Enjoy. ( LOL I spelled propaganda wrong the first time. I fixed it, just thought that was funny. )
Eve iPhone Wallpapers: The Dramiel
These nasty little buggers sure got popular all of a sudden, they seem to be everywhere. And now they can be on your iPhone or iTouch!!
Click to embiggen
More coming soon. And I do take suggestions. I don't always listen, but I do take them... usually out back in the woods. Poor suggestions, they do get scared easy.
Click here for the Battlecruisers series.
Click here for the Battlecruisers series.
The REAL Rixx Javix
No, not that real Rixx Javix. For those hoping for a post opening the door to my "real life" identity, this isn't that post. Not that my RL identity is a secret exactly, anyone with a modicum of internet skill can figure it out for themselves... I'm not actually hiding it or anything. No, this post is about an experiment I tried awhile back with my in-game identity.
This is Rixx as he appears in Eve:
I thought it could be interesting to try and create a photo-realistic version of his portrait. The idea intrigued me, and since a small measure of "huh" is all I need to do something, I thought it was worthy of a good try.
It ended up being more difficult than I thought it would be. Now, for those of you who are thinking the obvious (3D) at this point, let me state my position. I love 3D. I used to be a proficient modeler myself, I did some pretty cool work with Electric Image back in the day. As well as other pieces of software that you won't know and that will only make me sound older than I actually am. Suffice to say, I can use 3D and sometimes do. But no matter how good the model is, it isn't the same as working with an actual photo. And that was the effect I was looking for in this project.
Did I achieve it? Sorta. Like I said it was harder than I initially thought it would be. The first problem was finding a subject to shoot that was close to RJ. I found a friend of mine that agreed to be the model. It was then that I discovered a fundamental fact, the character creator in Eve is distorted. Or at least the version I used to create Rixx in the first place. It is extremely difficult to get a human head to do that twisted, arrogant, flexed, bent in the middle, look that Rixx is famous for. Even using warp tools and other tricks.
So eventually I gave up. It is close. Given the right motivation I might try again some day. But probably not. In the end I think it was a worthy effort and an interesting experiment. The point wasn't to re-create the in-game portrait exactly anyway, but to create a real world version of it. And in that sense, I think it worked.
I'd be curious to hear what you think?
The sorta photo-realistic "real" Rixx:
This is Rixx as he appears in Eve:
I thought it could be interesting to try and create a photo-realistic version of his portrait. The idea intrigued me, and since a small measure of "huh" is all I need to do something, I thought it was worthy of a good try.
It ended up being more difficult than I thought it would be. Now, for those of you who are thinking the obvious (3D) at this point, let me state my position. I love 3D. I used to be a proficient modeler myself, I did some pretty cool work with Electric Image back in the day. As well as other pieces of software that you won't know and that will only make me sound older than I actually am. Suffice to say, I can use 3D and sometimes do. But no matter how good the model is, it isn't the same as working with an actual photo. And that was the effect I was looking for in this project.
Did I achieve it? Sorta. Like I said it was harder than I initially thought it would be. The first problem was finding a subject to shoot that was close to RJ. I found a friend of mine that agreed to be the model. It was then that I discovered a fundamental fact, the character creator in Eve is distorted. Or at least the version I used to create Rixx in the first place. It is extremely difficult to get a human head to do that twisted, arrogant, flexed, bent in the middle, look that Rixx is famous for. Even using warp tools and other tricks.
So eventually I gave up. It is close. Given the right motivation I might try again some day. But probably not. In the end I think it was a worthy effort and an interesting experiment. The point wasn't to re-create the in-game portrait exactly anyway, but to create a real world version of it. And in that sense, I think it worked.
I'd be curious to hear what you think?
The sorta photo-realistic "real" Rixx:
EVE Blog Banter #16: Why?
Welcome to the sixteenth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!
The third Blog Banter of 2010 comes to us from ChainTrap of the Into the unknown with gun and camera EVE Blog. He asks us: “Eve University turns six years old on March 15th; six years spent helping the new pilots of New Eden gain experience and understanding in a supportive environment. Eve is clearly a complicated game, with a ton to learn, so much that you never stop learning. So, the question is; What do you wish that someone had taken the time to tell you when you were first starting out? Or what have you learned in the interim that you’d like to share with the wider Eve community?”
I admit, this is the first I'm hearing about Eve University. But from reading about it, it sounds like a great place to start your Eve career, anything that can help the novice player learn and function within Eve is something to be applauded. So kudos to those folks.
I started playing Eve a little over 18 months ago on the spur of the moment. I hadn't read about the game, I hadn't studied the game, I only knew what I saw and what I saw meant that I needed to be playing. Whoa. Internet spaceships?! Sign me up. I've talked about the problems I experienced as a result, so I won't repeat those here. I certainly don't recommend the "plunge in" method for playing Eve. But on with the show.
What do you wish someone had taken the time to tell you when you were first starting out?
Relax. Eve is not a video game. You can't just turn it on and start playing your way through levels. It doesn't work like that at all. Eve is a commitment, especially at first. Eve unfolds on you and nothing happens quickly, unless you count being podded for flying your Noob ship into low-sec. That happens very quickly.
Take your time and learn, learn the game mechanics well. While your character is learning skills, you need to be learning some as well. The most important in my opinion, no matter what career you choose to pursue, is understanding Eve game mechanics. They can be tricky, they can be frustrating, but knowing them like the back of your hand will come in extremely handy extremely quickly.
So relax, take your time and don't try to conquer the universe all at once. It is amazing to me how many players that have been playing a long time, still don't understand the basics. We can be in a gang way out in zero space and someone will ask how gate timers work? Or low-sec station guns? Or why they can't jump that 127 AU warp all at once? Or what Nanite Paste is for? The list is long and continues to get longer as they add more and more to our plate, I'm sure a whole new set of game mechanics will be introduced with Planetary Interaction. It seemingly never ends.
Which is good news. Eve continues to grow. So grasping the fundamentals is important. And realizing that the learning never ends, and that Eve is a process not a destination. So relax and enjoy the journey. I learned that eventually on my own. Honestly, even if someone had explained that to me back in the beginning, I'm not sure I would've listened. Some things are best learned on your own.
If I could give one piece of advice it would be simply this, find a good group of people that share your interests and hang out with them. Join a good Corp. That can be hard to find, but it is worth finding the right one. That'll make your journey so much more enjoyable and rewarding.
1v1 FUNNIES: #2
As a special weekend treat I decided that I couldn't wait an entire week for another 1v1 FUNNIES, so here is another one that I hope you enjoy. For any Ceptor pilots out there, all too familiar ground.
Click to embiggen
Thanks, or blame, to Angor for the idea! Feel free to share any ideas for future strips in the comments, I'm not above stealing... I mean borrowing ideas. I would never steal!! How dare you!
What IS Eveoganda anyway?
In response (sorta) to Freebooted's request for a re-introduction of the Blog Pack blogs, I write the following. I have no idea what Eveoganda is. Oh sure, it is a blog, I know that. Mostly because it is hosted on Blogger, so that's a pretty big clue. I also know it is about Eve. That one is pretty darn obvious as well. When I started writing a few months back it was mostly to talk about some of the fan art I had created, mostly as the self-appointed Propaganda Minister of LFA. Things have changed since then.
Oh I'm still gonna talk about Eve related art. But I get bored quickly. And since I write this blog mostly to amuse myself first, and hopefully entertain any readers that may be reading in the process, not getting bored is very important. So I've slowly started spreading the 'ol wings and seeing what happens. I've written a piece of Eve fiction which I had no plans on doing until I did it. I started a Eve Comic Strip for no apparent rational reason, and while I may live to regret it, I plan on continuing it. I even wrote a poem the other day to the Manticore. Hopefully anyone reading is starting to get a sense of my often strange sense of humor... the Manticore poem cracks me up every time I read it.
And I've even started talking more about my experiences in Eve, my characters and what they are up to. I expect this will continue. I've even managed to talk Eve politics, both in-game and out, as well as start a few fires that have spread around the Eve blogger community. I promise you, those will continue as well. I can't keep my mouth shut. People a few seconds away from beating me up have always told me that about myself.
So, what IS Eveoganda? I guess the best way to describe it is... well, it's kinda like a magazine. The kind of magazine that you have no idea what you'll be reading about when you pick it up, one article at a time, a weird sorta place to stop on your interweb travels, that hopefully puts a smile on your face, gets you thinking, or shaking your head, or maybe even laughing - either with me or at me, either one is fine. I don't know what will happen next. I'm making this stuff up as I go along.
But, like all journeys, it is always better to travel with friends. So I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I enjoy driving. (Awww)
Now keep it down back there or I will pull this blog over!! Don't think I won't!!
Oh I'm still gonna talk about Eve related art. But I get bored quickly. And since I write this blog mostly to amuse myself first, and hopefully entertain any readers that may be reading in the process, not getting bored is very important. So I've slowly started spreading the 'ol wings and seeing what happens. I've written a piece of Eve fiction which I had no plans on doing until I did it. I started a Eve Comic Strip for no apparent rational reason, and while I may live to regret it, I plan on continuing it. I even wrote a poem the other day to the Manticore. Hopefully anyone reading is starting to get a sense of my often strange sense of humor... the Manticore poem cracks me up every time I read it.
And I've even started talking more about my experiences in Eve, my characters and what they are up to. I expect this will continue. I've even managed to talk Eve politics, both in-game and out, as well as start a few fires that have spread around the Eve blogger community. I promise you, those will continue as well. I can't keep my mouth shut. People a few seconds away from beating me up have always told me that about myself.
So, what IS Eveoganda? I guess the best way to describe it is... well, it's kinda like a magazine. The kind of magazine that you have no idea what you'll be reading about when you pick it up, one article at a time, a weird sorta place to stop on your interweb travels, that hopefully puts a smile on your face, gets you thinking, or shaking your head, or maybe even laughing - either with me or at me, either one is fine. I don't know what will happen next. I'm making this stuff up as I go along.
But, like all journeys, it is always better to travel with friends. So I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I enjoy driving. (Awww)
Now keep it down back there or I will pull this blog over!! Don't think I won't!!
Homecomings
What a week! Finally getting settled into my new home in COW, stretching my legs y'know, getting used to things, bookmarking jump bridges, setting up comms, getting to know what is what, the usual. Sadly it has been a very busy RL time, so my Eve time has been somewhat limited. But I do what I can.
One thing I've noticed over the past week is that, despite moving to the Great Wildlands/Scalding Pass region for a "fresh start", it seems that Providence is determined to follow me. I've noticed more and more ex-patriots in the region as the days go on. Both individual pilots and Corps. Just yesterday I see that my old Corp has now joined Gentleman's Club and another old Corp of mine is in Primary. That is in addition to countless individual pilots I keep running into in one Corp or another. Interesting. Providence, scattered to the four winds.
What do you mean, how do I feel about it? It's fine, awesome, great, whatever. It is good having friends around, in your gangs, people that you know you can count on. It makes the game better I believe. It isn't exactly necessary... sorta like that extra bit of icing on your corner of the cake. It makes you happier when you see it.
Eve is tricky in so many ways. In the game I encounter dozens if not hundreds of "people" every day. Sometimes I even talk to these people by voice, over comms. Often we share stories, experiences and other information of a personal nature. Like friends. And yet, in all cases so far, I have yet to meet any of them in real life. I know ONE person in real life that plays Eve and that is Angor, but more about him in another post. But they aren't friends. And yet they are friends. Strange huh? I'm sure anyone reading this post has struggled with that same thought. Friends, but not really and yet yes. Virtual friends? Nah, that sounds to close to imaginary friends. Eve friends? That does sound better. Do these people really need a label? Not to me they don't. They are what they are and, much like the people that read this blog, I value them. They are real. They don't occupy the same place as people I know in real life, friends that I've known for years, but not every does. In fact, some friends in Eve occupy higher places than some people I know in real life. Some of these real life people can be real asshats.
Not much more for today. Back in August I started another character who I am bringing along as an Industrial/Miner character, she has a little over eight million skill points at the moment. She can fly Hulks and Freighters, but right now she is running missions. Just level ones to start with. I never ran missions, other then the Level Fours or Fives that other people invited me on. So this is something different. She is RJ's wife in-game, Anastasia Javix. And her and Angor's wife have their own Corp. I'll be introducing them as we go along here on the blog.
Didn't know it was gonna be so complicated did ya? Cartoons, Poetry, Art, Stories... what next?
While you are waiting for answers, check out this video over on CK's about the new Planetary Interaction!
One thing I've noticed over the past week is that, despite moving to the Great Wildlands/Scalding Pass region for a "fresh start", it seems that Providence is determined to follow me. I've noticed more and more ex-patriots in the region as the days go on. Both individual pilots and Corps. Just yesterday I see that my old Corp has now joined Gentleman's Club and another old Corp of mine is in Primary. That is in addition to countless individual pilots I keep running into in one Corp or another. Interesting. Providence, scattered to the four winds.
What do you mean, how do I feel about it? It's fine, awesome, great, whatever. It is good having friends around, in your gangs, people that you know you can count on. It makes the game better I believe. It isn't exactly necessary... sorta like that extra bit of icing on your corner of the cake. It makes you happier when you see it.
Eve is tricky in so many ways. In the game I encounter dozens if not hundreds of "people" every day. Sometimes I even talk to these people by voice, over comms. Often we share stories, experiences and other information of a personal nature. Like friends. And yet, in all cases so far, I have yet to meet any of them in real life. I know ONE person in real life that plays Eve and that is Angor, but more about him in another post. But they aren't friends. And yet they are friends. Strange huh? I'm sure anyone reading this post has struggled with that same thought. Friends, but not really and yet yes. Virtual friends? Nah, that sounds to close to imaginary friends. Eve friends? That does sound better. Do these people really need a label? Not to me they don't. They are what they are and, much like the people that read this blog, I value them. They are real. They don't occupy the same place as people I know in real life, friends that I've known for years, but not every does. In fact, some friends in Eve occupy higher places than some people I know in real life. Some of these real life people can be real asshats.
Not much more for today. Back in August I started another character who I am bringing along as an Industrial/Miner character, she has a little over eight million skill points at the moment. She can fly Hulks and Freighters, but right now she is running missions. Just level ones to start with. I never ran missions, other then the Level Fours or Fives that other people invited me on. So this is something different. She is RJ's wife in-game, Anastasia Javix. And her and Angor's wife have their own Corp. I'll be introducing them as we go along here on the blog.
Didn't know it was gonna be so complicated did ya? Cartoons, Poetry, Art, Stories... what next?
While you are waiting for answers, check out this video over on CK's about the new Planetary Interaction!
O Manti: A Poem to Invisibility
O Manti
No one can look upon
your cloaky bits
O Manti
Such a challenge
to master your fits
Amongst the Stars
you fly
O Manti
Comes a stiff wind
and you die
O Manti
Fling forth your bomb
straight and true
At red gate camps
And then sit there
so they can lock you
O Manti
Invisibility
with such grace
agility and civic responsibility
O Manti
Your DPS divine
striking fear
AFK cloaker by design
O Manti
You can disappear
Leap upon your foe
O Manti
At Gates, stations and below
It is hilarius
O Manti
Your torps can't hit
cause of their signature radius
O Manti
O Manti
Getting Around the Neighborhood
Wow, two posts in one day! Granted, they are two easy posts in one day, but I did have to draw the cartoon! I've noticed some of my illustrious fellow Eve bloggers posting their character's in-game maps and thought, "Hey, that looks like an interesting way to get out of actually writing something!" So here goes.
This is the "Systems Visited" map for Rixx:
This is the "Systems Visited" map for Rixx:
Click to embiggen
I remember way back when I first started playing, I thought it would be cool to visit every star system in the Eve universe. Heck, maybe someday I will just by process of elimination. As you can see most of RJ's career has been spent in the South. Some of those big blobs represent nearly 1,000 visits in places like PI-5 and D-GTMI.
I don't know if it means anything, but it sure is purty to look at. Big place Eve.
1v1 FUNNIES
I figure Eve deserves a comic strip and I'm just the guy to do it. Or attempt to do it. Either way, I'm gonna do it. And keep doing it until someone makes me stop. Or chases me through the streets with torches. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Either way, I hope you enjoy them. Mostly this one, since it is the first one. You can't possibly know if you'll enjoy the rest yet, since they don't exist. Although, if you do enjoy this one, you might believe you would enjoy the others that come later. That's on you though. I make no promises. You'll just have to live with your own high expectations. I warn you, as a friend, that high expectations usually lead to disappointment. But if your ok with that, then so am I. 'Nuff said.
Hate the Drake?
Behold the poor Drake. Abused, misused, cast-aside, and generally made to feel inferior in the universe of Eve. Grudgingly someone may say, "Well it's a heck of a PvE boat." as if that might be taken as a compliment amongst Drake pilots. Even though it is a heck of a PvE boat, that is beside the point. With nearly two-hundred kills in this horrible PvP ship, let me start by telling you a story.
Once upon a time in the land of Null Space, a young and daring Caldari pilot proudly brought his badly fitted, but trusty Drake to gangs, gate camps, roams and even a few fleet battles. He knew he should be flying those shiny ships he saw in the sky, but he also knew he couldn't. Not yet. His dedication to his craft was such that he was more than willing to die, if only he could be of some use on the battlefield. This often meant he became aware of what "bait" meant, and yes he died more than he should. He didn't get on as many kill mails as the gun based pilots, because kill mail whoring is something a Drake pilot cannot do. All this, he didn't mind. He knew things would get better with time, patience and practice. But there was one thing he could not abide.
"No Drakes!" No Drakes Allowed. But...? Bring something else. He heard those words over and over again. For months. And still he continued training, refining and yes even flying other ships (I mean duh!). His trusty Drake continued to improve even while he never really flew it all that much anymore. All along he knew that one day, one day his faith in the little ship would be rewarded. And one glorious day, things started to change. Suddenly enemy fleets and gangs began to appear that featured Drakes, Drakes in large numbers. The vaunted guns and auto-cannons could not stop them, the Drake gangs began to be feared (rightfully so btw) and slowly things started to turn around for the little ship. Suddenly FCs began asking for Drakes in their gangs. The awesome firepower of 40 Drakes in a fleet began to be respected. And all was right with the world once again.
>cough< Ok, that was a little melodramatic, but it also happens to be true. Let's be honest, every single ship in Eve has its positives and negatives. There isn't one Holy Grail ship that rules them all. Anyone who thinks that is sniffing glue and you need to stop listening to them. Yes the Drake has some serious negatives, but those (again like any other ship) can be used to your advantage. With the right set-up, the right mix of ships on your side, the Drake is a formidable weapon.
Having said that, I know why the Drake gets such a bad rap. It is one of the easiest ships to get into in Eve, thousands of young Caldari pilots wizzing around the universe in the darn things, badly fitted, inexperienced and ready to be popped by the first thing that comes along. I know, I used to be one of them. Yes I used to go solo into Mara and Old Man Star in my Drake. Good grief, I thought I was tough. I wasn't. I learned many valuable lessons doing it. And maybe even added to the poor Drake's reputation in the process. But now I can fit my Drake in a variety of different ways, it happens to be one of the most versatile Battlecruisers in the game and my skills are such that my resist tank is very tough to crack. Go ahead and try. Had some Battleships try and fail yesterday.
I don't fly the Drake much these days. But when I want to have some fun in a tough battlecruiser that can bring the dps, I rely on old faithful. And for those of you that like to hate on the Drake, I invite you to bring your favorite BC to the planet of your choice for a little 1v1. If you bring a blaster fitted boat I'll even spot you 25% shield damage.
CSM and CCP Meeting: Thoughts
You can read the Dev Blog and the minutes for yourselves, I thought I'd share some of my own thoughts regarding some of the issues brought up during the meeting. And no, I don't have a single bit of inside knowledge to share with you. Only my personal thoughts, opinions and wild-speculations. I do promise to stay away from issues that I know nothing about. I think you'll agree, that's all we need is yet another uniformed opinion.
I like to scroll all the way through the minutes down to "Various Issues" and see what's cooking. This is always more fun. Ahh, a Battle Recorder! Now that would be awesome wouldn't it? If you could review your battle after it was over? CCP seems to already have something like that up and running in their offices, maybe they'll share it with the rest of us someday? Don't hold your breath.
Looks like self-destructing your ship to avoid the bad guys getting a kill mail might be a thing of the past. CCP is looking into the possibility that the last person to shoot such a ship would still get a kill mail. Huh. If you're gonna do that you might as well give everyone who shot the ship a kill mail. Only fair.
Black Ops ships might be useless. Duh. The return on investment is marginal at best, Black Ops needs some love and attention. Just a little. Tweak. Nudge.
The same with Destroyers. Does anyone really fly these things after awhile? I tried bringing out a T2 fitted Catalyst awhile back, which has some pretty cool features and even managed to make some kills with it, but its a toy. For fun.
Oh the Docking Game. Lol, well like everyone that hunts other pilots for a living, I am of two minds on this issue. It has always been retarded to me that you can't have access to an overview when you are docked in the station. Is this science-fiction or not? Imagine getting into the Captain's chair of your shiny new Apoc and asking Scotty, "So, what's it look like out there?" And Scotty, the 'ol Docking Manager, can only shake his head and wonder. Cause he doesn't know! On the other hand, I might be sitting out there just waiting for that shiny new Apoc to undock so I can keeel it. Sheesh, talk about a puzzler. It's made my puzzler sore.
Suicide Ganking? Let's not change the insurance ok? Heck, sometimes, this is the only way to make some isk when you really need it.
Corporation Bookmarks! Hell yes, I am all for that. Another duh.
Pardon the Rant
The rest was mostly the usual-usual, we want more power and longer-terms, waaaah CCP doesn't talk to us enough, where'd all that Haiti isk go?, CCP don't read petitions before answering the petitions (especially when they are from Rixx Javix, a complicated and compassionate player!), Dominion made things really hard and not enough noobs are in Zero Space. Heck I'm all for more noobs in zero! Bring 'em on. Fleet fights make the servers wonky, tell me about that one!! I lost more ships than I care to count to wonky servers and they didn't read my petition either. Changes to the Alliance Tournament actually sound like good changes to the Alliance Tournament. Apparently a lot of people are ripping off other people in the game. Really? I'm shocked. More and better rats in zero? That'll get those noobs down there so I can k... talk to them. Some guns are better than others, did you know that? And not word one about missiles, which granted are not guns, but that seriously need some love too. Ah, CCP comes up with some great ideas and then never actually does anything with them? Sounds like my life.
If the above sounds like I don't like CCP or the CSM you are sadly mistaken. I do like 'em. I like 'em so much that I want them to do a great job. I want Eve to be perfect, fun and make sense. I'd also like it to continue being beautiful, engaging and challenging. Please.
I like to scroll all the way through the minutes down to "Various Issues" and see what's cooking. This is always more fun. Ahh, a Battle Recorder! Now that would be awesome wouldn't it? If you could review your battle after it was over? CCP seems to already have something like that up and running in their offices, maybe they'll share it with the rest of us someday? Don't hold your breath.
Looks like self-destructing your ship to avoid the bad guys getting a kill mail might be a thing of the past. CCP is looking into the possibility that the last person to shoot such a ship would still get a kill mail. Huh. If you're gonna do that you might as well give everyone who shot the ship a kill mail. Only fair.
Black Ops ships might be useless. Duh. The return on investment is marginal at best, Black Ops needs some love and attention. Just a little. Tweak. Nudge.
The same with Destroyers. Does anyone really fly these things after awhile? I tried bringing out a T2 fitted Catalyst awhile back, which has some pretty cool features and even managed to make some kills with it, but its a toy. For fun.
Oh the Docking Game. Lol, well like everyone that hunts other pilots for a living, I am of two minds on this issue. It has always been retarded to me that you can't have access to an overview when you are docked in the station. Is this science-fiction or not? Imagine getting into the Captain's chair of your shiny new Apoc and asking Scotty, "So, what's it look like out there?" And Scotty, the 'ol Docking Manager, can only shake his head and wonder. Cause he doesn't know! On the other hand, I might be sitting out there just waiting for that shiny new Apoc to undock so I can keeel it. Sheesh, talk about a puzzler. It's made my puzzler sore.
Suicide Ganking? Let's not change the insurance ok? Heck, sometimes, this is the only way to make some isk when you really need it.
Corporation Bookmarks! Hell yes, I am all for that. Another duh.
Pardon the Rant
The rest was mostly the usual-usual, we want more power and longer-terms, waaaah CCP doesn't talk to us enough, where'd all that Haiti isk go?, CCP don't read petitions before answering the petitions (especially when they are from Rixx Javix, a complicated and compassionate player!), Dominion made things really hard and not enough noobs are in Zero Space. Heck I'm all for more noobs in zero! Bring 'em on. Fleet fights make the servers wonky, tell me about that one!! I lost more ships than I care to count to wonky servers and they didn't read my petition either. Changes to the Alliance Tournament actually sound like good changes to the Alliance Tournament. Apparently a lot of people are ripping off other people in the game. Really? I'm shocked. More and better rats in zero? That'll get those noobs down there so I can k... talk to them. Some guns are better than others, did you know that? And not word one about missiles, which granted are not guns, but that seriously need some love too. Ah, CCP comes up with some great ideas and then never actually does anything with them? Sounds like my life.
If the above sounds like I don't like CCP or the CSM you are sadly mistaken. I do like 'em. I like 'em so much that I want them to do a great job. I want Eve to be perfect, fun and make sense. I'd also like it to continue being beautiful, engaging and challenging. Please.
What a difference a day makes
I returned to Providence for one very simple reason, they were finally doing something. I'd been away for over four months and much had changed that I wasn't aware of when I decided to return. But I thought I could help with the campaign in Catch, could contribute my portion to the war effort. And so I spent a good solid week selling my assets in Insmother and hauling what was left all the way back to Providence. What I found there was not what I had left there. But for the first two weeks of my return, things seemed to be going well and I put my full effort into Sov warfare. Killed a lot of SBUs and enemy ships.
I think we all understood that we were riding a dangerous wave. If -A- ever decided to focus on Providence, there wouldn't be much we could do to stop them. Not full force. I've known that fact since I first moved to Null Space over a year and a half ago.
Upon my return I resumed my self-appointed role as Minister of Propaganda and had already issued several pieces on the forums. I believed, and I still do, that such efforts actually do help. And so it came to a few days before January 28, 2010. The day -A- would invade D-GTMI and we would finally go toe-to-toe with our neighbors and be completely pwned. You wonder about me saying that? C'mon now, hopefully you know me better than that by now. Let's be realistic here. We all knew what would happen, at least the grunts did, I can't speak to the leadership since I had given up my part in that process when I had left the last time.
Having said that, we were all more then willing to give it the 'ol college try. My ships were fitted and standing ready to be sacrificed. And I issued this Propaganda poster a few days before to get people ready.
Click HERE to see the full-sized version.
Obviously that day turned out to be a slaughter. Of Providence. For my part I gave four ships to the effort, but I didn't shoot anyone. The first ship was lost that morning to bad intel, jumped right into an unreported red gang. I made it back to the gate and jumped right into another red gang. Lol. It happens. The worst loss was the last one, I had waited in a nearby system for almost two hours sitting next to a Titan waiting to be bridged into battle. When it finally happened, my ship was caught between two systems. The original system showed on the overview, the new one in local and my ship was invisible... for almost an hour. Finally, in frustration, I logged. When I re-started I was in my clone. Apparently my ship hadn't really been invisible after all. Imo this was a horrible example of game mechanics gone wrong, and not the only horrible example that day, but CCP doesn't see it that way. Whatever. No sour grapes.
The next day I issued the following version of the above:
Click HERE to see the full-sized version.
The rest, as they say, is history.
I think we all understood that we were riding a dangerous wave. If -A- ever decided to focus on Providence, there wouldn't be much we could do to stop them. Not full force. I've known that fact since I first moved to Null Space over a year and a half ago.
Upon my return I resumed my self-appointed role as Minister of Propaganda and had already issued several pieces on the forums. I believed, and I still do, that such efforts actually do help. And so it came to a few days before January 28, 2010. The day -A- would invade D-GTMI and we would finally go toe-to-toe with our neighbors and be completely pwned. You wonder about me saying that? C'mon now, hopefully you know me better than that by now. Let's be realistic here. We all knew what would happen, at least the grunts did, I can't speak to the leadership since I had given up my part in that process when I had left the last time.
Having said that, we were all more then willing to give it the 'ol college try. My ships were fitted and standing ready to be sacrificed. And I issued this Propaganda poster a few days before to get people ready.
Click HERE to see the full-sized version.
Obviously that day turned out to be a slaughter. Of Providence. For my part I gave four ships to the effort, but I didn't shoot anyone. The first ship was lost that morning to bad intel, jumped right into an unreported red gang. I made it back to the gate and jumped right into another red gang. Lol. It happens. The worst loss was the last one, I had waited in a nearby system for almost two hours sitting next to a Titan waiting to be bridged into battle. When it finally happened, my ship was caught between two systems. The original system showed on the overview, the new one in local and my ship was invisible... for almost an hour. Finally, in frustration, I logged. When I re-started I was in my clone. Apparently my ship hadn't really been invisible after all. Imo this was a horrible example of game mechanics gone wrong, and not the only horrible example that day, but CCP doesn't see it that way. Whatever. No sour grapes.
The next day I issued the following version of the above:
Click HERE to see the full-sized version.
The rest, as they say, is history.
On Writing Stories
Yesterday I wrote my first piece of Eve Fiction. (The post is below this one in case you're interested.) I did this primarily to enter this contest over on the Eve forums. I admit it. I had no plans on writing anything at all yesterday, so this was entirely spur of the moment. I gave myself one hour, which happened to be my lunch hour, and pounded out the story "True Sansha". That is how dedicated I am, I gave up my lunch for this blog baby.
If you've been reading this blog or catching up on it, the subject matter of the story might not have come as a surprise to you. This ad I created about the fictional True Sansha Heart Foundation should give you some hint as to my interest in the little buggers. Which I also learned yesterday, are not alien at all, but in fact a long lost spur of the human race lost to history and their fascination with making themselves more machine than human. Ok, the contest said the story had to fall within Eve cannon, so I went with it. Even though it isn't as interesting as the stuff I had built up in my own head over the last year. That'll teach me to read eveopedia!
For everyone discovering EVEOGANDA for the first time, again I say welcome aboard. This blog is primarily built around my fascination with Eve Online and some of the fan art I have created and continue to create based on the game. But it is also more than that, it is also a place to explore other avenues of creativity, adventure, expression and just plain old fun.
When I started the blog I gave myself one ground rule. Every day that I play Eve, I write at least one post. This will be impossible to keep up with 100% of the time, but so far I'm keeping to a pretty great rate of compliance. Although, one could argue, that such compliance comes with a price - such as posts like this one without much of a point to them.
But never fear dear reader. Your host always has a special treat in store for his beloved, cherished and overly-complimented readership people. A screenshot of my Shuttle laying a pod egg!! Woot!
Click to embiggen
Well, it's free! More later. And if you haven't read the story yet, for god's sake why not?!
If you've been reading this blog or catching up on it, the subject matter of the story might not have come as a surprise to you. This ad I created about the fictional True Sansha Heart Foundation should give you some hint as to my interest in the little buggers. Which I also learned yesterday, are not alien at all, but in fact a long lost spur of the human race lost to history and their fascination with making themselves more machine than human. Ok, the contest said the story had to fall within Eve cannon, so I went with it. Even though it isn't as interesting as the stuff I had built up in my own head over the last year. That'll teach me to read eveopedia!
For everyone discovering EVEOGANDA for the first time, again I say welcome aboard. This blog is primarily built around my fascination with Eve Online and some of the fan art I have created and continue to create based on the game. But it is also more than that, it is also a place to explore other avenues of creativity, adventure, expression and just plain old fun.
When I started the blog I gave myself one ground rule. Every day that I play Eve, I write at least one post. This will be impossible to keep up with 100% of the time, but so far I'm keeping to a pretty great rate of compliance. Although, one could argue, that such compliance comes with a price - such as posts like this one without much of a point to them.
But never fear dear reader. Your host always has a special treat in store for his beloved, cherished and overly-complimented readership people. A screenshot of my Shuttle laying a pod egg!! Woot!
Click to embiggen
Well, it's free! More later. And if you haven't read the story yet, for god's sake why not?!
True Sansha: Eve Fiction
He shivered and rolled over again, the pain in his side ignited and stabbed hotly at his chest, his breath lost and tumbling down the cold gray steel of the control room floor. He winced and tried to regain his air, waiting in agony for the pain to subside and fall back down into tolerable numbness. The process was beginning to be overwhelming and his thoughts once again turned to dark places. The time remaining before he would need to turn again would be less than it had been the last time. Winding down. The intervals grow ever shorter. His remaining strength vanishing. It wouldn’t be long now and he would be unable to turn. In that moment his breath would finally leave him. Never to be regained.
He heard the thing on the other side of the room shift heavily and was reminded that, sadly, it also remained alive.
The days and hours were lost to fog and pain, with no idea how long he had been unable to stand. The how was still as clear as the stars he could see out of the control room monitors. A day like any of a hundred days before. Until the fleet had bunched up at his lonely station, requesting immediate jump privileges. It had been months since even a single ship had requested a jump through his gate, much less nearly a hundred ships at once. He had been slow to respond, to even remember the proper codes for processing, when the Battleships began bumping the gate. The shaking caused him to lose his balance and bang his head against the bulkhead, momentarily blinding him. But the ensuing rage had blinded him more than the mere pain. He pushed the Jump Access Granted control in anger without entering the proper access codes, flinging the ill-tempered fleet to a random location in the Universe. Damn them. Damn himself.
Eve iPhone Wallpapers: The BattleCruisers
I was looking at my iPhone yesterday and realized I didn't have an Eve themed wallpaper that I liked. Nothing gets me going more than a hole that needs filled in, so I decided to start creating a series of wallpapers based on the ships of Eve. This is the first series, based on Battlecruisers. Each of the images below are already sized and ready to be installed on your iPhone. Just click on the image and save it to a folder on your computer, then synch it, select it and use it. If you need detailed instructions on how to do that, visit this helpful link. And enjoy. I'll be doing more of these as I go along.
Caldari - Click image to embiggen, then download
Amarr - Click image to embiggen, then download
Gallente - Click image to embiggen, then download
Minmatar - Click image to embiggen, then download
The EVE Online Blog Pack... Whoa!
Shortly after I started playing Eve I started reading Eve blogs. I've been a blog reader since they were called Bulletin Boards back in the "old days", and I've been writing blogs myself for almost 8 years. It didn't take long for me to discover CrazyKinux, since almost all Eve Blog roads lead right back to his. CK, in addition to having an awesome blog in his own right, is also the originator and home of something called the Eve Blog Pack. It is a collection of blogs written primarily about Eve and has evolved over time to include CK's picks of "blogs chosen for their quality, regularity" and their "potential for greatness."
Recently CK decided it was time to update the Blog Pack and expand the listing to include more blogs. As is natural in the blogging world, some blogs have fallen silent or stopped blogging on a regular basis, and it was probably time for a fresh look anyway. I can't speak to the reasons, but only to the results.
This morning I found out that your friendly neighborhood Eve blogger has been honored by being included on the new, improved and expanded Blog Pack! And when I say honored I mean it. I would also add totally unexpected and humbled to be included. So a HUGE big thank you to CK!! And to all my fellow Eve bloggers I also say thank you. While I have been a long-time reader of your blogs I am trying to become more involved in the community now that I am writing my own blog.
I am honored to be a member of the Blog Pack. I will be adding each of my fellow members blogs to the blog roll over the coming days. The coolest moment for me happened this morning when I went to check my skill training on Capsuleer and discovered EVEOGANDA listed on the blogroll included with the app. Yeeee!
For anyone visiting the blog for the first time welcome! I'm just getting my feet planted here and feeling my way, but we are already entering our third month and off to a pretty good start I think. So enjoy, catch up on the archives and come back often.
And, once again, thanks to CK and all my fellow bloggers. It's great to be amongst friends. Even though I would probably shoot you in-game. Nothing personal.
PS: Whew! 50 blogs doesn't sound like a lot until you have to track them all down and add them to the blog feed over in the left sidebar. I think I got all of them, but if you see one that is missing let me know. I decided to list them by updates instead of alphabetically, but I'm open to changing that as we go along.
Recently CK decided it was time to update the Blog Pack and expand the listing to include more blogs. As is natural in the blogging world, some blogs have fallen silent or stopped blogging on a regular basis, and it was probably time for a fresh look anyway. I can't speak to the reasons, but only to the results.
This morning I found out that your friendly neighborhood Eve blogger has been honored by being included on the new, improved and expanded Blog Pack! And when I say honored I mean it. I would also add totally unexpected and humbled to be included. So a HUGE big thank you to CK!! And to all my fellow Eve bloggers I also say thank you. While I have been a long-time reader of your blogs I am trying to become more involved in the community now that I am writing my own blog.
I am honored to be a member of the Blog Pack. I will be adding each of my fellow members blogs to the blog roll over the coming days. The coolest moment for me happened this morning when I went to check my skill training on Capsuleer and discovered EVEOGANDA listed on the blogroll included with the app. Yeeee!
For anyone visiting the blog for the first time welcome! I'm just getting my feet planted here and feeling my way, but we are already entering our third month and off to a pretty good start I think. So enjoy, catch up on the archives and come back often.
And, once again, thanks to CK and all my fellow bloggers. It's great to be amongst friends. Even though I would probably shoot you in-game. Nothing personal.
PS: Whew! 50 blogs doesn't sound like a lot until you have to track them all down and add them to the blog feed over in the left sidebar. I think I got all of them, but if you see one that is missing let me know. I decided to list them by updates instead of alphabetically, but I'm open to changing that as we go along.
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