(Plus it was a terrible Monday, not in Eve but in RL)
Just to set the record straight, the "hate" directed at your friendly neighborhood blogger comes directly from one source. One reason. Since moving to the system we've been living in for the past few months we've managed to destroy nearly 800 ships while only incurring about 50 losses. This is even more staggering when you realize that about 30 of those kills are Carriers. And a couple are SuperCarriers and Dreadnaughts. Starting to make some sense now?
I should also remind you that Lucifer's Hammer is made up of about 9 active pilots in TOTAL. Before the forced break we had about 20, some of those have moved on or are in our Alliance in other Corporations. Nine pilots on a good day, but mostly, usually, only five.
Because of our record and success at killing really expensive stuffs, those arrayed against us have built a coalition of blue-to-each others numbering in the hundreds. Hundreds. Five. I do have sympathy for them, I've been on the other side of that fence myself more than a few times.
From the beginning Lucifer's Hammer was never intended to be a "Pirate" Corporation. In fact we tried to avoid using that word in the beginning. There are posts about it, I'm just too lazy to look them up. Remember we joined Rote Kapelle right after we formed up, not exactly known for their piracy. The debate about pirates, criminals, fighters or whatever can rage forever as far as I'm concerned. I'm no fan of labels. So I seek no particular label in regards to my own actions in Eve or those of my Corporation or Alliance. In the final analysis we are really opportunistic hunters.
And really, all PvP in Eve boils down to this. Opportunity. If I jump into a system and find a Carrier running a mission it is my job as a pilot to destroy that Carrier. Nothing personal, it is simply the opportunity that has presented itself. I didn't create that opportunity, I'm simply taking full and rightful advantage of it. If I undock from a station and someone undocks behind me, more than likely I will pop their ship and hopefully their pod. Because that is what I do.
Yesterday three of us were on a station somewhere. My alt was in her Archon, Angor was in a Tempest and Dismo was in his Baddon. Why? Because some guys in local warped over a Baddon, a Raven and a Chimera and some other stuff. A Cap ship game of chicken ensued. We even managed to get another alt into a Thanny. No one died, but I consider it a victory because we held our ground and those that came to the "opportunity" of my Archon in local, ran away.
We are hunters. We take advantage of those that make mistakes, those that are in places they really shouldn't be, in ships they shouldn't be in, or that we find in places where we can destroy them. Opportunity knocks and we answer it. I gave the above example because no one died in that opportunity, because we aren't idiots, asshats, or psychotic. The vast majority of pilots in Eve are also not asshats, idiots or psychotic. Within the confines of the game universe however, you are all targets of opportunity. Given the right opportunity, most likely all your fault, mistake or misadventure, I will explode your ship. Or die trying.
I'm not asking anyone to like me. I hope you do, but it isn't necessary. Even among our "enemies" there are many pilots that I respect. I hope they feel the same way, but I can't control that. All I can do is continue doing what I do, what we do, to the best of our ability to do it.
It has been proven time and time again in the last two years. Whenever I take a stand on this blog the trolls, the haters, the people that have nothing better to do, come up out of the ground. Like worms after a rain storm. The point yesterday wasn't that being successful automatically makes people hate you. The point was the stronger your own personal determination, commitment, desire, ability, whatever it is that makes you, well you, the stronger the feelings of others towards you. Strong feelings that come in a double sided coin. Respect, admiration, friendship on one side. Hate, anger, bitterness on the other.
Apparently a lot of people have very strong feelings. Whichever side of that coin you fall on, thanks.