As we all saw in the recent "Community Results" video from CCP, the Dramiel was the most undocked ship of 2022. Sadly I suspect that 2023 will have a much different result, as the Dramiel and other Pirate ships have lost a significant role inside of Eve Online - primarily because of Uprising. This has certainly impacted us in Stay Frosty and had a major impact on the types of ships we fly regularly in Low Sec.
And it isn't just the Dramiel that is impacted. All Pirate ships have been impacted by the recent gate changes in Factional Warfare plex. And while change is the only constant and we will adapt to the changing landscape like we always do - duh - I do have an idea of how to not only save the Dram, the Daredevil, Cruor, and other Pirate ships, but to also add some game play elements back into their use.
Call me crazy, but I think Pirate ships should be for Pirates. Remember how the Marshal has bonuses tied into positive security standings? I'm suggesting that Pirate Frigates become negative security standing ships that include bonuses for players that maintain negative status. Pirates in other words. Maintaining a negative sec status inside of Eve Online is hard work and the game is not built around such a choice. In fact, the game punishes you rather harshly for choosing such a play-style. Trust me here, I've been -10 for over a decade now.
I'm not expecting massive bonuses here, but incremental percentage bonuses that increase the further your sec status drops. -5 to -10 sec status bonuses to speed, tracking, range and other attributes based on the ship you are flying. And, most importantly, a "pirate pass" to enter previously locked FW plexes. This last one is the most important and frankly, so important, that I would be willing to give up the entire idea of negative sec status bonuses JUST for this ability. So if a -10 pirate jumps into a pirate frigate, they can enter any FW plex in the game. Think about it for a minute, it makes sense. Pirates operate outside the realm of the Empires, we are the criminal element. We should be given some role that reflects that criminality, that ability, and rewarded (in an sense) for our nature. I think this makes perfect sense.
Pirate Frigates for actual Pirates!
I was hopeful that Uprising would include some role for the Pirate pilots of Eve. Some way that we could participate in the new world order of Low Sec. Pirate plex, or bonuses for controlling our own space, or any number of other possibilities. None of which came to anything. But this would be one small way to help better integrate us into that world. We already take it on the chin when it comes to maintaining a negative sec status and get punished by the game for that choice, why not embrace that and give us a class of ships of our own? They already exist. They are already being pushed aside by the changing meta.
I like this idea. YARRR!!