The State of Piracy

 


Uprising brought a lot of much needed attention to Low Security space. The new FW systems and infrastructure have brought renewed engagement into this space and LS has never been more active. This is all true. And I'm certainly proud to have been a very small part of helping to bring this to the forefront over the past decade. As I said many times, Factional Warfare is the engine that fuels PvP in Eve Online, not only here in LS space - but everywhere in the game. And I think we can all agree, we've seen the evidence of this. It works.

Be careful what you wish for. Us pirates have been squeezed pretty hard during these changes and it looks like the squeeze is only going to continue. Our beloved pirate ships are relatively useless now and mouldering in our hangars. Increased activity has meant increased organization in our traditional targets making them more challenging to engage. And while those around us have benefitted greatly from increased in-game rewards, pirates have been largely forgotten in these mechanics. And now, on the horizon, looms something whose consequences are hard to predict. Soon, anyone will be able to effectively join an FW militia without having to leave their own corporation.

I admit, I worry. It is my job to worry. I'm the head of a (for Low Sec) large 550 player Alliance. And while I suspect most players will be using alts to join these militias there is, among many other concerns, one large one regarding time. There are only so many hours in a day. And hours spent grinding away in a militia are hours not spent undocking and seeking profits from piracy. We already have these issues with PvE missions and other forms of profit seeking that PvP alone doesn't always provide. So yes, there is some concern there. And again, alone this might not be crucial or overly concerning. But add it into the other pressures that these changes have brought and even the smallest addition could have long-lasting negative impact.

And what happens if main characters decide to join? How will that work exactly? Will there be a Stay Frosty pilot inside that large plex along with 12 other FW pilots when we go to slid into them? I have a lot of questions.

Our chosen game play is fringe. I've always appreciated that. And also reveled in it. When CCP talks about "pirates" they are usually talking about those NPCs, not us. So it isn't surprising that little is done to help us. We adapt or we die. This is our lot and we've been very, very good at it over the years. I'm not complaining here, only expressing the kind of worry that I wear every day. It is my job to help my players succeed in the environment they've chosen to play in. That's all.

Low Sec is better than it has ever been. And my concerns might very well be only worrisome to me. I freely admit that is possible. We'll have to wait and see how things shake out with the upcoming changes and additions. Right now our Alliance continues to grow and thrive, and the launcher numbers are always encouraging when I go to log in for the day. So it is hard to complain.

But I do miss my Pirate Ships. Although I did have a good fight with a Daredevil yesterday. So that is encouraging.