Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Channelling McLuhan - EVE - Born vs Community - Born

Although sometime I find The Mittani rambles off a bunch of nonsense (as many of my readers think of me I am sure) I found his recent Ten Ton Hammer article (Sins of a Solar Spymaster #75: The EVE-Born) very interesting. Once you get through his biases and innate need to insult others, he appears to be channeling Marshal McLuhan. In the article The Mittani discusses that 'there are now two classes of player, radically different in mindset - the EVE-born and the community-born'. EVE-born players are those who came to the game as individuals or part of a tiny group of a couple of friends. Community-born players came to EVE from an outside common community like the SA forums, Reddit or a particular ethnic group. In essence these two groups are playing two different games with two different gaming experiences and are speaking different languages either literally (as with an ethnic group) or as different speech patterns.

McLuhan had some similar observations. Watch the following video, the whole thing is worth watching however the really interesting insight starts at around the 7 minute mark:



In the above interview McLuhan is commenting on a recent 1976 election debate between Carter and Ford. Rather than discussing policy differences, which he considers pretty much irrelevant to the dabate, McLuhan is much more interested in the way the debaters, and moderators talked and presented themselves. Carter was considered to be from a 'corperate' culture (the south) and that was present in the way he talked. Corperate in this sense has nothing to do with business, but rather means that he is from a homogeneous culture with distinct speech patterns. Ford OTOH was from an individual culture (the north-eastern US which is a melting pot of a large number of ethnic groups) and that was indicated by his less distinctive speech patters and phrasing.

I am nowhere near smart enough to understand most of what 'Medium is the message' McLuhan says but I do find it interesting in EVE as well as on Earth. I have been in fleets with the goons (R.I.P. BDEAL). To say their comms chatter is interesting does not begin to cover it. I have no idea what they were saying 99% of the time. Yet they obviously seem to understand each other and can be effective. How they communicate to the community outside themselves is a different matter. In the right venue, typically 'hot', non-interactive, communication, they can be very effective due to their confidence, they know what they are saying and have no reason to believe differently. However in 'cool', more interactive, media they are less effective. As we are unable to understand them, they are unable to understand us, and this becomes apparent quickly.

BOB/IT/Raiden/PL/NC/NC-dot/Agony/BDEAL/RK/R&K/AHARM/Tuskers/..... etc are all more or less individual groups (eve-born). While at times they will be allied to the community-born (corperate) groups they will never really integrate. Look at the recent kick of BDEAL from the CFC alliance for example. This, above all else, means that permanent 100% nap-trains of 0.0 are near impossible in the global spanning game of EVE-online.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The 'Arenas' of EVE

The Mittani tweeted a few days ago:

I withdraw any support for 'arenas' or 'battlegrounds' in #eveonline, it already exists in RvB. Holy shit this owns.
@TheMittani #tweetfleet

He brings up a great point that I think is lost on many players. In EVE most thing that are in other games come about as a mechanic, are player driven. There are no set arena's in EVE. However there are lots of Arenas.

For me an Arena is a place you can go to get some mostly consensual PvP action without much effort. Grab a rifter or other ship you are willing to loose, and head to any of the following places and you will inevitably get a fight. Obvisouly RvB is effectively an arena setup in high-sec and provides quick PvP. However if you are looking for something different there are many other easy places to find pvp.

Arena #1 Amamake: Upon arrival in the system warp to the sun at 0. You have about small chance of landing on a fight. Then use the directional scanner to scan down each of the planet clusters. Look for comparable ships like Rifters, Merlins, Incursis and Punishers. If flying a T2 frigate look for these plus destroyers and other T2 frigates. Warp to a belt when you find something. If nothing there stay for a 30 seconds or so then warp back to sun. Great practice for directional scanning. You will almost always get a fight within a few minutes. Typically, about 50% of the time, the target will have one or two ships backup that will arrive soon after fight begins. Also check out nearby Auga and Dal.

Arena #2 Molden Heath (Bosena/Heild). Expect several small pirate gangs to be operating with cruiser and under sized hulls. Gunboat Diplomacy and Black Rebel Rifter Club are very active and will engage any small target very quickly. In addition there are several other groups operating in the area plus tourists. The static plexes in Heild are more often then not the main spot where fight occur. Check Sard Caid's feed which may be active and is a great source of intel. In general major pirate corps in area will accept and honour 1v1s. Molden Heath lowsec forms a nice loop that is great for a quick roam.

Arena #3 Hevrice: Home to Tuskers PvP corp. In addition there are several other entities in the area. Check out Hevrice as well as the several adjacent lowsec systems looking for pirates.

Arena #4 Tama: Like Amamake this system usually has several active small gangs and solo roamers at any one time. Warp to celestials scanning down potential targets. You won't be disappointed often.

Arena #5 Syndicate: This entire region is populated by many smaller alliances and corps specializing in small gang pvp without the burden of sov warfare. Small gangs are the norm but solo fights are still frequent. Be prepared to deal with bubbles and the occasional hot drop. Best region to roam in if you are in a small gang yourself. Lots of stations for 0.0 that are NPC so you can dock. I prefer to enter from the Harroule-MHC-R3. The Orvolle-PF-346 gate often result in crashing into a gate camp getting to the main trunc. Beware there are many areas that are well connected, but there are also some dead-ends you can get camped in.

This is far from an exhaustive list. But if you are looking for a fight, either solo, or in a small gang, these areas are awesome arena's to learn the ropes of PvP and have a good time. Be warned, locals do know what they are doing. Don't fly what you can't afford to loose.

Friday, February 3, 2012

I Fail So Bad ... I killed myself :(

This made me laugh - Check out the bottom ship on the kill:http://www.agony-unleashed.com/killboard/index.php/kill_detail/75438/

Stupid BO hot-drop .... I guess Agony has found someone to replace me as Thursday night FC in the year since I left;)

At least someone else got revenge on their BO fleet ... http://www.agony-unleashed.com/killboard/index.php/kill_related/75448/

Edit: Reading this the next day it sounds like I am shedding tears. Not really meant that way. More just laughing at myself for bubbling my little gang in while tackling obvious bait.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Dear Master...

Dayton, Tama,

January 31, YC113

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Amarr

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Toterra, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Republic would have hung you long before this, for harboring Amarrians they found at your estate near Amamake. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Republic Fleet Captain whose escape pod had landed on your estate. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Tama Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get 100 million isk a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Toterra,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They don't go to your faith's Sunday school, but Mandy and me have found faith elsewhere. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them Matari people were slaves" down in Amarr. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Amarr to belong to your house. Many Matari would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in YC111 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Metropolis. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At 25 million isk a month for me, and two million isk a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven billion six hundred and eighty million isk. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Tama. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust your god has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Amarr there was never any pay-day for the matari any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the matari children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Toterra.

P.S. I hear that you often fly from Amarr to New Caldari on business. I will keep an eye out to wave to the transport ship. I am sure I can stand the hit to my sec status to properly say goodbye... Pity Amarr citizens of your stature are not allowed clones.



See the original letter here ... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/in-recently-discovered-le_n_1247288.html

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Taranis 4.0 + Bonus Rifter fight against a taranis

Another day, another lossed Taranis.... This time it was pretty simple. After searching for over an hour the only thing that really popped up looking for a fight with me was a Jaguar. Pre-AF buff I may have stood a chance. As it was I manged to get through his shields, and that was about it.

Not much to say here except that I am finding the list of targets that a taranis can reasonably attack pretty small. It basically has no chance against destroyers and assault ships. Fit with an afterburner and a scram it is not that great at catching someone for non-consensual PvP. Pretty much I am stuck engaging targets that are also looking for a fight, in ships that should have no trouble with my taranis.

2012.01.27 20:56:00

Victim: Toterra
Corp: Walking Dead Pilots
Alliance: Unknown
Faction: Unknown
Destroyed: Taranis
System: Nagamanen
Security: 0.3
Damage Taken: 2238

Involved parties:

Name: DEATH RIGHTS (laid the final blow)
Security: -0.50
Corp: GODS HOUSE
Alliance: None
Faction: None
Ship: Jaguar
Weapon: 150mm Light AutoCannon II
Damage Done: 2238

Destroyed items:

Small Diminishing Power System Drain I
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Federation Navy Antimatter Charge S, Qty: 300 (Cargo)
Small Armor Repairer II
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator
Damage Control II
Null S, Qty: 300 (Cargo)
Light Neutron Blaster II, Qty: 2
Federation Navy Antimatter Charge S, Qty: 65
Small Ancillary Current Router I, Qty: 2
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Dropped items:

1MN Afterburner II
Light Neutron Blaster II
Federation Navy Antimatter Charge S, Qty: 130


Of course, considering my lousy performance with the taranis, when I went on a roam with a new player in my corp (who had never done any pvp before) I took out my tried and true shield tanked rifter. After much searching what did we come across, a taranis.

Now I have concluded that the taranis is a junk ship, so I engaged him. My noob friend landed a few seconds after my fight started. In the past I have had reasonable success with a shield rifter against a taranis. I am probably close to 50/50. I figure with my friend there should be enough additional DPS to get the kill.

Perhaps not.... I don't think I scratched his structure before I went down :(. He quickly dispatched me and then my noob friend. I guess the problem is more with me flying it wrong, not with the ship itself.

2012.01.28 06:17:00

Victim: Toterra
Corp: Walking Dead Pilots
Alliance: None
Faction: None
Destroyed: Rifter
System: Amamake
Security: 0.4
Damage Taken: 3452

Involved parties:

Name: Hahbahdahishboo (laid the final blow)
Security: -10.0
Corp: Heretic Army
Alliance: Heretic Nation
Faction: None
Ship: Taranis
Weapon: Light Electron Blaster II
Damage Done: 3452

Destroyed items:

Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Qty: 2
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Republic Fleet Fusion S, Qty: 290
Damage Control II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Medium Shield Extender II
Small Core Defence Field Extender I, Qty: 2
Republic Fleet EMP S, Qty: 320 (Cargo)

Dropped items:

1MN Afterburner II
Gyrostabilizer II
150mm Light AutoCannon II
Republic Fleet Fusion S, Qty: 145
Republic Fleet EMP S, Qty: 160 (Cargo)
Barrage S, Qty: 480 (Cargo)

After the fight I had a chat with my killer. He sent me the fit he used, which was very different then what I had been using. We will talk about that, and it's effectiveness for the taranis 5.0 post.