So I've moved across lowsec, and have joined WAFFLES. a very active Eve Online PvP centered Alliance.
My first impressions after being here for almost a month and spending serious hours in fleets, and Mumble.
As to content there is a ton of it, and by far more than any other group you will run into in Eve if you like PvP. Looking at my stats in August I had 267 kills 34 losses / 26.57 Billions isk destroyed to 2.72 Billion lost. September has exploded, and pay mind to that I joined waffles in late August. 514 kills to 34 losses / 90.22 Billion isk destroyed to 1.58 Billion isk lost.
That is a crazy jump, but will go down as real life gets back to normal for me. Fleets are up constantly going on, and you will get content because Waffles generate it.
I like a green killboard because I like winning which is the competitive side of me coming out/
As to the people it is taking a bit to get used it. I am currently doing fleets in both time zones so I am getting know both, and figure out who I like to run with, and who I need to adjust to. Just like any group there are folks who will get on your nerves, and ones that are great to be around.
Everyone will fly something that is needed as they can. You will not be able to just ship up into your favorite ship every time. If logi is needed, and you can fly it with the skills needed you'll be shipping into it or something else that is needed. That is the best part of Waffles. in my opinion because that is what will make you a better over all player, and asset to everyone. Forcing folks to do this will always put your group higher than others that just corner themselves into only being able or wanting to fly a certain thing.
We are doing a lot of stuff, and poking groups in Cloud Ring. This has been interesting, and different as I have fought for space, and nearly burned myself out of Eve defending it. I feel more comfortable doing in it because it is what I know, and now learning the new mechanics is pretty interesting. We've forced Iron Armada out, and currently poking SpaceMonkey's Alliance, and forcing them to show for fights.
So far so good, and my current goal is to get -10 Security Status so I can check that Eve block.
Oh also check out the Podside Podcast, and the Best of Us in game channels. Best of Us is for veterans across the world, and helping one another. Podside is a great podcast where you can be heard, and listen to folks talk about just about everthing.
So a lot has gone on since my last post. One would think that in a game it would be easy you know? Just do what you want and have fun! Sometimes it brings really emotions if you care about the folks you interact with, and this is the case with me.
I just left my Alliance, and as silly as it sounds it was one of the hardest things I have done. I grew into loving PvP, and eventually a FC defending our home. With that I left the corporation I started as well with my main. I need a break from leadership, drama, and politics I disagree with. Not to say it was that bad, but there were ideals that I just couldn't deal being a apart of and not having a real choice in the matter.
I'll always care about them more than any other group, and one day I'll come back. Hopefully in a better place to help it more so than I did before. As for what I am doing now? I am in lowsec trying my hand at that, but even that as it seems isn't as good as I had thought. Well at least at the moment that is some recent events have gave me pause in my current course.
The grass isn't greener by a long shot, but its different and that's what I wanted and need at this time. I don't know what I want to do right now, and hope the current situation gets resolved soon. As I am looking for my next fight/skirmish/war now.
Sorry for the lack of a real post, but I wanted to at least let folks know that follow this know my situation. If you are reading this thank you, and hope it helps in some way.
Below is something I had no idea was old as it is! I first came across this after listening to the Black Hawk Down soundtrack, and love it. This is what came to mind with all this going on in Eve with my toon.
Sorry for not writing more (not that you really enjoyed it anyway!), but real life has as always taken things 1st, and Eve last then this blog somewhere further down. Real life has given me a beautiful baby girl Lilly, and I now have to buy more guns...... for hunting......yea......
Now to Eve stuff sadly its been up and down as it always seems for me and my merry band. I am a CEO again, but going to be giving that to someone else. He's by far more knowledgeable in Eve than I am, and an industrial power house. My corp was and is a industrial force, and with its new CEO I think it'll become something much more as I had hoped. He's also a lot better writer than I will ever hope to be so go read him here.
Now you may ask what I have been up to? Fighting and trying to support my alliance as best I can. See the following links below for some of the fights, and even a video of my boss's fun fleet he runs weekly.
We've been having skirmishes with the Imperium (goons), and taking on some heavy fights till they just cyno in more than we brought....which is every time lol. I also did a event for Nova Haven who is lead by the awesome Kira Tsukimoto. Where my alliance helped Nova Haven kill my Dominix Navy Issue.
Now what to do... that I do not know I have to find a new home in the Alliance as I plan on staying out here. That being said I will keep my options open, and hope for the best as always. This blog will have long periods of no posts, but I hope someone gets something out of this even if its a laugh. Fly safe folks.
I've heard the stories of the epic fights between Solar, and Xdeath since I join my currently alliance in null sec. I've been flying with Xdeath for awhile now, and they have some good people, and their leader is one of the best people I have spoken with (well skype'd with). Solar even with their hate for Xdeath, I figured would get pushed out of the Drone Lands at least or would come to terms like Tri, did, and prepare for Fozzie Sov.
My thoughts on this is that this coalition will hold its space less a full on incursion from the Imperium comes to call. Which could happen though after they raid Provi, but I will let others debate on who will attack what and where. Could this bring some of the other Russian groups in as well maybe? From what I see most would most likely not want that, and cry BLUE DOUGHNUT WAAAAHHH!! I am not sure how I feel on the growing coalition as of yet. Tactically it makes sense, with as much space as Xdeath owns it helps to have others to call on to shore up areas as needed. Space will be lost I am sure but much less so with Tri in the mix and their PvP prowess with the Xdeath hammer behind them. My alliance has an different situation in all of this that I wont get deep into, but its different to say the least, and one that makes things difficult at times.
With the changes to Sov, and the new missile buffs I am looking forward to trying out some Sacrilege fleets. Using the new missile mods you should be able to do some fun things with them, but we shall see! As it's not in any of our doctrines so it may be awhile sadly..... Oh and Caracals... Caracals everywhere! Seems like every time I undock there is a Caracal gang running around, and even on a Spectre fleet we ran into a Caracal gang. They are cheap, and very damn effective right now, and it makes sense with the Heavy Missile buff that are getting a lot of love. Myself and Wilhelm Arcturus were excited for the changes, and we wonder when the Drake's will roam once more.
Fozzie Sov seems to have everyone terrified or really excited. I will wait and see what happens, because at this point getting worked up over something that has not happened yet is a waste of time. My hopes it will bring small groups in to own their little area and to work at holding it. I have my worries, but till I see what happens I really cannot say if it will change anything.
What will I be doing till then? I have no idea really past trying to earn isk to buy some ships for the new doctrines. The shield Ishtar is dead "Thank you Space Pope!", and it seems the Armor Ishtar is a thing though. I don't think it will work nearly as well as a Armor doctrine, but time will tell if the Ishtar will have a roll in the coming months.
Well I have a CTA to attend sorry for the lag RL, and Military training have kept me away.
TL:DR of part one PFR and 2-3 other groups tried to take SOV, failed and moved on. The more notable PFR moved to the uncontested area "at the time" Scalding Pass. We all took a deep breath at that point think the worst was over. We could start working on growing as an alliance and be the anchor for the Drone Lands.
Then the toughest challenge we've faced set up in Uemon. Triumverant (will be called Tri from here on) moved in due to their alleged failures at taking on the Imperium (Goons). Early February Tri began their push taking WPV-JN by killing our defensive SBU's KMKM KM then we formed to fight them finally and get our first fleet fight. - Battle Report - and L4X-1V where we did not try contesting them for it. Which were out first test against them. Tri went after LXQ2-T. A few times but have been repelled each time. The defense we had was in support of Xdeath - Battle Report - Lost isk war but won the objective. Though we already saw that out coalition was too spread out nor had the SP/Ship compositions to fight them properly. The mighty Maller had fallen, and pushed into flying the Augoror Navy Issue from here on known as the ANI .
Great ship and great tank with ok DPS, and 2 utility High slots to play with make it a great defensive fleet doctrine in my opinion, and something lower skill level players can get into.
So system after system fell PX-IHN, ZZ5X-M, SAH-AD, and so on, they begain to creep closer to our home systems. We made the decision to pull all major and not immediately needed items out of ER. We also made sure to SBU everyone of our systems, and leave all our tower up. We were not going to make this as easy as the were already making it out to be. When Tri didnt want to fight they dropped Supers knowing Xdeath nor us could oppose them. This seemed counter to their wanting content and seemed more out of laziness than anything.
Then they set eyes on NWX-LI my home, and our Alliances first station the alliance had built and deployed. When they did I had planned no real defense past inviting everyone in eve to attend and maybe force them to stand down due to odds and us sacrifice our fleet to those that came. Something happen people contacted me out of the blue from the Coalition saying they wanted to be there to do something.
I wrote it off as maybe 2-5 people from each corp and us having one last look as Tri to our last bastion. I was lazy on forming at first then more and more kept asking were I wanted them... Had I known the turn out maybe we could have won the day? Maybe but if nothing else we forced them to bring in more than they thought they would need! We formed next door off the normal pipe expecting Tri to camp the pipe. I couldnt believe we had 100 in fleet it was amazing to see. We sadly had no capitals to use because to be honest we did think we'd get the numbers we'd have. Tri was late and we went immediately to killing their SBU if we killed that and if they were ill prepared we could set the stage for a better fight. Phoenix Company sadly did not get on our comms and went shiels instead of armor and were quickly taken out before the real fighting began.
This combo is powerful, after using them in a fleet I can see how great this fleet is, but its a hurts a killboard for sure if you start to lose them!
We fielded ANI's with Guardian's, T1 hulls of the same flavor, and whatever was left in peoples hangers.
We killed the SBU forcing them to bring and online another. Our logi could hold the ANIs but anything less or not tanked properly died. We pushed to station to fight with bombers from bombers bar, HASH, and us trying to kill RattleSnakes. I had everyone switch to their triage carrier and he was breaking. As he neared 30% shields a cyno was lit and Tri brought in more Triage Chimeras. With that we disengaged, with no one able to come assist we could not hope to win. With a heavy heart I stood everyone down and thanked them. As a final gesture Tri Reinforced the safe POS we were in. As they left one their Huginn's was bouncing off the shield after they warped. I burned out and grabbed tackle to get us a token kill. NWX Battle Report
Call it tears or what have you that was our home, and made more of it than Tri would or ever will. Maybe one day it will be again, and I hope I can lead us back to retake it from whomever owns it. Because nowhere else is home for me at least other than NWX. We fought hard and for a newly found coalition, some former renters/renters facing as harden PvP alliance. I think we did as best we could. For all the smack talk Tri was the better PvP alliance, but again they take pride in fighting new to pvp groups and renters. So for all the bravado they are nothing more than that bravado.
So you may ask where are we now? Well I moved Alliance to support SERIN, and our new companions Advent of Fate ( AoF from here on). To start again, as after losing your first home in null and something you worked so hard for.... people took it differently. Some moved with us wanting to grow again. Others went back to highsec, some sought out other corps/alliances to test other waters. As with Eve we all have ups and downs, and this was both of ours in rapid fire. We now fight Intrepid Crossing IRC from here on, who flipped sides to garner favor of Tri. Which is sad for me as we fought together, and even made a couple friends in game. Which now has strained and most likely will break those in short order.
That is the shortest I could break this down to. I am sure I missed things or failed to mention something, but oh well this is my view of events. I'd like to thank the people, corps, alliances that have helped us along the way:
This would be the spark that would set my former home ablaze like we had never thought it would. The restrictions on jump ranges were/are huge in mitigating responses from the larger blocs in Eve. I am for limited force projection though while reading this you may think I am not right in the head in being for it.
This is my memories (right or wrong to whomever reads I do not care) of our time in Etherium Reach from Renters to building a Coalition of Industrialists to defend their homes. We thought ER was a place no one wanted, but us....Others thought it the perfect place to start because they thought the same.....
Its starts literally day one of the patch an upstart group called PFR with a noble goal of freeporting station in Nullsec for all to dock. To each his own I guess, but thoughts are if it was meant for everyone to dock it would be Low/High Sec. Neither here nor there so on to the post.....
It all started for us on November 4th 2014 with us finding out PFR had made a move to claim WPV-JN. They had taken down the Sovereignty structures required to online their own TCU. We were asked to kill it as we had really just started to grow and get ourselves ready to do PvP due to the new patch we took on the challenge. We were not alone at the time a local lowsec group was helping us F0RCED ENTRY. a good group of pilots who you will hear more about later. They had anchored the TCU so to deny them their claim we killed it and its defenders Battle Report.
I at least thought that would be the end of it our Land Lords don't have to come do anything job done we look better, and back to growing our alliance. Oh how wrong I was! They were tenacious to the point of absurdity/ignorance.
We had got intel from a source on them moving a freighter with another attempt at placing another Sov. structure down. We nearly had stopped them, but sadly we were to slow.... I burned my alt in a interceptor as fast as I could to get tackle and a warp in with help of ROC.. A snall fight with their small defense force was enough time for the freighter to offload, and secure its objective. Battle report from that event.
At this time there were more groups either at the time scouting out the area Mostly Hammered, and even ROC. had ideals at this time to even try to take space. With all these factions starting to bleed into ER we were asked to deploy and sport defending the front pocket of ER. So we deployed to C-4D0W.
This would be our deployment area to defend ER from those coming in as best we could. Now mind you we did have landlords who did come and help but rarely and only for the final timers normally so keep that in mind. Though through our early successes we did something no one thought possible we grew a USTZ Renter coalition, and one had it been given more time could have done a lot of good things for the area.
Now to continue...
We fought with a T1 Doctrine of what we called the Mighty Maller, and the Moa. Since most of us were new to PvP to easy the cost, and skill points needed we went these as our main line ships. We wanted tank over DPS which helped us early, but proved to really make grinding anything painfully slow! With T1 and eventually T2 logistics we could hold the field far longer than we really should have been able to. These were what I cut my teeth on as I learned to FC and take fleets out.
As things go people change sides and who you worked with are against you the next. Seeing weakness in our landlords ROC. and F0RCED ENTRY. both went to either support PFR or do their own thing. * I will not try to dig to deep on the politics here as my memory is terrible and I don't want to bog this post any more*
We lost WPV and surprisingly we had no idea that CT8K-0's station after the last invasion was never repaired so when PFR struck it was quick, and we woke up to PFR owning their first Freeport on 11 November 2014. Now with them having a foot hold we were asked to be the force to make their work miserable, and to hit them everywhere. We continued to pressure them with fights here, here with help from the best solo pvper I know Joffy!, Small things but it was building to one of the most defining fights for me personally as the largest battle I had FC'd.
Though this isn't all we were battling a group called Anti-Social Club was trying to take space as we were called. Oh at this point we were no longer renters per our land lords a major milestone for us and renewed our members, and helped us grow our new coalition. This is one of my first FC battles, and with a ship I had little knowledge and use of the Ishtar. The Battle Report and Video below.
We win the fight, and kill their attempt of hanging on to Sov in ER. Then a few hours later we have to scramble to stop the take over of CL-IRS by a group all thought dead, and would eventually be dead again Ethereal DawnTCU kill.
Now the first fight for CT8K-0 was not to happen. PFR called for help, and had a NPSI group come and support them so we stood down knowing that we had one timer to win, and it was the one that mattered. If you would like to know more about that please refer to PFR's Reddit. The armor timer for the station was where we would make our stand, and one that would change the course of Eve for me, and my want to go full into FCing, and doing what I can to make my Alliance great.
Please see below video, and Battle report here for the down and dirty. For me it was the largest fight I FC'd, and I was wide eye'd, but determined to fight and lose it all to try to win this fight. At the time we formed 50 pilots from our Coalition, and were told Legion of Xdeath and/or Shadow of Xdeath were not going to be able to make the timer at all or if so late. PFR called upon those who believed in their cause, and those looking to get into a fight which I think was their undoing in the end. Notably TEST / Brave came through a new frigate Worm Hole with a maulus fleet which made our logistics group only able to lock out to 5k at best forcing us to ball up. This with their other supporters and randoms brought the total if 300 pilots at its peak vs our 50. PFR switched from their normal Caracal doctrine to Vexor Navy Issues which in my opinion a better choice, but I feel they just didn't have enough time in them to be very effective, and that I focused on their logi to help us drop their DPS quicker, and that caused them to leave the field early the first time.
So due to the Maulus's ships that failed to anchor up died or had to leave field and return later. In the video any time you here me stop mid-sentence is our logi FC letting me know these issues. They dual log on comms to avoid cross talk and allow me to call targets without them having to wait till I was done to relay information to the rest of the fleet.
Yes I know a blue killed another blue I had no idea during the fight, and he like most of us was new. Anyone that came to the fight and supported us I couldn't say anything bad about especially with the odds we were against so meh. The Battle Report from Eve Kill as the Zkill doesn't show the total number of pilots.
We won little did we know that this would be the last good battle we would have as a coaltion, as a real enemy was lurking, and slowly approaching....
Once more unto the breach, dear SERIN, once more;
Or close the Station up with our SERIN dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a pilot
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the Blasters, Lasers, and missiles; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful systems.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you SERIN!
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many ,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your FC; now attest
That those whom you call'd CEO did beget you.
Be copy now to pilots of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in Etherium Reach, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'For SERIN, and Etherium Reach!'
With the `new patch rhythm it is changing faster than ever, and with it I need to as well. See Eve literally saved my life well it comes down to one person in Eve, but the game and notable people in here helped me. There has been a shift the constant stress of RL and our current situation in Null have brought out feelings I had damned people on my blog/twitter/reddit.
So I need to change so I can be better, and hopefully feel better.
Reddit was a place I used as a resource for Intel at first, and then got embroiled in the trolling, and trash talking that is generated in there. Now there good things there do not get me wrong, but there are good post that support fellow eve players/events, CCP posts and very good folks, but deleting my account was the best thing to help avoid me even wanting posting anything. It pulled me into saying things that are not what I want to be like anymore.
The next thing was this blog:
I delete some posting that named folks that said or did things I felt wronged me. They weren’t any more right than I was, but at least now I feel better that I don’t have to look at it, and move on from there. I had thought about closing the whole thing as I am unsure if it was worth it, and if I
could do this in a way that was meaningful to anyone, but myself. But Twitter changed my mind, and thank the folks there that gave me the idea for this very post. So in that same thread I apologize to those folks PFR, Emma Kado, and any other group I may have called out. Right wrong or indifferent its over its done, and for what it’s worth I hope we can move on, go about our Eve business.
Eve saved me literally, and I owe it to a few people I wanted to thank, and show that there are some
great folks in eve.
First to my Alliance and my Corp. you all are my brothers, and sisters that have followed my
FCing as best you can follow a crazy soldier! Stay strong guys we’ll get though all the nonsense that is going on.
Our blues who have join my fleets and supported our operations you all have been great.
Personal thanks;
The people below have had a heavy part helping and getting me feeling better, and really enjoying this game. Some of these people I will name are their respective twitter handle or in game name if you would rather me not have you on there at this time of this posting hit me up and I will take your name off of here. No offense on the order I just wrote as I thought.
Spanky Ikkala: This man is one of the main folks who has talked to me and helped me with my issues. A fellow soldier, and loud advocate for the Broadcast4reps (#B4R) in game channel/twitter hash tag.
Maximus Aerelius: My brother we’ve talked to each other about our similar issues on twitter for a
while, and we have come a long way. Our talks have helped me be better, and I for one count you as my brother, and friend that I wouldn’t think twice to come running to help if you ever called.
Emma Kado: I hated you for a time till I sat down and started writing this, and where I realized I had really messed up, and figured out we are one in the same for the most part. Though I as told this once already by someone, and it is true looking at it. Sorry about what I said for what it is worth, and hope the best for you.
Sarragossa: People in the alliance call you mom, and for good reason. You deal with all our problems RL and in game. You care about the alliance more than the boss! You've talked me from the edge of quitting more times than I like to think of, and I cant thank you enough for that.
sweetnjuicy: Saved me from myself, and still holds me together in the worst of times. No matter how bad it gets always brings me back to where I am thinking straight. There are not words to say to thank you, and or give enough to equate what you have done. Thank you.
TorrinDeCaptor: One of the blues I just met not to long ago. Pretty sure we were separated at birth or something. I knew I like this dude the moment he hopped on comms! We'll deal with our issues and pod those who try to fuck with us man. Hoping I can learn a lot from you and your time FCing, and our Armor fleets will make others cower!
Joffy Aulx-Gao / Rixx Javix: Dirty pirates both, but the best two folks you can run into. They both have done what they can to help me out in Eve, and have been there for me when others could not. Joffy you are an inspiration, and Rixx you got me to do this, which has helped me a lot. Thank you both.
The real question is can I change? Well I will have to or continue to suffer, and hurt those above who have been helping me. So here it goes, and I hope I can get things righted so I can help get us through the crazy that is Eve, and these constant updates, and soon to be SOV changes.
Day one starts on this post, and lets see how it goes. Fly safe folks.
