Siggghh

Getting frustrated with this whole corp-hunt thing.  I left the small corp for the larger corp.  And this one seems to have all of the tools necessary to be busy and successful.  But they don't seem to be using those tools.  We have a website, with forums and a calendar for scheduling events.  The new bulletin board in-game allows for announcements.  Fleet finder for finding what's going on when we get in game.

Alas, with 70 members (and often 10-20 on at a time) we don't seem to DO anything.  I fully accept that it may be something I'm doing wrong...time zone...something.  But I'm trying.

When in Roam...

So the post-posbash roam had a rough start.  The FC was late due to RL issues so after waiting a little while, one of the members decided to FC for a quick loop while we waited for the regular FC.

I've been on a couple of roams and feel like I'm about 100 years away from being able to competently FC a roam.  The situational awareness that the FC maintains, juggling systems, scouts, fleet and rear-guard is quite an act.

Our FC took us out and about looking for targets.   We were going to do about a 10 system loop-some lowsec, some nullsec.  After 3-4 jumps we started getting target reports from the scouts.  The targets were from Dust to Dust Alliance, which apparently my corp has some history with.  They appear to have us a bit out-gunned, flying BSs while we were all in BCs or Frigs.  We keep an eye on them as they appear to be shadowing us (hunter becomes hunted?)  As we sat in a SS eyeing the next gate we were about to take them on.  Then local spiked and scouts reported both gates into system were camped by D2D and soon probes were out.  The FC needed some time to evaluate the situation.  So he had the main fleet logout at the SS.  We stayed on vent to discuss the plan.  After about 10 min scouts reported that the D2D gang was dispersing.  FC had us all log in.

There were still 2 D2D ships at our target gate, and we figured we'd have no problem taking them.  We approached the gate and only one enemy Hurricane remained.  FC was getting reports from scouts about the other side of the gate.  Hurricane began targetting me.  FC instructs to engage.  I got a web and a damp on him when local spiked again.  Four D2D ships came through the gate.   I was apparently primaried for some reason.  Shield down and armor started slipping about 10% per second.  Then the rest of the trap was sprung...apparently two can play the logoff game as 8-10 more D2D ships warped into the gate.  FC called 'jump jump jump.'  They were into my structure as my lasers were working the Cane.  Got into armor when I popped.  Spammed to warp out and saved my pod (no implants, but it's a pride thing.)  Everyone else made it through and to a station.  The station I took my pod to was camped.

I waited in my rookie ship.  As the rest of the fleet regrouped and tried to evaluate their options for getting out, I decided to make a run for it.  I was able to get out of the station and warp to SS.  Now the gate.  As I listened to Vent, the main fleet was getting ready to make a break for it.  As they made a juicier target, I knew the enemy would be focused on them.  They started playing station games with the D2D guys camped in their system.  I made my move.  I hit the gate, jumped and kept going to get back to home station to re-fit.  It worked and I got back safe.  The rest of the fleet finally made it out a short time later.

Exciting, but a tad disappointing.  Still waiting for that first ship-to-ship kill.  It appears there is more dead pos bashing in our future.  It's good money and fits the pirate-scavenger MO.  But I'm still itching for a fight.

POS Cleanup

So, the pos op went down with no interference from the owning corp.  Our corp cleared about 750M in cleanup.  Took about 90 minutes on a large Caldari tower.  We were in about 13 BSs.

Since we had such a good group together, we decided to take a break and then head out on a roam.  Said roam kicks off in 2 minutes!  16 frig/BC.  Hopefully my first real pirate test.  Wish me luck.

Trying to Stick With it.

Ok...so my first PvP corp didn't quite work out.  But I'm currently in the rookie stages of a larger corp so we'll see how it goes.  The guys in The Protei were nice enough, but it seemed my schedule didn't really work as they were often not online when I was.

Ironically, the first op with my new corp is tomorrow and is also a POS bash.  I'm starting to wonder if there is more of this in lowsec than I was led to believe.  Maybe this time someone will come out to defend and we can have a little bloodletting.

I want to be...

There is a concept that I've thought about for a long time....long before I started playing EVE, but I see it being played out here just as frequently as in RL.

The basic theory is:

There are people who want to "BE" something, but are not willing to "BECOME" something.

I freely admit that I'm just as much a user of that philosophy as anyone else.  I picked up a cheap drum set when I was 19 because I wanted to BE a drummer.  After putting in one hour a week for three whole weeks I decided it was too hard.  I asked a drummer friend of mine to tell me the 'secret' to being a drummer and he said, "Well, start drumming five years ago three hours a day and you'll be pretty good."  Thanks.

EVE applications of this theory abound.  Lots of new capsuleers want to "BE" a pirate.  Taking on T3 cruisers in their T1 frigate and crushing them.  Taking their gang of three and bringing down a carrier.  The stuff legends are made of.  So they hop in their Rifter and head to lowsec.  And they get popped.  They grumble and try again.  This time making it through three gates before getting popped again.  They decide that there is some secret to being a pirate and start trolling message boards and guides and pirate corps to learn what that one little secret is that will make them the Dread Pirate Roberts of EVE.  There is a secret...but I'll wait to divulge it.

I read a posting this morning on the MD forums at EVE-O about someone who wants to "BE" a trusted third party for large value item sales.  He was mocked for a page and a half before he started getting the message that it's not just  a job you apply for and start doing.  You have to "BECOME" a trusted third party. 

Of course, in a lot of these situations players run into the age-old Catch-22 that you need experience to BE something.  But you need to BE something to get experience.  A lot of people quit trying at that point throwing their hands up as saying "it's impossible."  And yet, there are many other pilots that ARE doing it.

The "secret" to BEING something is...BECOME something.  Start small.  Get experience. Practice.  Learn from your mistakes.  Eventually you will BECOME what you want to BE.  You may not even realize it when you get there.  The first time you get an evemail from some guy you managed to pop in a fight that says "hey, GF.  Interested in joining our pirate corp?"

There really is no 'magic bullet' to make things easy...in EVE or in life.  Buying ISK with GTCs isn't going to make you a better pirate.  Winning the lottery isn't going to make you a successful entrepreneur.  Set a big goal.  Then set intermediate goals.  Then set some metrics to measure your progress.

Example:

I want to be a successful contributor to a respected pirate corp.
   --Read pirating guides and fitting guides
   --Take a PvP class with one of the many in-game schools
   --Setup five rifters for PvP
   --Set a route through 10 lowsec systems
   --When you can get three ships in a row through the systems, consider yourself trained at 'the getaway'
   --Go looking for some 'fair' fights.  Find a target, kill it, and get away regularly.
   --Start targetting specific pilots.  Maybe you're reading a blog by a pirate.  He/she probably regularly posts where they hunt.  Head there and hang out and start looking for a fight. 
   --Keep repeating.  Along the way you may join various smaller pirate corp/gangs, keeping in mind the one you really want to join.

The above plan could take 2-3 months to complete.  Be ready to spend the time.  Be ready to lose those ships.  Keep a good attitude.  Try to learn from your mistakes (Hint: some of your opponents might actually tell you what your mistakes were...listen to them...they beat you).

This went a little long, but hopefully it hits home with some people.  Work on BECOMING something, not just BEING something.

Mac Client

I play EvE on an iMac sometimes and PC other times.  I think it's really cool that CCP has that sort of cross-platform capability.

However, the Dominion patch has severely crippled the Mac client.  Lockups, failure to load and graphical glitches are among the problems.  It would be suicide for a player to go into PvP on a Mac client at this point.  CCP has stated that they are looking into it, but it is currently unplayable.

I hope they get it fixed soon.

Jury Still Out

Well, I logged in for a bit.  About a 10 minute download for the big Dominion patch.  Still adjusting to some of the new layout.  This is only my second major upgrade since joining the game, so I'm not quite as jaded as some of the veterans.

The 'new' UI is...new.  I'm one of those that keeps resetting his Windows settings to 'classic' mode with each upgrade (thanks Bill, for being an enabler) because I don't deal with that kind of fundamental change well.  But I have no choice in this case, so I'll get used to it I'm sure.

Played with the Fleet Finder.  If I was using it correctly, I appeared to be the only person with a sec status greater than zero looking for a fleet.  Messed with the email client, but I've only recently opened a gmail account, so this whole 'labeling' thing is new to me.  But all of my historical emails are jumbled together and it seems difficult to find new emails.  I noticed that there were several CCP/ISD types in the help channel answering questions at a pretty good clip.

Checked the forums and saw the list of known issues and other player-reported issues.  May wait until the weekend to get serious about anything so that the Dominion 1.0.1 patch can clear up some of those unforseen problems.  I have faith that things will be clear in a week or so.