Looking Ahead to 2012

In about two weeks I'll be starting my third year of blogging here on Eveoganda. In September I'll be starting my fourth year of playing Eve. So already, looking ahead to 2012 brings with it some long-term benchmarks.


But those are the calendar ones, the easy ones. The more important question for me looking forward into 2012 is what now? Where and what should Rixx be doing in the coming year?


The one thing I know for certain, having played for 3+ years with this character... I have no idea!  Not me that's for sure. This time last year I was a Director in a Null Sec Corporation that had just started a new Alliance and moved to Syndicate. In order to help grow the Alliance I thought it might be a good idea to re-start an old Corporation of mine called Lucifer's Hammer...


I do know that I will be staying in The Tuskers for the foreseeable future. The Tuskers are a great group of guys whose play-style, demands ( or lack thereof ), location, friends and support, are exactly what I need right now. I've toyed with several ideas over the last two months, and while many of those are interesting to me, right now I want to concentrate on some unfinished business.


And what might that be you ask? Only one answer to that my friend - PvP.


I've been in the Hevrice/Lisbo/OMS area now for almost a year ( with some short diversions ), which is probably the longest single stretch of time I've ever been anywhere. Other than Providence, but that wasn't one long stretch. During my time in HevLisbo I was running a Corporation and then an Alliance, then taking both of those apart. ( Still sorry about how that worked out, but ehh. ) This year I don't want to start any new Corporations/Alliances, or support any far-flung wars, or help someone else do it. I just want to focus on being a better pilot and Fleet Commander.


Last night I went out with Itsme and Monty, two former LUCRH pilots, and flew up around Kinakka in our Hyperion, Myrm, Tornado. It was the first time I'd had a chance to fly the Tornado into combat. And while we were only out for a short time, I had a blast. It was a little slice of the old days. And I want those days back again. We also managed a couple of good fights, especially this one.


The reason I play Eve is for the player versus player combat. The rest, while awesome and rewarding, is simply window dressing for that. It is, on a deep fundamental level, all I care about. And this year, for as long as I can manage, I'd like to just focus on that.


Let's see how it goes.

The Next Step

Click to embiggen

This is the time of year when we sometimes pause to reflect on where we've been and where we might be going next year. I suppose in the coming weeks I'll be doing my fair share of that as well. But today I thought I'd spend some time talking about it from a skills perspective.


This time last year my goal was to train Sabre/DIC/HIC and start flying those ships. Funny, since I spent only a few short months after writing that in Null Space. I did achieve that goal right away and even though I don't fly those ships much, they have still come in handy from time to time. Even in Low Sec they have their uses. The super long point of the Broadsword, Devoter are especially useful on Cap kills. And while the Devoter sucks at delivering DPS its tank makes it useful when breaking up gate camps or station camps.


I never got around to training Logi V, it is still stuck at IV and probably will be for another year. Rixx is a combat pilot and his focus remains on training combat related skills. Eventually he will get around to it I suppose, but not any time in the near future. My ultimate goal for Rixx remains, to fully train all four races up to and including Battleships. The underlying principles behind that goal are largely finished, the support skills, the gun skills, the weapons, powergrid, etc. Most of the coming year will be spent on topping off some key skills to level V and expanding the ship skills underneath BS.


For example, Recon V, which he is training right now. At least two of the four BS skills to V and I'll probably get around to finally finishing Gal Cruiser V which is the only one of those I don't have.


As for Ana, her goal next year is Black Ops, JF, and then Dreadnaught or Super Carrier, depending on how much I can afford. She has spent the last nine months training every Carrier skill you need to level V and she is right in the middle of training Cap Armor Rep to V at the moment. She is well on her way to being a truly badass Carrier pilot.


At a little over 55m skillpoints it is interesting to think about where Rixx will be this time next year. While I was looking forward to the Sabre last year, I don't really have a ship class I'm looking forward to next year. So instead my focus is going to be on getting better at the ships I do fly, filling in some of the remaining holes in my skills ( there are still a few, do they ever really go away? ) and becoming even more of a terror. To myself and others.


If I had to do it all over again ( ugh ) I wouldn't have jumped into the cross-training so soon, it did hurt early on, but having done so is finally starting to pay off now. So no real regrets.


What are your plans for the coming year in regards to skill training? Anything you are looking forward to?

Art About Me for a Change

So I see this link on Twitter this morning that has my name on it and click thru casually, one never knows what might be on the other end of such a thing, and this pops up in the window!  Lo and behold it is a piece of art featuring none other than your friendly neighborhood blogger and pirate, or me as I call myself. ( in my head I sometimes call myself Studmuffin, but you probably didn't need to know that )


Said piece of brilliance was made by HighRezEVE, you can see his growing portfolio over on DeviantArt. The idea of producing art based on Capsuleers is a good one and I'm glad someone else is doing it instead of me. I am extremely flattered by this unexpected bit of awesome sauce and would like to thank HighRezEVE for the honor.


I will even mention that HighRezEVE does take commissions and will produce one of these pieces with you in the spotlight.  Details are on his DeviantArt page.


One just never knows what lies on the other end of a link. Sometimes it even turns out to be something quite awesome.

Swinging Lucifer's Hammer

The following work of fiction is my entry into Mord Fiddle's Lives in Low Sec writing contest. It is based on several true stories.


The wrench slipped from his gloved hand and tumbled, end over end, down into the bowels of the Station dock. He sighed, and pulled another one from the tool-belt laced around his hips. Fourteen hours straight on the Secondary Plasma Coil Relays and still no blue light on the monitor. Once again, he cursed Muppets and the exodus from Osti that brought them to Lisbo.  He banged the wrench into the side armor plate and watched the little flecks of Minmatar rust sparkle in the docking lights. A touch of sweat stung his left eye and he couldn't scratch it.


"Are you still pissed about Itsme and that blue freighter?"  His wife's voice crackled in his CommLink and he reflexively glanced up into the gloom, he could barely make out the outline of the Archon above him.  "I was never 'pissed' and you know it," he growled back.  "Uh huh," She said and laughed, "Tell everyone else you planned it, but don't lie to me."


He sat in the Manticore cloaked off the hi-sec Gate, watching.  They had talked about this, planned it - as much as anything was planned with Itsme - and now it was only a matter of things playing out.  He watched the collected gate campers buzzing around the Gate. If he could spit, he would've. But the spit might pierce the hull of the stealth bomber. Fresh out of Syndicate and Curse, the Corporation needed an "incident" to spark things. This would be it. The freighter popped into local, blue as the balls on the Caldari Citadel... the freighter was already aligning. And then, like fucking Muppets, they took the bait. Blue on blue aggression. They both protested in channels. And Rixx watched two of his cargo'd ships explode. A small price to pay for being famous. He even figured he could get the ships back, they were clearly still viable on his scanner.


Blue light on monitor three. Just a few more tweaks and he could get out of the monkey suit. The CorpLink buzzed in his ear, "This is me."  He held onto the wrench tightly, it might be the last one in his belt.  "Carrier tackled, you coming or not!?", it was Itsme of course.  He sighed and smiled all at the same time, "Where are you?"  "Fleet is up, undock and warp to me, I can't hold him forever in this thing!", he sounded slightly less mad than usual.  "On my way", he clicked out, already jetting back to the gantry and his Pod. "Was that Itsme?", Ana asked in his ear.  "Fire up the Archon baby and get into fleet, he's got another one."  He wasn't sweating now as he watched the Station crew pulling his Megathron into position.


Like a well-oiled machine the pieces fell into place almost immediately. Well practiced and maintained, the 'machine' was the Corp and the pilots that had joined since he started it back up again. Rogues, scoundrels, dregs, pirates, whatever the bastards in Empire decided to call them, each one was a proud, honorable in their own way, independent minded fighter. Wrangling them all into a cohesive machine, well that was his job. And in typical Lucifer's Hammer fashion, well, they were all drunk.


His mind felt the Megathron power up and start swinging into alignment, already the power of the Battleship coursed thru his veins. His muscles flexed and the beast responded. "The rest of the Corp is sleeping one off.", he said to Itsme as he waited to align. "No worries, Invicta is here with me."  His "eyes" told him Jakkul was undocking next to him in his Baddon. "Well Jak's here and we're in warp."


He didn't trust Invicta as far as he could throw them. Itsme might be insane, but the man knew everyone. He could put a gang together faster than a Dramiel could get point, so it didn't surprise Rixx that he already had one on the Thanatos. They'd been killing Carriers at a steady pace since arriving in Lisbo, Itsme had the nose for it, and so far his nose hadn't let them down.


"You want me undocked?", his wife asked on their private channel. "No. Keep our retirement fund parked for the time being.", he tried to say it as nicely as the Megathron would let him. But flying Gal ships always put him on edge. "I know the drill", she said wistfully, "you hate it when I fight."  "That's not it and you know it... hold on."


The fight had drifted since he entered warp and the Mega landed far from the desperate hulk of the Thanny. He only had one choice, so he pointed the beast towards the Carrier and unleashed some EC Drones in its direction. Hopefully he'd get close enough before the damn thing... exploded.  Oh well, one less Spiritus Draconis carrier in system.


The Auto-Cannons thrummed under him, above him, all around him. The bastards were coming one by one into their gang. Two Drakes were already getting hammered and then the Claymore arrived.  Immediately it started turning and aligning out, as if it had mistakenly landed in a social party for which it hadn't been invited. Itsme, Mtitus, Angor, Atro, Angor, Jushin and Dismo worked their magic like always and pinned the Claymore down. Nothing was getting away today. Rixx actually laughed as his projectiles tore thru the ships in front of them. He watched his friends, the Canes, Pests, and Ruptures firing into the night and he felt it. That thing he rarely felt in Null. This wasn't combat for God, or for ownership, or industrial might, or lining the pockets of the already rich, this was personal. These were his men, his friends, wronged by one Empire or another, tossed aside, stomped on, pummeled and forgotten. And as the Empire's Militia paid for their own arrogance with one ship after another he laughed like he had once long ago. It wasn't a happy laugh, it was madness.


The guns on the Megathron hadn't even been fired when the call came over Comms. "Rixx, you still around?", it was Jak. "I'm docked, but what'cha need?"  "Remember that Rattlesnake that was with the Carrier and ran off? I've got him on scan."


The Tempest was already sliding into position and he just knew it would... "I took the liberty of fitting a Disruptor... so no worries.", as usual his wife had taken care of things just as he was thinking them. "I still think you can read my mind", he replied as his Pod entered the ship. It unfolded on the bridge and he blinked, "God knows what is going on in there!" She said laughing.


God knows. 


He ran into the Parlor, out of breath, his heart pounding in his chest. Even in the gloom he knew something wasn't right. His Father's shape against the writhing shadows of the chair, slumped, in his mind he already formed the heart-attack... but reality wasn't kind this day. He threw up his stomach, he felt ashamed, but it wasn't something he could control. His eyes betrayed him and he slipped on the insides of his Father. His ears betrayed him next, his Mother's screams pierced the night. He skidded across the room and ripped open the forbidden cabinet, his little boy hands grasping at the large, heavy, weighted blackness of the Brommel 820 his Father once used to kill a thundering Teradon. The mounted beast loomed above him as he dashed upstairs. His imagination wouldn't stop but he couldn't think. All he saw was red against the flashes of lightning thru the open windows. Six of them, Gal every single one. One of them was on top, moving, his Mother was strangely silent. He braced himself against the walnut wall and unleashed his madness. He killed every living thing in that room that night. The fire burned out his eye and ripped open his face. He went on living, but he was dead on the inside.


He settled into the couch and mindlessly watched the scrolling news. She sat down behind him and rubbed his shoulders. They didn't talk. They didn't need to. 


After awhile he leaned back into her softness and barely above a whisper he said, "Fuck God"  She kissed his shoulder and he could feel her smile on his skin, "Who needs him."  The thought that they shared at that moment went unspoken, but they both knew what the other one was thinking. They always did.

First Time Ganker

About three years ago I first heard the term "gank" associated with blowing up transports on hi-sec gates. At the time I also heard this was a great way to make some serious iskies. I remember Angor and I jumping into some ships and flying to the nearest hi-sec gate, I believe I was in a Caracal? It doesn't matter, as you can imagine, that trial effort lasted about 15 seconds. No sooner had we locked the first transport thru the Gate, than we were exploded by CONCORD.


Skip ahead three years and I haven't tried hi-sec ganking since that early embarrassing moment. Oh sure, back in the day I fought can-flippers and station camping war-deccers in hi-sec - but that early taste of CONCORD justice was enough. Until yesterday.


No sooner had I logged in than someone in the Corp channel was asking if anyone was interested in some suicide ganking. Of course I am always up for trying something new and we started forming up. The idea was to fit up a nice small gang of cheap Thrashers, fully insured, and then find some unsuspecting Hulks mining in ( they think ) safe old hi-sec. The Thrasher fit is extremely simple, T1 Arties in the high, 2 SeBos, T1 Scram, 2 Gyro and 3 Bullets!  You'll be lucky to get more than one shot off before the Coppers find you.


Key to the operation is coordination and a scouting alt. ( I'm not stupid about ganking, having been a reader of many great Ninja blogs over the years! ) I should also mention that things had already started off on the wrong foot, my comms dropped just as everyone warped off and ganked a Manticore. So already missed out on one kill.


It wasn't long before our first victim was located. Seven Thrashers warped in on top of the poor sod in the Hulk and opened fire! "Are you sure you want to do this?" Oh man, stoopid warning window!! YES! And I got my one shot off and then BOOM I exploded. Sadly the Hulk did not and I watched from my Pod as he warped off in extremely low structure, but very much alive.


Let's try this again. Eight Thrashers now and after waiting out GCC we find some more victims this time even deeper into hi-sec. A bunch of 'em, Orca, couple Hulks, and assorted other ships blissfully unaware of impending DOOM! Muhahahaha!


Rinse and repeat. Land among the sheep and lock up the primary Hulk... "Are you sure you want to do this?" What?!? Not again, I thought I told you to go away?  Oh man, the Hulk exploded already. Lock up the Osprey, cause the others had warped away and the Orca is just a silly thing. Boom! Osprey dead and someone even one-shotted his pod. At least I got in on one killmail. And then back in my own pod again.


By this time a regular gang was forming up to fight some Militia peeps, so that was it for the Suicide Ganking portion of the evening. It isn't a playstyle that I see myself enjoying very often, but I have to admit that it was a lot of fun and I wouldn't mind being completely retarded every so often.


It isn't as easy as you'd think and takes some coordination and good fortune to pull off perfectly. But the rush is worth the risk, and with loots and insurance, well worth the investment.


Yee. Now I can check yet another thing off the list.

Stoopid Is Stoopid Does

The casual Eve player, having read many blogs about the game, might come to the conclusion that everyone writing a blog about Eve is a Super-Genius. They always seem to have the answers generally, know the best fits, and tend to get into great and exciting fights.


At least here on Eveoganda you know that I am not afraid to talk about the other side of my own personal experience. Oh sure, I'd prefer to spend my time telling you how awesome I am. And I do that when the situation warrants it. But I am also extremely self-deprecating, I'm the first person to say when I'm being an idiot, or when I do something stoopid.


Like yesterday.


Let me set this up for you. I log in and find that my mates are already off on a roam, probably about 6 or 7 jumps away. I think, "Ok, I can probably make that and join up".  So I undock in my Podla fit Drake ( for those that don't know it is HML/2 Webs/Scram or Disr/2 Nano/ the rest as usual ) and load up comms. The fleet is full so I'll tell someone on comms to open up another squad, but at that moment I hear them engaging something and wait. I hate when we're in a fight and some schmuck comes on with some lame ass question, "What system you guys in?" or "What ships you guys need?" just when the FC was about to give an important instruction. So I wait.  I might be headed for stoopid in a minute, but I'm no schmuck.


Just then a Cane lands on the station, flashy red dood. I don't think much of it at the time, but the dood starts yellow-boxing me. So I do the usual Get Info, yeah, yeah, ok nothing weird or SPDR about him. No one else red or neuty in local. Then he starts shooting me for real.


Two smart things to do at this point. 1) Dock up and get a real Drake, (Podla Drakes are great for small gangs and some solo work, but not for a 1v1 versus an experienced Cane pilot in close proximity to a station ) or 2) Ask for some help, there are probably two Tuskers in station that might have come to assist.  So what did Rixx do?


I did none of those smart things, instead I engaged the Cane in probably the worst Drake fit you can have for the situation I was in. Had I been in either of my other two fitted Drakes, no problem (probably, we'll never know for sure).  As it was it was a decent fight, I got him into half-armor before my pitiful tank finally gave way. It was then that someone said not to engage him because he had snakes and boosts.


If my brain had actually been working that would have been obvious. No one comes up to the Tusker station in Hevrice and engages one of us unless they are pretty damn confident. Either they have backup or they know something you don't. Duh.


Later a few of us managed to keel a Proteus ( thanks to superior work by Aliens! ) so that made things a little better. He tried to log off to save his skin, but we even managed to get his pod. Some people need to pay attention.


In the end, no big deal. All this proves is that no matter who you are, no matter how much you try, every once in awhile Eve is gonna show you how stoopid you can be. Welping yourself into a drag bubble, de-cloaking on some piece of space junk, getting probed down while your in the bathroom, whatever stoopid ass thing it might be - we all do it eventually.


And no matter how many times I tell myself that I will "learn from my mistakes" and swear to never do that again... I probably will. Or something else just as stoopid.  Fortunately for me, those moments continue to be the exception and not the rule.


What will happen the next time I undock?

RJ's Journal: Entering Providence

Entry B-217

Rixx Javix

Capsuleer - Phoenix Industrial 

Choonka

"Only two weeks since undocking from Todaki and already I'm breaking my pledge to go it alone. Angor was insistent however and you already know how he can get. I admit to a certain loneliness and the prospect of further rock banging doesn't sit well with me. We shall see how this goes, but so far the Corp seems friendly enough."

"My meager supplies and what ships I have already transported into Null Space. I looked out from my office in the Choonka station and wondered if the Merlin was sturdy enough for the trip ahead.  She is a fine ship of course, Frigate class and much better for the journey than the Cormorant.  Especially since I can't properly get that damn ship fitted anyway.  Cul says he'll be scouting me all the way down the "pipe" to PI-5, but still, the thought of leaving Empire for the first time..."

"I still get the shivers. Despite the training, the "modifications" and the endless conditioning, the first touch of the Hydrostatic fluid starts my lizard brain running in the wrong direction. Something horribly inhuman about being jammed into a cybernetic cortex, breathing fluid and seeing thru scanners. At least I haven't been podded yet. I checked on my Clone this morning, creepy goddamn thing..."

"I'm embarrassed by the size of my Merlin next to Cul's Rapier. Someday I'll fly the majestic ships, the tantalizing glimpses I've 'seen' thru the scanner and optical relays of city sized Battleships have left me wanting that more than anything. And I know there are bigger beasts where I am headed. The Academy was full of whispers about Titans and Capital Class ships of every description. The Holo-Vids don't do space justice, you have to BE in it to appreciate it. I squirm in my pod, that itch is back on the bottom of my feet. Driving me crazy. The Doc says it is subconscious planet-side ghosting, nerve tricks. Newbie problems."

"Already the Sansha lurk in the dark and we're only one jump into our 17 jump journey.  My Mother told us scary bedtime stories about the Sansha, morality plays to teach us good from evil. If only she were alive to see me dive straight into their home. But no, my attention is riveted on nothing, and yet everything. My 12 AU bubble of consciousness extends and waits for the all clear. There is much to fear here outside the arms of CONCORD.  I have no love for the Empire's police, but they do maintain control. And without control? Chaos. Which is where I am warping to now."

"The threats are numerous. Bubbles, cloaks, gate camps, reds, blues, Alliances, friends and foes and... who knows really. I've been told by everyone in the Corp that there is real isk to be made in Providence. Isk and adventure.  Which is all I want. To make my mark and... avoid complication.  We'll see how well that goes."

"Couple of close calls. But finally arrived safely in PI-5. The station is nothing at all like an Empire station, dirty, dingy and full of undesirable types. Some rough characters here, along with the Holy sheet covered ones. I could do without them, Amarrians give me the creeps."

"Spent the day ratting and hiding from the "reds" that often jump into system. I don't enjoy killing the Sansha, they seem, despite my youth, ill prepared even for my Frigate. I'd much rather be hunting those "reds" and those that live deeper into the unknown.  Already Angor, myself and a few others have started talking about combat. Soon I'll be ready for my first Battlecruiser, probably the dreaded Drake. Then, maybe then, I'll teach these "reds" a thing or two."

You're In The Tuskers Now Punk

[ First of all, something really needs to be done about this logo >cough< ]


Rixx has been in the Tuskers for a few days now, mostly I've been moving that horribly loooong distance between Lisbotrain and Hevrice. Those 3 jumps can be murder!  I joke, but actually this is one of the hardest moves I've made. "What!?", you say, "But Rixx, you've moved from one end of the Underverse to anudder!"  That is true, oh true believer, but hold steady whilist I 'splain.


First of all, having been in one spot for so long (for me anyway) means I've collected a lot of stuffs, both purchased and looted from hapless pilots. In addition, I have this nasty habit of fitting ships, as of Monday I had 47 completely fitted ships in my hanger, plus about 12 half-fitted or un-fitted for one reason or another. Not to mention the fact that my trusty wife (and transport pilot) Ana is still in Lucifer's Hammer holding down the CEO fort until Friday. So three jumps isn't far. In some ways it would be better if it was, because Carrier jumping three jumps seems a bit silly.


Oh I will be using the Carrier, but hopefully only a few times. The rest I'm planning on moving manually over time. The best thing about being three jumps away is that it is only three jumps away, if I need something it isn't far. 


Meanwhile I continue trying to help my former Corp and Alliance mates find new homes. Most have already moved on, some in interesting directions, while others are still looking.  Hopefully most will be sorted soon.


I'm itching to get busy killing things, but I'm taking it slow until at least next week. There are some interesting complications inherent in me being in one Corporation while my wife is still in another Corporation/Alliance. While moving I'm often undocking on Burn Away or Lucifer's Hammer pilots. And while I'm comfortable not engaging for the next few days, that isn't going to last forever. But everything should be settled by this weekend and we can all move on in our Eve journey.


For me, I'm looking forward to next week. To being nothing more than another footsoldier in a Corporation for which I am not even a Director. Albeit an incredibly handsome, talented, super popular cunning warrior member... but still, it sounds incredibly relaxing to me right now.


Keep the courage.

Wrap Up and Fallout

Nothing lasts forever. Especially in Eve. Just ask any of a number of Alliances or Corporations I've been a part of during the last three years. Those that might still remain are often not what they once were. Some, a few, are even bigger than before.


My plan to remain in Lucifer's Hammer sounded all noble when I said it, but on further reflection it seems more boring and stupid than anything else. As more and more of my Corp m8s bail to other shores, the Corp chat window has gotten pretty darn lonely.


And while a certain lonesome nature prevails within my soul, when it comes right down to it, I need people to fly with. Fellow pilots, buddies, compatriots, the like ilk doods who enjoy fighting and killing for pleasure. 


So it is time to close the door on Lucifer's Hammer and move on to something else. I already transfered CEO roles to my "wife" Anastasia and she'll be holding down what remains of the fort until this Friday.  On Friday anyone still remaining in the Alliance will be kicked and she'll transfer CEO roles in Lucifer's Hammer to someone else.  That will effectively end my control of both entities.


There isn't much fun in lingering. So what to do next?


I briefly considered many options, but to be perfectly frank, there was only one option that really made sense to me. Given the fact that we've been flying together and against each other so much the last six months or so, and that I have a tremendous amount of respect for everyone there that I know, (plus they are close, so I can avoid moving across the universe again! lol) joining The Tuskers seemed like a natural decision.


I'd like to continue to focus on solo and small gang fighting, it remains the one area that I feel I need more work on. Having grown up in Null Space I sorta skipped over the whole "frigate" phase of my career, I still cringe when I jump into anything that isn't a Rifter.  Having gone pretty much straight to BC and Ceptor, frigates being mostly a death trap in Null. ( I said mostly, there are exceptions.)


The point being I'm done with Null, been in many, many wars, fought in big fleet fights, watched Alliances fall apart - including my own now, oh joy - and even though I've spent the last nine months of so fighting the life of a pirate, I still don't feel like I've gotten the full enjoyment of it. That's mostly because of the added responsibility of running a Corporation and an Alliance. Which doesn't always mean what you might think.


But that's a topic for another day. I've filled out the forum application and so we'll wait and see what happens. One door closes another one opens, and the journey continues. I'm very excited about this chapter and looking forward to whatever it might hold. 


Although hopefully it'll be as a Tusker.  Finger's crossed.

50m Now What?

This morning as I snapped Interceptor V into the training window, my skill points popped up over 50 million.  I picked Interceptor V, among so many other skills that need trained up, because it felt especially appropriate. Given that I spent such a large portion of my formative time as a Hero Tackle pilot. I don't even fly Ceptors much these days.


I have to admit that all these milestones lately, the 50m, the three years in-game, have given me a natural place to ponder. Wonder, mull, and otherwise consider.  And yes, I know I think too much.


And since I know that, I've decided not to think. Just going to keep doing. Moving forward. Much like the skill train itself, time marches on, and more often than not - decisions are made for us. What to do? What to train? And deeper questions, all seem to resolve themselves eventually.


So I went on a shopping trip and re-stocked my supplies, bought  a few new ships - including a Cynabal, which I realized I haven't flown in over a month. I decided not the replace the Absolution I lost yesterday, not yet anyway. I tend to over-rely on certain ships and that one was becoming a bit of a crutch lately. So I probably won't but another one for a month or so. Time to give some other ships a run. 


I also have a few other things up my sleeve to spice things up a bit. I can't share everything on the blog y'know. Eventually, all things become clear however.


So 50? Honestly I thought it would mean more. All I see are the skills that still need to be finished off, the things I still have to do, accomplish, learn and get better at doing. Eve continues to be a journey and not a destination.


Where will it lead next? Let's undock and find out.