Crucible: Features List

Fellow blogger tgl3 has a running Winter Expansion "Crucible" features list over on Through Newb Eyes.  You really should check it out.  It is amazing to me just how much CCP has managed to accomplish with this expansion, and the hits just seem to keep coming.

Idiot's Guide: Being On Gate

There are a tremendous amount of really great, detailed, technical guides available about Eve Online... this isn't one of them. This is another installment of the famous Idiot's Guide series that is specifically written for those that just want to know how to do stuff in Eve. Without all the detailed, technical stuff. This is what works. I don't always know why it works and I'm ok with that.


Let's face it, no matter who you are in-game, you are going to spend a lot of time on Gates. Either running, holding, waiting, dreading, anticipatin', or otherwise wondering what horrible blob is on the other side.  So basic understanding of gates might be nice.


So let's take a quick tour of some of the basic things you might be doing on a Gate, with the primary focus being on:


Tackling something with the intent to explode them dead.


No matter how many of you there are on the Gate, there is only one of you in your ship. Your job is to tackle the incoming gate fire thingie, get point, and hold it, kill it, or otherwise stop it from escaping. 


The first thing to remember is that those idiot's in your gang that are orbiting the gate are idiots. Orbiting the gate is the first sign that the people doing so have no idea what they are doing, they've never been to zero space and have certainly never successfully tackled anything on a Gate before. There is only ONE situation when orbiting the Gate makes any sense (and even that is a bit of a stretch in my opinion) and that is when you know a cloaky ship is jumping into you. In that case, every one orbits at different ranges, drones out and hopes the enemy just happens to land near someone.


So why is orbiting bad? It isn't that it is bad per se, it just doesn't make sense. There is this huge thing called a Gate. The enemy jumping into you is going to land randomly about 12k from that Gate. So yes, there is a slight chance you will be on the right side of the Gate when that happens, but it is also just as likely you'll be going in the wrong direction!  More likely he'll land on the OTHER SIDE of the Gate or at an angle that puts the Gate between you and him. You'll never catch anything.


If you have at least two tacklers in your gang one of you is above the Gate and one of you is below the Gate, each about 10k off. Sitting still. When the gate fire comes turn on your prop mod. There is an honest argument about what to do next, there are two ways of doing this and I have my own method. I have an overview setting that only shows bad guys and nothing else, so when that ship appears on that overview I immediately double click it. This has the effect of shooting my ship off like a bullet towards the enemy. Now here is the tricky part if he cloaks. Once you start off in his direction, swing your view towards him in space and DOUBLE CLICK right next to him. ( Not right on him! ) This is critical, because when he disappears your ship will stop moving and you'll lose him, but not if you've clicked in space next to him.


The other way is to double click in space next to him first. I don't like this method because it assumes you are looking at that place in space already. The overview double click doesn't need that, he could be anywhere.


Believe me, I've done this hundreds of times and it works like a charm. You won't get them all, especially the cloakers, but you'll get more of them than will get away.


What's the Point?


Disrupters, Scrams and Webs. In that order. On a gate.


Stop them from warping first, turn off their prop mod second, and then slow them down so they can't get back to the gate. Depending on what you have, depends on where on that list you start. Except for webs of course, starting there will only allow the enemy to warp away faster.


From an FC standpoint the important thing is to immediately determine and let your gang know, if you can kill the ship BEFORE it gets back to the gate. If you don't believe you can, you have to tell some of your gang not to shoot. They need to get back to the Gate and be prepared to jump after him. To tackle him on the other side and hold him.


Once caught, the enemy really only has two choices. Burn back to the gate or stand and fight, but they can't do both. Burning back requires that they not aggro anyone, so you'll know pretty much right away what they intend on doing. Once they aggro everyone can join in on killing them before help arrives.


Gate Guns


Gate guns in High/Low-Sec reach out to 150k from the gate.  The number of guns on a gate is directly related to the sec status of the system you are in. Each gun can only shoot at one ship at a time. Typically anything less than a Cruiser cannot stand Gate fire for more than one shot.


Now, if the ship you've tackled is of low sec status, say a Pirate, then the gate guns will not fire on you. Nice huh? That's because these people are criminals and of low moral fibre.


There is a whole other guide on how to survive gate guns and this isn't it. Just know that they will explode you unless you are tough, or have Logi on the gate with you.




So there ya go, the three most important bits about being on Gate. Be prepared to tackle, get point and watch out for Gate guns. You should also be keeping an eye on your d-scan, have a scout in the system on the other side, and generally be prepared to get blobbed if you stay there much longer.


Fly safe.


Other Idiot's Guides:
Idiot's Guide to the D-Scanner
Idiot's Guide to Bombing
Idiot's Guide to Bookmarks
Idiot's Guide to Flying in Zero Space


Thanks to Eve News 24 for picking up this story, if you don't read Eve News who knows what you are missing!

KICKED

My good in-game friend and former Lucifer's Hammer member Itsme has gone and formed his own Corporation - KICKED. 


Here is a link to the recruitment thread on the forums.


Itsme was with Lucifer's Hammer almost since day one and I had nothing but great experiences with him in the Corp. There are those that don't like him very much, and those that hate, fear and despise him. But they simply don't understand him.


If you are a fighter, truly a combat oriented person and not just a wanna-be, then Itsme is the guy you want in your fleet. He has a natural ability to tackle really, really big ships. And, most importantly, that weird thing that good PvPers have of finding good fights. Something that I used to have and seem to have lost recently for some reason. Sure, he got us kicked from several >cough< Alliances and sometimes got his Corp mates derped... but hey, it's supposed to be fun isn't it?


I wish his new Corporation well. And if you happen to be insane, or want to become insane, then you should think about joining up with these guys. I can't guarantee anything except that it won't ever be boring. Oh, and that Itsme will be in-game pretty much 23.5/7.


I think they'll be hanging around Amamake.

Write, Win PLEX!

Darth Skorpius needs your help! The poor guy doesn't have any memories and you could be the person to give him some. Do so and have a chance to win some PLEX.


Head on over to The Phoenix Diaries to learn more.

11.1.11

I had a dream.


A dream of an Eve in which obvious holes in balance were corrected on a regular, on-going basis.


A vision of updated ship graphics, where design sensibilities of a decade ago were not considered sacrosanct. Only a good start.


A dream where evolving play-styles were supported by new fixes aimed directly at supporting evolving play-styles. In which existing content was made better.


A world in which surprises often come out of left field, not hinted, not teased, only revealed.


A dream where progress is measured by a truly expanding universe. A universe that only gets larger, deeper and more complex as time marches on.


I had a dream. A vision of an Eve that becomes more deadly, more challenging for the veteran player - and yet simpler, and more inviting for the rookie player. A world in which Eve unrolls itself before you, not behind you.


An Eve that constantly adds new ships, new content and new tools on a regular basis.


A vision of a company that streams, dialogues and engages its player base consistently and openly.


I awoke with a clear understanding that often the best course of action is to shake up the status quo, that the answer "it has always been that way" is not an answer at all.


I had a dream.


I dreamed that Eve had always been this way. That Eve would always be this way. That Eve would evolve, grow and challenge us the way we want it to. For all time.


I dreamed that Eve was.


And I awoke to the possibility that it might be.


Maybe on this day of numerological oddity, dreams might come true.

Winter Expansion Name(s)

Some potential names to consider. Apologies to those that may have actually come up with a few of these already. Feel free to take credit in the comments.

Click to embiggen baby!

The Haunted Hulk

He awoke with a start, the Captain's Quarters still eerily lit in that strange half-day half-night mode it seemed perpetually stuck in. His back creaked as it always did after a night on the couch. When would the restrictions be lifted and a decent bedroom be allowed by the Stations? He rubbed his eyes and thought, probably not in his eternal lifetime.


The little girl stood on the dais in front of the screens. He didn't see her at first, her presence being outside the normally empty environment of the rented office. She was plain, small and obviously Minmatarian. Her hands raised imploringly and she vanished.


"Huh" he thought as his hand hit the Commlink. His wife answered, she was always up before him no matter how early he awoke. "How did you sleep?", she asked. He smiled. Even though they couldn't share the same apartment, he silently cursed the Station once again, she could still read his mind. "About usual," he replied, "Although this morning I've seen a ghost." "That's interesting," she said in that way that wives have of saying that make you feel insignificant, "What are your plans for today?"


Before he could make a smart-ass remark that he would be forced to regret for the rest of the day, he was interrupted by several apparitions materializing from the walls. About twelve or so horribly dressed Minmatar citizens shambling across the floor. All with that imploring hand-raised plea that the little girl had perfected earlier. "I've got more of them now, with me here in the office. I may have to call you back." They were getting uncomfortably close. "Don't you dare hang up on me with ghosts in your office." There was still a smile in her voice, but it was edged with concern.


The oldest of the group stopped short and the rest waited, the amount of pleading only worsened in this paused state of affairs. "What are they doing?", his wife asked. But he barely heard her as he watched a Giant Secure Container form in the space before his eyes. It spun there lazily and he could hear crying, scratching and wailing coming from within the cargo container. The container burst into flames before his eyes. The leader, for that was all he could think of him as, looked directly into Rixx's eyes...


"They're gone now." His voice must have sounded far away. "Are you ok? Should I try and come over?" He thought about that for a second, knowing how hard it was to make that happen - it would involve a bit of daring do, some scaffolding, a ladder, a few bribes, and a death-defying swing from one gantry platform to another. "Uh, no need.  I have somewhere I need to be. Can you jump into the Impel and meet me at the Rani gate in five? Bring a few dozen med-kits and see if you can scrounge up a medical team or two?" He clicked off the Commlink before she could reply.


He called for one of his Thrashers, he needed something small and cheap. Going into high security space was no easy task, and while his wife could come and go as she pleased, it was a bit more of an issue for him. The dock manager wanted to know if he needed a crew and he waved him off, he'd handle this one alone, no reason to put anyone else at risk.


At the gate he outlined his plan and his thoughts to his wife. Most of the work would fall into her lap, since he'd be shot on sight by the sort-sighted buffoons of Concord. "I still think you're crazy, it's been five days..."  He smiled as he jumped his Thrasher in and she followed, "When have you ever known me to not..."  He became immaterial for a moment and reassembled on the other side, "... be crazy? Warping to the bookmark, follow when you can."


He arrived to an empty belt. He only had a moment, quick d-scan and he saw it, just as Concord started appearing in the belt next to him, he warped off again.  He saw the Impel land as he entered warp.  She'd know what he was up to.


This time he landed in an inferno, way closer to the sun than he liked. The Thrasher sealed up even though he was safe in his pod, automatic protection for the crew that would normally be onboard. Where was his wife? Already the police were landing, he only had a few moments. And then he saw her and the black ship emerge right on top of the can. He smiled as his board lit up like Holy Day and he was in his pod, without a ship around him.


The little girl was with him and she smiled this time. "I've got thirty or forty survivors, they're in bad shape but the meds say it's most dehydration and hunger... most of them should be ok." His wife's voice always in control. He knew the answer before he asked, "What about children?"  This hiss from space wailed in his ears, the little girl kissed him on the cheek, "The story we're getting is the bastards kept the children in another container... I'm sorry, but that one didn't make it."


The little girl, her name was Ran, smiled again and disappeared - like all good apparitions should. He didn't smile. He'd killed them when he ganked that Hulk last week. No indication the Hulk was smuggling slaves to Amarr, none at all. Goddamn nasty business.


He watched the police still circling his pod. Not a single one of them would stop and help. They punished but they rarely showed the first sign of human caring. Certainly Concord's hospitals would be better than the ones in Hevrice, but no help would come from that side. As usual. These were the self-same bastards that allowed slavery in the first place.


He watched the Impel enter warp and he followed it back to the gate.  "It's a goddamn hard universe Ran, honestly... you're probably better off dead."