My New Hero

So right now, almost all my W-Space toons are in my new C3 with a Null Static, setting up my PI refuge.  So I was not around to witness this story.

Last night I log in and private chat one of the guys I still communicate with from the C4 corp, and to say the least he is hot. Like steaming mad, punch a wall and spit in another soccer team's fan's face hot (well thats what all us US people think you crazy soccer fans do anyway).  Finally I get him to calm down a bit and start to get the story.

Appears that our corp has successfully ambushed a couple of BS running sites in our static C3 and killed and podded one of them.  So on logs my friend for a quick check of whats going on and they are screaming for help closing the hole before the C3 corp figures out what hit them.  He is ensured the hole is not critical and can support 2 Orca runs (those of us familiar with 2B mass holes and the shear fatness of an Orca can immediately grasp the fallacy in this statement).  So without a refit for probe scanner, or cloak, or anything that could help survive in a hostile C3, off my friend goes to the hole.  Now we all know what happened, because if he passed twice and closed the hole there would be no story to tell.

So one emo-rage log off, some confusion on WTF happened, calls for a petition cause the WH mass must have been bugged, some diplomatic overtures for help meet by a resounding "pound sand" and the end result was one Orca piloted by an implant rich toon, stuck in a hostile C3 with no cloak, no probe launcher, and no BM to the static low sec that had never been scanned out.  Needless to say the thought of losing 750M in ship and implants was not appealing.  I suggested trying to negotiate in local, but really that was fools hope.  The only hope I saw was a passer through seeing a jet can and helping.  But my friend had another plan.

I left to go watch a movie with the SO and came back to find a much calmer and while happy does not describe the mood, at least relieved friend. My friend's Orca and pilot were back in High Sec and safe.  He had managed this in a way I would have probably never thought of.  Locator Agents.

He had spammed all the active toons online for the corp in the C3 that he could find.  From there had found a few of them clustered in a section of low sec.  He proceeded to send a covert ops scanner to that area, found a number of wormholes, including a C1 with over 25 anoms, before successfully finding his little lost ship.

I was amazed in such a short time (2 hours) he was able to accomplish this rescue.  And for that he is my new hero.  Great job dude.  But next time fit a probe launcher and cloak to that Orca.

Tell Me What You See

Well after long last I have returned to W-space.  First in a C5 with C3 static.  That didn't last long.  Next in a C4 with a C3 static.  Lasted a little longer, but the new PI depletion and a few too many people making coolant on too few planets, and I was ready to find a new home for at least my merry band of PI toons.

So in looking for a HS route out of the C4, I came across a nice C3 with static null and a very nice mix of planets (minus one lava or plasma that would have made it near perfect).  So I moved in, set up a medium POS and managed to get a month of fuel and 9 ECM batteries onlined.  I figured that would deter most people.

So I monitored Dotlan today and this is what I saw.

Jumps Last 48h

NPC Kills Last 48h

Ship Kills Last 48h

POD Kills Last 48h

At first I thought for sure someone had decided to get about 20 of his best null sec friends and decided to pop my POS for fun.  Well I logged in once home and found nothing on d-scan, and the POS in perfect order.

So tell me, what do you see happened in my new system today?

Mick

A Short Vacation

It is Summer and the time has come to train a few long skills and take a vacation.

Now for "work" I still take my laptop so I am able to tell a short tale.

As we try to do every few years, we headed the 600 miles to the ocean and the beach.  Now I am not as, shall we say .... thin, as i used to be.

So the second day I am down at the beach and the surf is pretty pounding as there is a storm offshore really kicking up the waves.  So as i grew tired of fighting the waves and saw my kids hard at work building stuff in the sand I decided to join them.

So I stumbled ashore and flopped down next to my kids and started to claw at the sand in an effort to help them gather some sand for their walls and structures.

Now let me tell you it was a pretty hot day.  Had to be pushing 95F and the sun was really beating down hard.  I really started to sweat and considered returning to the sea, but just then a group of people came along and started to pour water over me.  I didn't recall this level of service in reading the timeshares website, but it was appreciated.  So I continued to dig up sand for my kids.

Now along came another group and started really soaking me with some hoses.  Seemed a bit extreme.  I looked around too and didn't see any others receiving this special treatment.

I did get worried when they started to try to tie ropes to my legs and a boat showed up.  At this point I got up and started to ask a few questions.  Needless to say the people gathered where a bit shocked at my sudden mobility, and I was a bit embarrased when I saw they were all from the local marine biology college's marine rescue program.

Guess maybe it really is time to consider that diet when this vacation is over.

Mick

Back in W-Space ... Finally

Well, it took longer then I expected.

And it was for a totally different reason then I expected.

But I am back in W-space, with most of my toons.

Yes my two main toons are still bumping around Provi, killing the crap out of Sansha and Sleepers when available.  They are still taking baby steps into PVP also.  Overall I am happy with where they were at.

My two indy/trading toons meanwhile were sitting around collecting dust and training for things that might make them slightly more useful.  I was just about ready to bite the bullet and setup a high sec POS to start invention again (though I dreaded the time sink a high sec POS was and the time sink invention was) to justify these two toons.

Then my C4 discovery. 

So now I have 4 new sub-toons (my term for the 2 extra toons on each account) that are able to fly a cloaky bestower, probe ridiculously bad, and run 5 planets with Advanced Command Centers (total training time with 2 remaps and 100% bonus was about 5-6 days).  So now I have a Large POS setup, Defenses installed (I am sick of 2m30s to anchor and 2m30s to online messages), the hole bottomed out (thanks to warp cancels) and 4 toons ready to use Advanced Command Centers tonight. 

So once again, I am living the dream of no local, living in a POS, managing WH exits, as well as worrying about the logistics of w-space refueling and market runs. 

Still on the to-do list is getting my drake capable PVE toon into the hole to clear smaller ladar and grav sites when they spawn.  As well as having at least one toon capable of putting up a fight.

So with renewed interest in W-Space and its PI impact, I look forward to a much different blog scope in the next few weeks to a month. 

It is my hope to discuss my total setup in the next few days.

Fly Safe,
Mick

The Pull of PI

Well, I kinda laughed at the initial idea of Planetary Interaction.

It looked kinda, well, stupid.  Seemed like Farmville meets Eve.  A bunch of clicking, moving stuff, and limited rewards.  Yet another thing for people to do that don't want to learn PVP.  Another dream of passive income that would end up taking way to much time to justify the end result (gee, I can save $14 a month by spending 30 hours a month messing with this passive income stream).

So I did not mess with it on Sisi, I did not rush to train the skills, and I didn't even start paying attention till it was out a few weeks and I started to get word of some serious potential profits.

So I started to scan around in High Sec to see what I could find.  Short answer was nothing good.  No "hot spots" for sure.

For those of you who have followed this blog for awhile will remember, I left scanning alts in at least 3 different WH's.  So I decided to log them on and see what planet mixes they had.  The two C2 were both a no go as one was occupied and the other had a bunch of Barren, Gas, and 1 Oceanic.

However, the C4 was a very pleasant find.  First it had a C2 static so I am never far from a Empire route. Next it had 3 Temperate, 2 Lava and a Gas.  All of the three types with "unique" resources.  Even better, they all had 80%+ "hot spots" for those resources.

For those of you not yet fluid in PI, there are 15 "Planetary Resources" and 3 of them can only be found on a single planet type.  These are Reactive Gases on Gas Planets, Felsic Magma on Lava  Planets, and Autotrophs on Temperate Planets.

Now the engineer in me kicked in and I started to look at what I could make.  Then the Salesman in me started to look at what I could make.  Then the PVP'r in me started to think about what i could get blown up with all the Isk I was going to make.

Here is what I have found.  The three resources I will be swimming in (could hurt swimming in Magma) combine to make 3 P2 Level Products. These are RG+FM= Silicate Glass, RM+AUTO= Polyramids, and FM+AUTO=Microfiber Shielding.

Now, looking further, those 3 P2 products represent half of the P2 products needed for BOTH Broadcast Nodes and Self Harmonizing Power Cores.

A plan was evident.

So off went the initial toon into the C4 to play with PI.  Unfortunately, he forgot a cloak.  Guess what?  PI takes a lot of time "messing" with stuff and in non Empire areas, a cloak is invaluable.

Fortunately,  I got a few days of playing and transferring stuff around, before Alpha Dog ended my fun.

So at this point I have 4 planets setup, 2 scanning toons left in the hole, and 4 more scanning/PI toons training.

The goal now is to get a POS into the C4, along with the 4 scanning/PI toons and start to harvest and process as much of the Broadcast Node and SHPC parts I can inside the hole.

From there, I plan to setup my trader toon near Jita on enough planets to finish off the BN's and SHPC's.

As I work to setup my planets, I will try to get some pictures on my basic setups and thoughts on PI.  The overall goal of the setups is to try to balance the time between transfers of materials between planets. The goal is once a week.  That way the daily activity will be setting extractors, and once a week I will need to spend a few hours shuttling products between planets and toons.

At the end of August I promise to report if my projections of Isk are anywhere close to what I actually make.

Fly Safe,
Mick

Goodbye and Hello Mr. Legion

Well I can say the wait was worth the trouble.  T3 cruisers are sweet.

Now, I have to say when I first got in my Legion and try some lower WH anomolies, I was not impressed.  But it was my skills not the ships fault.

I have always been a Caldari PVE type player.  Through my first trip through game and even most of what I have been doing so far on my second stent.

Yes I trained Amarr, but I approached it like a Caldari would.  Massive tank, no speed and long range.  Yes not exactly the formula for success in a T3 Cruiser.

So as you might expect my first experience with a Legion, heading into a fight with 2 Sleeper BS's and a few webbing cruisers did not end well.  Suffice it to say that 2 Sleeper BS's can pretty much take a Legion from half armor to POD in one dual volley.  Fortunetly my 350M armor repper survived.

After a brief lesson on how to effectively fly a cruiser sized ship, the importance of speed and yes navigation skills (what the hell are those, says the Caldari in me), I got back on the Legion horse.  Have to say I am damned proud I did.

This ship is great.  With a tweak of a few skills and setup I now top 600m/s while holding a 25k km orbit.  I am hitting for as much damage as I usually did with a volley of 7 heavy missiles on a drake, in about a third less time.  I have a very healthy fear of webbers now, as well as tracking disruptor (both new fears for a Caldari missile chucker).

I am still learning the best approach to PVE in the Legion, but I can now solo all 0.0 anomolies, and would have no fear in taking on Class 2 WH anomolies solo either.  Class 3 might still be a stretch, but more for not knowing the triggers and beiong afraid of triggering an overwhelming force. 

I am still working on getting all the skills needed to really max out the Legion (like all subs to V, and some remaining gun and armor skills to V), but man am I impressed with the T3 Cruiser. 

Guess my days of warping in and sitting there in a raven and drake are a thing of the past.

Fly Safe,
Mick

Aren't Sleepers Fun.

I finally got all my stuff into the Provi pocket and have started to try to get "good" at finding stuff to do.


As of right now, there are not a ton of US TZ players around during my normal playing time so I am usually trying to find some solo or small fleet stuff to do.

My choices start at finding a high end WH (our area seems to get a lot of C5 entrances) to clear the ladar and grav site of rats.  This seems to be safer as there are far fewer roaming gangs in WH space then our pocket.

If a higher end WH is not around then any WH will do and I can then look to "solo" some anom's.

If all else fails its off to run anom's in our pocket or simply rat in belts. (Nice side benefit is my security status is much higher)

So few nights back I get on just as a Corp Op is wrapping up clearing some C5 sites.  I get into the hole and find like 11 ladar and grav sites.  Potential for a very good night.  No one else is interested in running them so I hop in my Raven and Harby (both with tractor and salvager) and head in.  Now most of the low end Ladar and Grav have 4-6 frigs, or 3-4 cruisers, or some combination of sleep rats to kill.  Very easy, especially with dual target painter Raven and Pulse setup Harby.  So I get to a site I am not familiar with.  It is an "Exceptional" grav site.  Quickly check ArcDragon and says its not one of the high end ones with multiple BS's.  To be on the safe side I go ahead and warp to it in a pod to see what it entails.  I see a single lone BS.  No Problem, Right?  Wrong.

I warp the Raven in at range and am insta web'd and scram'd from like 65km away (man I want some Sleeper mods). Still no sweat.  Warp the Harby in closer and start orbiting really fast and close (about 2000 km).  Now my Raven is not full tanked because of the dual Target Painters but I am able to perma run the large Caldari Navy Shield Booster.  Well the BS never changes targets.  It completely ignores the Harby at close range.  About 50% armor on the BS and the ravens shields are starting to struggle.  I throw my 5 hammerhead II's hoping they become sacrifices to the Sleeper and will get some heat off the Raven.  No Luck.

30% armor on the Sleeper and the Raven is now starting to take some armor damage between shield rep cycles.  The Sleeper has given no thought to switching targets.  I align the Raven for the chance to get away and hope for just a second he decided to take a few shots at the drones.

Finally get the Sleeper into Hull and the Raven is taking more and more armor damage.  Cap is also starting to feel the effects of the NOS and I am thinking I really might want to jettison the 20 melted nano's in my cargo for fear of losing that 100M in addition to my ship.

It becomes very apparent that this is going to be a very close race to see who dies first.  I keep wishing for a target change as I have to start feathering the shield booster to try to keep cap above 15% and not completely drain it.

Closer and closer to cutting through the remainder of the Ravens armor and now testing the single digits of Cap, the Sleeper BS gets closer and closer it its end.  Finally I get the death sentence of the Raven in the sweet female voice informing me "the capacitor is empty".  A last volley of Cruise Missiles leaves the launchers, and the Harby sends a pulse of energy streaking across space, and mercifully the Sleeper BS explodes (how is that possible in a vacuum).  I finally catch my breathe.  Final analysis shows 87% structure left on the Raven and no capacitor.   To make matters worse, I could not even salvage the wreck as both toons have Salvaging to IV and I did not have a dedicated salvager in pocket yet with salvage rigs on it.

All the risk, for a few blue tags.

Well thankfully our station has free repairs.

Mick