The realization about Faction Warfare

Is that it is not for me. I knew this from the very beginning. If you happen to spend some time here on my blog, now or in the past, and read some of my previous posts about PVP in Eve Online, you would probably have told me that enlisting in FW was going to be a futile adventure.

But nonetheless, I’m actually happy I tried.
To be honest, there was no real trying. At least no actual PVP. Some evenings were spent offensive plexing, and cashing in Loyalty Points, watching that timer drop slowly while spamming Dscan. Ever so often, someone in a blinged out frigate would drop in, or a navy variant frigate. And I’d warp out. Play the waiting game. You come across the same people/groups all the time. The ones that are looking for a 1v1 fight, blinged out to the max. And the ones that travel in blops. Waiting to get the drop on something.

I’m not the only one that finds this readiness to play / pay for multiple accounts puzzling…

That is what describes FW PVP perfectly.
Veteran players with extreme knowledge and experience duking it out in blinged ships, or just roaming blop fleets. On the GalMil teamspeak there are often the same hardcore people flying around, battling it out. At one point, while listening, I kept a note on the losses of one particular player. Apparantly, he was one of the more veteran, seasoned players. He had this natural calm and authority when he spoke, it was obvious he really knew the ins and outs of small gang PVP. So after about 2 hours I made the sum of the ships he lost and refitted and lost etc. And I asked him how he provided the income for all those ships. Because it was really racking up.
And the answer was … take a guess? Alts. Many alt accounts. Like casually, even nonchalant, being surprised someone would even want to play EVE with only one account.

Somewhat related to the topic …

In the days after this conversation, I got this exact respons quite a number of times. I actually met one of my fellow Galmil members spouse, who casually plays 7 accounts, doing PvE incursions on her own. No screenshots (because promised) for privacy reasons, but that was kind of eye-opening / shocking.

But I digress, how anyone else plays is not my business and if you can pull if of, more power to you.

What this little misadventure learned me was that I simply need to find another goal in EVE. And it so happened to land into my lap while flying around in lowsec faction backyard systems. So many anomalies, so few people around. And the occasional miners … So this means I get to fly my favorite ship so far, the Tactical Destroyer class. These boats offer some amazing benefits for new(er) players. Serious damage combined with a lot of fitting options. Heck you can even slam a probe launcher on these puppies.

Flickr – Art by Bryan Ward

Currently using the Jackdaw because of its insane damage application from range. Also missles mean you can easily select your preferred damage type on the spot. The Propulsion Mode, which increases velocity and agility allows tactical destroyers to very easily achieve sub-2-second alignment times. Also, in lowsec and perhapt nullsec, this is an important something.

Flickr – Art by Bryan Ward

No sure if it is necessary to leave the faction warfare corporation just yet. Right now it’s actually quite convenient to see the flashing orange / reds in local. Makes spotting neutral people much easier. I’m not sure if the ISK generation from combat anomalies in lowsec is better than in highsec.
Also I find it kind of relaxing to sit on teanspeak idly listening to fleet conversations or just veteran players talk while they pewpew their way into oblivion. It’s not something that is going to last for months, but for now, it entertains me.

Finally I can cross some stuff on the list!