VandV Podcast: Episode 19

Voices from the Void Podcast Episode 19 is filled with all the great EVE Online you’ve come to expect.  Starting off there’s an exciting week of EVE Online to discuss including dueling and BMTHOKK II.  The news is packed with the latest from null sec, CCP and the Community.  The Blog Spotlight this features the Blog Banter: EVE Quick Matches.  Then of course, a nice easy finish of Chillin’ With Dani & Hallan featuring Roc Wieler.

Don’t forget about the 20th Episode Thanatos Lottery. Tickets still available!

Blog Banter: Competition Arenas

This blog was written in response to the Freebooted blog post Blog Banter: EVE Quick Matches. The topic grabbed me as soon as I read it. No seriously. I was in the middle of editing and interview for the podcast, saw the link come up on tweetdeck, read it and then started writing. I don't know what it is, I guess Seismic stan just has that kind of effect on me. So... anyway... On to the blogging!

EVE Quick Matches

Kirith Kodachi recently discussed the idea of what a World of Tanks style quick-match element would bring to EVE Online. Would the opportunity for a quick combat interest you? How could it be implemented? Could it be done without having a negative impact on existing gameplay elements? Or does such a concept have no place in EVE?

It's an average night and there's not much going on. Things on the corp and alliance front are quiet for whatever reason, but you're in the mood for some action. You could go roam solo, but who wants to go roaming for hours on end only to come up empty handed? Maybe you go join a gate camp and do the auto-pilot pop polka with whatever unwitting fool crosses your path. While those are all things we absolutely love about PvP in EVE Online, there could be a better option for those looking for a quick fix.

I propose the idea of competition arenas around New Eden to provide instanced PvP. Humans and Capsuleers are creatures of conquest and blood lust. Competition Arenas are a common thread that strings across our history, present, fiction and will continue to be a staple of our existence into the future. Even if we don't participate in it, we at least enjoy watching it. Look at the population of Null Sec and the sheer number of PvP videos that are on eveisreal.net and youtube.com. It's a fact that can not be denied. So why not capitalize it and make it in to enjoy content?

Like this, but with spaceships!

The Main Idea

Competition Arenas would be introduced into the game as a way to provide players with quick, easily accessible PvP. Pilots can create or find 1v1 duel with a variety of hull classes. There is some regulation, but due to the nature of low sec, the element of danger should be elevated. There would also be the chance for player designed services as well as positive side effects for other elements in the game. The design I propose would increase traffic in low sec, provide isk sinks and draw on currently existing game elements.

Location

The competition arenas are a place capsuleers from all over can come and display their prowess of destruction. Most "normals" of the various faction might find this practice a little barbaric. However, when you're an immortal, your perspective of barbaric tends to be a little different. Because of this the practice wouldn't be easily accepted in high sec. Low sec on the other hand is perfect for an entertainment complex of this nature. The factions are there to ensure their cut of the action, but the brutality is of all is just far enough away to keep everyone happy.

How it works

The first stop would be to the station where players could access the arena search panel. From there pilots can review matches already posted or create their own posting. Posting a match would have an associated cost for rental fees and other costs. The posting will be for a 1v1 match and have an option of being public or private as well as the option of hull class. The panel would feature a search function for public matches along with an invite function when a pilot has posted a private duel. If a pilot selects a duel to join, the pilot that created the duel will have an opportunity to mutually accept. Once the pilots are locked in to the match a bookmark for an arena location will be uploaded to their neocom and their off.

Once through the gate, the two would land 200km from a beacon. At that point they can warp in at range and go about the happy business of trying to blow the hull off the other. The gate would only allow that ship class selected for the match (frigate, destroyer, cruiser, battlecruiser or battleship). There should most like be a type of restriction to keep everything T1. I'm not sure if there's coding for that and I'm really not sure if something like that could be feasible.

Keeping It Clean

Of course there will be some need for rules and regulations for things to run smoothly. As mentioned before I think the sites would work best if they were not able to be scanned down. On the flip side, it could be an interesting element especially with the arenas being a low sec feature. Faction police can be spawned at the acceleration gate so others can have a chance at kill you first, but they loose faction standings and other typical space punishments for attempting. Faction police can spawned inside the arena to punish podding. Yes I do believe your opponent should have the ability to be a dick and pod you, they'd just get the usual consequences for it. It is EVE Online Low Sec after all.

Side Effects

The addition of such content can have some positive side effects as well. Low sec traffic and population would experience a boost. The markets would end up seeing additional activity due to the nature of the content. The arena also provides the game with a new ISK sink. As a tie in with player establishments, null sec only franchises could be operated. They would be expensive to maintain leaving the owner with a small profit and of course, no faction police to regulate. Only systems with stations would be able to have arenas due to the need for office and other conveniences, so wormholes would be left out much like high sec.

The ISK Line: Sinks, New Markets and maybe some gambling.

Rankings

There could even be the possibility of a ranking system associated with this. If the arena kill mails were given a specific type of tag, they could be separated from other kill mails to be funneled in to a secondary "Arena Killboard." There could be arena displays much like eve-kill.net and it's Top 20 lists. It would also allow corps and alliances to have their own Arena Killboards. The rankings would be player development dependant. It's unfortunate, but since there is no CCP maintained killboard, I'm not sure how they could do it. And if they did it.. they might as well make a CCP maintained killboard. Such a thing would be a great asset to the game. For now we're lucky to have eve-kill.net and the other programmers out there.

Rough Draft

It's a pretty rough idea and I'm sure there's a lot of holes it in. If some poor EVE Dev comes across this post, I really hope they don't have an aneurism from what I'm proposing. I do think that the idea of competition arenas would be a great addition of content for the game. It would soothe irritation of "I want pvp nao" and give low sec a bit of a jolt as well. The concept also fits in well with the lore and the style of the game.

Hopefully this banter will be one of many that join this discussion. I've enjoyed reading the blogs of those that have already posted and I hope that others will join us in this discussion.

Further Reading
The following blogs have already touched upon the subject and might give you something to chew over. Come banter with us.

• Kirith Kodachi @ Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah, World of Tanks - Lessons to be Learned
• Seismic Stan @ Freebooted, Suddenly Combat: World of Spaceships
• Arydanika @ And Knowing is Half the Battle, Blog Banter: Competition Arenas
• Harrigan Vonstudly @ Gun Turret Diplomacy, Blog Banter: Quick Matches. Eveharmony?
• Drackarn @ Sand,Cider and Spaceships, Eve Blog Banter - Quick Matches
• Mike Azariah @ A Missioner In Eve, Blog Banter: Pinks
• Ender Black @ Pod Goo, Blog Banter: Quick Matches 
• Noise @ The Phoenix Diaries, Arena PvP 
• Rhavas @ Interstellar Privateer, NECL Season One
• Gul'Gotha @ Hero Tackle, Blog Banter EVE Quick Matches
• KuroMayuri @ KuroMayuri, Blog Banter: EVE Quick Matches
• Rixx Javix @ Eveoganda, Blog Banter: Arena Combat
• PyroTech03 @ Wandering the Void, Blog Banter: Arena Combat, and Playing Devil's Advocate
• Toterra @ Scram Web, Blog Banter: Arena  
• Mabrick @ Mabricks Mumblings: Chivalry, not cage fights.

Introducing: The EVE Pod Pack

So apparently, I don't have enough to do. No. Producing a podcast, writing a blog, planning a meet-up, learning video editing, playing 2 accounts and then all that real life stuff just aren't enough. I had to get my hands into another pie. Just what is this other pie? The EVE Pod Pack.

After several e-mails between Rixx Javix, the proud new daddy of the EVE Blog Pack, I asked if I could have a hand at administrating the podcast version of the EVE Blog Pack. Rixx gave his blessing and off I went. After a few days of information collection and a few hours of web design, the fruits of my labor can be found here:

Click Here to Visit the EVE Pod Pack Site

The site is still in development as far as I am concerned. A brief explain is up as well as expectations for the podcasts included in the pack. There is a section on iterations I would like to see in the future including a combined podcast feed. Also, like the EVE Blog Pack, I will have a special icon stating the site is part of the pod pack for the various websites to display.

Now I do need some help with all of this. Podcasters, please send me your info! I'd like to have update icons from each of you as well as a brief description about your podcast. The information I have up for your podcast current is what I was able to pull up from the deep crevices of the internet where our podcasts lurk. Of course I'm open to feedback. If there is anything you think I should add to the site, please speak up!

My main purpose and goal with all of this is to promote the work of people who are passionate about EVE Online and to connect them to listeners who want this type of material. I want to do right by CCP, my fellow podcasters and the community by taking up this project. Thank you to Rixx Javix letting me take a crack at this. This is a big opportunity as well as a big task. I'm going to do my best to fulfill it.

Ciao for now♥

VandV Podcast: Epsiode 18

In Episode 18 of Voices from the Void; join Arydanika and Hallan Turrek for their usual coverage of Null Sec, CCP and Community News. This week the Blog Spotlight goes out to the EVE Online Blog Pack v2 and it’s new Big Daddy. In Section 4, Shadoo gets put right in to the creamy filling.

Full length Chill Session with Shadoo coming soonTM.

Also don’t forget to check out the VandV Podcast 20th Episode Thanatos Lottery!

WSHOT Prayer

The following video is a collaboration of sorts.  A while ago one of my corps mates, Esqui, sent me a little something called the "Wrecking Shots Prayer."  Soon after writing it, he sent it to me and asked me to do an audio for it.  I did, but it seemed flat when I listened to it.  That's when the real work began.

I came up with the idea of doing a video for the prayer.  There were two obstacles though.  First, I have a terrible video card so the fraps I take comes out very low quality.  Second, I'm not that good with Sony Vegas and only knew a few tricks.  In my usual way, I found a way around all that.

You Tube has become a saving grace when it comes to EVE Online.  Some of the best tutorials for the game are on You Tube.  I found this to the same for Sony Vegas and also for obtaining great footage.  I learned a few new tricks from the tutorials, but my You Tube loitering didn't stop there.  For inspiration I started watching the trailers.

That's when it hit me.  Why do I need to fraps new stuff, when there's great video footage already out there.  As I watched the EVE Online trailers, I realized there were scenes that went perfectly with the prayer.  Though CCP Game's use policy I was able to borrow those scene.  As for the actual fraps footage, that I knicked from a fellow corp mate Black Jesus.  He has a fraps FTP dump for the corp.

Then there's the music.  For that I have to give thanks to MadeLoud.com and Exordium Project.  MadeLoud.com is a royalty free music site where budding artists can publish there work and offer it for free or paid downloads.  Sometimes you have to sift though a lot of "interesting" works, but you do come across some gold.  Thought chance I found the track "Black Apocalypse" by Exordium Project.  It was a good song, but not what I was looking for.  I went to their page and there was only songs.  The moment I heard " Demon Music Box" it all came together for me.

I should also mention that the Thrasher footage is a High Sec Hulk gank that the corp did a little while ago in the Placid Region.  Those ganks have been a lot of fun (for us of course, not the Hulk pilots).  It was also Black Jesus' first hulk gank.  


Enjoy!

Voices from the Void: Episode 17

In this edition of Voices from the Void Podcast, Arydanika and Hallan Turrek bring all that EVE Online goodness to you that you love so much.  In Weekly game play they discuss Hallan’s rise to power and Dani’s lulz pretending to be a Pirate in Placid.  The News is filled with the latest in-game happenings including the Southern Conflict, the Northern Clean Up, IEG and Sniggwaffe falling out with their counterparts and of course the Phaser Inc Ponzi Scheme.  The Blog Spotlight is all about EVEOGANDA. Then CCP Manifest & CCP Hekatonkheires jump right in to the middle of the creaming filling for an inside look at EveisReal.net.

Check out the podcast here.
Check out the full length interview here

Also, we've updated The News segment.  It's now being packaged on it's own with some snazzy new video editing.  Enjoy!

HALP?! How do I Get my [insert female companion title here] to Play Eve?!

This is a question I’ve been asked several times since starting Eve Online.  I’ve been asked by corp and alliance mates, those that listen to the podcast and even random people in some of the open in-game chats that I hang out in.  The inquiring pilot’s background can vary from null sec capsuleer to market trader to casual miners.  The question is always the same though.  Why doesn’t my significant other find EVE Online as fascinating as I?

The truth is; I have no freaking clue.  I don’t.  The first problem is that I don’t know your significant other.  That makes it difficult to give good advice because I have no idea of what they’re looking for in a gaming experience.  In fact, I don’t know if they even like video games to begin with.  That coupled with the fact we’re discussing EVE Online, there could be any number of reasons they don’t want to play.  Just think of all the different things current players dislike about the game.

I love this dude.

That said I’m going to try to impart some advice anyway.  Mind you, this advice comes with stipulations.  They are as follows:

1. I have no idea what I’m talking about.  Most of this will be pulled out of my ass. 
2. This is all 100% my opinion.  No facts will be included at all.  Ever.
3. Posted responses are extremely generic in order to fit to a wide variety of situations.
4. You’re reading an advice blog from a chick that plays EVE Online and is way too into ponies.  I would say use your best judgment when necessary, but let’s face it.  The fact you’re here proves you have terrible judgment anyway.

On with the gud poasting!

What’s the Point?

One of the issues with player acquisition and retention on any level is how well new players understand the game and end goals.  This becomes a problem when you look at MMO’s in general because for most people “getting to the next big shiny” is not a valid goal.  Without concrete and easily measurable goals, most people automatically feel there’s no real point or purpose. 

I'm totally borrowing this from Eelis Kiy's blog

The Solution:  The trick is to get the potential player to see how the open sandbox is a benefit more than ‘a rubix cube to go F*** yourself with.’  Take the time to explain how you can basically do anything you want.  For the nurturing and puzzle loving types there is the industrial side with its myriad of blueprints and manufacturing chains.  For those who are more adventurous there are a vast number of null sec and wormhole options.  If their play style is more aggressive, they can duke it out by participating in low sec via piracy or faction warfare.  Even those that prefer role play in rich and stimulating settings are getting their piece of the pie with live events and new changes Incarna is bringing.  EVE Online has a little something for everyone.   

Lack of Instant Gratification

Another common issue is the complete lack of “Push Button; Receive Bacon” in the new player experience.  Yes, there is a small amount of instant gratification in the form of receiving skill books after certain mission or getting a new hull after you complete the tutorial arcs, but it’s not much.  Removing training skills was a good attempt to soften this blow to the NPE and get people in to the game faster.  However, you still need the patience of Mahatma Gandhi in order to get to any serious game.  Just look at the necessity of core, fitting, gunnery, ship command, etc skills.    

The Solution:  There isn’t one.  Yes, you can trick-out their clone out with implants and set them up with the most pro skill plan ever, but… that still only helps so much.  If the potential pilot doesn’t have patience, they won’t make it in EVE Online.  As anyone who’s played EVE Online for any extended period of time knows; you need patience to do anything.  From mining to industry and even PvP, you will spend a fair amount of time waiting.  Those are the breaks. 

A Nobody with No Body? Part 1

Since the dawn of EVE Online, avatars have not played an important role.  This made EVE Online stand apart from most of its MMO competitors.   This also excluded EVE Online from a big portion of the MMO market share because… well.. people like bodies.  For some the disconnect is unbearable and the lack of personal in-game representation (not counting a ship in space) breaks their immersion.  This makes it hard for some people to ‘get in to the game.’

All about the space ships

The Solution: Incarna.  Now that Incarna has come we finally have bodies.  They are bodies stuck in one room, but we have them.  The advent of the NeX store makes it possible to dress up those bodies.  If you wait a little while (there’s that waiting again!) CCP will soon be iterating on walking in stations.  Once Incarna is fully realized capsuleers will be able to move into entirely new era of being corporeal.  Pilots will be able to have shops, poker parlors, hang out rooms or whatever their minds can come up with.  These things combined should appease the Second Life/Sims type crowd.  Hopefully, it will be the door that leads them to actually fly in space.  Get it… door?  I hate you Captain's Quarters alt screen.

A Nobody with No Body? Part 2

People in EVE Online hate people they do not know.  The meta game with in EVE Online and most styles of game play tend to feed that mentality.  Current players of EVE Online took the 80’s message of stranger danger to heart and that mode of thinking is not going to change any time soon.  This can be a new player’s biggest obstacle when it comes to getting started in the game.  Who you run with is a big deal in EVE Online and if you’re running alone… you’re doing it wrong.

The Solution: Give them the hook up.  If you are bringing a new player in to the game, it is in your best interest to introduce them to the right people.  Chances are your corp or alliance isn’t going to want them joining up right away.  However, many larger corps and alliances have starter corporations for lower SP pilots and once the players have the proper amount of SP and have been shown the ropes, they are allowed to run with the big dogs.  There are also corps who’s sole purpose is work with new people.  If your corp does not have a sister corporation for newer player then get them in EVE University.  Also check to see if they are a part of a larger social organization as Goons and Test have their own versions of intro corps, but you have to spend some time in the greater social group first. 

You Are an Awful Instructor

Remember when you were first learning how to drive?  Remember when your parents would clutch their hearts and slam their foot into the floorboards any time the car went above 15 miles per hour?  Or how they would scream “WATCH OUT” when ever there a person/car/stop sign/cat/etc 5000 feet in front of you?  That’s you trying to teach your significant other how to play EVE Online.  Really, it’s not that you’re a terrible instructor.  It’s just that your expectations for them are much higher than they should be.  After all… they’ve watched you play for how many years?  That’s how not to think btw.

The Solution:  Sometimes they best thing you can do, is to pawn your potential pilot off on someone else.  There are organizations out there that are much better at training new players and have a much better success & retention rate than you do.  Off the top of my head I can think of EVE University and Project Halibut.  There are also a lot of great mining and mission running corps that act as great havens for new players to get their feet wet.  There are even some corps that specialize new player PvP training programs.  Sometimes the best way to teach a bird to fly is to kick it out of the nest.  Plus if you aren’t hovering over their shoulders prattling on about how terrible they are at this game they just started playing, it could prevent a break-up/divorce.

Have You Really Talked to Them?

No.  I don’t mean did you mention EVE Online in passing that one day two years ago.  Have you really sat down with them and talked to them about EVE Online?  Have you told them how much you enjoy the game and why you think they might enjoy it to?  Have you told them that you would like to use the game as a medium to spend more time together?  Have you explained that you would like them to take interest in your passion?  Have you shown them eveisreal.net?

The Solution: Sometimes all it takes is a little conversation to get a lot more action.  I say that from personal experience.  I had not touched an MMO until my now ex-boyfriend came to me and said, “Hey.  My last girlfriend didn’t play video games, wouldn’t have anything to do with them and it would really mean a lot to me if you played with me and took interest in my hobbies.”  That Christmas I got a shiny new gaming machine and then entire expansion pack for World of Warcraft.  Within a few months I had my level 70 Hunter and I was working on my Priest.  It’s pretty amazing what can happen when communicate openly and effectively with your partner.

Because one day we all want this.

So that’s all the advice I have so far.  This may be one of those blog posts that turns in to a series, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.  I hope this helps out TerroxEracktor and all the others out there that one day hope for their significant other to understand what's so great about internet spaceships.

Ciao for now♥

He’s a tramp… but I love him*

This is the blog post of an mad black woman.

I’m Mad Bro

I have finally learned what it means to be heartbroken.  I never thought it would happen to me to be honest.  It seems Cruelty would see fit to rear its head and find its way in to my life. 

I’m sure you’re asking yourself, “Who would be so fiendish?”  You might wonder if it was recipient of tear extraction services currently offered by my corp in Oulley.  Sadly no.  Perhaps it was the work of some crazed Eve News 24 troll hell bent on spreading their special brand of “gud poasting.”  This is not the answer either.

Truly the answer will shock and surprise you.  I know I was.  I never thought that a fellow #TweetFleeter, a bloggist, a capsuleer of many talents would be the one to strike this blow.  Just who is this cad?  This rouge?  This villan?  It’s none other than… Rixx Javix.

To the Crux of the Matter….

What atrocity has the Scoundrel of EVEOGANDA committed?  He made a pony AND a unicorn hat and gave them to people other than me.  I repeat.  He made a pony AND a unicorn hat and gave them to people other than me.  

OMFGWTFBBQWHATTHE…I don’t even…

No Seriously.  WTF.

I, the capsuleer who has a glitter farting unicorn (gFU) award on their podcast, did not get the pony or unicorn hat.

I, the capsuleer who made a set of World of Darkness ponies for fun, did not get the pony or unicorn hat.

I, the capsuleer that is referred to as “The Pony Queen”, did not get the pony or unicorn hat.

Because he -had- to be drunk to make this decision right?

But seriously…

Rixx Javix is one of my favorites when it comes to the EVE Online blogosphere.  His tongue in cheek humor combined with a ‘devil may care’ attitude and warped sense of humor; make his blog one of the most enjoyable reads around.  I look forward to his updates and the blog is a first click when it shows bold on my Andriod’s Google Reader.

His almost daily updates are a constant source of entertainment.  When you combine those with the visual feast of his artwork; EVEOGANDA makes for the full package.  You can even take a little piece of the man with you by getting your own commissioned art work (he does a smashing job). 

So check him out at his site.  I’m positive you’ll end up enjoying yourself.  Even is Rixx Javix is a dastardly scalawag!  Oh.. and thanks for the hat.  :D

:D  I lewt da hat.

a few hours later...

I think a couple of dogs went deaf when I first saw this.

*The title is a reference to the song "He's a Tramp" by Peggy Lee featured in the Disney cartoon feature "The Lady and the Tramp."  I think it's fitting.

Voices from the Void: Episode 16

While Dani is away Hallan Turrek and White Tree will play.  That’s right folks.  CSM Delegate and Internet Spaceship dood White Tree has joined up With Voices from the Void one more time, but this time as co-host.  Join he and Hallan as they discuss their in-game pursuits for the week, report and analyze the latest in Null Sec News and shamelessly plug White Tree’s new blog “One Jump Home” over at mmorpg.com in the blog spotlight.  Of course we can’t let you go a whole week without a little Dani in your ear so join her for a portion of her WGoE Interview with Artemis Septem.*

* The full length interview is available on the Here.

I Ain't Givin' You No Tree-Fitty: Intro to AFK Cloakers

In a previous blog, The Little Noctis That Could, I touched on the subject of AFK Cloakers.  This is a subject that is every pilot in Null Sec is familiar with in one way or another.  Any pilot that has been in a particular area of space for any extended period time has been on the receiving end of the services of an AFK Cloaker.  Most experienced pilots with an alt, and even some without, have had the pleasure of being on the giving end. 

In this particular installment of the I Ain’t Givin’ You No Tree-Fitty Series, I’m going to discuss AFK Cloakers, Methods of Operation and Solutions which will be presenting in three different blog posts.  I might even throw in some more stories if I catch wind of something interesting.  Now this isn’t suppose to be an end all be all definitive report.  I’m not anyway near BOV status to rightful write those.  However, this blog will be an overview on the topic, a collection of my thoughts on the subject and should anyone leave comment it might even turn into a discussion.  Now before we get in to the heavy stuff, I’d like to lead off with a little humor.

AFK Cloakers are Literally The Herps

No.  I really mean it.  Follow me here.  One day you're minding your own business say scanning down sigs, mining or whatever gets you off.  You're having a good time and everything is going well.  Then all of a sudden, out from nowhere, they appear in local.  You don’t know where they came from.  You don't know how they got there.  To top it all off, it doesn't look like they're leaving and you’re stuck dealing with something you didn’t want in the first place. 

So you go back to your pals.  You ask a couple of hypotheticals.  They respond with how they really aren't qualified to answer, but personally they wouldn't screw around with that sort of thing.  Push comes to shove and you decided to wait it out a little bit putting you in a very comfortable situation. 

Then all of a sudden one day they're gone; poof just like it's freaking magic.  You figure you're in the clear and go back to doing what it you usually do.  Everyone’s having a good time again.  Everything's going well and you're enjoying yourself.  Then right in the middle of something really good... guess who decides to come rearing their fugly little head?

What is an AFK Cloaker?

The simplest definition that I can come up with is this: An AFK Cloaker is a pilot that enters in to a hostile system and stays cloaked up in space for an indefinite period of time in an effort to grief the system inhabitants.

As a whole, I consider AFK Cloakers to be a subset of the Exploration Profession.  While their main tactic and purpose are all the same, some employ different methods to ‘handle their business.’  When it comes to AFK Cloakers I’ve seen Nuisance Cloakers, Hot Drop Cloakers and Bait Cloakers.  There might be others out there, but these are the ones that appear prevalent.

Purpose in Flight

The AFK Cloaker’s purpose is to disrupt the activity in the enemy pocket while observing the activity of the hostiles and creating potential kill mails.  It is important to note that the order of goals. 

Primary: Disrupt activity

Secondary: Observe Enemy Activity

Tertiary: Potential Kills

Most tend to set their base of operations in heavily populated systems that boast a great deal of industrial activity.  It’s pretty easy for them to pick their targets using tools like DOTLAN.  They’ll find their target and research which systems are owned by the target.  Review the number of jumps in system and cross references that with statics for rat kills and mining levels.  Then volia, you can reasonably ascertain the best systems to set up shop.  Setting up in locations like these makes achieving the primary goal incredibly easy for the first few days.  Those inhabiting the system with instantly safe up or dock once they have intel of the hostile coming to the system or once they see the hostile in system with them. 

Once the AFK Cloaker is in system, they are easily able to observe the activity of the system inhabitants.  Most AFK Cloakers use either a T2 or T3 cloaking ship which enables them to warp freely with their cloaks on at all times.  Most will use their time to watch stations and gates and collect intel on POS’s.  They also have the means to gather intel on the system inhabitants activities like; typical roams/op deployment times and who flys what kinds of ships.

After a few days of being continually logged in system, human nature will start to take effect.  The system’s inhabitants will become complacent which is the WORSE thing anyone could do when dealing with an AFK Cloaker.  You’ll see or hear people in corp/alliance comms saying the AFK Cloaker hasn’t been active (but how do they really know since they’re cloaked?) or ‘they’re never on at this time because that player is so-and-so time zone or a plethora of other piss poor excuses why it’s okay to carry on as if it’s business as usual.  Right around this time someone will inevitably get hot dropped/caught in a belt/caught in an anomaly/ [insert other terrible reason to loose ship here]. 

Once a pilot (and those that rush out to help them only to be slaughtered like sausage sliding into a grinder) goes down to the AFK Cloaker, complacency will be replaced with vigilance.  At this point it becomes a wash, rinse and repeat cycle.  The only way the cycle usually ends is if someone mounts an actual offense against the AFK Cloaker to forcibly remove them from system or they just get bored and leave on their on accord.  The system inhabitants will regain solace and activity will pick up… until the next AFK Cloaker comes.

Features Working as Intended

Now there are some that feel this type of game play is unfair or unbalanced.  Like this pilot. Really it’s not.  All pilots have access to cloaking technology.  If a pilot trains the correct skills, anyone in game can have an account with AFK Cloaking ability.  There’s also the fact that cloaks are the solution to dealing with probes, so taking away cloaks would actually cause more imbalance.  There are also ways to combat AFK Cloakers, it just takes a lot of planning, hard work and effort.  These things make AFK Cloaking a viable play style option within Eve Online game mechanics.  If you don’t like it, you’ll probably have to leave Null Sec to get away from it as Null Sec was never meant to be 100% safe.

I should probably throw in a HTFU in here, too.

AFK Cloaker Series:

I Ain't Givin' You No Tree-Fitty: Intro to AFK Cloakers

I Ain't Givin' You No Tree-Fitty: Meet the Cloakers Pt 1
I Ain't Givin' You No Tree-Fitty: AFK Cloakers & Defenses

Voices from the Void: Episode 15

Due to people responded well to the video of Section2: The News, we're going to keep that format.

As always you can catch the full podcast on the site.  This week we cover the on going wars in Northern, Southern and Western Null sec along with the latest in CCP and community news. This weeks blog spotlight features none other than the infamous Freebooted blog by Seismic Stan. To top it all off, this weeks Creamy Filling is a WGoE Interview with Noir. Mercenary Group director KAtnos.

The extended interview with KAtnos is also available here.  

Enjoy!