I want to fly.

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So I’ve created this blog and then I’ve basically gone back to my “login to train” ways.

But, I want to comment on that because I’ve been working on my Learning skills.  On Slydes I got impatient and stopped training up learning once EVEmon told me that it wasn’t faster for me to train the learning skills (this was about two years ago). However with the CSM meetings about learning skills I’ve got new hope in this skill tree…. because it could turn to gold. Hot sweaty steaming skill point gold. How pray tell? Clicky the linky -> Modify or Remove Learning Skills (CSM)

As you’re probably guessing, I’m hoping for the option that refunds all skill points in the Learning, because I’d love to be able to allocate a few million skill points to anywhere that I see fit. If they don’t change the Learning skills it’s not as if it is a bad thing that I spent the time training them all up.

The point of this potential change is to try and engage new players and indoctrinate them in to the game faster, thus shoving the needle in further and making them in to a fatted calf that CCP can then suckle for money. I’m all for it, in fact I encourage it, but is it enough?  I’ve tried countless times to get friends from other games involved in this one and no one wants to because it’s “too established and I’ll never be able to catch up”.  When you have the mentality of being the best at everything, why would you even try to do something that you can’t be the best at? Ever.  That’s the point that makes Eve both great and awful. The idea of waiting 50+ days for a skill to train just doesn’t appeal to the masses.  People want instant gratification, Eve just doesn’t offer that.

Why is that? Well the easy answer is that CCP has come to the conclusion that less is more.  I’d hazard a guess that once they get an account on the books it has a much much longer life-cycle than accounts in other MMORPGs.  That would make sense when you can only have one skill training per account and skills take many many days to complete. This further bloats their account numbers because I’m guessing that, like me, the average Eve player has between 2 and 3 accounts.

My suggestion is a simple one and it addresses all of the above issues (well other than the Learning skills, those just kinda suck).  What if you could pay an extra monthly fee on your account to activate a second skill training queue.  Think of it has having two processors learning for you, you can set them to different items or you can run them in tandem to half the time of a skill being trained. There’s nothing to stop them from allowing you to purchase even more than two processors, heck you could finally have that alt on the same account (if you really really wanted to I guess). This probably doesn’t help the “n00b” as much as other things, but it would give the same profit’s to CCP and allow the userbase more flexibility in their skill training. Hell it might even ake them more money as the people with three accounts might double up their subscription fees to train all three accounts faster.

The reality is that CCP already is allowing much more than other MMORPGs in some ways.  CCP is the only one allowing you to buy in game currency. Wait… what? You heard me, CCP allows you to buy in game currency.  I can go buy a PLEX right now and immediately pick it up in Amarr and sell it for 300+ million ISK.  It’s one step removed from them DIRECTLY selling currency, but it’s still pretty much selling currency.  Additionally they allow you to purchase characters, which pushes the market for PLEX in some ways because if I really really loved the game and I really really wanted a new account that can fly ship X that would take me two years to train up to, I could purchase the PLEX (and in turn the ISK) to buy the account.

Just my two pennies, but there would be more than that coming CCP’s way if they would put in that option.

Changes, Skills August 17th 2010

Target of Opportunity, the first QQ.

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So… I just returned home from work and I’ve got an email waiting in Slydes inbox, much to my surprise.

Before I get in to the email, some backstory.  I’ve been trying to figure out what kind of corp I’d like to attempt to get in to, but the fact remains that you really need some experience in pew pew if you want to offer anything to a corporation. I’ve been roaming solo around the lowsec systems near my current home in hopes of snagging some kills.  Last night I was on and looking for trouble in a gank fit Thorax.  I was really hoping to find someone ratting, but a target of opportunity came along.

I had warped to a station in the Sahda system (I don’t recall what one it was) and docked up as there was one person in local to see if they were in there. There were some hits on the directional, but I couldn’t be sure that this guy was one of them. There wasn’t anyone in station, so I undocked.  As everything loads up I notice a Badger Mark II on my overview, but it’s coming in to dock at the station and there’s no way I can cover the 50km between our two ships prior to docking.

“Will this guy undock with me sitting right at the undocking point? Surely he won’t…”

And out he came, so I popped him. There were a few things said in local by him. I’m not much of a smack talker, I’d much prefer my actions to speak for me, so I didn’t retort.

The most expensive thing he lost was an Advanced Command Center for his planet of awesomeness.   And I, in my infinite wisdom of trying to loot his crap, got popped by gate guns. Doh…

Yes, I’m retarded. I should of just warped off, but whatever it’s not the end of the world, I really could care less if I lose ships at this point. It’s part of the game. But, lesson learned, I should of aligned and warped immediately.

I didn’t give the situation a second thought but apparently to this guy it was the end of the world.  Here’s the email I just read:

Please do not shoot at Crowder, Mistae, Lydai or Anjell or any Inner Light Creations Pilots
From: Mistae
Sent: 2010.07.21 01:56
To: Slydes,

Please do not shoot at Crowder, Mistae, Lydai or Anjell or any Inner Light Creations Pilots.
I know targets are hard to find but shooting at or harassing the above pilots/corp is not worth the effort and will get have negative results for you.
So contract back to me the Advanced Command center you looted or the 3 million ISk it cost me and we will call it even.
Otherwise I am going to have to waste a lot of time and energy protecting my Planet Interact operations and I don’t want to do that.

I am serious, If I have to hire mercenaries I will, That would be a downer for bot of us.
Their are a lot of other targets, these back water systems are small potatoes not worth your time.
Thanks
Crowder

I warrant mercenaries.  Sup now. QQ.

Eve Online, Pirate, QQ July 23rd 2010

Decisions…

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I’ve been trying to decide what my next step is in Eve.  As with anything there are decisions to be made and in Eve if you decide to go down a path, you’re stuck on that path until you finish it or you’ve wasted your time. Currently I’m stuck between going one of two ways.

Slydes is set up currently to make the leap to capital ships, he’s got most of the skills for it and I’ve been working on bolstering them. So that’s path number one that he could take, going full out Dread/Carrier (with a decision to be made between the two of those).  I’ve zero experience there, but the concept of being a part of a capital fleet is something that appeals to me.

The second path is to flush out the rest of the cruiser/battlecruiser skills that I need.  Specifically BC V, Medium Hybrid Specialization V and Combat Drone Operation V.  Then move on to Command Ships/HACs or possibly Logistics (but I have a Logistics alt… so eh.).

So I’m torn, but that decision is an important one because it determines which direction I take in looking for a corporation.  If I got the capital ship route I think it would be best to find a corporation in a larger alliance that I can learn fleet operations in. If I go the cruiser/small gang route I think getting in to a pirating corporation would suit my play style for that route. Obviously I could get in to a large alliance and do the crusier/small gang thing, but somehow the idea of being a pirate sounds fun.  I like saying yarr =[

Cap Fleet, Eve Online, Pirate July 22nd 2010

First Post… (AKA FUCKING BORING)

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I’ve not got anything great to say as a first post.  There is nothing profound here… at all. We’ll see going forward how things go. I’m curious to see if I can actually stick with this blogging thing. Blogging intrigues me, we all inherently want to be noticed.  Whether that’s via someone writing a blog post to pass along some information, trolling the forums, griefing someone in lowsec or having a really cute puppy so the bitches will talk to you, it’s all about recognition.

For me, I doubt that this thing will be about recognition, in fact it will surprise me if anyone ever reads this.  They might stumble upon this website because of the bitching URL or someone might have it book marked back from when it was my old WoW guild’s website (OG’s 4 life, werd).  I’d just like something to do and this looks like it could be a creative outlet to do it.  It’ll get me playing Eve more so that I’ll have something to write about (I hope). I’m curious to come back in a six months, a year, two years and read this post and see how I did.

Eve Online July 21st 2010