Wednesday 20 March 2013

Not going to lie...

A good plan isn't one where someone wins, it's where nobody thinks they've *lost*.
-- (Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents) 


But I feel disappointed in CCP and EVE online but it's also my fault.

Many years ago, I moved to a small system close to highsec, life was good, plenty of frigate action generated by the local 1/10 and 2/10 complexes, surrounding systems full of the brave and foolish.

Every time I logged on there would be conflict, either with those trying to farm the plexes, or those purely coming for a fight. Gusandall was a highway, with so much traffic it some days resembled highsec. Anti Pirates would bring massive fleets through on a regular basis, knowing there would be Pirates for all occasions. There were so many Pirates, oh so many, who cared and tended the area, making sure not to bleed it dry and there was so much action and opportunity for all of us, even the smallest of solo Pirates.

I had carved a niche for myself, not a plex runner or plex farmer, but that of a plex hunter. I was furious in my assault on any interlopers to that plex, so much so that intricate traps were laid to scuttle any plans I had on violence. From polcarbed domination point tackle Rifters and stealth bombers, to log on traps by some of my fiercest opponents. I had fought off entire gangs inside the plexes, lost a few but won a helluva lot. I made many enemies, but also a few life long friends. Many of you may recall some of my thrilling stories of hot plex action on this very blog.

I had ransomed so many pilots, not only for their ships and pods, but also for the right to run the plex (I would convo pilots from station and tell them I would undock and come cause explosions in their immediate vicinity if they didn't pay... Some did and went on their merry, those that didn't met a sticky end)

The untold billions I made off my endeavors and my sheer success at hunting these folk meant I very rarely needed to leave Gusandall. Sure, I still hunted in the surrounding area but I fondly recall whole action packed days spent in the warm glow of the Gusandall star.

Those days are sadly gone, and with them, my raison d'etre.

I'm lost.

Why am I writing this? Well, I'm struggling to find inspiration, I'm too old to be moving around, six years of some of the most exciting action ever and now nothing... Is this what retirement feels like?
Have I been put out to pasture by CCP?

This really sucks.

15 comments:

Rixx Javix said...

Don't lose hope m8, these things really do come in cycles. I don't know that system extremely well, but I've seen the same cycles with Hevrice, Ostingele, Lisb, OMS and many more of my own hunting grounds.

Grab a few frigs and come up to OMS/Heyd, those systems are pretty busy these days. Let your system re-gen a little while your away.

Trebron Znieh said...

Yeah Eve sucks at the moment.
Nullsec is also dead.
I unsubbed my accounts some months ago and enjoy World of Tanks. If things get better I will come back. I feel a constant itching to do so.

Miura Bull said...

They basically did a Mortal Kombat finishing move and ripped the spine out of lowsec.

Anonymous said...

therea are always ships in space in OMS, Heydieles, Ladister....
too many of them sometimes

Chband said...

Well if you don't mind scanning, you can try out wh hunting XD

Anonymous said...

Kane you became a lazy ass. How come that I do 40-70 kills per week with little effort most of time when we hunt in very same area for 3 years now?

Static plexes are gone and wont return my friend. Now you have to seek for fights, probe sites, watch lowsec entry points, move around in hope to be in right place on right time.
Easy fights are gone so adapt man.

Also there is plenty of new static plexes near Gus in FW area Arnstur Todi with many people flying in frigates - which used to be most fun for you to fight against.

But sure you wont find any fight if you stay docked all the time.

Cheers,
XH



Kane Rizzel said...

Haha, Xyl, you say at your low end you're hitting over 2000 kills a year? Check your figures dude.

But yes, I have gotten lazy, but I also don't fly cloaky T3s with falcon backup, but here's the rub, unlike a lot of people I relish going in under gunned, have done my entire career, I use command links to balance the field slightly for range, speed and ability to catch folk, flying outnumbered and outgunned in frigates and cruisers.

Do what I have done and see if you're still getting as many kills as you claim.

I'm not saying you're not good at what you do, just two different play styles.

To everyone else, yes the game changes, I have adapted more than anyone else out there over my long years, currently having more fun on a noob alt.

W0wbagger said...

Kane - been reading your blog for years - a fellow lowsec denizen but in the same amount of time i've lived in 5 different systems for extended periods. I know it's not for everyone but eve is a dynamic game, areas wax and wane in terms of activity and you either need to wait it out, move with them or do what we do and try to base right in the middle and roam to the right areas.

TLDR - move or roam - plenty of non static plexes about. You are clearly a very good player and won't have any problems getting fights and not getting blobs. Feel free to convo me in game for some system suggestions.
In the case of the plexes - they are gone but very similar things are constantly popping up in fw space - with plenty of similar targets that you are used to running them - it's not all blobs.
I would certainly consider a move to caldari/gallente (slightly less blobby) fw areas before you give up. It's only going to be an evening of irritating carrier jumps and the end result could be the best pvp you've had in ages.

Naoru Kozan said...

+1 on the moving around when an area gets stale. Normally I live in Jov (next door to Hevrice)and have no trouble finding fights. Caldari/Gallente FW areas are great for small scale fights.

Nursultan said...

+1 to W0wbagger and others suggesting FW plex invasion. I'm playing very casually these days but I easily find fights there when I feel like.

Sard Caid said...

http://evebroadside.blogspot.com/2013/03/in-reply-to-journal-entry-made-by-kane.html

Miura Bull said...

W0wbagger did you just make your TLDR twice as long as your initial comment? :P

W0wbagger said...

No either Kane or my browser trimmed it, never knowingly concise :-)

Anonymous said...

Dear Kane,

You were an inspiration to a lot of players to go out and about and shoot stuff in the face until it explodes.

I am p. sure you can manage to adapt even with Gus becoming a little stale.

Pick a new temp home, jump some ships there, go and roam around a bit. If it's still stale (i.e. no fights at all in 4-5 jumps), switch again.

I salute you, sir, for being an inspiration to us. Keep on fighting o7

Anonymous said...

Who wants "fights"?... I want targets and territory to fight over. If I want fights I'll log into something else where I don't need to search for them.

Adapting to changes is fine but there is no adapting to a removal..it's gone and chasing crappy FW farmers' shitfit frigs doesn't compare. I was going to adapt and go out into null to throw down for a little piece of space with some resources...thank god I just quit with the "resource redistribution" coming.

Anyone in a rut should do what I did. Quit and let the dust settle.

Turgesson