środa, 4 września 2013

Red Alliance - Epic Fail

Someone asked on a Day of Defeat server why people still play EVE Online. He was shouted down and immediately ostracized by the EVE fans currently engaged in a different sort of combat. It is moments like a small little skirmish between a few members of a proud and large alliance and a few members of a small and proud corporation that make EVE worthy playing time and time again.

It was a one of those fine days in EVE. X-70MU was full of targets due to the recent breakout and sweep that BoB had conducted. Most of their pilots were docked or rather harmless, and so the combat vessel of choice for the day was a Vexor (Bringoutyourdead). Our corp, Agony Unleashed, had a small bubble placed in a convenient location in a popular travel system. Nothing big, of course, just two or three folks searching for trouble. We found it, naturally, and the clever game of cat and mouse began

A very experienced pilot and a scout had spotted a Red Alliance gang moving towards our trap. They came into the system, and boldly steered straight towards bubble. They began to engage and we responded in kind. As the battle progressed, their members began to evade our best efforts to capture them and they began a hasty retreat. We attempted to follow them, but lost their members among the stars and belts. Soon our roles were reversed and they held the precious bubble that guarded our path home. Though, it was at this moment that they made an error that would make any experienced player cringe.

One of their pilots left system, then two, yet our scout did not notice anyone arrive on the other side of the gates. A lone vessel sat on top of the bubble, ready to spring a log-in trap. The bait was too satiable to pass and we flew right into it. Their comrade re-logged and immediately warped into the fight. Little did he know, that we had our own surprise.

Cloaked, a Falcon was waiting nearby. He decloaked and went to work jamming our foes. Drones from two Vexors began to hammer away at our target, a Crow, who abandoned his friend to his fate. Our blasters focused on the original hunter, now trapped and hopeless. Sitting inside the bubble, webbed, jammed, and engaged, he could only watch his ship detonate and pod explode. The third member of their gang chose to remain logged off, perhaps to his benefit. Following our victory, it was time to return home. We posted our kills, celebrated our victory, and toasted to the vanquished foe. 0.0, endgame as it is now called, is such a wonderful place to fly. Join us!

Living the good life in 0.0

The game EVE Online is a scary place for those of you who are new to the game. Rumors of pirates and ore thieves abound in high sec and you must be on your guard. However, as you fly around avoiding the lower security regions of space, there are a few spots on your map that remain distant, almost mysterious, as you avoid them at any and all costs. These spots are the lawless regions of space, where alliances claim territory, players fight, and anything can happen at any moment.

This exciting region of New Eden is known as 0.0. It is where Concord can’t save you, gate camps are an hourly routine, and bright red circles mark the spots on your map where hundreds of players have met an untimely end. It may sound scary to most new players or high-sec miners debating entering it for the first time? Well, it really isn’t. Having flown with Agony Unleashed for over a year, I can honestly say I love it and am more comfortable in X-7 than in any station in Jita.

Why? Well, In 0.0, you are free. Free of Concord, free of hundreds of players, and free to set your own destiny. Granted, other players are out there too and can freely pop you in a heartbeat. But that is the beauty of it. It is the untamed wild west, where fortune, power, and glory are right for the taking and few have yet to reach out and grasp it. You could be alone for hours, ratting, mining, or hunting your prey and suddenly, with the snap of your fingers, a target appears. You find each other and the deadly dance begins. Destroyed or victorious, the adrenaline rush is real. If you have yet to experience 0.0, you have never truly experienced the full potential of EVE.