EVE!

[Canai]

Originally posted by: Michael
The Alliance I am in, Chain of Chaos (NAWTI), made it to the final 32 of the Alliance tournament. You tube now has a whole bunch of videos from the tournament and the finals should be going up soon.

You can see the various Eve trailers and the tournament fights here:

http://www.youtube.com/ccpgames

You can see me and my guys destroy a team in this video. I was the catalyst that blew up in the opening seconds. <grin>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ui8l1kbsaI

Michael

Nice! I'll have to check those out between classes today.

The corp I'm in is in the process of leaving our alliance due to increasing tensions, so I haven't really been following the alliance tourney as closely as I probably should be. On the other hand, I've reached the point where I'm making a lot more isk than I'm spending and I've got ships to burn, so that's quite nice.

I'm loving this game.

Edit: also, anybody want a battleship? I can build you one for somewhere around 10mil under market price, depending on what it is Hit up Space Scooterman with an EVEmail if you want.

 

[Malladine]

Might take you up on that Canai

May I ask what you're doing to make a lot more ISK?

 

[TheVrolok]

Anyone watch the final match of the ally tourney? It was a pretty fantastic match. As a Harbi pilot myself I had to root for RUR in the end, even tho I didn't see that lone Harbi eeking it out.

 

[Malladine]

That wasn't a harbinger, it was a battleship...geddon maybe? I don't remember. But yeah i watched it, that was the only one I watched actually. Pretty cool.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: Malladine
Might take you up on that Canai

May I ask what you're doing to make a lot more ISK?

I switched from soloing Caldari L4's to doing ones out in Amarr space with one of my corpmates. The Caldari missions are over-farmed so the loot and salvage isn't worth as much as the other races. I've also been using my other account to loot/salvage everything we kill so I've got decent stacks of mins and salvage saved up.

 

[Drift3r]

Originally posted by: Canai

Originally posted by: Malladine
Might take you up on that Canai

May I ask what you're doing to make a lot more ISK?

I switched from soloing Caldari L4's to doing ones out in Amarr space with one of my corpmates. The Caldari missions are over-farmed so the loot and salvage isn't worth as much as the other races. I've also been using my other account to loot/salvage everything we kill so I've got decent stacks of mins and salvage saved up.

The quality of loot and salvage has nothing to do with how many people are running a mission in a given area. In fact a systems security rating is what determines the quality of rats you see in a mission area. Of course if you mean that there are to many people running around and salvaging other peoples wrecks after a mission is over then you are right. Caldari space is rife with salvage whores. I moved to Ammar space myself because of salvage whores and the massive lag found in popular level 4 Caldari space.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: Drift3r

Originally posted by: Canai

Originally posted by: Malladine
Might take you up on that Canai

May I ask what you're doing to make a lot more ISK?

I switched from soloing Caldari L4's to doing ones out in Amarr space with one of my corpmates. The Caldari missions are over-farmed so the loot and salvage isn't worth as much as the other races. I've also been using my other account to loot/salvage everything we kill so I've got decent stacks of mins and salvage saved up.

The quality of loot and salvage has nothing to do with how many people are running a mission in a given area. In fact a systems security rating is what determines the quality of rats you see in a mission area. Of course if you mean that there are to many people running around and salvaging other peoples wrecks after a mission is over then you are right. Caldari space is rife with salvage whores. I moved to Ammar space myself because of salvage whores and the massive lag found in popular level 4 Caldari space.

What I meant was the salvage from the mainly Guristas Caldari missions isn't as good as the Blood Raider and Sansha's missions that you get in Amarr space

 

[Michael]

R.U.R. beat us in the 1st round of the finals. The announcers in the finals were making noise about them using the Omens all tournament, but they actually used the caracals based set-up on their first fight.

The last ship in the finals was an Abaddon..

Michael

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: Malladine
That wasn't a harbinger, it was a battleship...geddon maybe? I don't remember. But yeah i watched it, that was the only one I watched actually. Pretty cool.

Yeah, it was an Abaddon. I don't even know what I was thinking when I wrote that post.. probably thinking about BCs or wait.. maybe the 27 hours on no sleep? Either way, I was losing my mind. Sweet fight regardless.

Originally posted by: Michael
R.U.R. beat us in the 1st round of the finals. The announcers in the finals were making noise about them using the Omens all tournament, but they actually used the caracals based set-up on their first fight.

The last ship in the finals was an Abaddon..

Michael

They used those Navy Omen's pretty effectively from then on though.

 

[erwos]

At the risk of sounding like a total newbie, which is the truth, I've managed to acquire a Catalyst (decked with ion blasters) and a Navitas mining frig (two Miner I, two expanded cargoholds). I'm finding that mining in my Navitas is a complete waste of time compared to doing quickie L1 kill missions in my Catalyst. I'm suspecting that upgrading to a Covetor would change the equation, but that's a fair few million credits away.

Also, can someone explain why putting four railguns and four blasters on my Catalyst is such a bad idea compared to just eight blasters or eight railguns? The complete lack of a ranged game above 5k meters is kinda annoying, but I don't want to get into a situation where someone gets in (and stays) within 3k meters and I've only got railguns to defend myself.

 

[Michael]

Do you mean for missions or for PvP? Normally, if you try to be good at 2 things at once (range and close in), you end up being bad at both. For Gal ships, if you're using rails for missions, use drones to kill the small ships that get close.

Also, use this link to prepare for each mission:

http://eve-survival.org/wikka.php?wakka=HomePage

Michael

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Michael
Do you mean for missions or for PvP? Normally, if you try to be good at 2 things at once (range and close in), you end up being bad at both. For Gal ships, if you're using rails for missions, use drones to kill the small ships that get close.

No, I mean "agent missions", aka, PvE. Catalysts only have cap for one small drone, so I guess I'm going to be going with blasters. It is fun to sic the one drone I have on the enemy - it totally tears them up, which is not what I expected.

Also, use this link to prepare for each mission:

http://eve-survival.org/wikka.php?wakka=HomePage

Yeah, that link was invaluable when I found it yesterday. Totally missed that there were different agent levels, and that the jump was rather high between the levels ("Why is my Catalyst getting shot up in seconds? Oh, it's an L2 mission!"). Reverting back to another L1 agent made things run much more smoothly.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: Michael
Do you mean for missions or for PvP? Normally, if you try to be good at 2 things at once (range and close in), you end up being bad at both. For Gal ships, if you're using rails for missions, use drones to kill the small ships that get close.

No, I mean "agent missions", aka, PvE. Catalysts only have cap for one small drone, so I guess I'm going to be going with blasters. It is fun to sic the one drone I have on the enemy - it totally tears them up, which is not what I expected.

What Michael said is still pretty much the deal .. you're most likely going to end up specializing in either long/short range weapons and it's better not to waste training time doing both. Especially early when you're short on SP. In missions, you're most often going to want to use longer range weaponry and in PvP you'll often use shorter range weaponry (if you're looking for top end DPS as shorter range weapons do more damage, ignoring for now sniper set ups/missile boats). So what you'll end up doing is fitting long range weapons, drones, and a webber. Once the smaller ships start to get close to you, and within web range (which will most likely be near, or inside your weapon optimals) you web them to slow them, and move in the opposite direction (with or without an AB as necessary). Or, if your drone skills are good enough, just sick some light scout drones on them and let the drones do the work while your ship guns keep targeting distance.

 

[Praxis1452]

If you're going t2 just train both. Getting the guns to V is really the most intensive part. just train the specs to IV.

 

[Lakedaimon]

my advice for fitting the Catalyst is as follows:

8 blasters in the highs or 7 blasters and 1 salvager. Not sure how tight the fitting will be but you can probably get away with using all Ions, especially with the 7 + salvager. Use antimatter ammunition
afterburner in the mids and a wildcard - probably a cap recharger if you plan on using a repair module
in the lows id put 3 magnetic field stabilizers or 2 mag stabs and a small armor repair module - I honestly dont remember if the mission rats will be able to hit you easily or not

yes it sucks that you will have to get within like 5000m of your enemies but just click on them and select orbit at 3000m or something like that. Turn off the afterburner when you get close. 7 or 8 blasters plus 2 or 3 mag stabs firing antimatter will melt your enemies very quickly

salvaging the wrecks of your enemies is time consuming and eats up a high slot but it probably nearly doubles the amount of money you can make on a mission

 

[JRich]

Dessies are paper tigers Train for a cruiser.

 

[nsafreak]

Originally posted by: JRich
Dessies are paper tigers Train for a cruiser.

They're still worth training though. You need to have Destroyers 5 to pilot an interdictor which is still a handy ship. Granted it's only used in 0.0 space though.

 

[Lakedaimon]

Originally posted by: JRich
Dessies are paper tigers Train for a cruiser.

they sure are, but you gotta earn the money for a Cruiser somehow...

if he's gallente he should be looking towards flying a Vexor if he likes drones.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Lakedaimon
my advice for fitting the Catalyst is as follows:

8 blasters in the highs or 7 blasters and 1 salvager. Not sure how tight the fitting will be but you can probably get away with using all Ions, especially with the 7 + salvager. Use antimatter ammunition afterburner

in the mids and a wildcard - probably a cap recharger if you plan on using a repair module

in the lows id put 3 magnetic field stabilizers or 2 mag stabs and a small armor repair module - I honestly dont remember if the mission rats will be able to hit you easily or not

I've been considering tossing in a salvager, too. I like my eight Ion blasters (they fit just fine, FYI), but money = awesome. Good advice on the mid/low parts - a little harder to choose those than guns.

yes it sucks that you will have to get within like 5000m of your enemies but just click on them and select orbit at 3000m or something like that. Turn off the afterburner when you get close. 7 or 8 blasters plus 2 or 3 mag stabs firing antimatter will melt your enemies very quickly

I discovered last night that adding an afterburner was tremendously helpful for me. I've got to be a bit more careful about managing my cap now, but AB'ing to the enemy drastically reduces the amount of missile damage I have to take before I explode them. Optimal range is about 1km for Ions with antimatter, which means I have to burn pretty hard.

As for "why a destroyer?", it seemed like a reasonable long-term ship - excellent frigate killer for the moment, and an excellent salvager later on. I understand that it's not going to be solo'ing L2 missions or going head-to-head with proper cruisers.

I'm definitely leaning towards the Vexor for my inevitable cruiser upgrade - the only other ship that seems comparable is the Thorax, and I'd like to play with my drones like a good Gallente. After that, I'm thinking I'll join a corp and get an Iteron V - someone's gotta play the industrial when jetcan-mining...

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: Lakedaimon

Originally posted by: JRich
Dessies are paper tigers Train for a cruiser.

they sure are, but you gotta earn the money for a Cruiser somehow...

if he's gallente he should be looking towards flying a Vexor if he likes drones.

Yeah I'm flying an active armor tanked Myrmidon, awesome power for lvl 3s. I'd like to try the Vexor though, since losing battlecruisers (to players) is becoming too expensive for me right now...

Erwos: 1km might be optimal, but what's the falloff on em? 220mm med. autos have like 1500 optimal but anything 4-12km is in range. And actually less than 4km only battlecruisers and some cruisers, since I guess frigates are too fast for med turrets to track at that range, with my current skills anyway. I did just finish Gunnery V so trajectory analysis is soon

And I agree, destroyers are definitely worth the skill investment. Probably not more than lvl 1 until you're ready to head for Interdictors though, since I don't believe they have "Destroyer skill" based benefits

 

[TheVrolok]

I don't use Destroyers often.. but I do love my Salvaging Thrasher.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: nsafreak

Originally posted by: JRich
Dessies are paper tigers Train for a cruiser.

They're still worth training though. You need to have Destroyers 5 to pilot an interdictor which is still a handy ship. Granted it's only used in 0.0 space though.

You'd be surprised at the number of HIC's I've seen camping lowsec gates recently. We almost ganked one last night but it ran away from the first Ishtar :laugh:

I would highly recommend skipping putting much SP into destroyer for now... once you get in a Vexor, your drones will make mincemeat out of everything. From my experience as a Gallente drone pilot (granted I'm only about 6 months in right now) I've only used the destroyer to back up my other char in lowlevel plexes (which I no longer need to do.. plexing Crusader ftw :laugh and for salvaging. I don't use it for salvage any more either, now that I've got a Salvage Tackle rigged Hurricane for my other char. 2000m3 + cargo bay and not having to warp out if it gets targeted while active salvaging are very nice bonuses over the desty. Granted the Salvacane is 20+ times the investment of a salvage Catalyst, but it's well worth it in my eyes.

If you're salvaging your missions with the same char you're running them with, using a Destroyer does have its benefits though. You can repackage it and stick it, along with all the mods for it, in an Iteron III and still have 5000m3 of cargo for loot and salvage, which is very handy for missions that are a couple jumps out from your home base.

BTW, if anybody needs some funds for a cruiser, drop me an EVEmail at either Space Scooterman or Kwanaioo. I remember when someone helped me out and bought me a Vexor when I first started playing, and how much of a kick-start it was. I've also got a couple Vexors and (I think ) a Catalyst or two in Tintoh that I'm not using.

Also, not sure if it's been covered already, but Tech II light drones should be a priority. It's a good chunk of time to train when you first start out IIRC, but well worth it for level 3 missions, and for killing smaller ships on L4's. My usual complement is Hobgoblin II's and Ogre I's. Hobos rock frigs and desty's, and the Ogres take care of everything larger.

Edit: Also, if you're looking for a corp to join for some help and mission running, I have to put a shameless plug in for the one I'm in. We're about half PvP and half highsec mission runners / industrialists, and I know we've got one guy who's really good helping out newer players and showing them the ropes. You'd probably get more one-on-one help and advice with us than with most larger corps (we're just over 100 people right now) and we've got a few people who are crazy good at fitting out ships for any occasion. Convo / EVEmail me in game or join the New Eden Exchange channel if you want

double edit: Be forwarned though, these are the guys who got me hooked on EVE, so if you talk to them you may never stop playing


edit v3: MEMO TO SELF - SUBSCRIBE TO THIS THREAD IN NEXT POST! :music:

 

[Malladine]

I have to learn about plexes at some point....cause i have no clue what they are. I know what a crusader is but not what would make it a "plexer."

Canai why avoid medium drones? I've been using tech 1 meds so far and they handle lvl 3 rats very well.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: Malladine
I have to learn about plexes at some point....cause i have no clue what they are. I know what a crusader is but not what would make it a "plexer."

Canai why avoid medium drones? I've been using tech 1 meds so far and they handle lvl 3 rats very well.

Mediums used to be awesome, but CCP nerf'd the tracking speed on them, so they can't hit frigs as well as lights and they can't deal the damage that heavies to do cruisers and up. I still carry a flight of Hammerhead II's in my domi to take out structures and turrets and such that are really spread out, but don't really use them for much else.

That and the price on Hammerhead II's tripled a month or so ago, and I get disconnected fairly often (stupid Charter :|) so losing a flight of Ogre I's is much easier on the wallet than Hammy II's. If you can fit 5x Ogre I's and 5x Hobo II's (or I's), try that out and see how your ability to kill larger ships goes (I think that'll require a 150m3 drone bay and 125mbit of drone bandwidth). EFT it as well, I do about 90 more DPS or so with Ogre I's than Hammerhead II's. It took me a while to switch from T2 mediums to T1 heavies, but I'm glad I did and haven't had any regrets about it.

plexes are the Deadspace Complexes that you can scan out or find via overview. The lower level combat ones, 1/10 and 2/10, will show on your overview if you have 'beacons' visible. I've been doing those since they are easy and drop mods that I use (faction armor hardeners, warp scrams, shield boosts, 1MN ABs and MWDs) and I can usually blitz them.

Most people say you should use an Assault Frigate for them, but I've found that my Crusader works nicely as I can speed tank an entire room indefinitely and it lets me just go through and kill the keycard holders and loot dropping structures. It wasn't cheap though heh... It's got 2x Capacitor Control Circuit rigs on it and is fully T2 and faction fit, probably 110mil+ into that one ship heh. but it's cap stable with 4x T2 small pulse lasers, small Pithi B-Type shield boost, and Gistii B-Type 1MN AB running. Like I said, I get lots of disconnects, so permatanks are a top priority in case I'm scrammed when I get the DC.

That said, I'm a few days away from getting in an Assault Frig, since I've had a couple 'almost to armor' moments already heh.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Canai
Edit: Also, if you're looking for a corp to join for some help and mission running, I have to put a shameless plug in for the one I'm in. We're about half PvP and half highsec mission runners / industrialists, and I know we've got one guy who's really good helping out newer players and showing them the ropes. You'd probably get more one-on-one help and advice with us than with most larger corps (we're just over 100 people right now) and we've got a few people who are crazy good at fitting out ships for any occasion. Convo / EVEmail me in game or join the New Eden Exchange channel if you want

You never actually list the corp! I'm interested, but still on my trial account, so I don't even know if I can join one yet. Eve username is Erwos, just like here.