Well it's that magical time of year again! Where teams trying to get into the AT but didn't scream on the forums, and those who did get in prepare for hell. This year the overall field looks strong! Even stronger since Rote Kapelle made it in!
So many teams to root for, so little time. Not to mention the wife not being happy when I broke the news to her that we made it in, she really doesn't like me waking up that early to go play INTERNET spaceshipzz!
In any case, the full list can be found here... AT8 Participants.
Now, I get to look at each team and try to figure out how everyone will do!
A#1. Rote Kapelle - Well obviously I would like to see us win this time, to avenge our poor showing at the last tourney! With the outside chance I might be on the team makes this look even better! gogo fail Kapelle. Seriously though we have a LOT to prove, especially after last AT where I lost count of the mistakes after the first fight.
Everyone else... That I actually know.
Against ALL Authorities - Great batch of pilots here, including Wensley, hope they do well against everyone but us, honestly I hope they aren't in our bracket!
Agony Empire - Teachers of some reportedly great pvp classes, and seem to have some good instructors and pilots, it will be interesting to see what they field.
Cry Havoc. - I'm starting to be a big fan of these gents as well. But I used to hate them as ENH and Outbreak pretty much crapped all over one of my more favorite corps I was in. Anyways I wish them luck! They have some very capable pilots and have always made a strong showing AND good pvpee video's.
Curatores Veritatis Alliance - CVA, well I just hope they lose. Wonder if they will show up golden fleet style?
Dead Terrorists - Out in Syndicate by us.
death from above.. - Apparently Jagerda's old alliance mates...
Electric Monkey Overlords - Know these guys from around the Groothese pipe. Wonder if I will see anyone I remember in the fights? Pretty horrible though, gate camping in dictors ftw, no idea how they are now.
Get Off My Lawn - Last time I saw these gents they were in our local, cloaking in SB, smack talking (yay) and doing bombing runs when they weren't trying to bait us into engaging a either overpowering fleet or trying to trap us. Wish them luck because unless they have dramatically improved, they are going to need it.
GoonSwarm - Really?
HUN Reloaded - Always a solid team! Won AT6 I think?
Huzzah Federation - It's spring so they must be reforming.. again
HYDRA RELOADED - Genos is scary, good luck out there!
Important Internet Spaceship League - They base in Syndicate pretty close to us so we see them on a regular basis. That's all I'm gonna say
Interstellar Alcohol Conglomerate - Really? I thought IAC was mostly dead?
Noir. Mercenary Group - Our second fight AT 7, just barely lost to these folks! Seems like we have seen at least one of the better alliances in combat before. We also fought NOIR. about a year or more ago in Syndicate, though they weren't targeted against us, we did see them around so to speak, as much as you can see cloakers =)
Panda Team - gogo Josey Wales!
Pandemic Legion - What I would consider one of the favorites here and a great set of teams last year, we will see how they match up this year!
The Kadeshi - I remember these gents from last year, not sure why I remember them, but their name sticks with me. Just looked at it and though they beat the Five last year, they were killed by Manifest Destiny... Battle Badger anyone?
The Star Fraction - Could be a very solid team with good financial backing, doesn't mean I have to like them!
The Tusker Bastards - Two effective pirate corps, so it will be interesting to see what they can do in what should be small gang pvp.
Ushra'Khan - Always root for UK since I hate CVA arrogance so much, not sure I care about them this year though.
Good luck to all!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
What's on your HUD?
Misan Pal'Taek over at Serious Thukking Business Made a great post about proper setup of the UI. I admired his UI screen shots and have to say I was a bit intrigued!
This is Misan's current and very elegant setup, well detailed and explained why everything is where it is. Makes a whole lot of sense to me at least. But then my overview is just a jumble, but it's a jumble that I know where shit is! Mostly muscle memory at this point!
Speaking of, his setup is roughly the exact reverse of mine, where my radial(the circle with shield/armor/structure is what I call a Radial) is still down at the bottom middle in the "traditional" position, but who knows for how much longer! I have my targets arranged above the radial, spanning from my overview on the right of my screen to and even under my scanner and local chat channel on the left, or at least when I have 10 targets locked. My scanner sits next to my huge local chat window, ready for probes or d-scan. I have my fleet window docked with my scanner since it is rare in combat to be using both at the same time. My watch list is close to the top middle, slightly to the right corner. Drones are under the overview as usual, but slightly smaller with no space between the overview and side of the screen since I don't look at the outlaying icons around the outside of the screen much. As for chat windows, other than local, I keep the majority of my intel, corp/alliance chat at the top of the screen in the dead middle, minimized in combat along with fleet chat... use vent people! My private chats and random channels I have in the lower right corner by my drones, keeping those minimized in combat as well.So without further ado! What does YOUR UI look like currently? Why does it look like that? I think I will be changing mine up soon, so stand by!
So this is basically what I have on a regular basis, everything not minimized.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Art of the Rifter (Art of, Part 1)
In Eve there are few ships classes that are as difficult to fly and as unforgiving as almost all of the t1 Frigates. Even "bitter vets" remember flying them with a smile, squeezing on your first good fit just to have it blown out from under you. No matter your skill level the desire to fly them remains to some extent. See if you can finally fit that bigger gun, or bigger tank. Try to work out a way that rockets could be effective... but I digress.
There are also few ships as well known as the infamous t1 Rifter.
Favorite of pirates, nullsec tackle, pirate hunters and Minmatar specialists alike. The Rifter is the first of a long line of truly flexible Minmatar ships. The ship can inspire fear and awe if fit properly or laughter if fit improperly. It also highlights where SP and pilot skill meet to turn a otherwise serviceable ship into a great one.
If you haven't taken the time to read the guides availible on this workhorse frigate I suggest you take a look at the following.
Eve Online Rifter Wiki (taken from Wensley's Rifter Guide.)
These two guides delve deep into the depths of what flying a Rifter is all about. Even the linked items at the bottom add volumes.
< Here we have what is largely my Rifter fit... at least one of them. I don't like fitting anything above a X5 web on a ship this fragile but that's no reason why you shouldn't! The important thing to note here are the Rigs and Faction Ammo.
Rigs add 22 DPS, enough to turn a fight in your favor. Since they are so cheap now, each one being little more than the cost of the Rifter, the increase in performance they provide makes them a worthy expense every time.
Always bring more than one type of ammo. On the other hand, refrain from changing ammo types during combat unless absolutely needed. I recommend carrying faction EMP, Fusion, PP, and Titanium Sabot, as well as the T2 ammo Barrage. EMP is great against those pesky shield tanking ships, while Fusion can work similarly well against armor tanked ships up close. Phased plasma aka PP is great for needling Amarr t2 frigates since their lowest resist will be Thermal. Barrage really should be your base ammo fit and flown with, only swapping to others when you know they will be needed. Barrage allows you to strike at range, deep in your falloff at around 6-9km and still leave you with some level of being able to get out if things go poorly and orbit at a speed that makes tracking you a pain.
So why do I say refrain from changing ammo during combat? It takes 10 seconds to reload your guns. You have to be hitting for very very little damage for the new ammo type to make a viable change. Enough of a change that you will be able to make up for your lost 10 seconds of damage. In a cruiser or above this becomes less and less critical solo as you have enough time to make a change without it significantly changing the battle. When you are in a frigate, that 10 seconds can be more than enough time to die.
To cover my other fitting modifications, In my high slots I fit a NOS instead of the usual Rocket launcher. I like being able to sustain my tackle as well as stealing the energy required to run the small rep, even under medium and heavy neut cycles. At times having cap can be the difference between winning and losing, or winning and letting the target warp out. Now keep in mind that this is an AB setup, not a MWD fit. It should be useful mostly for roaming lowsec looking for your first hundred kills, and not as fleet tackle or an interceptor replacement, unless you are in a wolfpack of similar ships and they are close by.
Advanced piloting tips. . . manual piloting, when done right, can save you a lot of ships, but getting to that point will be painful. In the end, understanding how to engage and what to expect from you ship comes from losing more than a few. Get used to double-clicking in space, and finding ways to twist your ship into the orbit you want vs the one the computer figures out. Sometimes orbits can be the direct opposite way you are currently heading when you use the orbit button, so where before you were safely flying along at 1km+/- a sec, now suddenly you are down at 100m/s and a big fat target for those lazy gunners. Usually ending badly.
The Rifter's utility as a training platform and ship is only paralleled by it's lethality. I just love the look of the guns bristling off the sleek hull, and the Wolf and Jag take this look to a whole new level, but that is the subject for another pair of posts.
There are also few ships as well known as the infamous t1 Rifter.
Favorite of pirates, nullsec tackle, pirate hunters and Minmatar specialists alike. The Rifter is the first of a long line of truly flexible Minmatar ships. The ship can inspire fear and awe if fit properly or laughter if fit improperly. It also highlights where SP and pilot skill meet to turn a otherwise serviceable ship into a great one.
If you haven't taken the time to read the guides availible on this workhorse frigate I suggest you take a look at the following.
Eve Online Rifter Wiki (taken from Wensley's Rifter Guide.)
These two guides delve deep into the depths of what flying a Rifter is all about. Even the linked items at the bottom add volumes.
Rigs add 22 DPS, enough to turn a fight in your favor. Since they are so cheap now, each one being little more than the cost of the Rifter, the increase in performance they provide makes them a worthy expense every time.
Always bring more than one type of ammo. On the other hand, refrain from changing ammo types during combat unless absolutely needed. I recommend carrying faction EMP, Fusion, PP, and Titanium Sabot, as well as the T2 ammo Barrage. EMP is great against those pesky shield tanking ships, while Fusion can work similarly well against armor tanked ships up close. Phased plasma aka PP is great for needling Amarr t2 frigates since their lowest resist will be Thermal. Barrage really should be your base ammo fit and flown with, only swapping to others when you know they will be needed. Barrage allows you to strike at range, deep in your falloff at around 6-9km and still leave you with some level of being able to get out if things go poorly and orbit at a speed that makes tracking you a pain.
So why do I say refrain from changing ammo during combat? It takes 10 seconds to reload your guns. You have to be hitting for very very little damage for the new ammo type to make a viable change. Enough of a change that you will be able to make up for your lost 10 seconds of damage. In a cruiser or above this becomes less and less critical solo as you have enough time to make a change without it significantly changing the battle. When you are in a frigate, that 10 seconds can be more than enough time to die.
To cover my other fitting modifications, In my high slots I fit a NOS instead of the usual Rocket launcher. I like being able to sustain my tackle as well as stealing the energy required to run the small rep, even under medium and heavy neut cycles. At times having cap can be the difference between winning and losing, or winning and letting the target warp out. Now keep in mind that this is an AB setup, not a MWD fit. It should be useful mostly for roaming lowsec looking for your first hundred kills, and not as fleet tackle or an interceptor replacement, unless you are in a wolfpack of similar ships and they are close by.
Advanced piloting tips. . . manual piloting, when done right, can save you a lot of ships, but getting to that point will be painful. In the end, understanding how to engage and what to expect from you ship comes from losing more than a few. Get used to double-clicking in space, and finding ways to twist your ship into the orbit you want vs the one the computer figures out. Sometimes orbits can be the direct opposite way you are currently heading when you use the orbit button, so where before you were safely flying along at 1km+/- a sec, now suddenly you are down at 100m/s and a big fat target for those lazy gunners. Usually ending badly.
The Rifter's utility as a training platform and ship is only paralleled by it's lethality. I just love the look of the guns bristling off the sleek hull, and the Wolf and Jag take this look to a whole new level, but that is the subject for another pair of posts.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Superdeepsafenerfbat.
Letrange makes some great points in his blog about the status of super-deep safe's. It is still relevant even after CCP has promised to re-look at their solution.
I had a few or rather couple problems with their implementation of the said change. They could just move all ships outside the 10AU wall back to a station in system or nearest station in the case of 0.0. They have done the same for Titians when they were stuck coming out of the cap array initially so it is possible. Or leave them in space just remove the bookmark, and 3 below should cover the rest.
This would be my suggested fixes :
1.) Prevent bookmarking while on a E-warp, obviously when you come back online.
2.) remove all 10+ AU, or even 50+ AU, from system core Bookmarks.
3.) prevent BM creation at more than 100 AU from the outskirts of the solar system.
4.) E-Warp current ships out in a deep deep safe back to a 75 AU safe at random, or put the ships in station.
Explinations
1) prevents the current mechanic from working anymore
2) gets rid of all the really really deep safes but leaves some that are closer to the system intact
3) prevents even more deep safes from being created... well ever.
4) prevents "I lost my stuff" or "I'm gonna lose my stuff" tears, though they are delicious!
DO NOT prevent warping out that far! what happens if I make a BM right on the 10AU boundary and then fly the extra .1AU am I suddenly unable to be scanned or if scanned down unable to be warped to? Don't you think someone (goons) are going to find the very last KM they can make a Bookmark to and then BM that and fly the 1km deeper into their new shiny ultra safe! I guess that is my main problem with the current idea, it could still be scammed. By setting up hard rules, it only allows for future abuse. Keep the rules fluid and profit!
Bottom line deep safes need to be removed from the game. They allow too many easy escapes, too many CS in space safe from destruction and such a easy out for anyone who wants to stay safe regardless of shiptype, it really makes no sense and is an exploit of the game mechanics.
In no way does the solution need to feel like or look like a giant space wall! Speaking of...
I had a few or rather couple problems with their implementation of the said change. They could just move all ships outside the 10AU wall back to a station in system or nearest station in the case of 0.0. They have done the same for Titians when they were stuck coming out of the cap array initially so it is possible. Or leave them in space just remove the bookmark, and 3 below should cover the rest.
This would be my suggested fixes :
1.) Prevent bookmarking while on a E-warp, obviously when you come back online.
2.) remove all 10+ AU, or even 50+ AU, from system core Bookmarks.
3.) prevent BM creation at more than 100 AU from the outskirts of the solar system.
4.) E-Warp current ships out in a deep deep safe back to a 75 AU safe at random, or put the ships in station.
Explinations
1) prevents the current mechanic from working anymore
2) gets rid of all the really really deep safes but leaves some that are closer to the system intact
3) prevents even more deep safes from being created... well ever.
4) prevents "I lost my stuff" or "I'm gonna lose my stuff" tears, though they are delicious!
DO NOT prevent warping out that far! what happens if I make a BM right on the 10AU boundary and then fly the extra .1AU am I suddenly unable to be scanned or if scanned down unable to be warped to? Don't you think someone (goons) are going to find the very last KM they can make a Bookmark to and then BM that and fly the 1km deeper into their new shiny ultra safe! I guess that is my main problem with the current idea, it could still be scammed. By setting up hard rules, it only allows for future abuse. Keep the rules fluid and profit!
Bottom line deep safes need to be removed from the game. They allow too many easy escapes, too many CS in space safe from destruction and such a easy out for anyone who wants to stay safe regardless of shiptype, it really makes no sense and is an exploit of the game mechanics.
In no way does the solution need to feel like or look like a giant space wall! Speaking of...
I imagine it would look like this!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What don't I have in my hangar?
Rixx Javix, author of EVEPGANDA, aka the Famous blobber, just couldn't resist, asked in one of his posts “What is in your hangar?”.
I have 72 fit and unfit combat ships in my two hangars... Of these ships I have 61 different combat classes/hulls represented. So it is more like what don't I have?
But I will update the highlights!
2 x Curse, called Evil EYe and Evil eYe, fit mostly best named and t2, non-FC small gang support ships, sometimes solo when I can get away with it.
1 x Cynabal, New addition, the name is cool, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it is right now... ummmm pretty sure it is named Hermóðr. I haven't flown this in combat yet, but it looks pretty sexy, and is fit well enough! Looking forward to trying out the three or four other fits I have my eyes on for it!
1 x Huginn, unfit, but looking for work
1 x Pilgrim, Nasty Surprise, built to withstand some punishment, still an old ship, built to rat and or pick off ratters deep in 0.0, not a great fleet ship.
1 x Rapier, E-Brake, Fit but still alternating between losing time to the Curse, and Cynabal.
1 x Scimitar, Scimisave! Fit with my nice Logistics V skills to keep pilots alive. However I don't use it as much as I should!
1 x Guardian, Saveyourassasaurus, Built with cap circle jerk in mind. Definately greatful to have Logi V on this thing.
2 x Crusaders. Unfit currently, but they are fun! Will be named Hydra III and IV
2 x Taranis. Apparently my favorite ship type! Who knew! Maybe I just tackle the most bullshit in them and get in on the most killmails with them... Have to name them as a different female porn star (male porn stars for the Diemost)
A few RRBS (Mega, Tempest, Domi, Typhoon and geddon) and one maybe two(apoc and Tempest) Fleet BS sniper fit in case I ever find use for them.
50 exotic dancers... Okay maybe NOT ships, but useful for long roams, especially Crystal and Bambi, they do... well, I'll leave THAT up to your imagination.
A comment from me on POS shooting . . .
I have 72 fit and unfit combat ships in my two hangars... Of these ships I have 61 different combat classes/hulls represented. So it is more like what don't I have?
But I will update the highlights!
2 x Curse, called Evil EYe and Evil eYe, fit mostly best named and t2, non-FC small gang support ships, sometimes solo when I can get away with it.
1 x Cynabal, New addition, the name is cool, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it is right now... ummmm pretty sure it is named Hermóðr. I haven't flown this in combat yet, but it looks pretty sexy, and is fit well enough! Looking forward to trying out the three or four other fits I have my eyes on for it!
1 x Huginn, unfit, but looking for work
1 x Pilgrim, Nasty Surprise, built to withstand some punishment, still an old ship, built to rat and or pick off ratters deep in 0.0, not a great fleet ship.
1 x Rapier, E-Brake, Fit but still alternating between losing time to the Curse, and Cynabal.
1 x Scimitar, Scimisave! Fit with my nice Logistics V skills to keep pilots alive. However I don't use it as much as I should!
1 x Guardian, Saveyourassasaurus, Built with cap circle jerk in mind. Definately greatful to have Logi V on this thing.
2 x Crusaders. Unfit currently, but they are fun! Will be named Hydra III and IV
2 x Taranis. Apparently my favorite ship type! Who knew! Maybe I just tackle the most bullshit in them and get in on the most killmails with them... Have to name them as a different female porn star (male porn stars for the Diemost)
A few RRBS (Mega, Tempest, Domi, Typhoon and geddon) and one maybe two(apoc and Tempest) Fleet BS sniper fit in case I ever find use for them.
50 exotic dancers... Okay maybe NOT ships, but useful for long roams, especially Crystal and Bambi, they do... well, I'll leave THAT up to your imagination.
A comment from me on POS shooting . . .
Monday, April 12, 2010
#wha? @who? Twitterfleet? tweetdeck? This is crazy!
So I ended up folding and making a twitter account. Someone come follow me, as I have no idea WTF I am doing!
Should be pretty entertaining, if only I didn't have a deadline at the end of this week!
http://twitter.com/Logan_Fyreite
Should be pretty entertaining, if only I didn't have a deadline at the end of this week!
http://twitter.com/Logan_Fyreite
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