EVE Online: Joining Faction Warfare

While the blog has been flooded with Runes of Magic posts, I’m still subscribed to EVE Online (EO).  I’ve kept my training going but switched gears. I was training to do some basic production in order to get my crafting fix on.  With no other full featured MMO in my diet, I had to get crafting somewhere.

Things have changed a bit since I re-subscribed to EO.  A couple of weeks later I gave Runes of Magic a try and have been there ever since.  It is my Free-2-Play EQ2/WOW/LOTRO fantasy alternative.  It’s enough of what I like with options of opting out of things I don’t like or find entertaining.  Having built my crafting workshop in ROM that's where I’m getting my crafting-fix satisfied these days.

For EO I’ve changed my training focus to PVP.  However, I’m probably going to unsubscribe again before ambulation.  I play EO for the flavor and the imagined sci-fi virtual world possibilities.  It’s the only game where I can get that and I like to write a bit of sci-fi which keeps me wanting to stay connected with this game.  I started a short story series a few years back.  I had to put it down when I struggled too much with the language and jargon of space flight.  After playing EO I’ve been able to work on it again.  The dialog and descriptions sound more plausible as a direct result of playing EO.  I hope to air the series on the Gamers’ Fiction Podcast some time in the future.

I’ve decided to do something before un-subing again.  I want a grand adventure before taking another EO break.  I’m going to outfit 10 Frigates for pure PVP and join the Gallente side in FW.  I have three frigates from past adventures rotting in my hanger and two containers full of PVP related equipment I’ve accumulated over the years.  I haven’t started equipping my ships yet.  I’ll check Battle Clinic and then post here for some advice first.

My last go round with PVP was related to our corporation being hit with a war declaration which provided a crazy PVP ride for a noob.   I expect this to provide similar hair-raising fun and more than a few good stories.  So all hope is not lost.  I haven’t turned into a complete ROM zombie.  *smile*

Comments

[Letrange]

Have fun with FW, I know I did :), if you have any questions just ask. (not that I haven't been reading your ROM adventures with interest, but with my alliance reviving I really don't have time to check out other MMOs so it's always good to read about what's out there).

[Tipa]

You need to get into Twitter more. We were just having a discussion this morning about the importance of being able to tell your own story in a MMO.

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

@Letrange - I expect it to be quite interesting. Make sure to check back so you can provide some advise on ship setup. Won't get around to that until next week.

@Tipa - I know. I keep meaning too but some days I feel so overwhelmed with information and communication since I also do that for a living. I'm tryin to convince myself to just jump in. :-) I'm sure I'm missing out on some good conversations.

[Heartless_]

I have to admit, as much as I disdain CCPs management philosophy for EVE, that their Design philosophy is spot on and exciting.

If you ask me, EVE is the only massive game on the market. All of the other games are pretenders with multiple servers/shards/etc. running. EVE's single server approach with the wormholes now is absolute brilliance and even has me considering whether to saddle up in my pod again.

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

I keep coming and going. I never leave over anger or anything wrong with the game. It will be interesting to see if ambulation is the fix for me that I hoping. Being in a corporation is another big part that completely alters your game experience which I didn't do this time either.

But yes, the whole massive thing where everyone is on the same server in such a way that you can play with anyone who plays EVE is a huge deal. You read people having to re-roll in other games to hook up with friends or pay for a transfer service. The burden shouldn't be left on the player-base to solve the problem of hooking up with each other when they are playing the same MMO.

[Nef]

Hope you get some good fights in. PvP is something I've always loved and am just getting into it seriously in Eve -- jumping straight into the deep end with 0.0. ;)

[Iggep]

I was wondering when you would report on your doings in EVE again. You got me interested enough back in Feb 08' to check it out myself. I think I played for a week and dropped it for WoW again. I found it very confusing, but decided to pick it back up a month ago and I'm still with it. Decided this time around that I needed to really find out what EVE was all about.

It's definitely not a game for someone who wants to come in and go at it without a lot of research/learning. Even if you are willing to do that research you still can't really do anything meaningful in EVE for quite a while until you get a substantial number of skills under your belt.

I've steered clear of factional warfare myself because it puts some pretty severe travel restrictions on you. Unless you are sure you don't need/want to move through what would amount to a quarter of the galaxy. I'd love to get into that at some point though.

A month in and I'm finally at a point where I'm looking at skilling into a Battle Cruiser now. I've been spending my time mining up to this point with some pvp/mission skilling on the side.

[Alysianah aka Saylah]

EVE does take some time to get to a point where you feel like you're getting things accomplished. Although all combined I doubt that I've actually played 12 months in-game time, I've kept an account active for periods of time when I'm not really playing just training up skills. This keeps me at a point where I can jump into things when I do come back but shifting things a bit and grabbing a few more skills.

My understanding is that you can go in and out of FW. I have no need to move things around since I don't do the whole mining thing and never got production off the ground. I'll move where I need to be for FW with the ships and equipment I have, purchase the other ships from that location and then join FW and see where it leads.

One reason why it's taking me a while is that as you mentioned you have to do research to get things done in EVE. I haven't wanted to dedicate the time needed by pulling out of other things I'm doing but I'm getting there.