Lessons Learned
The past week has been quite an experience for me. Ashnazg, Nursultan, and Wensely responded to my fleet pewpew request, graciously allowing me to fly with them.
On Saturday, June 6th, I roamed Minmatar lowsec with Ashnazg, Nursultan, Jyren’s Rage, and rhiw’aow. In terms of kills and losses, our small yet potent fleet of frigates was quite successful, merely losing one Rifter (well, we did lose another to CONCORD because someone accidentally jumped into highsec :P) for Harbinger (I was afk for this one), Caracal, Caracal, and Drake kills. But the kills were just a small part of it: the actual flying experience was everything I expected and more. My fleet mates were coordinated and efficient. Confusion was nearly nonexistent, and everyone worked together to quickly scan large systems and pinpoint the location of targets. They were not only formidable PVPers, but also adept team players. And of course, their sense of humor was quite good as well. Overall, I got an enthralling taste of what PVP in a [good] fleet is like.
Lesson learned: “Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content.” (Louis L’Amour)
Two days later, I traveled all the way to Hevrice to meet up with Wensley. We both were in Rifters, and traveled a long ways through Syndicate, finding few targets. Near the end of the roam, we ran into a Celestis 90 km off a gate. We both burned towards it, but Wensley reached it ahead of me because he had an MWD and I had an afterburner. By the time I’d reached it, Wensley had popped. I briefly attempted to fight it, but after realizing it was futile, I executed the Run-Run-As-Fast-As-You-Can™ maneuver and escaped with 10% structure left. So our malicious plans to create a trail of tears through Syndicate were thwarted (unless you count Wensley’s tears at the loss of his ship and the tears in my hull). Oh well.
Lesson learned: “If at first you don’t succeed, failure may be your style.” (Quentin Crisp).
Wensley had to log, but I did get to fly with the other Tuskers. A group of them had spotted two Ruptures and a Retriever in a belt, but the ships would warp out too quickly. Being very clever, they proceeded to spend the next ten minutes trying to get a covert ops into an optimal position for a warp in. Unfortunately, it was decloaked by an asteroid (asteroids ALWAYS ruin villainous plans. At least the miners punish them for us.). So I volunteered to help, being a neutral in Rifter. I “ratted” while scanning down the mining posse, and we all impatiently waited for the Retrievers to come back (the Tuskers were at a gate in a adjacent system, ready to jump in). Eventually, the Retriever returned, we jumped in, killed one Rupture, lost point on another, ransomed the Retriever, got jumped by a Rough Necks alliance fleet, and warped out. We got one overzealous Sacrilege who arrived before his mates, but lost a Vexor who was trying to grab some loot before jumping out.
Lesson learned: “Every man serves a useful purpose: A miser, for example, makes a wonderful ancestor.” (Laurence Peter)
I later flew back to Minmatar lowsec, thankful that my security status was still high enough to avoid <dramatic music>CONCORDOKEN</dramatic music>. Once there, I saw Myxnee in local. Apparently she had just killed someone, and was getting smacktalk.
[ 2009.06.10 01:08:09 ] Legatus1982 > lol pussy
[ 2009.06.10 01:08:22 ] Legatus1982 > attack me while im fighting a criuser
[ 2009.06.10 01:08:25 ] Legatus1982 > u got 0 balls son
The poor chap made two mistakes: 1) He didn’t follow my Piloting Savviness guide and read Myxnee’s bio. 2) He forgot Pirating Rule Number One: “A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” ‘Nuff said.
Lesson learned: You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun. (Al Capone)
Anyways, I ended up fighting Myxnee because I wanted to see how badly I’d get pwned. And now my killboard is 100x more complete. Thanks Mynxee. =D (Although I swear my Salvager wasn’t working against her Rifter… omg hax!)
Lesson learned: The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.
But enough of yarring. In other news, my Piloting Savviness guide was featured on Massively: EVE Online article on piloting savvy a condensed gem of a resource. And my blog hits went up massively (pun intended). The only thing which makes me go :( is that apparently everyone is avoiding the use of the word “savviness.” Ooh, that felt awesome, I’m gonna say it again: “savviness.” If I used it, then it’s a word. C’mon people, get with the program. :P
Lesson learned: The artist doesn’t have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don’t have the time to read reviews. (William Faulkner)
So we’ve all learned many lessons from this highly informative blog post. One final exhortation: “Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers.” (Homer Simpson)
Yarrbear Tales 
Well, to make you happy 2 times: You’re pilot savviness is absolutely amazing!
Not that I know whether you are, I mean, I don’t know if these posts are all that objective (nor do I care, I love em already:P)
Anyway, would you happen to have any specific tips for an interceptor? (a crow that is).
I’m not planning on solo-ing, but perhaps you might have any tips anyway:D
I don’t fly interceptors very much and I’ve never flown a Crow, so I’m definitely not well-versed on the subject. But for interceptors, stay out of web (10 km) and scram (~9 km) range (be aware that overheating will extend those ranges!). Interceptors have a weak tank, and getting scrammed or webbed leads to almost certain death. Range is not an issue for the Crow, as with good missile skills you can hit from around 15 km.
Other frigate-sized ships, your largest threat, often are not fitted for such ranged combat. Autocannons (Minmatar ships) and blasters (Gallente ships) do not have 10+ km range, lasers will either use Radio (poor DPS) or or Scorch (poor tracking – make sure to increase transversal), and missiles will do little damage (they already have poor DPS to start with, and your speed will reduce damage).
And of course, make sure to train capacitor (to keep your MWD running), speed+agility, and interceptor (to reduce your signature and get bonuses) skills.
Hope that helps!
To be honest, I knew most of that already, but as you said, you probably wouldn’t know much about it.
Anyway, thanks for the tips, i’ll see how it goes
Keep writing those good articles for me will ya!
Nicely written mate!!! Hope to see you out there!!
Yeah, ummmm, hi……..
I am so used to just lurking and reading posts, I must apologize ahead of time for my soon-to-be-apparent lack of social skills and etiquette.
I just first wanted to thank you for your blog. It is really informative, and just entertaining to read. It has inspired me in a couple of not so small ways I will get into in a moment.
I am trying to come to terms with my new-found addiction that is EVE – I just finished my second trial acct alt (which will probably be my main, actually) and in a couple of weeks, should be playing regularly (yeah…..times are a little hard right now for me in BOTH ISK and USD).
Now for the inspiration part. Well first is this:
[Rifter, Ranged Riff]
Co-Processor II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Beta Hull Mod Overdrive Injector
Tracking Computer II, Tracking Speed
Tracking Computer II, Optimal Range
Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
[empty high slot]
[empty rig slot]
[empty rig slot]
[empty rig slot]
In your guides, you spoke of staying out of web range. I thought to myself about how I, if at all possible could counter another frigate that I could not web (especially if I wanted to stay in a Rifter). This is all I could come up for now. I am curious what you think of it. I am not sure of it, but I like that it is cheap. Someone else almost certainly has posted something similar.
It’s something to potentially train for.
I haven’t looked much at the loadouts for the Rifter or posted this one there because:
1) I (to an extent) am trying to learn for myself the modules and how to fit them. That, and I don’t like the idea of just copy/pasting someone else’s fit only, especially without understanding it.
2) Sometimes it seems to me a fair amount of people that comment think only in single, ultimate fits and not purpose fits. Or other possible ways of doing things. I also like the idea of trying to do things that are unexpected as well as tried-and-true fits.
3) I am still too much of a noob. I need more experience.
Which leads me to the other part of the inspiration – how can I be you?? :-)
Or a better way to put it is, I want to Yarrbear as well (I will pay you a licensing fee for using the term, I promise).
I was talking to a couple of players that wanted me to join up with their corp the other day. I was trying to explain to them about how I wanted to pirate (I made my current player with it in mind to an extent), but I don’t believe quite the way it is usually done. I didn’t have the words for it really – and then I came across your blog.
From the entries on your blog, I get the sense that how you play is similar to how I want to. I don’t want to mindlessly hunt noobs or ships I KNOW are (or let me say, will be) easy pray. I like the idea of carebearing to make some money, to have that be my day job, actually.
I just want to engage in some cool PvP at night, similar to what you did with Wensely and the others.
I am trying to get off on the right foot since I am new to this. I can possibly save a fair amount of time by starting off in the right direction, but I have no idea of how to go about it. I don’t feel like I can really trust anyone in the game at this point (the real reason why I want to mission grind to raise standing with a NPC corp – so I can have a small personal fleet and life not a direct part of anything else. A safety net of sorts), but I realized after being podded the other day, I can’t realistically be ALL alone ALL the time with this game.
So I am desperate for some quality advice and from your blog, it seems like you are a great place to start.
Wow, this was soooooo much longer than I intended. Sorry to be off topic, but I really didn’t know where else to put it. I will not take up any more of your time with this, just thanks again and keep up the blog.
Hopefully you can find the time to respond sometime.
Hello,
I haven’t noticed your “lack of social skills and etiquette.” So no worries about that. :P
Rifter Fit
In what context did I speak of staying out of web range? I’m a bit confused, as frigate fights are almost always in web range…
Your Rifter fit is one of the unique medium-range type – outside web range (12 km) but still in warp disruptor range (24 km). This takes advantage of the fact that many frigates fit shorter range guns and thus cannot do significant damage to you (particularly Gallente ships or Caldari ships with hybrid turrets).
Suggested Fitting:
Explanation:
You’ll need a warp disruptor for PVP. Otherwise no one is going to stay to fight unless they know they can kill you. Just be aware that warp disruptors do not turn off your target’s MWD and use significantly more capacitor than a warp scrambler.
You’ll also need a MWD. If the other frigate has an MWD, your afterburner will not be fast enough. Plus in order to orbit a frigate, you need a lot more speed than they have to increase transversal (so their guns don’t hit as well).
Your DPS is going to be very poor, so fights may take a while. Due to that fact, a cap booster in the third mid slot will keep you running for long enough.
Now for highs, you’ll want artillery, like you fitted. However, use 250mm artillery instead of 280mm because 280s use too much CPU and powergrid to fit on your ship without compromising tank and speed. You should only use a micro auxiliary or CPU upgrade module in extreme circumstances. And, of course, use EMP ammo against shield tanked ships and Fusion ammo against armor tanks.
In lows, you’ll need a micro auxiliary power core, as artillery and MWD take quite a bit of powergrid. Damage control and an armor plate will help you live longer, as laser and autocannon ships WILL hit you (but hopefully with poor DPS). Missile ships may also hit you, depending on their launcher type (standards will, rockets won’t).
—
Personally, I really wouldn’t recommend using this though. There’s a reason why it’s a rare find. If your opponent is an inexperienced player, you may win. But more experienced players will be able to tank the meagre DPS this fit produces and will also be able to hit you. I experimented with a fit similar to this a while back, and suffered embarrassing losses to players with nearly 0 PVP experience.
The Rifter almost always stays in web range because it is a very good tackler (unlike the Punisher). Fitted with the “tackler trinity” of warp scrambler, stasis webifier, and propulsion module, it can easily tackle most other frigates. This leads to the typical cookie cutter Rifter fit that Wensley writes about in his Rifter Guide. If you want a traditional Rifter fit, read his guide; it’s how I first started.
Being Me
Heh, I didn’t actually invent the term ‘yarrbear’. It’s just that, as far as I can tell, no one else really uses it. But either way, no licensing required. :P
I understand that trust is a significant issue in Eve, yet I’d really advise you to join a laid back (yet not empty) missioning corp. The players there will give you lots of helpful advice on how to play Eve and answer questions you may have. For PVP help and tips, look at the “Hellcats Pub” channel (I hang out there as well). There are always people there, and if you ask, you may be able to tag along on a few roams with them.
I’m glad you enjoy the blog. And feel free to ask me or the other bloggers questions anytime. :)
Cool, thank you for the advice, I will definitely have to check out the Hellcats Pub channel. I want to get a little more flight time before I ask to tag along, but ask I will.
And after reading your response to the Ranged Rifter fit, I realize I should clarify – you and others had made passing comments only on being in web range, being webbed.
That got me thinking, I didn’t like the idea that if someone had some sort of answer to a web, that with a 180 or 200mm setup, I was basically screwed.
Besides, the main reason I am so taken with this game is because I am free. Even if it a cool roller coaster ride, it is, by design, THEIR definition only, THEIR ride (I read that YouGamers review and really liked it and the theme park analogy). There aren’t really any restrictions like that in EVE – and I want to take that philosophy to ships as well.
I like (and want) to fly different fits from others when the situation allows. Not all the time, but I personally think I can get kills with different fits and being well-prepared for my time spent in EVE (In other words, to take advantage of people underestimating me). To me, it is beginning to seem like a fair amount people in the game only think of the best single fit. I am trying to get it in my head that sometimes it’s the best fit for the situation.
Which leads to the fit. The reason I didn’t really try to fit any real tank (shield or armor) is because I DON’T expect to last long. The DPS is very poor, really, but the VOLLEY is where I thought I might be able to get a kill or two (this is DEFINITELY where I need real in-game experienced advice on the concept).
I thought of a scenario where I might get enough of a OH SH** WTF reaction that I may get them to structure (or almost, anyway) before any real action is taken. In my mind, I gave myself four hits. If I couldn’t get in done by then, it’s time to go. That is the reason I went with 280s – to literally get as much volley as possible.
If the situation allowed it (by knowing ahead of time where we would be) I might even switch to a more cookie-cutter Riff I would have waiting a little later. I just like the idea of keeping people guessing – even though I HAVE to wonder how realistic I am being with this.
[Rifter, Ranged Riff Project]
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Fourier Transform I Tracking Program
Overdrive Injector System II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Tracking Computer II, Optimal Range
Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
Upgraded ‘Limos’ Standard Missile Bay I, Caldari Navy Sabretooth Light Missile
[empty rig slot]
[empty rig slot]
[empty rig slot]
……and
[Rifter, Ranged Riff Project II]
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Overdrive Injector System II
Damage Control II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
F-12 Nonlinear Tracking Processor, Optimal Range
Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters
280mm Prototype I Siege Cannon, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Prototype I Siege Cannon, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Prototype I Siege Cannon, Republic Fleet Fusion S
Upgraded ‘Limos’ Standard Missile Bay I, Caldari Navy Sabretooth Light Missile
[empty rig slot]
[empty rig slot]
[empty rig slot]
Even before reading your response, I reworked the fit some. Bear in mind that I am intentionally overdoing it to see if it fits and then maybe shaving some off in different areas if I can.
The second fit is kinda fantasy – I would have to be 3% “Gypsy” chipped to even make it work (all V).
At any rate, I will copy your suggested fit, play with it some, and MAYBE see for myself if and where I can use something like this some day.
I am not sure if this is all off-topic, but it sure is long enough, so I will end it here. Thanks again and maybe I’ll see you out there some time.
It’s true that you can die to a longer range frigate setup. I’ve seen some fairly good pilots lose fights because of that. And as you said, the choice is entirely yours.
Volley is also known as your ‘alpha.’ It’s how much damage you (ideally) do right when every weapon fires simultaneously. A high volley damage can enable you to instapop someone if their EHP is too low. However, in a frigate, there is nearly 0% chance that you will ever alpha another ship. Take a look at the HP of any frigate – even without bringing resistances into the picture, they have somewhere around 1,000 HP. No frigate has an alpha anywhere close to that – it’s usually closer to 300ish. Plus your first shot usually misses or barely hits your target.
Rifter, Ranged Riff Project
What range are you planning on fighting at? Outside web range, I assume. In which case you need a disruptor, not scrambler (longer range). Also, you need an MWD, as 60% of frigates have MWDs. And I really wouldn’t recommend using two slots just for tracking modules.
Rifter, Ranged Riff Project II
Once again, a warp disruptor and MWD are needed. And I wouldn’t recommend using fits that are so tight on powergrid and CPU as to require implants until you have more skillpoints.”
Hope that helps a bit.