To Shoot or Not To Shoot
Being a yarrbear is not always fun and happiness; lately, I have been considering becoming a full-time pirate. Why? For the following reasons:
Solo PvP? Let Me Blob You Instead
Being a yarrbear instead of a full-time pirate means that I am usually solo. If you look at my killboard, you will see that 95% of the kills are solo kills. I love soloing, as I believe it is the ultimate test of your piloting skill (the larger the fleet, the less skill and effort required – just compare the behavior of a pilot with a wingman vs one in a blob vs one in a huge 0.0 fleet). But soloing is not easy, as you can only really fight other solo pilots (try soloing a blob of recons and ECM ships; it doesn’t work). And actually finding other solo pilots is difficult, especially as my once-favorite systems in Minmatar lowsec have become blob playgrounds.
Support? What Support?
Soloing also means I cannot call in support when I need it. A while back when I tackled a Maelstrom in a Rifter, I was lucky that a pirate contact was able to come quickly enough (ten minutes) to help kill it. But this usually is not the case. For example, yesterday a corp mate and I tackled a Vargur at a station (I was in a Maller, he was in a Rifter). We had him triple webbed, pointed, and 14 km off the station. He also had a GCC and sentry gun aggro. For twenty minutes, I repeated pleaded for support from the Pythons, Hellcats, and anyone I knew that had ever shot someone in their life.
[ 2009.10.18 02:16:07 ] 00sage00 > i have a vargur tackled in gulmorogod
[ 2009.10.18 02:16:11 ] 00sage00 > can anyone help?
[ 2009.10.18 02:17:35 ] 00sage00 > anyone?
[ 2009.10.18 02:21:17 ] 00sage00 > all i need is a neut arbi or two
[ 2009.10.18 02:36:03 ] 00sage00 > help
[ 2009.10.18 02:36:09 ] 00sage00 > we still have him tackled
[ 2009.10.18 02:36:16 ] 00sage00 > can’t break tank
Fourty-five minutes later, some Python Cartel folks responded, but it was far too late. By then, the Vargur had crawled back to the station (at 8 m/s!), deaggressed, and was merely tanking us for fun.
[ 2009.10.18 03:05:03 ] Chicohonda > thanX for testing my fitting ;-)
[ 2009.10.18 03:08:39 ] Chicohonda > i think that was long enough….ty guys ;p gn8
I was quite disappointed.
Blues?
Another problem is not knowing who is blue and who is not. After popping a Hellcats member by accident, I had set the Bastards Alliance to blue to help me avoid future confrontations like that. So when my corpmate and I ran across a Bastards pilot while chasing a Cerberus, I was conflicted over how to respond:
[ 2009.10.18 05:02:05 ] 00sage00 > the vagabond is a hellcats ship (a mistake; it was actually a bastards ship)
[ 2009.10.18 05:02:22 ] 00sage00 > looks like it’s going to engage me
[ 2009.10.18 05:03:04 ] Kelkyen > get it?
[ 2009.10.18 05:03:12 ] 00sage00 > mm
[ 2009.10.18 05:03:18 ] 00sage00 > i want to stay friendly with the ‘cats
[ 2009.10.18 05:03:20 ] 00sage00 > but…
[ 2009.10.18 05:04:34 ] Kelkyen > that the all chick crew?
[ 2009.10.18 05:04:40 ] 00sage00 > yeah
[ 2009.10.18 05:04:40 ] Kelkyen > one on vent?
[ 2009.10.18 05:04:45 ] 00sage00 > yep xD (we were on the Hellcats vent just earlier due to the Pythons’ vent being down)
[ 2009.10.18 05:04:54 ] Kelkyen > shes targeted me
[ 2009.10.18 05:05:13 ] 00sage00 > same for me
[ 2009.10.18 05:05:23 ] 00sage00 > we could easily kill a vaga
[ 2009.10.18 05:05:29 ] 00sage00 > but…
[ 2009.10.18 05:06:41 ] 00sage00 > convoing pilot
[ 2009.10.18 05:09:17 ] Kelkyen > locked me back up
[ 2009.10.18 05:10:28 ] 00sage00 > lame
[ 2009.10.18 05:10:43 ] Kelkyen > what brought that on?
[ 2009.10.18 05:10:50 ] 00sage00 > dunno
[ 2009.10.18 05:11:39 ] 00sage00 > ok, don’t aggress
[ 2009.10.18 05:11:48 ] Kelkyen > rgr, not even targeted
[ 2009.10.18 05:13:18 ] 00sage00 > are you shooting? (the Vagabond was shooting, but I wasn’t sure if Kelk was responding)
[ 2009.10.18 05:13:18 ] Kelkyen > shootin me
[ 2009.10.18 05:13:21 ] 00sage00 > dock
[ 2009.10.18 05:14:18 ] 00sage00 > kelk, pull back
Kelkyen popped shortly afterwards. Looking back, I should have fought back or left ASAP. My indecision caused me to not help my mate in time, and thus caused him to lose his ship.
So what can I do about these problems? The obvious fix is to join a pirate corporation. That way I do not have to always solo, I can have support, and I clearly know who to shoot. I doubt I can join the Bastards due to fighting them before (twice now!). Spectre has invited me to join the Python Cartel:
[ 2009.10.16 04:28:58 ] Spectre3353 > you know what kind of corps i hear are awesome?
[ 2009.10.16 04:29:00 ] Spectre3353 > pirate corps
[ 2009.10.16 04:29:04 ] 00sage00 > lol
[ 2009.10.16 04:29:09 ] Spectre3353 > maybe you should think about joining a pirate corp
[ 2009.10.16 04:29:12 ] 00sage00 > i have
[ 2009.10.16 04:29:13 ] Spectre3353 > if only i knew a good one… hmmm…
[ 2009.10.16 04:29:32 ] Spectre3353 > OMG I JUST REMEMBERED THAT I RUN A PIRATE CORP
[ 2009.10.16 04:29:33 ] Spectre3353 > !!!!!!
[ 2009.10.16 04:30:03 ] Spectre3353 > come join python
[ 2009.10.16 04:31:34 ] 00sage00 > spec, i will join a pirate corp someday
[ 2009.10.16 04:31:41 ] Spectre3353 > ok
[ 2009.10.16 04:31:44 ] Spectre3353 > well when youre ready you let me know
So Python is an option; a lot of good guys in there. Or I could take a look at the Tuskers, way over in Gallente space (Wensley, where are you??). Or I could become a mercenary or join a 0.0 alliance…
Yet I still don’t feel ready to make a change, despite the fact that all this “to shoot or not to shoot” terribly confuses and saddens me. For now, I am just going to retreat to my cozy lair in Amarr lowsec while I think things through…
Yarrbear Tales 
Bah I wish I had been around during that Vargur thing. I could have been over to Gulm in a matter of minutes.
Join EDF fleet fights are not a lack of skill like you say, they are only different(and in some cases much harder, try FCing). But the great thing about us is we offer a mix, fleet fights and soloing. Our top killer roams around solo every night pissing stain residents off. http://www.eve-defence.com/forum/index.php :)
Tell me where you are, I’ll come and solo you!
Well 00Sage00, I just reopened my old corp back up. I am gearing up for low sec support activities. We need literally all sorts of pilots to support to cause of bringing more targets….ahem, I mean making low sec more accessible to the masses. We could use someone like you.
I would reset Bastards alliance if I were you. We’re happy to engage, there’s no need to be blue. If your corp is already blue to us, then just set Hellcats blue. Even better, if we’re already mutual blue, let’s reset to neutral and engage when we meet in space!!!! Too many blues just confuses everything.
Also, join Spec’s corp … I think you’d have fun with that crew if you’re looking for the pew pew.
Aye, I will go through my like/dislike lists again and make some changes.
Still not sure what to do. To me, joining a corp feels like getting married… “My advice is to get married: if you find a good wife, you’ll be happy; if not, you’ll become a philosopher.” – Plato
Oooor, you could head over to w-space where pilots cannot dock into stations ;)
…which also happens to be a place with even less support than lowsec. Keeping someone pointed until downtime doesn’t mean much if no one can come. xD
Unless you are in a corp of wormholeers who lurk around ready to devour your victim =P
You need a more cavalier attitude about GTFO if a corp doesn’t suit you…but meanwhile, take a freakin chance!!! It’s a VIDEO GAME. tsk tsk!!!!
If you ever see me online, feel free to give me a pm or an evemail, I’m always looking for willing wingmen to fly with (for now, at least). Or, willing people to shoot to death . . . ;)
What area do you fly around?
Gallente space (Old Man Star area) atm, though I’m not against a bit of travel.