Juggling RL and EVE (literally)

[NOTE: RL Commentary]
With a new baby at home, EVE has become a fleeting moment caught one night or another, in between putting a two year old to bed and having a two-week old dropped on my lap. I've come to appreciate the simple, one-handed clicking nature of established PI chains during this stretch, but it leaves my PvP addiction aching with the cramps of withdrawal.
[END RL Commentary]

The excitement (and it appears, great success) of Hulkageddon III adds to my frustration, as I didn't have time to prep a ganking alt, so my mining alt is doing PI only during this time (the baby makes him even more of an AFK miner, which is an ideal target during the summer of gank). I've been following this event with much jealousy, as I really wanted to get in on the third iteration (I was a bystander for I and II, other than a few announcements in the public channel when T2 barges were spotted in hisec local). But, enough with the whining. Last night I was on my IM client that has pretty spaceship backgrounds (aka EVE) typing one-handed while holding the baby (who wasn't sleeping and was definitely crying). I saw intel reports of a small hostile gang approaching our station.

Timing was perfect for us, as there was a decent crowd in station, in between a just-finished POS bash and an about-to-start frigate/cruiser roam. For me, the baby had started to settle, and I was trying to figure out how to hold her on my lap so both hands could fly a combat ship. Logging on to TS, I jumped back to station (my 0.0 clone is implant free at the moment due to an unfortunate bubble incident), hopped in my Enyo Assault Frigate Goddess Fury, figured out how to balance the baby on my lap and hold her in place with a loose elbow so both hands could drive, and undocked, warping to the gate. The enemy gang (8 ships, mostly Cruisers/BCs, a couple Drakes and a Loki) were aggressed against our bait Domi on a gate. Fleet jumps in, lands on gate (I'm still getting on ship in station, 30 second session change timer sucks) and starts targeting and tackling the reds. I get in ship, undock, warp to gate, jump in, join fleet and warp to fleet, but the KB doesn't show me on the Curse kill (I had him targeted and my drones were out...). We lost a Scimi (one of our new pilots had auto targeting active and neuted OUR Scimi - FAIL), and took out a Loki, Curse and Cyclone. The enemy had successfully deaggressed and warped out (lost points - FAIL), but they then warped back to fly home - we had a couple pilots able to jump through with them, we pointed a Drake and took him down. I got my first kill in probably a month (the withdrawal was killing me), and the remains of the gang fled back to their station systems. At that point the baby started to stir, making the lap-hold less stable and safe, so I docked back up and logged, as the rest of the fleet reshipped for the roam.

If only EVE could present quick bouts of PvP like that for me each of my momentary logins...

EVE utility websites

EVE is a complex universe, but with API access for external tools try to make it easier to find and get information. Here's a shortlist of websites you should have bookmarked, and use regularly:

• DOTLAN - a beautiful reference of the EVE universe, including printable combat maps. One of the newest features is the ability to see, at a glance, where various planet types exist in any given region. I use DOTLAN daily - with combat/kill updates, jump planning, and more. If you haven't spent time with DOTLAN - you haven't really seen EVE.


• EVE-Survival is great for the PvE crowd - with details on missions, structure drops, triggers, blitz plans, and more. Back in the olden carebear days of my youth I had EVE-Survival up non-stop while missioning.


• EVE Agents is another carebear/isk farming tool. Need to know where to find the nearest R&D agent for Hydromagnetic Physics datacores, or just a good L4 agent for Republic Security Services? EVE Agents has them all - even agents in space.


• EVE Central is another tool site. Want to know the best price for anything that is on the EVE Market? It's listed on EVE Central - even with most recent transactions (within an hour or so). Don't spend too much on that ship when you can jump regions quickly and save tens of millions. Shop first at EVE Central.


• EVE Ships is less exciting than the others, but for pilots trying to learn all the various shipnames, types, and such, a great resource. There's even a quiz - how many ships can you name in 60 seconds?


• BattleClinic is the granddaddy of EVE sites for ship loadouts. Need to see some options on that new Claw? Battleclinic users can rate loadouts. Want to know who just blew up your ship? Check the killboard for their statistics and history.


• Scrapheap Challenge and The EVE Online Uncensored forum at Kugutsmen are better news than in the EVE Online CAOD forum (usually) - but still should be taken with a grain of salt for factual information.


• EVElopedia is the home of the official EVE item database - for statistics on every item under the sun.


• Chruker's EVE site is the last one for this list, and it's a doozy. Tons of information on a variety of topics. I use it most for ship invention calculations to choose my decryptors (or not).

On a RL note, my wife recently gave birth to our 2nd daughter. Things may be more quiet here since I won't be ingame so much for a while.

What's in your hangar

Well, as I'm trying to get back in the swing of the blogging, I thought I'd join in on this one. I'll use my combat hangar in 0.0, although technically it's 2 hangars in two stations...

• 1 Nasty Neut Domi


• 2 Megathrons - one is a sniper, one short range melter


• 2 Myrmidons - one for ratting, one for roaming


• 1 Brutix - Blaster Brute, nothing unusual here


• 1 Arazu - this guy is my covert cyno pointer. The second most expensive ship I fly


• 2 Phobos - set up with a heavy tank, EFT claims over 100k EHP - these are the most expensive ships I own at the moment


• 3 Eris' - yep, more interdiction fun. My favorite is the one with the prototype cloak...


• 4 Nemesis' - two are standard painter/damps, two are...tackle bombers


• 1 Viator - because sometimes you just gotta GTFO


• 2 Taranis' - my favorite. That's why I only have two left at the moment down here, and 3 in transit...


• 1 Ares - not sure how I feel about this guy yet.


• 1 Thorax - because you sometimes need a T1 fit, T1 cruiser


• 2 Enyos - these are my alternates for the Taranis


• 2 Helios' - duplicates, cloaky scout/small transit ship


• 1 Ishkur - this is still a naked hull, not sure how I want her set up


• 2 Rifters - gee, what a surprise...


• 1 Fed Navy Comet - because everyone needs a faction ship in their hangar

Just for the fun of it I did a quick ship inventory in all of New Eden - Ignoring Noobships and Shuttles, I have 65 ships around, at least 50 of them are cruiser or larger, at least 15 are T2 hulls, and about 55 are fit and ready to go. That helps me sleep at night, knowing I am mostly prepared.

And very off Meme, yes I fly Gallente, but not super drone man - I have a rough 8.5 million SP in gunnery, and it's almost all in Hybrid Turrets and support skills. You do the math...

FNF: Thanatos Down!

From the EVE Wiki:

"EVERYONE WANTS A CAPITAL SHIP KILL MAIL. Remember that, EVERYONE wants one. FREAKIN EVERYONE! If your grandmother that doesn’t play Eve heard about their awesomeness, she’d want one too."

Logging in around 01:15, it's quiet. No fleets up, no serious reports in Intel or Alliance chat. I say Hi to Illauron and Jack, both of whom are online. Within minutes, there is spam in alliance chat from Chad VanGaalen requesting DPS for a carrier kill. Everyone wants a carrier kill in their logs, right? I hop in the best BC I have (actually, the only BC I have in 4C at the moment), a Neutron Brutix, and undock, join fleet and get the destination from Chad's current location. 18 jumps out... ugh, OK fleet is forming up but we are short an FC. I warp to the LGUZ gate, and as I land there is a neut frigate there. I spin up the tracking boosters, start targeting, get set to release my drones...oops. I've undocked without any drones. I still target him, and unload a couple rounds (missing as I am fit with T2 Heavy Neutron blasters and am still 8k away from a frigate) as he jumps back out of the gate. I head back to the station to correct my drone mistake as the fleet continues to build.
Undock again, and head back to the gate, and finally an FC calls and we are to hold on LGUZ until the fleet is ready. At this point Chad is getting a little nervous about how long it will take us, the Thanatos is doing a plex and is almost done. Chad tells us to "burn burn burn" best speed to 00GD-D. There are about 10 of us on gate, as we jump into LGUZ (still without a scout) and we start running for Fountain. The fleet continues to grow as we make our way down the Sword pipe in Outer Ring, and after 3 jumps we've got a scout moving +1 then 2 systems ahead. As all pilots are burning best speed, the fleet is staggered across multiple systems, which (in retrospect) may have helped us. Just as we are approaching Fountain Chad informs us that the Thanatos is aligning out, and has finished the plex. The FC calls for him to tackle and the fleet to move as fast as possible. The actual destination is posted, with directions to avoid the IT station system next door, we are headed for CHA2-Q. Chad is holding the carrier in his Tengu, steady at 90% shields, we are burning as fast as our Battlecruisers will take us ignoring everything (including neutrals on gates) in an effort to get to Chad.
"There is a Paladin on the field" Chad reports "I'm being targeted."
Fo Shizz (FC) tells him to hold on as best he can, and our logistics and interdictor to burn ahead and get support as soon as possible. We are still 8 jumps out.
"1/3 shields" Chad's voice is a little nervous - he's in a Tech 3 cruiser and will lose a ton of skill points if he gets popped. "I have to warp out - and the carrier is warping out too."
The fleet continues to move, forming up on the C1XD-X gate in 00GD-D. Scout goes +1 again, as we now sit on gate, 17 Battlecruisers deep in IT/BLAST territory, waiting as Chad smacks in local with the carrier pilot.
"I've got him convinced I'm alone. He's headed to another complex" Chad reports. "I'm scanning him down now. I've got him - warping in."
We jump into C1XD-X, now two jumps out and aligning to B32-14 as Chad comes back up "Crap. He's warping back to his POS." The fleet stops two jumps out, on the B32-14 gate in C1XD-X, as Shizz comes up on comms.
"Everyone log out now. Log out, log back in to the character screen and stare at your pretty picture. DO NOT click any further. Log out NOW."
A tense few minutes follow as we sit blind, on vent, waiting for instruction. Shizz begins instructing us on the procedure to follow. "Ok - when we log in, jump, warp, jump, then join fleet. Do NOT join fleet until you are in system with Chad, then warp to him."
There's a lot of chatter on Vent now.
"Fleet comms guys. I'm going to mute people if you don't shut up!" barks Shizz.
"Ok" Chad speaks up "I've got him pointed again"
"Everyone log in and jump jump jump!" commands Shizz.
"The Paladin is back on the field" reports Chad.
We are auto-warping back to the gate. A fleet invite pops up on my screen. I click at it to make it go away.
"I'm at 50% shields" reports Chad.
As I land on the B32 gate, I start spamming the jump button. You cannot complete this action due to fleet smacktalk Crap. I clicked the join button on the fleet. 30 seconds of waiting before I can jump. I kick myself for explicitly doing what Shizz warned us not to, but since I'm stuck I go ahead and add Chad to my watch list. Smacktalk ends (the longest 30 seconds of my day) and I'm able to jump - warp - jump into CHA2-Q. Chad is now getting reps as the logistics and dictor have landed on the field. We target the fighters and drones first, Chad has to warp off to break target locks and repair up, everyone lays damage on the Paladin, which pops fairly quickly, then we start in on the carrier, which has entered Triage. Armor tanked carrier takes no real time to go through shields, but he's got a good tank and great repping, as we can't break his tank. Everyone is unloading everything we've got on this Thanatos, and we can't get him below 50% armor. There is some discussion of overheating, but we are waiting. Local starts to climb, and our scout goes to G95F-H to make sure an IT fleet does not drop on us and ruin our day.
The carrier goes into another triage cycle as we continue to unload our ammo into it, still not breaking the tank. Now our fleet has grown to 26 as we continue to unload into the carrier, now in it's third triage cycle. Suddenly an Iteron is on the field, headed for the carrier.
"Target the hauler. Target the hauler. They are attempting to re-stront the carrier!"
4 guys pop the Itty, and the can, and the wreck, before the carrier can re-stront. I check my hold. I have 4 rounds left in the hold and 23 rounds in my guns. I cycle down the guns, unload to the hold, and ungroup my weapons. I'm going to run out of ammo before we finish this, and there's a fight brewing on the way out! I get the guns reloaded and start them firing again, just as we break the tank a support gang finally arrives. We start targeting the support gang under orders until the FC realizes we have broken the carrier tank.
"All DPS on the carrier - All DPS on the carrier - overload your weapons - DO NOT burn them out" orders Fo Shizz, as we continue to unload on the carrier, his support fleet (which has been jammed beautifully by King Voodoo) warps off, realizing we have won the carrier and they will be cannon fodder in moments. My guns are cycling empty. I have one blaster with 23 rounds left as space fills with a bright blue explosion and the carrier ceases to be.