I have an Alpha character in a special corporation. We have a few simple rules there:
- No player market interaction.
- No trade or donations between players.
- No fleets.
Do everything by yourself. A DIY-approach on Eve Online. It’s fun from time to time to login and just do that. Check out erstschlag, who’s corp and project this is, if this sound interesting to you.
On this character I’m currently working to collect modules necessary to fit out my first cruiser. For that purpose, I’m looking for meta modules. Since I can’t buy nor build those, I need to blow up some NPCs instead. The easiest way to get a hold of cruiser sized ones in small, easy to handle batches is in lowsec asteroid belts. And here I was happily pew-pewing and looting in my Catalyst when I notice an Imicus on dscan.
It still had it’s default name and I check the players info from local. Over 1500 days in the starter corp. Probably someone giving Eve another shot. Lazily I start d-scanning celestial’s while warping to the next belt. Maybe they are sitting on one?
But then I see Sisters Core Probes on d-scan. These things are bloody hard to come buy when you can’t just buy them off the market. Maybe they have more of them? The Imicus has full priority now and soon I find them on a customs office. The ship sits completely still and 100km away from my current position. But there is another planet behind it. I initiate warp and eye the other vessels speed on my overview. Surely it will warp off any second.
They did not and I land back on grid. Only 20 km away! I heat my MWD and get my scram on him. Seconds later, they are toast. I loot and get disappointed. Only T1 modules, total worth: 1,5m. Nothing fancy and no shiny probes for me. :(
I open a chat and explain to them what happened, and give a crash course on how to make a safe spot. They were a very good sport about it too and thanked for the info. I wish them good luck and we are parting ways.
A few minutes later I notice another ship on d-scan. A Thrasher that’s there for too long to be just travelling through. The name of the ship gave away the pilot again. A character 100 days in the starter corp, only recently joined a player corporation it seems. Still a worthy target for my 5 million skill point strong character and it’s Catalyst.
From directional scans I notice him running around in belts. Soon after I find yellow wrecks with his name on them. He’s stealing my belt-rats!
I shake my fist at the screen a swear bitter revenge on this scallywag. How dares he?!
But before I should begin the hunt, I warped to a safe spot to drop off my loot. That’s progress I didn’t want to lose for being too greedy.
As I warp back to the belts around planet ten, I notice an Ikitursa on d-scan named after it’s little T1 brother. Yea sure. Fool someone else, rich-kid. I think to myself and keep looking for the Thrasher. I’m betting on killing, looting and make a run for it before the Ikitursa would find us – if I got a little bit lucky and land on top of it. Not the way around, lol. Both Thrasher and Ikitursa where now on short d-scan. I decide to warp to a belt out of scan-range and wait there for the Thrasher there – or run, if the Ikitursa should show up.
I initiate warp. It’s a bit over 35AU. While I was clicking buttons both ships had vanished. Where did they go?
While warping I get a bad feeling and start hitting d-scan. The belt I warped to is now within the 14.3AU range of my Destroyers scanner. There they are again. I come closer. 10AU, still there. 5AU, and they are still on scan. 1AU. No other celestial is in range. They are still on scan when my ship begins to decelerate. This planet has only this one asteroid belt.
While I’m still landing I see the Thrasher vanish from the overview and a Capsule taking it’s place. In denying haste I select another celestial and begin to spam the warp-button. But with my align time of 4.64s seconds, there was little hope. I get scrammed. Out of principle I shoot back, but only manage to scratch some paint before the Catalyst was neuted dry and the lights went out. Ikitursa-guy got two for the price of one that night.
Bob giveth and Bob taketh away.
the greybill 