Random Update

I have completed my goal on my learning skills; I now have all the attribute modifier skills to IV, and Learning V. I also have a set of +3 implants, so learning times have dramatically dropped with all these additional attributes.

Now that learning is complete I can focus on Gunnery and some T2 ship requirements. I have Frigates V and I'm only 4 days from Evasive Maneuvering V which will let me fly Interceptors. I think this will be nice as I can help fleet ops with tackling.

Other than skills I've been working on standings. I'm trying to get to 8.0 to install some jump clones and advance me further towards 0.0 space. Our Corp has a guy who runs an alt Corp with Republic Fleet standings over 8.0, and I could use this to get quick jump clones, but I would rather earn it than use some work-around. Besides... I'm not ready for 0.0 space anyways, so I enjoy the time in preparation.

I have a few goals before I even consider 0.0 space, and they are as follows...

-Learning V / Attribute Modifier Skills IV (done)
-Ability to run LvL 4 missions solo
-Multiple Jump Clones
-Able to fly HAC's with T2 Mediums and T2 drones [Ishtar]
-Able to fly Covert Ops (done)
-Industry IV
-Production Efficiency IV

I'm one of those people that spend more time preparing and planning for a vacation than I do on the vacation =/

I hope all this preparation makes the journey to 0.0 living that much easier.
Are there any other 0.0 essentials I'm missing?

Not Dead

Sorry for the delay in post; I've been getting through finals week, and preparing for the holiday break.

I've been keeping up with my training in EvE; I now have Frigates V, Electronic Upgrades V, and I'm currently working on Evasive Manuvering V so I can fly interceptors- specifically Taranis >=]

Hopefully I'll get more playing time with a break from school and things dieing down at work. Until then, Fly Safe!

~Placebo Effect

Dominix Report

I only had time to fly one level 3 mission last night with my new Dominix battleship, but it worked great. I'm using a fitting similar to the one in my previous post. The battleship held up well, and tanking wasn't a problem.

I also made my first trip into Jita, and yes, it's true, the lag sucks. I can't imagine it worse than it was for me last night, but appaerently that was the case before the stackless I/O technology update.

Our Corporation is talking about issueing a few war decs, and that is fine with me; however, I'm still new and hope I'm able to help the effort. I've invested some time and money into being a tackler since it requires less skill points for the role. We'll see how that goes!

I'm looking forward to the holiday weekend- my work week ends tomorrow at 1:00pm!!! >=)

New Ship: Dominix

I purchased a Dominix last night; this will be my first battleship. The ship comes with 6 high slots, 5 mids, and 7 lows. As you can tell this ship is definately set to armor tank- as most Gallente ships are.

I'm fitting this ship to be a mission runner and I've come up with the fitting seen in the screenshot on the top left (click to enlarge). I'm going for more tank than DPS, but I'm open to any suggestions.

I've also joined a new Corp, but more on that later.

When I Grow Up, I Want to Be...

I was running level 2 missions last night for the Federal Intelligence Office; I'm trying to get my standings to 8.0 so I can install some jump clones.

I think this would be wise since I eventually would like to move to 0.0 with a Corporation, but would still like easy access to empire space for flying with newer pilots I might know IRL.

I've been thinking some time about what it is I want to contribute to a fleet / roaming gang; I've come to conclusion I like the idea of being the scout with probes. I like the fact that the scanning skills also play a role in PvE when scanning down complexes and other sites.

Scanning down radar & magnetic sites reminds me of the Cartography skill in Ultima Online. With the skill you could decipher treasure maps, which you then took a group of people with you to kill the spawn and dig up the treasure. This activity provided lots of fun for those that tagged along, but the problem was the skill was worthless in PvP.

I ended up playing that character much less, and eventually just played my PvP character as my main. With the Astrometrics skill, however, you can scan down other players as well as PvE ratting sites.

So, I've moved the following skills up on my priority list...

Astrometrics
Astrometric Triangulation
Astrometric Pinpointing
Signal Acquisition
Archeology
Hacking

I'm also going to focus training on ships of that type; this will require more research on my part as I've just made this decision last night.

I love setting my own goals in EvE rather than the carrot-on-a-stick developer imposed goals that other MMOs have. I'm sorry, but it's just I love this game, and I get on a soapbox every time I discuss game mechanics.

If anyone has tips on scanning, players or complexes, I would love to hear them! =)

Ship Loss: Brutix

I've had my first major ship loss in EvE now, and as much as it pissed me off, it also made me smile. I love the fact that a "death" in EvE actually means something. I remember sitting down during losing battles in WoW and just waiting for the death to come so I could respawn and be on my merry way- I hated it.

EvE Online is just a great MMO, and I wish more MMO's would learn from their sandbox philosophy.

Back to the ship I loss; I was flying level 3 missions with a buddy from work last night. He was in an Apoc set to tank, and I was bringing a Brutix for DPS (I would have brought a BS, but I don't have one, and can't afford to purchase one, yet).

I notice there is not an option to warp fleet to 100km, but there is that option for warping myself into a mission (assuming there's no acceleration gate). So I warp in at 100km and have my buddy warp to me; however, the ships were still targeting me and closing fast. I decided it would be best to kite, so I fly the opposite direction with an Afterburner activated.

Eventually it looks like the NPCs are diminishing in numbers and I turn back around to engage and help with DPS. Well, the ships were still firing at me, and damage came pretty fast. My active armor tank (Brutix is built for active armor tanking with it's repair bonus) held for some time, but I had replaced my DCU with a RCU for more PG (I was there for the DPS role, and more powergrid meant more guns).

A tip to any new players out there...

Without a Damage Control Unit (DCU) your ship's hull will evaporate, melt, disappear in mere seconds!!!

So, lesson learned, and I'm ok with that. I'll be back in my Vexor (Cruiser) tonight running level 2's to bridge the gap in how much I have now, and how much I need for a Dominix BS.

Small Update (Hek -> Juns)

I posted some time ago about moving from Oursulaert -> Hek to work for the Boundless Creation Corporation. I'm now completely moved from Hek and into the Junslaert (sp?) system. I have access to a LvL 3 / -9 quality Survalence agent (95% kill / 5% couriour) in the system, and the payout is great.

I'm still saving my funds for the Dominix battleship; I plan to heavy tank the ship while my IRL friend uses his Apoc for DPS. As for training, I'm halfway through Learning IV, and only need three more teir 2 learning skills.

I'm anxious to get to my learning skills goal so I can start training more ship skills. One of my first goals is Astrometerics, Hacking, & Archeology for scanning down and running complexes and sites. I like the idea of Exploration as it lets you run activities in other systems where you don't have access to any agents. With mission running I sometimes feel corn-holed into certain systems, but with Exploration you can scan down complexes in other systems and get some good action and money.

Seeking Corporation

Yes, that is correct. I'm giving up on my current Corp as there is never any of the other 23 members online, and the CEO replaced himself with a newbie alt while he went and joined a large PvP Corp.

Here's what I'm looking for...

1. Members Online: This can mean a large Corp and/or Alliance member count; as long as one or the other has enough numbers to produce a minimum amount of players online at any given time.

2. Some PvP: The title of my blog says it all; I love PvP! However, I'm still a new player (3 mill sp) and I'm not ready for pure PvP 100% of the time. This just means I'm not interested in a strictly industrial corps and/or strictly located in empire.

3. Mission Running: This is my current form of income, so joining a Corp with no focus on mission running leaves me bankrupt.

So, to sum up my expectations...

Medium-Large Corp, Preferably in a Medium-Large Alliance, and runs Mission & PvP ops.

Now... what I bring to the table...

I'm a dedicated gamer with 10+ years of MMORPG PvP experience. I started with Ultima Online where I was part of the #1 PK (Player-Killer) guild on my server. I then moved to SWG where I was the PvP officer of my guild, and we ran many PvP ops on Rebel bases (die, Rebel scum!). After UO and SWG I started playing WoW. I played the game for 3 years before I grew bored. I quit during Season 2, and at that time I had amassed a complete set of S2 gear with all the major enchants. Our 3v3 Team was rated 2045 at one time, but we consistently maintained a 1900+ rating.

I love to PvP, and as such I do my research on what works and what doesn't. I hope to eventually help my future corporation in the areas of PvP operations.

As of current, my character in EvE is sitting at 3 mill SP, and this may not seem like a lot; however, most of these points are in learning skills. This means my character is primed and ready to train as fast as possible (bearing the acquisition of +4 implants).

I'm a casual player, but I am active. I try to play at least 1-2 hours a night, and if I miss a night I usually make up for it over the weekend.

I can fly up to a Battleship T1, but I'm able to fit plenty of T2 modules due to my Gunnery & Armor Rep Skills.

If I sound like a fit for your Corporation, then please drop me a line in-game (Placebo Effect), or feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back with you.

Thanks,
Placebo Effect
Gallente
3 mill SP

It's a Little Late, but Here is the Blog Banter...

Things I Would Like to See in Ambulation

I come from an older gaming era when MMO's consisted of only a few choices. In today's world there are plenty of genres and game types out there for MMO's and they have all borrowed one feature or another from previous works in the field while adding their own twist to each title.

The one feature from old-world MMOs I don't see improved upon, or even implemented much, is housing. Now I know what you're thinking- How does housing have anything to do with Ambulation and a space MMO?

The answer is simple- longevity.

Housing adds another layer of Customer staying-power that is only out-matched by community. Have you ever known someone that won't let go of an old online title because their "friends" still play that game? Well, I know dozens of people that wouldn't leave Ultima Online because of all the work they put on their house and how connected they felt to it. Building up a house with design, materials, and rare possessions brings the same joy as building up a character does to most people in MMO's.

I once spent my entire 4 year savings on Fur Rugs.

Yes, that is correct. In Ultima Online I had amassed a small fortune and couldn't decide what to spend it on, so I eventually went with Fur Rugs. The Fur was a rare item that sold for 350-400k. I bought enough of them to line the entire floor space of my tower with Fur Rugs. To most this seemed ridiculous, but to them I say, is it any different than someone spending an exorbitant amount of money on a skill path to fly a ship that's rarely used, or even seen as the most proficient in the field?

No matter what they add, I sure hope there is some form of a customizable area for players to decorate with the heads of fallen foes, and not just an area for Corps and Alliances...
The opportunities for Ambulation are through the roof, and I hope CCP can deliver an excellent in-station experience!

Agent Standings

I'm enjoying my new home in Hek. I'm currently high enough standings to work for level 2 agents; however, I noticed my Corp standing isn't high enough to meet the .9 requirement.

I have a couple options...

1. Encourage Corp mates to work for the Boundless Creation Corporation to raise our overall standing.

2. Start working for a different NPC Corporation that already has high enough standings with our Corp.

3. Quit my Corp and find one that has a high enough standing with Boundless Creation Corporation.

The problem with solution #1 is that even if it's raised enough, what is to stop the influx of more recruits from diluting the standings?

Solution #2 seems like the most reasonable, but again, what stops more recruits from messing up the standings.

As for solution #3, better agent selection isn't one of my criteria for selecting a Corporation to join, but it might soon enough.

I know I saw some agents that don't require an "overall" standing in addition to your own personal standings. I wonder what separates these agents? Why does one not care what your Corp thinks of them while the other agent does care?

This was a level 2 R&D agent I was inspecting when I noticed both Corp standing of .90 and personal standing of 2.90 are required to get work from the agent.

Would anyone with more knowledge on the subject please enlighten me?

Moving: Oursulaert -> Hek

I realized that running missions out of 1.0 is not nearly as profitable as running them in lower security systems, and since I'm not ready for PvP (yet), I must move my operations to a 0.5 system.

I noticed some Corp mates missioning in Hek, so I decided to check it out. Hek is a 0.5 system, and it's surrounded by 0.5 systems as well. This means there are adjacent systems to run missions to mix things up.

I ended up liking the environment in Hek, so I packed up all my crap and waved one last goodbye to my agent friends in Oursulaert.

It took awhile, but I moved all my items and ships to Hek, and then logged off for the night. I'm looking forward to starting my mission grind for the Boundless Creations corp located at Hek VIII. Also, I finished Science IV and Hull Upgrades IV; this means I can now use Tractor Beams and Armor Hardeners (both are essential for maximizing the profit margin on missions).

EFT - EvE Fitting Tool

No, it's not Electronic Funds Transfer as we know in the real world (I know, I know- what's that, right?) Well, if you haven't downloaded EFT yet, and you're playing EvE, then you're truely missing out!

What EFT does is let you upload your character's skills and then select a ship to fit. The program lets you play with different ship fittings based off your skill level. Ever buy that extra turret just to find out you don't have enough power to put it online unless you remove another module? This is where EFT comes in handy, because you can see before any purchase is made if you have the skills to fit all those modules.

I've played around with the Gallente Brutix fitting and came up wit the following (see screenshot). Obvisouly my skills aren't all at V, but by this time tomorrow my Engineering will be at V and I won't be so hard up for powergrid anymore!

To all those vets out there- what do you think; where could I improve?

Blogger is having a problem with the HREF html code, so you'll have to copy and paste the link- sorry.

http://eve-files.com/search.dxd?search=fitting+tool

Vexor / Brutix - New Ship Update

I'm only qualified up to Battleships at this point, but that is because I spent the earlier part of my EvE career reading books while the rest of my graduating class rushed to their pods with the excitement of a 9 year old boy on Christmas morning.

A few nights ago I was running some level 2 missions with my jury-rigged Thorax; however, this ship was given to me by a very generous player and the rigs on the ship are worth 24 mil each, and combined with the cost of the ship at 7 mill, that makes the ship worth 79 million.

Up to this point the most I've seen is 7 mill, but I keep spending it on books faster than I can make the isk. I'm comfortable with my current skill books as they cover a wide variety of basics so I can fit my ships with more variation.

I decided it wasn't worth losing my Thorax in the case of an unfortunate event, and my research showed the Vexor as a superior PvE vessel. So, I hit the market for a Vexor and found one at 3.75 million; however, I only had 3.85 mill. Was it worth it to bring me down to 100k? I have enough random fittings and a few extra Frigates I could sell in case of an emergency, and this ship was a good investment for mission running, so I made the purchase.

I was unable to fit the Vexor the way I wanted to because I only had Thorax fittings, and they didn't match the Vexor's intended design. I had no choice though because I only had 100k left, so I put whatever I had in the hanger on the ship.

The ship was running level 2 missions just fine, but I went with a Corpmate on some of his level 3 missions and I felt useless in the Vexor and it's current fittings. My Corpmate asked if I could fly a Battlecruiser, and I explained how I had Battlecruiser II, but I didn't have the 24 mill to buy one yet. Without delay my wallet blinked and I noticed a 25 million deposit from my Corpmate who instructed me to purchase the Battlecruiser and come back when it was fitted.

That was an awesome gesture on his part, and after I returned with the fully fitted Brutix the missions started going faster. I ended up shooting back up to 3 million pretty fast, so I'm back up and running.

I'm not buying anymore skillbooks for awhile! ^^

And of course, my beautiful Acura Brutix Type S

Empire Days, Low-Sec Nights

Working in Empire Space gets mundane, but that's why I usually head out to find trouble in low-sec after my shift ends at the Federal Inelligence Agency; however, it's usally 'trouble' finding me.



Not this time.

I set course to the nearest low-sec system after undocking in my combat-ready Honda Tristan Si. With a couple close-range blasters, MWD, Webber, and Scrambler I headed out with danger on my mind.

The first system I entered was 0.2 and to my surprise was... empty? After that it was a 0.1 system and there were a few miner-esq looking players in local- could they be at one of the local belts?

WARP DRIVE ACTIVE

There were two ships upon exiting warp drive; the first was an Imicus at 20km, and a Thorax at 100km. These two didn't appear to be together, but it wouldn't have mattered if they were because I primed the Webber and Scrambler as I activated my MWD.

I soared through the skies and was on top of the Imicus before he knew what hit him. The Thorax continued to linger at 100km- AFK maybe?

After the Imicus exploded I let my cap recharge for a minute while I contemplated my next move. At this point I was on top of the world, nothing could stop me, especially an AFK Thorax.

I hit the switch on the MWD and closed the distance in little time. Webbed and Scrambled I enganed fire at a measly 750m orbit. Would my close range be enough to throw off his accuracy? Could my blasters cut through his armor?

During the fight it looked like I might not win, so I alligned myself to the station and pressed on; however, soon after allignment I went ahead and warped- better safe than sorry.

I had my first taste of being a pirate, and I must say, I could get used to this indiscriminate violence >=)

Learning Skills vs. Fun Skills

The first bit of advice received for any noob asking about skill training will sound something like, "...just train learning skills".

Well, that's great, but that noob could possibly get bored of frigates and leave the game- understandable. I took a different approach; I alternated learning and combat skills so I could advance in the game while still maintaining learning skills.

I've been using this approach for a few months now and I have all the tier 1 learning skills to level IV, and that allows the training of the tier 2 learning skills. The next plan is to alternate the tier 2 skills with my battleship / battlecruiser skills.

This method has allowed me a steady progression, but I know in the long run I'll be better off with the learning skills.

On a side note, does anyone know of an EvE market site that displays average prices of items in the different region...? I'd like to find where cheaper fittings are for my ships since I really don't mind flying a distance to pick up an item- I enjoy travel in EvE.

Ship Loss

The harsh environment of space always leaves me thirsty for an ice cold beverage, but the refrigerator on my Catalyst Destroyer is on the other side of the ship away from the controls. I was starting to wonder if I should accept Gallente Navy drink coupons as reward for all these obscure errands *cough*, I mean "missions" the Security department keeps assigning me.

As I activated my warp drive towards the repair station that was aiding Serpentis Pirates, I wondered if I would make it back this time. Every mission the Gallente Navy was sending me on seemed to get more difficult, and after losing shields and armor on my previous mission before warping out, I was wondering how close of a call this one would be.

Upon exiting warp I noticed a few scouts were already locking me and approaching swiftly. I decided to concentrate fire and activated all seven of my Railguns before setting orbit to optimal range. To avoid the pirate frigate from moving to close and therefore killing my accuracy, I activated my Webber and took control of the range during the fight.

After dispatching the security forces guarding the repair station I noticed no life signs on my scanner and proceeded to chisel away at the measly constructed pirate repair station. The adrenaline from another successful mission was pulsating through my veins. I think this calls for a victory celebration- a celebratory drink will do just fine!

But wait, the stupid fridge is too far away to see the controls- something could happen. I checked the scanners again, and still no signs of life. Screw it. I ran over to the fridge to make my favorite beverage. As the water started to boil I felt the ship start to shake.

The lights went out. An eerie red glow from the emergency light lit the hallway leading back to the control room. I stumbled through the hall as the ship rocked back and forth. The muffled gunfire grew louder as I neared the control room.

I knew I wouldn’t have enough time, so I took the detour to my escape pod. I knew it was too good to be true. I was about to lose my ship- possibly my life- and I’m still thirsty, ugh!

Through the debris from the explosion I was able to warp my pod to the safety of the station where I would lick my wounds before returning to space.

I think I’ll make a pit stop at the station bar before I have to explain to the Security office why the Serpentis repair station was still operational.

CrazyKinux's EvE Online Blogroll

If you're a die-hard EvE player and soak up any content you can get your grubby Caldari hands on, then you're in luck! CrazyKinux is an EvE player that's been playing EvE and blogging about it for a long time. He's taken it upon himself to create an excellent EvE Blogpack & Blogroll. These comprehensive lists include tons of awesome EvE blogs, and you should really consider checking them out- ALL of them!

So, thanks to CrazyKinux for adding me to the blogroll!

You should all head over to the EvE Online Blogroll to check it out!

Corporation Research on Hold

I've decided to pause on my search for a Corporation to join; I have a new theory that, like love, you only find a good Corp when you're not looking. This also gives me time to learn more about the game, but I'm pretty sure I could almost go toe-to-toe in a trivia game with a Vet.

I've read more on EvE than I ever did in during any college course, heh. The funny thing is I'm still learning new things every day, and that's what I love about EvE (I'm also a spreadsheet junkie, too).

The plan is to grind out cash while looking for a PvP guild- this way I'll be self sufficient when I do join and start losing ships (hah, more like blowing ships up!).

Also, a tip that's helped me on mission grinding that all noobs should know- train Social, Connections, and Negotiations all to level IV asap. These three skills will make your mission-going experience that much better.

Skill Training History

High Speed Manuvering

I'm now qualified to fit and use a MWD, but I didn't get a chance to test it out last night. The first thing I'll be doing tonight when I log on is test a MWD on my three ships, Incurses, Catalyst, and Thorax.

I had tons of ships at one point, but I sold them off and focused on fitting only a few for certain situations. As a side note, the Tristan is one UGLY ship!

I'm currently training Gunnery skills to help assist my future Corp (whoever they will be) in combat. I figure increasing my tank is great if I'm the primary target, but if I'm just a fly on the wall and not being shot at, I would like to bring sufficient damage to the table to help out.

Speaking of Corporations, I'm still without (Can't really count an NPC Corp, heh). I've been researching the forums trying to find the perfect match. If anyone out there is interested in a combat pilot "in-the-works", then please let me know with an EvE-mail, or even a comment here ^^

~Placebo Effect

Hrmm...

I'm still running missions trying to get enough standing for level II's; however, I've decided to focus on the basic Federal Navy since I'm not sure what, or how to tell for that matter, the benefits are for each Corporation.

I plan to run missions in my Incursus Frigate tonight and only do the mission objectives and skip the loot and salvage in exchange for quicker mission completion and therefor raising my standing faster. Can anyone tell me of another way to raise standing besides running missions?

As for skills, I've completely contradicted my last post stating I would train my current skills to level 4 before acquiring more; however I noticed a ton of skills I was missing once I changed the option on my character sheet to "show all skills". I spent 3 of my 5 mill isk on skill books last night. I started the training on each one, but they're still at level 0.

Why did I do this, you ask? Well I wanted to have more 20-45 min skills to level while playing shorter sessions, and switch to longer skills when I log off for the night or any extended period of time.

Skill Training Complete

Ahh yes, we all love those three magic words, "Skill Training Complete". I have a gynormous list of skills I want to train, but I have to keep reminding myself that I won't be effective at anything until I focus my training efforts.

I've decided to get a few key skills to level 4 before I get fragmented with various skills.
The skills are as follows...

Hull Upgrades IV
Armour Repair Systems IV
Drone Interfacing IV
Small Turrets IV
Medium Turrets IV
Navigation IV
Afterburners IV

That's only a small portion of the skills I'm looking at training, but I figure these are critical to surviving basic combat. I eventually- once I can fly BC's for level three missions- want to focus on Rifter skills. I'll probably dive deeper into small turret specialization per Kane Rizzel's suggestion, but right now I need cash, and that comes from running missions, so I'll continue Medium Turrets in my Thorax.

I love how many skills there are to choose from and that any race / gender can pick any of them. I remember being a stun mage in UO before stun mages were cool. I love trying new skills and setups and EvE really promotes that behavior.

I'm wondering when I should start looking for a Corp...? I'm only 2 mill SP, so I don't have a lot to offer yet, and most serious Corps have a minimum requirement higher than 2 mill. If anyone out there is part of, or knows an existing PvP guild that accepts rookie pilots willing to learn with a natural learning ability and previous MMO PvP experience, then please drop me a line ^^

~Placebo Effect

Space is Lonely

I played EvE some last night after the Cowboys victory over the hated Eagles (boo!)

I went ahead and changed my training from Drone Interfacing III (very important to drone damage, and a must have) to Hull Upgrades III. The Hull Upgrades skill will increase my armor value by 5% per level, therefore helping me survive longer.

I've focused so much on improving damage on my Thorax with the Medium Turrets skill that I've neglected defensive skills such as Armor Repairs and Hull Upgrades.

After reading the awesome adventures of Kane Rizzel (http://novakaneinc.blogspot.com/) I'm starting to wonder if I should put more skill training time into smaller ships such as the Rifter. My goal for my time in EvE Online is the same as Kane's, and that is to murder people and become a ruthless Pirate!

I was told the Thorax is a wicked solo ship to Pirate in, but being a noob I'm also too poor to afford an endless supply of Thorax ships, so the Rifter looks much cheaper to fit. I wonder if it has any drone slots (I can't check here at work, boo!)

Also, to anyone reading this, I'm still looking for a good Corporation to join, so keep me in mind when your Corp is looking for good new members. I'm only at 2 mill SP, but I catch on quickly and have no problem listening to the FC's instructions. The Corp must be centered around PvP, but I don't have a problem helping out with other operations, such as mining, either.

~Placebo Effect

Back Up and Running...

I played EvE Online during the late hours over the weekend. I set some temporary and long terms goals for myself since without goals EvE is just a giant sandbox.

Short Term: Build my standings with a few NPC corps through running missions. I want to get up to level three missions, and be able to run them consistently.

Long Term: Focus on training the current skills I have up to level 4 before aquirring more skills. Also, I need to find a Corporation to join up with. I'd prefer a Corporation located in 0.0, or involved in some massive wars. I basically need a Corp that is built around PvP and not one that just PvP'd because it's in the game.

I've been pulling in mor emoney with my new Salvaging skill, and I must say it's not bad money for a new player! I'm almost to 5 mill in only a few hours of playing (I know you vets make 5 mill in your sleep, but I'm new, so HAH!)

I probably won't get any time tonight since my Cowboys are beating up on the Eagles for Monday Night Football; however, if I do get on I'm not stopping until I have at least ONE mission giver at 8.0+ standing.

New Look; Old Game

I changed the look of the blog to fit my new game of choice. I've played EvE in the past off and on, but I'm ready to commit. I'm tired of not having an MMO to call home.

I plan to post more about my time in EvE as I start to progress through the game. My only problem is every time I subscribe I get bored because I can never find a good Corporation to join.

I'm an MMO vet and looking to dive deep into EvE; anyone know a medium-sized Corporation focused on PvP?

Placebo Effect
Gallente - 2 mill SP

Ultima Online Macros

This is my hotkey / macro setup for Ultima Online...

I have all my offensive spells set to the keypad...
(please note, this is the square keypad on the right, not the number row up top)

Starting from the bottom...

0 - Magic Arrow
. - Meditation
1 - Clumsey
2 - Feeblemind
3 - Weaken
4 - Paralyze
5 - Explosion
6 - Energy Bolt
7 - Poison
8 - Harm
9 - Mind Blast
+ - Flamestrike
* - Fireball
- - Lighting

I have my heal keys set to F2-F4 because they're near the escape key if I need to cancel a heal...

F1 - All Names
F2 - Heal
F3 - Cure
F4 - Greater Heal

I also set my drink cure potion as number 6 on the number row so it's near my Greater Heal key for group pvp encounters...
(number row)

6 - Drink Cure
7 - Drink Heal
8 - Drink Refresh

I also like to maintain my stats, so I have the following...

Alt+A - Agility
Alt+S - Strength
Alt+C - Cunning
Ctrl+B - Blessing

Some other random macros include...

Alt+L - Nightsight
F5 - Say: Bank, Guards, I Ban Thee, Wintersoul, Recsu Recdu, Etc...
F6 - Teleport
F7 - Hide
Alt+F7 - Invisibility
Alt+Q - Recall
Alt+W - Gate

It's also important to have the following...

F8 - Magic Trap
Alt+F8 - Reactive Armour
Shift+F8 - Magic Reflect
Ctrl+F8 - Protection
F9 - Use Once Agent (this opens your traped pouches for you)
Shift+F9 - Set Use Once (this sets which pouches to open)

That should cover it; there's more, but nothing I would ever share, muhahaha >=]

~Keystone

EvE Online

I've officially subscribed to EvE Online; this is the only MMO I'm playing. I could play WoW on the free private server, but even free the game doesn't interest me anymore. I miss the Ultima Online days of MMORPG's where the the game was complex enough to give meaning to the acronym RPG.

I had started a Caldari, but after some online research I found Gallente make better solo PvP'ers. I don't plan to go solo through the entire game as joining and participating in a Corporation (guild) is where all the fun is, but I'd still like to solo gank from time to time.

I'm going to post my character sheet in a subsequent post, and hopefully redesign the blog to fit my new gaming addiction.

P.S. I'm looking for a good Pirate / Warfare Corp to show me the ropes and take me in; leave me a comment if you know of any...

Until then...
~Keystone

LAN Preparation!

It's been awhile since I've posted, and I apologize for that! I could be cliché and talk about how college and work are ruling my life and how the mob is out to get me and break my legs for past gambling debts, but I digress.

So, there is an awesome LAN party that I attend once or twice a year that is coming up in May. This is not your normal bring-your-computer-not-know-anyone-warehouse-entry-fee-LAN. This is a LAN at a friend's house and he only invites friends of friends, and it's invite only. He covers most of the expenses, and since it's in his house he doesn't want random people there.

We have always played Counter Strike and one other shooter- usually whatever just come out and is hot. This time we'll be doing our normal Counter Strike plus Crysis. The problem I'm having is my machine barely meets the Crysis minimum system requirements, and upgrading right now is not a monetary option. I really wish our second game had been TF2 since it seems like the perfect LAN game, but the guy who runs the LAN is in love with Crysis.

I'm going to pop in another stick of RAM and end up with a P4 3.0 processor, 2g RAM, and a 9800 pro video card. I read a PC Gamer article where they played Crysis on low settings with those same hardware components, and while it didn't look snazzy, it still played.

I'm going to buy Crysis next paycheck and start playing it and Counter Strike (again) so I can be ready for the LAN. The last one we had I hadn't played in a awhile and it showed in my skills. This time I plan to be ready to frag some fools in a drunken stooper!

If anyone has Crysis and wants to show me the ropes or knows a good server to play on, please drop me a line. Thanks!

Ding! LvL 50

I dinged 50 on my Orc Shaman. I was about to play around with my new talent, "Shamanistic Rage" when I was asked to heal an instance with some buddies, so I respec'd Resto and played with Earth Shield instead.

They are both interesting top talents, but they don't have the "ooo-ahh" affect that my water elemental did =(

I might retire the Shaman for now and go back to playing a Mage; I feel the class was made to my specs. I've played all the classes up to about level 50, and the Mage is by far my class.

I love the Mage's mobility; they can portal around the world in a matter of minutes, and what is this thing you call "walking"? I'm an Azerothian version of Nightcrawler my friend, I just blink and *poof*, I'm there!

I'm curious what makes certain classes appeal to certain people more than others...?

What is your favorite class, and why?

Ahh, Crack is Good, but WoW is Better!

It's true, I'm playing WoW again.

I decided to go Horde this time around as I've seen the entire game from the eyes of a Human Mage already.

This time I rolled an Orc Shaman by the name of "Ocid". Those who know me will recognize that name as my Night Elf Druid, but anyone who plays these games for a long time starts using the same names over again- especially ones they like!

I'm still trying to get use to the tribal architecture of the Horde. I really miss my brick & mortar building from the Alliance cities, but it's a small price to pay for a new experience!

I'm only level 26, so nothing crazy has happened yet, but once the PvP stories start flowing, I'll have more to post. Until then...

~Keystone