Wednesday, February 26, 2014

SUSU – Closes its doors.





SUSU – Semper Ubi Sub Ubi  - Translated from Latin to English was “Always wear under wear”. It was a joke that my father would frequently say as we left the house to go on one of his adventures. Short history about my dad, he suffered from mental illness. His adventures… were adventures.

Back story/History about the corp.

“Narwals ate my duck” (Wormhole Merc Corp) had just tail-spinned its way into history, and DJSwitch (CEO of Double Down) was playing less and going to Transmission Lost. I felt I would have more fun doing my own thing.

I started SUSU as a C4/C1 wormhole corp with just my alts as members. At the time, I was in an alliance with a guy named Dreamcyth. It went well for a while then on the eve of our alliance invading our new home (Jim) C4/C3  Dreamscyth disappeared. I mean gone, just simply didn’t log in anymore. He was a major part of the invasion but the remaining members put everything we had to taking Jim. Since I was the only other corp, I simply absorbed the remaining members.  

We grew our numbers at a rate of about 4 or 5 a month. Slow and steady, but we didn’t really find our true identity until Bronya Boga joined us. What made the corp special was how nearly everyone in it had done almost every other aspect of the game before joining, and they simply were fed up with the bull shit. They were fed up with kill boards, null sec politics, K-space asshattery, low sec piracy and the redundancy of faction war.

The fights we committed to were often silly. We didn’t fly the correct doctrine our members tried to form fleets correctly, but our no fucks given play styles simply didn’t match up with organized battle. We lost more fights than won but consistently we didn’t really give a shit.

Bronya asked me one day, if I wanted to do a podcast with him. Down The Pipe was born.

I think being public and having our silly no fucks given attitude public made our corp what it was at its height. Somehow we were held to the standard outside of our own. The whole “You talk the talk, now walk the walk” thing took over. People heard how we conduct ourselves and what we were all about and the applications flowed in.

What made it really interesting was we recruited some of the more vocal and public wormhole dwellers of all time. At one point we had 1 podcast and 3 blogs worth of writers and content creators under one 50 man corp roof.

What made us a thing was what eventually was our undoing.

SUSU was a corp for scouts and content providers. We recruited people based on the activity levels they would provide. I frequently said “No Get lost” to applicants who simply had huge skill points and no kills. Or if there was a hint that they would just sit behind the POS force field when there was action to be had.

We demanded our members to fight every single person who came calling. Every single person we encountered got attacked. If we could exploit a situation we did, if we could ransom someone we did… for no reason other than “fuck you, that’s why”.

This selective recruiting of only hunters and not bears created interesting viewpoints when it came to PVE. They fucking hated it. Any hint that someone wanted to do something other than hunt and kill, was always greeted with mockery and jokes. More so than any corp I have ever been in EVER. The minority became the silent minority because to speak up was to be mocked, and I supported it.

Not my best choice in retrospect, but at the time, pvp content generation took priority over all things.

What this did was, the people who simply didn’t want to fight about it anymore, just stopped logging in. They stopped hunting targets, they stopped scanning chains. Burn out happened. Churn happened.

Around this time, Cloudhunter joined our corp and inspired what was called the “cloudhunter challenge”.If you want in, fight your way in. This was a HUGE benefit to recruitment of more hunter based members. In one activity it removed any and all spies/awoxers/thieves (spies/thieves are lazy). They had to prove themselves to fellow hunters and content creators that they were worth anything. Those people are the ones who got in.

We became a corp of hunters. Each person a crafty mother fucker bent on the destruction of their fellow EVE players, but what made these people solo specialists also made them very bad at teamwork and following orders. Too many personalities, too many counter opinions.. eventually our actual real problems stopped getting resolved.

Bronya leaves, but not before a very extended hiatus from the game. Cethion stopped logging in. Both these guys were my right and left arms. More people stopped logging in.. Jack… Cloud.. … the writing was on the wall. I just didn’t want to accept it.

Lotor who might be one of the best small gang pvpers I have ever known, tells me he is leaving. I snapped. That was the final straw.

I have been a apart of a full on failscade before, assets go missing, invasions happen… shit gets unglued quickly. I instantly opened up a convo with Sicks, the CEO of “THE H0NEYBADGER”, and brought him into our TS to talk about a merger. I chose the honey badger because of all the people SUSU has ever interacted with, these guys were what we liked. They fought, they laughed and most of all they gave no fucks doing it.

Video of us fighting them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQoB8A1Lvg0&list=UUTDjZ_kvb1XaS-R39f1KZkw&feature=c4-overview

I didn’t want to simply join their alliance because of bookmarks. There are no alliance wide bookmarks, and because hunting/killing in wormhole space needs quick information exchange, if we were going to bring anything to his group, it needed to be from within.

We took a vote that very night. 9 yes’s 0 No’s.

Sicks asked us if we were going to just join outright, and reminded us that his corp also has a form of “The Cloudhunter challenge” I said "challenge accepted".

 I sent out this email to the corp.

“Dear friends,

SUSU has reached a crossroads. With the main pvp membership failing as of late, change must happen. In order for our way of life to continue we must adapt or die.


Our higher order of "No Fucks Given PvP" is respected by most and welcomed by all. But what people want from us, they don't always practice themselves. What we have built as a corp, alliance and wormhole space fighting force is in high demand by everyone.


SUSU and its member base can write its ticket to ANY wormhole pvp force. Our scouts are the stuff of legend. Few corps have one or even two quality members that we ourselves have as the base of membership.


One other group has shown the mentality of not truly giving a shit in pvp and the care free attitude required to deal with our shit. This is "The H0NEYBADGER".

SUSU as a corp will be dissolved.


But not before we show our new friends and corp mates exactly who they are recruiting. The similarities between THE H0NEYBADGER and SUSU are so similar they even have a CloundHunter Challenge for entry.


We as a corp and anyone from our partner alliance member base is welcome to participate in this task. Anyone wishing to stay in the alliance and corp is welcome. The pvpers will be invading THE H0NEYBADGERs C6/C2.


This will be a full scale organized invasion. Complete with  spies, bribes, and the effort we require ourselves for membership. We will bring the random violence the rest of wormhole space has come to expect and respect of us.


1st step is to get a scout in their hole. 1st SUSU member to get a scout in their hole will receive the remainder of SUSU's corp wallet. 285 million isk.

With that first step, brings the last step for SUSU.


Let’s bring the heat and show our new friends how we do shit.


--- Spear “


We found and had 3 scouts in their hole in less than 22 hours. Yea, that’s how we do shit, and that was just 1 guy trying (Granted an amazing scout in his own right). Each and every member in SUSU knew how to do what he did, how to find people, how to scout and how to infiltrate. Never been prouder.


Here is a video of the invasion.





You can tell we are not very good at pvp, but we try and we laugh about it. I wanted to make a splash, so I brought in a blinged marauder. (first time flying one btw). I wasn’t really sure about the range of the guns, and there are so many buttons. I kind of made some mistakes… didn’t shoot the primary…  also you can hear me in the video say something to the effect of a moros having only 30k range. Yea… that was with anti-matter charges.. The one that vaporized me, was using iron or some shit that could hit well out to 100k. Opse.

We also didn’t bring any logi. We did that for a reason, we didn’t want to win. We came with the explicit reason that we were going to lose and provide the most fun for our new friends. Winning would have made grudges happen, a SUSU vs TH mindset right off the bat. Not the best way to start friendships, when they were doing us the favor by taking us in.




After the invasion, Max was sold for 1.5b. 

The alliance SUSU created was sold for 900m.

I moved all 6 POS out of Max myself. I spread nearly 20 billion worth of mods/ships/POS/POS mods/ fuel/ PI materials/capitals across K-space. It took me 5 solid days and some vacation I had saved up at work to unfuck all my stuff.

At the end.. We had only a handful of people actually come with us to The H0neybadger.

To the other CEO’s and alliance leaders that checked with me before poaching members, my hats off to you. Mutual respect among leaders has always been a admirable wormhole thing. To the fuckers who poached members without even a courtesy convo… lack of respect goes both ways, you won't be soon forgotten.

This blog will continue, Down the Pipe podcast will continue. I look forward to making new memories with The H0NEYBADGER…

 Last weekend The H0NEYBADGER killed 10 billion in wormhole space. Yep. Think I’m going to like it here very much.

.o7

--- Spear





Wednesday, February 12, 2014

The Sand Box

From: Haruko Kitsune
Sent: 2014.02.12 09:36
To: Longinius Spear

Dear Sir,

My recent folly, and your subsequent recollection on your blog, was debilitating, enlightening, and just downright hilarious. The breakdown of the incident which you have publicised was very informative and I appreciate it, although it is unfortunate that you would mock me and insinuate about my temperment thereafter. Just like eveyone else who starts off at something new - I am a noob, I have much to learn and have made many mistakes along the way. I was surprised to lose my stuff and to be betrayed in such a way but I dont believe I overreacted, I'm certainly not upset. I understand your desire for power and the thrill of the hunt, but I deserve no disrespect.

I'm afraid I must disagree with your closing assertation. EVE is just like any other MMO - There is appeal (and certainly something your ego likes) in being the bigger fish, but trying to actually have fun by making other people's experiences more fun takes strength. Also, this "eat or be eaten" paradigm is fallacious and a rather bland, infantile ideal. You and I both know it is more colorful than that, dont we? :] Life is the same way I guess. Certainly it is always easier to take than to give. It is a shame that the heart of such a formidable team as yours should be focused on the humiliation of others. It is what it is though, no doubt.

I have learned two things from this experience:
1. I will continue to help others no matter what to try to foster respect and friendship.
2. Smoking weed and playing EVE is not the most intelligent combination for a noob.

Sincerely,
Haruko Kitsune




My response: 

1st I’m sorry for any kind of disrespect you perceived. I’m not the best writer, I’m just a part time story teller and my editorial skills are very lacking.

I want to clarify something for you though.

You’re statement “EVE is just like any other MMO”.

It’s not.

This is something many new people come into the game with. This perception that there is a right or a wrong way to play EVE.

EVE is a sandbox. If you aren’t sure what a sandbox game is, try Mine Craft. Your experience is entirely defined by your actions within the virtual constraints of the game.

Example 1- If you are sitting in one system of the game and never leave that system for years, no one can possibly say you are playing the game ‘wrong’. Perhaps to you, and your goal set this is exactly where the game should go. The EVE experience is entirely personal perception bound. Sure there are different activities you can engage in, but even if you didn’t engage in them, that wouldn’t mean you are “losing” at the game. You simply haven’t ‘dug’ in that end of the sandbox yet.

Example 2- There are many people in this game who play to watch the little number on their wallet menu, rise and fall. That is their game. They play the game to watch some fake little space money number go up and down. Some activities represent a greater value, some mistakes represent a smaller value. That’s their entire game. This is the section of the sandbox they choose to dig in.

My game is hunting my fellow player. Outwitting them, with a clear finality of their space ship being destroyed at the end. You may call it opposite of what you do, which may be helping people. But that’s your game, not mine. That’s the sandbox. We are both free to follow each other’s ideals of winning.

EVE is so unlike other MMO’s in a way that there is no endgame. There is no final player level. There is no ultimate loot or monetary value to obtain. The things you feel you are winning at, are only winning at them because your personal perception of them has value.

EVE is so much more than any other MMO, because you can create your own moral constraints outside of the reproductions of real life. I can hunt and murder my fellow players in the game only to pull over for another stranded motorist in real life. The two do not reflect each other. They don’t need to because in both life and EVE, each are bound to a different set of sandbox moral directives.

Don’t confuse real life and EVE. Because I choose to do mayhem and evil in game, doesn’t mean I have a Freudian lust for my mother in real life. (joke)

I’m going to leave this final thought with you.

Perhaps when you say something like “90% of the people you come across are Toxic assholes", you may want to hold your fellow EVE player to a different social standard.

My father once said. “If you met one asshole a week, you can say you met an asshole.””But, if you meet nothing but assholes all week””Odds are, You’re the asshole”.


--- Fly safe.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

We are the 90% -- do not trust us.



This story is about a harsh lesson being taught to a newbie by one of our newest scouts.

EVE is a cold hard place. Its kill or be killed. Take or be taken from.. Pain and suffering are your teachers.

Rarely things are as they seem, but if you are observant and as paranoid as EVE should make you… you can escape pain of death. 

Through the story I’m going to point out errors on our part that should have tipped him off to our intentions and holes in our story.

TLDR: We cost some newbie a Gnosis, he makes lots of mistakes and is mad about it.

The setting is a high sec connected to deb (Max’s Static). Bandit has just lost his bomber to a cleaver trap by EOL (more about that in future posts). 

Bandit is sitting on the high sec side of a C3 in his pod, when a convo opens. It’s by a person who calls themselves, Haruko Kitsune. The pilot of a Gnosis sitting outside of the same hole that Bandit was just exploded in.

Bandit explains he just lost his only ship and is super space poor.

It starts with a donation of about 1.5 million ISK for a new ship.

[ 2014.02.10 06:36:44 ] The Federal Bandit > o/ thanks for the donation
[ 2014.02.10 06:37:39 ] Haruko Kitsune > hehe yw. im staking out a c6 for gas harvesting, add me as a contact and hit me up when you bounce back a bit

O boy! Wormhole space friends!

[ 2014.02.10 06:38:05 ] The Federal Bandit > ohh, i can harvest gas
[ 2014.02.10 06:38:09 ] The Federal Bandit > I actually have a venture
[ 2014.02.10 06:38:43 ] The Federal Bandit > it's like 4 jumps away
[ 2014.02.10 06:39:06 ] Haruko Kitsune > go get it then :]
[ 2014.02.10 06:42:02 ] The Federal Bandit > omw
[ 2014.02.10 06:43:30 ] The Federal Bandit > alright.  i have my venture.  I'm in  Stou
[ 2014.02.10 06:46:11 ] The Federal Bandit > where do you want me?

Now Bandit isn’t alone. In fact between myself and his alt we have about 6 pilots watching this guy in the Gnosis. Trying to figure out where he is going and what C6 he is talking about.

So I’m spurring Bandit on to go and join his new found friend in C6 space for a ‘Just meet you, lets go Gas Huff together’ love fest.

[ 2014.02.10 06:46:51 ] Haruko Kitsune > sorry hold tight

Now Bandit and I aren’t the only ones who have this high sec system resolved, turns out Haruko also has it scanned. 

What’s worse, he just landed on grid with one of my alts in a bomber and uncloaked me outside of the hole bandit just died in.

Mistake 1. Bandit just told him (in a different convo not provided for me) he was alone and just lost his only bomber to a POS. Haruko just saw my bomber in the SAME corp as bandit on grid with him at a hole we just finished in.

I quickly cloak my bomber and exit the system.

Shortly after seeing my bomber on another wormhole in high sec. Haruko out of nowhere warps and jumps into Deb, where Bandit’s alt is sitting uncloaked with a Proteus. Doh.

Mistake 2. Another person from the SAME CORP sitting on a wormhole next to the same high sec hole you just invited some random stranger to go gas huffing with. /facepalm

Bandit and I are astounded he hasn’t told us to get lost. He must be scamming us, or baiting us to execute the venture with his Gnosis. 

Bandit says, "check this guys kill board". 2 kills 6 loses this month. All losses have been in wormhole space, in mining ships. Yep Haruko is legit newbie.

[ 2014.02.10 06:47:04 ] Haruko Kitsune > enter in through the one you saw me come out of
[ 2014.02.10 06:47:17 ] Haruko Kitsune > 113417
[ 2014.02.10 06:48:41 ] The Federal Bandit > alright i'm in 133417
[ 2014.02.10 06:48:45 ] Haruko Kitsune > actually dont
[ 2014.02.10 06:49:18 ] Haruko Kitsune > im in th3 middle of moving into a spot. lets talk in about 10 minutes'
[ 2014.02.10 06:49:48 ] The Federal Bandit > alright.  where do you want me to wait?
[ 2014.02.10 07:06:52 ] Haruko Kitsune > sorry, had to concentrate
[ 2014.02.10 07:07:02 ] The Federal Bandit > no worries
[ 2014.02.10 07:07:25 ] Haruko Kitsune > im 3 sectors into w-space in a class 6

They J-Sig he is saying is DEB. The static of our home hole. We quickly remove all ships from scan in Max in the event he is headed into Max to harvest gas. But we don’t have any gas sites in Max … so we are really confused where he is going. It dawns on us, that he is headed into Debs’s W-space static C1.  Which is EOL (end of life).

We haven’t even been in that hole because of its EOL value. A wormhole scout knows better than to head face first through an EOL hole, unless you don’t mind it being a 1 way trip.

·[ 2014.02.10 07:08:08 ] Haruko Kitsune > im a noob really, 3mil skill points but i have played mostly in w-space
[ 2014.02.10 07:08:18 ] The Federal Bandit > cool cool where do i go?
[ 2014.02.10 07:09:39 ] Haruko Kitsune > what are you trying to do?
[ 2014.02.10 07:09:52 ] The Federal Bandit > I'm in a venture atm,  I want to gas mine
[ 2014.02.10 07:10:48 ] The Federal Bandit > i scanned down this c5 in the 113417 hole
[ 2014.02.10 07:11:12 ] The Federal Bandit > before with my manticore
[ 2014.02.10 07:11:13 ] Haruko Kitsune > sorry mate, i cant let you join today, i was in a hurry to get back here to my system, one of the entrance whs was critical. i doubt i could get you the bookmarks in time and i need to work now

So we can’t figure out what “work now” meant. Is he logging off? What the fuck?  We figure out that he must have jumped into the EOL C1. Not wanting to lose this new space friend, the venture warps bravely into the EOL C1. Bandit follows with his Proteus and I follow with my bombers… wait.. 1 bomber because the hole closed….

What’s worse. The only person with probes is the Venture.  We are not trapped in a C1 with a battle Venture, cloaky proteus (with no probes) and a bomber (with no probes). O and it’s also a C1 Static NULL. UGGGGGGgggGG

As a twist of fate, there are wrecks on scan! And a nighthawk! The adventure Gnosis gives not fucks and goes where he pleases!

[ 2014.02.10 07:11:36 ] The Federal Bandit > are you leaving?
[ 2014.02.10 07:13:42 ] Haruko Kitsune > no i'm setting up  Mobile Depot at deep-space bookmarks, away from d-scan or possible probing and will be using several fits for my  Gnosis
[ 2014.02.10 07:14:01 ] The Federal Bandit > :( alright.  are you currently mining gas?
[ 2014.02.10 07:14:10 ] Haruko Kitsune > yup
[ 2014.02.10 07:14:58 ] Haruko Kitsune > do you know anything about ninja harvesting of gas? or what gas is valuable and whatnot?
[ 2014.02.10 07:15:19 ] Haruko Kitsune > what is your knowlege of w-space and EVE?
[ 2014.02.10 07:15:28 ] The Federal Bandit > somewhat medicore
[ 2014.02.10 07:15:46 ] Haruko Kitsune > thats vague :]


Mistake 3.  Now you have seen his corp mates on GRID with you. If you even bothered to check his kill board, you would see a huge amount of w-space only kills. “Some what Mediocre”??!?!? The man is in a corp who clearly murders everyone they come in contact with!


[ 2014.02.10 07:16:05 ] The Federal Bandit > um, i know how to scan haha
[ 2014.02.10 07:16:32 ] Haruko Kitsune > i mean can you use dscan? do you know what grav/ladar/etc sites contain? can you pve any sleeper sites solo? ninja harvesting/spelunking?
[ 2014.02.10 07:16:44 ] The Federal Bandit > dscan and probe

At this time, Bandit has dropped probes in the C1 and scanned out the C6. He is trying to get a warp in for the now split fleet so we can kill this guy and sort out our trapped fleet issue. Bandit tries to fleet with the guy.

[ 2014.02.10 07:17:36 ] Haruko Kitsune > not fleeting
[ 2014.02.10 07:17:42 ] The Federal Bandit > aww.  ok
[ 2014.02.10 07:17:52 ] Haruko Kitsune > you couldnt find me anyway

This made us wonder if he was just screwing around with us. We knew from his actions in Deb that his Gnosis has a cloak. Invite a pvper to a possible kill, only to lead him on for hours. Good way to troll. I would have given him mad props for the creativity.

[ 2014.02.10 07:18:15 ] The Federal Bandit > you said you're in a c6?
[ 2014.02.10 07:20:48 ] Haruko Kitsune > i did
[ 2014.02.10 07:21:40 ] Haruko Kitsune > heh i see you :]
[ 2014.02.10 07:21:53 ] Haruko Kitsune > impressive
[ 2014.02.10 07:21:57 ] The Federal Bandit > :)
[ 2014.02.10 07:22:07 ] The Federal Bandit > sorry, you made me want to find you
[ 2014.02.10 07:22:10 ] The Federal Bandit > i was bored
[ 2014.02.10 07:23:33 ] The Federal Bandit > can i join you?
[ 2014.02.10 07:23:34 ] Haruko Kitsune > you did a good job. are you really wanting to join me in this endeavor of mine? I have all 15 gas sites scanned down already. incluting one that contains nearly a billion worth of c320 and c540 fullerite

Mistake 4.  Its not impressive, its fucking scary. He is HUNTING YOU! Solo ventures with any sense what so ever, don’t just scan down shit and follow some guy they just met. That’s how you get dead!

[ 2014.02.10 07:23:51 ] Haruko Kitsune > but it will take time
[ 2014.02.10 07:23:55 ] Haruko Kitsune > to set up
[ 2014.02.10 07:23:59 ] The Federal Bandit > yeah, i'm willing
[ 2014.02.10 07:24:05 ] Haruko Kitsune > are you cloaked?
[ 2014.02.10 07:24:09 ] Haruko Kitsune > can you*?
[ 2014.02.10 07:24:10 ] The Federal Bandit > no :(
[ 2014.02.10 07:24:23 ] Haruko Kitsune > mw drive?
[ 2014.02.10 07:24:38 ] The Federal Bandit > no :(

No cloak or MW because his mids are devoted to tackle, in the unfortunate event you are stabbed to shit.

Mistake 5. “Hey would you link your fit?”  If the fit provided has 3 god damn scams in it, good chance he isn’t trying to be space bro’s with you. He would quickly need to create a legit fit, upload it, share it, and rename his ship to whatever matched the fit. If Bandit slipped up even a little bit, that would be enough to be cause to log off and forget bandits phone number.

[ 2014.02.10 07:25:09 ] Haruko Kitsune > alright. make a safe point in open space. can you do that?
[ 2014.02.10 07:25:14 ] The Federal Bandit > yup
[ 2014.02.10 07:25:41 ] Haruko Kitsune > once you have a safe spot, i'll fleet you up, you warp to join me in finding a location for the depots
[ 2014.02.10 07:25:47 ] The Federal Bandit > alright
[ 2014.02.10 07:26:06 ] Haruko Kitsune > i'll explain the idea i have (mind you i have never done this before lol)
[ 2014.02.10 07:26:26 ] The Federal Bandit > at a safe
[ 2014.02.10 07:26:28 ] The Federal Bandit > no wirries
[ 2014.02.10 07:26:39 ] The Federal Bandit > worries**

Bandit jumped into the C6 and tried to figure out which gas site he was at, so I could get tackle with my bomber.

[ 2014.02.10 07:27:27 ] Haruko Kitsune > i am flying with mw drive at 1km/s away from the solar system entirely. the pos set up here is in the opposite direction im flying
[ 2014.02.10 07:27:43 ] The Federal Bandit > are these ships piloted in here?
[ 2014.02.10 07:28:46 ] Haruko Kitsune > dont know. judging by the wormnav graphs we are currently at the occupant's down-time
[ 2014.02.10 07:29:02 ] Haruko Kitsune > http://www.wormnav.com/index.php?locus=J155207
[ 2014.02.10 07:29:08 ] The Federal Bandit > mhm i know

O yea, he is going to harvest Gas in an OCCUPIED C6 with dreds/caps/T3’s on scan. No fucks given.

[ 2014.02.10 07:29:51 ] The Federal Bandit > warp to me?
[ 2014.02.10 07:30:23 ] Haruko Kitsune > nope im heading out to make a bookmark. i have no idea how long it will take tbh
[ 2014.02.10 07:30:39 ] Haruko Kitsune > how many km is 1 AU?
[ 2014.02.10 07:30:39 ] The Federal Bandit > out from where?
[ 2014.02.10 07:30:46 ] The Federal Bandit > really far
[ 2014.02.10 07:31:54 ] The Federal Bandit > why do you need a safe out that far?
[ 2014.02.10 07:32:40 ] Haruko Kitsune > so noone will see it on dscan and then scan it down and kill it
[ 2014.02.10 07:33:14 ] Haruko Kitsune > i want to spend time in here exploiting the ladar sites and using the class 1 static as a route into high-sec to sell
[ 2014.02.10 07:34:52 ] The Federal Bandit > alright.

Right, cause that’s how wormholes/EVE works.

Now we are damn near positive he is fucking with us. He is just going to slow boat in his Micro warp drived Gnosis till he can park his mobile depo .. Off … D .. scan..

[ 2014.02.10 07:35:23 ] The Federal Bandit > can i get a warp in to your safe though too?
[ 2014.02.10 07:36:05 ] Haruko Kitsune > what for?
[ 2014.02.10 07:36:37 ] The Federal Bandit > idk,  my safe is in the middle of everyone haha
[ 2014.02.10 07:37:24 ] Haruko Kitsune > ok.

Mistake 6. Do you recall the part of the conversation where Haruko tells bandit to make a safe, and he does. Now he wants to join your fleet and use the same safe? Seriously.

Bandit is in fleet with him and warps to him thinking he can finally get tackle on this Gnosis. Turns out he actually is microwarp driving in a random direction and plans to travel multiple AU off D scan range. En’t nobody got time for that. Bandit explains that he can’t catch him. Mids devoted to scrams and all.

[ 2014.02.10 07:40:54 ] The Federal Bandit > I fogot to bookmark the hole
[ 2014.02.10 07:40:55 ] The Federal Bandit > brb
[ 2014.02.10 07:41:05 ] Haruko Kitsune > k


This isn’t exactly true. What this was is, we thought it was super wise to figure out where the K-space exit was BEFORE we try and tackle a Gnosis with the only ship (a venture) in the fleet/hole.  The Nighthawk is alive and well in the C1 by the way. Also, we have a new friend. A Vexor and some combat probes. At one point, a Vexor lands on grid with our only scanning ship and he almost gets popped trapping the fleet in a C1 NULL.

We didn’t attack the Vexor and Nighthawk because its really hard to kill a Nighthawk with a thermic damage cloaky proteus/bomber only, and we may spook the Gnosis that we are working so hard to murder.

Finally Bandit finds the Null, book marks it and heads back into the C6.

[ 2014.02.10 07:41:05 ] Haruko Kitsune > k
[ 2014.02.10 07:45:16 ] The Federal Bandit > i cant scan for shit in this venture.  haha
[ 2014.02.10 07:45:30 ] The Federal Bandit > sorry it's taking so long
[ 2014.02.10 07:46:00 ] Haruko Kitsune > no problem at all. its all a waiting game for me now
[ 2014.02.10 07:46:15 ] Haruko Kitsune > im gonna leave fleet
[ 2014.02.10 07:46:22 ] The Federal Bandit > alright
[ 2014.02.10 07:47:06 ] Haruko Kitsune > sorry, 90% of the players i meet are just toxic assholes. forgive me for not trusting you

We laughed very hard at that last part.

Mistake 7. If there was any doubt in your mind that Bandit was anything he wasn’t, YOU SHOULD RUN! Or fight! not keep talking to him like its no big deal. You shouldn’t trust him.

This is EVE, Toxic Assholes make this game fun!

[ 2014.02.10 07:49:59 ] The Federal Bandit > alright i got it.
[ 2014.02.10 07:50:32 ] The Federal Bandit > coming back in.  and no worries, eve is full of bad people.

I think I actually spit out my Orange Drank when he read this to me.

[ 2014.02.10 07:50:34 ] Haruko Kitsune > youre welcome to stick around and mine sites, you can try some now i dont care, just mind the sleepers :}
[ 2014.02.10 07:50:38 ] The Federal Bandit > I'm back in the c6 now
[ 2014.02.10 07:50:47 ] Haruko Kitsune > rgr
[ 2014.02.10 07:50:59 ] Haruko Kitsune > did you save the spot you warped to me at?
[ 2014.02.10 07:51:03 ] The Federal Bandit > yeah.  i would get attacked by the sleepers.  do you mind clearing out one of the sites first?
[ 2014.02.10 07:51:10 ] The Federal Bandit > and No, i didn;'t.  sorry

Remember that bookmark I had to make earlier, when I was fleeted with you? Yea, I didn’t make that because it wasn’t within scram range of YOU.

[ 2014.02.10 07:51:34 ] The Federal Bandit > even if it's the less expensive gass.  i wouldn't mind
[ 2014.02.10 07:52:42 ] Haruko Kitsune > scan down the sites almost all of the signatures here are gas
[ 2014.02.10 07:52:46 ] Haruko Kitsune > have at it
[ 2014.02.10 07:52:58 ] The Federal Bandit > but the sleepers will kill me
[ 2014.02.10 07:53:24 ] Haruko Kitsune > yeah
[ 2014.02.10 07:53:39 ] Haruko Kitsune > well you can mine for the 15 minutes it takes for them to spawn
[ 2014.02.10 07:53:54 ] The Federal Bandit > all the ones i found so far are spawned.
[ 2014.02.10 07:53:59 ] Haruko Kitsune > make a couple mil
[ 2014.02.10 07:54:17 ] Haruko Kitsune > thats because the instances were probably already started by other people
[ 2014.02.10 07:54:44 ] Haruko Kitsune > meaning someone entered the site first, starting the timer
[ 2014.02.10 07:54:56 ] Haruko Kitsune > and they stuck around un-killed until you came
[ 2014.02.10 07:55:27 ] The Federal Bandit > what about the small sleeper gas sites? it wont take long to clear

What Bandit is doing in this conversation is trying to get him to commit to being on grid at a gas site, instead of randomly burning in some direction. He is trying to lure him in with the idea that Bandit will need the assistance of the Gnosis, to kill the sleeper frigs. That will give us a stationary target to focus on, warp to and tackle.

[ 2014.02.10 07:57:16 ] Haruko Kitsune > this is why i am setting up some depots, i have several PvE fits in my cargo and i will use the depot to re-fit my ship from mining to exploration to PvE and also to store gas
[ 2014.02.10 07:57:17 ] The Federal Bandit > alright, scanning down a site
[ 2014.02.10 07:58:12 ] Haruko Kitsune > i have cloaking device as well as combat prodes. the works :]
[ 2014.02.10 07:58:29 ] The Federal Bandit > ok the sizable perimeter.  there's rats
[ 2014.02.10 07:58:40 ] The Federal Bandit > 6 frigates.  can you help me?
[ 2014.02.10 07:58:58 ] The Federal Bandit > GNV signature
[ 2014.02.10 07:59:06 ] Haruko Kitsune > tell me the one you're looking at before you jump in. i'll help you find one less likely to be hostile
[ 2014.02.10 07:59:29 ] Haruko Kitsune > im sorry, i cant... jump out
[ 2014.02.10 07:59:37 ] Haruko Kitsune > i am not fit for pvp
[ 2014.02.10 07:59:39 ] The Federal Bandit > yeah, I landed at them at 0
[ 2014.02.10 07:59:40 ] Haruko Kitsune > pve*
[ 2014.02.10 07:59:44 ] The Federal Bandit > i got out.

Bandit was never at one of the sites. He was trying to get him to commit to being on grid.

[ 2014.02.10 07:59:54 ] The Federal Bandit > how long does it take to refit for pve?
[ 2014.02.10 07:59:55 ] Haruko Kitsune > phew
[ 2014.02.10 08:00:08 ] Haruko Kitsune > i'll have to set up the depot
[ 2014.02.10 08:00:10 ] Haruko Kitsune > first
[ 2014.02.10 08:00:29 ] The Federal Bandit > soon?
[ 2014.02.10 08:00:41 ] Haruko Kitsune > not likely :/
[ 2014.02.10 08:00:53 ] Haruko Kitsune > probably will let my ship fly all night

Fly all night. Yea, no. I’m not THAT committed to this thing. Not going to wait for you to slow boat randomly for hours till downtime, just to kill you. En’t nobody got that kind of time.

[ 2014.02.10 08:01:09 ] Haruko Kitsune > save this location. im leaving fleet
[ 2014.02.10 08:01:16 ] The Federal Bandit > please
[ 2014.02.10 08:01:22 ] The Federal Bandit > just one site.  i can't find one

Mistake 7. Dude, he just told you he was at a site. How can he NOT Find one?!

[ 2014.02.10 08:02:11 ] Haruko Kitsune > sorry i cant risk my mission. can you fly a battlecruiser or cruiser yet?
[ 2014.02.10 08:02:22 ] The Federal Bandit > i don't have one
[ 2014.02.10 08:02:34 ] The Federal Bandit > that bomber was my best ship i had
[ 2014.02.10 08:02:41 ] The Federal Bandit > and I died to stupidity
[ 2014.02.10 08:02:51 ] Haruko Kitsune > that was you in the stealth bomber?

Mistake 8. NO that was ME. AFTER you met bandit. Did Bandit somehow time travel, meet you, get a donation, then die only to meet you again.?!


[ 2014.02.10 08:03:04 ] The Federal Bandit > that manticore? i think so
[ 2014.02.10 08:03:15 ] Haruko Kitsune > that sucks. well you know the golden rule: dont fly what ye arent willing to lose

O we know. So will you.

[ 2014.02.10 08:03:23 ] The Federal Bandit > mhm, i learned that now
[ 2014.02.10 08:03:26 ] Haruko Kitsune > oh no i saw a nemesis

Bandit thought that he could tackle him and asked me to jump into the C6. Turned out, this guy was still slow boating randomly and we couldn’t get him.

Mistake 9. You just saw a bomber. Not friendly. Log off. Cloak. Stop doing whatever you are doing! Run!

[ 2014.02.10 08:03:43 ] Haruko Kitsune > yeah w-space is hard-knock
[ 2014.02.10 08:03:57 ] Haruko Kitsune > so much fucking isk here tho

Bandit was getting desperate and he needed to do something to force this guy’s hand. All or nothing. Act like you need assistance and create a go – no go situation for Mr Space Friend.

[ 2014.02.10 08:03:57 ] The Federal Bandit > warping in
[ 2014.02.10 08:04:14 ] The Federal Bandit > ahh I"M SCRAMMED
[ 2014.02.10 08:04:16 ] The Federal Bandit > HELP
[ 2014.02.10 08:04:27 ] Haruko Kitsune > with the right practice, experience, skills... you could plex in a day in a place like this wh
[ 2014.02.10 08:04:46 ] Haruko Kitsune > shiiiit
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:22 ] The Federal Bandit > warp to me please!
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:35 ] Haruko Kitsune > is it npcs?
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:38 ] The Federal Bandit > yes
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:43 ] The Federal Bandit > Sleepers.
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:46 ] Haruko Kitsune > what size?
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:49 ] The Federal Bandit > Firggats
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:53 ] The Federal Bandit > frigast
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:55 ] The Federal Bandit > small
[ 2014.02.10 08:05:56 ] Haruko Kitsune > omw
[ 2014.02.10 08:06:39 ] The Federal Bandit > They have such a long scram!


Nice touch Bandit. The multiple misspellings and frantic messages were classy. In reality bandit was at 190k from the frigs and totally out of danger. If Haruko warped in outside of scram range, we would totally be screwed. 

Nope he warped in at 0.

Once he warped to Bandit at 0. Bandit tackled him. Bandit then dropped fleet, joined our fleet, shouted for me to warp to him. 2nd point called.

LOCAL CHAT.

[ 2014.02.10 08:09:15 ] Haruko Kitsune > please dont
[ 2014.02.10 08:09:22 ] Foedus Latro > 500M
[ 2014.02.10 08:09:33 ] Foedus Latro > and we leave
[ 2014.02.10 08:09:39 ] Haruko Kitsune > all i have is 14mil i swear
[ 2014.02.10 08:09:49 ] Haruko Kitsune > u can have it
[ 2014.02.10 08:09:51 ] Foedus Latro > lies
[ 2014.02.10 08:10:09 ] Foedus Latro > ransom
[ 2014.02.10 08:10:10 ] Foedus Latro > give it
[ 2014.02.10 08:10:28 ] Haruko Kitsune > thats literally everything

He sent Bandit the 14 million isk. After as much time as we took to kill this guy. There was no way we were taking such a small ransom.


[ 2014.02.10 08:10:55 ] Haruko Kitsune > well so much for diplomacy heh
[ 2014.02.10 08:11:25 ] Haruko Kitsune > well played guys

I asked Bandit to give back the guys money.

[ 2014.02.10 08:11:37 ] Foedus Latro > there's you money back
[ 2014.02.10 08:11:41 ] Haruko Kitsune > i dont appreciate getting had. but i cant be upset

Remember that phase before? “Don’t fly what you aren’t willing to lose?”

We grab his pod.

[ 2014.02.10 08:11:43 ] Longinius Spear >

Give us a Haiku
And you will be free to go
Or else you will die

It is a poem
Lines five seven five are key
From Japan it hails

[ 2014.02.10 08:11:49 ] Longinius Spear > 30 seconds
[ 2014.02.10 08:12:04 ] Longinius Spear > 20
[ 2014.02.10 08:12:10 ] Haruko Kitsune > oh im cool. no more humiliation lol
[ 2014.02.10 08:12:17 ] Haruko Kitsune > kill me if that is what you want
[ 2014.02.10 08:12:21 ] Longinius Spear > That is not a haiku
[ 2014.02.10 08:12:38 ] Foedus Latro > best of luck

Podded.




[ 2014.02.10 08:08:40 ] Haruko Kitsune > you did this
[ 2014.02.10 08:11:10 ] Haruko Kitsune > that wasnt nice of you
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:02 ] The Federal Bandit > cheers man.  I got your money back
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:23 ] The Federal Bandit > have a good one. o7 fly safe
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:23 ] Haruko Kitsune > why do that to me when i went out of my way like 3 times for you?
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:28 ] Haruko Kitsune > no, wait
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:30 ] The Federal Bandit > ok
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:34 ] Haruko Kitsune > i want an explaination at leasdty
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:41 ] The Federal Bandit > for what?
[ 2014.02.10 08:13:50 ] Haruko Kitsune > for fucking me over
[ 2014.02.10 08:14:33 ] Haruko Kitsune > that was like a week of saving and planning, i came to save you
[ 2014.02.10 08:14:46 ] The Federal Bandit > I'm sorry? but this is Eve
[ 2014.02.10 08:15:10 ] The Federal Bandit > I go for kills.
[ 2014.02.10 08:15:13 ] Haruko Kitsune > yeah well i was being a nice person in eve.
[ 2014.02.10 08:15:27 ] Haruko Kitsune > why fuck over nice people. defenseless too?
[ 2014.02.10 08:15:34 ] The Federal Bandit > It's rare, but you were
[ 2014.02.10 08:15:41 ] Haruko Kitsune > just for being a rat?
[ 2014.02.10 08:15:46 ] The Federal Bandit > I'm only nice to those i know.
[ 2014.02.10 08:15:57 ] Haruko Kitsune > well im sorry for you
[ 2014.02.10 08:16:04 ] Haruko Kitsune > thats a shitty way to be
[ 2014.02.10 08:16:19 ] Haruko Kitsune > im gonna go now. thanks for the explaination


I want to point out exactly how much we cost this person. His gnosis was worth about 60 million isk. That’s 1/10th a plex. A plex costs $20.00.

All that and we cost this guy about $2.00.

We fucked him over for 2.00. Does that make us two toxic assholes? Or are we just playing in a sandbox the way we want, at the expense of someone playing in the same sandbox differently?

Time will tell. All I know is, the challenge and effort we put in to murdering him is how we play this game. Mission accomplished.