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Alpha Targets - How bad is it?
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Alana ByrneWickey
Voidhounds
Pretenders
#1 - 2013-06-22 17:06:50 UTC
Hey guys,

i'm playing eve for about 6 months now and i feel like i'm being targeted very early, if not first, in a fight. I was wondering if this is due to alpha targeting or if it's just a coincidence?

I only have one character so far and i think about getting a second one as a fighter and keep my first one as a miner (i trained both, mining and pvp, on this one but with a big focus on pvp). Do you think it's worth it?

Looking forward to your replies.

Fly safe!

Alana
Anti-social Tendencies
Society for Miner Education
#2 - 2013-06-22 17:10:08 UTC
Alana ByrneWickey wrote:
Hey guys,

i'm playing eve for about 6 months now and i feel like i'm being targeted very early, if not first, in a fight. I was wondering if this is due to alpha targeting or if it's just a coincidence?

I only have one character so far and i think about getting a second one as a fighter and keep my first one as a miner (i trained both, mining and pvp, on this one but with a big focus on pvp). Do you think it's worth it?

Looking forward to your replies.

Fly safe!

Alana



No way to answer without knowing what you are flying and what the make up of you fleet and the fleets you are facing.

Another toon that is dedicated to PvP is a good idea.

"Patience: n, a minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue." - AMBROSE PIERCE
Darek Castigatus
Immortalis Inc.
Shadow Cartel
#3 - 2013-06-22 18:01:26 UTC
Alana ByrneWickey wrote:
Hey guys,

i'm playing eve for about 6 months now and i feel like i'm being targeted very early, if not first, in a fight. I was wondering if this is due to alpha targeting or if it's just a coincidence?

I only have one character so far and i think about getting a second one as a fighter and keep my first one as a miner (i trained both, mining and pvp, on this one but with a big focus on pvp). Do you think it's worth it?

Looking forward to your replies.

Fly safe!

Alana


Could be because your first name begins with A, quite a lot of FCs call targets alphabeticly because its easier to follow. Like antisocial said though, we cant be sure without knowing a bit more about what sort of fights you have.

Pirates - The Invisible Fist of Darwin

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Nerath Naaris
Pink Winged Unicorns for Peace Love and Anarchy
#4 - 2013-06-22 18:15:35 UTC
Just start flying a Maller; either way it´s a win! Blink

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Alana ByrneWickey
Voidhounds
Pretenders
#5 - 2013-06-22 19:59:18 UTC
Hi,

i know what you are pointing at and i haven't been targeted a lot when i was flying rifters in bc or bs fleets. When i flew the same ship class as everyone else i usually got targeted very early.

But generally speaking do you think alpha targeting is common enough for me to make a new pvp pilot although i'm gonna lose about 4 month of skill training? (i can still run missions or fly bc until my new pilot is capable of that so it's actually not completely lost...)
Thomas Builder
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2013-06-22 20:24:33 UTC
Someone is gonna be primary.

If it's always you - well, you can actually use that to the advantage of the fleet by flying a more defensive fit.

But, as Antisocial said, we don't know enough. There are as many reasons as to why someone is called primary as there are encounters.
Inxentas Ultramar
Ultramar Independent Contracting
#7 - 2013-06-22 20:39:45 UTC
Indeed, as corp CEO and someone capable of flying a reasonably convincing Battleship fit, I find myself primaried often too in smaller engagements. Just invest a little in things like counters to jamming and a sturdy tank. When the situation calls for a static deployment (shooting structures) it might be wise to not cycle the secondary weapon system, but use it to counter-primary things like Falcons.
Forest Archer
State War Academy
Caldari State
#8 - 2013-06-23 02:46:31 UTC
Fcs called targets based on 3 categories normally.
1. Ship types
2. Range
3. Name

So logi, ewar, and dps usually that order if things are in range often each ship type being called in alphabetical order or reverse alpha as some people do, comes down to FC preference.

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Cameron Zero
Sebiestor Tribe
#9 - 2013-06-23 16:46:22 UTC
1. Your name is at the top of the ALPHAbet.
2. Depending on your shiptype, or fit, you might get called primary sooner rather than later. For example, if you're flying a high-dps, no tank ship in a fleet of higher tanked ships, you're going to get called as soon as someone identifies you as a threat.
3. You might be in range of more of the enemy than your fleetmates. This is especially true of suicide tackle, btw.

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Ace Menda
Gemini Lounge
#10 - 2013-06-23 19:31:29 UTC  |  Edited by: Ace Menda
Alana ByrneWickey wrote:
Hey guys,

i'm playing eve for about 6 months now and i feel like i'm being targeted very early, if not first, in a fight. I was wondering if this is due to alpha targeting or if it's just a coincidence?

I only have one character so far and i think about getting a second one as a fighter and keep my first one as a miner (i trained both, mining and pvp, on this one but with a big focus on pvp). Do you think it's worth it?

Looking forward to your replies.

Fly safe!

Alana


Take a look at your name.

Now think that most FCs sort the overview by name.
Unless there is a more high priority target to be killed (Falcon, logi etc) who do you think they start with.

Edit:

Keep in mind...same things happen with names that start with a Z in case the FC has the overview reversed sorted...

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Sabriz Adoudel
Move along there is nothing here
#11 - 2013-06-25 06:40:42 UTC
Highly recommend you fly heavily tanked ships with a name beginning with A, or ships with some tricks up their sleeves to survive.

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Colonel Sponz
The Whiskers of Kurvi-Tasch
#12 - 2013-06-25 07:02:38 UTC
Many fleets don't even call primary but rather tell everyone to sort alphabetically and work down the list. You do the maths.
Steven Koskanaiken
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#13 - 2013-06-25 07:11:28 UTC  |  Edited by: Steven Koskanaiken
Colonel Sponz wrote:
Many fleets don't even call primary but rather tell everyone to sort alphabetically and work down the list. You do the maths.


proper fleets do call primairy. But with DPS ships this is not uncommon to be just alphabetical by the FC / target caller.
Amyclas Amatin
SUNDERING
Goonswarm Federation
#14 - 2013-06-25 07:36:13 UTC
pvp overviews are sorted first by type then by alphabet.

As a fellow A-lister, I can empathize with your situation.

Consider flying bait fitted ships like mallers, ruptures, and anything that works well when over-tanked.

Also, be nice to your logi. It's your only hope.

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Amir Rayman
Doomheim
#15 - 2013-06-25 08:40:21 UTC
Damn, my name starts with A. Straight
Alana ByrneWickey
Voidhounds
Pretenders
#16 - 2013-06-25 21:25:08 UTC
Thank everybody for replying!

If i summarize your replies it looks pretty bad for me so i guess i'll train a new pvp char Ugh
lollerwaffle
Tribal Liberation Force
Minmatar Republic
#17 - 2013-06-26 09:02:12 UTC
Alana ByrneWickey wrote:
Thank everybody for replying!

If i summarize your replies it looks pretty bad for me so i guess i'll train a new pvp char Ugh

It's not a big problem, but saying that, if you fly a specialized role instead of general DPS and the opposing FC calls primaries, you'll be hit first. If you fly general DPS, you'll be hit first due to alphabetical order calling.

Best to create something middle of the road name wise. Or use this character in small scale PVP where target calling is more tactical