Intergalactic Summit

No, it was setup to fail. Either intentionally or unintentionally and I'm honestly not sure which I would prefer to believe at this point. It doesnt matter which shepherd herds when the flock is being sent to the wolves.

This is just what I heard at the Cartel site and after, null sec rumors are generally true but keep in mind this is tertiary information at best:

1. The Battle was initially to destroy a pair of research facilities. One operated by the Serpentis and the other by their benefactor's the Cartel. Due to the poor discipline of the empire pilots and unfamiliarity with fluid router TiDi this battle never really took place and the forces were instead massacred on the gates into null sec. From where I was perched over the cartel facility, I saw only a few dozen small ships that had made it through the camp at Doril simply by merit of not being valuable enough to kill. These were quickly killed as well.

2. CONCORD

3. The Cartel and the Serpentis

4. Absolutely not. Both objectives were secured almost completely uncontested an nearly thirty or more minutes before the main blob even hit the gate camps on the way to null sec.

5. CONCORD saw the research as illegal and dangerous and attempted to impose its will.

6.Two staging systems were given, one for the Matari and Gallentean forces headed to strike toward Serpentis space and one for Caldari and Amarrian forces headed toward Curse and the Cartel. Both forces were logistically strained from the beginning being unfamiliar with fleet actions, lacking a unified doctrine, and being completely new to the concept of fluid router TiDi. The Sarum Prime groups convoyed at a freeborn toward their secondary staging system in Ihal many slaughtered by a small camp in Rahaladon by some HAC's and Recons. Because of the TiDi the forces moved out to the new destination RMOC-W while being spread out over 15+ star systems. It was then that they reached the impromptu camp in Doril and were slaughtered. Stragglers in low sec were killed by a small TEST flotilla to my knowledge but likely also by local low sec opportunists. Those who jumped to Doril ran into Razor's AHAC gang, A Goon Domi fleet and fast locker trigger. PL, NC. Darkeness, TEST, and many others in smaller and smaller increments joined in on the slaughter in Doril or the scraps that managed to make it through to RMO.

<< A secondary source from Razor in Doril >>

In my opinion, those research facilities contained implants the Cartel has been using lately for rapid deployment as well as blueprints for some of their mobile structures they have created that allow them to set up rapid attack bases nearly anywhere. This is of course just my own speculation, no one seemed interested in what was in them, just concerned with the killing and the tears. It was not until afterwards meeting some of my Cartel friends in G-0 that I even thought to ask. Many Cartel members also did not know for certain what was being researched. All null blocs operate in the same way in the end, information stays at the top. But maybe this can help someone else connect the dots. I do not know. To me it seems silly to attack a target such as that so it is very likely something else entirely was taking place.

I can say that what CONCORD intended as a show of force, a unification and all the other fancy things it was called before yesterday, it accomplished the exact opposite. Approximately two thousand capsuleers were slaughtered off hand by barely two hundred who then in proper null sec fashion had a nice brawl after. It showed the fact that the Empries did not even trust each other enough to supplement the strike forces with their own navies and capital support. It showed just how abruptly CONCORD's reach ends and just how much their hubris will sacrifice. It showed every null sec pilot just how much we had in common. Just how similarly we all think and operate. I enjoyed the company of Goonswarm, PL, Cartel and Darkness pilots and baseliners
in G-0 after the fact and it was nothing short of a party or even a armistice day in nullsec. (Meaning that we shot each other, but were all laughing and drinking and joking rather than full of general toxicity that the groups have for each other.)

I have been as objective as I can in answering your points but of course the second half is my opinion as the perspective of a TEST alliance pilot participating in November Massacre.

The fact that you are even suggesting that goes to show just how naive you are.

I could not heartily agree more and I was not even invited let alone be there....I was called to duty elsewhere otherwise I would have been there to assist even tho my liking towards the Caldari Navy are in question.

Darian

I'm afraid to dissappoint in this. The Fleet heading to the Curse objective was led by two commanders, one for the Amarr delegation, and one for the Caldari delegation. They proved both to be incompetent. If it's any comfort, the Gallente and Minmatar Commanders assigned to the Syndicate objective matched them in incompetence.

I have made a full report about the failed operation at ANN: Capsuleers answer Call to arms en masse, Navies fail to support them

This report has been composed after dozens of communications and interviews with those involved. In short, the capsuleers did what was asked, but got incompetent commanders of all 4 navies to lead them, quite the achievement I'd say.

It's amazing, to say the least. We, as a collective, managed to go 4 for 4 on bad fleet commanders. I know good commanders are a rare commodity, but what were the odds on not having even one?

I dare say that DBRB could have done a better job FCing this, from the reports I have heard.