Warfare & Tactics

It's certainly not an amoral or evil act, but some people see it as a very violent thing to do.

If you don't see any value in podding an opponent then simply don't. You won't feel any better for doing it even if you consider it part of the war effort in reducing opposing factions wealth for future engagements.

Having said that, in a PVP environment outside of arranged honourable combat there is no reason not to pod, especially if they don't even try to get out in time.

The only other reason not to pod is if you know they make vids and like their vids :)

If you have the security status to take the hit, or it is a non-issue anyway, always take the pod. Always.

You say you have no relevant reason to remove from the field, but if he is in a gang, he's a warp in point. The steel egg sitting 12 kms away from you just became the warp to 10 km point after he tells his buds he didn't pull it off solo. No need to probe, just enter system and go.

1: Information denial. A pod still has vision of the grid, or alternatively a scanner, with which to report to friends.

2: Make it hurt as much as possible. Pod the guy, and no implants are no big deal. Big implants are big lols.

3: Send him on his way so that he has to reship, hopefully far away. If he lives next door, he wastes time reupping his clone (if hes smart). Not a lot of time, but every little bit can count.

4: Demoralize them. This isn't an issue which longer lived characters / players, but when a dozen rookies come for you and your gang and every kill gets podded ASAP, the next the guy may or may decide it isn't worth it.

5: In my opinion, any one worth killing is worth killing completely.

Now, all of these or none of these may not apply to a situation. You may demoralize a noob pirate, but no real loss in implants. Or yo may toast an veteran characters implants (not that most will stick around, but **** happens) but its lols for him because he has money to spare... but his next ship is 5-12 jumps out, so it'll be a minute before he's back, or his buddies, also older characters, cant warp right to him.

Or none of these at all take place, but the probability of enough of them taking place enough of the time make it worth while for me to pod everything I see.

If the pod doesn't warp before you lock it then you kill it.

I really don't understand the reluctance of people to podkill when you get no sec hit.

If its a newbie pod then you've probably caused more financial damage to the guy by killing his ship than the pod.

Medical clones are dirt cheap for newbies and if you fit implants then that's your own choice.

Quite apart from anything else a pod can relay plenty of info to fleet and I've seen people FC from a pod more than once.

tl;dr pod is no different to ship

In prolonged conflics like FW, sometimes it's advantageous to come off as honorable. If word gets around that you hesitate to pod the enemy, they might return the favor. Not all of them, but enough that it might work for your advantage. Besides, this guy sounds too rookie to have implants of any value, so it's not like you'd be padding your killboard or costing him enough isk to matter.

What I would probably do: Lock up his pod, do a silent five-count to give him time to run once he realizes he's about to be podded, and then shoot if he doesn't flee.

The pod simply is a part of the kill, no more and no less. Only if people get some sort of emotional attachment to their pod does it cause whines, tears and laughter. Also, outside 0.0/WH space it's laughably easy to avoid being podkilled (unless someone came prepared with smarties) so it really is one's own fault if it happens.

There's no issue with killing pods.

When he finds you in plex and attack you, he becomes enemy.
Enemies are to be destroyed without second thought.

The only excuses to let the pod live should be either your word, or security status hit.

One word: ransom.

I make it a point not to pod in an agreed 1v1. I don't force the my opponenet to give me the same privilage but I think an honored 1v1 deserves respect to the opposing pilot.

Most people will pod without a second thought, so by not doing the same to a newbie you are getting them into bad habits. If you pod him, next time he might learn to spam the warp button when he's at 50% structure instead of sticking around, and he'll be better off in the long run for it.

Generally, If its an experienced player or mission runner I always go for the pod. My reason, podding them can prevent a fast re-ship. And a mission runner can afford it.

If it's a new guy I don't. Or I lock them up to get them to move. If its an experienced player and you've just had an epic 1v1 and you won, but your guns are burnt out, your hull is venting atmosphere and you're heart is beating like mad......then I let them go. As that was an awesome fight and as a mark of respect I wouldn't go for pod.

Salz