Crime & Punishment

Zappity hasn’t been particularly active recently. I have been busy and travelling and not getting much pew pew time. My recent efforts have focused on the market, which is much easier to do on the laptop. I have built what ISK I have up over 18 months or so of active trading and, whilst not very wealthy, I at least have enough ISK lying around to do whatever I like. This includes playing with the market.

So when it was announced, I decided to invest 20 b of my hard-earned on the module tiericide changes. Of that, I have already spent 23 b. This failure in elementary mathematics is due to the first two rounds going well enough that I decided to tip profit from those modules into the kitty for the remaining items. After all, we have barely scratched the surface of really interesting modules.

I had focused on 44 item types in the first two rounds and ended up with just over 250k items in total for those categories. These were purchased Zappity style, which means low effort and low time commitment. I flagged the tiericide items that I wanted to acquire in one of my trading database tables and set up a little script that let me know which of my buy orders was filled. Every week or so I would look it up and set the orders up again, averaging about 50 m for each so they didn’t run out too fast.

The 250k items from the first two rounds cost me 3.5 b and I sold them all for 9.4 b, again Zappity style. This means that I set (what I thought) was a reasonable sell order price and left it alone. The announcements for the module families came, the market reacted, and almost everything was sold long before the patches arrived. Could I have made more? Easily. The market history indicates that the people who bought out my orders after the announcements probably made the same profit again. But I am not greedy. And, um, effort.

So what’s the current status of the remaining items? I have 853k of them (seriously, how big is Jita anyway?) across 314 types which cost 17.1 b. Right now I could list them at the ask price for 14.9 b profit. But I don’t want to yet. Perhaps I should take some profit now and reinvest. But, again, effort.

What is really interesting about this process is that people have lots of time to figure it out. This is unusual. Rebalancing speculation is usually done over very short timeframes with the early movers reaping the largest rewards. By now, however, there must be hundreds of millions of items stockpiled in Jita. It may well turn out that profits declines as tiericide progresses with more and more investors trying to get a slice of the action.

So here’s me looking forward to the next round of module tiericide. It should be an interesting year.

I got some l33t solo kills (namely a Venture and a cyno Rifter) but somehow these didn’t satisfy.

Venture: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44262006
Cyno Rifter: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44780892
Pod: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44780898

And, of course, I lost my ship to a better player. At least it was to an interesting fit which clearly outperformed my own Comet. So I learned something new:

Comet loss: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44781317
My killer’s Comet shortly after: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44781344

But when I logged in today I wanted something more. I dusted off my trusty Enyo and set forth.

[Enyo, Enyo]
Pseudoelectron Containment Field I
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer

1MN Afterburner II
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Light Ion Blaster II
Light Ion Blaster II
Small Diminishing Power System Drain I
Light Ion Blaster II
Light Ion Blaster II

Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I
Small Processor Overclocking Unit I

Warrior II x1

The ‘setting forth’ phase of the operation didn’t really last past the undock because there, all alone in the system, sat a Tengu in a Large plex. Hmm. What to do? 1) I could ignore it because clearly it is just bait and will kill me. 2) I could call in corp chat for assistance. 3) I could ship up. 4) I could...oh, I’m already in warp to the plex. How did that happen? But there is no time to figure that out because I have already landed and there is the Tengu, 15 km away!

I hit the afterburner and went for him. I didn’t start to lock him until I was almost in scram range, not wanting to scare him off. Once I had him tackled, I webbed him and chose 1000 m for the orbit, not wanting to lose velocity with an unnecessary 500 m orbit. After all, missiles don’t track.

I want to write about how the battle was long and furious with all my modules overheated and just a sliver of hull remaining, a testament to my magnificent solo prowess. But actually it was rather boring. His oversized missiles didn’t even make it through my shield. The only moment when it approached excitement (after catching him, that is) was when I overheated my guns to break through his passive shield regen. He was poorly fit for PvP and died shortly after.

Still, a Tengu is a Tengu, and a solo Tengu kill in a frigate is worth writing to all of you about:

Tengu: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44894963
Pod: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44894988

Hehe, I learned him good. I had a quick chat with him when I recovered from typing gf into local (I podded him after all) and told him to stick to smaller, cheaper ships for a while. He took it pretty well.

I felt that I had to least leave the system after such a long dearth of activity so before logging I hopped next door into Uuna and killed some farmers:

Tristan: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44895160
Pod: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44895170

Catalyst: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44895214
Pod: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44895234

That was fun but I feel bad for podding them. I bet it is what they wanted.

Tengu video: http://youtu.be/4mWmppbqcwU

First off, the enyo. I have one, but I've always looked at it with scorn. Usually I fly it in hopes of seeing it burn in fire. Amazingly that hasn't happened yet. What gets me about the enyo is how slow it is. This from someone more inclined to fly a firetail or breacher or slicer. Still it's impressive what you do with it. The part about not yellow-boxing until in scram is great. I'll have to give that a try. Might really work well with miners or missioners.

o7

I decided to see what all the noise about sentry drones was about since the Ishtar is about to be nerfed. I suppose you could say that I am late to the party but never mind. I have used sentries in PvE before but that is very different to using them in real EVE. I figured that since the Ishtar was so widely known to be OP I would have difficulty getting a solo fight in one and therefore chose the Vexor Navy Issue since it can still field five of them without being instantly recognised as heinously OP like it’s HAC cousin. Here is the kiting fit I tried first:

[Vexor Navy Issue, Sentry Kite]

Damage Control II
Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Warp Disruptor II
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II

Medium Energy Neutralizer II
Medium Energy Neutralizer II
Imperial Navy Small EMP Smartbomb
Imperial Navy Small EMP Smartbomb

Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I

Bouncer II x5
Hammerhead II x5
Warrior II x5

I found a similar fit on the forum somewhere (sorry, but I can’t remember where to give credit). This is meant to be a kiting fit although not particularly fast (2200 m/s) with 538 dps from Bouncers and 32k EHP. The idea was to point them and try to keep the Bouncers at about 50 km in an attempt to keep optimal down by going in roughly away from the sentries. No doubt this is child’s play to nullsec F1 monkeys to whom this is bread and butter stuff but to me it was an interesting challenge.

I headed out but after five jumps of being denied instant gratification became bored and started belt ratting in Prism. After a few minutes I spotted a suspiciously competent looking character enter local and, not particularly convincingly, head to the top belt to ‘rat’.

I warped to the third belt at 50 km, dropped my Bouncers, and hung around about 25 km from the beacon, or whatever that triangle thing in asteroid belts is. I don’t do mining. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later I heard the adrenaline-inducing ‘thunk’ of another ship landing on grid. I love that sound. Unless I really am ratting in which case I tend to panic. We pointed each other immediately and went at it. I told you he wasn’t just a ratter!

My plan of keeping him at about 50 km from the Bouncers but moving away in a nice straight line to reduce transversal didn’t work too well. He was, after all, orbiting me at ~25 km with a MWD, flinging nasty missiles at me. Maybe I should use Wardens at 100 km next time.

I thought about my smartbombs, originally intended to remove pesky light drones buzzing around me. I activated them in the faint hope that they would kill some of the incoming light missiles. Foolishly, I didn’t have my log open so I couldn’t keep track of the incoming damage. I must test this some time.

Anyway, we both crept down (myself crawling somewhat faster it must be admitted) toward armour. But I eventually timed his orbit correctly and got him in a nice chase line back toward the sentries. They took a chunk out of him and suddenly we were both in armour! The next wave of sentry damage put him in hull before he popped shortly after. Ha! But he definitely would have won if he’d been in the navy version. Not good enough. I need to work on my strategy.

Caracal Noogie Edition (yes, I am too lazy to look it up): http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44943977

I decided that the ‘kiting’ fit was rubbish, mostly because it is not fast or agile enough to be a proper kite cruiser. I don’t think I’m good enough at kiting to keep out of range of a brawling MWD cruiser slingshot. So I decided to try a brawling fit:

[Vexor Navy Issue, Sentry brawl]

Damage Control II
Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator
Small Electrochemical Capacitor Booster I, Navy Cap Booster 400

Medium Unstable Power Fluctuator I
Medium Unstable Power Fluctuator I
Imperial Navy Small EMP Smartbomb
Imperial Navy Small EMP Smartbomb

Medium Anti-Explosive Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

Acolyte II x5
Valkyrie II x5
Warden II x5

I warped to a medium plex, dropped the Wardens at 80 km from beacon and waited at zero for anyone foolish enough to visit. A Moa on short scan! The damage from these guys can be nasty so I figured it was a good test. He landed a few kilometers from me and I pounced on him with my scram and web. But he pounced on me too so he started it.

His damage application was excellent and before I knew it I was in armour with only a small dent in his shield. I turned on nuets and then the smartbombs as his drones appeared (they were only Warriors). It worked great! After just a couple of cycles he pulled his drones back and his tackle mysteriously disappeared. Huge chunks of his shield started to disappear as his hardeners were disabled and the Wardens were able to hit better. Kinetic damage was a bad choice against a Moa.

My main concern then was keeping him tackled. I actually did this poorly and he outranged my scram before I hastily approached and overheated the module. I should have also been concerned about my capacitor because only a second or two after he popped I ran dry!

Moa: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=44966616

Video of both fights: http://youtu.be/2taFf_aLKPw

This is a really fun way to fight. I haven’t done much cap warfare before, and this fit in particular is quite cap hungry with only the small cap booster. What I don’t like about it is sitting and waiting for the opposition to come to you.

You can still do that in HighSec o.O

had no idea... then again I don't Remember HighSec...

There is a very good reason for this, namely that I have never flown the Orthrus and forgot that it was missiles :) I wish I had recorded it. I distinctly remembering thinking that the damage went up when I switched. Maybe I was wrong.

A Machariel in a plex. It is a pity I am still in highsec. But it was still worth investigating so Zappity warped in and went straight for the fat Large wrecks, having noticed that emptying these tends to raise the ire of the average mission runner. In this case, my worthy adversary pretended not to notice. So I destroyed his MTU:

MTU: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=45090839

I have to report that he did not like it. After briefly yellow-boxing me he warped out. I recognised the signs so I hung around, waiting for his return. You see, your average mission runner takes a while to warm up to the concept of PvP. You have to give them two things: time and just cause. He already had the just cause, watching helplessly as his hard-earned loot was STOLEN and only compounded by the assault on his farming machinery.

He returned soon after in a Maelstrom, evidently indignant at the loss of his pet and intent on revenge. But not quite so intent that he wanted to risk a Machariel. Well, never let it be said that Zappity is fussy. While a Machariel would have been very nice a Maelstrom is not to be snorted at, especially when you are in a humble Incursus.

He was actually quite sensible to start with. He knew about tracking and he knew that the safest place for him was a long way away. He walloped me hard from 100 km while I was loitering at a wreck so I switched on the burner and angled toward him while maintaining transversal. At about 60 km he activated his MJD to increase distance.

Hmm, tricky. But while he knew about the importance of range he had evidently forgotten about the minimum warp range, as well as the fact that I clearly needed a combat prober in order to find him in the first place. So by the time my cloaked Cheetah was on grid my Incursus was 170 km away. I landed right on top of him.

That was probably a brown trousers moment for him. We were just over 100 km from the NPC battleship fleet and able to concentrate on each other. He had a decent shield tank and a lot of drones. After I had finished killing them it became apparent that he could tank me with relative ease. I offered him a ransom: "50m and I'll let you go. Yarr!". He refused, telling me that he was not in a hurry and that this would go on for ages. Then he closed the chat. So, ransom offered and ransom refused. Oh well, for once I wasn't in a hurry either.

This is when he made his biggest mistake. He should have ignored me and concentrated on the NPC battleship fleet which was now only 50 km away. That would have been a stalemate, only resulting in my warping away in disgrace. I watched the NPCs gradually close on us, forgotten by their erstwhile attacker but intent on revenge.

By the time he understood his peril it was too late. The battleship fleet was under his guns at between 20 and 30 km and he was suddenly in low shield, helped along by my suddenly overheated blasters.

The chat flashed: "I sent your money!" Now, I am an honourable pirate so even though he had earlier declined my offer I checked the journal: 500,000. He tried to scam me! I sent it back, unwilling to be scorned in such a manner.

Armour! Hull! It was going quickly now! A panicked "I sent the full amount" appeared just before he exploded. I told him that he should not have tried to trick me and sent that back too. Let that be a lesson to him!

Maelstrom: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=45091604

Pod (just because): http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?eid=45091615

I chatted with him after and found out that he was a recently returned player. He was a good sort and I was happy to explain what happened to him. I also sent a chunk of ISK his way, despite protestations that I had earned the kill.

Yes, that is right. Zappity, the friendly Pirate. Unless you are mean like last week's victim who swore never to let me rest. And who I am waiting in vain to hear from, of course.

Oh that's a good one! Story, that is. Humble pie is a dish best served cold. Or was that revenge? Anywho, condolences.

What puzzles me is the keres. Why bring a dampener to a knife fight? If I was a carebear I'd have brought a kitsune instead (actually I would have brought a griffin, but that's the sort of thing a carebear would have brought cuz--bling!) A moa with rails possibly?? Weird. I mean it fits the carebear profile once again but ...

A post on the ABA forums declared that Watson Crick, an ex-Frostian, was flogging off flipping great wodges of blueprints. It was inferred that these were ill-gotten, thieved from POSs. The list was impressive with the market value of the unresearched variants at about 5b.

Naturally, I had to get me some of that.

I dreamt of finding a lonesome highsec tower with floating labs and assembly arrays and hangar arrays and, well, something quite like this short-range dscan result:

Caldari Control Tower
Experimental Laboratory
Corporate Hangar Array
Corporate Hangar Array
Design Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Design Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Research Laboratory
Component Assembly Array
Component Assembly Array
Component Assembly Array
Component Assembly Array
Component Assembly Array
Component Assembly Array
Equipment Assembly Array
Subsystem Assembly Array

Oh look, no forcefield.

And the 45 defensive modules, beautifully arranged around the tower? Well, they would have been quite a deterrent if they had been online. But they were ‘Anchored’, meaning offline. My F1 finger trembled but even I know that you can’t just shoot somebody’s POS in highsec without incurring the just wrath of CONCORD. So instead, I read up on war dec mechanics.

They seemed quite straightforward, at least at a high level: 50 m ISK per week unless the member count is greater than 50, in which case it goes up. But that didn’t matter since I was hardly going to target a large, active corp.

I pressed the button, parted with my 50 m and waited impatiently for 24 hours. When I logged in, nobody from the target corp (that I knew of) was online, no members were in system, and the POS was still lacking a forcefield. I warped a cheap Caracal in and started the wanton destruction. My loitering Occator pilot pried open the first container. 824m in datacores! I had been most concerned about recouping the costs of the dec but now I was wondering just how lucrative this new pastime could be.

It was like unwrapping presents - you never know what is wrapped in that shiny cargo container! Fuel blocks, datacores, materials, ore! The total haul was 3.5 b:

2 x Caldari Fuel Block Blueprint (10/20)
15,366 x Caldari Fuel Block
73,353 Coolant
18,333 assorted Datacores
51,272 Oxygen
7,435 Robotics
2,404,674 Tritanium

Oh yes, the irony of a Caldari Fuel Block-producing Caldari Control Tower running out of fuel was not lost on me.

Of course it is not always that lucrative. And scanning down loot piñatas (the technical term) is extremely tedious, made even worse by the fact that people who let their POS run out of fuel don't tend to care what is in them. Still, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't profitable.

The modules in the second POS I attacked were completely empty while the third dropped only 330 m. I felt faintly outraged that the owners hadn’t left more loot for me! Ridiculous, I know, but I wanted the destruction of all those modules to have a purpose.

On a completely unrelated note, I am selling some blueprints. You can find the thread here: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=5637147