I've just recently started posting on the forums and reading your posts is always a highlight of my experience. Have you considered or do you already have a blog that people can go to to read more about what you do? Thank you for posting - your posts and your attitude are refreshing in this amazing game.

(Edit: I tend to ignore signatures. I'll be a new reader as soon as I return to my home device.)

I've considered it, but then it would become more like work, whereas the occasional forum post is just me sharing fun stories. Couple that with the large, pre-formed audience that the forums have and the cost/benefit analysis just doesn't support me starting a 'blog.

Thanks for the feedback. EvE is a game, and I play it to have fun. For me, part of that fun is in telling stories about it.

Lesson 48: Time away really does dull your edge. Fortunately, this dulled edge has only cost me missed opportunities, not lost ships.

So far....

Lesson 49: Dual-boxing two ships actively fighting is a lot harder than it looks, especially with the aforementioned dull edge of Lesson 48. I was hanging out in a favorite losec system in my favorite VNI when my scout found a Myrmidon sitting in a belt. It had been there way too long to be 'ratting which usually only means one thing: bait. I fired up another character on another account and got a neut-heavy 'Geddon in-system; the belt was 50+ AU from gates, so I figured I'd have time to gank the Myrmi and get out. After some dancing, I get the Myrmidon tackled, neuted, and start applying DPS with both my VNI and my 'Geddon.

This is where thing start getting ugly. First, I notice that the Myrmi switched DPS from my 'Geddon, which had been tanking nicely, to my VNI, which was very quickly dropping. I didn't notice this right away because I had been watching the active tank and cap booster on my 'Geddon. I also noticed that the Myrmi had managed to keep tackle on my VNI despite the neut pressure. Just as I start maneuvering my VNI to get away, I notice that local has surged. It was a trap after all, but what I hadn't counted on was that the reinforcements were coming from a nearby wormhole. Almost as soon as I notice local surging, a Garmur lands on grid and tackles my VNI, which is now perilously close to death. I manage to get my 'Geddon's neuts on the Garmur just as the Myrmi explodes and make good my escape with both ships as the rest of the hostiles land on grid; my VNI at 16% structure, my 'Geddon at nearly full armor.

I lost a handful of drones, and the illusion that dual-boxing was as easy as I had expected, but it was a good fight all around.

I do know what you mean with the dual boxing being hard though, it really is. Most definitely not as good as two separate pilots.

I've dual-boxed frigates (usually one 'ceptor and one 'bomber) against easy targets (usually mining barges) quite a few times before. But those engagements were so short, the tactics so straightforward, the cap management so non-existent, and the builds so simple, they were far easier to manage than this one. Active tanks and/or full racks of neuts, not to mention drones, take a lot more brainpower than lock, orbit, point, and shoot.

Absolutely. I did a couple fights with Ishkur and Ashimmu. It was interesting. I lost the Ishkur but traded it for a Rook so I was happy.

I'd have taken that trade too.

Lesson 50: I have a newfound respect for active tanks. I recently participated in another round of Thunderdome-style one-on-one matches. Although I only ended up actually fighting one match, that one match was a doozy.

Here's a video of it from my opponent's viewpoint.

You'll notice that it's a long fight. Fifteen minutes long. No amount of buffer shy of a capital ship would have come close to lasting that long given the levels of DPS being flung about.

When you need to go the distance, an active tank is the way to go.

I wonder what a neuting VNI would have done to that Sac.

I wonder what a neuting VNI would have done to that Sac.

Lesson 50: I have a newfound respect for active tanks. I recently participated in another round of Thunderdome-style one-on-one matches. Although I only ended up actually fighting one match, that one match was a doozy.

Here's a video of it from my opponent's viewpoint.

You'll notice that it's a long fight. Fifteen minutes long. No amount of buffer shy of a capital ship would have come close to lasting that long given the levels of DPS being flung about.

When you need to go the distance, an active tank is the way to go.

That was intense. I like how you kept trying to pull range on his missiles half way through with your drones still applying their DPS. Didn't work out but good thinking

It would likely have been over in 30 seconds
Then again if it was a heavy missile kiting sac it'd likely have won against said vni

BTW Bronson this is a nice thread. Never took the time to notice before. That and its not been all that active in my ship toasting career

You get it, I get it. Like I said it's a risky call. By forcing a drone back periodically he can reduce the incoming damage and make it a bit easier on his cap demands.... but yeah, unless you can actually do at least armor damage to the drone before it's scooped you've basically accomplished nothing.

I almost sent a very verbose mail stating my opinion on the matter, then two things happened... I remembered that I was drunk, and that you're no fool.

Like I said, it's risky. If it works you win by attrition, if not it's slow death. There's a very good reason why I don't even try to flip Gilas in my Ishkur.

Noragen, I don't know if you've ever flown an MWD fit hull tanked VNI but that monster is unreasonably fast. Full nav skills I think it's around 2800 m/s with heat. Pretty sure it can still fit a full rack of medium neuts too; might have to downsize one of them.

My response was unclear. I believe from the ehp on that sac and the pressure even 3 heated med neuts apply it is screwed if the vni can get on top of it

Lesson 52: Never mistake "anti-ganking" activity with the statement "this pilot stands against hisec suicide ganking." A little over a year ago, I got my start in C&P by moonlighting as a White Knight in order to investigate the whole CODE. phenomenon. I ended up on comms with them, shot them up for their bounties, and generally had a good time. Since then, I have, on occasion, partaken in some good-hearted anti-ganking. In my case, it's not because I oppose CODE., and certainly not in order to protect their targets who are, without exception, flying dangerously; it's because I'm bored, I am fond of my sec status, and I like buggaring around with people.

I 100% support what CODE. does, and view my occasional White Knight sprees as an attempt to alleviate their boredom. I know this puts me into a somewhat unique position and has gotten me blocked by both suicide ganker and white knight alike...but so be it.

Lesson 53: Few things will make a killmail look weirder than re-shipping into a hauler to scoop loot before the target dies.

Take, for example, my most recent POS kill. I had Jared hop into an Impel to unanchor/scoop the faction defensive mods but since local was active I wanted to minimize the opportunity for others to do the same. In addition to some sweet faction tower mods, I got a good chuckle.

If you can pump out that much damage with an Impel, you are a far better pilot than I am.

It's a good way to hide your fleet comp from the enemy but to make sure your impel isn't shooting out armageddons you can have it agress with something and that truely hides it. We once hid a Moros in our WH using it for bashes of dead towers and POCO's...

You, sir, are an evil genius. That's brilliant.

Lesson 53: Few things will make a killmail look weirder than re-shipping into a hauler to scoop loot before the target dies.

Take, for example, my most recent POS kill. I had Jared hop into an Impel to unanchor/scoop the faction defensive mods but since local was active I wanted to minimize the opportunity for others to do the same. In addition to some sweet faction tower mods, I got a good chuckle.

If you can pump out that much damage with an Impel, you are a far better pilot than I am.