Semkhet
Spartan Industries
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Posted - 2008.08.25 21:50:00 -
[1]
 Originally by: Somealt Ofmine
I got it the first time. The economics of eve combat are that you can't make a living at it unless you only engage when the fight is "unfair", or the reason you are PvPing in the first place is essentially a "land war" to secure access to resources that you intend to exploit.
Picking your fights and stacking the deck in your favor isn't being a "pansy" if you're playing the pirate or merc, it's just plain smart. It's owing to the fact that a ship wreck isn't nearly as valuable as a ship. If it was, I'm sure you'd see more pirates slugging it out, because the only thing that would matter is who held the field (and the loot rights) after the fight.
As it is, the only way to make a living as a pirate or merc is to kill or ransom many ships for every one you lose. Naturally they're going to take every advantage that the game mechanics allow to make that happen.
Branko has correctly defined the conditions which rule piracy profitability, and as usual, Akita identifies FW's main critical issues. There is nothing wrong to use game mechanics at your benefit. In fact, I am always amazed that there's always some genius raising the point implying that it's somehow unfair, when the concept of making the best out of what you have at disposal is the most basic requisite for survival, here and everywhere else.
And concerning fights, every fight you attend till the outcome and which isn't developing in your favor only means:
A) You got ambushed (quite difficult in EvE if you know how to play).
B) You lacked guidance, wisdom or intel
C) You are a noob
D) Kamikaze
The problem is not intrinsically unfair fights. The issue relates to all-out blobbing where at the end, it all boils down to throwing a few dices and usually handing over the win to the highest number. In blob warfare, there are only two things which really count: FC and Intel quality. Meaning that every other role can pretty much be absolved by John Doe, provided both blobs cumulate approximately the same SP average and the same level of gear.
Of course, a BOB or TRI blob can handle an enemy blob despite being outnumbered 2:1 or more, but these are exceptions. It take years to train the skills and go through enough engagements which unfolded in a way which was constructive enough to allow you to learn from your demise and get better bit by bit the hard way. Cohesion is also of essence. A few guys who play together since long time will present a wing with overlapping and complementary abilities and fight like a well oiled machine. For the casual & random blob instead, the defining property is simply chaos.
Superficial fun aside, a kind of skill-less "free for all" using cheap stuff with random FC's where you don't even have the time to understand who did what and how to blow you up will not provide the kind of material needed to become a good PvP'er.
That's why IMHO, I sincerely really don't see how FW could attract a decent amount of competent PvP'ers. And these good PvP'ers are exactly the ones whose experience is needed if PvP newcomers, through FW, want to get a glimpse into what PvP can really be.
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