Interview: Ugly Eric

Thank you for doing this interview! My first question is… Why did you name your toon Ugly Eric? lol.

No worries. So, why am I Ugly Eric? I used to play FPS games (mostly Day of Defeat) before Eve. And because I kind of sucked at that, I started to play as Eric Clapton, not only because he is a kind of a guitar hero to me, but also because he is so horrible on some songs AND he is called slowhand, so it fitted my bad FPS gaming quite well. When I later started EvE a buddy of mine told, that at least some MMO’s have declined clear celebrity names. So I sat down a while thinking, and then came up with Ugly Eric. Before I started and was creating my character, I thought this actually was an rpg :p

How long have you been playing EVE?

About 7½ years now, with no more than 3-4 one month breaks.

Have you always flown in null sec, or have you tried other parts of the game? (if you’ve tried other parts, discuss that a bit)

No. I as many others started in high-sec. I ran missions with a RL buddy of mine for about a month. After that we started to try PvP in low-sec. Few days later we moved to low-sec. Few months later I ended up in The Polaris Syndicate alliance, who lived in ROIR-Y at the time. However, The Polaris Syndicate (a 100% Finnish alliance) ended up in coma, I ended up leading it, so we moved to low-sec to regroup. About a year later we moved the alliance to 0.0 and been in 0.0 ever since.

How much of that time has been within Triumvirate? And, what other alliances have you been a part of?

About a year and a half now in TRI. Prior to that I have been in (backwards chronological order):
– Bearf0rce one
– Game Over
– Confederation of xxpizzaxx
– Nulli Secunda
– Ewoks
– The Polaris Syndicate

Discuss some of your most memorable moments within Triumvirate, and outside of Triumvirate.

I’m going to start with TRI memory. It was the very moment I realized that is a good place to be at.

I was with my corp on a hac roam in deklein. TRI lived in x-7omu at the time. All of the sudden Starfleetcommander jumps on our corp comms and asks for a titan, as he knew I had one. At that moment I thought I was going to be a bridge and said ‘sure, lemme dock and log it in’. There I am logging the titan in and SFC asks me to fit DD on it. Well, a DD I fit and am ready to jump for a DD. When the cyno goes up and I see the location (VFK-IV) I had a half a second hesitation.

However I did jump. Cyno was on station at pretty much 0km. I DD the aggroing carrier, but due the cyno location CFC were able to undock a sabre, put a bubble and dock back up. I overload my MWD and align to deep safe. During all the about 3 minutes I was bubbled not a single person said anything of the cyno, but focused on killing dictors and few lads bumping me out of bubbles. When I eventually got to warp, local had spiked with about 100. I land to my deep safe and immediately align out to a random moon. As soon as I see the first probe on my dscan I warp again not to give out the deep safe. When I land to the random moon, a AF is sitting at 0 of me and immediately start to yell to local my location. I then proceed to warp again and once I land my DD timer was done and I could jump out to safety. When my titan was inside forcefield the pilot lighting the cyno got so much shit on him. But the point was, that when a situation was on, everyone focused on that.

Outside TRI? I think is the old Polaris Syndicate fights. Maybe some Great Wildlands times, when we had a fully Finnish 40 man armor BS fleet with triage support dunkin bads on a pos-fight and when our both triages got neuted really bad I called in for our both super carriers to jump in and save the Triages with cap transfers 🙂

From your perspective, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Triumvirate?

I think our biggest strength is the combination of high SP, not poor players, and better than average rl skill at playing this game. This allows us to have stuff like rattlesnake fleets and Machariel fleets and dunk other ppl with more numbers in same doctrines.

Weaknesses are 2. We are lazy as fuck, so we never have enough scouts and cynos, etc and this alliance is probably the slowest forming up alliance I have ever been in.

How long have you been an FC? How did you get started FCing?

I been FC’ng from my first pvp experience. It all started as a accident maybe. Me and a RL pal of mine were first time trying pvp, we knew absolutely nothing of it and went with rifters to low-sec. My rl Buddy just started to ask “what we gonna do now, where we going, shall I aggro etc” and I started to answer. Then another buddy joined, then a corpie. All of the sudden I had 10 guys on my roams. A little bit later I had 20. Some bit later I had 50. Then I had 200. So it just started 🙂

What advice would you have for a new FC?

Start small, try everything, learn by experience, not by advice 🙂 If you make a decision, keep it, at least for a while. Most important thing is to call a primary fast. It gives you time to think on strategy, alignments, positioning and better primaries. Don’t be afraid to lose. Don’t apologize too much, don’t be sorry too much. If you fuck up, say it to the guys. “Sorry, I fucked up, my bad”. They respect that. ALWAYS after fight have few trusty lads to talk with of what went good, what went bad etc.

What is your favorite fleet comp to FC?

It has to be my pure sex fleet comp. Formerly it was shield arty machs and anti-tackle and healthy amount of support. Something like 10 machs, 3 huginns, 3 damp/point lachesis, 3 scimis, 3 orthrus, 3 sabres, 3 ceppies. Every man has a role, every role must be executed to perfection. If they execute their roles, it can take up to 10 times more enemies.

Are you looking forward to ‘fozzi-sov’? How do you think it will impact the alliance?

I am very much. I think we will be one of the alliances capable to adopt to that fast and effective. We got enough FC’s to make it possible to fight 5 different fights simultaneously. However, our numbers are going to be an issue. On a good day we will be able to field 5×25 lads. But then again, I wouldn’t take it any other way.

How long have you been CEO of ‘Fistful of Finns’?

From the day it was born and theoretically before. FISTN was formed from the ruins of The Polaris Syndicate alliance, that I was CEO of, and my old corp Hyvat Pahat ja Eric, where I was CEO too.

Tell us a bit about your corporation, and what you look for in a potential recruit.

FISTN is not a corp. FISTN is lifestyle. Chill corp with only one rule. RL is always more important than game. We play lot of other games together, and we meet 2 times a year. Once in winter time in Finland for a weekend and once on summer time in Estonia for a prolonged weekend. FISTN will never die as a group of players. If EvE dies, FISTN will move on to some other game.

For a recruit, they need to speak clearly Finnish, need to be able to keep himself in ISK and able to withstand and partake in our humor.

If someone wants to join your corp, what is the process?

They convo me. I talk a bunch on convo, then we talk an hour or so on comms. After that, I’m pretty much able to tell weather the recruit is going to be a FISTN or not.

What is your most embarrassing killmail/story?

Probably the one that never generated a kill mail. I lost a Rapier to a Scimitar. T’was some Hydra dude with scimmy in a bubble. I warp my rapier there to kill him. However he was a pvp fit scimmy, so in scram + web I was and taking dmg. However, as I was dying kind of slow, I decided not to risk my pod and ejected at like 20% hull. When I ejected, my skills ceased to affect the ship and it’s hull % went to 0 and the ship popped. No kill mail generated.

Please link any blogs, kill boards, or videos that you’d like to share.

Has to be big mikers nano battleships.

Favorite:

EVE Related Celebrity: err.. Shadoo is a cool dude
Ways to make isk: Used to be multiboxing hsec incursions alone. Havent made isk since the ISBoxer nerf.
Ammo: Republic Fleet EMP
Ship: Nano Bhaalgorn (the ship big miker flies in the latest Ferocious video was mine, till I donated it to Big Miker)
Corpse: erittainvarma’s corpse
Star System: x-7omu
Drink: Beer
Food: free lunch has always been my favorite food.
Song To Fly To: My doomsday song! 

Thank you for the interview!

Your welcome.

Q & A With PIE

Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris [PIE]
Amarr Militia

What prompted PIE to leave FW when it did?

After 4 years of FW, I think saying our pilots were burned out on it would be a gross understatement. Pilots were leaving PIE or just not logging in anymore.

Do you think the move to null strengthened, weakened, or had no impact at all on your corp?

Overall it was a good thing. We got to kick back and relax a bit. I think the main thing that came out of it was that we were reminded there are other things to do in EVE that are fun. On the flip side of that, it also reminded us that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side of the hill.

What was daily life like for PIE in null?

That’s impossible to answer for PIE, as we were all over the place, it was like furlough. For me, I would do roams with CVA and allies once in a while. Mostly it was a time for me to step back from EVE and recharge a bit.

What brought PIE back to FW?

My main goal as CEO is to help PIE pilots experience EVE in whichever way they enjoy, within PIE rules of course ;-). FW is an aspect that I and many other PIE pilots like, so I didn’t want to keep us from that. However….

What kind of goals does PIE have since rejoining FW and do they differ from when PIE was in FW originally?

…. There are some of my pilots that loath FW, and I totally understand that. No one is required to participate in FW anymore. I’m trying to encourage my pilots to NOT overdue any facet of EVE, FW in particular. I don’t want anyone dreading to login because they feel they have to go and plex for six hours or something. FW is great for easy PvP, and for us it’s got the added RP sugar which is nice. Some of my guys will certainly spend a ton of time in FW, but some won’t. My aim is to make PIE enjoyable for all of its pilots, not just the FW guys.

Do you think PIE will ever change any of its well-known rules, ie, PIE only accepts Amarrian toons and only flies Amarrian hulls?

Not on my watch.

But really, no I don’t think so. It’s what makes PIE – PIE. We are the elitist zealots who are better than everyone else, and nothing you can do or say can convince us otherwise, God is on our side, so there!

🙂

What is daily life like for PIE now that you are back in the war zone? What is priority, claiming space or pvping?

For those of us who are doing FW, I’d say both. We don’t like seeing Amarr down so many systems, but it’s also a lot of fun to shoot heathens in the face. The best is when you get to shoot enemies while claiming space for the Empire!

How difficult is it to run a full on RP corp in a militia that so few RP in?

Heh, it can be trying at times, particularly with the more unsavory elements in the militia. We have to strike a very fine balance of “they are militia-mates, but they are horrid, horrid people”. Even if the militia are not ‘RPers’, sometimes they’ll talk about Amarr as ‘their side’ so we try to take those little bits and run with it. If they are being ‘lolrp!’ it’s easy just to ignore them or troll them some by staying IC 🙂

What do you think of the Inferno changes? Also, what is your opinion of the proposed Retribution changes for this winter?

Honestly I’m not too familiar with the Inferno changes other than everyone is saying FW is(was) an ISK making machine. Retribution(and it’s early patch) I think are great strides in getting FW where it really should be.

Thank you, CCP, for making it so you have to kill the Navy NPCs to capture a plex, thank you, thank you, thank you, four years late, but thank you.

Thank you for your time, any parting thoughts or shout outs?

Thank you for having me.

I’ll do a cheap plug: PIE is recruiting, visit PIE PUBLIC in-game and see our recruitment guidelines at http://www.pieinc.co.uk/community/board/index.php?showforum=22

It’s good to be back, I’m looking forward to doing my part for the Empire and having some fun while doing so. To old friends and enemies alike, “I’ll see you in space.”

-Admiral Mitara Newelle-Shutaq, PIE Inc.

Interview: Miura Bull, Black Rebel Rifter Club’s CEO

Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Though Black Rebel’s Rifter Club isn’t a part of Faction War, I often see your pilots in our warzone and thought it’d be interesting to let our readers know more about your corporation.

To start with, tell us about the Black Rebel’s Rifter Club, [R1FTA], and what inspired you to create it?

Okay, this is actually a really difficult question to answer. Kind of like being asked to describe your pet horse to a stranger. I don’t own a horse, for the record, but to the outside world I imagine a horse is a horse. So yeah, sorry where was I?

~stares at screen for longer than is comfortable~

Okay, here goes ….

The Black Rebel Rifter Club is a corporation of pilots who share a good few common traits. We love the pewpew and most of all we enjoy frigate based combat, with the three Rifter hulls – Rifter, Jaguar and Wolf – being our three most used weapons to date. Although we do fly any and every race and type of frigate, we can also ship up when the need arises or our members fancy doing something different. Whether that be in a Drake or a Cane or a T3 cruiser or shiny Machariel, we seem to have pilots who can fly everything bar a Titan here in R1FTA but I think it says a lot about how we play the game when they’d rather roll out of base in a rusty Rifter.

We are mostly made up of lone wolf types who enjoy the sometimes sadistic act of solo roaming empty system after empty system looking for the next gfgf. Every killmail we see on the killboard usually (but not always) has some fascinating back story to go along with it. We’re also not a group of guys (and girl) who will worry too much about lossmails or killboard stats or take the game too seriously. After all, it is a game.

Our members have also built up a camaraderie and culture that festers on our private forums, which basically revolves around an odd humour based on internet memes, moustaches, BRokEN KEyBOARDS, some guy named Karma Fox who tried to kill a Tengu in high-sec in his Rifter, an in-corp book review club, a fascinating music library consisting of classical pieces right up to death metal and hip-hop and …erm, pictures of Barry White.

As for what inspired me to create the corp and where we are now …. I originally created the corp with the intention of it being a one-man show back in early 2010 as a backdrop for my planned solo exploits – If I remember correctly I’d just killed a much older toon who was in a Taranis in my Rifter and thought the killmail deserved a cooler name to it other than Republic Military School. In the first few months we eventually had about 6 or 7 members join up but I ended up leaving eve for a while and when I came back everybody had abandoned ship. So I went about my eve journey and left an alt toon in charge on a dormant trading account. It was during a frustrating period of my eve experience about six months ago when I joined -A- as they were going CTA crazy that I started thinking about Black Rebel Rifter Club again. It wasn’t much fun so I decided to restart this R1FTA project and I invited some friends along and we put out some tentative recruitment ads. From there on things sort of snowballed and here we are today with approx 90 members on board.

Where did you get the name from?

I’d just finished reading a book called Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson and I had a keen interest at the time in outlaw motorcycle gangs and that kind of swaggering lawless attitude to life. I wanted to somehow translate that to my soon-to-be formed solo corporation. Unfortunately I am bad at naming things, I can spend hours upon hours wracking my brain trying to come up with names. (God help me if I ever have a child). Then it was while roaming to a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club CD that it sort of clicked. An outlaw gang about Rifters. Yes that will do! I simply swapped the motorcycle bit with the Rifter. Do we have motorcycles in eve?

Where does [R1FTA] live and operate?

Our home system is Heild. Which is in the Molden Heath region. It is a region that is famed for its loop style setup of predominantly low-sec systems. The main hive of activity usually taking place in and around Bosena. The region goes through high and low periods of activity. The area has a lot of plexes and is sort of famed for its frig combat as well as the roaming battlecruiser gangs that stalk its spacelanes. It has been noted that Molden Heath has an isolated feel to it, when in truth it is not far at all from major trade hubs and in Teonusude it has a trade hub of its own, albeit an expensive one. Everybody should come visit, just a suggestion, bring a bunch of frigates and we’ll try to accomodate some pewpew.

We mainly roam from Molden Heath towards Heimatar and Metropolis. Although we do have members who live and operate in Gallente and Caldari space as well as a handful of null-sec dwellers. You could say we pretty much roam and operate all over the place.

How does [R1FTA] mostly fly? Large fleets? Solo roams? Do you guys fly with others outside of your corp?

Mainly we fly as lone wolf solo pilots. If we have the numbers online and a target is spotted we’ll try to muster up a gang to take it down but 90% of the time our pilots will be out doing solo work or in 3 or 4 man small gang fleets. If the situation called for it we’d fleet up with anybody. We share intel channels with some of our neighbours and we’ve teamed up previously with my old corporation Gunpoint Diplomacy. At any other time of the day we’re usually shooting at each other and filling up each others killboards.

Many of your pilots keep blogs. Which blogs are your favorites?

We do tend to have a lot of bloggers in the corp. It wouldn’t be fair of me to single out any favourites of my corp mates, but we do have a blog pack that I will link at the bottom so you can judge for yourself.

My favourite other blogs that I always look out for on my dashboard are:

Lady Shaniqua’s  , Wensley’s , and two blogs that are sadly no longer active but you really should visit and read from the start; Sobczynski  and Mr Snypes.

Who does the artwork for the blogs?

Sassy B has done artwork for us. As has Bonni3, Kishin Hattori from The Tuskers and Rixx Javix. We also have a few budding artists in the corp who have designed pieces for various projects. We’re currently running an in-house signature competition and I’ll be revealing the finished pieces to a wider audience at some point.

Does your corp roleplay any or only write stories?

I have participated in a few roleplay channels before when I’ve had more time on my hands. A few of our members are also keen on the subject but at the same time we have some who don’t like that part of the game. I guess that sums up all of eve really with regards to roleplay.

What kind of rules and policies does [R1FTA] have?

We’re quite relaxed on rules in general and we encourage members to play the game as they see fit. Two rules that I would personally kick a member for breaking are dishonouring a pre-arranged 1v1 and breaking an agreed ransom. These two things , when I see them happen really get to me. I don’t want my corp labelled as dishonourable. We get called every other name but hopefully we’re not labelled as dishonourable.

What kind of pilots do you look for? What are the requirements for joining [R1FTA]?

We’ve got a healthy mixture of starry-eyed noobs and veterans who have seen it all. In the newer guys we recruit to the corp we look for a willingness to learn the ropes and develop their skills as a combat fighter in an atmosphere that hopefully doesn’t seem too intimidating. We’ve got members who are 3 or 4 months into their eve career yet notching up their 100th kill in Rifters.

In the older members who join we expect them to have a bit of a sense of humour and patience. And above all not to take everything too serious. I think so far we have achieved that. We also ask that they be space rich and enjoy donating copious amounts of isk to various corp projects. (this is partly true)

We don’t really have any set requirements as such. We judge each application on pilot attitude over skill. All we ask is for an api key for a background check and some kind of killmail or lossmail evaluation to prove you sort of know what you are doing and letting yourself in for. We are currently recruiting new members but this is ending very soon!

What are some of the more memorable battles [R1FTA] have been involved in?

Two fights spring to mind.

The first fight involved a visit to Old Man Star where we were chased out-of-town by some angry locals and some Tuskers I think. We were running a ragtag bunch of Rifters and other frig hulls and we ended up cooling our heels in some random backwater lowsec system. Then all hell broke loose as point was called on a Legion in a next door system by one of our guys who had wandered off to have a look around! My first thought was, huh? A Legion, are you sure!? Then it was reported a Rapier and a stealth bomber were on field. Needless to say we all rushed in without a moment’s hesitation and ended up killing them all eventually. This fight sums up what R1FTA is all about to me. We didn’t care if we lost, we just wanted to shoot at stuff, and when it is shinier, well, the better it is!

Battle report http://r1fta.griefwatch.net/?p=engagement&kill=1302

Next up. The Battle of Poinen, as it is known within the ranks of Rebel folklore. We’d been chasing some wartargets and ended up a long way from home in Poinen solar system with an odd-looking mixture of a gang. We pretty much butchered everything that was thrown at us. Great fun.

Battle report http://r1fta.killmail.org/?a=kill_related&kll_id=10045269

Has [R1FTA] ever been a part of militia? If not, would you ever consider having [R1FTA] join a militia? If so, which one?

We’ve never been in the militia no. Obviously we are aware of who is in the militia and where people operate and what they do. We often curse those insta-locking Thrasher gatecamps and those other doods further up the pipe. You know who you are 

The possibility of joining Faction War has been mooted before on our forums and in fact we have quite good standing with the Minmatar militia. Not quite good enough to sign up today but teetering on the edge of acceptable standings. I wouldn’t rule it out at some point in the future if people shout loudly to go down that avenue.

What are some other corps that you most admire, and why?

Hmm. That’s a tough one. I must admit to being a bit of a Genos fan boi – I’m not sure why exactly but when I first started out I remember some advice I was given was to look out for lossmails of good corporations, so I looked up the battleclinic rankings and then started browsing all the good corp killboards and I liked those guys the best. Also PODLA for their fighting style and tactics whilst outnumbered.

The Tuskers for being the best pirates out there. Gunpoint Diplomacy for opening up my eyes to what being in a laid back fun corp is all about. JESUS CHRIST IT’S A LION GET IN THE CAR for being the best named corp ever, even though I think they are inactive now, I remember seeing one of their pilots in null once and thinking OHMAHGOD LOL WHUT? The Hull Miners Union who I lived out in Syndicate with for a while as part of Random-Violence alliance, these guys really introduced me to gangs and good fleets.

What are you most proud of for your corp?

The fact that it has grown into a corporation that seems to be getting some recognition from the wider eve audience even though it was a corp formed just for me, pretty much by accident.

Also the fact that we recently broke the top 25 battleclinic list for recent corp rankings. This may seem trivial to some but I was really shocked when it was pointed out to me and even though we’re not killboard stat heavy. I kind of like the ring to being up there on lists like that – amongst and above some great corporations.

What is the hardest part of being a CEO? Also, what is the most gratifying?

The hardest part is keeping up with all the roles and access privileges. I never do quite enjoy navigating that part of the corp screen and I’m sure other ceo’s can relate? I don’t enjoy that at all.

The most gratifying is seeing a community being built up from some weird ideals I once had and seeing new pilots linking their first killmails in corp chat. That feels good as a ceo.

Does your corp have a public channel? If so, what’s the name of it?

Our public channel is – The Autocannon – It can usually be a hotbed of chat and discussion and sometimes it can be quite quiet. All are welcome to visit and say hello and hang around. If they so wish.

Lastly, what is the links to your blog, kill boards, and any other thing you’d like to share.

My blog , Our killboard , and Corp blog pack (google subscription).

Thanks for doing the interview! Any parting thoughts?

It was a pleasure, thanks for the invitation. Would also be keen to know if your readers would rather be attacked by 1 horse sized duck, or 50 duck sized horses?

Interview: Dian Lung, Caldari, Girl Gamer

What brought you to EvE?

When I started EVE, I was one of those magical new subscribers who saw ad banners that people talk about nowadays. I saw an advertisement for EVE on another website I happened to be on, thought; omg spaceships! and the rest is pretty well history.

What other games have you tried?

At one point or another, I’ve had my fill of a lot of different games, mostly RPGs of some kind (including MMOs) with the odd first-person or RTS title thrown in. The gaming interest that ultimately led me to EVE started a longer time ago than I care to think about, and involved the Star Wars flight simulator series published by Lucasarts.

Your employment history shows you’ve been playing EvE since 2007. How has EvE changed since your rookie days?

Where do I even start? T3 cruisers didn’t exist, or wormholes for that matter. Scrams didn’t stop MWDs. Webs slowed you down by 90%. 0.0 sovereignty was determined by POSes. We didn’t have a skill queue back then. (Shout-out to all the players who stayed up odd hours of the night to make sure you could start training another skill right when the last one ended!) CVA still held sovereignty in Providence. TCF had only JUST moved up north, and the station in TVN-FM was owned by the original Hydra. Guristas ships didn’t have drone bonuses. PLEX didn’t exist. I’m sure there are many, many more things I’m forgetting, too.

What is one thing you wish you would have done differently in regards to the game?

There were several periods early in my EVE career where I let my account run out and lost months upon months of training time. (This was before both PLEX and the training queue.) As a result, there are a whole host of skills that I keep kicking myself for not having trained yet. I wish I’d known how much I was going to regret it!

How long have you been in FW? Why did you choose to do FW?

I’ve been in FW for almost a year and a half. My introduction to the militia game was pretty well by accident; my fiance was out can-flipping and decided to engage a pilot who happened to be a Caldari pilot. My fiance ended up joining the same corp, SLA-Industries, and I followed shortly after.

Why did you choose Caldari over the other militias?

In the beginning, it was really a matter of happenstance; it just turned out that the militia I joined happened to be the Caldari supporters. Later, I ended up staying because it was where I knew people and felt the most comfortable.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Caldari militia from your perspective.

Funny you should ask that, since I wrote a blog post last night that was basically a giant vent session about the state of affairs in the Caldari militia. Hopefully my answer here will be more positive! For me, the best thing about my fellow squids is that despite the odd frustrating day, they’re a pretty chill bunch. It’s nice to be able to know that I can log in, wave in a chat channel and chill without being bothered by annoying levels of drama and emo-raging. Ironically, I think that can also be our biggest weakness; while it doesn’t happen often, some days there’s a noticeable feeling of apathy hanging in the air.

Would you try another militia?

Under the right circumstances, absolutely! I’m always interested to see how other areas of FW do things, and getting to know people in all corners of the conflict. I’ve had the pleasure of being in one gang run by one of your own FCs, Predator Elite, and after having spoken with some of my mortal enemies in the Gallente militia (I miss you Eelis!), I’ve often found myself being curious what it would be like to fight with them instead of against them. I can’t say I’ve had a whole lot of exposure to the Minmatar Militia, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out!

What other things have you tried other than FW?

I’ve tried a little of a lot of things, sometimes with more emphasis on a little than a lot. I started off as a highsec miner and mission runner, had brief forays into null (CVA-era Providence and a brief period up north), spent about six months in wormholes, and since joining FW I’ve gradually come to the point of living in lowsec. My latest foray into parts previously unknown came in the form of spending a month with a pirate corp in Molden Heath, Gunpoint Diplomacy, and spending an increasing amount of time roaming with the likes of the Tuskers and Shadow Cartel.

What do you hope to see CCP change in FW?

There are so many things that I’d like to see changed in one way or another that I’m not really sure where to begin. I’m not entirely sure how much of what matters the most to me is CCP-driven and how much is player-driven, but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what changes come to FW missions. As someone who’s both done a staggering amount of them and makes most of her ISK from the results (don’t get me started on the FW LP market lately), I’m very interested in seeing both what changes will come and how it’ll affect my income stream.

What are you currently training for and what do you like to fly the most? (both ships and kind of fleets)

My training lately has been a combination of catching up on support skills and skilling toward T2 large turrets, especially with the new battle cruisers coming in the winter expansion. I’ve heavily favoured nano shield gangs for close to a year now; I’m definitely a big fan of artillery-fit Hurricanes, have spent a great deal of time in the Lachesis (there’s nothing quite like snagging point on a target from a hundred kilometres away), and the Rapier is slowly becoming a reliable choice for me (not that I ever doubted it, I just don’t fly it much).

Do you FC?

I do, although not as frequently as others. I really enjoy the mental chess game that comes along with FCing; choosing tactics, anticipating enemy movements, seeing members of a fleet come together to create something more powerful than the sum of their individual ships. I’m still pretty new to the task, so it can be overwhelming sometimes, but I’m getting more comfortable with it and I’m looking forward to FCing in the future!

Any killmails you are particularly proud of?

As much as I hate to say it, I can’t say I really have a favourite killmail or killmails. I don’t know whether it’s been bad luck or some strange error on my part, but I’ve never gotten on one of the really juicy mails that gets people chattering in the militia channels; and the one time I almost made it happen, the bugger got away in 10% structure!

Which pilots do you most admire and why?

I admire any pilot who has the courage and determination to put a serious effort into improving their skills. I know EVE is a game and that it’s supposed to be fun, but I’m always impressed with people that are willing to look seriously at themselves, be honest about their faults and look for ways to get better at what they do. I try to do the same, with mixed results, and I respect the ones that are able to pull it off.

Your employment history shows you’ve been in several corps over the years. Which have you most enjoyed and why?

I wouldn’t say I’ve enjoyed specific corps so much as groups of people who may or may not be in the same corp, and who may or may not be in the same corp as I am. Ever since I’ve been in factional warfare, I’ve paid less attention to corp tags than to the names of the pilots wearing them, which has often lead to having a great time with pilots in corps that I’ve never been a part of. If I had to limit it to corps that I’ve personally been in, though, I could narrow it down to four: SLA-Industries, Pillow Fighters Inc, Wolfsbrigade, and Gunpoint Diplomacy.

What’s it like being a female in a male dominated game? Discuss some of your experiences.

My experiences as a girl in EVE have been pretty positive; everyone I’ve talked to in-game has been very relaxed and accepting. I’m extremely grateful that I’ve never had some of the problems that other girls have had in EVE: trolling or genuinely sexist corpmates/alliance-mates, inappropriate remarks, or the scarier stuff like outright stalking. I think the best experience I’ve had as a girl in EVE, though, has come from finding the community of Women Gamers of EVE; it’s a great place to share our stories about both EVE and being women in general, and escape from the testosterone poisoning that can plague other parts of the internet spaceships galaxy…

What advice would you give to females who are considering trying out EvE?

Boys will be boys! A lot of male players in EVE aren’t used to having girls in corp – I’ve run into quite a few where I’ve been the first girl they’ve ever played internet spaceships with. Don’t take the inevitable “there are no girls in eve” and “pix plz” too seriously, and don’t be afraid to speak up if you feel that something is inappropriate – sometimes people don’t realize how their words can be taken, and they only way they will learn is if someone tells them. Last but definitely not least, stop by the Women Gamers of EVE channel – we always love seeing new faces!

Any blog or forums you’d like to share?

I have a blog that I write in every so often – it’s not exactly a “topic” blog like Sovereignty Wars so much as whatever I happen to be thinking about at the time. If you’re interesting in having a look, come visit at http://recovering-carebear.blogspot.com/ . I’d love to hear from you!

FW System: Enaluri, even with all the noisy neighbours!
EvE Celebrity: Laedy. I know she and her corp got some bad press after the last Alliance Tournament, but Laedy is a total sweetheart, and I’ve always had a great time talking and flying with her.
EvE Related Website: I read a ton of EVE blogs, probably too many to list. DOTLAN Eve-Maps is another favourite of mine, and incredibly useful for planning roams.
Null Sec Alliance: I’m so unplugged from the 0.0 community that I don’t even know who’s out there anymore, so I can’t really say I have a favourite.
Wartarget To Shoot: Loren Gallen, full stop. He’s such a nice guy that I can’t help but like him, even as much as he’s killed me!
Corpse: Uh… can’t say I’ve ever really thought about that, I don’t make a habit of collecting corpses.
Space Station: Enaluri II – State Protectorate Logistic support, because all my stuff is there. 😛
Song To Fly To: Rev Theory, “Hell Yeah”
Way To Make ISK: Frequent, generous donations. Failing that, anything that isn’t mind-numbingly boring. I keep meaning to try incursions, but I’ve never quite managed to get around to it…
Ammo: Republic Fleet Warp Disruptors – when you fly the Lachesis, your point IS your ammo. Failing that, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma.
Pirate Corp: The Tuskers.

Interview: Seriphyn Inhonores, Gallente

Interview conducted by guest writer, Mekhana.

Mekhana: So, Seriphyn Inhonores. You’re quite the veteran in our militia. For how long you’ve been active in factional warfare?

Seriphyn Inhonores: I became a pilot not long after the wars broke out, actually, and spent the first year in-and-out back when the novelty was fresh and the fleets were glorious. Otherwise been in the militia consistently since September 111 (2009)

Mekhana: If you stuck around for so long you must enjoy it. What kept you around for so long? Was the the context and setting for roleplaying? Maybe the PVP?

Seriphyn Inhonores: A lot of FWers have some “lite-RPer” tendencies. We like the idea of fighting for our empire against an enemy one, one that is appropiately named and is based in the fiction, not something with an immersion-breaking name like “Get Off My Lawn”.

So yes, the context and setting for roleplaying is one of the top reasons I’ve stuck in FW for so long. Also, like many others too, the idea of occupancy is good but implemented poorly. All the same, I like the concept of fighting over systems that have their own names, are homes to NPCs and so forth. While obviously everything about that mechanic needs to be fixed, the PvP you can get in plexes can be ridiculously awesome and challenging. No gates to jump through, no stations to dock at, no escape. And given that Gallente NPCs suck in terms of helping you out, fighting in Gallente plexes is pretty much like fighting in open space. So, that, and the RP involved.

Mekhana: I actually share your opinions. Hopefully CCP will be able to fix the flaws and just keep the good things about FW around. Do you have any advice for a newbie Gallente militia pilot that wants to start a life out here?

Seriphyn Inhonores: I would advise that they have to do their research about the FDU first. The nuances of the militia mechanics means that the Gallente militia operate a “boy’s club”; either you’re in the cadre, or you’re not, confined to being general riff-raff or rookies. Don’t join the FDU NPC corp as you won’t know what the hell is going on; I’ve come across many FW newbs that are completely oblivious to how the FDU operate. But, that said, our “cadre system” means that we are more centralized than other militias, sharing the same intelligence and operation channels. In which case, if you know what you’re doing when you join, the potential for maximum fun is there.

Mekhana: Yeah I agree too. Although the system works for us ‘in the loop’ it does leave out a lot of potential future hardened pilots that eventually lose interest. Now the final question for you. What is your favorite ship in the game and why?

Seriphyn Inhonores: Oh, don’t do that *laughs*. I do enjoy this high-survival, high-maintenance Myrmidon fit that I had laying around. Plated for a buffer, with two medium reps and a cap injector, I designed it for taking on frig blobs. Using two webs and small projectiles, you have to balance between target selection and module activation, and it really takes a hard time for the frigs to make a dent in you. It’s really fun, but I’ve fallen out of practice lately; I wouldn’t want to try that fit anytime soon.

A close second is the Brutix, just because I love the Gallente combat doctrine of “Rape-in-face” (make of that what you will).

Mekhana: That’s the same setup I use for my Myrmidon as well. I also do miss our old Brutix blob fleets, primaries went down a lot faster but so did our fleet members. Maybe we’ll see more Brutix and Myrmidons on the field once they balanced Hybrids and Gallente hulls at the next expansion.

Seriphyn Inhonores: Or maybe the Brutix will be made obsolete by the new tier 3 BC as well…it’s already a glass cannon, so I’m not sure what to expect.

Mekhana: Quite so. Sadly the only Gallente ships worth flying are always new ships (like the proteus and alliance tournament ships), frigates and supercaps. Hopefully the new one will encourage people to fly Gallente again. So you don’t have to spend over 2b isk to fly something Gallente and not be at a disavantage.

Seriphyn Inhonores: Our unique doctrine of being glass cannons, or what I like to call “Death or glory at half-a-klick”, really needs to get appreciated again. If either you or the enemy is not dead within ten seconds, you’re doing something wrong.

Mekhana: There’s also the problem of getting there alive. I think flying blaster boats is a lot like having a D-Day style beach landing but instead of infantry, you have professional heavy weight boxers storming the beach. Sure the boxers are tough and hit hard but very few will actually get in range to land a punch.

Seriphyn Inhonores: Haha, yeah. I always felt it was more sustainable in fleets, though. A swarm of those professional heavyweight boxers pounding the living shit out of a single target, then heaving themselves to the next target for the same treatment (I may need help).

Mekhana: Exactly. It’s great to land 20 Megathrons at a tackled carrier. It just melts. Sadly too much of a niche role but when its time to use Gallente though, magical things happen.

Mekhana: Well thanks so much for your insight and your opinion. I think you’ll open the eyes of many people with this.

Seriphyn Inhonores: Good to know! Thank you for the opportunity 🙂

Super Chair, Caldari FC

How long have you been playing EvE? 
About three years.

What attracted you to the game?
I’ll just make this clear since everyone keeps asking about this toons name, I once made a trial account for EVE for shits and giggles, and was rather unimaginative with my name, I made the name “Super Chair” because well…chair was taken. I didn’t know I would actually be playing the game but here I am with this…name. I ended up liking EVE more than I thought I would.

What other aspects of the game have you tried other than militia? 
Wormholes, some 0.0 but not much to really count.

What are some of your most memorable experiences in FW?
Drunk fleet with smeggers…The gallente jumped into us and smeggers was too smashed to really call primaries, he just said fuck it shoot what you want and somehow we held the field.

Oh yeah and forming fleets in Nourv back when Caldari based there, with a two-hour form up time playing fitting nazi.

Do you participate in plexing and system capturing? Do you think it is a worthwhile endeavor? 

I participate in plexing and bunker busts, sometimes its just for giggles or its an actual push to take systems. There’s really no reward for capturing a system other than just to mess with guys from the other side. But for the plexes themselves there’s a lot of solo/small gang fights and that’s the good part.

What do you think of Captain’s Quarters?
I think it’s not that great of a feature, I’m sure once dust and such is all implemented it might be cool, but there’s so much you could do with the resources you would have to put behind it to make the flying in space portion of EVE even better. I don’t care for Incarna, I have station environment disabled.

What’s your favorite kill mail? Also, any embarrassing lossmails?
Lots of embarrassing losses, especially when it comes to burning out your guns.

What makes FW awesome?
The players. I’ve been on both sides and there are some really awesome people on both sides that really make staying in FW worthwhile.

What do you wish CCP would change about FW?
The big thing is making occupancy meaningful, and a lot of the bug fixes regarding standings, bubbles, etc. Alliances in FW would be cool too, obviously just make it so they can’t hold sov.

What do you think about the use of alt spies, neutral alts for bonuses, and outside cap support?
It happens, there’s really not a huge reason to spy in FW, neutral alts, everyone has them. The whole batphoning thing has gotten out of hand though.

Who do you admire in Caldari FW? 
I admire Gunnyt31 and Gavingoodrich, really agressive FCs that will leeroy just to have some fun.

Which of your opponents do you most admire?
Chatgris, another aggressive FC and I would say is the Gallente’s best FC.

What do you think of mixed fleets(Caldari/Gallente, etc) to fight pirates/neutrals? 
I’m all for blueing up if it gets everyone a fight. Being too stuck up to work with the other side helps no one. If there’s a big neutral/pie fleet out that you can’t take out with just your own guys you have two options: blueball your own guys and go home, or work with the other militia and have some fun.

Have you flown with Amarrian fleets? If so, what do you think about the differences in strategies, etc?
Haven’t flown too much with the Amarr fleets. I know they like to roll a lot heavier most of the time.

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are as a pilot?
I fly a lot of ECM and sniper boats so I’m overly cautious in a fight. Sometimes I lose out on kills because of it. Sometimes it really helps though. I got cocky against too many targets and decided to leeroy in once their tank was gone but ended up turning out for the worst for me.

What types of gangs do you most like to fly in?
Mostly nanoshield gangs or small roaming gangs.

What advice would you give to someone joining Caldari militia? 
Grind ISK and have literally dozens of ships ready to go. Not having ships ready is going to hurt you and your fleet. Remember, when you have to go to a market hub to buy a ship/modules you’re not only using your time, but that of 30 other people waiting on you. You’ll end up being kicked from fleet or you will make 30 other people wait. Have your ships sorted.

Why did you choose Caldari over the other militias?
I initially went Caldari because a buddy from my wormhole days was here. I was Caldari for about two years then I switched to Gallente for a few months. Really cool people on both sides but in the end I went back to Caldari because of some of the friends here and the easy mode missions.

How long have you been an FC?
About two years, I don’t FC too often nowadays though.

What do you consider the most difficult part of FCing?
Trying to understand non-english European scouts with accents. Straight up the hardest thing to do when you’re used to american/english scouts. Its maddening sometimes.

What is the worst thing you’ve done as an FC?
Warped sniper fleet to 0 😀

What types of gangs do you most enjoy FCing? 
Drake fleets were my favorite for a long time, other than that I like frig/dessie brawls and BS slugfests.

What kind of advice would you give to someone who is an up-and-coming FC?
Don’t take it personally and rage (I’ve raged too much) if your fleet dies. Really try to keep a positive attitude and don’t single people out. No one likes it when an FC calls names over comms, do it in private if people need sorting out. Oh and comms discipline (obviously you would bitch people out publicly if they interrupt comms/fleet operations enough). Everyone is there to have fun, try to keep it fun.

Favorite: 

Ship to fly: Cerberus
FW System: Nennamaila
EvE Celebrity: Loren Gallen
EvE Related Website: Battleclinic
Null Sec Alliance: BDEAL, good times 8)
War target To Shoot: Princess Nexxaila (nothing personal, just hard to catch at times, so it’s sastisfying when we get a scram)
Corpse: Gunnyt31
EvE Online Forum: WF&T
Space Station: Eha Station
Way To Make ISK: FW missions
Ammo: Scorch
Pirate Corp: Tuskers

Interview: Eran Mintor, Amarr FC

How long have you been playing EvE? 
I first started playing EVE in late 2005 as a Gallente combat pilot in a mining corp from Orion. Following two bad run-ins with pirates (the PVP kind), I quit because I felt the game was too harsh for my newbiness. I was drawn back to EVE and in late December 2007, inspired by pirates such as flashfresh and other bloggers, I created Eran Mintor with the intention of being a pirate.

What attracted you to the game? 
What attracted me to the game initially was the concept of flying in space, which amazes me with its real unknowns and beauty. Looking for something like Freelancer but better, I stumbled onto EVE. What attracts me now is the complexity of combat and tactics involved, but more importantly, the social aspect of the game, which keeps me around.

What other aspects of the game have you tried other than militia? 
I’m not sure there is an aspect I haven’t tried. I’ve tried the hi/lo/null-sec pirate & anti-pirate angle, the carebear approach (mining and industry/trading included), wormholes, null-sec alliance CTAs, and even tried to lead a coalition of alliances into null-sec once (though I did most of it while still in Minmatar militia and I failed miserably at it). Militia has always been the most fun to me because it opens many more PVP opportunities to a pilot while still being “laid back” in nature.

What are some of your most memorable experiences in FW?
One of my most memorable experiences would be the battle over Arzad when I was in the Minmatar militia. Somehow, RPer’s on both sides of Amarr/Minmatar militias were able to convince regular PVPers to care about plexes, which led to heated fights in Arzad for over a month, some lasting for hours with constant fighting in multiple plexes. Probably the most hectic but exciting times I’ve had as a FW pilot and FC.

Some others would be… Titan bridging with Too Ducky onto ‘the united.’ in Rancer and other jump bridgings (and hearing him freak over comms while accidentally warping the Avatar to Amamake gate), killing a freighter and escort that decided to GCC on me in Labapi, anchoring “propoganda” cans in Huola/Kourmonen/Auga while being ‘raged’ at and accused of exploiting by the Minmatar, fighting 5 corps/alliances in addition to both hostile militias during the early days of KotMC, the ‘drama-bomb’ in Minmatar militia when Heretics left militia and went full-pirate in Amamake, the short-lived but highly anticipated war of LOCUS vs. KotMC in which the goal was to “make Eran quit EVE”, killing the Sansha carrier back in Saidusairos while disregarding orders from an Amarr Admiral CCP actor :S, the other CCP actor in Ebolfer going over 4km/s in a Vindicator (omghax) but dying anyways after a little smack in local and Rapier lovin’ from Nephilim (gfgf), changing sides to Amarr militia and the fun & interesting times after, and meeting Shalee

Do you participate in plexing and system capturing? Do you think it is a worthwhile endeavor? 
Yes, though I did it more in the past. I do think it’s still a worthwhile endeavor, but the trick is both convincing your people to plex (and thereby present a target for PVPers), and getting the apathetic enemies to care about their plexes/systems/PVP enough to undock and fight on a consistent basis. People get discouraged when they don’t get a fight, so it is easy to lose momentum for any militia plexing-wise.

What makes FW awesome? 
To me, FW is awesome because of the relatively small warfare and variety of targets available. It’s also very laid-back since it’s much like an alliance without the structure-meaning there’s less to worry about (bills, diplomacy, etc.). Each corp fends for itself and are free to do as they please, but intra-militia policing is a fairly common action if corporations “step out of line” from the perspective of the major militia corporations. Sometimes there’s bullying, but things always seem to work out one way or another. One does not have to worry about the militias collapsing like you would with alliances, either.

What do you wish CCP would change about FW?
I wish CCP would alter he way FW mechanics change system occupancy, and also revamp the plexes completely so that they need to be completed with more thought, and not a simple speed tanker. Rewards for goals like flipping systems and capturing plexes beyond standings should be created to encourage more plexing (and therefore more PVP due to plexes). Small amounts of LP for captures is just one simple suggestion that would make a huge positive improvement.

What do you think about the use of alt spies, neutral alts for bonuses, and outside cap support? 
Well at this point I’m used to it and expect it, always. My feelings towards it are less than positive, but people do what is needed to achieve their goals, and often go over what is needed to the point the term “over-kill” can be applied. Neutral bonuses, spies, and outside “friends” are pretty common all across EVE and have to be something you prepare for. All is fair in love and war but I try to stray from over-kill when possible; it doesn’t always make sense tactically but I play the game to have fun. Though sometimes people deserve to be slaughtered once in a while

Who do you admire in Amarr FW? 
Shalee Lianne for putting up with the Amarr Militia and being our princess! ❤
Swatty and Mystical Mouse for being generally bad-ass pilots (though Mysti’s trolling is sub-par and not impressive)
Predator Elite, zero2espect, Nephilim Xeno, and Condor Amarr for being long-standing FC’s
Also FirstGeneral gets mention for being an awesome FC new to the Amarr Militia
Hidden Q, the Pirate Prince of Metropolis
RTSAvalance for being a super chill and nice guy, and also being more daring with shiny ships than anyone else in the militia

Which of your opponents do you most admire? 
Galdornae, Manos Kdo, and Dagren Darius are all good PVPers that I respect. There’s a lot of neutrals out there I respect too but I’ll be careful not to name them as an “opponent”

What do you think of mixed fleets? (Minmatar/Amarr, etc) 
I’m not crazy about them, but if it makes sense and there is some level of trust, I can be willing and will honor my word. I usually need a good reason to convince me that siding with people who’re supposed to be considered “arch-enemies” is a good idea. Most of the Minmatar guys are chill so it’s nothing personal; from a tactical standpoint though, one has to be careful. I’ve also had my share of experiences with traps from such fleets.

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are as a pilot? 
Weaknesses : Can’t tell you them all, but Kryptonite and Garlic might be worth a try.
Strengths : I am a pretty average pilot, honestly, so the only thing I would say is my extended time in EVE and PVPing means I know slightly more about PVP than a two-day noob

What types of gangs do you most like to fly in? 
Any and all of them but corp fleets are my favorite. They’re my corpies for a reason Black Ops are fun too and easy for lazy people (me) if you sit back with the Black Ops battleships

What advice would you give to someone joining Amarr militia? 
Learn patience and try your hand at solo to make yourself look like less of a spy. After a bit of effort you will be accepted to general fleets and can then get in on the real action.

Briefly tell of your experiences in each faction and why you now fly with Amarr over the others. 
I joined the Minmatar militia after many months pirating and exploring EVE. FW had just come out and I, like many others, rushed to try it out. My time in Minmatar militia was when I first learned to FC, around the middle of my EVE “career”. MirrorGod, general beanflicker, and a few others were the main FC’s in Minmatar militia when FW first took off, and I learned by studying MirrorGod and other’s fleets. When he (Mirror) turned pirate against the Minmatar I stepped up to start leading more often out of necessity. Overall, I’d say the Minmatar had some good pilots and FC’s back then, some still being around. There were a lot of attempts being made in the beginning at creating some tangible structure in the Minmatar militia, like an un-official alliance. It always ended poorly though, and to this day the Minmatar militia is still very loosely organized. FC’s are more of guide than a commander which can be both a good and bad thing.

I joined the Amarr militia after making some friends here and deciding I would rather fly with them than anything else. They happened to be in Amarr militia, so I figured out a way to make it work, granted it brought with it a lot of loathing from people on all sides My time here has been interesting; coming from the supposed enemy and meeting the people who used to kill, and still despised me. It’s been fun as well; more so than my time while in the Minmatar militia and mainly because of the friendships I’ve developed. My time in the Amarr militia has ranged from being considered a fail spy to an average FC. There are always the share of asshats like in any militia/corporation/alliance, but it seems like it always gets sorted.

How hard was it to gain trust from other pilots after switching sides? 
It was pretty hard. Almost everyone thought I was a spy. Thankfully Shalee Lianne stuck up for me which helped a lot, I think. I still had trouble getting into fleets though, and for a couple of months I would fly around and report intel in militia chat, killing what I could and trying to help the fleets I wasn’t allowed in. I understood why I was excluded, so I didn’t mind all that much and actually enjoyed it sometimes. It’s like being left in the dark without a flashlight and trying to find your way out; sometimes you run into interesting things on the way

How long have you been an FC? 
Over two years now. FCing is not something I do constantly though as I get burn myself out every now and then.

What do you consider the most difficult part of FCing? 
Finding the patience and self-determination/motivation to continue fleets is the most difficult. It’s very easy to give up FCing, especially when you first start as it can be overwhelming, but as you continue it can really wear you down. The learning curve is also very steep to go from a fleet member to FC, however, people can help you with that and you can and will discover many things the more you FC and research/test things.

What types of gangs do you most enjoy FCing? 
Small gangs of 10 or so. I like to be able to know all of my pilots-their abilities and their reactions. I don’t mind larger fleets but they take more focus to keep track of everyone and get people organized. It can get tiring as well if you have to teach people while you are FCing, but it’s sometimes necessary and I don’t mind it as long as people are also patient and understanding with me

What kind of advice would you give to someone who is an up-and-coming FC? 
Don’t get discouraged when you lose; instead try to analyze and learn from your mistakes. Start small and cheap and work your way up as you learn and gain more confidence. Study other FC’s by flying in their fleets, scan forums for interesting things from other good FC’s/PVPers like Lord Maldoror (Rooks & Kings FC), and don’t be afraid to take risks every now-and-again. Fly solo for a while; it’s the best way to learn PVP and gain knowledge about things you may overlook while FCing (scanning, etc.) without solo experience.

Favorite: 

Ship to fly: Hurricane/Harbinger or Panther; depends
FW System: Kurniainen
EvE Celebrity: Shalee Lianne. Chribba’s cool too xD
EvE Related Website: anything other than fucking fukung
Null Sec Alliance: I love to shoot them all, PL especially
Wartarget To Shoot: there’s a few I get a kick out of killing but nobody gives me a kick more than Sasawong because of how much he hates me for turning sides . No hard feelings, Sasa ❤
Corpse: Shalee Lianne’s, so I can make sure people like Torus Nunn don’t get it ^^
EvE Online Forum: Warfare & Tactics
Space Station: Yrmori IV – Moon 17 – Core Complexion Inc. Factory
Song To Fly To: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0&feature=related
Way To Make ISK: from other people; ransoms are king
Ammo: Crystals, ‘cuz they’re so easy to reload and carry
Pirate Corp: BANE right now ‘cuz they be letting me kill their Widows xD

Interview: First General, Amarr FC

How long have you been playing EvE?
From the beginning.

What attracted you to the game?
Always been a sci-fi fan – spaceships of course.

What other aspects of the game have you tried other than militia?
Pretty much everything!

What do you think of Captain’s Quarters?
I think CCP often has great artistic and creative ideas – CQ is one of those ideas. But in their youth like enthusiasm they forget practicality and applicability for their customers. CQ is a very good example for that, since for example, i would turn CQ on if i was only running one client, but since i never run less than 3 clients my rather powerful PC can’t handle multiple CQ’s.

What are some of your most memorable experiences in FW? 
There are a few, ranging from small gang fights which go perfectly because every pilot in the gang is at his A-Game to times when the pieces of a plan to kill super capitals fall together in perfect harmony. (referring to the three session change super capitals we successfully got killed a while ago).

Do you participate in plexing and system capturing? Do you think it is a worthwhile endeavor? 
I only wish occupancy had some kind of effect on the side that holds it. As in free repairs, cheaper LP store, negative effect on enemy ships, positive effect on friendly ships…there are a few and would expand the tactical options of fights and possibility of fights much further.

What makes FW awesome? 
The fact that it’s no full-time worrisome job like 0.0. You can undock and have fun, as simple as that.

What do you wish CCP would change about FW? 
There are so many great suggestions that have already been made through the various threads on the forums, the prioritization list – for my part I’d simply love to see the use of combat super capitals in FW zones made impossible. It would make for much more ballsy and complex capital fights than what we currently have – as opposed to the only goal being to get as many enemy capitals on the field as possible and then just ring the “hot-drop-o’clock” bell.

What do you think about the use of alt spies, neutral alts for bonuses, and outside cap support? 
I’ll take the liberty of adopting Ammon Dei’s view on this whom you’ve recently interviewed as well. He says “alt spies make you weak”. I entirely agree with this opinion although I’ll add to it that it sometimes becomes necessary to have them because of super capital usage. As I’ve stated before, I’d love to see the militia’s have to be content with their own capital power. As far as neutral alts for bonuses go, everybody does it and i don’t think there’s a way around it.

Who do you admire in Amarr FW? 
Shalee of course. *chuckles*. She always brings Abaddon’s for my fleets! *grins some more*

Which of your opponents do you most admire? 
I really don’t have a crush on anyone, sorry.

What do you think of mixed fleets? (Minmatar/Amarr, etc) 
Been there, done that in Caldari, a lot as a matter of fact. It took me a while to become an established Caldari militia FC, but once i had earned the respect from the more senior Gallente FC’s, we always teamed up to take on entities that we would have not been able to take on by ourselves. I am, of course, very willing to do the same with minmatar militia should the need for it arise.

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are as a pilot? 
My strength and my weakness are one and the same – I am a perfectionist. I expect everything to always work perfectly and get irritated when it doesn’t. This usually irritates people – thanks to everyone who puts up with me despite my being grumpy when things don’t go according to plan *winks*

What types of gangs do you most like to fly in?
The gang that is perfect for a given job.

What advice would you give to someone joining Amarr militia? 
Join Minmatar militia instead, we need more people to shoot!

Briefly tell of your experiences in each faction and why you now fly with Amarr over the others. 
I started FC’ing for caldari militia when I-BS had outlived its best days and the CDI had broken into shambles. It was a mess to say the least and it took a lot of effort and good people to get up to par with the Gallente militia at that time who outnumbered us, outgunned us and had fatter wallets than we had – the resurrection happened under the banner of Wolfsbrigade.

The Empress’ dashing smile naturally convinced me to sign our corporation up to fight for the Empire. *laughs*. In all seriousness, Amarr was the obvious choice, having been in Caldari it would be easy to adapt standing wise and we didn’t really want to go back, plus the minmatar seemed to give good fights to the Amarr on a regular basis – it would also allow us if the need be to go into Black Rise and fight Gallente Militia.

How long have you been an FC? 
I reached my pinnacle in hours FC’ed/Day somewhere at the end of 2010. I had already FC’ed quite a bit before, but at the end of 2010 when Caldari Militia rose again from its ashes i must have FC’ed somwhere around 10 hours a day on average. Unfortunately I’m to busy at work at the moment to get back to that.

What do you consider the most difficult part of FCing? 
I hate to boss people around in a game, it is however quite necessary for the job.

What is the worst thing you’ve done as an FC?
Died before the rest of my fleet did – i hate to die before my pilots do.

What types of gangs do you most enjoy FCing? 
I’ll enjoy FC’ing any gang that has pilots that are 200% committed to both me and the objective we’re pursuing.

What kind of advice would you give to someone who is an up-and-coming FC? 
Fly in an experienced and good FC’s gang. Memorize what he does, understand what he does. Then go out there and emulate him 23 hours a day for a couple of weeks. Doesn’t even matter if he’s an upcoming FC or a complete greenhorn, if he acts, projects and speaks confidence he’ll succeed in the long run. He’ll make mistakes and he’ll lose ships in the short run but that’s all natural and necessary on the way to greatness. The crucial part of it is to understand mistakes, to internalize them, come up with a solution in order to not have them happen again and voilà. You’ll be a great FC in no time, just do it.

Favorite:

Ship to fly: Abaddon.
Wartarget To Shoot: my Mega Pulse II’s are justice – all war targets are equal under their fire.
Corpse: not into necrophilia.
Space Station: None really.
Song To Fly To: depends on my mood.
Way To Make ISK: Minmatar Slave labor of course. *laughs*
Ammo: Conflagration L.
Pirate Corp: RnK / Tuskers / Ninja Unicorns because they always fight and have the balls to lose.
Drone: Einherji.

Thank you for the interview. Any parting thoughts? 
Thank you for interviewing me. Let’s hope the Minmatar keep their thrashers docked and will come for a great many more proper fights.

Interview: Ammon Dei, Gallente FC

How long have you been playing EvE? 
Playing since Early 2008, Ammon Dei was not my original character in game.

What attracted you to the game? 
It was the sand box, for years I played a small game called Shadow Bane. PvP is in my blood, and the risk vs reward is something that makes me keep coming back for more.

What other aspects of the game have you tried other than militia?
I have tried every thing but industrial. Tried, 0.0 life, pirate, Merc, and yes even some missioning. But only in order to support my pvp habit.

What is your most memorable experience in FW? 
There has been so many it is hard to say. I remember getting Hot dropped by 70 stealth bombers and recons in this fight.  Then listening to Tekitha from SOTF, telling a Raiden. Representative to pack sand in not so nice terms. “edited out the profanity for this post.”

I remember our first couple days after moving to Egghelende. And the complete destruction of any and all fleets the Amarr threw at us. So much so that since that time they have afforded us only one other large fight. That happened last night and that I missed out on it. But that DQ blizzard sure was good.

Why do you fly with Gallente over the other militias?
The NON-RP answer is, I fly with my friends. The RP answer is because the Gallente Federation allows me the freedom that the other factions do not.

Have you been in other FW Gallente corps? 
Yes, I have flown with our EU allies from SOTF “Shadows of the Federation” QCATS and SOTF were both part of the “Villore Accords” agreement, and a leader in the Gallente MDP prior to SOTF leaving to explore options outside of Faction Warfare.

Do you participate in plexing and system capturing? Do you think it is a worthwhile endeavor? 
I participate as I can find time for it. The biggest reason I do it is for the opportunity for a good fight. The plexing mechanic has no reward for doing them besides the bragging rights or the small RP community. Were the reward to change and make it worth while I would definitely consider doing more of it.

What do you think about the use of alt spies, neutral alts for bonuses, and outside cap support? 
Honestly, I am not much for having spies. It makes you soft and you tend to rely on them too much. Since you do not always have them a good pilot/FC can handle the battle with out the spies. Since we are an NBSI Corp, neutrals and alts are just more targets. As for using neutrals for bonuses if it gives us an advantage in PVP and they are online we will use them.

Who do you admire in Gallente FW? 
There are several for different reasons, and I am sure I will miss some of them. So lets just leave it as I admire my fellow QCATS for helping me make this game fun. The Gallente plexing crew for their hard work keeping the dream of plexing alive. And my friends in Gallente Militia that continue to put up with me on coms.

Which of your opponents do you most admire?
GavinGoodrich comes to mind. As well as newcomer Predator Elite and the other Amarr FC’s that I do not know the names of yet. Only so far as even outnumbered and knowing they are going to get the hammer dropped on them. They still bring the fight. I enjoy the fight win or lose.

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are as a pilot? 
I have been told that my strength is the ability to multi task. FC a fleet, be on 3 voice com channels, 5 Private chats, 6 intel channels. And still keep the information passing to the right people. I enjoy being the leader on the field. And equally enjoy letting some one else FC’s and just sitting back shooting the primary to enjoy the fight. I could be a better Solo Pilot. That comes from just doing it. But when your corp members log in and asks “where are you and what you doing can I come too?” What starts, as a solo roam rapidly becomes a 10 – 20 – 40 man fleet. And I love it every time.

Any particular killmails and/or loss mails you are especially proud or embarrassed of? 
I do not get too worked up over Kill board stats. I do worry about the pilots that fly under me and how they will replace their ship when I do something crazy/stupid and get them killed. I always try and help them compensate for their losses with loot from the field when available. Or tell them before we engage, this may turn out bad you all in for it? With out fail they know what is in store for us and go in any way. I honestly think that is why the Gallente and Minmatar factions win so many fights. Because they are not afraid to go in guns blazing outnumbered.

What do you enjoy most about FW, and how do you think FW varies from flying in o.o? 
Faction warfare is the “Counterstrike” version of Eve. You log in and with in a few min you can be in a fleet out shooting the bad guys. If you need to leave 5 min later due to real life it is ok. Dock up fly home later. Your not 10 jumps away in hostile territory and 100’s of bubble camps between you and home. No station to dock up in and you know your fleet will be long gone by the time you log back in. The 0.0 flying the countless hours of sitting next to a Titan waiting for the Jump order that may or may not come. Or the hours sitting in a Capital ship waiting for the Jump order that might come. Unless your one of the leaders or FC’s in the 0.0 Corp/alliance you are flying with, is what you have to look forward too.

Faction warfare with few exceptions most fights are under 40 vs 40 fights. Majority are 20 vs 20 or less. In 0.0 some fights are 100 + or more vs 100 + or more. The small scale stuff happens but typically is more ganks than actual small fights. Or the Blob cometh and you end up in a vat back in your home station.

How long have you been an FC? 
In Eve, been an FC since around the end of 2008. But I have lead groups in other games for far longer. All have been PVP games where the risk vs reward was there similar to Eve.

What do you consider the most difficult part of FCing? 
The hardest part for young FC’s to learn is the ability to process incoming information and paint a picture of what the other side is doing. Then react to that in order to counter it. The other part is New FC’s some times do not have the full and complete trust of the people under them. And what you think is a 20 man fleet is really a 12 man fleet with people warping off at the sign of trouble or not shooting the primary etc etc. The hardest part for me is having a fleet up and finding nothing to shoot at. Or finding an enemy fleet and due to lack of numbers / ships not being able to do any thing but wave in local while they fly by.

What types of gangs do you most enjoy FCing?
Large Fleet battles are what I excel at the bigger the better. Small scale stuff is fun for change of pace and fill up the down time while waiting for that next big fight.

What kind of advice would you give to someone who is an up-and-coming FC?
Read the above about new fc’s. Just Do it, its kind of like solo PVP. The more you do it the better you become at it. Try and let your fleet know what your plans are when you can, some times there isn’t time. Or you have spy’s to feed false info too. Scouts, the right scout will get you a good fight. The wrong scout or poor information will get you and your fleet killed. Lastly be confident about your decision’s and take charge. If you act unsure or act like you don’t know what your doing you will end up with 5 people as Back seat FC’s telling you how to run your fleet. Take charge and take advice but at the end of the day you’re the leader. LEAD

Favorite:

Ship to fly: Interceptor, although I rarely get to fly it.
FW System: Heydieles
Null Sec Alliance: Don’t really have one
Wartarget to shoot: Damar – so many tears
Corpse: Crimper Corpse Muhahahah
Space Station: Heyd Moon 19 Station
Song to fly to: To many coms, too many channels lol don’t have time for Music.
Way to make ISK: Faction Warfare Missions, PVP.

Thank you for doing this interview, any last thoughts?
Thanks for letting me ramble on. Keep up the good work I do read every article. It is good to know the people behind the other screen.

Interview: EvE Uni FC, PinkKnife

Thank you for the interview. To start with, tell us about EVE University.

E-Uni is probably the largest and most well known eve beginner corporation. We have anywhere from 1600-2000 active members enrolled in the uni at any one given time. We offer a great amount of perks that we give new players, we have audio classes you can listen to, we offer discounted ship production prices, skillbook reimbursement, PVP ship loss reimbursement, and a bunch of others. Check out wiki if you want a whole list of all the perks.

Why did you join EVE Uni and what is your role within the corporation? 

I joined because I was looking for a good corporation to learn the game with. Since then I’ve been moved up to an XO position of my respective timezone (5:00 to 11:00). I’ve led a good amount of fleets, and have become somewhat of a known character in the uni, at least so I’m told. I recently started teaching classes as well.

How long did it take for you to become a teacher?

I only recently came to feel comfortable enough teaching a class in the uni. A lot of other people feel they want to give back to the uni for all the perks we get, so they jump right in. Students eventually kept coming to me asking to look over their bomber fits and such. I ended up rewritting the uniwiki on the stealth bomber, and felt I might as well teach a class on it as well.

Describe what it’s like being one of the 4% of females on EvE. Discuss both the perks and disadvantages.

It is definitely an interesting experience, I’ve been on the fun end of recieving some nice perks and gifts simply by playing the helpless girl card. On the other hand, I’m forced to listen to people say I don’t exist, and endless offensive remarks due to my gender. It seems the internet is a great place for any small minded, (or otherwise lesser endowed) male to vent his frustration about women. Alternatively, I’ve seen and gotten a lot of respect in the university, all of my complaints have been taken seriously, and its good to hear praise from other good pilots and recognition from the higher ups. So, eve has shown me how awesome it can be in a good corp that doesn’t care I’m female, but it has also shown me how childish and immature eve, and the internet at large can be at times.

How long does a recruit usually stay in EVE Uni? 

On average three months. I’ve been here around eight months, and I’ve seen two large waves of turn over.

What all can a new pilot learn from EVE Uni?

Basically, most of the core aspects of eve. we do mining lectures, industry classes, we frequently run PVP fleets, incursion fleets, we have an extensive audio class library open to anyone who wants to go through it. We teach some advanced classes, but by the time most uni’s get to that point they are already out of the uni and onto a null sec corp to experience soverign and nullsec. We do nullsec runs as well.

How often does EVE Uni bring fleets to the Faction War Zones? 

The Uni doesn’t actively participate in faction warfare, so if we do drop by its normally to try and score some PVP kills against pirates or other -10s. We don’t really pay attention to whether it is a faction zone or not, more simply if we can kill things there.

What is EVE Uni’s rules of engagements?

In empire space we run NRDS, so even in lowsec we are not a shoot first corporation. While we can engage -5’s and -10s in lowsec, since out pilots on average have less than 6M skill points, we are less likely to engage on a gate and take gate fire. We can, but we don’t like to. In Nullsec we run a restricted NBSI. Our only restrictions on it are industrial assets, and traveling shuttles and pods. However if we feel a pilot is hanging around, it is understandable if they end up on our killboard.

How often is EVE Uni involved in war decs against militia corporations?

Not terribly often, recently we had a second war against Ice Fire Warriors/Blacksite Prophecy, but other than them most of our opponents are faildecs and greifers. Rarely do we get an honestly good fight.

Does EVE Uni ever mix fleets with outside corporations/alliances? 

We do, but out ROE forbides us from doing so in PVP fleets, so unless it is high sec mission running, wormhole space or incursions we rarely ever mix fleets. When we do mix fleets, it is done on the knoweledge that we cannot defend blues if they are engaged.

How would a new pilot join EVE Uni?

Just apply to it. We are always openly recruiting. Contact one of our recruitment officers, or just apply through the corporation info.