Eve Online.... Main's and alts....

Terms for characters like 'main' and 'alts' are very grey depending on the player and how they use their characters. For some a main character may be the current character that is in use and all others are alts regardless of the skills or possessions.
The main characters on my accounts were the first characters created. The one with the most SP and the focus of the accounts ongoing skill point application. I think most Eve players are in that mindset.
The purpose of a second character, alt, on that account was to do the things that helped or supplemented activities. For me it was to do things I didn't want my main tainted with like PVP entanglements. My first alt was made as a pvp alt. I needed to divide my training time with this new pvp alt. At least until it became obvious that a second account and a second main would be more beneficial. Thus the second account was born. Over time each account had a main and an alt. Each alt was focused on specific tasks. At one point the alt on the second account was assisting the functions of the first account's alt. Hauling and moving ships to assist with the pvp he was engaged in. While the Mains stayed in the background grinding SP.

Early alt training....

As time has passed those alternative characters have lost their specific purpose and along with new alts have been defaulted to mirror the "mains". The use of plex to enable extra training queues has made this expand beyond anything I had previously considered. Kudos for CCP money making. I did buy plex for training time and in doing so the alts have gained a broader base of skills as well as a a focus into more T2/T3 ships, weapons systems and modules. Not necessarily a bad thing, more skills means the better they can function and in turn the more they can help. Extra time and skills have made those alts become super sized. No longer do they have 'a' specific task, they have developed into racially specific mirrors of the mains. Complete with mission hubs (numerous factional corps & SOE), exploration hubs, PI setups, datacore farming, mining and production.

Skilling up alts has become a large part of Eve gameplay. 

I choose to check each character daily, update and reset their PI gathering. Maybe twice a week gather that PI and once a week sell it. I alsp check skills but with the new 50 skill queueing list that check it is a far rarer thing than it used to be. On my mains it does look funny to have far flung level 5 skills that are month's of training each x50. The daily PI check and update is more of a holdover from the 24 hour skill queue than anything else. Habit.

 

My characters are:

Main (Caldari), 

Second Main (Caldari), 

Main alt(Caldari), 

Minmatar Alt, 

Amarr Alt, 

Gallente/Null Alt (Caldari). 

Of all of these the last in the list is the newest in this super alt transformation. He was almost exactly like my main alt in terms of skills. He doesn't have much standing above 1.7 with any faction aside form the Servant Sisters at 2.02. As for Corps he has the basics from the tutorials and SOE epic arc but only the SOE corp at 7.30. You can guess from that he has only ever done SOE missions. He is only disliked by 3 pirate factions and the True Power npc corporation. So he has in essence been factionless with regard to the four main powers in the game. 

Pretty much a blank slate and a good starting point. Therein lies the problem and the asset of a good alt. That clean slate with 40 million SP is now a character of it's own with a purpose and not just a 5 million SP alt with a task.

Today his transformation from a standard Caldari based alt into a racially specific Gallente drone is all but done. I have successfully transferred ships and gear from my other characters to him.
His main station is a Gal Navy level 4 mission hub. As he does not yet have the standing to use the lvl 4 agent he currently has a few ships in a lvl 3 hub not far away doing the standings grind between war dec's. Moving to this new Gallente home was done mainly via semi afk self hauling and a large courier contract. All of which didnt' take as long as I had thought it would. Getting this gear and clearing his own Caldari based inventory was done as a like for like swap with my other characters. Spare Gallente BS for the Caldari BS he had etc.

My main also traded him a lot of lesser Gallente ships he had collected as well as mods and ammo in a bit of a clearout. While this was going on my character also cleared out most of his ships and gear from null. Moving what he could use to his Gallente base and transferring the rest to my other alts/mains. Nullsec is back to being a very bare bones operation. Over time this will build up and then the clearout cycle will begin again. Clearouts always seem to be ongoing.

At the moment there are two systems that I work from in null. The first has my PI setup, a 5 planet self contained production line. The PI could be worked more efficiently but it does the job. The local station there has a few Epitals for the PI work as well as the collection of pvp shit fit T1 frigs and dessies. This station is also where I had started my market hub. I've since cleared out that market and only sell a a few T1 haulers. Some spare ships and T1 mods and minutia are stored in a station container.

The other system is my main ratting (RLML Caracal) and mining (Procurer) system.

I had tried a Dominix to do anomalies but found that the speed of the caracal in killing BS rats in the belts was a faster isk generator then the Domi in the anoms. Not to mention a wiser use of lesser isk should it get blobbed. I was surprised the Domi was lacking for this purpose but it is what it is. So I decided to get the domi out and stick with the lower cost caracal which has surpassed all expectation. A few T1 haulers, some T1 hauler and ammo bpc's as well as a healthy supply of ammo and drones round out the stations inventory.

The Domi I moved out of null will eventually be the centre of a new level 4 mission hub for him with the SOE. I still need time to test and correct fits for him. It's all part of the process and part of the fun.
I also need to see if there is a suitable datacore I can farm. As well as some relic/data site's that can be run. 

With the current invasion of his null space by the CFC their friends I've not been doing any ratting or mining. I did transfer him to hi-sec to spend some time in his better implant clone but I'm thinking of a jump back to a clean clone and trash some of the shit fit's in a blaze of assplosions. Then again I might pull him from the null life and give the hi-sec life a spin for a while before rejoining null or moving onto something else with him.

Time will tell.

If I were to go through all of my charecters I'd have a blog series. I may try and do up one more blog with some more info on how they are setup. I still really, really, really need to try and get a an entry done on my STO activities.....

Battlefield 4....

It's been a week or two since I last fired up my xbox since getting the gold subscription reactivated. After a few day's of play my interest lapsed again in BF4. Despite a long break and an almost instant muscle memory reactivation. I think it's the BFF's video's that have spawned my re-reinterest in Battlefield 4 gamplay this time round.
Once in game I noticed on main menu that there is to be a new expansion for it... I was surprised as I thought it had run it's course on expansions, a quick google brought this article and of course I looked up the new video. I'm looking forward to trying it once it's out....

 

Interesting news and updates in Eve....

An interesting question and something I've pondered myself was a reddit question on why people in Eve head towards the robber gameplay rather than try to be the cops.



I've been interested in a another blog that has this entry and this entry about soloing some wormhole content.



With the end of Jesters Trek blog the fallback for that has been to keep an eye on his reddit entries.
Part of which was a fitting question on an update to the Crane fit I found interesting.

[Crane, Basic]
use either Cargohold Optimization or Hyperspace Velocity rigs

Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II

50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
EM Ward Field II

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
[empty high slot]

Medium Cargohold Optimization II
Medium Cargohold Optimization II


I'm always keep so see what I can get my characters involved with. Despite the risk averse carebear in me I was very tempted to get an alt into a corp or two of this alliance. Not that I've done anything about it yet. The biggest stopping point is my alt training, once they have used up their training time I'll start using them more.



The new patch for Eve seems to have more minor art/ui stuff ontop of the "big" changes. It's all appreciated but this patch is not a big one. Of course the Fossie Sov changes are ongoing but its not a thing that really affects my gameplay.
The new SKINS are ongoing as well, of which I would be more interested in a general skin that would cover multiple hulls.
I'm not that thrilled with the changes to the Dominix and the worst part of that change is better shown on this blog.

With the new "formal" declaration of war from the Amarr faction against the Drifters, there looks to be a new set of incursions incoming. Lets hope there is some smaller solo content as part of that.

Another patch/expansion/release and not a glimmer of a mystery code item.....


"This is just the beginning of what the Mystery Code will unlock.  In the future, whenever we have big things happening—not just across the EVE Universe but across all CCP games—you will find a Mystery Code element to enjoy.
There’s much more planned we can’t discuss right now, but you can rest assured that as we continue our journey into the Second Decade with you, the Mystery Code will be your perfect travelling companion."   -CCP

Drifters....

I think the Drifters are the CCP in game role playing bat of change....

CCP's Mystery, Mystery Code....

A few articles on the net have made me look back at the The Second Decade Collector’s Edition.
The longer I think about it the more I am angered by the way CCP has essential taken my money and not delivered on a key component of that collectors edition.
I've complained on this blog before in regard to the mystery code included with the collectors edition. I'm not the only one to do so online, but this time it's really peeving me off.
The longer there is a lack of content from the mystery code the more I feel like I was taken as such a fool.
I paid full price for the collectors edition not once but twice. One for both of my accounts.

What a disappointment.

Detailed here, the Second Decade Collector’s Edition included items are explained but it's the Mystery code that (in my opinion) is a key selling point. It promises to deliver in the future of the game. That you are investing as a player in that future and the game is going to give back to you on that second decade journey.

This extract, explaining the mystery code is clear:

"This is just the beginning of what the Mystery Code will unlock.  In the future, whenever we have big things happening—not just across the EVE Universe but across all CCP games—you will find a Mystery Code element to enjoy.
There’s much more planned we can’t discuss right now, but you can rest assured that as we continue our journey into the Second Decade with you, the Mystery Code will be your perfect traveling companion."

Exciting and compelling words. Wow after reading that you'd think there was a ton of gifts heading your way. Codes to claim, preview items and shiny loots to add to your fleet or hanger collection.

So lets see what we got so far.....


Well it took month's of waiting but the first gift given was a skin for the Rorqual.
I was not informed by e-mail that it was given to me and it was about 3 month's after the fact that I found out about it. They did say they would e-mail when gifts were ready....
Thankfully it was still in the voucher system and I was able to claim it there. I don't see why it was done in this way, the normal redeeming system would have been much better. Not that the skin is much use to me anyway but its a nice hanger collection piece, I'm all for that.



So one gift down after about 5 month's since release.



After the Rorqual skin release and a year after the collectors edition was out (yes a year after it was released!) there was this post.

That dev post says:

"Okay, so I've been speaking with people internally about this and have taken on the mystery code as a project.

Going forward, the Community Team will be dealing with the mystery code and stuff that's awarded through it.

We'll be sitting down right after the holiday season at the start of January to talk about what we want to use to release, so if you have any suggestions on stuff you'd like to see, feel free to fire away in this thread "

Now excuse me but this post clearly shows that the mystery code was not an active part of CCP's ongoing customer care.....
Compare that post to the description of the Collectors edition mystery code...seriously WTF!


Two month's after that dev post there was this post.
Yay for some free stuffs.

It took forum thread postings to get a CCP employee to remind themselves that they need to make good on their promise.

That is a major concern!

And that's been it..... that's all there has been......

Six month's on from that again and CCP have done absolutely nothing else to further the mystery code.

Only that forum post and getting CCP Falcon to check on it delivered a single package of free stuffs.


People kept up the posts on that thread and got a few responses that are both alarming and annoying...


First of note is this reply:

"Not at all

The member of staff who was working on keeping stuff flowing with the mystery code has departed from CCP as of a few months back, and it hadn't been picked up yet.

It has now, and we'll see what we can put out for you guys next year."

Seriously.... how many times can I say "seriously"!!!!!!
There was a "flowing"? with the mystery code... let me count how many items there were.... 1 .... 2 .... 2  That is not anything near "flowing"!
Never mind the fact that the person left the company and nobody has gotten the job of keeping up the "flow"!!!!!!!!
What a joke!


Second of note was this reply:

"Most of the stuff that's going to be coming in future is going to be time exclusive to mystery code holders, rather than completely exclusive. We're aiming that you guys get stuff somewhere between 3-6 months ahead, so that you have the opportunity to enjoy it first.

In terms of ship skins, I doubt we'll be giving them away free once they become permanent, but maybe something can be worked out.

That said, we're also looking at stuff not directly connected to EVE in terms of gameplay too.

No promises on any of this stuff of course, but we're thinking of seasonal discounts in the EVE Store and New Eden Store, discounts on tickets to CCP hosted events, that kind of thing for out of game stuff.

Again, no promises, as we're still working out exactly what will be best and most efficient to deal with."

Wait a second.... wait one second... that whole reply is a reworking of the product sold.
It both limits the items that could be given as well as the time frame.
It changes those potential items so that they have nothing to do with any CCP game.
It acts like there was a free "flow" of items to people....
This is a complete bastardisation of the mystery code, what a backtrack....

Again compare that with the quote on the original mystery code statment!

"This is just the beginning of what the Mystery Code will unlock.  In the future, whenever we have big things happening—not just across the EVE Universe but across all CCP games—you will find a Mystery Code element to enjoy.
There’s much more planned we can’t discuss right now, but you can rest assured that as we continue our journey into the Second Decade with you, the Mystery Code will be your perfect traveling companion."

The last post of that thread #117 is very well said! But the topic got locked so people can't add any more and I presume CCP considers the matter closed....
There are other threads but none that have done much to further any more movement from CCP.


As players we deserve what we purchased yet CCP is ignoring a promise they made.

They made that promise by saying they would deliver a product and part of that product was the mystery code.
It was the only part of their product that they needed ongoing maintenance. To take the people that supported them, who purchased the collectors edition looking for a second decade of ongoing adventure and treat them a little bit better for their loyalty.
They failed to do so from day one.

Now the only mystery is that we as players, we as customers expected CCP to deliver.

Where is the team that are supposed to have the Mystery code as a project!!!!!!
How could a project as important as this slip away as if it never existed!!!!!!

Amazing Bull Fart Sculpture by Chen Wenling
Read more at http://thedesigninspiration.com/articles/amazing-bull-fart-sculpture-by-chen-wenling/

Blast from the past.... Need for Speed Porsche 2000

I found myself installing another game I played, this one from 15 years ago. I played this game a lot. That is an understatement. A LOT. Need for Speed: Porsche 2000.
It is a game that has had a lot of name variations in a lot of other countries:
Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (US),
Need for Speed: Porsche 2000 (Europe),
and Need for Speed: Porsche (Germany and Latin America).
Not to mention the various versions on Console. (PS1, yea that old)

It was a great detailed game that delivered on it's Porsche license. You can modify the inner workings as well as the outside bodywork. upgrade the Engine Processor, fit lightened flywheels and tweak suspension details to your hearts content.
There were a tone of game modes. I remember the Porsche test driver mode that had you do all kinds of tricks and tasks to progress to the next level. Tournaments, knockout and quick races allowed you to gain more money and cars to increase your car list and cash flow.
I found my old save game and was not surprised to see that I had a wide array of cars tweaked and setup in various ways. The biggest thing I noticed was that I saw I had several cars apart from the main garage listings. They are cars I use more frequently but because they are "doubles" I treat them with a rougher hand. And unlike the cool and slick paintwork of the main garage cars, these cars were as brought and gaudy as can be. I do the same thing in a lot of other games (like the pink crew from my xcom gaming).

This game has not aged well. It ticks all the boxes for reminiscing and a quick look on what was what in an old save game or two. Or checking out the old replay's of races. But the graphics are a big slap to the reminiscing. Tweaking the cars is still enjoyable and I still have love for this game but it's lost it's playability when racing on the road due to the graphics.

The biggest smack of retro love for this game came in the form of two of the menu track. They alone bring back so many memories of this game. But I think I'll be leaving it on the shelf and remembering what a good time I had way back when.

Blast from the past.... Close Combat IV

I decided to take up CC IV next in line for the Close Combat series. This fourth edition is similar on the battlefield to the third edition but the overall campaign structure is more reminiscent of the second game. By that I mean it has more of a campaign based on historic events and units on a timetable/deadline.

This time round the player does not have a self named unit on the battlefield and you cannot select the makeup of each battlegroup. The historic nature of the game shows here with each unit on the campaign map being a battlegroup setup as their historic counterparts would have been. Thats not a bad thing.

The campaign starts with weak US and strong Axis forces. Similar to the last game's sides as the game progresses there is a constant weakening of Axis troops/supplies; While the US is constantly being resupplied, either with units getting reinforced or new battlegroups entering the fray.
That means that the German side needs to push hard and fast over as much of the map as possible as early as possible in order to capture key points and gain more resources. The US side needs to stop them from reaching those points at all costs. It makes for a great and complex game both on the campaign map and on each battlefield.

I really like the way that the battlegroup units work. Some units have better equipment than others.  Some with no armour can stop large amounts of armour if placed and used well. One bazooka team can make the difference and take out an armour unit that is the linchpin of the enemy attack.
Again wrecks on the battlefields stay and if you get pushed off a sector and return several day's/turns later you will see those same wrecks. Even trenches and gun placements stay, it's a small but nice touch that makes it feel like your fighting over maps that mean something to you.
another small touch is that if you have units on the defencive and you have them in the open when they start the battle you will find that they had time to dig themselves in where you placed them.

The campaign map lets you select the units and where they are to move to.

You can select which units receive Air support, Artillery barrage and/or a Supply-drop.

Once you click 'Ececute' and the moves are completed you will see the actions taken.

Clicking next will show you how the units stand. If they are in the same sector as an enemy unit then they will engage each other for that day's battle.

I was unable to get Fraps to work so I have no recording of a battle I did but I did find this video on Youtube worth a watch.

I won't be making a blog entry about the Fifth instalment, it was never a game that drew me into it as much as the fourth version. I've enjoyed these games and it's been part of the journey to see each instalment get better and take from the game before it and leave what didnt' work so well behind. I can say for certain that I'll be taking the Battle for the Bulge for a few more play throughs before uninstalling it.

Star Citizen....

I've read over an interesting article about Star Citizen.

There is still a lot of expectation for the game but unfortunately I have to say that a lot of it is tainted with weariness for a lack of progress in the actual client on people's pc's.
Until I see a lot of improvement I wont' be splashing any more cash on it. Not that I've spent a lot for a game (€30). Every big patch that comes out either needs a complete uninstall/reinstall or takes time to update. Not a good thing when you have to download 18GB of game and all you get to see is a one or two room hanger, a little ship and a greycat.  The exact same thing I've seen since I started.
One bug from awhile ago still annoys me. You bump into the little greycat and it skids off on it's own across the floor. Hopping into it made the players arm twist backwards in a very broken manner. After the last 18GB patch you get the same across the floor skidding but your character now feels the need to stand up while driving.
There is nothing new in the client to call it a "game" and after so long I'd have expected a lot of little things to have been added and built up. It's a constant disappointment and really needs the "soon" to be released Star Marine module to really, really pay off to make things worth it.

Time will tell but people won't wait forever.

Fossie Sov Updates....

I think I spoke too soon as a new Dev Blog brings changes to Fossie Sov due to the feedback and presumable other CCP insider observations.

Eve Online Guide links....

Two guides caught my eye.

The first is a Reddit post on a Guide to solo frigate PvP in FW - T1 frigates.

And the second is a video guide to Combat Probing on this site.

That video makes me wish that Eve101.com still made it's video's. Eve101 stopped making them I think due to CCP making their own version of the same kind of video's EVE Online Flight Academy. Which hasn't had anything new since last February. Surprise surprise. 

Delayed to be better....

News that Rainbow Siege is being delayed is a worry. Thankfully it's not because of a major flaw, just some improvement tweaking. It's a good thing....

Structure concern....

Sugar Kyle on her blog refined the citadel information/roundtable(townhall) with this document which has all the distilled need to know details. She has done a great job with the townhall despite the problems. The document is worth a read to see a clearer picture of the current (ish) state of the new structures incoming. 
Funny how CCP moved on from jump fatigue and moved on from the current iteration of Fozzie sov and is now onto the new structures. CCP are good listening to players but they still seem to spite themselves. Even after implementation of changes and players giving feedback or even looking for more balance CCP do plough on without fully resolving the main issues of those changes to the game. Maybe they need to share more information on the bigger picture but that has backfired in the past. I feel that it's this type of large changes that needed the longer release times of the older expansions, so CCP would have a more time to test/talk and get feedback rather than have things be more mashed up. There just seems to be so many issues being overlapped by other issues. Despite the last few changes and current talk of future chances my main gameplay is not really affected by any of those issues yet. Despite some bloggers saying that NPC stations will not be changing at all, CCP seem to have it on the end of the drawing board.... I'm still concerned by how they intend to go ahead with that change no matter how far off CCP say it is.

WoW expansion details....

Interesting Podcast from wow weekly.

It in no way makes me hyped for the expansion but more information is always a good thing.

Drifters....

I literally saw the Scope video, shared it here and logged my alt to go to the Drifter engagement. I was only 3 jumps out so hopped into a T3 Destroyer and made my way there. Only to find that it was all over.
Event my ass that's was a snapshot. I don't have the patience to wait around in system looking at local chat as well as the Live Events Channel for an hour or more (who knows how long) before something else happens.... if anything.....

Eve online.... Destruction and Drifters

The new Scope Vid is interesting....

Time to hop onto my Amarr alt!


The second blog is also out about the Citadel's and although I can say I'm interested I dont' like the way that they are insinuating about destroying all the NPC stations.... I have a lot of stuff spread around a lot of area's for each character and their activities. Loosing NPC stations in Hi-Sec really is the only thing that would make me leave the game. There Dev Blog is here: I feel safe in Citadel city

Mini gaming news update....

Well it seems that I was hasty in saying there would be a divide in the pvp and pve gear in wow, there looks to be no more pvp gear. Instead there seems to be that levelling systems for pvp progression. That is a change, As commented here it is good with the  bad. I'm still not convinced with the next expansion. Everything that is not the current expansion seems to be left to rot and is being given no regard. Farm in Pandaria, Garrison in Draenor, whatever we are supposed to care about in the next expansion (ship?).

Eve was also not affected by any further problems and didnt' need any more restarts. Thankfully. Even Dust seems to be back to it's "normal" state.

I was interested to see the new Amarr Flagship here.

It looks really cool.

The next blog about the new citadel stations is long and complicated but its really the next one due out that I'll be really interested in.

And on a side note another youtube channel that I hope will do more Eve Online stuffz.

With my main pc upgraded to Windows 10 I've gotten all my upgrades done with no pain at all. Of all the software only two games were affected. Xcom Enemy Within needed to be reinstalled and Rome Total Wat needed to have a parameter changed in it's start up to run properly. All else worked fine. Even the Close Combat games I've had installed.

About a week ago I saw a link to a free game (free for a 24 hour period) on steam and as I had 24 minutes left to get it, seeing it was mildly interesting from that I could see I downloaded it. I have to say that it is a great little game and I'm glad it was free. I doubt it would be worth it for me to buy it but as a freebie I love it. Easy to hop in out of for a quick blast of action.
 

DIP DIP POTATO CHIP

I came across this series of video's last night, so so funny and true for other games even it you haven't played Battlefield ;-p

You can see the video's on Youtube up to season 4 and Season 5 on i-tunes well worth a watch.

Eve online.... Problems

It may be a glorious summers day outside but I was looking froward to some Eve time.
As I was on my Null alt today I noticed that when warping some systems would be laggy and others it seemed like time was sped up. I thought that this was just my pc as I just upgraded to windows 10 yesterday (held off a few days to make sure I had files in order etc.) but it seems that there is a bigger problem.

I got disconnected due to this and am unable to log back in.

I'm not the only one....

The number of logged in pilots is increasing slowly but there still seems to be ongoing problems.

At least I wasn't in space when it crápped out. I'd say there is probably another reboot or two in the air.

Dust 514 is having similar problems but on a more glitchy feel as sometimes I can get in and other times it says the servers are down. There have been a number of ongoing problems with Dust over the last two weeks so maybe it's something bigger than Dust.