EVE Correspondent - A Pirate's Life for Me
MMORPG.com EVE Online Correspondent Richard Morris writes this new article talking about the benefits of pirating in CCP's space-based sandbox game.
Pirates are notoriously known to pillage, loot and disobey authorities. In EVE this is just the same, only... space-like. The general EVE world mould breaks down into security sections. Pirates are only safe in low security areas that are .4 and below. Normal players are only safe from player pirate attacks with higher security levels that are .6 and above. With these security levels in place it makes it both easier to start and harder to progress. But never fear! The concord will assist you whenever possible. Well... that is assuming you're not a pirate yourself. In which case they will leave you for death (my current sources say that death likes fresh meat). Do not worry though, being pod-killed is not so bad when you have a decent clone.
Pirating is often known to be the ultimate risk in EVE. Though NPCs can be pirates and cause just as much trouble in some situations, another player is unpredictable. This makes player versus player that much more exciting.
While you are debating to yourself whether or not you really want to become a pirate, ask yourself this: What do I get out of pirating? Now this question can just as easily be answered as it can be asked. You get either money or loot. Now how you obtain either one of these items is different. So let’s get started with the benefits of pirating!
The Loot:
The loot varies from person to person and also from place to place. Now you will find yourself getting more loot from bigger ships if you search for ships in security ranges from 0.0 to 0.4. This will make sure that you won’t get attacked by the concord (in-game police). That being said, you now know that systems 0.5 and up will most likely be hazardous for you.
Different ships hold different loot. If you saw a mining barge out in the open what would you think would be in it? Guns? No my friend, ore. Ore is valuable material that can be directly sold over the market. Though you won’t always find miners traveling about, you'll find well armed people willing to take up your bounty. If you so happen to kill this player then you have just earned gold. Active hazardous players hold lots of guns, cargo loot, salvageable loot, and other goodies. Even if you don't kill him you can hold his ship for ransom if he or she ejects from his ship. This will get you lots and lots of money without pissing people off. Yarg for ransoms!
Useful equipment:
;)
Now equipping yourself with a probe launcher and a ship scanner is ideal for a pirate. The probe launcher will scan different areas in a constellation that might have players to attack. The ship scanner will scan the cargo hold of a ship. Though probe scanners are for the more experienced pirates, ship scanners are for anyone who's spent the time to learn the skills for a few hours.
Other equipment like guns do not matter as much. They do damage, that's about it. But jammers matter the most. A warp jammer prevents them from running and is mandatory for all pirates. Other jammers, like targeting jammers could matter depending on what kind of a pirate you are. For instance, if you're a capacitator leech then you might not need jammers. You just leech their battery and let them sit there while you destroy them.
Different type of pirates do different things. It's hard to decide what kind of equipment you want when there are so many choices. Though I've seen many different variants of equipment styles, I believe that leeching is the best. It comes down to what all equipment need to run off of. They all need capacitator energy to run. If they have none and are warp jammed, then you can sit there for as long as you want hitting them. Though there are capacitator batteries that they could have, you are able to scan their cargo to see if they have any. If not, you're good to go. If so, you better hope they don't have a doomsday device.
Jammers are also a good way to pirate. Being unable to target your enemy and lock onto them is a great advantage for a pirate. Though there are anti-jammers that they could have, you can scan the ship for them. Not much is different here except that it's much easier for a victim to avoid as apposed to the leech technique.
Pirating in groups:
Though pirating can be tough sometimes on your own, joining a pirate corporation will help in major pirating projects. You could even take on concords in higher security areas. It's all for the loot and for the thrill. Even if you don't have a corporation for help you could team up with a friend to kill some players.
Most two player pirating groups kill only one person at a time. That is unless you have a few titans that can obliterate everything. One usually kills and the other is a freighter that carries all the loot. This makes things much easier in the long run. You'll earn money faster and have more room for loot.
A whole squadron of pirates pillaging a docking center requires a great deal of focus and cooperation for the whole group. Concord ships will be on your ass, you'll have many players from all around coming to help the station you are attacking (or even watch if they are selfish). You will probably need a titan for a leader and to pass out benefits for all. Then many assault ships with a few carriers for back up. This is the ultimate looting experience. There is lots of money in this, too much if you ask me. This might be the end game achievement for corporations but that's a matter of opinion.
The equipment concept is the same. Jammers, leeches, fast ships, lots of back up drones for repair. That's about it, some anchored guns might be useful also. Batteries will help for everyone, so get them.
Respect in the work place:
Now many have said it, not all follow it. Respect others and you in return will be respected. I see this as true to an extent. If you start demolishing a little 12 year old in on ibis, then you're not likely going to get respect from that player. But if you head over to a 15+ year old in a battleship and put up a good fight, you might get a little more respect. Though I know you want to get paid, and fast for that matter, you have to be polite and take things slow. You don't always have to kill your foe (or throw a holy hand grenade at their face), you could hold their ship for ransom. If they refuse to pay simply ask them to eject from their ship while you ask once more for money (only slightly more). If they still refuse, destroy their ship. Loot it while you now hold their pod for ransom. If they still refuse you have two choices. You could kill them, or let them go. This is where you must take into consideration of what your foe has said, if they're stalling for time, or just stupid. If they have been rude and still refuse to pay, I'd kill them. If they are stalling or just stupid, just let them go.
Now that you have the basic idea behind ransoms and what not, you must look for traps. Often times if you find yourself holding everything your foe has for ransom they will ask you many questions, refuse pay, insults are involved and many other things. This could be a potential trap for a scurvy dog (that's you). I recommend just doing what you have to do, then jet. Simply put, you'll save yourself from lots of wear and tear.
Conclusion:
Though pirating is one of the most risky activities you could take part in, it's one of the most exciting also. You get loot, you kill people, you gain bounties, and you demolish everything in your path. You might get a cheap laugh or two also! All in all, if you are in pirating with friends and your corporation then you should be having fun. Until I make another article, have a good one!
