Hulkageddon II is Running Wild!
Yes folks, back by popular demand is Hulkageddon II! The properly named EVE Online contest sponsored by renowned pirate Helicity Boson of the Python Cartel has begun January 7th, 2010 and is running until January 14th, 2010.
The rules are simple: Kill any and all mining ships on sight, podkill the owners, rinse twice and repeat. The rinsing is optional. Are you competing? Then you can track your progress here.
Prizes are worth well over several billion ISK and there will be 2nd and 3rd prizes to the most pirates killing exumers and mining barges. There are also achievements to be awarded such as “Nobody Expects the Inquisition” - Most kills in Amarr Empire space. And my favorite, “In W-Space no one can hear you scream” – For the most kills of mining and mining related vessels and their pods in wormhole space. And that’s where I live, great.
The first Hulkageddon that ran in 2009 yielded carnage of over 66 Exhumers, 22 mining barges and 27 pods. Already 2010 numbers are overwhelming last years contest with a death tally at 982 Exhumers, 238 Mining Barges and 199 capsules!
You might ask, “Doesn’t an attack in High Security space bring the wrath of concord?” The answer is yes, but the trick that worked so brilliantly in Hulkageddon 2009 was to fit a small fleet of catalysts with 8 smartbombs and blast away. If they lose a catalyst, big deal, they get it back in insurance and loot. All for the greater good!
The short term effect: the price of Hulks, being the best mining exhumer in the game, has quadrupled. The price of ore and minerals has gone up, as expected since the amount of quantity supplied has tapered off a small bit. And it has become generally unsafe to mine, ANYWHERE, Muhahahaaa.
The long term effects: In my opinion this isn’t the last we are going to see of Helicity’s Hulkageddon. There might be a III or IV even a Hulkageddon V in your future. Much like the SAW series of movies, some people get their kicks off of watching someone die.
This is going to turn mining into a contact sport and raise the prices of mining ships, blueprints and eventually send the price of minerals through the roof.
The good thing is that EVE Online is the only, THE ONLY game that can support this type of creativity and PvP element in an MMO. I can recall reading a post where the author said that EVE was not a PvP game … now where did I put that link…
Hulkageddon II is Running Wild!
Yes folks, back by popular demand is Hulkageddon II! The properly named EVE Online contest sponsored by renowned pirate Helicity Boson of the Python Cartel has begun January 7th, 2010 and is running until January 14th, 2010.
The rules are simple: Kill any and all mining ships on sight, podkill the owners, rinse twice and repeat. The rinsing is optional. Are you competing? Then you can track your progress here.
Prizes are worth well over several billion ISK and there will be 2nd and 3rd prizes to the most pirates killing exumers and mining barges. There are also achievements to be awarded such as “Nobody Expects the Inquisition” - Most kills in Amarr Empire space. And my favorite, “In W-Space no one can hear you scream” – For the most kills of mining and mining related vessels and their pods in wormhole space. And that’s where I live, great.
The first Hulkageddon that ran in 2009 yielded carnage of over 66 Exhumers, 22 mining barges and 27 pods. Already 2010 numbers are overwhelming last years contest with a death tally at 982 Exhumers, 238 Mining Barges and 199 capsules!
You might ask, “Doesn’t an attack in High Security space bring the wrath of concord?” The answer is yes, but the trick that worked so brilliantly in Hulkageddon 2009 was to fit a small fleet of catalysts with 8 smartbombs and blast away. If they lose a catalyst, big deal, they get it back in insurance and loot. All for the greater good!
The short term effect: the price of Hulks, being the best mining exhumer in the game, has quadrupled. The price of ore and minerals has gone up, as expected since the amount of quantity supplied has tapered off a small bit. And it has become generally unsafe to mine, ANYWHERE, Muhahahaaa.
The long term effects: In my opinion this isn’t the last we are going to see of Helicity’s Hulkageddon. There might be a III or IV even a Hulkageddon V in your future. Much like the SAW series of movies, some people get their kicks off of watching someone die.
This is going to turn mining into a contact sport and raise the prices of mining ships, blueprints and eventually send the price of minerals through the roof.
The good thing is that EVE Online is the only, THE ONLY game that can support this type of creativity and PvP element in an MMO. I can recall reading a post where the author said that EVE was not a PvP game … now where did I put that link…
mMO’ MONEY!: Virtual Beggars.
“Does anyone have a spare 10 million Isk I could borrow?” - random blurb seen in EVE Online rookie chat.
I’m sure along the lines of your mMO’ career you have run into the occasion where you are short a couple of gold, Isk or gil for something; it happens to us all. But if you’re like me you will be damned before you are going to ask for 1 red cent in local or regional chat, regardless of how bad you need it. This problem is usually solved by rummaging around our bags or banks for something to sell to an npc for the small bit we need. If that isn’t possible we might possibly lower ourselves to ask our guild or a close friend (in private chat).
Some people make a career out of begging. In real life and in virtual, some aren’t as fortunate as others and I am a sucker for someone who is in a bad position. An old friend of mine would de-brief me whenever we went out to the city. “And NO money to bums!” she would say with a furrowed set of eyebrows. Usually by the end of the night I would find my way to some homeless man or woman and put some money in their hands as she would roll her eyes. Call me a sucker or a bleeding heart.
Although when it comes to virtuality I am one of those folks who read someone’s plead in chat, “Just 5 gold preeeeeze!” only to find myself typing “Go farm!” or “Grind!” I guess that is where my soft-heartedness ends. That is nothing compared to the tirades of abuse that other players give a person who begs in public chat. Heavens forbid that YOU BEGGED IN PUBLIC CHAAAT!!! @.@ !!!
“Slit your wrists!” or “Go die in a fire noob!” were the typical responses and
these are the more politically correct ones I choose to enter here. Have we no mercy? No kindness for our fellow man or woman in need?
Nahhh. We farm like everyone else does! Money always comes easy to some of us; we get online sometimes specifically to run our route of dailies or crafting to make ends meet. Or we might be virtual entrepreneurs and find an unexploited fresh market to expand our wallets quickly. Tobold has a rune business, I have a missile business and I’m sure you have your own type of revenue stream. Whatever it is we find ways and means to make enough money to sustain ourselves. We look at our accounts and feel confident only to end up looking down on someone just because YOU BEGGED IN PUBLIC CHAAATT! @.@!!!
Granted some can be very annoying and sometimes downright offensive. I remember one of the ploys in Ogrimmar was someone opening trade to you and saying, “gold plz.” Eww…no…stopbeggin’ and have a fresh /ignore while you’re at it. Still here!?!?! Be gone, go away, shoo! How lazy can someone be? Well maybe they are role-playing a beggar (yeah ok sure). So how does the compassion I feel in real life differ from my virtual life?
Virtuality is set up so you can make money instantly. Sign on to new game: Level 1. Go outside, bop something on the head with your level 1 sword and sell whatever it drops for you when it dies. Take that back to Joe Blow NPC and sell it for whatever “The Code Gods” deem it is worth and walk away with more money as you started. Rinse twice and repeat. MMORPG’s have built in jobs and usually the economies are a joke, such as the economy in Warhammer. Economies are the glue that bond some online communities together and if they aren’t fully developed can break a game. :::cough:::War:::cough:::Hammer:::cough:::
I don’t understand how someone can have the finances to own the pc or console to play a mmorpg. Have the money to buy the game (considering you are not playing a free-to-play) and afford the monthly fee if there is one and not have the sense to JUST GO KILL SOMETHING! Virtual economics couldn’t be easier to get ahead. It’s not like you have to work to keep a roof over your head or feed a family of four, we just need enough to buy the next (insert paper doll slot here). If we don’t have the money then oh well; go out with our level 60 sword and bop something on the head until it dies … blah, blah, blah. You get the idea - rinse twice and repeat.
In virtual economies many of the same real-space rules of finance apply. Words like: Saving, supply, demand, sell, buy and labor all have a place in our vocabularies. If you want something then work for it by saving your money and (labor) grind out the gold the old fashioned way. I am an IGF: Italian Gold Farmer. If I want something bad enough I will sit there and kill whatever I can make the most on until I get what I want. Good old fashioned hard work, determination and stick-to-it-ness never hurt anybody. That is why when someone asks for money in public chat the roof caves in on them. Because each and every person on that server has at one time or another had to work for something and no one feels that they deserve anything given to them.
My advice for someone even remotely thinking about asking for money in public chat: Just don’t do it. If you are really short a few bits then go do a
quick quest or sell something. If only it was that easy in real life, I would be out in the field right now whackin’ away at something and it would probably solve the world’s economic crisis. However, if I went out and killed some wolves in the wild I would end up getting arrested for trespassing on someone’s land. “I’m telling you, Your Honor I was on a quest and the farmer told me to kill five wolves and come back!” Times have changed and we don’t need to kill animals for their fur to survive anymore, instead it goes on rich women’s backs. That is another tirade entirely.
For the rich enchanter or the billionaire ship captain: it doesn’t hurt to pay it forward a little bit now and then. I am sure that someone has helped you out with something in your history that your readily couldn’t afford. Something that had changed your game experience just a tiny bit – think back and pay it forward.
Until then…
Play safe,
Frank
mMO’ MONEY!: Virtual Beggars.
“Does anyone have a spare 10 million Isk I could borrow?” - random blurb seen in EVE Online rookie chat.
I’m sure along the lines of your mMO’ career you have run into the occasion where you are short a couple of gold, Isk or gil for something; it happens to us all. But if you’re like me you will be damned before you are going to ask for 1 red cent in local or regional chat, regardless of how bad you need it. This problem is usually solved by rummaging around our bags or banks for something to sell to an npc for the small bit we need. If that isn’t possible we might possibly lower ourselves to ask our guild or a close friend (in private chat).
Some people make a career out of begging. In real life and in virtual, some aren’t as fortunate as others and I am a sucker for someone who is in a bad position. An old friend of mine would de-brief me whenever we went out to the city. “And NO money to bums!” she would say with a furrowed set of eyebrows. Usually by the end of the night I would find my way to some homeless man or woman and put some money in their hands as she would roll her eyes. Call me a sucker or a bleeding heart.
Although when it comes to virtuality I am one of those folks who read someone’s plead in chat, “Just 5 gold preeeeeze!” only to find myself typing “Go farm!” or “Grind!” I guess that is where my soft-heartedness ends. That is nothing compared to the tirades of abuse that other players give a person who begs in public chat. Heavens forbid that YOU BEGGED IN PUBLIC CHAAAT!!! @.@ !!!
“Slit your wrists!” or “Go die in a fire noob!” were the typical responses and
these are the more politically correct ones I choose to enter here. Have we no mercy? No kindness for our fellow man or woman in need?
Nahhh. We farm like everyone else does! Money always comes easy to some of us; we get online sometimes specifically to run our route of dailies or crafting to make ends meet. Or we might be virtual entrepreneurs and find an unexploited fresh market to expand our wallets quickly. Tobold has a rune business, I have a missile business and I’m sure you have your own type of revenue stream. Whatever it is we find ways and means to make enough money to sustain ourselves. We look at our accounts and feel confident only to end up looking down on someone just because YOU BEGGED IN PUBLIC CHAAATT! @.@!!!
Granted some can be very annoying and sometimes downright offensive. I remember one of the ploys in Ogrimmar was someone opening trade to you and saying, “gold plz.” Eww…no…stopbeggin’ and have a fresh /ignore while you’re at it. Still here!?!?! Be gone, go away, shoo! How lazy can someone be? Well maybe they are role-playing a beggar (yeah ok sure). So how does the compassion I feel in real life differ from my virtual life?
Virtuality is set up so you can make money instantly. Sign on to new game: Level 1. Go outside, bop something on the head with your level 1 sword and sell whatever it drops for you when it dies. Take that back to Joe Blow NPC and sell it for whatever “The Code Gods” deem it is worth and walk away with more money as you started. Rinse twice and repeat. MMORPG’s have built in jobs and usually the economies are a joke, such as the economy in Warhammer. Economies are the glue that bond some online communities together and if they aren’t fully developed can break a game. :::cough:::War:::cough:::Hammer:::cough:::
I don’t understand how someone can have the finances to own the pc or console to play a mmorpg. Have the money to buy the game (considering you are not playing a free-to-play) and afford the monthly fee if there is one and not have the sense to JUST GO KILL SOMETHING! Virtual economics couldn’t be easier to get ahead. It’s not like you have to work to keep a roof over your head or feed a family of four, we just need enough to buy the next (insert paper doll slot here). If we don’t have the money then oh well; go out with our level 60 sword and bop something on the head until it dies … blah, blah, blah. You get the idea - rinse twice and repeat.
In virtual economies many of the same real-space rules of finance apply. Words like: Saving, supply, demand, sell, buy and labor all have a place in our vocabularies. If you want something then work for it by saving your money and (labor) grind out the gold the old fashioned way. I am an IGF: Italian Gold Farmer. If I want something bad enough I will sit there and kill whatever I can make the most on until I get what I want. Good old fashioned hard work, determination and stick-to-it-ness never hurt anybody. That is why when someone asks for money in public chat the roof caves in on them. Because each and every person on that server has at one time or another had to work for something and no one feels that they deserve anything given to them.
My advice for someone even remotely thinking about asking for money in public chat: Just don’t do it. If you are really short a few bits then go do a
quick quest or sell something. If only it was that easy in real life, I would be out in the field right now whackin’ away at something and it would probably solve the world’s economic crisis. However, if I went out and killed some wolves in the wild I would end up getting arrested for trespassing on someone’s land. “I’m telling you, Your Honor I was on a quest and the farmer told me to kill five wolves and come back!” Times have changed and we don’t need to kill animals for their fur to survive anymore, instead it goes on rich women’s backs. That is another tirade entirely.
For the rich enchanter or the billionaire ship captain: it doesn’t hurt to pay it forward a little bit now and then. I am sure that someone has helped you out with something in your history that your readily couldn’t afford. Something that had changed your game experience just a tiny bit – think back and pay it forward.
Until then…
Play safe,
Frank
Flashback Gaming: Old is The New.
I was perusing the shelves at my favorite game store and had decided I was going to finally buy a game for my Nintendo DS Lite. After much deliberation and some help from the patient staff at MicroCenter I found Chrono Trigger on sale for 19.99. I bought that and a Nerf case for it because I have big clumsy hands, I have dropped my iPod at least 5 times and I don’t think the DS can take that kind of abuse.
I played Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo many, many moons ago and I read good things about the handheld port of this console classic. It brought back fond memories and I feel that Chrono Trigger can stand alongside some of the most recent RPG releases. Chrono is a fun game that simplifies the Japanese RPG without giving up depth or breadth of the storyline. It might not have snazzy graphics but it has enough content to keep even the hardcore RPG player busy. After an hour or so of playing I was content with my purchase and thoutht to myself, “why I didn’t buy it sooner?” One reason is that I often get caught up in the Hype-O-Rama of the new game on the block syndrome that some of you can identify with. It is very easy to get caught up in the “new release” hysteria as you can see from some recent stories surrounding Aion and Champions Online.
There was a Time Machine hiding my storage facility. 
Last week I had to stop in storage in search for some old paperwork. After thirty minutes of searching I opened some random box in desperation only two find not one but two Playstation 2’s inside. I was ecstatic because I thought I had sold them to Funcoland (life before gamestop) for new games. After further rummaging I discovered some games that were the most popular titles for that period; Socom 2 and 3, Final Fantasy 7, X, XI and the original Grand Theft Auto III. They are not worth much selling on Ebay or back to G-stop and that is when it struck me, “If these are cheap then so are a lot of older PS2 titles!” This opened up a whole new avenue of gaming to me, for years I have been strictly MMORPG and PC game only; totally ignoring the console market has saved me from the red ring of death but I have also missed out on many good games. You can say I am trying to catch up with lost time.
Lease or own?
After spending a few hours on Final Fantasy X I found myself exhibiting the same habits as I would play an MMORPG. It was like soloing just without the chat box in the corner; I was micro managing equipment, looking up quest hints and even some grinding for exp. It was then that I was convinced it was time to stop looking forward to the next new, NEW thing that all the game studios are trying to cram down our throat. Instead I am looking for deals, classics and pure enjoyment all while keeping my gaming budget under control. I am still a poor college student that feels it makes better economics to own versus rent. For the same $15.00 that I pay for one month of “renting” time on a game, I can pay the same amount and OWN IT forever.
Doing some simple math, it would take 5 hours a day 7 days a week to finish Final Fantasy X in one month. In MMO terms that are usually deemed as “casual” playing, while “hardcore” players can rack up at least 40 hours or more in one week. I have read reports that FFX has over 100 hours of playtime built in without trying to get all the party members ultimate weapons. Now what dedicated MMO player would not try to get the best of the best equipment in the game? World of Warcraft was built on these standards. Yet I won’t be able to strut around the main city in my gear but there is still a challenge and the feeling of accomplishment that goes with it. That’s why we play MMORPG’s am I right? Don’t all agree at once.
I do miss the social aspect though. But I could always make a phone call.
Strut your stuff.
Second hand games is what made Gamestop what is today, building an empire on the phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Games like Gran Turismo are a joke at $3.00 but that is still a lot less than you will pay for a new title. I’ve got my eye on a copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES, I have been meaning to test the Free to play MMO and Persona is one of a long line of JRPG games that was the predecessors of the online MMORPG.
I spoke to some of my scattered gaming group and the attitude was split, “why do I want to play old games when I can play something state of the art.” Some just want to play the new stuff like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 and some don’t mind hopping on the time machine to revisit some old favorites. I’ve grown tired of all the bashing, gnashing and trashing of newly released games. I am tired of being someone’s guinea pig, it is time to look towards something tried and tested, time to try out something old yet new.
What might be old to one person is still new to someone that has yet to experience the content. Take into consideration the latest announcement of Ultima Online’s new campaign: “Return to Brittania” as free to play until October 16th for returning members. I was just thinking about playing an older online game; Dark Age of Camelot came to mind but Ultima Online is the grandfather of MMORPG’s. This is a great time to give UO a try, there is a chance many of the old players will return which will mean a spike in server population. Empty servers is what has been holding me back from going back to my roots in Final Fantasy Online.
No, this doesn’t mean I am going to leave EVE, which has also been labeled an “old” game by some. I decided to try EVE because it has a long history, ambitious developers and a dedicated fan base. This is what most mmo players really look for but are afraid to admit it.
Would anyone else like to join me?
Play safe,
Frank
Flashback Gaming: Old is The New.
I was perusing the shelves at my favorite game store and had decided I was going to finally buy a game for my Nintendo DS Lite. After much deliberation and some help from the patient staff at MicroCenter I found Chrono Trigger on sale for 19.99. I bought that and a Nerf case for it because I have big clumsy hands, I have dropped my iPod at least 5 times and I don’t think the DS can take that kind of abuse.
I played Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo many, many moons ago and I read good things about the handheld port of this console classic. It brought back fond memories and I feel that Chrono Trigger can stand alongside some of the most recent RPG releases. Chrono is a fun game that simplifies the Japanese RPG without giving up depth or breadth of the storyline. It might not have snazzy graphics but it has enough content to keep even the hardcore RPG player busy. After an hour or so of playing I was content with my purchase and thoutht to myself, “why I didn’t buy it sooner?” One reason is that I often get caught up in the Hype-O-Rama of the new game on the block syndrome that some of you can identify with. It is very easy to get caught up in the “new release” hysteria as you can see from some recent stories surrounding Aion and Champions Online.
There was a Time Machine hiding my storage facility. 
Last week I had to stop in storage in search for some old paperwork. After thirty minutes of searching I opened some random box in desperation only two find not one but two Playstation 2’s inside. I was ecstatic because I thought I had sold them to Funcoland (life before gamestop) for new games. After further rummaging I discovered some games that were the most popular titles for that period; Socom 2 and 3, Final Fantasy 7, X, XI and the original Grand Theft Auto III. They are not worth much selling on Ebay or back to G-stop and that is when it struck me, “If these are cheap then so are a lot of older PS2 titles!” This opened up a whole new avenue of gaming to me, for years I have been strictly MMORPG and PC game only; totally ignoring the console market has saved me from the red ring of death but I have also missed out on many good games. You can say I am trying to catch up with lost time.
Lease or own?
After spending a few hours on Final Fantasy X I found myself exhibiting the same habits as I would play an MMORPG. It was like soloing just without the chat box in the corner; I was micro managing equipment, looking up quest hints and even some grinding for exp. It was then that I was convinced it was time to stop looking forward to the next new, NEW thing that all the game studios are trying to cram down our throat. Instead I am looking for deals, classics and pure enjoyment all while keeping my gaming budget under control. I am still a poor college student that feels it makes better economics to own versus rent. For the same $15.00 that I pay for one month of “renting” time on a game, I can pay the same amount and OWN IT forever.
Doing some simple math, it would take 5 hours a day 7 days a week to finish Final Fantasy X in one month. In MMO terms that are usually deemed as “casual” playing, while “hardcore” players can rack up at least 40 hours or more in one week. I have read reports that FFX has over 100 hours of playtime built in without trying to get all the party members ultimate weapons. Now what dedicated MMO player would not try to get the best of the best equipment in the game? World of Warcraft was built on these standards. Yet I won’t be able to strut around the main city in my gear but there is still a challenge and the feeling of accomplishment that goes with it. That’s why we play MMORPG’s am I right? Don’t all agree at once.
I do miss the social aspect though. But I could always make a phone call.
Strut your stuff.
Second hand games is what made Gamestop what is today, building an empire on the phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Games like Gran Turismo are a joke at $3.00 but that is still a lot less than you will pay for a new title. I’ve got my eye on a copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES, I have been meaning to test the Free to play MMO and Persona is one of a long line of JRPG games that was the predecessors of the online MMORPG.
I spoke to some of my scattered gaming group and the attitude was split, “why do I want to play old games when I can play something state of the art.” Some just want to play the new stuff like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 and some don’t mind hopping on the time machine to revisit some old favorites. I’ve grown tired of all the bashing, gnashing and trashing of newly released games. I am tired of being someone’s guinea pig, it is time to look towards something tried and tested, time to try out something old yet new.
What might be old to one person is still new to someone that has yet to experience the content. Take into consideration the latest announcement of Ultima Online’s new campaign: “Return to Brittania” as free to play until October 16th for returning members. I was just thinking about playing an older online game; Dark Age of Camelot came to mind but Ultima Online is the grandfather of MMORPG’s. This is a great time to give UO a try, there is a chance many of the old players will return which will mean a spike in server population. Empty servers is what has been holding me back from going back to my roots in Final Fantasy Online.
No, this doesn’t mean I am going to leave EVE, which has also been labeled an “old” game by some. I decided to try EVE because it has a long history, ambitious developers and a dedicated fan base. This is what most mmo players really look for but are afraid to admit it.
Would anyone else like to join me?
Play safe,
Frank
To Twink, or Not To Twink…
Is cheating really the question?
Call it timing, call it happenstance or co-inky-dink but I received an email from CCP at the same time of reading both Tobold’s blog, OF Teeth and claws and We fly spitfires articles on twinking. I received an email from CCP, who are holding a “Power of Two” sale running until October 13th offering players with an existing EVE Online account the opportunity to have the second alternate (alt) account or “twink” as some would call it. I would pay $50 for 6 months of EVE for that second account, making that $8.33 for an EVE subscription that usually costs me $35 for two plexes. A Pilot License Extension enables 30 days of EVE playtime, bought sold on the in game market for Isk or $35 for a pair, meatspace money.
For me it’s very attractive, I get double the strength of a second player controlled by yours truly. Would it be considered cheating is sent by the company itself? The second account is something that is accepted widely in game, and sometimes people are surprised when I say I don’t have one. The only reason I haven’t is because I don’t know if my rig can handle two EVE client’s running and was working on a second unit or laptop to make this possible. That is neither here nor there.
A member of my corp told me the proper way of “leveling” my alt’s skills. First off you don’t need to be logged in to have the skills tick off, that’s done over time. That is a bonus; I don’t even need to play the character to advance it. But the trick is to install something called “Cybernetic Implants” to raise the statistical bonuses in order to learn skills faster. Then after those are “plugged in” then buy him the learning skills only and train those all to level 4. This is making a total of 8 learning skills that also boosts the stats in order to learn skills faster; on top of the initial 900,000 skill point 100% training bonus applied to the already beefed up stats. Bottom line, I could learn what it takes days in a matter of hours.
Is that twinking? Totally.
Is that cheating? Absolutely not.
Who will be paying for it all? Me.
Now here’s the twist: I will buy two PLEXs, start a second account, use one to extend my playtime into the month of November. I would sell the other for the market rate of 300,000,000 million isk. Yes, they are worth that much. And I will give all that money to my alt so he could have money to buy any skills and ships needed. By the way, I would roll a Caldarian, I wish I rolled that from when I started instead I rolled a Minmater. This opportunity will enable me to undo most of the mistakes I made when I started out as a newbie EVE player.
Some of the mistakes I made as a newb:
Hodge podge training: “Oh, will train for this ship. Oh, I want that ship. Oh, I need to learn Retail III for my trading. Darn I need to train mining for this stupid mission…” Etc, etc. Secondly, I had no idea what I was doing nor had some of the tools I use now such as EVEmon and the EVE fitting tool. Both of these have become part of my everyday plan of playing EVE and have helped me out enormously.
Let’s look at the tail of the tape. I use third party programs to “help” me play EVE. I will use my own money to “help” my new character along in his development and in turn this Alt character will “help” my main character. I will also use meatspace money to finance both characters and continue to do so. This is all in order to “help” my EVE gaming experience be more fun, enjoyable and (gasp!) easier. Heaven’s forbid that I even make an MMORPG easier on myself. I should be walking uphill to school barefoot even though there is a bus at the corner and I own a car. Some people just like doing things the hard way in order to 1) brag and 2) show other people up; three things I just I don’t like to do.
Have I cheated CCP or other players to any extent? All these mechanics are provided by the company themselves and widely used and accepted by other players. It will suck for the pirate that tries to can flip my little alt when I uncloak my raven on him. That’s right!
Going back to a blog posted on The Ancient Gaming Noob (o/ hello) written about cheating. Some of the forms of cheating were using outside sources for information, using multiple character and outside sources of income. If these older statutes of gaming ethics where still employed then I should be blown straight out of New Eden because I am breaking numerous rules. However, these days the “gamer code of ethics” has evolved as much as the games themselves have. No longer is it all guesswork or trial and error. The community comes together to “help” each other in order to provide a better gaming experience. I applause that.
On the other hand, everyone has a different set of “gamer ethics” that they use while playing a game. Mine is was that I will not sell a PLEX for money and just rely on my real-life trading skills in order to fund my characters advancement. I have been wildly successful at it, so much so, as the corp employs me to sell off all the junk we get from missions and disperse the money to other corp members. Everyone is making money and having a great time so far.
I still will not use meatspace funded Isk to fund my main, there is no reason to, just for my alt. But I am slightly breakin’ my own code of ethics, my rationalization is that I am doing it once and after that my alt will have to become self sufficient. After all it will double my trading power and I will be able to make even more isk from trading by using two accounts. (Moar mMO’ Money! Muhhaahahaaaa!) Under no circumstances I will criticize someone else for using PLEX isk to either manage their account or buy an expensive ship or item, even before I have this second account I felt that way. It is my own code that I follow and am in no position to push that on someone else.
In conclusion to the twink issue, times have changed and some shortcuts have become the norm. Some have become widely accepted by the community and even become expected especially if endorsed by the company itself. Twinks also give players an opportunity to employ some of the knowledge that they didn’t have when they initially started. What I will say is that everyone is an individual and should be able to play their own style of game under their own code of ethics. If you have a set of ethics that you break rules that are detailed in the term of service you are due to get banned and have a bad game experience. There are some things that game companies just will not let you do. I feel that if any rule is written by the company is law, because their “code” is law. Lastly, if you have a code that enables you to use certain aspects of the game and not use some of the others available, that is also up to you.
Just remember, that is your code and your opinion, no one elses. I will listen to your opinion but not carry it; I have my own. I will observe you code of ethics, but not adopt it or judge it; I have my own.
If you think a “twink” is cheating then don’t create one.
Until then….
Play safe,
Frank
To Twink, or Not To Twink…
Is cheating really the question?
Call it timing, call it happenstance or co-inky-dink but I received an email from CCP at the same time of reading both Tobold’s blog, OF Teeth and claws and We fly spitfires articles on twinking. I received an email from CCP, who are holding a “Power of Two” sale running until October 13th offering players with an existing EVE Online account the opportunity to have the second alternate (alt) account or “twink” as some would call it. I would pay $50 for 6 months of EVE for that second account, making that $8.33 for an EVE subscription that usually costs me $35 for two plexes. A Pilot License Extension enables 30 days of EVE playtime, bought sold on the in game market for Isk or $35 for a pair, meatspace money.
For me it’s very attractive, I get double the strength of a second player controlled by yours truly. Would it be considered cheating is sent by the company itself? The second account is something that is accepted widely in game, and sometimes people are surprised when I say I don’t have one. The only reason I haven’t is because I don’t know if my rig can handle two EVE client’s running and was working on a second unit or laptop to make this possible. That is neither here nor there.
A member of my corp told me the proper way of “leveling” my alt’s skills. First off you don’t need to be logged in to have the skills tick off, that’s done over time. That is a bonus; I don’t even need to play the character to advance it. But the trick is to install something called “Cybernetic Implants” to raise the statistical bonuses in order to learn skills faster. Then after those are “plugged in” then buy him the learning skills only and train those all to level 4. This is making a total of 8 learning skills that also boosts the stats in order to learn skills faster; on top of the initial 900,000 skill point 100% training bonus applied to the already beefed up stats. Bottom line, I could learn what it takes days in a matter of hours.
Is that twinking? Totally.
Is that cheating? Absolutely not.
Who will be paying for it all? Me.
Now here’s the twist: I will buy two PLEXs, start a second account, use one to extend my playtime into the month of November. I would sell the other for the market rate of 300,000,000 million isk. Yes, they are worth that much. And I will give all that money to my alt so he could have money to buy any skills and ships needed. By the way, I would roll a Caldarian, I wish I rolled that from when I started instead I rolled a Minmater. This opportunity will enable me to undo most of the mistakes I made when I started out as a newbie EVE player.
Some of the mistakes I made as a newb:
Hodge podge training: “Oh, will train for this ship. Oh, I want that ship. Oh, I need to learn Retail III for my trading. Darn I need to train mining for this stupid mission…” Etc, etc. Secondly, I had no idea what I was doing nor had some of the tools I use now such as EVEmon and the EVE fitting tool. Both of these have become part of my everyday plan of playing EVE and have helped me out enormously.
Let’s look at the tail of the tape. I use third party programs to “help” me play EVE. I will use my own money to “help” my new character along in his development and in turn this Alt character will “help” my main character. I will also use meatspace money to finance both characters and continue to do so. This is all in order to “help” my EVE gaming experience be more fun, enjoyable and (gasp!) easier. Heaven’s forbid that I even make an MMORPG easier on myself. I should be walking uphill to school barefoot even though there is a bus at the corner and I own a car. Some people just like doing things the hard way in order to 1) brag and 2) show other people up; three things I just I don’t like to do.
Have I cheated CCP or other players to any extent? All these mechanics are provided by the company themselves and widely used and accepted by other players. It will suck for the pirate that tries to can flip my little alt when I uncloak my raven on him. That’s right!
Going back to a blog posted on The Ancient Gaming Noob (o/ hello) written about cheating. Some of the forms of cheating were using outside sources for information, using multiple character and outside sources of income. If these older statutes of gaming ethics where still employed then I should be blown straight out of New Eden because I am breaking numerous rules. However, these days the “gamer code of ethics” has evolved as much as the games themselves have. No longer is it all guesswork or trial and error. The community comes together to “help” each other in order to provide a better gaming experience. I applause that.
On the other hand, everyone has a different set of “gamer ethics” that they use while playing a game. Mine is was that I will not sell a PLEX for money and just rely on my real-life trading skills in order to fund my characters advancement. I have been wildly successful at it, so much so, as the corp employs me to sell off all the junk we get from missions and disperse the money to other corp members. Everyone is making money and having a great time so far.
I still will not use meatspace funded Isk to fund my main, there is no reason to, just for my alt. But I am slightly breakin’ my own code of ethics, my rationalization is that I am doing it once and after that my alt will have to become self sufficient. After all it will double my trading power and I will be able to make even more isk from trading by using two accounts. (Moar mMO’ Money! Muhhaahahaaaa!) Under no circumstances I will criticize someone else for using PLEX isk to either manage their account or buy an expensive ship or item, even before I have this second account I felt that way. It is my own code that I follow and am in no position to push that on someone else.
In conclusion to the twink issue, times have changed and some shortcuts have become the norm. Some have become widely accepted by the community and even become expected especially if endorsed by the company itself. Twinks also give players an opportunity to employ some of the knowledge that they didn’t have when they initially started. What I will say is that everyone is an individual and should be able to play their own style of game under their own code of ethics. If you have a set of ethics that you break rules that are detailed in the term of service you are due to get banned and have a bad game experience. There are some things that game companies just will not let you do. I feel that if any rule is written by the company is law, because their “code” is law. Lastly, if you have a code that enables you to use certain aspects of the game and not use some of the others available, that is also up to you.
Just remember, that is your code and your opinion, no one elses. I will listen to your opinion but not carry it; I have my own. I will observe you code of ethics, but not adopt it or judge it; I have my own.
If you think a “twink” is cheating then don’t create one.
Until then….
Play safe,
Frank
MMO Multitasking: Is Focusing Better?
Recently I was having a convo with another gaming friend when they mentioned all the games they were currently playing. There was a closed beta and Everquest 2 mentioned, I said I have been playing EVE steady since I started two months ago. Then she (yes, hot gamerchick, relax) bragged, “You are playing one game while I am playing FIVE!” I quickly defended myself, unsure why, but I started to explain how I am just about to finish up a skill that enables me to fly battleships.
She asked me if I had the loot to buy one, I responded yes. And one of the only reasons why I had that money is that I dedicated time to gathering it. If I was jumping from game to game I might have the hundred million Isk or I might not.
I explained how I am an endgame player and like to see things through, how I wish I had the hours in the day to play five games. Then it occurred to me, that even if I had the time, I wouldn’t. Same aspect as EVE based skills, focusing on one until its finished then start another. I wouldn’t dare take out a skill from the queue until it finished unless I desperately needed another one, or it was a quick level one.
I tailor my gaming hobby in the same fashion; I don’t need another game once I settle into a good one. I usually meet a good group, which I have and try to get the most out of the game and my new relationships. I spoke about my corp, nice core group of guys and I was trying to share her enthusiasm, meanwhile my friend goes on to blab about how her guild in EQ2 is the oldest guild on the server. I was getting nowhere, I chalked it to her being happy about her games.
I know quite a few people that play multiple games, are they really progressing or just playing as a casual gamer with hardcore habits. Not judging. I feel that variety is the spice of life but also dedication is the mother of mastery. Nick Yee over at The Daedallus Project posted an interesting article on the lifespan of a mMO gamer in a chart form. How the discovery period arches up into the mastery portion, simply to nosedive into burnout and ultimately tapering off into casual gaming. And I know this person has left a few well geared top level characters in the dust, so have I.
This could be why many gamers burn out in general, too focused and not diverse enough. I love pizza but would get sick of it if I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week. Why do some not have the same reaction to video games? I could play (insert game here) for one week and still be excited about day eight and nine. I do get to a point in mmo’s that I feel that I’m just grinding to be par with the joneses and just keep replacing good gear with good gear but with slightly better stats.
MMORPG’s are tough games to master, they take time and commitment to progress; there really is never an “endgame” since game companies continue to add content. Once you hit a certain level and think you have it licked, game developers release a patch or an expansion to “keep you on the treadmill”. It’s all about growth and customer retention to them. That is the focus of every business out there, keep your clients and get new ones.
This might be shades of the dichotomy between the “’ardcore” and the “casual”. For me personally, I am a commitment-phobic person, however, when I finally do commit it is for a long time. I have a graveyard of mmo’s that I have played casually, some I just can’t bring myself to delete. I have maybe…five mmo’s installed on my rig as we speak and play one. I am committed to EVE, for now, although I am looking forward to a few games for the future. My skillplan spills into 2010 and by the time it finishes I will have almost every bell and whistle for my fleet of cruisers and battleship. One thing that I loved about EVE from the start is that I don’t have to be online to progress; it just takes time, not pressing W or a mouse. Better yet, I can stack market orders and make money while I sleep, that’s a good thing.
I do not have tunnelvision, looking forward I am really excited to play Dragon Age in November and Epic Mickey is going to be announced next month. There is an article in this month’s Game Informer as a teaser. Don’t ask me why I am looking forward to it, I just have a hunch that it’s going to be cool. I’ll keep you posted.
Until then…
Play safe,
Frank
MMO Multitasking: Is Focusing Better?
Recently I was having a convo with another gaming friend when they mentioned all the games they were currently playing. There was a closed beta and Everquest 2 mentioned, I said I have been playing EVE steady since I started two months ago. Then she (yes, hot gamerchick, relax) bragged, “You are playing one game while I am playing FIVE!” I quickly defended myself, unsure why, but I started to explain how I am just about to finish up a skill that enables me to fly battleships.
She asked me if I had the loot to buy one, I responded yes. And one of the only reasons why I had that money is that I dedicated time to gathering it. If I was jumping from game to game I might have the hundred million Isk or I might not.
I explained how I am an endgame player and like to see things through, how I wish I had the hours in the day to play five games. Then it occurred to me, that even if I had the time, I wouldn’t. Same aspect as EVE based skills, focusing on one until its finished then start another. I wouldn’t dare take out a skill from the queue until it finished unless I desperately needed another one, or it was a quick level one.
I tailor my gaming hobby in the same fashion; I don’t need another game once I settle into a good one. I usually meet a good group, which I have and try to get the most out of the game and my new relationships. I spoke about my corp, nice core group of guys and I was trying to share her enthusiasm, meanwhile my friend goes on to blab about how her guild in EQ2 is the oldest guild on the server. I was getting nowhere, I chalked it to her being happy about her games.
I know quite a few people that play multiple games, are they really progressing or just playing as a casual gamer with hardcore habits. Not judging. I feel that variety is the spice of life but also dedication is the mother of mastery. Nick Yee over at The Daedallus Project posted an interesting article on the lifespan of a mMO gamer in a chart form. How the discovery period arches up into the mastery portion, simply to nosedive into burnout and ultimately tapering off into casual gaming. And I know this person has left a few well geared top level characters in the dust, so have I.
This could be why many gamers burn out in general, too focused and not diverse enough. I love pizza but would get sick of it if I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week. Why do some not have the same reaction to video games? I could play (insert game here) for one week and still be excited about day eight and nine. I do get to a point in mmo’s that I feel that I’m just grinding to be par with the joneses and just keep replacing good gear with good gear but with slightly better stats.
MMORPG’s are tough games to master, they take time and commitment to progress; there really is never an “endgame” since game companies continue to add content. Once you hit a certain level and think you have it licked, game developers release a patch or an expansion to “keep you on the treadmill”. It’s all about growth and customer retention to them. That is the focus of every business out there, keep your clients and get new ones.
This might be shades of the dichotomy between the “’ardcore” and the “casual”. For me personally, I am a commitment-phobic person, however, when I finally do commit it is for a long time. I have a graveyard of mmo’s that I have played casually, some I just can’t bring myself to delete. I have maybe…five mmo’s installed on my rig as we speak and play one. I am committed to EVE, for now, although I am looking forward to a few games for the future. My skillplan spills into 2010 and by the time it finishes I will have almost every bell and whistle for my fleet of cruisers and battleship. One thing that I loved about EVE from the start is that I don’t have to be online to progress; it just takes time, not pressing W or a mouse. Better yet, I can stack market orders and make money while I sleep, that’s a good thing.
I do not have tunnelvision, looking forward I am really excited to play Dragon Age in November and Epic Mickey is going to be announced next month. There is an article in this month’s Game Informer as a teaser. Don’t ask me why I am looking forward to it, I just have a hunch that it’s going to be cool. I’ll keep you posted.
Until then…
Play safe,
Frank
