This month’s topic comes to us from me, Ga’len at The Wandering Druid of Tranquility.  He asks: “What new game mechanic or mechanics would you like to see created and brought into the EVE Online universe and how would this be incorporated into the current game universe?  Be specific and give details, this is not meant to be a ‘nerf this, boost my game play’ post like we see on the EVE forums.”

I would like to see an improved Autopilot skill as a trainable item under the Navigation skill category.

Under the current system, autopilot, puts the ship about 15km from the warp gate adding minutes (depending on type of ship) of travel time to each hop.  While arguments can be made on either side, any seasoned pilot will warp to zero to minimize jump time, chances of getting suicide ganked, instead of using autopilot the entire way.

As a trainable skill, make IAP, short for improved autopilot shorten this distance with level V being the equivalent of  ‘warp to zero.’   Warping to zero while it improves your chances against getting suicide ganked, it is no guarantee as I can personal attest to.   Capsuleers should be able to do something to protect themselves against that tactic and this would be a step in that direction.

EVE is a big place, I’ve heard it said that there is really no reason to travel from one end to the other as its all pretty much the same.  IAP would help the explorer in all of us and make those 40+ jumps more bearable.  I’ve only been in game since Feb and already keeping up with all my stuff is becoming a logicstical nightmare.  I can only imagine the woe’s of veteren capsuleer of lugging their stuff around.  While I may not plan from the onset a 40+ jump, having to make the same round trip several times is very fustrating to say the least.

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The hook is set and 23 hops later I’m my way to the solar system “Otitoh” to find an agent named Taru Kubona.  Notice I didn’t mention a station, for the most part COSMOS agents aren’t aboard stations like normal agents, they are in “space”.  It is also important to note that don’t abandon or fail to complete a mission from an agent because you only get one chance. Mission must be completed in 6 days.

So I get my first mission Taru and given the mission “Finders Keepers” and Taru is coveting some gears being held by some pirates in the nearby system of “Sakkikainen” in their headquarters.  Seems simple enough, well I was flying my Caracal (Caldari cruiser) and there was two other mission runners at the accelleration gate cleaning up the rats guarding it.  I pop two rat frigates before the fight is over and  I’m unable to use the gate because its locked out from cruisers and larger ships.  I’m commited at this point so I go and fetch my Kestrel (Caldari Frigate).  So now I’m all set, got the right ship, I’m back at the gate and I warp in…  <WEBBED/SCRAMMED><MULTITUDE OF EXPLOSIONS> <PSSSSHHHTTT>  It’s been awhile since I’ve lost a ship, bummer.  But at least I get away in my pod and head to Jita which is pretty close by to fit out another ship.  One PROTIP^TM I read awhile back was, “Always use the largest ship the accelleration gate will allow.“

I head back to “Sak” in my newly fitted dessy, a Gallente Catalyst, but the rats have respawned at the gate.  I try to peel one of them off by getting its attention with some antimatter S rounds.  Bring it he does and several of  his buddies with him, rinse and repeat my Kestrel snafu and I log for the night as its 01:30 AM to mull over my mistakes.

• There were two other pilots at the gate when I first got there, I breifly chatted with the one in the Drake (Caldari Battlecruiser) and he was clearing the rats for his frigate because, “They almost killed me.”
• When I first entered the room there were allot of wrecks, so in retrospect, the blob of rats near the gate exit was the likely result of a bad “pull” by a previous pilot.
• 6 day clock is ticking and I’m down about 100 million ISK, are COSMOS missions even possible solo?
• Played too long, sometimes enough is enough when the odds are stacked against you and your fatigued and its no longer fun.  Rack time for this capsuleer and perhaps tomorrow will bring a fresh perspective and new ideas.

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TIP: Find the big orange blobs.  Star Map > Statistics > (o) Average pilots in space in the last 30 min or (o) Number of pilots currently docked and active.

Market Centers

• Jita – Caldari
• Rens  – Minmatar
• Amarr  – Amarr
• Oursulaert – Gallente

Trade Hubs

• Aunia
• Alentene
• Dodixie
• Villore
• Orvolle
• Stacmon
• Hek
• Kakakela
• Motsu
• Tash-Murkon

Note: Work in progress, so please feel free to correct me, and/or make suggestions.

ref: 2d EveMaps(OMB) free, EvE Strategic Maps ($$), Trade_Hub(wiki), Market Centers(forums), Trade Hubs(forums)

• 5 Standings
• 6 Modifying Standings
• 7 Bad Standings Impacts
• 8 Recovering Bad Standings

Security Status

Between those extremes of high and zero secure sectors are a large number of sectors with security standing somewhere between high and low or safe and unsafe as some people choose to call them. High security sectors are usually a considerable distance from the zero rated ones and in between are sectors that gradually go from high to low security. Systems that are rated 0.5 secure are viewed as the borders between imperial space and lawless space. Once you go into 0.4 or below, you will not be protected by CONCORD, though sentry guns will still be active around stations and stargates.

Examples of criminal offenses:

• Destroying a law enforcement craft
• Pod Killing civilians
• Destroying civilian craft
• Attacking law enforcement craft
• Attacking civilian craft

It is worth mentioning that the above applies in all Empire space, certain 0.0 systems included. It is only in non-Empire 0.0 space that one can commit a crime and completely get away with it.

Security status: Empire restrictions

• Below -2 = not in 1.0 sec systems
• Below -2.5 = not in 0.9 sec systems
• Below -3 = not in 0.8 sec systems
• Below -3.5 = not in 0.7 systems
• Below -4 = not in 0.6 systems
• Below -4.5 = not in 0.5 systems
• -5 or below = KOS in all empire.

• Maximize your dps while minimizing theirs means shooting with the correct ammo and using the shield, armor and structure resists to your advantage.  Chruker also has a plethora of eve information off the main page.

There are several good ways to make ISK, and there are a lot of bad ways to make ISK. Not “bad” in the sense that you don’t make any, but that you could easily do something else to get more.  http://pve-log.blogspot.com/2008/05/beginners-guide-to-making-isk.html