Sunday 12 August 2012

SHARKS IN THE BATHING POOL

LOWSEC. THE OMEGA OF PIRACY.

HOME TO THE RANCER PERMA CAMP. HOME TO THE FACTION PLEX'ES, STRECHING ALL THE WAY FROM METROPOLIS TO PLACID. HOME TO PANDEMIC LEGION, HERETIC ARMY AND ALL THE OTHER CONTRIBUTERS TO AMAMAKE'S DEN OF VILLIANY. HOME TO SOME OF EVE'S MOST DEDICATED PVP'ERS, THE GUYS WHO YOU CAN FIND BLOWING UP SOME UNSUSPECTING RATTER IN CITADEL ONE DAY, AND SHOOTING YOU DOWN IN SOME BACKWATER SYSTEM IN MOLDEN HEATH THE NEXT. AND THIS IS JUST A FEW EXAMPLES FROM THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING TAPESTRY THAT IS EVE'S ENORMOUS LOWSEC PIPE


BUT NO MATTER HOW FAMILIAR YOU MAY CONSIDER YOURSELF WITH THESE PLACES, AND THE LOWSEC ROAMING MAPS, AND THE CORPS THAT POPULATE THEM, THERE IS A FEW, TUCKED AWAY, ALMOST HIDDEN AREAS OF LOW SEC, SYSTEMS THAT DO NOT RING BELLS TO EVEN SOME OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED LOW SEC VETS. THESE SYSTEMS PLACED DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGH SEC. WITH NO WAY IN, OR OUT, WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH MULTIPLE HIGH SECURITY SYSTEMS. THESE BACKWATER POCKETS ARE OFF THE RADAR FOR MUCH OF EVE, AS THE NATURE OF LOWSEC PIRACY COMES INHERENT WITH SECURITY STATUS HITS, OUTLAW STAMPS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HIGH SEC ACCESS RIGHTS REVOKED.






THESE SYSTEMS, WHILE GETTING EXTREMELY LOW TRAFFIC (NEARLY ALWAYS THE LEAST TRAVELLED SYSTEM IN THEIR REGION ON DOTLAN), ARE GENERALLY POPULATED BY ONE OF THREE DISTINCT CUSTOMERS. THE NUMBER ONE BEING MISSION BEARS, WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN ANY ONE OF THE HIGH SEC SYSTEMS UP TO 3 JUMPS AWAY, AND ARE CLUELESS ENOUGH TO MAKE THE OCCASIONAL DIP INTO LOW SEC, TO AVOID TAKING A HIT TO THEIR STANDINGS. THE SECOND MOST COMMON INHABITANT OF SUCH SYSTEMS IS THE LOWSCALE PIRATE CORPS, WHO COULDN'T QUITE MAKE IT IN REAL LOW SEC, WHO HAVE EFFECTIVELY LOCKED THEMSELVES OUT FROM THE REST OF US, WITH UP TO 10 SYSTEMS OF HIGH SECURITY SPACE AS THE MOAT SURROUNDING THEIR LOWSEC KINGDOM, INSIDE OF WHICH THEY PREY ALMOST STRICTLY ON MISSIONERS FOR THEIR PVP. THE THIRD, IS A RARITY IN COMPARISON TO THE FIRST TO. IT IS YOU, AND ME. REAL PVP'ERS, WHO WILL POP IN OCCASIONALLY TO GIVE THESE LOCAL PIRATES AN ACTUAL FIGHT INSTEAD OF A GANK, AND TO REMIND THAT HAVING A FLAWLESS BEAR-GRIEFING RECORD DOES NOT MAKE YOU THE NEXT GARMON, AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE OTHERWISE.
AND NATURALLY, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT THESE POCKET LOWSEC PIRAHNAS HATE MORE THAN THE PEOPLE WHO FALL INTO THE THIRD CATERGORY =D




THE POINT OF ALL THIS? TO BE HONEST, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ONE. BUT I DO FIND THIS PARTICULAR SUBCULTURE OF LOWSEC PIRACY AND ITS ECO-SYSTEM ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING, AND WHILE I DON'T SPEND A HUGE AMOUNT OF TIME VISITING, I DO STAY UP TO DATE AND CHECK THE RECENT KILLS IN SOME OF THESE LOWSEC ISLANDS ALMOST AS OFTEN AS I BRUSH MY TEETH.


SO TO TIE ALL THIS TOGETHER, HERE IS A VIDEO OF ME BRAWLING WITH THE LOCAL PIRATES IN ARCHEE . SO AFTER BEING CHASED AROUND IN MY WOLF BY A TENGU-BOOSTED BAIT HAWK, IT BECAME PRETTY CLEAR TO ME THAT THEY WANTED ME TO PRIMARY THE HAWK WHILE HIS PAL IN THE DD SAT AT A CLOSE RANGE SAFE, READY TO WARP IN AND MELT MY WOLF. SO I DECIDED TO BRING MY OWN LINKS IN, AND TAKE THE BAIT OF THEIR SILLY LITTLE TACTIC, BUT GIVE THEM A BIT MORE TO CHEW ON THAN THE EASY MODE FRIG GANK THAT THEY WERE EXPECTING.




YES, YOU CAN SEE I WAS LITERALLY ABOUT TO EJECT AND WARP MY POD OFF. SPUR OF THE MOMENT CHANGED MY MIND AND MADE THE DECISION NOT TO ! =P



[16:11:55] DARKSTAR POWNYOUALL > GF

[I DON'T GET A REPLY, SO HERE IS WHERE I LEAVE SYSTEM WITH MY MAIN. SO NATURALLY, NOW IS WHEN THE SMACK ENSUES]

[16:13:47] Seth Bonez > two t3 boosters for a wolf....
[16:14:28] Wotan1985 > well, without boosters he can't do anything ....


[16:15:00] Umi Shine > ironic
[16:15:06] Umi Shine > coming from the guys who took 2 afs to fight 1
[16:15:12] Umi Shine > and also used tengu links


[16:15:24] Seth Bonez > well when i use t3 boosters i fight 10 man gangs solo 

[THIS IS COMING FROM A GUY WHO JUST USED A T3 BOOSTER, TO TRY TO GANK A SOLO FRIGATE THAT HE ALREADY OUTNUMBERED 2 TO 1 - IN HIS HOME SYSTEM]

[16:15:26] Wotan1985 > lol, we are not een together

[OH MY BAD, I GUESS I WAS WRONG FOR ASSUMING THAT THE GUY WHO WARPED TO HIM AT ZERO IN FLEET, HELPED HIM THE ENTIRE FIGHT, AND IS ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS KILLMAILS THIS MONTH, WAS WORKING WITH HIM. JUST AN HONEST MISTAKE MATEY.]

[16:16:09] Seth Bonez > do u have a 4th account in an oneiros as well for that wolf?

[AND HERE'S WHERE I LEAVE.]


BECAUSE SOMETIMES, PIRATE, IT'S MORE FUN TO JUST LET THEM KEEP THINKING THAT THEY ARE GARMON, AND TO LET THEM BE THE KING OF THEIR 20 AU CASTLE, PROTECTED BY THEIR HIGH SEC MOAT, FROM MOST WHO WOULD CARE ENOUGH TO BRING THE BATTLE TO THEM. MOST, YET NOT ALL. BUT FOR NOW, PIRATE, HEAD BACK TO THE REAL LOWSEC PIPE WHERE YOU BELONG. YOU SLIMY, FILTHY, AUTOCANNON SCRUBBING, SPACE-BARNACLE SCRAPING SCUMBAG. YARRR.