aka "Little Things" and the CCP Fleet Fight in Tama.
(If you're bored with me emo-raging about Faction War fixes and just want to know about the epic fight in Tama, just scroll down past the "rage" picture)
Last night I got kicked off the laptop so the wife could speak to her parents back in the UK. Selfish moo!
Anyway, I watched a Family Guy DVD until she'd finished and I got my laptop back. By that time it was late (I'm Eve Time +4) and I decided there was no point logging into Eve. So I checked my emails and looked on Twitter. That's when I saw a Tweet to the effect of "CCP fleet reported heading to Tama".
Wow! That's the 2nd system over from our homebase, Nisuwa-Kedama-Tama! And double wow! I thought CCP had completely forgotten about this area of space as it is the Faction War zone. Sorry, I'm trying to hide my fustration with lack of Faction War fixes but I'm struggling. Crucible is looking to be a fantastic expansion and I'm really pleased with the fixes and improvements. But I really want Faction War fixing.
Oh I was mad! I posted on the discussion forum that FW should not be in little things as it does need a decent amount of work on it. A CSM delegate replied that it needed significant resources and until CCP committed those resources they would try and use "little things" to improve FW. OK, better than being completely ignored but still, I wasn't a happy bunny!
Anyway with me in that mood I decided it was only fitting that I log on, jump in a ship and Leeroy into the CCP fleet screaming "Fix Faction War!". I'm already in a Hawk Assault Frigate when I log in so I undock in that and head to Tama. As I jump into Tama I'm shocked. Lag! The gate is a massive battle zone. I've not seen Tama like that since the mothership battle a couple of years ago. I quickly turn off brackets and the lag monster retreats. Now I can see whats going on. A fleet of CCP'rs in Navy Issue and Faction battleships with lo
gisitics. There are Machs, Bal's, Raven NI, Apoc NI, a Vindicator and many, many more. There are also lots of neuterals, a few Caldari militia, a few friendlies from the Gallente Militia and the odd pie. All CCP ships are -10 red so open targets. I start to engage in my little Hawk. It's a free for all.
I'm posting FW references in local which I assume CCP see. Why do I assume that? Because the bar-stewards start yellow boxing me. However they don't get a chance to shoot me as due to my tired and emotional state (mmmmmmm Absolute Mandrin and Sprite!) plus the 200+ ships on grid, I didn't notice the squid Sabre that got too close. POP!
I warp my pod out, race back to Nisuwa and grab a cheaper ship. A Thrasher class destroyer.
So back in and in my tired and emotional state, more local chat about Faction War. This time the CCP fleet did have time to lock me and CCP Awesom, Hermaur, Guard and TomB turn my Thrasher into scrap but not before I fire a volley or two to tag onto any kills. Yes, I was being a KM wh0r3! It would appear that CCP are reading local and primarying people spouting off. To be fair you cannot blame them :) I've got corp mates in the middle of the fray who haven't been targetted but then again are not mouthing off in local (I'd also point out that they are sober!). So I head back to Nisuwa and jump in a Crow class interceptor. Ha-Ha! Try shooting that in your big old battleships.
Third time jumping into Tama. I warp out immediatly to an on-grid pounce and survey the battlefield. It's a cluster-F. Apparently the CCP ships have PLEX and NeX store clothing in their holds. So people are fighting over loot and trying to get close. I then notice CCP Hagis is well off gate in a Vindicator. I see explosions all around them so I assume they are under attack. I burn over and lock them up, they are in mid-armour so I get in a fast orbit and spam some missiles. They go down and I'm three and a half billion ISK up in efficiency. Nice :) I burn back to the fight but I get caught by a squid Sabre, again!
OK back to Nisuwa for a forth ship. This time I'm going for a Hurricane and not going to mention FW in local. I'm going for the squids this time! I jump in and hold cloak. I see a squid Thrasher 20km from me so I uncloak and alpha him. Next I see a squid Dram and take a shot but he's moving too fast. Even though I hadn't said anything in local this time, several CCP'rs start shooting at me. I burn away MWD on trying to make range. I see I'm not pointed so try to warp off.
You know those times when you hit warp and for some reason your ship takes an ice-age to actually warp? Well this was one of those times. When I selected warp I was sure I'd get out OK. I still had half shield and I was away from the main fight. I was aligned but not in warp.... still not in warp..... quarter shield...... I'm pointing in the right direction, my velocity shows I'm trying to warp, why am I not warping? 3/4 armour...... erm warp? Half armour.... WARP YOU MINMATAR BUCKET OF BOLTS! Finally at 1/4 armour after what felt like an eternity I'm in the warp tunnel.
gisitics. There are Machs, Bal's, Raven NI, Apoc NI, a Vindicator and many, many more. There are also lots of neuterals, a few Caldari militia, a few friendlies from the Gallente Militia and the odd pie. All CCP ships are -10 red so open targets. I start to engage in my little Hawk. It's a free for all.
I'm posting FW references in local which I assume CCP see. Why do I assume that? Because the bar-stewards start yellow boxing me. However they don't get a chance to shoot me as due to my tired and emotional state (mmmmmmm Absolute Mandrin and Sprite!) plus the 200+ ships on grid, I didn't notice the squid Sabre that got too close. POP!
I warp my pod out, race back to Nisuwa and grab a cheaper ship. A Thrasher class destroyer.
So back in and in my tired and emotional state, more local chat about Faction War. This time the CCP fleet did have time to lock me and CCP Awesom, Hermaur, Guard and TomB turn my Thrasher into scrap but not before I fire a volley or two to tag onto any kills. Yes, I was being a KM wh0r3! It would appear that CCP are reading local and primarying people spouting off. To be fair you cannot blame them :) I've got corp mates in the middle of the fray who haven't been targetted but then again are not mouthing off in local (I'd also point out that they are sober!). So I head back to Nisuwa and jump in a Crow class interceptor. Ha-Ha! Try shooting that in your big old battleships.
Third time jumping into Tama. I warp out immediatly to an on-grid pounce and survey the battlefield. It's a cluster-F. Apparently the CCP ships have PLEX and NeX store clothing in their holds. So people are fighting over loot and trying to get close. I then notice CCP Hagis is well off gate in a Vindicator. I see explosions all around them so I assume they are under attack. I burn over and lock them up, they are in mid-armour so I get in a fast orbit and spam some missiles. They go down and I'm three and a half billion ISK up in efficiency. Nice :) I burn back to the fight but I get caught by a squid Sabre, again!
OK back to Nisuwa for a forth ship. This time I'm going for a Hurricane and not going to mention FW in local. I'm going for the squids this time! I jump in and hold cloak. I see a squid Thrasher 20km from me so I uncloak and alpha him. Next I see a squid Dram and take a shot but he's moving too fast. Even though I hadn't said anything in local this time, several CCP'rs start shooting at me. I burn away MWD on trying to make range. I see I'm not pointed so try to warp off.
You know those times when you hit warp and for some reason your ship takes an ice-age to actually warp? Well this was one of those times. When I selected warp I was sure I'd get out OK. I still had half shield and I was away from the main fight. I was aligned but not in warp.... still not in warp..... quarter shield...... I'm pointing in the right direction, my velocity shows I'm trying to warp, why am I not warping? 3/4 armour...... erm warp? Half armour.... WARP YOU MINMATAR BUCKET OF BOLTS! Finally at 1/4 armour after what felt like an eternity I'm in the warp tunnel.
However the "fun" is not over. I land at a planet and there are already a lot of people there. But I'm 100km off. I selected the Kedama gate and hit warp. A dramiel that was at 100km is now 80km..... 60km..... 40km...... luckily this time I warp off within a resonable time. It's late, that bottle of Absolute Mandarin is low and I'm low armour. I land on the gate, make a final post in local about faction war and then jump into Kedama. Thankfully the squid the otherside runs and I have a free run back to Nisuwa. I repair my cane (1.5m!) and log off happy. I lost three ships including two T2's, but I got onto two CCP kills (I got onto CCP Nightmari's Apoc NI) and killed two squids including that damn Sabre :) However, that was a scary fleet CCP brought to Tama.
The battle was still raging as I logged and looking at the report this morning as I type this I see PL dropped Titans and Supercarriers in Tama after I logged. CCP Spitfirer's Apoc Navy Issue died to a hail of Titan and SC as an example!
gf, CCP, gf.
P.S. Oh yeah, and fix Faction War! ;)
That squid Sabre got a shiton of kills -.-
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was there! :D
Docked cuz of lag, but was there.