Burn Hulks and Jita-geddon

Before Mittensgate, it had already been said that the next project for the Goons after the "Gallente Ice Interdiction" was "Burn Jita". It's arriving 28th April. That just after the Escalation mini-expansion arrives and I think, it might also be the day Mittens returns from his ban?

 

We know very little about Jita Burns other than the Goons apparently have 1800 arty Tornado's fitted and ready. Therefore I think we can safely assume they'll be suicide-ganking everything from frigates to freighters. Oh.... actually I used the "S" word there..... whoops!

 

Will this be a 24 hour event? Will it last days or weeks? We just don't know and I would assume the Goons will decide after seeing the effectiveness of their tactics. It might be a one-day thing, it might go longer if deemed a success. What we do know is that once it is over, Hulkageddon starts.

 

Now for those of you who have been living under an asteroid for the last few years, Hulkageddon is the annual event that encourages people to kill (in low and null-sec) or suicide-gank (theres that word again!) Hulks as well as all other mining ships. The one with the most Hulk kills at the end of the event, gets a prize. Pirates and griefers love it, carebears hate it. Only this time the Goons are "sponsoring" part of the event. For every 10 Hulks you kill, the Goons will give you 100m ISK. However to claim this prize you need to send a "Congratulatory" email to your victim, CC'd to the Goon who is co-ordinating the "prizes".

 

Now I want to make two things clear.

 

Firstly I don't really agree with suicide ganking, scamming, griefing, picking on hi-sec carebears (if you cross into low-sec, then you are fair game!) or the like.

 

But my second point is, I think these events are a good idea!

 

 

Let me explain. Whilst I do not like the idea of some poor carebear, who doesn't keep up with the wider Eve community news, undocking from Jita in a shiny ship loaded with cargo and then being splatted by 10 Goon Arty Nado's, these events energise the Eve community. The haters, the whiners, the HTFU-brigade will be all out in force. People will be sent back to WoW, there are already threads on the Eve-O forums calling for all Goons to be banned, there will be tears. But more imporantly there will be news stories, blogs, threadnaughts, people talking and most of all people plotting revenge.

 

These two events are pretty easy to avoid. For a start, keep out of Jita on the 28th and watch for intel to find out when it's safe to go back. Then after that, don't go mining in a barge or exhumer whilst Hulkaggedon is on.

 

Just look at it this way, Mr Miner, mineral prices will be even higher by the end of next month!

 

Thinking about it, may be I should give it a go for a day. Whilst I might not agree with Hulkageddon it might make an interesting blog post. As they say....

 

Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes.

 

(That way you'll be a mile away from them when you do, and have their shoes too!)