Stabbed Through The Hull....

"...and you're too lame. You give faction war, a bad name!"

A significant section of the Caldari Militia are flying around in ships with more warp core stabalisers (WCS) loaded than there is for sale in Jita 4-4. Some times we get lucky, sometimes very lucky, but most of the time we get point only to see the squid warp off. My last Eve session saw SIX squids get away because of stabs.

Something needs to be done. The scan res and targeting range gimps that the WCS give don't effect PvE that much, which is what these players are trying to do in FW. CCP changed the mechanics last year when the Caldari were flying around in ships with no guns. Now you have to bring guns as you cannot capture the plex whilst the NPC faction rat is still alive. But even with three warp core stabs fitted, that Merlin can eventually lock the NPC rat and kill him at point blank range. Then they plex on, safe in the knowledge that if an enemy comes into the plex, they can get away even when pointed.

Most of my fellow QCats have ships with multiple points just for these guys. And the tears when we catch one, you would not believe. They call us losers for 'having nothing better to do than fit three scrams". Exqueese me? Baking powder? We've got people with warp core stabs fitted smacking us about how we fit our ships???

I would love to see CCP tweek the fitting requirements for WCS to use more power grid. By increasing the power grid requirements you are going to hurt the stabbed ships DPS by making it difficult to fit a full rack of guns, or hurt the tank. With no tank there becomes a greater risk we can get a shot off and kill it. With no DPS then they cannot plex.

Currently, a T1 frigate can fit sufficient buffer tank to escape from most encounters along with their warp core stabs and some DPS. There needs to be more of a dis-benefit to fitting WCS.

Increasing WCS PG requirements would be certainly a step in the right direction. We want faction war to be about armed conflict, not Benny Hill'ing after farmers all the time!

I don't see this as hurting non-PvP players. If you want to stab up your ship to cross low-sec then I don't see that as a problem. If I point your Badger MK II or whatever it will be called in Odyssey 1.1 then fine. I might still try for you being a piwat and all, but if you are stabbed, no problem. My problem is with stabbed combat ships in Faction War. If you join faction war you show up as a target. You are a target. Man up and fight!

Increasing power grid requirements will not hurt the haulers and the travel fits particularly hard, but it will hurt these farmers.

CCP also nerfed the NPC's last year. Along with the above PG increase for WCS, they should look at making the rats a bit tougher harder. With WCS reducing DPS/tank then the stabbed farmers would have to change their fit.

If this happens please come back to this blog to read my rant about the hordes of cloaking farmers!

I know we cannot stop them, but at least let us try and discourage them!