Corporation application and thoughts on covert ops ships

13th February 2009 – 10.41 am

The missiles I'm manufacturing for New Eden capsuleers continue to fly off the market as quickly as I can make them. Meanwhile, Kename Fin stops by to point me towards an excellent resource for BPO research figures, before casually throwing in an invitation to join her industrial corporation. What a splendid offer.

It isn't long after a station-to-station communication relay is opened that I am encouraged to leave dock and set my autopilot for the corporation's HQ to apply to join. A first glance at my strategic maps makes the journey look to be an arduous venture but my autopilot, knowing the galaxy somewhat better than I do, has different ideas. Taking a two-jump shortcut through a nearby region cuts the flight down considerably, to only thirteen jumps in total, clever computer.

The flight to apply to the corporation is far from a chore, as Kename and I keep chatting a little, about skills, goals and previous corporations. At one point the subject of covert ops ships crops up, which reminds me that I had previously steered my training towards getting in to a covert ops ship, although I can't remember how far I got. A quick check shows that I don't have the piloting skills learnt but that I am ready to pick them up at any point.

When I was looking to get in to PvP I thought that a covert ops ship may be a good idea, now that I am moving in to industry it is not one of my higher priorities compared to, for example, learning production efficiency. However, if a covert ops ship lets me get in to and out of low-sec space with some measure of safety it could be possible to take advantage of research stations in low-sec, such as the one I found recently that had much lower costs and waiting times. Being able to use similar research stations, over their more expensive high-sec counterparts with huge queues, would be a boon.

Before I buy the covert ops skill book rashly from the market I think to check my assets to see if it is sitting in a warehouse somewhere, particularly as I had designs on training it in the past. I don't find the skill book but what I do find is a whole stack of minerals back at my home base gathering dust. These minerals must be the result of refining modules looted from mission running many months ago that I couldn't sell at the time. Despite refining the modules back when I was unskilled I can't change that lack of efficiency now and I am still left with a stockpile of unused minerals, unsold in case I could eventually put them to use. It turns out that I now can put them to use, so what else is there to do but turn them in to profitable merchandise.

I plan a trip from my mission base to home base for the near future to pick up the minerals. Back to the present and I am in an Amarr station half-way across the galaxy and applying to join a new corporation. I send my EVE Online character limited API key with the application, creating a new one to protect my New Eden privacy at least a little. It's unfortunate that EVE Ambulation isn't active yet as otherwise I could have shaken hands with Kename Fin first. With the application surrendered I jump back in to my shuttle and head back to my mission base.

I wake myself up the next day to pick up my next batch of missiles rolling off the production line, the previous batch sold out already, and find that I have been accepted in to the corporation. Blimey! I have a promising new start in my industrial career.

  1. 4 Responses to “Corporation application and thoughts on covert ops ships”

  2. Wow, sounds like you are moving along nicely. Everything in Eve is better when done with others.

    As for low sec and covert ops, yes it gives you the ability to sneak into and around low sec but beware Smartbombing battleships sitting on gates that you warp to, they can autopop you without targeting before you can jump. A Blockade Runner transport ship, which can fit a covert ops cloak since Quantum Rise, is a better all round choice.

    By Kirith Kodachi on Feb 13, 2009

  3. Kirith is right, EvE is a game not really ( IMO) meant to be played solo style...can it be? Sure..just aask Chribba, but glad your getting some 'help' and setting those manufacturing skills to use!

    By Manasi on Feb 13, 2009

  4. Ditto on Kirith's comments. The blockade runner is a wicked ship to fly since Quantum Rise. All the fun of the Covert Ops cloak and >4000 m3 cargo, not to mention cruiser or better speeds, quick aligns and my personal favorite, pirates cursing them in local!

    By Kename Fin on Feb 14, 2009

  5. The blockade runner for me is the Crane. I'll plan some skill training so that I can slide myself in to the pod of one. Thanks for the advice!

    As for playing solo, no, MMOGs thrive on player interactions. I just have a bit of trouble making introductions and getting started, much like in real life. I simply need a little nudge from an external source, which is why I am really please a corporation effectively found me.

    By pjharvey on Feb 14, 2009

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