How to continue being useful in w-space
22nd August 2010 – 3.19 pmPreviously on tigerears I encouraged trepidatious capsuleers to understand how to be useful in w-space, despite not having ten million skill points. The advice to train salvaging and scanning, however, is not general. Rather, it is specific to new pilots who want to get out to w-space and feel useful within the corporation and as part of a fleet. There are only so many new applicants a corporation can accept who can only scan or salvage before the function becomes flooded.
It must be noted that my previous advice is essentially a minimum level of skill competence required to be generally useful in w-space. If you can't salvage wrecks, have no scanning skills, and can only pilot cruisers then you are unlikely to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to most w-space operations. Unless you only want to be involved in PvP and have good support skills, or are a dedicated miner, you will need more skill training before heading in to unknown areas of space. However, if you have trained in astrometric skills and can salvage wrecks competently then you shouldn't feel like you can't contribute to a w-space corporation. Scanning is essential for life in w-space and salvaging is perhaps the easiest support skill to train. But it really is just the start.
Once out in w-space your skill training must progress meaningfully. Your scanning and salvaging skills should already be at a decent level before leaving empire space. Your focus now is to become the pilot your corporation needs you to be. The fleet may need another battleship, a logistics pilot, or more strategic cruisers. At the very least, a decently fitted battlecruiser will add to the capability of a fleet. And if you can fly a battlecruiser then perhaps specific support skills can to be trained to fit better defences or allow the use of remote repair modules.
Training scanning and salvaging is a stepping-stone in to a w-space corporation. Treat them as such and leave them behind you as you do empire space, at least for now. Train more needed skills to expand your own capability as much as that of the fleet. By doing so you become more flexible, letting you enjoy combat as well as scanning and salvaging. It will also allow junior capsuleers to join the corporation who may only be able to scan and salvage, and others deserve the same opportunities to be useful.
If you are unsure what you should or could be training, ask a director. They will know what the corporation's operations require and be able to offer advice as to what to aim for, including specific ships and fittings, and how long the training plan will likely take. With a bit of guidance you can become more than just the salvager and enter combat against both Sleepers and other capsuleers with confidence. Jumping through a wormhole is only the beginning, there is so much more to experience.
2 Responses to “How to continue being useful in w-space”
I'm a big fan of everyone training for a battlecruiser. The amount of pvp and pve utility you get out of a really short investment of training time is immense.
I appreciate that wh space is very different from nullsec but out here battlecruisers are becoming standard.
You're right, battlecruisers are quite capable ships. My post is unfortunately a little biased because of my experience mostly fighting in class 4 w-space systems, where battlecruisers can be crushed fairly easily.
But in lower-class systems battlecruisers are a better choice than battleships, for being easier to train, better suited to engage the Sleeper cruisers and frigates, and more able to squeeze through wormholes without upsetting mass limits.