More than a cov-ops or two

Hello, I don't remember core scanning probes being in this class 6 system. And here was me thinking that w-space was empty and boring again. Still, the probes could just belong to one of the two covert operations boats I saw piloted in a tower in an adjoining class 3 system, and cov-ops boats are tricky to catch, making the appearance of the probes less interesting. Even so, I'd like to see if there is an active pilot, because with Fin and Aii available we may be able to get the right ships in place to execute a decent ambush. I warp across to the K162 in C6a that leads to C3b.

More probes appear on d-scan. Are both pilots now active and scanning the C6? I jump through the wormhole to C3b to find out. But before I can complete the jump, let alone activate my directional scanner on the other side, I am told of a Proteus in C6a. Aii's on one side of the deadly w-space system, itself unoccupied, and Fin is on the other side of the wormhole I just jumped through. It's Fin who tells me the strategic cruiser has just landed on the wormhole. She's cloaked, so the Proteus is not a direct threat to Fin. And as there are three of us and one of him I don't think he's a credible threat to me either. I hold my session change cloak in C3b and wait for the Proteus to come my way.

The wormhole flares. I know it's the Proteus as Fin saw it leave the C6. I call for Aii to join Fin on the wormhole, and wait to see if the Proteus acts normally before my session change cloak inevitably fades. It doesn't, as his session change cloak is still in effect as my own strategic cruiser appears on the wormhole. I would say he followed me. That's okay, maybe he doesn't yet know about Fin and Aii, also in strategic cruisers. As my ship is revealed so the Proteus reveals itself, and we engage each other in combat.

Fin wants me to jump back through the wormhole, but I'd rather not polarise my ship if I don't have to. I have the Proteus warp scrambled, so he's not going anywhere, although he probably doesn't see a need to flee yet. Maybe he will soon, as Fin and Aii jump to C3b and join the fray. The guns of Fin's Loki join my own, and Aii's Tengu spews missiles towards the Proteus, as its own guns and drones whittle away my shields effectively. But it's three-on-one. We must surely have the advantage.

I can't take much more damage, and although some armour depletion wouldn't be terrible I see no need in risking my ship unnecessarily. I bail out, jumping back to C6a, where I hope to recharge my shields a little. I'm expecting the Proteus to come back this way at some point anyway, when my colleagues convince him he's in a losing battle. But I don't think the Proteus pilot sees the combat that way. I keep a watchful eye on d-scan in C6a as my shields recharge, as I have little else to do for the moment, and it's always prudent to keep d-scan updated in w-space. And here they come.

The Proteus is not alone. A Legion strategic cruiser lands on the wormhole shortly after appearing on d-scan, followed by a second. And a third. And a Loki, and a Guardian logistics ship! This fleet is prepared, and the Proteus pilot had nothing to be concerned about, not with an armour-repairing ship known to be coming in behind it. Aii has jumped back to C6a, away from the Proteus but in to the small-but-growing fleet, and manages to cloak and get safe. My fearless leader is still shooting the Proteus.

I don't think the fight will end well for us. I want to do my best to help bring us home safely, though, so warp my boat back to the wormhole leading to our home system, so that I can swap to an ECM boat and hopefully break a critical lock or two that may occur when Fin tries to get clear. Unfortunately, my assumption that the fleet has come from the heavily occupied class 5 system, connected from C6a, doesn't turn out to be true. The fleet continues to grow, and they are coming through the wormhole home.

If only I had followed my standard procedure of dropping short I'd be safe. But I decided time was of the essence, and warped to zero on the wormhole. Rather than being cloaked and able to back away, my ship decloaks to be visible to the hostile ships, and I have no option but to jump through the wormhole. And, of course, there are more ships on the other side. At least the other Guardian and even more strategic cruisers are concentrating more on adding to the numbers already picking on Fin, but one pilot has the presence of mind not to jump through the wormhole but wait for me to appear. He's in a Legion.

Being under two kilometres from the wormhole doesn't give me much chance of breaking free. But I have to try. I pulse my micro warp drive and try to activate my cloak, but the Legion already has me locked. He disrupts my warp drive and applies a web, slowing me almost to a crawl. But I'm not scrambled. My micro warp drive is still active, and although I used the extra speed a while back to break clear of a standard warp disruption effect, I am starting too close to the ship to manage that now. The only way out is back through the wormhole. Back in to the fleet?

I turn around and burn as hard as my webbed ship can manage, and luckily I didn't get too far from the wormhole with an active micro warp drive before realising my predicament. It takes a few seconds but the wormhole comes back in to range. I jump through, losing the Legion's lock, but watching it follow directly behind me. Most of the fleet's moved on in C6a, but two ships wait for me on the wormhole. This time, however, I appear in the system four kilometres from the connection. I move and cloak smoothly, jinking once clear. I'm safe.

I'm safe, Aii's safe. How's Fin? Having somehow survived against the fleet, our glorious leader pulls out and jumps through the wormhole from C3b to C6a. Her only frustration is in not being able to destroy the Proteus, and only because of the Guardian support. Getting lucky with her wormhole jump, Fin gets clear and cloaks, leaving us all alive and safe in the class 6 system. And it seems the fleet doesn't want to waste time looking for cloaked ships. I sit near the wormhole home and watch as ship after ship lands on the wormhole, jumping through in quick succession.

I count eighteen ships, with three stragglers. On the wormhole before the fleet jumped were three Lokis, two Proteuses, six Legions, one Tengu, a Devoter heavy interdictor, four Guardians, and a Damnation command ship. That seems a little overkill for a few loose strategic cruisers, and quite far removed from the three-on-one ambush I first pictured. But, and even though I was going for it myself, I have to give the fleet credit for not bringing any ECM. At least everyone gets a fight that way. And I am as impressed with the fleet's mobility as our ability to evade them. 'Name recognition', says Fin. 'They saw Penny Ibramovic and panicked.'

If only that were true. But it seems I was spotted, as the commander of the hostile fleet has opened a conversation with Fin. I put this down to Fin's diplomatic skills, but it seems that Hathrul became interested in PvP after reading this journal of mine. How about that, nearly hoisted by my own petard. But being thrown from a standard mapping expedition in to an exciting, uncertain encounter against other pilots has certainly made this a more memorable evening than usual.

We even get to replay the events and consider where errors were made, or what we could have done differently. Should the Proteus have jumped back to C6a, tempting us to follow, and polarising us all for the fleet, maybe even drawing us away from the wormhole? Or would we have been savvy to d-scan and warped clear before the fleet could land and snare us all? There are many ways the engagement could have unfolded, and even timing variations of a few seconds either way could see the same circumstances resolve differently. PvP is tricky and complex, which makes it fun to do and interesting to dissect.

As for tonight, we should probably get home safely. As the fleet passed through our system we shouldn't assume the route home is safe. We have options, though. I first think that scanning to empire space from C3b and coming in through Aliette—gentille Aliette—to C3a could help. But that's ignoring the puppets we have installed in the home system. We could just wake them up and check the wormhole for ships. Or, as my fearless leader demonstrates, we could believe Hathrul that his fleet has found another target and has moved on, and just jump through. Okay, it's clear, and we get home safely, after one of the more thrilling evenings spent in w-space.

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Tags: damnation, devoter, eve online, guardian, legion, loki, mmorpg, penny ibramovic, proteus, pvp, tengu, w-space

Bagging some bubbles

The wormhole should have died by now. That our static connection will collapse and sever the link to the rest of the scanned constellation could be seen as unfortunate. But w-space life is based on ephemeral connections, and without them the rich experience of new systems to explore and roam would be lost. A dead static wormhole leads to a replacement wormhole, and new opportunity.

I don't even have to do all the scanning this time either. Aii is on-line and has already resolved our new static connection, as well as a stray second signature in the home system, a K162 from class 6 w-space. Aii's in our neighbouring C3, leaving the deadly connection untouched for now. I think that's my cue to explore through the K162. 'There may be a Loki from there on the prowl', Aii warns me. But I'm in my own strategic cruiser, I think I'll be okay.

Jumping in to C6a is rather anti-climactic. It generally is, from experience, which is why I don't really get jittery about it any more. The wormhole doesn't have any obvious ships waiting for me, and, curiously for a class 6 w-space system, my directional scanner is clear of ships and towers. Then again, the system is almost 100 AU across, which gives plenty of space for pilots to hide from a 14 AU range scanner. I warp out, launch probes, and perform a blanket scan.

Fourteen anomalies, five signatures, two towers, no ships. One of the towers has a few defences scattered around, the other looks more sensibly constructed. Resolving the handful of signatures for K162s finds three of them, plus a pocket of gas, which should give me options. Two K162s come from class 5 w-space, one from a class 3 system. I jump to C3b first only because I land there last, and not because I'm trying to avoid the higher class of w-space. Don't judge me.

A tower, Helios, and Buzzard pop up on d-scan in C3b. A lack of scanning probes makes me think the two covert operations boats aren't active, but you never can tell. Then again, if they were active I'd expect them to be cloaked. Either way, it's all change since my last visit. I attribute that entirely to my popping a Hulk exhumer and then stealing some defences some twenty-one months ago. Maybe I should have left the defences, because now I have to locate a new tower. I swear I don't always consider the consequences of my actions.

Locating the tower locates the two ships, which are surprisingly both piloted. I doubt they are up to much, though, and spending a couple of minutes watching them doesn't change my mind. I leave C3b behind me, without scanning, to see what class 5 w-space can offer instead. Glorious leader Fin has come on-line and followed my trail in to C6a, diverting from there to C5a, where there are too many towers to bother counting them, so I warp across to the K162 leading to the arbitrarily named C5b, and jump through.

An Orca industrial command ship and Archon carrier can't be up to much in a class 5 w-space system by themselves, and I have a hunch I'll find them both in one or more of the three towers d-scan is also showing me. I'm not expecting much, so when locating the tower I should probably be thankful for the excitement of warping directly in to the middle of a warp bubble, bumping my prow on to the bubble's hardware itself. Evasive manoeuvres, ensign! Increase separation, re-activate cloak!

It isn't much of a panic to get safe, I suppose, but it needed to be done before I was noticed by the tower defences. And now that I'm safe I get to ponder a riddle: when is a bubble not a bubble? When it's not inflated. That's unusual, and maybe a mere oversight by whoever planted the bubble. But I can scoop this and keep it for myself. I've already shown that I can decloak and be safe for a few seconds, and once the bubble is scooped I can re-activate my cloak immediately, as the impediment to cloaking will be in my hold. There's no one around to see what I'm doing, so I go for it.

I line up my Loki to the bubble, keep watch on my range, and when close enough and my cloak drops, scoop the bubble. Job's a good 'un. It probably won't fetch us much ISK, but denying the locals of their hardware is reward in itself. Oh, right, the locals. The Orca and Archon are unpiloted, what a surprise, etc., and scanning has one anomaly and three signatures, none of which resolve to be a wormhole. Fin comes to join me from the other C5, scooping a second unanchored bubble around the same tower where I got mine, but a couple of bubbles looks to be about all we'll get from seven w-space systems. It's all looking a bit dull again. Maybe the cov-ops in C3b have woken up. Let me check.

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Tags: archon, buzzard, eve online, helios, loki, mmorpg, orca, penny ibramovic, scanning, w-space

Restoring Penny preferences

Damn, this Minmatar technology is flaky. After spending a day trying to get my ship on-line I've had to restore all of its systems to the factory default settings. This is going to be painful. At least I'm somewhat prepared, after previous failures, with a saved overview file that I can import. Even then, not all overview settings are exported to that file, which can make the process of importing again awkward, when trying to work out which settings need to be tweaked and which ones are just the way I like it.

The overview may be the most complex interface to configure, and so the best to be able to export as a file, but there are plenty of other settings that will niggle at me. I don't mind getting window placements back in approximate positions, rather than just where they were, because if I can't tell the difference between then and now it can't matter too much. I just wish most of the damned windows didn't open right in the middle of the screen by default. No, I don't want you to obscure my ship, or whatever may be attacking me. Appearing near a corner would surely be better.

But what is getting on my nerves the most is a bit of a surprise. I am having real trouble replicating my colour scheme from before, and although I can get close to what it was this appears to be the setting that is causing most discomfort. It just doesn't look right! That the four different pane options don't seem to relate directly to their names isn't helping, and the choice between several equally dark and muddy colours adds to the confusion. Thankfully, taking lots of screen grabs, including my interface, pays off at last. Window: Nero; Background: Oil; Header/Subheader: Black Pearl. I won't forget again.

Actually, the worst part about resetting everything is the modal components that can't be modified until they happen. Or, at least, until they crop up and I'm reminded that they exist. Why, yes, I would like to delete these bookmarks, you stupid system. And, no, please don't ask me again. I do it at least once a day, it's a part of w-space life, and having a confirmation box pop up each time would drive me slowly mad.

And I have to recreate my scanning filters. At least I realise this whilst scanning a home w-space system that contains only one extra signature, and not when I want to achieve a direct goal. I dread to think what issues will arise when I am in the middle of an important action. I can only hope that the first wreck I open, thus putting the hold to be looted in a stupid position right in the middle of my view, will be a Sleeper wreck and not that of a salvager whose friends are dropping out of warp around me. Actually, popping a salvager would be soothing right now, like playing with bubble wrap.

Right, back to the task at hand. I resolve our static wormhole and jump to the neighbouring class 3 w-space system, where a tower and a couple of ships appear on my directional scanner. I'm not expecting much from the Thanatos and Chimera carriers, particularly as I appear in the system seven kilometres from the wormhole. Launching probes and blanketing the system gets me five anomalies to bookmark and seventeen signatures to sift through. I suppose scanning is better than making minor adjustments to settings and window placements, as scanning is a means to an end.

The signatures continue to resolve to the standard sites for a while, which I discard as soon as identified, right until my probes spot a wormhole and ship simultaneously. That's bad timing. A competent pilot will already have seen my probes, and as I shift to d-scan too slowly to see the ship type, I suspect the ship has already cloaked. I may as well keep scanning. The wormhole turns out to be the U210 static exit to low-sec, which must have been opened from the inside, making the ship's appearance on it interesting. Continued scanning reveals a second wormhole, probably the source of the ship, which is only a K162 from null-sec k-space.

I've run out of w-space already, which is always a risk with a static connection to a class 3 system, but before I go looking for the other pilot I'll see where the low-sec exit takes me. Aridia. It's been a while, which may explain my recent positive outlook and calm approach to resetting to factory defaults. But I'm here now, and the one other pilot in the system—cloaked or docked—won't stop me scanning. I forget about that null-sec connection soon enough with a K162 from class 2 w-space carrot dangled in front of me, and I jump back to w-space to see what I can find.

A tower, with no ships, in a tiny system where there's nowhere to hide is not the best result. But the wormhole I entered through is only one of the two static connections present, and the other will lead to more w-space. I would say that's worth scanning for, and I launch probes and start sifting through the thirteen anomalies and ten signatures. There's not much to find, but the connection to more class 2 w-space continues the increasingly promising constellation. Onwards!

This looks better already. A Sabre interdictor, Ferox battlecruiser, Vagabond heavy assault ship, and Cormorant destroyer could be getting up to all sorts of shenanigans, although the presence of a tower and lack of canisters and wrecks isn't a positive sign. Still, I ignore the negatives for now and concentrate on finding the ships, which doesn't take long. They're at the tower, unpiloted. That's a shame. But there's still more w-space to find, once I work through these nineteen anomalies and thirty-two signatures.

Thirty-two? You know, I'm kinda peckish. Fiddling with settings will do that to me. The wormhole will still be here later, and it may even be joined by pilots. I'll head home for now, grab a sammich, and come back to continue exploring the constellation. Then again, not all wormholes will still be here later, as it looks like some damned blues opened our static wormhole before me. The connection is now wobbling away on its last legs, and I've been away from it for a while, so it probably doesn't have long to go. New plan! Go off-line, grab a sammich, and start from scratch later, once our wormhole's died of natural causes.

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Tags: chimera, cormorant, eve online, ferox, mmorpg, penny ibramovic, sabre, scanning, thanatos, vagabond, w-space

Refuelling the tower

I've been away for a few days. What's changed? Glorious leader Fin's brought some more fuel in, so she tells me in a mail, saying that 'we were nearly out'. That's odd, as I'm sure we had over two months' worth of bricks to keep us going, although I have to admit that I can't remember the last time I checked. I don't think it was six weeks ago, anyway. Let me take a look at the fuel bay, once I've taken a look at our system. I don't want to rashly appear inside our tower without having an idea who may be watching.

Our anomalies have been stolen. I blame blues. Otherwise, there is just the one signature in the home system, which will be our static wormhole. That makes us about as secure as we can guarantee, so I warp to the tower and pop open the lid to our fuel storage hangar. Sure enough, there's loads of fuel bricks in there, just as I thought. I was sure we kept it away from the loot and fittings, specifically so that we would not lose the fuel amongst the other items. Maybe that system isn't working as well as it could. Or maybe I've just found the fuel overflow that Fin brought in, which she tells me later, and it isn't the same bricks that I put there a while back.

So we're good for fuel, either way. Now I am ready to jump through our static connection and explore the w-space constellation. SUP, wormhole? It may offer a suitably witty rejoinder, based on my own signature, but my combat probes never seem to be able to spot my own ship. Never mind. Entering the class 3 system has little of interest appear on my directional scanner, and the sole planet out of range doesn't offer any occupation to stalk. It all looks a bit quiet, unlike our previous visit, when we popped a Drake battlecruiser from null-sec engaging Sleepers in a magnetometric site.

I'm looking for a static exit to null-sec today. That doesn't sound like fun, and I'd rather find a K162. Actually, a K162 from w-space, and not the K162 from null-sec that I first find. I need to be more careful with what I wish for. A second K162 also appears under my probes, but again I lack in w-space connections, as the wormhole comes from high-sec. At least a high-sec exit gives me a safe route home, should I get in trouble, but only if I bookmark the other side of the wormhole. With the only other wormhole in C3a being the static connection, I exit to high-sec.

Appearing in Sarum Prime, in the Domain region, doesn't just give me a relatively safe way home, but an opportunity probably too good to pass up. Being only one jump from Amarr is persuasion enough to pick up some fuel for our tower. Fin may have got some a day or two ago, but we can never be sure when our next decent connection to empire space will appear, and we ought to make the most of them when they do. That includes today.

I return through C3a to the home system, ditch my scanning boat for a chubby Orca industrial command ship, and head out to high-sec. A single stargate hop in the whale is hardly onerous, and I'm soon stuffing the hold and corporate hangars with as many fuel pellets as will fit, bringing back another month's or so worth of fuel to keep our tower running. I add my pellets to Fin's, making sure the tower is kept full too, and swap back to my Loki strategic cruiser to see what lies behind the other wormholes in the class 3 neighbouring system.

Exiting through C3a's static connection puts me in a system in Curse. A populated system in Curse. I don't much care for other pilots, so ignore the system and try my luck in the other null-sec system. But as I return to C3a a Venture mining frigate appears on d-scan, disappearing moments later. He didn't go past me, and doesn't appear to be hiding in a corner of the w-space system, so have no idea what just happened. Still, it's closer than I've got to a miner in what seems like a while.

Sticking with my plan, I jump through the K162 to appear in the second connected null-sec system, this one in the Delve region. But, again, there are pilots mingling in space, and I don't feel like advertising my presence even by launching probes to scan. I think I'll take the fuel run as evidence that I've been productive today. You have to admit the small accomplishments, particularly when in a dry spell, to keep your spirits up. For now, I'll take a break, and maybe collapse the wormhole later, time permitting, to give me a different constellation.

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Tags: eve online, loki, mmorpg, orca, penny ibramovic, scanning, venture, w-space

Only shadows of ships

No new signatures crop up to tease me today, giving me a simple route from home to our neighbouring class 3 w-space system. And even in C3a w-space looks empty and isolated, with my directional scanner showing me nothing of interest. Launching probes and performing a blanket scan of the system doesn't offer any more signs of activity, as the three anomalies and nine signatures aren't joined by any ships, and there aren't even any structures that would hint at occupation. Whichever corporation was here on my last visit, five months ago, has moved out cleanly.

I suppose I'm scanning for wormholes, and the K162 from class 2 w-space that I find would be much more attractive were it not at the end of its life. Thankfully, a healthy K162 from class 4 w-space gives me for the first time in what seems like ages more w-space to explore without having to cross k-space. The rest of the signatures are just rocks and gas, which I ignore, and the static exit to low-sec, leading to a system in The Forge. And with a route home from empire space I decide that the dying wormhole to C2a is probably worth risking a quick jump in and back.

Two towers, eight ships, and a whole bunch of drones on d-scan isn't fooling me, not with there being some bubbles and a distinct lack of wrecks. I would say the drones have been scattered around the bubbles to create a decloaking trap for unwary pilots. I don't really want to spend longer than necessary in this system, because of the dying wormhole, and as d-scan is showing all the ships to likely be in the tower I'm ready to turn around, until I realise that only one planet is within d-scan range. There may be more to see.

I warp across the system, aiming for the most distant planet, updating d-scan as I pass through the centre of the system, and regret that I can't brake mid-warp when I see a Mammoth surrounded by empty space. I drop out of warp at the far planet, where I find I no longer care about discovering a second tower, and turn my Loki around. But by the time I return to the inner system the hauler has gone. As I didn't pass the Mammoth en route, the most obvious place to look for it is at the first two towers near the wormhole, and I head in that direction.

Sure enough, the Mammoth is at one of the towers, which is indeed protected by drone-filled bubble traps, but I don't think the hauler was out collecting planet goo. The ship now floats near a silo, and although I know little about industry any more, and planet goo in particular, I suspect the hauler has returned from empire space with some gas to fuel reaction processes. I doubt the Mammoth will be leaving the tower again soon, and if he does I'll need to scan for the wormhole he'll use. I'm not going to do that, though, as I am still aware of the EOL wormhole, so instead head back to C3a and towards the more healthy connection to C4a.

A tower, Iteron hauler, and Helios covert operations boat appear on d-scan in the class 4 system, and adjusting my settings shows an interesting result of wrecks of both an advanced cruiser and a Sleeper. The wreck can wait for now, as seeing if the hauler is piloted is my first priority. Without any notes to help me I have to locate the tower the old-fashioned way, which takes a minute or so, and I soon find the tower, but not the Iteron. It doesn't really matter, as circumstances turn out, because the local corporation is blue—not that this distinction seems to matter to some.

I can take a moment to look for that wreck now. I am curious to see if the pilot simply got careless and overestimated his solo capability, and more curious to see if any modules survive in the wreck. Of course, I also don't want to turn one wreck in to two, but I won't know the situation until I can get a look at the wreck. Assuming the wreck is in a basic anomaly I perform a passive scan of the system, revealing twelve anomalies, and warp in to where it looks like the wreck is. And I warp directly in to a Sleeper structure, decloaking my ship for the two waiting Sleeper battleships. This isn't going according to plan.

I manage to turn around and warp out of the site before I catch the Sleepers' attention and become that second wreck I was worried about. I don't go back, and not because I don't think I can do so safely but because the wreck I hope to find wasn't in the site. I take another look around the system using d-scan, and although I can locate the wreck with some degree of accuracy it doesn't appear to be in an anomaly. Maybe it's in a radar or magnetometric site. That's cool, I can scan for that.

I launch probes and blanket the system, more as a habit than a necessity, and poke around the twelve signatures. None of the signatures are anywhere near the wreck, which makes it effectively untraceable, but I'm happy to ignore it when I resolve a K162 from a class 2 system. More w-space to explore is always good. Jumping in to C2b looks decidedly ordinary, though, with two towers and no ships on d-scan. But my opinion changes a little on warping around, as nine more towers light up d-scan, and opening the system map shows there to be only eleven moons available. This is a saturated system.

Along with the towers are ships, with a Wolf assault ship, Sabre interdictor, Tengu strategic cruiser, Drake battlecruiser, and Iteron hauler scattered around. I locate the tower with the Iteron first, the softest ship in the system, to find the hauler empty, and as there are no wrecks in the system I don't care too much about the others. That is until they drop off d-scan moments later. Dropping off d-scan means the ships are not in range, and the only destinations out of range in this system are the two towers elsewhere and the wormhole.

I warp back to my route homewards and find the wormhole clear of any ships. I doubt the locals would be waiting on the other side of the wormhole from me, given that they were out of d-scan range when I entered the system, so it looks like all the ships went through a different wormhole. Whatever reasons they had, I would rather head home to sleep than stalk ships I am unlikely to engage by choice. I return to C4a, across to C3a, and return home to end another night without being molested or doing any molesting. I must try harder.

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Tags: drake, eve online, helios, iteron, loki, mammoth, mmorpg, penny ibramovic, sabre, scanning, tengu, w-space, wolf

Less longevity than a dying wormhole

A dying wormhole behind me and a dead wormhole in front of me. Circumstances would be bleak, were it not for the dead wormhole being our static connection. Or, at least, our previous static connection. I imagine the Sleeper technology that connects w-space systems together has already produce a new wormhole for me. I board my cloaky Loki strategic cruiser, scan, and resolve the replacement connection, jumping through it to a neighbouring class 3 system that I hope leads to more opportunity than the last.

C3a is a system holding both a cataclysmic variable phenomenon and eleven core scanning probes, which is mildly intriguing. That many probes requires a couple of scouts, and as I've only just opened the K162 I'm sitting on I think it's safe to say one or other of the scouts has probably inferred my entrance. Loitering on the wormhole, however, has nothing come my way, and one set of probes vanishing from my directional scanner. I could sit here and watch the other probes disappear, or I could explore. Let me check the tower.

My notes place me in this system five months ago, but warping to where I have a tower listed lands me in empty space. Whatever was anchored in the system previously has been torn down cleanly, leaving a distinct lack of occupation. I think that's actually a positive sign, as those probe-wielding scouts must have come from somewhere, and I probably have a wormhole or two to uncover. Not caring to lurk for a scant chance to have a cloaky covert operations boat easily evade me, I launch probes to see what the others are already seeing.

Six anomalies and ten signatures hide gas mostly, and the static exit to low-sec is joined by the assumed extra wormholes of a K162 from high-sec and a K162 from null-sec. So much for w-space. At least the high-sec connection gives me a handy safety net for returning to w-space, should I need it, as long as I take a moment to poke through to bookmark the other side of it. And exiting to appear in a system in Heimatar has the unexpected sight of a Pilgrim sitting on the wormhole.

I have no idea what the recon ship is doing waiting on a wormhole in high-sec by himself. I shed my session change cloak and activate my module cloak, which may show my hull but will deny him any intelligence about whether I stay or go, and I wait and watch as the Pilgrim is joined by a Buzzard cov-ops and the pair of them jump to C3a. Well, I assume they are coupled, as I doubt the Pilgrim will stand a chance of catching the Buzzard. Either way, I wait a few minutes before heading back myself, to dissipate any polarisation effects, as well as not really wanting to telegraph my movements quite so obviously.

Returning to C3a has me returning to a clear d-scan. The Pilgrim and Buzzard are nowhere to be seen, which perhaps isn't a surprise for two cloaky ships, but as they aren't up to any obvious mischief, or waiting for me specifically, I'll ignore them and see where the system's static wormhole leads. Metropolis, a faction warfare system, with one pilot in the local comms channel. I would say I ignore him and scan, but it turns out I can't ignore him whilst also resolving the radar site his Hurricane battlecruiser is currently in.

The radar site is just one signature of the two extra ones in the system, and I move my probes across to resolve the other as a wormhole. The wormhole interests me more than the battlecruiser, but my curiosity about whether the Hurricane is watching d-scan or not is piqued, and I have to see what he's up to in that site. I warp in at range, hoping not to hit any structures, and see the Hurricane not doing much at all. Or, rather, he's not doing much at the moment, most likely because he has been watching d-scan and has seen my combat scanning probes.

The Hurricane is in the middle of the site and seemingly idling, but taking a closer look shows the ship to be aligned towards a planet, clearly ready to warp out at a moment's notice. Regardless of the pilot's caution, I am still wondering if I can engage him and win. Maybe, and despite his being aligned out of the site, his alignment is bringing the battlecruiser almost directly towards me. Sure, there is about forty kilometres still to cover, but if he gets close enough I could decloak and bump him out of alignment and be able to engage him. That is, until the pilot effects a course change and aligns to a different planet.

I can't get close to the Hurricane without a bit of effort, and I'd rather explore more w-space systems than play with a battlecruiser in low-sec. I warp out of the radar site to the wormhole I resolved, finding it to be a K162 from class 1 w-space, and jump through. And maybe this won't take much time, letting the Hurricane pilot relax and letting me sneak up on him when I head back through low-sec. Then again, a clear d-scan result in C1a and a passive scan bringing up forty anomalies makes me think I may be a while in returning.

Exploring the class 1 system finds no occupation, and launching probes and performing a blanket scan gives a cleaner result than I expected. With only six signatures, it seems this system is harvested for its resources more than Sleeper loot, as well as giving me little to do to look for more K162s. I find one too, leading back to class 4 w-space, in which a Broadsword heavy interdictor appears on d-scan without any trace of a tower. I would assume the HIC is on a wormhole, and its disappearing from d-scan lends some weight to that thought.

Exploring C4b finds a tower in one direction with five ships, but only a Cheetah cov-ops piloted, and a second tower in the other direction, with an empty stealth bomber floating in its force field. There's no sign of the Broadsword, nor any probes or wrecks, and time is getting late. I'll see if that Hurricane is still in the radar site, or if it maybe has been replaced by a hacking boat, before calling it a night. I return to C1a and exit to low-sec, where there is no sign of the Hurricane or its pilot, and the radar site has gone. I suppose I have been a little while in scanning and exploring. So it looks like I'm going home, where the dying wormhole remains. The K162 from class 4 w-space has lasted longer in w-space this evening than me.

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Tags: broadsword, buzzard, cheetah, eve online, hurricane, loki, low-sec, mmorpg, penny ibramovic, pilgrim, scanning, w-space

Known space is boring space

A more regular start to my day has me arriving at the usual time, to the usual sight. It's just me in the home system, as far as I can tell. Launching probes and scanning finds no intruders, blue or otherwise, and a couple of new signatures to resolve. A few more Sleepers have appeared, trying to reclaim the space for their shadowy masters, but an extra wormhole potentially gives me more to explore. But not just yet, as I'm not risking a dying K162 from class 4 w-space and getting isolated before I've found myself a way home. I'll go to our neighbouring class 3 system first.

It looks just as quiet in C3a as it did at home, my directional scanner being clear from our K162. As the home system only has a wormhole at the end of its life there is unlikely to be any other pilots following me, and I consider it safe to launch probes at the K162. Arranging my probes for a blanket scan of the system lets me check my notes, which tell me that a tower was present when I was last in this C3 a couple of months ago, and that I can expect to find a static exit to low-sec.

If the tower's still here, the locals aren't that busy. The blanket scan reveals seventeen anomalies and twenty signatures, which is a fair number to manage. And the tower is still in the same place, empty of pilots, and owned by a corporation involved in faction warfare. I admit I don't know much about faction warfare, but I get a nagging feeling that this corporation isn't doing it quite right. Whatever. I start sifting through the signatures.

Amongst rocks, gas, and Sleepers are four wormholes. I'm feeling lucky today. The static exit to low-sec is joined by a K162 coming from low-sec, a K162 from null-sec, and a second K162 from low-sec. Lucky, my arse. I got myself excited for nothing. But more w-space systems could connect to the k-space systems, and it would be churlish of me not to check before crashing our own connection to refresh the constellation.

Exiting through C3a's static wormhole puts me in Black Rise, in a system involved with faction warfare. Okay, maybe the C3ers are on to something after all. But I don't get involved in faction warfare, so I ignore whatever's happening in the system, launch probes, and scan. One extra signature gives me some hope, but delivers crushing disappointment by resolving to be a gravimetric site. I'm not here to chew on rocks, sir. Maybe the other wormholes lead to more connected systems.

Crossing C3a and jumping through the null-sec K162 puts me in a system in Perrigen Falls, which feels familiar. Wasn't I here yesterday? I think so, but at least this system has a rock field, a feature yesterday's system lacked, and even though I care not for the rocks there could be some rats to help repair my ailing security status. And with three asteroid belts to choose from I'd feel positively blessed, if it weren't for the capsuleer in the system, transparently known to me thanks to the populated local comms channel.

The threat of ambush prevents me ratting, but not scanning. It's the lack of additional signatures that prevents me scanning. Okay, it's now time to kill our connection. I don't care to poke the other two low-sec systems for other wormholes when I can be guaranteed a new w-space system to explore by turning our wormhole off and on again. But before I start pushing massive ships through the connection, I probably ought to check what's happening beyond that EOL K162 in the home system. I'd rather not get jumped from behind if I can help it, and I have a way to get home should the wormhole get petty and die after I jump through.

Appearing over seven kilometres from the wormhole and sitting almost on top of the deadspace signature in C4a is not a good omen for activity. Which is good, I suppose, as I don't want there to be anything happening that could come my way. The Orca industrial command ship, Dominix battleship, and Cheetah covert operations boat on d-scan aren't fooling me, as they are probably all at the tower also visible. The combat scanning probes are, admittedly, fooling me a little.

Locating the tower lets me check the ships, where I see the Cheetah piloted. I imagine he's the owner of the probes, but I suspect he hasn't visited his dying static connection in hours. I also suspect he won't care to jump through it when he finds the wormhole in the state its in, which should make my wormhole crashing relatively safe. I head home, hold on the wormhole for a few minutes to see if the Cheetah appears, and warp back to the tower to start collapsing our connection when I realise I'm just wasting my time. Orca, Widow, Orca, Orca. Done. The wormhole dies.

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Tags: cheetah, dominix, eve online, mmorpg, null-sec, orca, penny ibramovic, scanning, w-space, widow

Not even shooting rats

A late night poke around w-space has me finding new rocks at home, and no way to go but through our static wormhole. The connection takes me to our neighbouring class 3 system, where my directional scanner shows me nothing but a bubble in range. I launch probes, blanket the system, and start warping around to see what else I can find. Not much, really. Not even any off-line towers. It's all a bit eerie.

There are also only five anomalies and seven signatures, which is scant offering for an unoccupied C3. And amongst those signatures is one too far from anywhere to be anything but a wormhole. It's more obviously a wormhole once I resolve it, but the K162 from null-sec is a little disappointing. The rest of the signatures don't hold much more of interest, with only the static exit to low-sec empire space giving me another choice of direction.

I jump through the U210 to appear in a system in Placid. The system offers me a good view of the Cloud Ring and Gallente Faction Warfare pilots lots of benefits, as the system is at level V control. That means more to them than me, but two extra signatures resolving to be two extra wormholes is more what I'm looking for. Well, if they weren't another K162 from null-sec and a dying K162 from class 3 w-space. It's probably worth a quick look in C3b, though.

Lots of drones could be interesting, but those I'm seeing on d-scan are deceptive. There are no ships or wrecks also on d-scan, so I suspect the drones are scattered around some bubbles near the tower, looking to decloak unwary pilots. And without any obvious activity I don't care to risk the wormhole dying by exploring further. I return to low-sec, and as I've run out of other directions I may as well see where in null-sec that other wormhole takes me.

I jump from low-sec to null-sec without using a stargate, and appear in a system in Perrigen Falls. I'm by myself, so consider ratting to help my security status get back on its feet, but a lack of rock fields in the system puts paid to that plan. A few anomalies tempt me to try them instead, except a new pilot enters the system and I retreat to the wormhole until I can determine circumstances to be safe to continue. What I don't expect is to see the pilot appear in a Prowler on the wormhole, and warp away.

The transport ship quite took me by surprise. I'm sure I didn't think I was even looking at a ship when it appeared, as I barely reacted before it warped away. But I saw where it went, and the pilot disappears from the system a minute later. Maybe there's another wormhole to find. Launching probes and blanketing the system reveals five signatures, which resolve to be drones, drones, rocks, and a wormhole, but a wormhole not anywhere near where the Prowler warped to. That's odd, but I'm happy to ignore the disappeared transport in favour of the outbound connection to class 3 w-space I've uncovered.

Four ships, two towers, and no wrecks appear on d-scan in C3b. Locating the towers finds a Viator transport ship piloted in one, and an Abaddon battleship and Buzzard covert operations boat piloted in the second, alongside an empty Rorqual capital industrial ship. There's nothing else in the system, so I loiter outside the tower with the Viator wondering if he goes anywhere. It's a long shot, because if he goes anywhere it will probably be through their static wormhole which I don't know about than the K162 I do. Even so, when the transport aligns and warps, I'm right behind it.

I'm only behind the Viator because he looks to be heading to the second tower. And, indeed, the transport drops out of warp inside the other force field, nuzzles up to his Abaddon buddy, and goes off-line. I think I should do that too, but without the battleship. I head back through null-sec, across low-sec, and in to C3a, where the first null-sec K162 calls to me. I may as well see where it leads, and jump through to a system in Vale of the Silent. With rock fields! With rats in rock fields! With rats with ECM in rock fields! I can't be bothered with my lock dropping twice a minute for twenty seconds at a time, so head home for sleep, flipping off the rats as I leave.

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Tags: abaddon, buzzard, eve online, mmorpg, null-sec, penny ibramovic, prowler, rorqual, scanning, viator, w-space

Another recovery mission

I don't call her my glorious leader for nothing. Fin managed to get out of the class 6 w-space system and through two class 4 systems in to a class 3 system, resolving three null-sec connections before finally finding a static exit to high-sec empire space. All of that in an Orca industrial command ship, and without an expensive trip to a clone vat, like someone else in the corporation I won't mention needed. (It was me.) Now Fin shops for fuel and sundries, as I don't start scanning just yet, not with fan mail waiting. I remember this chap too. Well, how can I forget a Spiky Dildo? He's even sweetly corrected his spelling.

'Is he saying nice things?' Fin asks, and I'm not quite sure. He says he and his corporation got a good laugh from my account of how they caught my Loki strategic cruiser, but I don't quite remember being 'butt hurt' about it. Maybe I was and I tried to stifle it. Still, it's always nice to get mail. Now I'd better redeem myself and scan Fin a way home. One extra signature in the home system is interesting, particularly as the K162 from class 5 w-space is stressed to half mass, but I ignore my instincts to look for activity today. I am on a mission. Get Fin home!

Warping to our static wormhole finds it in good health, so the C5ers can't have been shipping the same tonnage across our system and in to C3a, which suggests Fin's return won't be interrupted. I have to scan it first, of course, so after exploring the system and finding only a single tower with no ships or pilots I launch probes and see what's out there. Eighteen anomalies and ten signatures will hold a static exit to low-sec, according to my notes from ten months ago, and that they do. There is also a second wormhole hidden amongst the rocks and gas, a K162 from class 2 w-space. That could come in handy, depending on where its k-space connection leads. Let me check C3a's static wormhole first.

Hello, Wembley! Well, the system's Arena, not an arena, and twenty-six stargate hops from Jita, which is a fair distance to take an Orca, even without a high-sec island that needs negotiating to get here. That's not a great result, but I'm not finished yet. I return to C3a, warp across the system, and jump through the K162 to C2a, where my directional scanner looks clear. The one planet out of range holds a tower but no ships, and scanning the system can't get much easier. There are two anomalies and three signatures, and I entered the system through one of those signatures.

I resolve a radar site and, hello, a static exit to high-sec empire space. The colours shimmering from the other side even seem Caldari-esque. And jumping through—my god, it's full of stars—I appear in Jatata, in The Forge, three hops from Jita. It couldn't get much better! Fin thanks me for finding such a convenient route home, I mumble something about being sorry for isolating her in the first place, and I turn my Loki around to see what's happening in the C5 connected to the home system. It wouldn't do to bring Fin back right in to an ambush.

W-space is quiet in the couple of systems between high-sec and home, and the pulsating C5 K162 doesn't look changed when I reach it. Jumping in has ships and towers galore, although I think that's more a reaction to the mostly empty and inactive space I've seen recently. Six ships and three towers shouldn't really have me bandying around words like 'galore'. And no wrecks, no cans, but the capsule amongst the ships suggests there are pilots around.

Warping out finds no more towers, which tend to proliferate in higher-class w-space, and I launch probes and perform a blanket scan of the system. And now I'm recalling my probes and heading straight back home. I am glad that I decide to warp back to the wormhole after launching probes, instead of a planet to start looking for towers, as it lets me see the Broadsword heavy interdictor decloak and warp away. And that makes me wonder quite what the HIC has done to the wormhole, considering what happens when HICs and wormholes get together. Sure enough, the connection is now critically unstable and on the verge of collapse. However funny it would be to get isolated minutes after bringing Fin home, I'm not hanging around here.

I jump home safely, easily within the time the Broadsword is polarised, and no other ships look to be on the wormhole, either in the home system or jumping through after me. I loiter cloaked by the connection for now, watching for jumps and waiting for Fin to make it back home, during which time nothing happens. Well, Fin makes it home and takes a hauler out to Jita to sell our stockpiled loot, but no ships come or go, and the critical wormhole isn't pushed to collapse. The constellation seems safe enough, and a final roam confirms no new activity in C3a or C2a, so I'm happy to go off-line, having brought Fin home and accomplished this evening's mission.

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Tags: broadsword, eve online, mmorpg, orca, penny ibramovic, scanning, w-space

Helping in my special way

'I'm in the C6 with an Orca.' That sounds just like my daring and glorious leader. But Fin being in a class 6 w-space system in an industrial command ship raises more questions than it answers, particularly as I didn't ask anything. 'I've been here a while. I jumped in, had thirty seconds on my polarisation timer, and at twenty seconds an Anathema jumped in and started scanning. I've been hoping you'd come on-line.' Ah, the covert operations boat probably saw Fin jump and now Fin doesn't feel quite so safe returning. But I can scout and bring her home.

I warp to the K162 from class 6 w-space in our home system, and jump my Loki strategic cruiser through. As I do, Fin decloaks the Orca and returns home, and I hold on the wormhole until she confirms the whale is in warp to the tower. And with Fin safe, I explore. Or, rather, confirm that there are no changes since Fin explored a little earlier, and it's still just the Anathema scout that's new. So, what now?

'What would likely chase him back through the wormhole?' Hmm, probably only collapsing the wormhole, really. A tiny, agile ship that can warp cloaked is difficult to threaten, unless we take away his route home. But it all depends on him watching the wormhole. If he's elsewhere, he won't even notice. Then again, either we flush him out, or we collapse the wormhole with him in the C6. Or, I suppose, he calls for a fleet to follow the corporate bookmarks to our position. But let's not think about that.

I get an interceptor from our tower and stick it on the K162, ready for the cov-ops, as Fin swaps to a Widow black ops ship and jumps to and from the C6 to destabilise the wormhole to half-mass. There's no sign of the Anathema. Polarisation ends, and Fin gets back in to the Orca, making another jump, noting that her directional scanner is clear in C6a, without even any probes visible. And yet still nothing jumps back with her. The polarisation timer counts down to zero again, and one last jump with the Orca should kill the wormhole.

Oops. One last jump did indeed kill the wormhole. I realise my error when I calculated the remaining mass of the wormhole, and what would be safe to push through it, but I'm guessing it's a little late with Fin and the Orca stuck in the class 6 system. I thought I was getting wormhole collapsing down to an art, but recent events should force me to pay more attention. At least Fin, now with combat scanning probes looking for her, gets safe, and starts looking for the next static connection to class 4 w-space, in an Orca. I hope my glorious leader can see the funny side of my coming to rescue her from being cornered in a C6 by an Anathema ultimately leading to her being trapped in a C6 with the same Anathema.

I get myself in gear, heading through our static wormhole to the neighbouring C3, where I start scanning to hopefully find a route home for Fin, who I so callously stranded. A Phoenix and tower are visible on d-scan in the class 3 system, and finding the dreadnought floating unpiloted inside the tower's force field is the least surprising aspect of the night so far. Launching probes and performing a blanket scan of the system reveals nine anomalies and five signatures, and sifting through them gives me two wormholes and two gas pockets. Sadly, the wormholes are rather poor.

The static exit to low-sec is expected, but at the end of its life. It may last long enough for Fin to find her way to and through class 4 w-space, and then across empire space, but it's not likely. The second wormhole is no better, being a K162 also from low-sec and also EOL. I may as well check the exits, as there could be hours of life left in the connections, and almost certainly more than the ten seconds it will take to jump back, so head through the static exit to appear in a system in Metropolis. I bookmark the wormhole in low-sec and jump back to C3a, warping across to the similarly coloured K162, exiting to another system in Metropolis, five systems from the first. That doesn't give much option in a route home.

I think that's all I can do for now. And, let's be honest, I've probably done enough already. I am tempted to collapse our static connection and see if I can get a better entrance for Fin, perhaps just a healthy wormhole, but perhaps it's best to limit the potential for error for now. Having one Orca isolated in w-space is unfortunate. Having two would be careless. I sit and watch the local tower in C3a for a while, trying to entertain Fin occasionally as she plods through the many signatures the class 4 system she was thrown in to holds, but nothing happens. Even checking the two dying wormholes doesn't present any changes, with them still there, still wobbling away, each time I fly past. I can't do anything else today. I'll just have to try again tomorrow.

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Tags: anathema, eve online, loki, mmorpg, orca, penny ibramovic, phoenix, scanning, w-space, widow