War

[Murgos]

If anyone is wondering what that image is in reference too, the last few days have been funny. 

Someone cries wolf, "Holy Shit!  Everyone login!  Huge spike in online players in nearby systems.  300 headed this way!"

A little later...

"NM, TCF double DD'd them."

[Gets]

If you're out there wondering what's going on in the land of ROL(ling on the floor laughing), here's some moonspeak for you.

Translation:

While ROL is dumping cash onto ebay & threatening to 'open up a can of whoopass' onto everyone, while AAA is deviously plotting to 'kill everyone', while the goons are housewarming their new beehive and the north is transforming into the north-west, the rest of eve is gobbling down massive amounts of popcorn in anticipation of the sequel to the immensely-successful blockbuster - "Quantum Wars - South in Deep Shit 2"

Listen, maybe you'll calm down already. Its clear to everyone here by now that ROL hasn't ebayed a single isk. I first put in about 50k cash (having bought isk, charachterss, five titans and a pile of moms) and because of your fucking snitching (RA management are fucking snitches, you have to admit...) all of it was ruthlessly banned under the pretext of having been attained through the use of an exploit, which we had never used (the GMs were never able to prove that I bought the isk with RMT, but I was also thereby unable to prove that the isk was legitemate...) so then I bought a ton of gametime from authorised vendors, and as of today have sold over 1kkk worth, (GMs have confirmed that they know of this and feel that I'm not in violation of anything) so I bought five more titans and two more are still under construction, am also financing new corps which are coming in... I'm not going to be having any problems with any of this. There, so... no need to sling mud - if anyone's trading in isk, it would most certainly be yourself and I, knowing all the shady isk brokers, will rat you out to CCP at earlies convenience - so your bans are up next.

So, he claims he bought ISK up to $50k's worth, then got banned, then bought another trillion ISK?

[bhodi]

PR- camp was finally broken up by AAA bridging in 300 people and clearing all the bubbles while stain camps 319 with another 100 to keep GS from undocking caps. Currently local is over 700 and Kenny has undocked dozens of capitals. I think the camp is officially over.

[Thrawn]

It looks like the PR- gatecamp has finally come to an end.  Hopefully someone that was at the fight can post a good report.  A large -A- gang bridged in and overall it was over 700 in local by the time everyone involved show up.  Goon numbers were/are rising but it wasn't fast tnough.  All the bubbles on the station were destroyed and a large amount of caps undocked and jumped en-mass.  (LoL?  We don't have anything trapped in PR-, what are you talking about?)

Personally I found it pretty suprising -A- showed up to do this.  They were pretty much done and out of this mess after the whole BoB thing.  I couldn't imagine Goons ever trying to take Catch or anything like that, no reason to.  But now they are showing up and VERY blatantly siding up with Kenny painting bright new targets on themselves.  Maybe Kenny is going to join up as an -A- pet, or they are going to move into our old space???  Guess that shows how little I know about EvE politics.

Most Goons seem almost happy with this since we can (hopefully) quit being told to sit in PR- 23/7 and actually get some fights instead of roaming gangs that just eventually get DD after catching a few idiots jumping blindly through pipes.  "Freed from the shackles of PR- warfare!" 

Best EvEO post so far has to be -

For some alliances undocking once a month is a success. This must be respected so gratz to them.

 

[Quinton]

Would have been nice to clear out those last couple systems with Kenny sov before PR- ended, but wow, I'm still amazed it went on as long as it did.  Helluva thing.

[Sir T]

Sheraad > eagerly awaiting trevor smugpost in MMOHMO thread

TrevorReznik > sheraad im eagerly awaiting a smugpost by himo in f13 so its all good

Himo Amasacia > Whoats a smugpost? I tell the unvarnished truth./ its not my fault that the truth looks like I'm smug

 

Report later when the action is complete

Himo Amasacia > ooh look all those caps that never existed

[DayDream]

I'm just an observer, but it doesn't seem surprising to me that -A- is involved now at all.  They were likely keeping out the conflict in the first place to avoid a confrontation with goonswarm.  But, then some goon trolled them hard, and had them hopped up playing defense for an invasion that never came.  What was the fleet numbers of -A-'s defense gang?  600 something was posted here (please correct me if I'm wrong)?  That's not a reaction from someone who's unconcerned.

So of course they're throwing their weight behind Kenny.  In their view, it's may be all that stands between them and goon annihilation.



I don't think it's really likely that goons would have actually tried to invade -A- seriously before this though.  They now hold the best space in the game, and don't have any (i think) enemies nearly on Kenny's hate level.

[Jayce]

I don't think it's really likely that goons would have actually tried to invade -A- seriously before this though.  They now hold the best space in the game, and don't have any (i think) enemies nearly on Kenny's hate level.

You haven't read Blaster Worm and other hurfy AAA members' postings about us.  Take the ambient anti-popularity of goons, mix in some anti-American sentiment along with Nync's rabble-rousing and you have quite a mixture there.

[trevorreznik]

the more likely answer is that -a- got very bored with securing the south and want to fight.  -a- fleets have been going to querious/delve with more and more frequency so this isnt too surprising, except for the lack of response

[MahrinSkel]

I'm just an observer, but it doesn't seem surprising to me that -A- is involved now at all.  They were likely keeping out the conflict in the first place to avoid a confrontation with goonswarm.  But, then some goon trolled them hard, and had them hopped up playing defense for an invasion that never came.  What was the fleet numbers of -A-'s defense gang?  600 something was posted here (please correct me if I'm wrong)?  That's not a reaction from someone who's unconcerned.

So of course they're throwing their weight behind Kenny.  In their view, it's may be all that stands between them and goon annihilation.

I would be somewhat more cynical about it: Now that KenZoku is essentially an alliance without space and without options, while AAA has not yet secured the old GS space, they finally arrange the breakout that will keep the Goons out of play for the next few weeks just as they're about to start picking up Sov3 in Delve.  Now AAA can peel back that last layer between them and RA without worrying about the goons on the other side of their space.

The telling point will be if AAA stays in the area and continues to support Kenzoku for more than a week or so before flitting off to take Detorid.

--Dave

[lac]

No surprise there, it had to happen eventually and everybody knew that camp had to be on its last legs by now.

Extra points to ET for putting some real -effort- in when the enemies guard was low but there were still points on the table from ex-BoB corps trying to get stuff out.

ET knows the goon eye of terror is lodged firmly between his buttocks and he knows he hasn't got any major alliances left to befriend. His allies Coven and Stain haven't always been treated as friends in the past and while they may get lots of love now, chance is they haven't forgotten.

So, now that BoB has got the chance to purge themselves out of the theatre, I think we have about a month left before Delve becomes goon fortress (I might be wrong).

Which leaves -A-

And while the hate for -A- isn't as old and deep as it was for the arrogant BoB, it sure is much more real.
It's much more real because we are talking about a guy who has bought a team to destroy goons.
He isn't talking smack on forums, he isn't meta gaming. He is putting hard cash on the table.
It's no longer about some guy who says you're shit. It's about a guy who will buy everyone you know to make you look like shit.

Grats goons, you won this level, welcome to the next.

[trevorreznik]

ET knows the goon eye of terror is lodged firmly between his buttocks and he knows he hasn't got any major alliances left to befriend. His allies Coven and Stain have been treated as serfs in the past and while they may get lots of love now, chance is they haven't forgotten.

just fyi but -a- wasnt blue to se/c0ven/syk until resetting goonswarm, as far as i know.  xenobytes used to be in -a- but that was a really long time ago.  im not sure which time period you meant the serf period to refer to

[lac]

I meant they have always operated in the influence sphere of -A- despite being (on occasion) disgruntled -A- members.
And while they own space now, they didn't own much while they weren't blue to -A-.
But you are right, it's not very friendly term, let's just call em friends then.

[MahrinSkel]

Everybody needs a hobby.  When you compare it to the costs of funding a racing team (for anything from motorcycles to yachts), it looks like an outright bargain.

--Dave

[Sparky]

Well Kenny successfully undocked and even controlled Delve for a few hours this evening.  Considering popping a few AFK goons on an abortive breakout days ago caused a flurry of excitable chest beating I'm a little puzzled why Ken isn't crying this one from the rooftops.  They're up to something...

[palmer_eldritch]

Well Kenny successfully undocked and even controlled Delve for a few hours this evening.  Considering popping a few AFK goons on an abortive breakout days ago caused a flurry of excitable chest beating I'm a little puzzled why Ken isn't crying this one from the rooftops.  They're up to something...

It feels like Kenny won the day today, but that's only because of how badly it's gone for them over the past month.

Nobody in Goonswarm or any other alliance could have imagined we would have weeks of shooting their towers without opposition, with our dreads wandering around without even needing support - in fortress Delve. If Kenny makes too much noise boasting that they finally managed to undock then they risk looking ridiculous.

I don't know what they're saying internally but I imagine the saner members of their leadership would be wary of chestbeating too much about it on COAD.

[Fordel]

BOB just knows CAOD doesn't belong to them anymore.


It's Goon country now. 

[Phildo]

CAOD is the most profitable region of 0.0 and Goonswarm has Sov 4.

But really, grats to Kenzoku for finally getting something to happen.  And grats to -A-/Stain for being the ones that MADE it happen.

And grats to the guy in ROL for sinking $50k into a video game when sinking $50k into a video game didn't work.

[Simond]

I don't know what they're saying internally but I imagine the saner members of their leadership would be wary of chestbeating too much about it on COAD.

They're probably too busy finding a nice, quiet lowsec station the other side of empire to dock at and unload everything they looted from Kengoku to worry about posting. 

[amiable]

Kenny has finally freed us from the shackles of bubble-camp warfare.  To be honest I can't imagine a world without camping PR. 

Seriously though good show from Kenny and -A-, I'm glad they decided to actually fight back.  I'm quite surprised it took this long, many of us in private thought the camp would go down weeks ago.  It would have been nice to keep it until we hit Sov 3, but it accomplished the vast bulk of its strategic purpose.  I assume once we and our allies get our shit together there will be a counter offensive, I suspect control of Pr is still strategically important.

As for -A-'s Russian tycoon, I am kind of neutral.  If some rich Russian wants to spend vast sums of money for internet spaceship supremacy more power to him, it will make it all the more hilarious if we burn his house down (after all this, I still really like the Russians, glorious bastards take everything to excess).  If/when the gaming press gets a hold of this though it can't be good news for CCP.  It will be a pretty harsh disincentive for new folks to join as it puts lie to any concept of a "level playing field".  Truth be told though I don't think EvE was ever a game intent on having a "level playing field".

[Yoru]

Moved most of the Russian Tycoon stuff to its own thread.

[Comstar]

Six Hundred Days. BONUS: The History of All Eve, Ch. 2 - James315's history of the ASCN war. And The Ides of March. Which is today.

I played the game at that time, but I think I was still in Empire or in the F13 corp in -V-. You learn something every day, and he's a great story teller.

[Fordel]

So BoB's early year fleet success was due to being LowPingBastard's ?

[Phildo]

Lots of POS being spammed in 49-U on the edge of Querious.  I think Goonswarm has the upper hand, but Kenzoku has a bunch and there are at least four other alliances with multiple towers.

[MahrinSkel]

He's a great storyteller (and I well believe that he was behind the EIB scam, as well as a much earlier BS BPO scam that was post-mortemed with equal skill and that he doesn't take credit for), but I think he's overstating his prescience.  That he planned 600 days ago to betray ASCN in such a way that 600 days after the start of that war it would be March 15 (and actually not quite, 2 days off)?  Not likely.  I think the explanation for the name is most likely the obvious:

James Chapter 3, Verse 15: This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

Actually had one of my few non-sacrificial losses of a CovOps to James315 during the ASCN/BoB war.  He spent the whole thing camping the A2 pipe with a smartbombing Geddon and a small Warp Bubble.  He's a great con artist, obviously, and very much trying to burnish his own myth.

The bit about packet size in large fleet battles actually makes a lot of sense, and its not really the ping itself as much as packet fragmentation that was probably the core of it.  If Eve was assembling monstrously large UDP packets and then those were getting chopped up and reassembled (and the sub-packets also being UDP would make this worse), each hop would have its latency multiplied many times.

--Dave

EDIT: There's 49 moons or so in 49-U.  They're probably trying to use up the moons as quickly as possible.  Any day you miss planting 5 more is a win for them.  When everyone runs out of moons they don't have to take them from you as long as you have less than 25, they can take them from their allies.  POS spam as the defining tactic has returned.

EDIT2: It may be worse than that.  If the corps that planted those POS change alliances and join Kenzoku, they'll have Sov dominance.  Something weird has been going on with the numbers of corps in Kenzoku (bouncing up and down for no discernible reason), it may have been them experimenting with how sovereignty and corp changes work.

[Pezzle]

People circumventing tower spamming rules?  Perish the thought!

[Endie]

Nah, we have either 26 or 27 friendly towers out of the 49, and we reinforced some friendly ones to ensure that they would be handing them to us in our prime. We also have an advantage in that gs has the most towers. They need to destroy our towers to take 49-, failing another spy like in dg- (and we know how that worked out for them).

In other news, exe have four days to destroy our towers in their jump bridge system or face being cut off. It didn't stop us in r2tj, but let's see if exe are as determined.

[eldaec]

In other news, exe have four days to destroy our towers in their jump bridge system or face being cut off. It didn't stop us in r2tj, but let's see if exe are as determined have anything besides comedy fit armour tanking ravens already in period basis to fight back with.

fixed it for a cheap laugh.

[Gets]

Screenshot taken from a 1200+ man battle in 49- Querious today.

[palmer_eldritch]

Yeah I got back from watching Watchmen to hear a huge fight was going on - I was logged off in the system and I've been trying to log in for 30 minutes.

[Endie]

Something for both sides to be happy in that fight.  From our point of view, we defended our tower-majority successfully in 49-, and in fact converted several MM towers to goonfleet ones.  McAAA sensibly (unlike Goon chuckleheads) got their fleet in early and were therefore (marginally) less affected by lag and could kill substantially more ships (although that is rather padded by our ship choices: Goonfleet's losses that I can see included 51 T1 frigates, 14 T1 cruisers, 6 BC and two rookie ships out of 109) and got a few of the capital kills they love so much, thanks to a delightful new bug in CCP's collision physics post-patch.  I say McAAA, because although the hostiles had 14 alliances present only AAA actually did very much.

Things are still poised, and if McAAA can pull off a :masterstroke: then a small number of tower kills or a failed swapover could scupper things, but otherwise (if I'm counting correctly) then by tomorrow we should have 25 Goonswarm towers in a 49-moon system, with a couple of friendly moons still there as padding.  Then it'll be down to two pretty-evenly-sized blocs pounding on each other.  They have the deadine that we will see our Delve holdings begin ticking over to sov three in a week or so, and Mahrin can probably shed insight on the logistical challenges involved in holding 49- in particular with Delve and the Querious empire pipes hostile.

In other action, we also managed to defend our towers in Exe's JB systems, so Exe have to reinforce our towers straight away and destroy half of them if they are to save their jump bridge network.  The comedy twist was that at one point last night our carriers were sitting at an Exe POS repping their cyno jammer while an Exe fleet were shooting the same jammer trying to destroy it.

[trevorreznik]

That fight was nuts, I know local hit around 1375, and possibly went over 1400.  The worst part of the fight for the -a- fleet was when hostile capitals warped in point blank on us and we started mwding away, only to run off grid almost immediately and have to spend a few minutes trying to get a warpin setup.   It'll likely take days to figure out what got killed, but -a-/bob/etc killed at least 8 dreads/2 carriers out of the 80 or so (about a 45/35 split when I did a quick count).    I got the feeling Joshua Cane was responsible for a lot of the fighting-nothing happened for several hours, and GS controls us prime so thoroughly that there was no need to fight in eurotime for anything but fun.

I'm actually pretty pleased with the bumping bug, it makes it a ton more risky to warp around capital blobs that are otherwise impervious in that type of system lag.

[Thrawn]

In other war news in Delve, Goonswarm has begun hitting Sov 3 today.  (Cyno jammers and jump bridges)

[Endie]

We got our first sov 3 in Querious today, too.  Expect a lot more sov 3s over the next ten days.

That is one thing that leaves me silghtly bemused: McAAASEROL, Kenny and the rest of that bloc had a clear run at a badly stronted PL tower in 49- this afternoon, in early Russian prime (5pm Moscow, later further east) but their attempts to take it down were lacklustre and they were driven off with a few losses after a couple of titans came on to save a friendly carrier.

While stront timing will always yield chances in a long campaign, presumably there won't be a huge number of opportunities for them to destroy coalition towers in a closely-contested system where they need to blow up at least three of our POSes without loss.  And every day they pass up chances like this makes it harder for them, since we will be gaining sov three in more systems every day.

In other news, Kenny/McAAASEROL/Barbie for the first time in this conflict are now outnumbered by about 300 or so, due to haemhoraging by Barbie members.  Up until a few days ago they had a substantial numbers advantage, and four weeks ago that advantage was several thousand.

[eldaec]

Only if you count Kenny, which is hardly fair since they spent the entire campaign playing stations online and evacing assets.

As far as I could tell Barbie were fielding similar numbers to us, at least until the pr-8ca fiasco and Ken's unwillingness to try to break out.