Well, where to begin. It has been a long 16 month absence from New Eden. One that has been rife with uncertainty and facing one's own mortality. If some of you remember, I got a divorce in 2013. That wasn't the only terrible thing that happened to me that year. I also found out dreaded news, news that would change the very scope of my existence. I was diagnosed with cancer. Hodgkin's Lymphoma AND stage 1 non small cell lung cancer. I was terrified. I had a young son and preteen daughter to think about. what would they do without me if I died? I just got a divorce so how would I see them on my days when I was barely able to move about the house from therapy? So many questions were running through my mind. As one could guess, it was very overwhelming. Between treatments and my developing depression over it all I lost 80 lbs. I am not a small guy. I average a weight between 230-240 depending on the time of year...and I am 6'2". I haven't been below 200lbs since I was freshman in high school. I dropped to a staggering 157lbs. My moods were horrible. The fact that my now fiance stayed with me through it all is a blessing that I will never be able to properly thank her for.
Now I know what you are all thinking, I am still alive obviously, so how I am doing? Well, I am in remission as of April 4th of this year!!! Financially I am not well off, as the year off of work hasn't bode well with my finances. I had to file bankruptcy at the end of last year and move in with my fiance (which obviously wasn't too bad of a thing). What does this mean for myself and EVE? Well, I am trying to pay for 4 accounts as I have certain plans, or at least ideas, that I want to implement. So for now, I am flying internet spaceships. A lot has changed. A lot continues to change. I love every minute of it!
So what am I doing? I have, for now, returned to W-Space and my friends in SSC. Trying to get fights and become space rich is serious business! I have noticed some big changes to how W-Space is, especially since most of the big W Alliances are no more or have moved on. Fights are more in Null and Low. I am not yet sure how that sits with me. I have a lot of things I wish to do in EVE...mostly revolved around PVP and keeping my wallet fat enough to continue said PVP. I have some thoughts of where I would like to be in the next year, and no matter how many thoughts I have, the #1 thought is to eventually end up (I can hope right?) in Snigg. "WHAT?!?!" you say. Why Snigg? Let's face it these guys find fights. EVERYWHERE. It would be the accumulation of all my pvp experience to end up there. I only really know one member of PL, and only through her blog and a few tweets. My plan does involve going to WAFFLES first, if they would have me. Between numerous AFGs due to the prior marriage, breaking my back, and cancer it is going to take a lot to get back into being a decent pilot, so I can learn to be a great pilot.
This is all a plan though, and plans normally change. First I need to secure my finances, probably replace my 3 yr old ROG laptop, and get a dedicated hard line CAT6 for my connection. So I will keep you updated as I think of ideas and things to write about. I have let this blog collect way too much dust. I still need to learn image embedding and perhaps have a logo made up. I thank you all fro the support I have received from friends withing the game. You are why I write this. Please share this and I hope to see you in space!
Fly Dangerously,
o7
Rylia
Friday, July 17, 2015
Saturday, February 15, 2014
The Magic of New Eden
I have been sitting here drinking coffee and reading several articles and blog posts on the destruction of the now legendary battle in B-R5BR when a thought occurred to me: What drew me into the magic of New Eden?
I remember when playing WoW (yes, I was one of THOSE people) seeing ads for EVE on sites like TenTonHammer and Wowhead and being intrigued. I also knew a few WoW addicts who played and said the learning curve was stupid high in comparison. It was on of my guild mates in my raiding guild that finally got me to try it in 2008. Now we all remember how the game was 6 years ago, at lest those of us that have been around awhile. The graphics, while amazing at the time, cant hold a candle to what we have now. I still remember being engrossed by the scope of the game. I remember joining E-UNI because I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. I remember the 8 jumps from where I was based at (Poinen I believe) to Korsiki and thinking it was the longest travel of my life. I remember thinking I was going to get lost and never find my way back. I remember training up a ton of skills to 3 and then starting the learning skills. Now I had no intention of ever pvping when I initially started. That didn't come until a few years later.
Now the thing that drew me in was also the most intimidating. The size of the galaxy, the shear number of things one can do in the game, the ability to NEVER be pigeon holed into one set thing like in other games: You are only restricted by your skills and the time and isk you are willing to invest into what you want to do. All these things appealed to me. The one thing that terrified me to no end was losing a ship that I couldn't afford to replace. Like most new players, especially missioners or PVEers in general, I wanted to get into where I could make the good money and have the most fun the fastest. This meant rushing into a Drake for us Caldari folks. And rush I did. I was able to fly one at the bare minimum in less than three months.
I will never forget the Unista who bought it for me, Neville Smit. I remember station spinning in it and being so excited! I was in a Battlecruiser! It sounded so awesome to me at the time. Now obviously I had no idea how to fit the ship, let alone fit it properly. It mattered not. I did L3s in it anyway. The first few days were great, albeit slower than I expected for a ship that sounded to me like it should be wrecking havoc on the battlefield of missions. Then it happened. I got L3 Worlds Collide. I still didn't have a huge grasp at what I was doing. I still didn't have a FULL T2 shield tank, it was close but not close enough. I was about halfway into the mission when I realized my ship had bitten off more than it could chew. "it is okay", I told myself. " I will just warp back to station, dock, repair, and do it again. I aligned to my base and hit the warp button: Nothing happened!!! That is when I noticed I was warp scrambled by one of the frigates. I frantically locked him up and started flinging missiles at him. I heard my low shield alarm going off. I was frantic. Why was this frigate not dying? I didn't understand it. Half armor now and my palms were sweating. I hit my armor alarm just as I got the frigate into structure. I had a T1 DCU equipped and thought I was going to be okay. I was wrong. Just as I killed the frig and mashed warp I heard the final scream from my structure alarm and BAM. I was in a pod. I couldn't believe it. Just like that my beautiful Drake was gone. I couldn't fathom or understand how it happened. I was in "Mighty BattleCruiser" and I was destroyed by inferior ships. I frantically told people in the UNI chat about my loss and if anyone had 8 mil isk to lend so I could buy a new one. I only had like 10 or 11 mil at the time and Drakes were around 18 mil in Jita (those were the days). a few people had me link the loss mail in chat. I did and was immediately ridiculed for my tank and mods. I was then told something that has stuck with me ever since (and yes I have broken the rule a couple of times since and paid the price, but sometimes the high risk high reward gets you lol): The Golden Rule of Eve- Never fly something you cannot afford to lose. I was devastated. I didn't like the Caracal or L2 missions. It devastated me so much that I quit the game. I did some mining until my account expired and went back to WoW.
I went back to raiding full time in my guild and rode out the rest of Wrath of the Lich King. I had a few RL issues happen that year: My marriage hit a huge hurdle and we separated for almost a year, I broke my back at work and was on disability, and right before my guild finished Hardcore Lich King my PC died. I didn't get another computer until late 2010 when Cataclysm came out. It was a shitty one i bought for $150 from my nephew. But it played WoW and I was happy. I was back at work at this point and the wife and I had reconciled. Then it happened. A friend of mine was telling me about Eve. He said there were a bunch of changes and new ships. Alliances had fallen and rose form the ashes. I was bored with WoW and the constant gear grind that I didn't really have time for. I said WTH and had him send me a link for a buddy account. I couldn't remember my information for my original account which had Rylia on it at almost 9 mil SP. This is how my alt was born. I chose Amarr this time around and started from scratch. The UNI had an amazing wiki up this time around, and I took it upon myself to read everything and anything I could to insure my drake mishap never happened again. It was during this time frame that Neville told me I could get my account back by putting in a ticket. I did so and after some questions and a change of email address Rylia was back i action. By now I had invested a ton of time into my alt. He could fly Amarr cruisers and BCs at 4 with full T2 armor and shield tanks. I had decent support skills(most at 3) and was starting to put in T2 energy Turrets. I had drones( the one thing that would have saved my drake was I couldn't field drones and therefore couldn't kill that frig fast enough). I wasn't paying for WoW anymore so could afford two accounts and was working on Rylia's tank skills to get her up to par with my alt.
This is where my focus would change forever. My friend in the UNI who got me to come back encouraged me to join a battlegroup and try some pvp. I still didn't like the concept of it: If I died I lose my ship and maybe my pod with my implants(albeit cheap ones, thank god for no more learning skills!). It was a true risk to me. To help out he bought me 5 Blackbirds and 5 griffins, since I had expressed an interest in ECM since I was an Avionics Tech in the Navy and had worked on Radar and ECM aircraft in the Navy. I fitted them up as the Wiki suggested and watched the Battlegroup channel for X ups.
It was about two days later when I got into my first fleet. I was so beyond nervous it hurt. I had done a ton of reading on how to fly ECM (thank you to my now good friend Eion Xis for his amazing ECM guide) and thought myself ready. We had a typical UNI blob of about 100 and were headed to Rancer to play around with pirates. I was so nervous as we landed on the gate and sent scouts in. I listened to comms with anticipation, noticing that my adrenaline was pumping while they tried to find a target. Then I heard it "Point on Apoc at Planet 5 belt 1" followed rapidly by " Fleet jump jump jump and warp to XXXX". I mashed the jump button and right clicked on the pilots name in fleet and clicked warp to at 50 km. I landed in chaos. In the time it took us to land on grid the Apoc called for back up. 50 Ships were on the field, including 2 Archons! I had never seen a cap before and forgot my bearings as clicked look at to take a closer look! Someone yelled where are jams and I jolted from my euphoric state and started locking jam targets. I had a few ships jammed in my griffin and was thoroughly enjoying myself, when I heard an all too familiar alarm. I was targeted and in armor! We had a couple of Ospreys with us and i caught a few reps. I tired jamming out my aggressors when my Griffin finally succumbed to the onslaught and popped. A second later I was back in Aldrat in a new clone. I was shaking from the engagement. Never before had I thought that a game would be that tense and that exciting.
I was hooked.
Over the next few weeks I was active in the battlegroup forums and read up on everything pvp related I could get my hands on. I joined fleets and jammed people. I worked on my ECM skills and started working towards interceptors. I was having more fun than I thought possible. That is when it happened. I noticed in Poinen local (I still based here for missioning to fund my cheap ecm boats) a new corp starting up that was specializing in PvP and was in the Yulai Federation Alliance. I was intrigued so sent a convo. After brief interview we talked it over and it sounded like a good fit. As much as I was having fun in the Uni I wanted to experience null sec space and the pvp there. I said my goodbyes in the Uni, dropped roles and joined Syndax Corp. I moved from Poinen to Isazawa and sent a Jump Clone to our base in null at M-M in the Great Wildlands. I adjusted nicely over the next couple of months and went on some roams as an inty. It was a blast and i loved it ( i even managed to rat in a drake to make extra isk, and even managed to lose one to being dumb and not checking dscan lol).
I was having fun, pew pewing in null, carebearing in null, and generally just having a good time. I still felt something was missing though. I couldn't put my finger on it. I had been back in game for almost 6 months and was finally learning how to focus my character's skills. I had hit a few financial issues in RL and couldn't always keep my alt account open and wasn't making enough isk to plex it. finding what was missing happened by accident. I logged into TS and the game one night to hear that an Agony roam was coming our way and to ship up and meet at a rally point. I may have been generally new to pvp, but even I knew Agony's reputation and was excited for a chance to see it in action. I grabbed my Crow, joined fleet, and met up at the rally. I was asked to +1 with a couple of other inties and we started hunting for them. We jumped a few systems ahead and found a few agony in local. The order was given to hunt them down and grab one. I hit my dscan and found a drake sitting at a planet at 0 I mashed the warp key and landed 15km off of him! I quickly targeted him and called point. Just then (all drakes = bait drakes!) local spiked on both sides as Agony and Yulai jumped their respective fleets in. I was taking heavy fire from the drake and popped just as both fleets landed. I quickly got my pod out, went back and reshipped into another crow and made best speed back to the fight. The battle was somewhat of a stalemate, with my catching a couple agonites as they started trying to warp off of field. We gave GFs in local and made our way back home. I then got the convo that would change my eve life forever.
I had read Glepp's guide to interceptors daily. I ha absorbed it into my being and lived by it. So when I got a convo from Glepp, I about shit myself lol. He told my I was a decent inty and gave friendly advice to the mistakes I made. He also suggested I drop an app to Agony. I was floored! Here was someone I considered to be one of the best Inty pilots in the game, saying word for word "You are decent, let Agony make you great" I was in shock. I let it sink in for a few days, when he hit me up again "Y u no app???" So I did what every self respecting pilot would do: I Apped to Agony Unleashed. Not a week passed between my app, my interview, and Carver sending me the convo: "You're in. Welcome to Agony, Brother." I couldn't believe it! Here I am as green as can be, and now accepted to on of the premier pvp corps in the game!
Most of you have read my Agony blogs and know I was fairly successful there. You also know I have now moved on to Wormholes. My adventures in New Eden started small just as any pilot's. My love for New Eden has grown. The ability to see any region on any given day, to make new friends...and new enemies, to not do the same thing twice or hunt he same targets from day to day to talk to people all over the world and learn about different cultures. For me that is the magic of Eve. It is what has me log in daily. It is what now has me at 4 accounts, only one of which I pay for. It is what has shaped me into the pilot I am today. The complexity of the game and the community is what has made Eve successful the last 11 years, and will hopefully allow it to thrive for another decade.
So I say unto you Pilots of New Eden, both old and new. Enjoy everyday you can log in. Don't be afraid to take AFGs to keep from burning out. Try new things and explore all you can. It is a big universe after all, the largest in any game world.
Interested in Wormholes? Join FCFTW Public and give a shout out. US and EU timezones are closed except to exceptional applicants. Pop in and say hi anyway!
I hope to see you in space!
Fly Dangerously o7
Rylia
Now the thing that drew me in was also the most intimidating. The size of the galaxy, the shear number of things one can do in the game, the ability to NEVER be pigeon holed into one set thing like in other games: You are only restricted by your skills and the time and isk you are willing to invest into what you want to do. All these things appealed to me. The one thing that terrified me to no end was losing a ship that I couldn't afford to replace. Like most new players, especially missioners or PVEers in general, I wanted to get into where I could make the good money and have the most fun the fastest. This meant rushing into a Drake for us Caldari folks. And rush I did. I was able to fly one at the bare minimum in less than three months.
I will never forget the Unista who bought it for me, Neville Smit. I remember station spinning in it and being so excited! I was in a Battlecruiser! It sounded so awesome to me at the time. Now obviously I had no idea how to fit the ship, let alone fit it properly. It mattered not. I did L3s in it anyway. The first few days were great, albeit slower than I expected for a ship that sounded to me like it should be wrecking havoc on the battlefield of missions. Then it happened. I got L3 Worlds Collide. I still didn't have a huge grasp at what I was doing. I still didn't have a FULL T2 shield tank, it was close but not close enough. I was about halfway into the mission when I realized my ship had bitten off more than it could chew. "it is okay", I told myself. " I will just warp back to station, dock, repair, and do it again. I aligned to my base and hit the warp button: Nothing happened!!! That is when I noticed I was warp scrambled by one of the frigates. I frantically locked him up and started flinging missiles at him. I heard my low shield alarm going off. I was frantic. Why was this frigate not dying? I didn't understand it. Half armor now and my palms were sweating. I hit my armor alarm just as I got the frigate into structure. I had a T1 DCU equipped and thought I was going to be okay. I was wrong. Just as I killed the frig and mashed warp I heard the final scream from my structure alarm and BAM. I was in a pod. I couldn't believe it. Just like that my beautiful Drake was gone. I couldn't fathom or understand how it happened. I was in "Mighty BattleCruiser" and I was destroyed by inferior ships. I frantically told people in the UNI chat about my loss and if anyone had 8 mil isk to lend so I could buy a new one. I only had like 10 or 11 mil at the time and Drakes were around 18 mil in Jita (those were the days). a few people had me link the loss mail in chat. I did and was immediately ridiculed for my tank and mods. I was then told something that has stuck with me ever since (and yes I have broken the rule a couple of times since and paid the price, but sometimes the high risk high reward gets you lol): The Golden Rule of Eve- Never fly something you cannot afford to lose. I was devastated. I didn't like the Caracal or L2 missions. It devastated me so much that I quit the game. I did some mining until my account expired and went back to WoW.
I went back to raiding full time in my guild and rode out the rest of Wrath of the Lich King. I had a few RL issues happen that year: My marriage hit a huge hurdle and we separated for almost a year, I broke my back at work and was on disability, and right before my guild finished Hardcore Lich King my PC died. I didn't get another computer until late 2010 when Cataclysm came out. It was a shitty one i bought for $150 from my nephew. But it played WoW and I was happy. I was back at work at this point and the wife and I had reconciled. Then it happened. A friend of mine was telling me about Eve. He said there were a bunch of changes and new ships. Alliances had fallen and rose form the ashes. I was bored with WoW and the constant gear grind that I didn't really have time for. I said WTH and had him send me a link for a buddy account. I couldn't remember my information for my original account which had Rylia on it at almost 9 mil SP. This is how my alt was born. I chose Amarr this time around and started from scratch. The UNI had an amazing wiki up this time around, and I took it upon myself to read everything and anything I could to insure my drake mishap never happened again. It was during this time frame that Neville told me I could get my account back by putting in a ticket. I did so and after some questions and a change of email address Rylia was back i action. By now I had invested a ton of time into my alt. He could fly Amarr cruisers and BCs at 4 with full T2 armor and shield tanks. I had decent support skills(most at 3) and was starting to put in T2 energy Turrets. I had drones( the one thing that would have saved my drake was I couldn't field drones and therefore couldn't kill that frig fast enough). I wasn't paying for WoW anymore so could afford two accounts and was working on Rylia's tank skills to get her up to par with my alt.
This is where my focus would change forever. My friend in the UNI who got me to come back encouraged me to join a battlegroup and try some pvp. I still didn't like the concept of it: If I died I lose my ship and maybe my pod with my implants(albeit cheap ones, thank god for no more learning skills!). It was a true risk to me. To help out he bought me 5 Blackbirds and 5 griffins, since I had expressed an interest in ECM since I was an Avionics Tech in the Navy and had worked on Radar and ECM aircraft in the Navy. I fitted them up as the Wiki suggested and watched the Battlegroup channel for X ups.
It was about two days later when I got into my first fleet. I was so beyond nervous it hurt. I had done a ton of reading on how to fly ECM (thank you to my now good friend Eion Xis for his amazing ECM guide) and thought myself ready. We had a typical UNI blob of about 100 and were headed to Rancer to play around with pirates. I was so nervous as we landed on the gate and sent scouts in. I listened to comms with anticipation, noticing that my adrenaline was pumping while they tried to find a target. Then I heard it "Point on Apoc at Planet 5 belt 1" followed rapidly by " Fleet jump jump jump and warp to XXXX". I mashed the jump button and right clicked on the pilots name in fleet and clicked warp to at 50 km. I landed in chaos. In the time it took us to land on grid the Apoc called for back up. 50 Ships were on the field, including 2 Archons! I had never seen a cap before and forgot my bearings as clicked look at to take a closer look! Someone yelled where are jams and I jolted from my euphoric state and started locking jam targets. I had a few ships jammed in my griffin and was thoroughly enjoying myself, when I heard an all too familiar alarm. I was targeted and in armor! We had a couple of Ospreys with us and i caught a few reps. I tired jamming out my aggressors when my Griffin finally succumbed to the onslaught and popped. A second later I was back in Aldrat in a new clone. I was shaking from the engagement. Never before had I thought that a game would be that tense and that exciting.
I was hooked.
Over the next few weeks I was active in the battlegroup forums and read up on everything pvp related I could get my hands on. I joined fleets and jammed people. I worked on my ECM skills and started working towards interceptors. I was having more fun than I thought possible. That is when it happened. I noticed in Poinen local (I still based here for missioning to fund my cheap ecm boats) a new corp starting up that was specializing in PvP and was in the Yulai Federation Alliance. I was intrigued so sent a convo. After brief interview we talked it over and it sounded like a good fit. As much as I was having fun in the Uni I wanted to experience null sec space and the pvp there. I said my goodbyes in the Uni, dropped roles and joined Syndax Corp. I moved from Poinen to Isazawa and sent a Jump Clone to our base in null at M-M in the Great Wildlands. I adjusted nicely over the next couple of months and went on some roams as an inty. It was a blast and i loved it ( i even managed to rat in a drake to make extra isk, and even managed to lose one to being dumb and not checking dscan lol).
I was having fun, pew pewing in null, carebearing in null, and generally just having a good time. I still felt something was missing though. I couldn't put my finger on it. I had been back in game for almost 6 months and was finally learning how to focus my character's skills. I had hit a few financial issues in RL and couldn't always keep my alt account open and wasn't making enough isk to plex it. finding what was missing happened by accident. I logged into TS and the game one night to hear that an Agony roam was coming our way and to ship up and meet at a rally point. I may have been generally new to pvp, but even I knew Agony's reputation and was excited for a chance to see it in action. I grabbed my Crow, joined fleet, and met up at the rally. I was asked to +1 with a couple of other inties and we started hunting for them. We jumped a few systems ahead and found a few agony in local. The order was given to hunt them down and grab one. I hit my dscan and found a drake sitting at a planet at 0 I mashed the warp key and landed 15km off of him! I quickly targeted him and called point. Just then (all drakes = bait drakes!) local spiked on both sides as Agony and Yulai jumped their respective fleets in. I was taking heavy fire from the drake and popped just as both fleets landed. I quickly got my pod out, went back and reshipped into another crow and made best speed back to the fight. The battle was somewhat of a stalemate, with my catching a couple agonites as they started trying to warp off of field. We gave GFs in local and made our way back home. I then got the convo that would change my eve life forever.
I had read Glepp's guide to interceptors daily. I ha absorbed it into my being and lived by it. So when I got a convo from Glepp, I about shit myself lol. He told my I was a decent inty and gave friendly advice to the mistakes I made. He also suggested I drop an app to Agony. I was floored! Here was someone I considered to be one of the best Inty pilots in the game, saying word for word "You are decent, let Agony make you great" I was in shock. I let it sink in for a few days, when he hit me up again "Y u no app???" So I did what every self respecting pilot would do: I Apped to Agony Unleashed. Not a week passed between my app, my interview, and Carver sending me the convo: "You're in. Welcome to Agony, Brother." I couldn't believe it! Here I am as green as can be, and now accepted to on of the premier pvp corps in the game!
Most of you have read my Agony blogs and know I was fairly successful there. You also know I have now moved on to Wormholes. My adventures in New Eden started small just as any pilot's. My love for New Eden has grown. The ability to see any region on any given day, to make new friends...and new enemies, to not do the same thing twice or hunt he same targets from day to day to talk to people all over the world and learn about different cultures. For me that is the magic of Eve. It is what has me log in daily. It is what now has me at 4 accounts, only one of which I pay for. It is what has shaped me into the pilot I am today. The complexity of the game and the community is what has made Eve successful the last 11 years, and will hopefully allow it to thrive for another decade.
So I say unto you Pilots of New Eden, both old and new. Enjoy everyday you can log in. Don't be afraid to take AFGs to keep from burning out. Try new things and explore all you can. It is a big universe after all, the largest in any game world.
Interested in Wormholes? Join FCFTW Public and give a shout out. US and EU timezones are closed except to exceptional applicants. Pop in and say hi anyway!
I hope to see you in space!
Fly Dangerously o7
Rylia
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
The things that go on in my head.....
Howdy Pod Pilots!
So as I have been having issues deciding what to write about this week, I am just going to do a quick recap of the last 10 days or so on here.
1. I still suck at grammar and writing! Not much of a recap I know! It has been a long 17 years since my last creative writing class, let alone being able to remember what I learned in said class lol.
2. First PvP mistake of the year! I did not DScan into a fight. I heard a corpmate yell that they were tackled by an ares and a sabre. They did not mention the other 15 frigs that were also coming into our W-space! I warped my Ishtar at 0 to the hole knowing I could kill the "single Inty and DIC" and was surprised by an entire gang! Was my first time podded in w-space, and from my Corp's Residence hole at that!! Quite the costly Oops!!! if you ask me!.
3. A couple weekends ago we got a good jump on some hole crashers trying to crash out our farm chain. This netted in about 8 BS kills and a pair of Archons! While not so much news worthy to some, having had to go AFG shortly after joining SSC, I had only had about 1 maybe 2 other Cap kills in game. Definitely exciting!
4. The 11th was my birthday! Hopefully I enjoy 33 better than I did 32! Yup, I am an old fart. Get over it! I am compiling a list of stuff I want for my Bday that my girlfriend is actually going to get me here in a few weeks. Hoping for a licensed copy of FRAPS, some video editing software(more on that in a few) and her going in halfway on a 16GB RAM Upgrade and a 250GB SSD for my laptop.
5. Trying to find my focus..and Alt number 5. With all the ship rebalances that have occurred and have yet to take place I have once again found myself staring at EVEMon and EveHQ and trying to find a place of focus for my toons. I really want to try out the new Marauders before they get nerfed to oblivion. Unfortunately none of my chars have BS 5 yet. My main is closest to marauders with all other required skills except a racial BS(will be Gall due to having large hybrids only for now). I also want to get into Caps. I think I have a skill plan set for my main and my main Combat alt that will have me where I want to be with both of those by fall(you know, when everything has changed again lol) I also brought back to life an old mining alt! I know what you are thinking " EW, DIRTY CAREBEAR MINER!!!! KILL HIIIIIIIIM!!!!" I am not fond f it either, but found enough to have two mining alts and skilling my freighter pilot into an Orca and Rorqual. The truth is that I spend a lot of time just sitting in space on my main either scanning or waiting for farming or pvp opportunities. Mining lets me pay minimal attention to the game, make isk, and spend some much needed time with my family. Nothing wrong with that, right? By October I will have 2 Perfect Miners and a Mining Booster Pilot. not a shabby way o make some extra isk during the occasional lull of w-space.
6. What I want the Vid Editing software for is I am thinking, due to my lack of knowledge of proper writing skills, of starting a Vlog instead :). Hopefully I will have that underway before too long, probably a late spring early summer launch.
7. Well I have already published this just as I remembered the most important thing I did. I factory restored my notebook yesterday to clear up some garbage and all I can say is WOW! Back to good speeds and 5 Eve clients! Also trying out some browsers I hav not used in ages. Having been a FireFox guy for awhile I am trying out Pale Moon. So far seems to have all of the features of FF and is a bit faster and more responsive! I will have to keep you all posted on that!
Well that is all that is new in my world! See you guys next week for I am off to the Belts to carebear some isk!
Fly Dangerously o7
Rylia
So as I have been having issues deciding what to write about this week, I am just going to do a quick recap of the last 10 days or so on here.
1. I still suck at grammar and writing! Not much of a recap I know! It has been a long 17 years since my last creative writing class, let alone being able to remember what I learned in said class lol.
2. First PvP mistake of the year! I did not DScan into a fight. I heard a corpmate yell that they were tackled by an ares and a sabre. They did not mention the other 15 frigs that were also coming into our W-space! I warped my Ishtar at 0 to the hole knowing I could kill the "single Inty and DIC" and was surprised by an entire gang! Was my first time podded in w-space, and from my Corp's Residence hole at that!! Quite the costly Oops!!! if you ask me!.
3. A couple weekends ago we got a good jump on some hole crashers trying to crash out our farm chain. This netted in about 8 BS kills and a pair of Archons! While not so much news worthy to some, having had to go AFG shortly after joining SSC, I had only had about 1 maybe 2 other Cap kills in game. Definitely exciting!
4. The 11th was my birthday! Hopefully I enjoy 33 better than I did 32! Yup, I am an old fart. Get over it! I am compiling a list of stuff I want for my Bday that my girlfriend is actually going to get me here in a few weeks. Hoping for a licensed copy of FRAPS, some video editing software(more on that in a few) and her going in halfway on a 16GB RAM Upgrade and a 250GB SSD for my laptop.
5. Trying to find my focus..and Alt number 5. With all the ship rebalances that have occurred and have yet to take place I have once again found myself staring at EVEMon and EveHQ and trying to find a place of focus for my toons. I really want to try out the new Marauders before they get nerfed to oblivion. Unfortunately none of my chars have BS 5 yet. My main is closest to marauders with all other required skills except a racial BS(will be Gall due to having large hybrids only for now). I also want to get into Caps. I think I have a skill plan set for my main and my main Combat alt that will have me where I want to be with both of those by fall(you know, when everything has changed again lol) I also brought back to life an old mining alt! I know what you are thinking " EW, DIRTY CAREBEAR MINER!!!! KILL HIIIIIIIIM!!!!" I am not fond f it either, but found enough to have two mining alts and skilling my freighter pilot into an Orca and Rorqual. The truth is that I spend a lot of time just sitting in space on my main either scanning or waiting for farming or pvp opportunities. Mining lets me pay minimal attention to the game, make isk, and spend some much needed time with my family. Nothing wrong with that, right? By October I will have 2 Perfect Miners and a Mining Booster Pilot. not a shabby way o make some extra isk during the occasional lull of w-space.
6. What I want the Vid Editing software for is I am thinking, due to my lack of knowledge of proper writing skills, of starting a Vlog instead :). Hopefully I will have that underway before too long, probably a late spring early summer launch.
7. Well I have already published this just as I remembered the most important thing I did. I factory restored my notebook yesterday to clear up some garbage and all I can say is WOW! Back to good speeds and 5 Eve clients! Also trying out some browsers I hav not used in ages. Having been a FireFox guy for awhile I am trying out Pale Moon. So far seems to have all of the features of FF and is a bit faster and more responsive! I will have to keep you all posted on that!
Well that is all that is new in my world! See you guys next week for I am off to the Belts to carebear some isk!
Fly Dangerously o7
Rylia
Friday, January 3, 2014
2014...The plan, the mission, the...fun!
I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a great start to the new year! This post will be about my plans in Eve for the next year and some things I apparently missed last year.
Now where to start. This is one of the fun conundrums of Eve;how to plan your skills. As ships and weapons systems get balanced it inevitably pushes us to switch things around to compensate. There are so many aspects of the game I wish to explore on my main character, and at the same time my alt covers the ships I don't fly on my main. Black Ops, Caps, full leadership skills. I'll come back to this point later in the post.
First off I am going to touch on a couple things I apparently missed out on in the last six months that I wish to eventually skill into. One is Command Ships (which I can fly, however, I can't use links so therefore feel I am limiting their potential) and the other is Sentry drone boats, mainly the Ishtar. Now I have been meaning to skill up and max out most of my drone skills for a couple years now and something always seems to come up. Finally I have found the time to queue them up and get them where I want them! In the mean time I am using faction drones and let me tell you...I LOVE the Ishtar. I have always been in love with the concept of drone boats, and now in a few short months I will be able to maximize their abilities!!! I strongly recommend if there are any newer pilots reading this to take a look at them. Guns are fun don't get me wrong, but there is just something awesome about deploying your 5 little friends and watching them rip apart your enemies while you fly away! My only concern about this plan of mine is this: Every time I go to start a plan for what is "in" it gets nerfed or altered to the point where it is no longer viable or gets heavily over shadowed by something else. The hybrid changes of Retribution comes to mind. But I am definitely going to milk sentry boats and all drone boats for that matter while I can! Beware pilots of New Eden! The Ishtar cometh!!
Now on to command ships. The changes to them were amazing. I especially like that I can fly any of them with out the respective cruiser skill at 5, that ALL of them can use 3 links at any given time, and that they all have race specific dual bonuses. Unfortunately, I feel that I am missing out on their true purpose by flying them without links. I know that eventually I will want to take out the 6+ months of skilling up for Leadership skills, but I just don't see myself doing that this year. I do love the utility slots and that they still do excellent DPS.
What I do see myself doing is Dreads. Being in w-space means escalation sites and we always need more dread pilots! Someday after I have a large enough isk cushion I wish to delve into Sov Warfare, and piloting dreads and carriers will definitely help with entry into those alliances. But I am getting ahead of myself. Bob willing, that will be years away!
Now what all comes from this depends on future expansions and weapon/ship balances that come with them. Other things on my agenda for this year are all cruisers 5, HAC/Logi/Recon 5, Interdictors 5, cruise/torps 5, and all medium weapon systems 5(with their specializations).
So here is to 2014 and enjoying Eve and the new things I will be able to in it! I hope to see you all in space, preferably in my Sentries cross hairs! Remember it isn't personal, just fun!
Fly Dangerously my friends! o7
EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot about Interceptors!!! I will post an update about them here soon after I have tested them out! I happen to have bought 10 of each and have them fitted up in variable ways. So maybe now I have an Interceptor project instead of a rifter project!(RIP Rifters :( )
Now where to start. This is one of the fun conundrums of Eve;how to plan your skills. As ships and weapons systems get balanced it inevitably pushes us to switch things around to compensate. There are so many aspects of the game I wish to explore on my main character, and at the same time my alt covers the ships I don't fly on my main. Black Ops, Caps, full leadership skills. I'll come back to this point later in the post.
First off I am going to touch on a couple things I apparently missed out on in the last six months that I wish to eventually skill into. One is Command Ships (which I can fly, however, I can't use links so therefore feel I am limiting their potential) and the other is Sentry drone boats, mainly the Ishtar. Now I have been meaning to skill up and max out most of my drone skills for a couple years now and something always seems to come up. Finally I have found the time to queue them up and get them where I want them! In the mean time I am using faction drones and let me tell you...I LOVE the Ishtar. I have always been in love with the concept of drone boats, and now in a few short months I will be able to maximize their abilities!!! I strongly recommend if there are any newer pilots reading this to take a look at them. Guns are fun don't get me wrong, but there is just something awesome about deploying your 5 little friends and watching them rip apart your enemies while you fly away! My only concern about this plan of mine is this: Every time I go to start a plan for what is "in" it gets nerfed or altered to the point where it is no longer viable or gets heavily over shadowed by something else. The hybrid changes of Retribution comes to mind. But I am definitely going to milk sentry boats and all drone boats for that matter while I can! Beware pilots of New Eden! The Ishtar cometh!!
Now on to command ships. The changes to them were amazing. I especially like that I can fly any of them with out the respective cruiser skill at 5, that ALL of them can use 3 links at any given time, and that they all have race specific dual bonuses. Unfortunately, I feel that I am missing out on their true purpose by flying them without links. I know that eventually I will want to take out the 6+ months of skilling up for Leadership skills, but I just don't see myself doing that this year. I do love the utility slots and that they still do excellent DPS.
What I do see myself doing is Dreads. Being in w-space means escalation sites and we always need more dread pilots! Someday after I have a large enough isk cushion I wish to delve into Sov Warfare, and piloting dreads and carriers will definitely help with entry into those alliances. But I am getting ahead of myself. Bob willing, that will be years away!
Now what all comes from this depends on future expansions and weapon/ship balances that come with them. Other things on my agenda for this year are all cruisers 5, HAC/Logi/Recon 5, Interdictors 5, cruise/torps 5, and all medium weapon systems 5(with their specializations).
So here is to 2014 and enjoying Eve and the new things I will be able to in it! I hope to see you all in space, preferably in my Sentries cross hairs! Remember it isn't personal, just fun!
Fly Dangerously my friends! o7
EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot about Interceptors!!! I will post an update about them here soon after I have tested them out! I happen to have bought 10 of each and have them fitted up in variable ways. So maybe now I have an Interceptor project instead of a rifter project!(RIP Rifters :( )
Monday, December 23, 2013
2013 in a nutshell...it sucked!
So I know I had posted a "Returning to New Eden" post back in January, and while I fully intended to be back full time, that little thing called real life kicked me right in the you know what. This is a run down of my year and what I look forward to in 2014!
So we will start off with Eve and go on from there. Earlier this year I made the heart wrenching decision to leave Agony Unleashed and search out a different avenue of play within New Eden. Due to my divorce (more on that later) and some personal issues, I just didn't have the time to not only devote to Agony but to continue my isk streams so I could continue making ships go boom and lose mine in the process.So what does one with time and isk constraints do? Look into Wormholes of course!!! I have been a member of Future Corps of the Sleeper Social Club now for almost 11 months. W-space is definitely different and it has helped my wallet(and my killboard) grow. I have been on my first capital ship Killmail here, lost my first T3, and made some good new friends. As this blog continues to grow I will posting my adventures (obviously leaving out secure details), ship fit ideas, fleet doctrine ideas, and general nonsense from here on out!
This doesn't mean I am done with my FC series. While I am insanely rusty at FCing and pvp in general, once I am back on my feet in w-space and in FCing I will continue that post. I have a ton to catch up on over two expansions and also getting my skills up to snuff.
So now that we have delved over Eve and my return, now on to what caused my absence. As some of you may or may not remember my Dad passed away last December and I got divorced very shortly thereafter. Th loss of my emotional support and the wall I always leaned on when times were tough sent me into a deep depression. Between that and the financial woes of being divorced and have child support to pay I didn't have the money OR the motivation to put into Eve (more the money for subbing) I know I could have used plex on my accounts, but I just didn't have the desire at the time. This depression almost cost me everything I had, my new girlfriend (more into her next paragraph), my job and my kids. I managed to lose almost 40lbs though not eating and stress. I haven't weighed under 220lbs since my sophomore year of high school..and let me tell ya, that was some time ago! My peak drop was 189lbs but thankfully I am back up to around 210 due to hitting the gym hard in the last month and a half. My salvation came from a most unlikely place as well. Not my band, not my boss or co workers, and not my kids. But from someone I had been friends with for a few years and had been there for me every step of the way. When I was at my absolute lowest and most had given up on me or stepped away from the situation, she stepped in and picked me up and held me and promised me everything would be okay.
Toryn and I met back in 2011 at a Spineshank concert that my band was opening for. A mutual friend had invited her to the show and the rest is kinda history. We hit it off as friends like none other. Our personalities, likes and dislikes, musical tastes, sports preferences, movies choices, and senses of humor made for a very epic and awesome combo. She quickly became one of my closest friends. After the divorce I realized that chances come once in a lifetime. My ex wife and I knew for years that divorce was inevitable, but ignored it due to our children. The last 10 months of dating Toryn have been a godsend and a blessing like non other. We recently moved in with each other,, nullifying most of my stress over losing my house to the bank, and what my kids were going to be able to do when visiting me. It has pulled so many burdens off of both of us and allowed me to regain who I once was and gain back that light of life in my eyes and the smile on my face...it has also allowed me to become financially stable enough to resub to Eve!
Other things I have explored while I was away was League of Legends (I'll make a post about that later this week lol) SWTOR, and the Assassin's Creed line of games. I also worked more on writing music for my band, working on my JDM 180SX Type-X, and trying to avoid stress at all costs.
Even though I normally don't like to get personal with blogs and I know that you, the readers, want to see more Evecentric posts I felt I needed to share with my readers and the community at large what had happened to me This has been a terrible year with the exception of a couple band gigs, my new found love and savior Toryn, and my children. I am excited to be back amongst you all and look forward to seeing you in the comments and in space.
Those of you that have moved on from the game but still read what is happening I will miss you. The influential members of the community that have helped me grow as a pilot I thank you. Gizznit, Rynnik, Glepp, Azoul, Carver, Greygal, maze9, Xrend, Arceris, Eion Xis, Alistone, Ronat, Rake, Sancho and any others I may have missed. You have all had an impact on my career and those that remain will continue to do so. Those that have moved on from the game I will miss you and your contributions, however, know this. That which you have taught me, and everyone else you came in contact with, will stick around for the rest of time in Eve!
Ok enough of a Sobfest. I am back and better than ever. I hope to hear from you guys in the comments below. If you can think of any topics you would like me to write about leave them in the comments as well. I suck with graphics and photo embedding or I would ask Azoul if I could take over his Know Thy Enemy series lol. Remember to share this, subscribe, and spread the word! When new updates are posted I will drop a line on my twitter feed!
Fly dangerously New Eden!
Happy Holidays!
o7
Rylia Szet
So we will start off with Eve and go on from there. Earlier this year I made the heart wrenching decision to leave Agony Unleashed and search out a different avenue of play within New Eden. Due to my divorce (more on that later) and some personal issues, I just didn't have the time to not only devote to Agony but to continue my isk streams so I could continue making ships go boom and lose mine in the process.So what does one with time and isk constraints do? Look into Wormholes of course!!! I have been a member of Future Corps of the Sleeper Social Club now for almost 11 months. W-space is definitely different and it has helped my wallet(and my killboard) grow. I have been on my first capital ship Killmail here, lost my first T3, and made some good new friends. As this blog continues to grow I will posting my adventures (obviously leaving out secure details), ship fit ideas, fleet doctrine ideas, and general nonsense from here on out!
This doesn't mean I am done with my FC series. While I am insanely rusty at FCing and pvp in general, once I am back on my feet in w-space and in FCing I will continue that post. I have a ton to catch up on over two expansions and also getting my skills up to snuff.
So now that we have delved over Eve and my return, now on to what caused my absence. As some of you may or may not remember my Dad passed away last December and I got divorced very shortly thereafter. Th loss of my emotional support and the wall I always leaned on when times were tough sent me into a deep depression. Between that and the financial woes of being divorced and have child support to pay I didn't have the money OR the motivation to put into Eve (more the money for subbing) I know I could have used plex on my accounts, but I just didn't have the desire at the time. This depression almost cost me everything I had, my new girlfriend (more into her next paragraph), my job and my kids. I managed to lose almost 40lbs though not eating and stress. I haven't weighed under 220lbs since my sophomore year of high school..and let me tell ya, that was some time ago! My peak drop was 189lbs but thankfully I am back up to around 210 due to hitting the gym hard in the last month and a half. My salvation came from a most unlikely place as well. Not my band, not my boss or co workers, and not my kids. But from someone I had been friends with for a few years and had been there for me every step of the way. When I was at my absolute lowest and most had given up on me or stepped away from the situation, she stepped in and picked me up and held me and promised me everything would be okay.
Toryn and I met back in 2011 at a Spineshank concert that my band was opening for. A mutual friend had invited her to the show and the rest is kinda history. We hit it off as friends like none other. Our personalities, likes and dislikes, musical tastes, sports preferences, movies choices, and senses of humor made for a very epic and awesome combo. She quickly became one of my closest friends. After the divorce I realized that chances come once in a lifetime. My ex wife and I knew for years that divorce was inevitable, but ignored it due to our children. The last 10 months of dating Toryn have been a godsend and a blessing like non other. We recently moved in with each other,, nullifying most of my stress over losing my house to the bank, and what my kids were going to be able to do when visiting me. It has pulled so many burdens off of both of us and allowed me to regain who I once was and gain back that light of life in my eyes and the smile on my face...it has also allowed me to become financially stable enough to resub to Eve!
Other things I have explored while I was away was League of Legends (I'll make a post about that later this week lol) SWTOR, and the Assassin's Creed line of games. I also worked more on writing music for my band, working on my JDM 180SX Type-X, and trying to avoid stress at all costs.
Even though I normally don't like to get personal with blogs and I know that you, the readers, want to see more Evecentric posts I felt I needed to share with my readers and the community at large what had happened to me This has been a terrible year with the exception of a couple band gigs, my new found love and savior Toryn, and my children. I am excited to be back amongst you all and look forward to seeing you in the comments and in space.
Those of you that have moved on from the game but still read what is happening I will miss you. The influential members of the community that have helped me grow as a pilot I thank you. Gizznit, Rynnik, Glepp, Azoul, Carver, Greygal, maze9, Xrend, Arceris, Eion Xis, Alistone, Ronat, Rake, Sancho and any others I may have missed. You have all had an impact on my career and those that remain will continue to do so. Those that have moved on from the game I will miss you and your contributions, however, know this. That which you have taught me, and everyone else you came in contact with, will stick around for the rest of time in Eve!
Ok enough of a Sobfest. I am back and better than ever. I hope to hear from you guys in the comments below. If you can think of any topics you would like me to write about leave them in the comments as well. I suck with graphics and photo embedding or I would ask Azoul if I could take over his Know Thy Enemy series lol. Remember to share this, subscribe, and spread the word! When new updates are posted I will drop a line on my twitter feed!
Fly dangerously New Eden!
Happy Holidays!
o7
Rylia Szet
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Ahh, How I have missed New Eden!!!
So after a very long absence I have returned to New Eden!!! I am currently going through the culture shock of the changes since Inferno hit to now lol. I am also going through the learning phases of Faction Warfare.
With that I am hitting space :). I will update you all in a couple days as I figure out the new direction of my blog and get caught up with all the current changes in the game. I will also be posting some god AARs of any fights I get as I knock off this damnable rust.
So I hope to see you all sometime soon!!!
Fly Dangerously o7
With that I am hitting space :). I will update you all in a couple days as I figure out the new direction of my blog and get caught up with all the current changes in the game. I will also be posting some god AARs of any fights I get as I knock off this damnable rust.
So I hope to see you all sometime soon!!!
Fly Dangerously o7
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
So You Want To FC, Eh? Part 3 - What Should I Fly?
So I was reading a post on my Corps forums today about HICs ( Heavy Interdictor Cruisers) and saw our CEO likes to FC in them. This made me think about what ships I prefer to fly when I FC(I admit my skills do not give me a giant range of options yet).
Now there isn't a set rule for this, nor should there be. For new FCs though the question remains on what to fly. I am going to go over many of the ships types and the pros and cons of each one. As an FC survivability is #1 priority.
T1 Frigates
Ahh the "lowly" frigate. I think Frigates actually make excellent FCing ships. In T2 frig gangs or even cruiser and bc gangs, the T1 frigate will rarely if ever be primaried and will probably be the last one to go(unless you get to close to something). This gives you free range of movement on grid to be able to call targets and keep a close eye on what is happening around you. Here comes the surprise. The Tristan, Rifter and Merlin, although excellent ships, do real good dps(for a frig) and can be tanked well, thus making them targets. Not to say that they will get targeted over say an ishkur, jag, or taranis, but the risk is there.
Assault Ships
AFs are amazing all around combat ships. They can fit a respectable tank, put out excellent dps, and can all be fit a myriad of ways. This makes them a real good choice as a command platform. You will start to notice a pattern here: The ships with the highest dps will probably be primaried in a T2 Frig gang (you may luck out in ther gang types) so the Wolf, Ishkur, Enyo, Hawk, and Harpy wouldn't make the best...even though they certainly are doable!. I, however, recommend the Vengeance and Jaguar. The vengeance can fit a ridiculous tank as can the jag, thus making you more likely to survive if primaried.
Covert Ops
You cannot go wrong with FCing in a ship that cannot be seen, but don't expect too many killmails!(well maybe...more on that in a bit). Covops give you the freedom to move around the battlefield or sit at a distance, thus giving you more focus then a more conventional combat ship. For the newer FC these are excellent for focusing more on the fight then dealing dmg or dying. For the KMwhore type, you can either use a stealth bomber or battle fit your covops. A battle fit covops, so long as there is a covops cloak, wont hinder you at all since you are not scouting.. Definitely one of my fav picks.
Interceptors
Inties are a gray area. They are fast and agile, but lack tank. Also due to their unique roles are often popped first. I will leave this one up to Pilot discretion as it will be heavily reliant on pilot skill
Cruisers
I am going to go ahead and throw all cruisers into this category. Cruisers make excellent ships to FC from with three exceptions: The High DPS output ships, Logistics, and the EWAR Platforms(some not all).
However, there are several Cruisers that can stay at range or fit a ridiculous tank. Both the Maller and the Vexor can fit ridiculous armor buffer tanks, the Maller more so. This gives you the staying power you need to stay on the field.
The Caracal, Moa, Cerberus, Eagle, Ishtar, Muninn, and Zealot can all hang out at super long ranges if sniper fit. They can also chill at medium range to keep a better eye on the field. Just be cautious...some of them have high dps outputs or shiny prices so can easily be called primary.
HICs-All of the Heavy Interdictors can fit substantial tanks. That combined with their mobile nature gives you free reign of the battlefield. That and you don't have to worry about calling bubble up, as you are the bubble! This makes them excellent, and popular, FC vessels.
Recons- This one is iffy. They do not fit substantial tanks, that and their utility that you have to juggle can make it complicated. Once again I would say this one be left up to pilot skill in FCing and multitasking.
Strategic Cruisers- My only beef is that they are bling...and therefore highly sought after KMs. However, all of the T3 cruisers can fit MASSIVE tanks. This coupled with decent dps output and modest utility make them excellent , albeit, highly expensive Command ships.
Battlecruisers
Ahhh here we are, the battlecruiser. This is one of my personal favorites for FCing. They all can fit good tanks, they have excellent dps output, and can fit Warfare Links to provided added utility. Almost all of the T1 BCs make good choices. The handful of exceptions would be the new Tier 3 BCs and the Brutix. The former have paper tanks and extreme dps output. The are best used as snipers or alpha ships, and thus will find themselves warping off of the field alot if chased. The Brutix's reputation as an extreme dps ship usually gets it primaried first( I know as it is one of my favorite ships :P).
Command Ships- The T2 BCs are the creme de la creme of FC boats. Massive tanks and boosts on the Fleet variants, and good tanks and high dps on the Field variants. Other than their price, you cannot really go wrong here.
Battleships
The Battleship is an iffy subject. They are only optimal in a fleet of BS or higher(capitals and what not). I do not recommend them for any smaller gang comp, as you will probably be the first to go down.
So.......
In closing it really comes down to flying what you are comfortable in, sizing the ship appropriately to the fleet type (don't bring a BS or BC to an all frig gang for example), and survivability(yeah other people can pick up when you go down, but it helps to try and have as much staying power as possible). So go out and have some fun. Do not be afraid to experiment to find out what works best for you. Above all else, I reiterate, fly what you are most comfortable in, and only what you can afford to lose!
Until next time have fun, fly dangerously, and see you out in New Eden!
Now there isn't a set rule for this, nor should there be. For new FCs though the question remains on what to fly. I am going to go over many of the ships types and the pros and cons of each one. As an FC survivability is #1 priority.
T1 Frigates
Ahh the "lowly" frigate. I think Frigates actually make excellent FCing ships. In T2 frig gangs or even cruiser and bc gangs, the T1 frigate will rarely if ever be primaried and will probably be the last one to go(unless you get to close to something). This gives you free range of movement on grid to be able to call targets and keep a close eye on what is happening around you. Here comes the surprise. The Tristan, Rifter and Merlin, although excellent ships, do real good dps(for a frig) and can be tanked well, thus making them targets. Not to say that they will get targeted over say an ishkur, jag, or taranis, but the risk is there.
Assault Ships
AFs are amazing all around combat ships. They can fit a respectable tank, put out excellent dps, and can all be fit a myriad of ways. This makes them a real good choice as a command platform. You will start to notice a pattern here: The ships with the highest dps will probably be primaried in a T2 Frig gang (you may luck out in ther gang types) so the Wolf, Ishkur, Enyo, Hawk, and Harpy wouldn't make the best...even though they certainly are doable!. I, however, recommend the Vengeance and Jaguar. The vengeance can fit a ridiculous tank as can the jag, thus making you more likely to survive if primaried.
Covert Ops
You cannot go wrong with FCing in a ship that cannot be seen, but don't expect too many killmails!(well maybe...more on that in a bit). Covops give you the freedom to move around the battlefield or sit at a distance, thus giving you more focus then a more conventional combat ship. For the newer FC these are excellent for focusing more on the fight then dealing dmg or dying. For the KMwhore type, you can either use a stealth bomber or battle fit your covops. A battle fit covops, so long as there is a covops cloak, wont hinder you at all since you are not scouting.. Definitely one of my fav picks.
Interceptors
Inties are a gray area. They are fast and agile, but lack tank. Also due to their unique roles are often popped first. I will leave this one up to Pilot discretion as it will be heavily reliant on pilot skill
Cruisers
I am going to go ahead and throw all cruisers into this category. Cruisers make excellent ships to FC from with three exceptions: The High DPS output ships, Logistics, and the EWAR Platforms(some not all).
However, there are several Cruisers that can stay at range or fit a ridiculous tank. Both the Maller and the Vexor can fit ridiculous armor buffer tanks, the Maller more so. This gives you the staying power you need to stay on the field.
The Caracal, Moa, Cerberus, Eagle, Ishtar, Muninn, and Zealot can all hang out at super long ranges if sniper fit. They can also chill at medium range to keep a better eye on the field. Just be cautious...some of them have high dps outputs or shiny prices so can easily be called primary.
HICs-All of the Heavy Interdictors can fit substantial tanks. That combined with their mobile nature gives you free reign of the battlefield. That and you don't have to worry about calling bubble up, as you are the bubble! This makes them excellent, and popular, FC vessels.
Recons- This one is iffy. They do not fit substantial tanks, that and their utility that you have to juggle can make it complicated. Once again I would say this one be left up to pilot skill in FCing and multitasking.
Strategic Cruisers- My only beef is that they are bling...and therefore highly sought after KMs. However, all of the T3 cruisers can fit MASSIVE tanks. This coupled with decent dps output and modest utility make them excellent , albeit, highly expensive Command ships.
Battlecruisers
Ahhh here we are, the battlecruiser. This is one of my personal favorites for FCing. They all can fit good tanks, they have excellent dps output, and can fit Warfare Links to provided added utility. Almost all of the T1 BCs make good choices. The handful of exceptions would be the new Tier 3 BCs and the Brutix. The former have paper tanks and extreme dps output. The are best used as snipers or alpha ships, and thus will find themselves warping off of the field alot if chased. The Brutix's reputation as an extreme dps ship usually gets it primaried first( I know as it is one of my favorite ships :P).
Command Ships- The T2 BCs are the creme de la creme of FC boats. Massive tanks and boosts on the Fleet variants, and good tanks and high dps on the Field variants. Other than their price, you cannot really go wrong here.
Battleships
The Battleship is an iffy subject. They are only optimal in a fleet of BS or higher(capitals and what not). I do not recommend them for any smaller gang comp, as you will probably be the first to go down.
So.......
In closing it really comes down to flying what you are comfortable in, sizing the ship appropriately to the fleet type (don't bring a BS or BC to an all frig gang for example), and survivability(yeah other people can pick up when you go down, but it helps to try and have as much staying power as possible). So go out and have some fun. Do not be afraid to experiment to find out what works best for you. Above all else, I reiterate, fly what you are most comfortable in, and only what you can afford to lose!
Until next time have fun, fly dangerously, and see you out in New Eden!
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