EVE Online Collectible Battleship Models are coming!

Ever since I first laid eyes on one of EVE's ship, I've wanted to have a scale model version of one. That was over 5 years ago, but today, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Today, the EVE Online Store is being shutdown to make place for a new and improved store, and in the process, CCP will finally be introducing Collectible Battleship Models for each of the 4 races.

I first came upon this story when Winterblink wrote a post about some model ship pictures popping up on the Chinese EVE website. Low and behold those rumors were true!

Now, the question is, which one to get? Cause at $125 a piece, these things aren't cheap! Maybe that 15% discount CCP is offering before the end of September will be enough to tempt a few of us.

Getting my wings to fly a Dominix

The 4 screenshots above were taken after I picked up my Dominix, which was build by our Manufacture & Production division, a few systems out from our headquarter in Badivefi. Man what a beautiful ship she is.

I've had a Dominix Blue Print Copy (BPC) for a few months now, but never actually requested that one be built. I neither had the skills ready to fly one, nor the rank to do so within my corp, PPL. But I wanted to, man did I want to.

So after joining Phalanx Division, I worked on my required skills in order to qualify for Gallente Battleships. You see, the Labs is an amazing corporation with an amazing set of people, dedicated to EVE. A stroll through our site will quickly convince you of the professionalism and dedication that's involved. And that's only part of the story. PPL members have their own dedicated website, which is used for all internal matters, including character development.

Because, in order to qualify for specific duties, you have to meet the corps minimum skill sets and level. In the case of being approved to pilot a Gallente Battleship, there are 45 skills required, at various level. Now that doesn't mean that you can't fly a Gallente Battleship if you don't have all theses skills, but in order to fly them with efficiency, you need the right skill set. And PPL's Board expects nothing else, hence, you better meet the requirements.
As most EVE pilots, I used to use EVE skill tools (EVEMon and ECM) on a daily basis in order to navigate the complexities of EVE Online's multitude of skill books. But that is no longer required. I simply look at what I'd like to do, or pilot, or control, and complete the list of skills that are required by PPL. There are qualifications for manufacturing, drones, science, Tech I and Tech II (over 30 Qualification categories in all).

In addition to Gallente Battleship training, I'm also looking to complete Drone training up to the level of a Drone Commander. But before I get there, I still have to complete my BS training, and that means training 2 more skills: Surgical Strikes and Large Hybrid Turret - the last 2 of 45 skills! I have a few days still remaining.

It's almost overwhelming to pilot such a ship for someone who has always in cruisers. How the hell do I set-up that ship? I've looked at dozens of threads on the EVE forums, trying to find the right 'Dominix set-up'. No small task, believe me.

Anyways, until I've completed those two last skill training, I'll continue flying my Vexor (with the new set-up). That should give me enough time to continue my research on the Dominix set-up, and find a good one that will match both the ship's capabilities, and my style of piloting.

I'll keep you posted, but if you've got any suggestions on a good set-up, then please post a comment to let me know.

Battlestar Galactica: Reach for a Battlestar

Speaking of Battlestar Galactica, head over to scifi.com for an interesting article on how the show is (or isn't) true to the physical laws of the universe, compared to its older predecessor: "Science in the new Battlestar galactica and why smart people like BSG".

Goes to show you that sometimes, being consistent with reality, makes for a great show, still.