EVE Blog Banter #14: A beginning is a very delicate time...

Welcome to the fourteenth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by none other than me, CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

The first banter of 2010 comes to us from the EVE Blog Father, in which I ask the following: As we begin another year in New Eden, ask yourselves "What Now?" What will I attempt next? What haven't I done so far in EVE? Was it out fear, funds, or knowledge? Have I always wanted to start my own corporation, but have never dared doing so? Is there a fledging mercenary waiting to come out of its shell? Or maybe an Industrialist? What steps and objectives will I set myself to accomplish in order to reach my ultimate goal for this year? EVE is what you make of it. So, what is it going to be for you?

Beginning anew. Well sort of. You see, 2009 wasn't the best of year for my career as a capsuleer. Not that I did not a lack of motivation or a will to try out new things. But circumstances outside of New Eden forced me to put aside most if not all of these goals and for the better part of the year I, for lack of a better word, stagnated. Literally.

I feel out of touch with the game. That might sound funny to some of you, but it's a fact I've had to come to grips with. I'm like one of these ol'war vets who due to some traumatic event, have lost all acquired abilities. Or maybe I'm just outdated, following the last few expansions.

But 2010 will see this situation change. If I may remind you of a post I made back in May of last year, this fellow capsuleer is going to start living in the shadows. As a carebear, I spend most of my time trying to avoid conflicts and dreading that sound you here when your ship is being acquired as a target. No more. This stops today!

So, I've finally completed the Phoenix Labs minimum skill prerequisites and can now start to train the necessary skills to become the Covert Operative that is hiding somewhere under the thick blubberry fur of this carebear.

Now having such a goal is fine and dandy, but I'll need to discuss my role within PPL and see how the Executives have in mind for me. Remember, "Corp is Mother!".

I plan to report over the next few weeks and throughout the next year, my progress, my achievements and my failures in the process.

Please bare with me!

List of Participants:

1. CrazyKinux's Musing - A beginning is a very delicate time...
2. The Wandering Druid of Tranquility - Words, words, words…
3. My God It's Full of Stars - What Now?
4. The Elitist - Plans for 112yc
5. Into the unknown with gun and camera - Show me the money
6. Ecliptic Rift - Enabling the future
7. Inanity and Doom - New Year's Resolutions, New Eden Style
8. Break Vol - Blog Banter #14
9. Guns Ablaze - What Now?
10. Adventures in Mission Running - The Way Forward
11. Diary of a Pod Pilot - Things I want to do
12. Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah - The Year That Will Be
13. Roc's Ramblings - WordPress ate my blog
14. Vive Virtual - Frontier Living
15. A Mule in EVE - Next on the chopping block
16. Prano's Journey - I Peer Into My Crystal Pod...
17. Life in Low Sec - Expanding the Franchise
18. The Light of Stars - Testing the claims of CCP
19. A Memoir From Space - A New Direction
20. The Chronofile - Blog Banter 2010
21. FlashFresh - What now for Flash?
22. EVE Opportunist - Fyreite in 112
23. Mike Azariah - Jiorj
24. Yarrbear Tales - Year in Review
25. The Independant Analyst - The Year Ahead
26. The Travels of Black Claw - Where ma I going?
27. Warp Scrammed - What to do this year
28. Sered's Lives - Searching for directions in 2010
29. Finders & Keepers - New Tears, Same Great Taste
30. The Captain's Log - To Dream of the Future
31. The Lathspell of Mithrandir - Resolutions
32. The Midnight Sun - EVE Blog Banter #14
33. EVE What? - New Heights to be Reached
34. The EVE Chronicles - New Year – New Blog – What a way to start the Year!

[ Delicious Tags: eveblogbanter14 ]

Mr. Invisible: 50 days to Covert Operations!

As I've recently mentioned, I'm currently training to play a different role within Phoenix Labs. I'm also tired of getting stranded in low sec or on the other side of a gate camp. Flying incognito seems like a sexy way of moving around New Eden. Screw the Pirates! :p

Using EVE Mon (@EVEMon), and based on the advice from far more knowledgeable pilots than I, I've put together the following skill plan. This includes the skills needed to fly the best reviewed Helios loadout (as provide in EVE Mon). I've been "informed" by this favorite utility of mine, that I should train some more Learning skills in order to save 5 days of total training. OK, then, but they're still boring skills!

I've put in a request to the Phoenix Labs Corp Request Department, and should be receiving 7 skill books I'm missing. Until I get those, I'm training Electronic Warfare IV. Which finishes in 35 minutes actually, and though I know I've got another skill in my queue, I just can't remember it now. Thank god for the EVE Training Queue! I've been dreaming of that forever!

I'll be able to fly the Helios as a Covert Ops pilot sooner than in the 50 days needed to train all these skills. In a month and a half from now, I'll just be impossible to find! Call me Mr. Invisible!

Anyways, your advice, comments and praises are always welcomed! Here's the 50 day queue:

1. Logic I
2. Focus I
3. Logic II
4. Focus II
5. Logic III
6. Electronics Upgrades V
7. Covert Ops I
8. Gallente Frigate V
9. Jury Rigging I
10. Astrometrics I
11. Minmatar Drone Specialization I
12. Cloaking I
13. Jury Rigging II
14. Astrometrics II
15. Cloaking II
16. Jury Rigging III
17. Electronic Superiority Rigging I
18. Electronic Superiority Rigging II
19. Astrometrics III
20. Electronic Superiority Rigging III
21. Cloaking III
22. Astrometrics IV
23. Astrometric Pinpointing I
24. Astrometric Pinpointing II
25. Astrometric Pinpointing III
26. Cloaking IV
27. Covert Ops II
28. Covert Ops III
29. Covert Ops IV
30. Electronic Warfare IV
31. Astrometric Pinpointing IV
32. Electronic Superiority Rigging IV

32 skills; Total time: 48 days, 21 hours, 49 minutes, 16 seconds; Completion: 6/30/2009

Training for Covert Operations - The Art of Espionnage

I've been playing EVE for almost 5 years now, and in this time, I've done lots with my main (and my only character really). From mining by myself (which I still do) or as part of a corporate operation, to trading across multiple regions, to running missions (3 at a time thank you very much!), even to a fewmedium and large PvP encounters.

Yet, as I mentioned recently in the 7th EVE Blog Banter, there are plenty of things I'd like to try. Amongst them, the art of espionage and covert operations.

In order to reach such a noble goal, I've relied on the expertise of my corporation; finding out what skills I need to train, and to which level. The list below is provided through Phoenix Labs Member Only site. It's a list of the skills needed, according to our in-house experts, in order to perform at the necessary levels.

The ones in bold red are the ones that require further training in order to meet the desired skills of expertise. As you can see, I'll need to request Cloaking and Covert Ops, in order to train them to level 4 each. These will be the ones in my training queue over the next few weeks.

Skills Required for Gallente Covert Op - Frigates
(Skill Required-Level Required-My Current Level)

Electronics ::

• Cloaking-4-0
  
• Electronic Warfare-4-2
  
• Electronics-5-5
  
• Electronics Upgrades-5-4
  
• Long Reange Targeting-4-5
  
• Propulsion Jamming-3-2 (currently in training)
  
• Sensor Linking-3-4
  
• Signature Analysis-3-4
  
• Targeting-3-5
  
• Weapon Disruption-3-2
  

Engineering ::

• Energy Grid Upgrades-3-4
  
• Energy Management-3-4
  
• Engineering-3-5
  

Gunnery ::

• Gunnery -3-5
  
• Small Hybrid Turret-4-5
  

Navigation ::

• Acceleration Control-4-5
  
• Evasive Maneuvering-4-5
  
• Fuel Conservation-4-4
  
• High Speed Maneuvering-4-4
  
• Navigation-4-5
  
• Warp Drive Operation-3-4
  

Spaceship Command ::

• Covert Ops-4-0
  
• Gallente Frigate-5-4
  
• Spaceship Command-3-5
  

I'd be curious to get your opinion on these requirements. Remember that these are not the minumum levels required to actually fly a covert ops frigate. They're meant to be the minimum corporate requirements as Phoenix Labs experts see it.

Do you think that they're adequate? If not, then why? What skills have YOU trained in order to perform as a covert ops pilot? I'd really appreciate to know more.