It had to happen sooner or later - my first PvP encounter

[Stealthie]

Maybe I'm being too optimistic, here, but is there anything BGS-related going on in the system that those 2 were involved in - trying to secure the system for some faction or something?

Or can we assume they were just waving their space-todgers around?

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Maybe I'm being too optimistic, here, but is there anything BGS-related going on in the system that those 2 were involved in - trying to secure the system for some faction or something?

Or can we assume they were just waving their space-todgers around?

Todgers. Definitely todger territory.

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Not my idea of fun (sounds like you did though), but different folks different strokes. These 'examples' just re-enforce my reasoning for staying out of Open.

I wouldn't say it was the sort of fun I'd go looking for regularly (PvP just isn't my thing, I suck at it) but I have to admit it was a far cry from the average "Harr, my beauty!" NPC pirate

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Nice story and nice moves.

Not sure there was a need to scoop the second time; as every second counts.

That's my Explorer mindset. It's beyond a mere habit, it's now down at the instinct level. Thanks for the advice on the DC though.

 

[Cmdr BrinBrown]

Right on Commander!
+Rep to OP
BB

 

[Noctover]

Bound to happen eventually Grey, i know you play in Open often. Kudos to you for sticking with it, coming back in Open rather than switching to Solo for the return leg, and it sounds like they didnt get the blood they were after but you certainly got some adrenaline .

Well played .

 

[Riverside]

Good story, well told

A lack of ego & a little experience go a long way, it's easy to panic in these circumstances. If you struggle to get out of effective range, jousting whilst charging the fsd (keep weapons stowed obviously) can help you avoid incoming fire. You only need to line up at the last moment.

 

[micky1984]

(Title should end with 'my first PvP encounter'. Not sure what happened there. I blame the iPad. Any mods around that could tweak it?)

I've been running missions out of Bluford Orbital in LHS 3447, just gaining cash and Fed rank. I've gotten used to seeing the occasional hollow square and sending out a greeting, sometime getting one in return. It was nice. It was pleasant. It was civilised.

I'd become complacent.

Returning last night, holds empty, I jumped back into LHS 3447, scooped, and altered course for the Orbital. I saw a few more hollows than normal and idly cycled through them, expecting the usual mix of Sideys and Cobras.

A Federal Corvette.

"Hmmmm," thinks I, "Ok. Nothing to be alarmed about. I've traded greetings with Anacondas before, and a Corvette is just a sort of Anaconda++, right?"

Right. Also wrong.

Three things I noticed in quick succession: He was wanted. He was in a wing. And he was altering course towards me. I mentally filed these facts under "not good".

Being the cautious sort of chap I am I dialled up a local star, just in case things didn't quite go as cordially as I was hoping...

Interdiction.

Submit. Pips to engines. Boost. Boost. Boost!

"Leave system" comes over the comms, as my shields were taking a hammering.

"Suits me," I think. So I jump to my safe system.

But I'm not leaving it at that. Bluford is my home, dammit, and I'm not going to be blocked from it by some peckerhead in a flying extension.

Scoop. Recharge shields.

Jump.

Scoop again. Check out the local area. Seems quiet enough, so I can either do this quietly, or...

[To LOCAL]: I'm baaaaaack!

Ok, that was childish but I'm like that sometimes. I knew this had a really, really good chance of going pear-shaped, but I never fly without rebuy and besides, I'm curious.

Sure enough, CMDR Bawbag (not his real name) shows up again, but I've actually made it most of the way to Bluford, so I might just be able to...no.

Interdiction.

Submit. Pips. Boosty boosty boost boost, try to low-wake. Can't. Mass locked.

"Oh dear," I thought (or words to that effect).

Shields low. Gaining some distance from him, but still not quite enough for the FSD to do the low-wake boogie.

Shields offline. Hull taking damage.

"This is turning out distinctly sub-optimal," I think, or, again, words to that effect.

"Leave system". Not this time, laddie.

Hull down to 49% and the FSD finally gets its act together and low-wakes me out.

I burn space to Bluford and crash-stop, luckily timing it right. I have rarely been so pleased to see the place.

But it's not quite over.

Submit docking request. Throttle back. Docking computer takes over. I sit back and start to relax, and idly take a look around.

Hollow square.

In front of me.

Blocking the entrance.

CMDR Bawbag's friend, CMDR Numpty (also not his real name) in an FAS and, I think, trying to make me do something that the Station would blow me out of space for.

So I take over from the docking computer and execute a rather nifty little dip and roll, going under CMDR Numpty's hull, slight clash of shields and...I'm in.

[To CMDR Numpty]: Idiot.



So, that was it. My first PvP encounter, provided you count repeated "Brave Sir Robin" manoeuvres as PvP.

PvP is still something I don't want, but I have to admit that Holy Balls it was exhilarating.



Post mortem:

Things I did right:
Submitting. Boosting. Having a high-wake option on speed dial. Getting lucky on the crash-stop.

Things I did wrong:
Forgetting I had chaff that I could have deployed. Not even attempting FA off.

so the event that provided you with the need to think! and the probable best experience of this game you didn't want that sums up the average player base of this game and why its a misguided concept

 

[Spacecat]

Good job cmdr. But I recommend getting out of LHS 3447. There are better systems to run missions out of, that don't require an annoying 10,000 ls trip every time.

 

[grimreaper]

good job pilot, cool head, logical thinking made a survivable escape. kudo's to you sir!

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Good job cmdr. But I recommend getting out of LHS 3447. There are better systems to run missions out of, that don't require an annoying 10,000 ls trip every time.

That's why I base myself out if Bluford - it's only 2,000ls rather than the 90,000 odd for Worlidge

 

[Pyrobee]

Good read. In your post-mortem, I don't see how FA Off would have helped you at all.

You slow down quicker from a boost with FA on and with FA off it's easier to make your course a bit more erratic.

 

[Arry]

I had a little encounter in Cubeo yesterday.

I saw some strange chat in local and thought nothing of it a player talking about, 'paddling'? There were about 4 or 5 hollow squares in the system and nothing behind me as I headed for one of the mid-ranged stations, when suddenly I was being pulled by a Clipper in a wing of three. Within seconds I worked out I could not win the Blue circle game and so submitted; only to find said Clipper right in front of me when I dropped. No conversation, just pew pew. I hit the hostile button and that was a Vulture and there were 3 pips on the radar and pack hounds all over the place. I did not even get my FDL to top speed with boosting and it was all over.

Re-Buy. I was two systems away and so came back, getting to Cubeo, I pointed my nose straight up, again saw some local going on about 'paddling' and so hi waked out to a closer system. Refuelled, went into SC and cranked up the speed to about 250Lys and then jumped back into Cubeo, straight up again for about 2 mins, worked out where my station was and keeping that hi wake option locked, came back down again towards the station. Saw the same 'paddling' chat on the comms just before I dropped for the station, but all the hollow squares were far enough away, not to matter.

I do find it a bit strange that I got pulled when I know there was nothing behind me; it was like the red hollow triangle appeared behind me, after the blue circle game started. Also I can't explain how the whole wing was that close to me when I dropped.

I know I should have made myself more aware of the hollow squares were doing in the system. Which I did on my return, but I guess I was getting complacent with the friendliness I had found in Cubeo lately.

 

[jasonbarron]

I had a little encounter in Cubeo yesterday.

I saw some strange chat in local and thought nothing of it a player talking about, 'paddling'? There were about 4 or 5 hollow squares in the system and nothing behind me as I headed for one of the mid-ranged stations, when suddenly I was being pulled by a Clipper in a wing of three. Within seconds I worked out I could not win the Blue circle game and so submitted; only to find said Clipper right in front of me when I dropped. No conversation, just pew pew. I hit the hostile button and that was a Vulture and there were 3 pips on the radar and pack hounds all over the place. I did not even get my FDL to top speed with boosting and it was all over.

Re-Buy. I was two systems away and so came back, getting to Cubeo, I pointed my nose straight up, again saw some local going on about 'paddling' and so hi waked out to a closer system. Refuelled, went into SC and cranked up the speed to about 250Lys and then jumped back into Cubeo, straight up again for about 2 mins, worked out where my station was and keeping that hi wake option locked, came back down again towards the station. Saw the same 'paddling' chat on the comms just before I dropped for the station, but all the hollow squares were far enough away, not to matter.

I do find it a bit strange that I got pulled when I know there was nothing behind me; it was like the red hollow triangle appeared behind me, after the blue circle game started. Also I can't explain how the whole wing was that close to me when I dropped.

I know I should have made myself more aware of the hollow squares were doing in the system. Which I did on my return, but I guess I was getting complacent with the friendliness I had found in Cubeo lately.

If you go to a popular system in Mobius all of the hollow squares swarming in your direction are just coming over to say "Hi buddy!" and maybe give you the ED equivalent of a hi-five. If you go to a popular system in Open, all of the hollow squares swarming in your direction are each vying for a spot in line to "paddle" you

 

[Arry]

If you go to a popular system in Mobius all of the hollow squares swarming in your direction are just coming over to say "Hi buddy!" and maybe give you the ED equivalent of a hi-five. If you go to a popular system in Open, all of the hollow squares swarming in your direction are each vying for a spot in line to "paddle" you

I do keep thinking about applying to Mobius; but I understand it is getting a bit full and un-managerble, even possibly a waiting list. I do like open, but as you say; where the crowds are, it is getting a bit predictable. I have to say, that the vast majority of my encounters have been sensible with even a bit of role play sometimes, it is the senseless PKs running around in groups, that spoil things.

 

[DaveB]

If you go to a popular system in Mobius all of the hollow squares swarming in your direction are just coming over to say "Hi buddy!" and maybe give you the ED equivalent of a hi-five. If you go to a popular system in Open, all of the hollow squares swarming in your direction are each vying for a spot in line to "paddle" you

Well that's a bit of an overgeneralization, but it is fair to say that the more well-traveled a system is, the more likely it is that hollow blips in open have unpleasant intentions. in not-so-popular systems the majority of cmdrs you meet, even in open, are fine. However, Pepe-le-pewpew doesn't want to wait for an audience to his e-todger waving so he goes to the more frequented spots and Cubeo is a fairly popular system. It's like the guy in the overcompensated rice-burner revving it at the traffic lights. If he does it when nobody is around to watch it's only because he's imagining the kind of admiring audience he thinks he ought to have rather than the eyerolling he actually gets from real people.

 

[jasonbarron]

Well that's a bit of an overgeneralization, but it is fair to say that the more well-traveled a system is, the more likely it is that hollow blips in open have unpleasant intentions. in not-so-popular systems the majority of cmdrs you meet, even in open, are fine. However, Pepe-le-pewpew doesn't want to wait for an audience to his e-todger waving so he goes to the more frequented spots and Cubeo is a fairly popular system. It's like the guy in the overcompensated rice-burner revving it at the traffic lights. If he does it when nobody is around to watch it's only because he's imagining the kind of admiring audience he thinks he ought to have rather than the eyerolling he actually gets from real people.

I daresay the last couple of CG's I've been to, including the current one in Gandii, if you see a bunch of hollow squares I can pretty much guarantee they'll all begin swarming in your direction with unkind intentions

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I do keep thinking about applying to Mobius; but I understand it is getting a bit full and un-managerble, even possibly a waiting list. I do like open, but as you say; where the crowds are, it is getting a bit predictable. I have to say, that the vast majority of my encounters have been sensible with even a bit of role play sometimes, it is the senseless PKs running around in groups, that spoil things.

Sometimes I'm in the mood for one thing, sometimes I'm in the mood for another. I like to fight, so usually that means I can be found stalking CZ's either looking for 1 v 1's with other like minded CMDR's, or at others I find it to be outrageous fun to go in 1 v 4 against the gank squads for some guerilla warfare hit and run type action. Mobius PvE still has room I believe; I'm part of that group though I rarely use it.

 

[DaveB]

I daresay the last couple of CG's I've been to, including the current one in Gandii, if you see a bunch of hollow squares I can pretty much guarantee they'll all begin swarming in your direction with unkind intentions

At a CG in open? and a swarm of "hollow men" heading your way? Oh yeah. "Doc Dave" prescribes a massive dose of "git gone". Stat. That would have the solar wind under my tail in a BIG hurry. If I were fitted for it I might take a poke at one or two, but an entire swarm? no way. Evade, evade, evade.

 

[jasonbarron]

At a CG in open? and a swarm of "hollow men" heading your way? Oh yeah. "Doc Dave" prescribes a massive dose of "git gone". Stat. That would have the solar wind under my tail in a BIG hurry. If I were fitted for it I might take a poke at one or two, but an entire swarm? no way. Evade, evade, evade.

What it reminds me of at a CG in Open is when my daughter feeds her fish she opens the lid to the tank and they all kind of gather in anticipation, and when she starts to shake out the food they all just make a run for the first flake or two that drops out of the shaker, 10-15 of the hungry little guys all fighting over that first scrap. This is how I feel when I go to a CZ nowadays, a little scrap of fish food

 

[Spacecat]

What it reminds me of at a CG in Open is when my daughter feeds her fish she opens the lid to the tank and they all kind of gather in anticipation, and when she starts to shake out the food they all just make a run for the first flake or two that drops out of the shaker, 10-15 of the hungry little guys all fighting over that first scrap. This is how I feel when I go to a CZ nowadays, a little scrap of fish food

The last trade CG was pretty uneventful for me. I didn't get interdicted once. I expect that to change once beta is over though.