PSA: Surviving a gank 101

[JetsonRING]

A piece of advice for new CMDRs who insist on flying and dying in OPEN mode:

If you are out there for the purpose of going head-to-head with other human CMDRs in combat, I have no advice. Go for it. See you in Hell (I'll be the one holding the pitchfork). o7
If you are out there for the purpose of trying to accomplish something other than combat, something other than dying, remember this:

Stay On Mission. Run Away!

Discretion is the better part of valor. It is usually better for the new CMDR to run away and live to fight another day. As a new CMDR, almost everyone in the game has more combat experience and a more capable ship than you and chances are, with that cargo rack full of platinum you are not going to get very far in a fight because ganking CMDRs/pirates ships are usually fitted for combat while yours is fitted for hauling cargo/passengers, mining, trading, etc. so learn to evade and escape interdictions, complete your mission. As we say in Florida ... Arrive Alive!

Keep working on increasing those combat skills and when you are ready, when you are in a properly fitted (for combat) ship, go forth and kick azz. o7

 

[Mayan Fury]

Don't know about that. IRL those that cannot play with others are the developmentally stunted ones...

Don't know about that old boy, IRL, those that attack others on sight with no provocation are the ones who cannot play with others and are the real developmentally shunted ones.
much the same in the gaming world.

 

[Hedy]

I'm out here if you want to attempt a gank.

EDSM - Elite Dangerous Star Map

The Galactic Positioning System of Elite: Dangerous at your service.

www.edsm.net

Promise I'll wait.

 

[Morbad]

Don't know about that old boy, IRL, those that attack others on sight with no provocation are the ones who cannot play with others and are the real developmentally shunted ones.
much the same in the gaming world.

By and large, it's not players attacking other players in-game (and when it is, it's harassment, which is already against the rules), it's their fictional characters attacking other fictional characters.

I'd argue that you're taking things far too personally, and are probably ignoring countless possible in-game motives, if you automatically perceive an attack on your CMDR as an attack on you the player.

 

[Rick6549]

Someone blew up my fake video game ship, that means they are a bad person and also meanie heads

 

[Kotuma]

By and large, it's not players attacking other players in-game (and when it is, it's harassment, which is already against the rules), it's their fictional characters attacking other fictional characters.

I'd argue that you're taking things far too personally, and are probably ignoring countless possible in-game motives, if you automatically perceive an attack on your CMDR as an attack on you the player.

Fair, in many cases, and I’ve seen quite a few overreactions on system chat. If someone is legitimately harassing you in the game, the options of blocking them or PG/Solo are right there, no shame at all in making use of those tools to avoid players you don’t want to interact with.

But there are a number of cases where I’ve seen players, rather than their characters, behaving badly. When someone is on a twitch stream talking about how they’re luring an unsuspecting explorer to their doom, they are performing that for an audience and attempting to benefit from the misrepresentations they are making to another human player. Rarely see any RP in these scenarios. Likewise, the seal-clubbing at Deciat isn’t character driven, it is the result of a game mechanic that places a large supply of underprotected ships into a funnel.

I think we can be sophisticated enough as a community to recognize the difference between legit PVP and the either mean-spirited or opportunistic antisocial behaviour that also occurs. It’s okay for people to be upset when other players really are being jerks.

Thanks to OP, by the way, for the resource. Nice collection of tips to forward new players.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

The life of a pvper.. you have to kill someone to make friends with them. That's nice.

 

[Bloodsign]

The life of a pvper.. you have to kill someone to make friends with them. That's nice.

Or be killed, yep.

To sort of answer some thoughts in the last several posts, a lot of the angst involved with "ganking" comes from the fact that every CMDR defines "legitimate PvP" a bit differently and approaches it on different criteria.

I was winged with a comrade a few weeks ago on an op and we were surveying a system. We were hunting anyone with a KWS but letting all other comers pass by. Another CMDR kept trying to interdict me, but not my wingman, solely based on my PP allegiance, which was different from my wingman's.

Just goes to show there's any number of factors involved, as prior CMDRs pointed out: equipment, faction, cargo, activity.

Is indiscriminate killing legitimate PvP too? It certainly can be. "This system is mine, off limits to everyone else!". And at the end of the day, in video games some people definite legitimate as "anything that CAN BE DONE." A lot of gankers have done it all, and ganking is sort of their default boredom outlet. It might not be laudable or likeable, but it's certainly legit.

 

[Phazon Xenomorph]

Sorry OP but Rinzler long had a better explanation (and video to boot!) on how to survive a gank even as a trader which are usually the weakest vessels.

Actually here it is:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh9AWV_BWo0

 

[Demsit]

Don't know about that. IRL those that cannot play with others are the developmentally stunted ones...

I see. So if I want to make friends I grab some strangers stuff without consent and break it. Unprovoked, and not even saying a single word while doing so. Never tried that, but that sounds like a great approach, especially IRL.

I thought being nice was a better approach. Talking and doing things together. But maybe I'm just too simple and slow.


Just for the record: PvP has it's place, even for me. Powerplay, for example. Or combat zones where other commanders join the enemy. But ganking, so things like distant ganks and noob harassment, are nothing but weak, man. Just aimed at destroying the effort of someone for the lulz to give a mindless action meaning and impact. It's never about a few pixels or a ship that I can rebuy, anyways. It's always about the time and effort I had to put into it. The more effort somebody had to put into x - the more he will lose - , the more impact has destroying x, especially when it's easy.

"Yeah, that unshielded exploraconda popped like a poptard. It's just a few million credits, nothing to get upset about. A few pixels. Oh, wait, what? You have been out in the black for a few weeks to gather exploration data and all of that is gone now? Hours and hours of your life, and a few findings that you where very proud of? What a pitty. Well, next time use a shield. And be grateful that i helped you realizing that." Unlikely behavior for a ganker, you say? Distant ganks, I reply.
Or a noob who actually cannot afford the rebuy of his new ship, but was close to finish his mission which would have given him the necessary credits. Unlikely behavior for a ganker you say? Then why the need for starter systems, I reply.

I don't know. PvP is okay. Ganking is not. It's that easy.

 

[M00ka]

Or be killed, yep.

To sort of answer some thoughts in the last several posts, a lot of the angst involved with "ganking" comes from the fact that every CMDR defines "legitimate PvP" a bit differently and approaches it on different criteria.

I was winged with a comrade a few weeks ago on an op and we were surveying a system. We were hunting anyone with a KWS but letting all other comers pass by. Another CMDR kept trying to interdict me, but not my wingman, solely based on my PP allegiance, which was different from my wingman's.

Just goes to show there's any number of factors involved, as prior CMDRs pointed out: equipment, faction, cargo, activity.

Is indiscriminate killing legitimate PvP too? It certainly can be. "This system is mine, off limits to everyone else!". And at the end of the day, in video games some people definite legitimate as "anything that CAN BE DONE." A lot of gankers have done it all, and ganking is sort of their default boredom outlet. It might not be laudable or likeable, but it's certainly legit.

Firstly, why hunt someone with a KWS, is this the new 'no no' excuse to kill someone?

Secondly, yes you are right, ganking is legal but so is menu logging, and working the BGS in solo/PG. Yet both of those are considered KOS crimes by some. Hell I read here often enough that even high waking out is considered a bit of a weak effort, i.e. you are denying some valiant warrior their pixel explosion. Got so say, you PvP guys and girls have a lot of 'rules' lol

 

[Screemonster]

Firstly, why hunt someone with a KWS, is this the new 'no no' excuse to kill someone?

Secondly, yes you are right, ganking is legal but so is menu logging, and working the BGS in solo/PG. Yet both of those are considered KOS crimes by some. Hell I read here often enough that even high waking out is considered a bit of a weak effort, i.e. you are denying some valiant warrior their pixel explosion. Got so say, you PvP guys and girls have a lot of 'rules' lol

I blew someone up just last night because they were bounty hunting while the anarchy faction in the system was at war. They've been turning in hundreds of bounties per day for the last few weeks, the system doesn't even have a res site so they're doing nothing but shuttle runs between the CNB and the station. They're in the process of losing their fourth war in a row and didn't take the hint that maybe if they consistently lose every day in every war then they're messing with someone else's stuff.

Damn right I blew them up.

 

[M00ka]

I blew someone up just last night because they were bounty hunting while the anarchy faction in the system was at war. They've been turning in hundreds of bounties per day for the last few weeks, the system doesn't even have a res site so they're doing nothing but shuttle runs between the CNB and the station. They're in the process of losing their fourth war in a row and didn't take the hint that maybe if they consistently lose every day in every war then they're messing with someone else's stuff.

Damn right I blew them up.

Umm maybe they were just killing baddies and not playing the BGS. In other words, they found a CNB and were having the time of their lives blowing up wanted NPCs and only heading to the station because that is where the majority of bounties could be cashed. They probably didn't even know there was a war on.

You have to understand not everyone takes the game as seriously as you!

 

[Screemonster]

Umm maybe they were just killing baddies and not playing the BGS. In other words, they found a CNB and were having the time of their lives blowing up wanted NPCs and only heading to the station because that is where the majority of bounties could be cashed. They probably didn't even know there was a war on.

You have to understand not everyone takes the game as seriously as you!

.. I've been seeing the person in question on and off for weeks. I'd sometimes see them come from a CZ, damaged. They've consistently ignored comms.

You don't show up and start cashing 120+ bounties a day, every day, for weeks on end, if you're just a casual player "killing baddies". They were running BGS.

 

[M00ka]

.. I've been seeing the person in question on and off for weeks. I'd sometimes see them come from a CZ, damaged. They've consistently ignored comms.

You don't show up and start cashing 120+ bounties a day, every day, for weeks on end, if you're just a casual player "killing baddies". They were running BGS.

Maybe they are grinding to Combat Elite, maybe they just like shooting NPCs. How do you know he is cashing in 120+ bounties a day, did he tell you? Maybe your target is based in an adjacent system but is doing the right thing and not playing in his own front yard. And yes he might be playing the BGS but you really don't know that. Would be quite humorous if it turned out that he was on the same side as you!

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

So my new goal in life is to kill every CMDR in Elite Dangerous at least once. It's gonna be quite the challenge, I'm sure.

Just wanted to say some things though for all my potential future victims out there. Don't make it easy on CMDRs like me if you fly in Open. Here are my thoughts:

1. If you see you are losing an interdiction, don't keep fighting it until you lose. Submit instead, which gives you a better FSD recharge time and better chance to escape. Losing an interdiction is like a CAGE MATCH, and it's what I live for, cuz "I got you all to myself for THREE minutes" or whatever the cool down is.

I never submit to an interdiction.

2. Sometimes you lose an interdiction before you even realize you're losing. Don't give up, keep fighting! You might just survive, or at least make things hard for your attacker. Don't just roll over and die, you wouldn't in real life (I hope).

This isn't real life. In real life I can't walk away and get me a cup of coffee, in Elite I can.

3. If you die, don't get mad, get even. Hey, it's how I got to where I am today. But seriously, most gankers are looking for an experience just like you are. You can learn a lot just by starting a conversation with the CMDR who just killed you. Ask what you could do better. Ask what build they were using. Some of my best ED chats have been with people who just killed me, or whom I just killed.

I try to start a conversation with every CMDR that interdicts me. The last 19 interdictions, I got no response.The average vocabulary of a ganker seems to consist of "pew pew pew". Instead, I go for a cup of coffee.

4. A lot of my victims, whether gankees or serious PvP kills, friend me after, and a lot of gankers will friend victims if impressed by them. It's a great way to open new avenues of the game and also not get ganked as much by that CMDR in the future. In my case, I'm only out to kill everyone once, not extract salt or anything like that. Plus, the LOCATION of your friends can be seen. If you want revenge or to avoid them, keep them on your friends list! I accept every friend request I receive.

I work the other way around. If a CMDR interdicts me and indeed interacts with me through comms, I have found a pearl among swine and will indeed be impressed.

I'm not interested in impressing a CMDR that mindlessly grinds interdictions. I rather go for a cup of coffee.

5. Don't fly without the rebuy. Seriously, learn from 10,000 CMDRs' mistakes before you. You worked hard for that ship, don't risk losing it forever.

I'm like totally 100% tunneling towards you. Coffee?

6. Do your homework if you're flying in Open. Know how to build a ship to be able to survive longer than your FSD cooldown. Know how to build a PvP ship if you are hunting other CMDRs.

Or ... just go for a cup of coffee.

7. Know in advance whether you're going to run or fight if interdicted. Know what your ship can handle and plan accordingly. Spur of the moment bad decisions lead to rebuys.

Why run or fight if you can go for a cup of coffee?

8. Don't fly in Open if you can't handle the risks. There is literally no reason to fly in Open if you're the kind of person who ragequits over being ganked. Because it's an eventuality if you play enough and visit certain areas.

And always have a brew on the go.

 

[M00ka]

I never submit to an interdiction.


This isn't real life. In real life I can't walk away and get me a cup of coffee, in Elite I can.


I try to start a conversation with every CMDR that interdicts me. The last 19 interdictions, I got no response.The average vocabulary of a ganker seems to consist of "pew pew pew". Instead, I go for a cup of coffee.


I work the other way around. If a CMDR interdicts me and indeed interacts with me through comms, I have found a pearl among swine and will indeed be impressed.

I'm not interested in impressing a CMDR that mindlessly grinds interdictions. I rather go for a cup of coffee.


I'm like totally 100% tunneling towards you. Coffee?


Or ... just go for a cup of coffee.


Why run or fight if you can go for a cup of coffee?


And always have a brew on the go.

Drip, expresso, instant or plunger - my bet is expresso, only the best for Ziggy

 

[Stigbob]

I got away from gankers in an e-rated thrusters sidey whilst on my way to slap enhanced thrusters into it, I didn't even follow my own escapology guide I just messed about in the first hostiles blind spot until I started taking fire from elsewhere.

Its probably all been covered already :

Do this

Submit to the interdiction, your cool-down is faster (not applicable to escaping a fight)
As soon as you drop out of super-cruise max pips to engines 2 to shields (max to shields in a shield tank)
Start boosting at full throttle away from the hostile (or back past it if it's a less maneuverable ship than yours)
Spam chaff
Select a nearby system and start your jump (can't be mass-locked)
Evade whilst boosting until you jump
Once you've jumped drop out of super-cruise select another nearby star and jump again (repeat if necessary)
Return to desired course

Do not

Waste time wondering who he is or what he wants (interdiction is hostile)
Waste time talking
Fly without shields
Combat log

One tweak that's worth doing is if you are visiting somewhere dangerous like Shinrarta, engineers or CG's set your jump route through the target system and out the other side. That way you only need to hit "next target in route" to get a high wake destination instead of opening the nav panel.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Been playing Barotraume recently quite a lot. Multicrew submarine in 2D side-view. Prone to griefing. And yet, it barely happens in the lobbies I visit. It's probably too niche for large troll audiences and players can be kicked. I mean, it kinda is an essential feature to weed out cheaters and griefers - yet many big games seem to edge away from such basic control features and you just end up being cheater and griefer fuel.

 

[Stigbob]

Been playing Barotraume recently quite a lot. Multicrew submarine in 2D side-view. Prone to griefing. And yet, it barely happens in the lobbies I visit. It's probably too niche for large troll audiences and players can be kicked. I mean, it kinda is an essential feature to weed out cheaters and griefers - yet many big games seem to edge away from such basic control features and you just end up being cheater and griefer fuel.

That's why ED has block. No need for FDEV to waste time on an issue they already allow us to fix ourselves, cheats are different but they deal with that through bans.