On the path to Damnation
28th August 2009 – 5.14 pmI am convinced that I need Damnation. Well, a Damnation, the Amarr command ship, for wormhole engineers fleet operations. Apparently, the bonuses it gives would be quite suited to our current fleet options, but I am swayed when I see its crow-like black-on-black hull. The Damnation is a Tech II fleet command ship, which will require a fair amount of skill training to fly, it being recommended to me because I have given myself a headstart after training to fit the warfare link modules to my Drake battlecruiser.
I already have warfare link specialist trained to level IV, from my own initiative to get optimal use of the Drake in w-space fleet operations. The only other secondary skills required are long range targeting V and signature analysis V, both of which I currently have trained to level IV. With those two skills trained I will open up the logistics class of ship, which I will need to train to level IV. But even with the secondary skills complete I have a fairly long path ahead of me, mostly owing to the need to push some starship skills up to level V.
The longest of the required starship skills is battlecruisers V, which will then let me train in command ships, followed by Amarr cruisers V for the Damnation itself. I feel a little dirty training so thoroughly in Amarr cruisers before the Caldari equivalent, but finding out that Caldari fleet command ships are based on the Ferox hull is enough to persuade me to fly the much sleeker Amarr option. The Damnation even has missile launcher capabilities, so I shouldn't need to cross-train my combat skills to suit gunnery instead.
Training for the Damnation isn't really a problem in itself—apart from the horrid Amarr cruisers—as I will bolster current skills and ship attributes, by pushing them to the maximum skill level, whilst opening up new piloting opportunities. What is concerning me is that a tentative plan puts the skill training time at around seventy days before I can plop my pod in a Damnation, assuming I don't get distracted by other, more shiny skills.
Seventy days of skill training seems like a long time. I generally shy away from long-term plans, partly because I am rarely sure of being able to maintain a steady focus for so long, but mostly because I like the illusion of progress, the hope of improvement in situation, and dedicating myself to a three-month plan seems more like a resignation to my current status. Of course, history shows that I am likely to be then where I am now. I'm simply not keen on admitting so much.
Even so, there are few short-term gains that I can achieve at the moment in EVE Online and if I am able to stick to the training plan for the Damnation I will be able to fly a really nifty ship. The time will also likely pass happily quicker than I imagine, and I already have a name picked out for the future ship. I will be calling my Damnation Bad Badtz-Maru, named after the crow from Hello Kitty. Training begins now, so let's see if I can stick to the plan.
2 Responses to “On the path to Damnation”
Good luck on the training! I'm like you in that regard...I tend to shy away from longer training plans for the same reasons...they normally end up twice as long for me since I switch around so much anyway.
Thank you. A cool ship will be a nice reward for sticking to the plan.
Apart from a moment of forgetfulness in keeping the skill queue full, and a problem with my account, I've kept on track so far. Only a few hours lost and no distractions yet.
Plenty of time to go, though.