Comms are coming from inside the system
6th July 2011 – 5.04 pmIt turns out we're not rid of our visitors just yet. Glorious leader Fin has been ambushed by a covert Tengu strategic cruiser, catching her completely off-guard whilst checking some stale bookmarks. I wake up shortly after and disappear quickly in my own scanning boat, launching probes and cloaking away from the tower. I scan the home system looking for multiple connections, hoping that it is cosmic coincidence that brings our attackers back to our system, but all I find is our static wormhole. It looks like our new friends have taken an interest in us, and are keeping a ship or two around to hassle us for a little longer.
I don't tempt fate and exit our system, instead simply sitting near the wormhole and waiting and watching. Nothing happens and no passage is seen, and a little investigation confirms that Fin's assailant is not currently around. Still, I'm not going to make a target of myself for any other pilots of the corporation who are somewhere in New Eden or w-space. But maybe we can make Fin a target once more, particularly when the lurking pilot is noted to wake up again. If we can counter his ambush maybe we can persuade him to leave. Then again, maybe it will just convince his colleagues to come back with greater force, but we both have some vengeance to wreak too.
Fin feigns scanning, tries to act obviously, and exits to scan the neighbouring class 3 system, but our target is either not here, not watching, or not being fooled. And here is his advantage. He only needs to wait until we board ships not fit for PvP and head out to engage Sleepers, where we become prime targets, easy kills. We could try to compromise our fits so we can strike back, but we don't know how many or what exactly we'll be facing. All we know from previous engagements is that the fleet will have superior numbers and more flexible fleet composition. If they have no advantage, or suspect a counter-attack, they can simply hide and bide their time.
This is a denial-of-service attack against our home system. We cannot make use of the resources, nor can we can hunt effectively. I don't see anything we can feasibly do to actively push the attackers from our system. So they win. There is nothing else I can do today, normal operations must be suspended and looking for a cloaked ship in space is pointless. I hit the sack, knowing what I have to do but upset about it. I am happy to remain a target out in w-space, if I also have a measure of autonomy, but I am not going to be forced in to choosing inactivity or losing expensive ships on a daily basis. I'm moving out. Like I say, they win.
16 Responses to “Comms are coming from inside the system”
Since you have the name of the assailant and his Corp you can do some research and add corp members as contacts. That way you can tell who is online and possibly in system.
Yes, we've done that. But we don't know who or how many are in the system, so what do we do when they come on-line? If we hide, we get nothing accomplished. If we don't hide, they catch us off our guard. If we try to catch them, they hide.
It's a crappy stalemate for us, and I would rather be elsewhere and active than in the home system and spinning my camera drones.
Don't give up yet! I'm betting you have many loyal readers who would love to come and help you past this hurdle. I've learned more about WH life from your blog than anywhere else, and it's a joy to read. I'll contact you in-game tonight if you are interested in staying and fighting with a little help. I encourage others to do the same.
That's it, man, it's game over, man. Game over.
Have you considered going truly nomadic? Living out of one or more Orcas (fit for safety and hiding), visiting k-space as needed for market, and just moving from w-space system to w-space system as you feel led?
When you were stranded and just jumping into w-space wherever you felt led, you seemed to express joy and freedom; but I could have been projecting =)
Yes, operating out of empire space wasn't as restrictive as I thought it would be. But there is much more flexibility when based in a tower in w-space, as we can keep many ships readily available in one known place and be guaranteed at least one system to explore just one jump away. You can always explore and roam solo, and expand any operation as more pilots arrive.
When I decided to leave the C5 system one of my first thoughts was to be a nomad working out of an Orca, but I couldn't see how I could get it to work. I won't run more than one account, and trying to operate an Orca command ship with an alt poses awkward problems to work around when changing ships, moving systems, and definitely when refitting ships.
Even working as a pair is tricky, as it would mean synchronising on-line times or risk either leaving the other behind in a system or restrict your own movements to stay together. It's an appealing idea, and I won't rule it out entirely, but running a tower seems curiously more liberating than wandering wherever the solar wind takes me.
Some friends of friends had similary problems with that corp. They were so mad at them that they actively looked for their home, then looked for some allies (including my corp) and bashed their POS.
The funny thing is that the following week they joined an alliance part of our coalition... One week later, we were in the same fleet defending some POS.
If I were you I would stop mentioning them in this blog and would move to k-space or an other system for as long as necessary. You could also try to get them blue ;-)
Sadly, this blog is probably good intel for the bad guys if they've put the pieces together. Your blogowers will forgive you for a bit of time-delay or misinformation.
Stop blogging about them. Kill them one by one. Fight for your place, don't give up
Maybe we could build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh? Why don't we try that?
So there are more people out there beeing bees in someones codpiece? Interesting. I guess it's only a question when to stop. Somewhere doen the line annoying becomes griefing.
Know what I would do? Enlist help and set a trap. Know any guys who would do such a thing?
If you plan a fleet-action against these guys, I'd be happy to come and throw in a ship or two. :)
Ahh, not wanting to run two accounts will definitely make nomadic life harder. And the new code sounds like it makes running multiple clients (on the same machine) more taxing anyway for many people.
I wish you luck in what you decide to do, because I too have enjoyed your writing and stories even though I no longer play =)
Thanks for the offers of help, they are much appreciated! Let's see if the hostiles stick around to ambush us further when we have a hidden fleet waiting to counter their attack.
And Akely and the 20 Minuters are a pretty good asset to have backing us, no doubt about that.
Well... You know i can't make decisions as I'm not in any sort of command. But I think it is a safe assumption that we'd come and have fun.
Have you considered using locator agents? If you know hostiles are online it's a way to see if they're camping your system.
Another thing we've been doing is checking enemy killboards. If they fight someone somewhere else they're no longer hiding in your WH.
Good luck!
Yes, I looked at their KB, which is why I initially thought it was safe to return to our system. As it turned out, they only needed to keep one pilot there to cause us more problems and they called in at least one more pilot as a result of us becoming active at home again. I know that because one of their ships got caught and popped by our C3 neighbours that day, again according their KB.
The only way we can be sure that they have stopped stalking us is to take expensive ships out to fight Sleepers and see if they gank us again. Like i say elsewhere, I don't see the point in throwing T3s at this problem when we can simply move on.
Thanks for the well-wishes!