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The Most Dangerous Game: Do you have what it takes?

Published on 26. Aug, 2009 ... written by Zean Xulunta, Tags: Articles, Most Dangerous Game

[The most dangerous game is an article transmitted from the data pad of the pirate zean xulunta. This column speaks about pirating in almost every aspect, ranging from what a pirate is all the way to how to avoid them.]

Last time I spoke about what my definition of a pirate was and I realize that it was a relatively short article. But this one will be much longer! (YAY!) Today I would like to speak about becoming a pirate… I know a lot of players when they first start to play aspire many things.. some want to be titan pilots in a month ( ^^ ) and some want to be pirates, this much reminds me of when we are children and we want to be an astronaut or a firefighter or whatnot.

Now, to begin with, being a pirate is not as simple as it seems… it takes a lot of skill points to be effective. Most people suggest you at least get about 6 million before you start. I personally suggest you get closer to 10 million – I myself started at around 5 mill but I regret it. Oh, and when I say skill points… all of your carebear skill points don’t count. Mining 5, nada, Corporate Management 3, nada, Anchoring 1? Learning… Yeah I’m sure you get the point. Unless the skill points you have are centered around combat they don’t count. The reason I say about 10 mill is because once you are there you should have the base skills such as Interceptors, Assault Ships, Mechanics, Engineering, Energy Management…all the skills you need for your weapons and tanks.

Pirating also takes skill in scanning. You do not have to have scanning skills trained but you have to know how to use a system and directional scanner in such a manner that you can pinpoint where your prey is lingering within moments of entering a system. It is simple for the veteran player but for a novice scanning can be mind wracking business. When you enter a system you have to stop and start scanning… if you are used to the area and you commonly find yourself in the system I suggest that you make bookmarks around the system for directional scanning. This will allow you to move across the system and scan each zone in the shortest amount of time. With scanning, if you are the one who jumped in you want to be quick about it before your prey becomes wary of your presence.

**You can also find it handy to train scanning skills for probes and such. This will allow you to find EXACTLY where your prey is in no time and little effort.**

Aside from scanning and skill points you have to be shipped for the job! Showing up in a system in a badger makes you the prey now doesn’t it? Depending on what kind of pirating you are doing you will want to be in a ship that complements this job. If you are soloing and want to be fast and agile anything from a frigate, cruiser, interceptor, assault frigate to a stealth bomber could be appropriate attire. If you are in a gang and are the tackler you want a ship that can tackle, but if you are at a gate camp you will want a ship that can handle those pesky gate guns, or else you may find your self in a wee pod being laughed at by both your targets and your allies.

Yesterday I was flying in a Stabber so of course I was looking for easy killings. I found a Rifter on scan and the only other person in local was a less then a day old character. So I decided to scan him out and I did… I found him in the Rifter looting wrecks, then I thought “meh he is a newbie.” So I afk’d for about 5 minutes and went and docked up. When I got back the guy was still in system. I checked the guest list – nothing. So then I undocked thinking “I’ll leave him alone” when I looked at my overview *BAM* I see that Rifter, so i just sat there in my stabber… thought and then locked him. He then surprises me by locking me and shooting at me… well I shoot him once and *BOOM* station guns take out his wee ship. And i still got the kill mail xD

One thing that I find that helps a pirate out millions is an optional kind of thing, but I feel that a good corporation full of like-minded killing machines helps you enjoy your time being an outlaw… many times you will find your self handicapped by the game for being a pirate but with the right group of people you can make the best of this. I know that a corp is not required to be a pirate but like I mentioned, it helps keep you going and gives you some great laughs.

Lastly the most important thing about being a pirate is that you have to have a lot of patience. Without patience you will give up the first time you lose a fight, when you don’t find anyone in any of your systems for about 15 or more jumps! or when your corp says screw you! and blows you up when they don’t get enough kills and you are the newest recruit (yeah). If you do not have patience then being a pirate is not your thing… planning out each move and thinking many moves ahead is how a pirate works. Many people think pirates just go out and blow things up, yes in theory that is correct, but have you ever been in a fight with one? (OK with a good one?) Because if you have then you know that at every moment that they see fit they are trying to get the upper edge on you so that they are the ones who come out victorious with your corpse and kill mail in hand.

Yar har, fiddle di dee, being a pirate is alright with me! Do what you want cause a pirate is free, you are a pirate!

Tags: pirate, scanning