124 replies to this topic

[Bamar]

Since we've been a bit preoccupied lately and unable to run as many classes as we'd like, we're trying to reach out and provide other services. To this end I give you the Ask Agony Anything thread. Here you can pose whatever question you like to Agony's leadership, instructors, FCs, scouts, and just all around cool pilots. Feel free to ask about pvp tactics, Agony the corp, PvP University, 0.0 politics, preferences in liquor, whatever you've always wanted to know and never gotten a good answer to. So, ask away.

[Vjorn]

Hmmm 75 views and not a single question? Ok, here's one. I am getting dangerously close to flying a tengu...both for pvp and sleepers (don't do the mission thing anymore). I am also going to cross train to the ham legion in the future. Lately, I have been seeing mention of 100mn AB's put on both of these ships (Endless Subversion in his tengu, and ya'll mentioned the 100mn brick ham legion). I can see how the extra speed boost (which "basically equates" to appropriate sized mwd that can't be shut off) can be a bonus in a fight. What I don't understand tho, is how does one pilot this type of ship, given the massive aagility penalty while the mod is on/or decelerating when shut off/pulsed. The oversized AB is an interesting idea to me; I just don't understand how to make use of it's advantages whilst dealing with the disadvantages. So, any insight would be very much appreciated ps...I mostly do very small gang/solo pvp in w-space. Vj Edit: ok, ok, on a more light-hearted side.....What is yall's preference in liquor?? mine is single-malt scotch, straight up, preferably 12 or 18 year-old Lagavulin %-6

[glepp]

Don't know much about the tengu, but i can confirm that Lagavulin is right for almost any pvp situation.

[Silas]

Edit: ok, ok, on a more light-hearted side.....What is yall's preference in liquor??
mine is single-malt scotch, straight up, preferably 12 or 18 year-old Lagavulin %-6

Good man! I have a few favorites myself... Laphroaig's Cask Strenght being one. The Macallan 12 yo being another. I also have a Select Oak one from their 1824 Collection sitting at home that I'm looking forward to trying one of these days. If I absolutely had to pick a favorite, I'd go with an Edradour 10 year-old purely because it was the whisky that got me stated and I have a lot of good memories connecting to that taste.

I also recently tried a Japaneese whisky; Yamazaki. That one surprised me... it was really nice.

[Vjorn]

Oh Dear!!! I must smack meself for forgetting about the 12yo Macallan....with it's very subtle hint of cocoa which reminds me of Kaluha Silas, please let me know when you do decide to crack open that 1824.... :amazed: (drools) Glepp, there are sooooo many occasions that are right for Lagavulin....perhaps I should try it with a dose of pvp...who knows, may make me perform better 8) As far as my more serious question...please don't dwell so much on the Tengu aspect, but more on the aspect of piloting a cruiser-sized ship with a 100mn AB. I mentioned the tengu and legion because they seem most capable of fitting the oversized ab while maintaining a good tank/gank (ok and coz I'm fixing to fly a tengu soon Vj

[Tea]

The one thing to note with oversized ABs is that your agility drops significantly and it can take an age to get up to speed, turn or warp if not aligned. As usual pick your fights carefully and play to your ship's strengths.

[Azual]

Watching the garmonation 8 video with Endless et al, my perception is that the 100MN AB serves more as a kiting and/or gtfo tool (since other than the 30-40 secs to get up to speed, it's basically a MWD with no sig increase and immune to scrams). I don't think they run them constantly, but if you watch that video they use them to burn out of a fight once the situation starts to go south.

[Goodvibes]

I've played aruond with the 100mn AB fit, and it's basically a tool to get range. Trying to turn is fairly pointless - you have to basically turn it off do anything but go in a straight line. It's a great idea for a kiting heavy missile boat though. The key advantage to the ab is the ability to shrug off scrams and still travel at high speed, an advantage mostly in a 0.0 sec environment. Those few seconds to pop the tackle while keeping range from heavier tackle allow them to get out to range and make with the omgwtfbbq faceraping. Luckily for them, a lot of small tackle can't fit a web or fit a scram on the logic that it stops 99.9% of non-legendary pvp'ers in multi-billion isk ships, and those that do find themselves on the wrong end of ten heavy missile launchers. If either of them got pinned by something like a triple rep dual web myrm, they'd be absolutely boned. Nightmare scenario would be a neut tackle domi or a plate proteus. If you watch a low sec kiter like fon revenhort, he comes in at range, pops the tackle as it comes to him and while the bigger stuff is still approaching, then uses a long faction point on the heavy stuff to maintain range. He rarely starts a fight at 0 as Endless and Garmon do in 0.0. Garmon and Endless both use faction AB's for the extra speed boost - without it, a t1 or t2 ab is actually slower than pretty much anything below a BS with a mwd fitted, which makes it a pretty worthless kiting tool. The disclaimer on all of this is that you can only fit a single large shield booster, and if you get actually properly tackled by something substantial, you will die very fast. All of the above have lost quite a few ships to blobs. Similarly, they all (and indeed most of the other people who fly crazy faction fit stuff) have a falcon/cloaky alt to act as both eyes and, in the case of the falcon alt, potential saviour. Garmon uses his in a cloaky hauler to drop him cap boosters and give fleet bonuses. Oh, it eats most of your cap in one pulse, so don't expect to be able to run it for more than maybe three cycles even with a cap booster. Best advice? Practice in a mwd drake !lol In Garmonation 7 (I think?) you actually see them running the kite drake gang that was the precursor to the kite tengu gang.

[Granger]

Edit: ok, ok, on a more light-hearted side.....What is yall's preference in liquor??
mine is single-malt scotch, straight up, preferably 12 or 18 year-old Lagavulin %-6

Good man! I have a few favorites myself... Laphroaig's Cask Strenght being one. The Macallan 12 yo being another. I also have a Select Oak one from their 1824 Collection sitting at home that I'm looking forward to trying one of these days. If I absolutely had to pick a favorite, I'd go with an Edradour 10 year-old purely because it was the whisky that got me stated and I have a lot of good memories connecting to that taste.

I also recently tried a Japaneese whisky; Yamazaki. That one surprised me... it was really nice.

Mmmmm Laphroaig 8)

[cr8r]

I'm still currently hooked on some of the Glenmorangie offerings. The extra aged offerings are all incredible, but at the moment I'm favoring the Quinta Ruban, served chilled neat.

[Agent302]

I've always been a fan of the Oban 14 year, with the Lagavulin as a close second. I've also found some cask aged rums that are amazing as sipping spirits.

[Vjorn]

@ GoodVibes, thank you very much for your insight; I have much to think about/experiment with in the (??)safety(??) of my wormhole.... To all the others; Ya'll are making me thirsty-question is, is it for blood? or some great spirits? .... or both 8) Vj

[Varrent]

So, I thought of a quick question. Has Agony ever tried an Assault Frigate gang? Its an Idea I have been wanting to try, but I don't have the people to run it with currently. It would pretty much be a tech II basic class. only about 5 ships, but I'd image you could easily take down 0.0 ratters or most any solo ships. A good cruiser pilot would be dangerous and a droneboat might be annoying, but I think it could be pretty effective.

[Corywyn]

Yeah, we run AF/faction frig gangs quite often, usually not as a planned gang but more like a "oh guys, I'm bored, let's get into frigs and find some ratters to gank" And yes, the mobility and nice dps/tank that AFs have are the reason why they are so popular, larger gangs can't touch us and we can pick of stragglers/smaller ships.

[Kerzack]

It's called PVP Hornets - the curriculum is mostly done but the real problem why it hasn't gone forward is because of the pilot skill required (not SP rather PBKAC). The gang / tactic is very deadly but also very easy to destroy... in frigates you just shrug and go get another. I'm sure it will get polished up and offered at some point.

[highrzr]

Would like to see a PVP training class schedule posted, so I can plan on attending the rest of the classes that you have. I found the PVP basics class to be very informative, and would like to attend the rest of your classes.

[Azual]

Would like to see a PVP training class schedule posted, so I can plan on attending the rest of the classes that you have. I found the PVP basics class to be very informative, and would like to attend the rest of your classes.

We used to post a schedule. The main reason we don't now is that we don't actually know when we'll be running classes until we put up the announcement! We only have a handful of instructors, all of whom have to balance Eve with various RL commitments, so announcing a class (and thus giving up our weekend) more than a few weeks in advance is a lot to ask.

[Alain Kinsella]

Since this is still on the front page...

I would like an 'informal' review of my combat-based char: Sognec [on EveBoard]

Main Character roles: PvE (casual isk), 'exploration' (both PvE/PvP), Trade (Orca prereqs now training), light RP activity (hence the corp name)

What basic skills should be filled out better? What long-term goal(s) should be set? I (the player) have yet to see a L4 mission, and just trained the basics for Amarr BS recently.

He admittedly has some Sci/Indy skills, due to being the hauler for Alain while in hi-sec (and I originally planned to make him a researcher, until I realized the public ME research is basically non-existent). :|

I feel like I'm running out of 'direction' for that char. Alain's got plenty of goals now (thanks to a different corp), but I'm foundering on this one for long-term stuff.

[xikorita]

Since this is still on the front page...

I would like an 'informal' review of my combat-based char: Sognec [on EveBoard]

Main Character roles: PvE (casual isk), 'exploration' (both PvE/PvP), Trade (Orca prereqs now training), light RP activity (hence the corp name)

What basic skills should be filled out better? What long-term goal(s) should be set? I (the player) have yet to see a L4 mission, and just trained the basics for Amarr BS recently.

He admittedly has some Sci/Indy skills, due to being the hauler for Alain while in hi-sec (and I originally planned to make him a researcher, until I realized the public ME research is basically non-existent). :|

I feel like I'm running out of 'direction' for that char. Alain's got plenty of goals now (thanks to a different corp), but I'm foundering on this one for long-term stuff.

What you want to do long term with it?

[Alistone Malikite]

I would like an 'informal' review of my combat-based char: Sognec [on EveBoard]

Currently mapped perc/will => but has some learning sp to spend.

Main Character roles: PvE (casual isk), 'exploration' (both PvE/PvP), Trade (Orca prereqs now training), light RP activity (hence the corp name)

What basic skills should be filled out better?
Missing racial drone specializations to level 2 to allow you to use T2 scout/medium drones.
Still missing a core capacitor skill, energy management V

If you ever plan to fly with a shield tank you should get shield management V (for 5% more shield HP/level), and Tactical shield manipulation to L4 to use T2 shield hardeners. Not a big deal though if you never fly shield tanked ships.

You suggested this may be used to run sites: if you are using scan probes you should also train up astometric rangefinding & astrometric pinpointing for better probing.

If you get a site that requires hacking/codebreaking you will need hacking/archaeology trained to L3 or L4 to be effective.

If you ever want to fly a gaurdian (logistics) you should train up targeting V and multitasking to 2 or 3 so you can have more targets locked (and train the logistics skill).

Could be a fairly effective zealot pilot but would need to train heavy assault ships.

If you want to fly a amarr recon you should train turret destabilization to L4 for more effective tracking disruptors.

If you're serious about mining barge V I think you may as well get mining 5 to complement it.

Might as well train up nanite operation a couple levels.



What long-term goal(s) should be set? I (the player) have yet to see a L4 mission, and just trained the basics for Amarr BS recently. He admittedly has some Sci/Indy skills, due to being the hauler for Alain while in hi-sec (and I originally planned to make him a researcher, until I realized the public ME research is basically non-existent). :|

You can use the public research labs, but you will have to wait in a queue for a few weeks or use a POS. You could at least get research V, Lab operations V, and train research project management for some passive datacore income with you science skills. I think research allows you to be researching an additional blueprint per level, so you may have to wait a month, but you could simultaneously research 4 or 5 blueprints. Amarr is not the most common PVE race AFAIK due to restricted damage type (EM/Therm), so I'm not sure if you're happy with just amarr or if you want to crosstrain to another race too.

I feel like I'm running out of 'direction' for that char. Alain's got plenty of goals now (thanks to a different corp), but I'm foundering on this one for long-term stuff.

But as far as what direction you should go toward that is completely up to you. I suggest you do something you find fun. Mining AFK for isk, ratting, mission running, running courier contract services, playing the market, PVP, PVP, PVP, etc. etc. I can't really tell you what you find fun or what you want to do - that part has to come from you.

[Alain Kinsella]

Thanks for that rundown Alistone, it's given me a few things to look at. I also sat down and generated a queue called 'Low hanging fruit,' which has every training (for existing skills) under 24 hours. Ended up with 32 skills, total 17.5 days. The 'Mining Barge V' is being done purely to get him into a Orca (all his Learning SP went into Mining Foreman V, and the rest to halve the Mining Barge V time). If I actually were more serious about mining nowadays, I'd actually be lobbying harder to drop the requirements for Covetor (Astrogeology IV please!). Very valid question about 'do what you think's fun.' I always do pursue that, its just that 'fun' to me is usually being hip-deep in some task that I find challenging (most people should know someone who's like this). Unfortunately my time is absolutely horrid - US East, working 'overnight,' and (due to being a project manager) end up in various call-ins/pages at the drop of a hat (I'm also our backups guy, and we've had a string of bad tapes lately too). That's certainly not 0.0 material (or most corps for that matter). !lol So, I've started to fall back on what I did in Second Life - what I will call a 'Facilitator' (or 'Social Producer' - which tended to annoy various Sociology researchers ). Anyway, this involves collecting various intel on what corps are doing, what they need, what they supply etc - and either try to help them myself (if not time critical) or let them know about others who can. Here in Eve, that would be considered metagaming - which it is. However, its different since I'm trying to leverage the data to help, not hurt. This kind of activity also is possible to do outside of the game, which is useful when you only have basic Web access at work. And its something you don't need Eve skills for (much). It's been one hell of a challenge too, because some of this requires trust - which is in short supply here...

[Aether]

Since this is still on the front page...

I would like an 'informal' review of my combat-based char: Sognec [on EveBoard]

Main Character roles: PvE (casual isk), 'exploration' (both PvE/PvP), Trade (Orca prereqs now training), light RP activity (hence the corp name)

What basic skills should be filled out better? What long-term goal(s) should be set? I (the player) have yet to see a L4 mission, and just trained the basics for Amarr BS recently.

Sorry I cannot give you many recommendations for exploration/industry skills but to be better at PVE/PVP here are some skills that are good to have:

Gallente Drone Specialization III
Minmatar Drone Specialization III
Might want to plug in Heavy Drone Operation and Sentry Drone Operation and train them up 2 levels just in case you ever need to use these types of drones
Energy Management V and Controlled Bursts V
If you plan to ever pvp some of the amarr ships can be shield tanked. In which case it is good to have Shield Upgrades III/IV and Tactical shield Manipulation.
Repair Systems V
High Speed Maneuvering IV
Evasive Maneuvering V
All 3 astrometrics support skills to IV and covert ops V will be useful if you plan on doing any exploration
Thermodynamics IV

Otherwise it looks like you're all set. Imho your char has enough support skills to run lvl 4 missions

[Barrak]

*edit* Discovered Answer

[AkJon Ferguson]

I notice sometimes when I'm running PvE content the following about Target Painters: I'll TP a rat at range and it will fail (the timer won't start.) I'm flying a missile boat and let's say that a TP'd rat gets hit for 1000/volley. Once the TP fails and my next TP succeeds, my missiles don't hit for full damage. They hit for like 250, then 400 then 650 then 800 and finally for the full Monte. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this working as intended? Is there a workaround? Right now I tend to retarget another rat if possible when my first TP attempt fails.

[Zorbolt]

My mission boat uses a TP and I have never had it fail once. Zor