They are evil people, pirates. They would steal a clone baby from the labs if they could. They possess crews like demons, they lure men off of stargates to die in the asteroid fields. They will take your money and then cut your throat. Everyone knows it. The tales have been written down over the centuries. - High-sec spokesperson.
The pirate lives in both the wilds of lowsec, mostly living in and around the boundaries where low and highsec space intersect, and also in heavily populated highsec areas. It would be queer to think of a pirate as only being an operative of lowsec, but some people do, to their mistake.
In the true sense of the word I wouldn't class myself as a pirate. I don't ever offer ransom and I don't hijack ships for profit, nor do I live exclusively off of loot and other stolen wares. I think that a lot of new players find some form of romance in the idea of piracy as their profession, and I for one fell in love with this idea when I first started flying Rifters into everything that moved.
So am I just a PvP'er?
Yes and no.
To class yourself as a PvP'er is boring.
I have so many grazed knuckles and faded memories from restoring my security status from the murky depths of minus ten, relieved to be clean again and back in the game as a true PvP'er. When clean you can go where you want and engage what you want. I can shake this piracy tag now. These are the things that I kept telling myself.
But ....
I always ended up back at minus ten. My taste for absolute destruction is too strong. I am like a disobedient dog who has been told he can't take the bone that has been dangled in front of his face.
When flying with a clean security status you can develop a feeling of restraint when it comes to PvP, you live out a more disciplined lifestyle. Now, I don't care one bit what it is I am shooting at, my lust for the killmail and the thrill of the chase will always lead me back down the slippery slope to ... to piracy.
So in my mind I don't like the label of being classed as a PvP'er, but I will admit to feeling a false sense of identity when I am classed by others, or when I think of myself, rightly or wrongly, as a pirate.
MB.
Such is the difficulty that I run into so many times when talking about what I do in EVE, or in the past about what I am. There was a time years ago where I would offer without hesitation that I and my corporation were lowsec pirates. However I hardly offer a ransom these days. I don't live off the loot of my kills, and they are not a means to an end. Instead, like you, I am a disciple of pew: I PvP when, where and however I can in a manner I find fun.
ReplyDeleteThe most agreeable definition for piracy I've come up with is that of a space indian: one who lives off the land, or wrecks anyway. I haven't run into someone that meets this definition in a long time.
Indeed.
DeleteI like that ~Space Indians~ ... now, who are the cowboys?
I consider myself to be an anti-pirate.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm not hunting down pirates in my trusty frigate, I am teaching innocent people valuable lessons about the dangers of low-sec.
It fills me with pride when I think of how many easy kills I have deprived the evil pirates, and how much more valuable the lesson I taught was than the hull it cost them to learn it.
Hahaha
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLMJpHihykI
ReplyDeletePirate for Life.
Yarr harrr fiddle dee dee! :)
DeleteAye, it's a funny one, to be sure. I'm in the same boat as you guys in regards to this way of thinking. At first I was all pirate lusty and eager to call myself one, hoist the black flag, shout 'Yarr' etc.
ReplyDeleteAs time passes, however, it becomes something else. Are there still 'pirates' in EvE that have played the game for a number of years and still think of themselves thus? I dunno.
I recall a couple of times where local has lit up and people have been talking about the 'pie' in system. It took a couple of minutes before I realised it was me they were referring to.
I know a few people who live a disciplined pirate lifestyle, in that they loot and ransom to fund their 'hobby'. Although I could probably count them on one hand. I am sure there are others out there though.
DeleteYARR~~~
ReplyDeleteThough I still cling to the dictionary description of piracy and as such don't think of myself as a pirate in EVE.
I'm disciple of explosions, those of others or my own.
I ~think~ we all have it in us though. YARR ~~~
DeleteI am a pirate. I follow a strict pirate code (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_code) established by my crew. As I follow the code agreed upon by all Repo members I do nothing to disguise my status as a pirate by making amends with CONCORD.
ReplyDeleteI make a living from extortion, plunder and ransoms; as such I honor those agreements. I have not made any effort to earn a living through any means aside from this in many months. I am not wealthy, but I am not starving either.
I do not orbit gates with a host of other large vessels waiting with boosted sensors for the unwary rookie to jump through. I strive not to bring overwhelming force when a lesser amount will do.
I think, by the book definition, that any who commit criminal actions along the space lanes and do not act in the name of a state agency are pirates. I won't object to you calling yourselves pirates.
Love you Repo guys. I was thinking after I posted this of the Blood Money of old and to some extent what Tuskers used to be, and then I remembered Repo, who still live to those old skool pirate ways. Good stuff.
DeleteAn interesting insight and thanks for sharing.
I joined eve the second time round to be a "pirate" and make 100% of my moneys off off the death and randsom of others... but that is way too hard and boring! :D
ReplyDeleteI would title myself a kamikaze pilot >:D!
The question at hand is not that hard to solve. Piracy has nothing to do with sec status or high/low sec or even pew. Anybody who enjoys flying buck naked is clearly a pirate. So, do you?
ReplyDeleteGreetings friends, naked or not!
Sob! We miss you babby, Mr Pato Banton says come back!
DeleteI haven't flown naked since the window cleaner incident .... I saw his ladder next to my window so in panic dived down onto the floor under the window and crouched in the shadows. Unfortunately I soon noticed a grinning window cleaner in the mirror opposite.
You rich, spoiled pirate-wannabe! You have in-flight window cleaning services? Eve HAZ changed A LOT since the old days! I had to send out interns from my crew in a space suit after every fight to clean the wind shield. May they rest in piece.
ReplyDeleteTeehee.
DeleteI've been to -10 many many times but I never really considered myself a pirate. I think I've only ever asked for a ransom twice. i just like the explosions so damn much I never bother. I do however like the idea of others thinking I'm a pirate. I just think it's sort of cool.
ReplyDeleteSobcz,
ReplyDeleteyou, sir, are the dude! (And you've no idea how much fun I've had since you took 5 minutes out to explain how to kill stuff in EVE to my clueless self.)
Tomba
Greetings Tomba, but dude, you're way off ... you must be mistaking me for that other Sobczynski from accounting!
DeleteI consider myself a pirate. I been living from the loot I capture for quite a while. I do not always ransom because most of the time is just a waste. I could easily use my alt to fund my activity. But for me it wouldn't be so fun.
ReplyDeleteWell I guess each one plays the way that they find the most exciting. In fact that is what Eve is all about.