EVE Online: The Early Days of Doing Dumb Shit

Back when I started out, I had a lot of misconceptions. One of these misconceptions was about how the different types of security in EVE worked. During my first weeks in EVE, I was paranoid as soon as security status dropped to yellow, but since I didn't really grasped the difference between HighSed and LowSec, I grew complacent. Nothing ever happened to me in yellow 0,5 systems, so apparently low security space wasn't really as dangerous as everyone claimed.

Then my Corax ran into a gatecamp in 0,4 LowSec and exploded. Whoops! I still didn't quite grasped what had happened and got even more paranoid, this time in every type of system.

For a time I played rogue trader and transported small amounts of goods across New Eden to make ridiculously low amounts of ISK. This time ended when my attempts to sneak out goods from under the nose of LowSec pirates in the amply named Bleak Lands
 ended in multiple explosions of my ships. ("Goodbye little Probe, and let sweet Jove fly you to your rest.", I said and that was it.)

Fastworward a bit until I finally understood the mechanics behind the different types of security. At that point my skills had spread out to different types of cruisers already and one of my favourites was the Stabber. A Stabber is a fast moving attack ship, with bonuses to projectile weapons (Cannons, but in space!) and even with the ability to fit some missile launchers. Also, it looks helluva sweet.

By flying a Stabber for a time, I learned however that I had the wrong temperament to fly the Stabber well: The ship works best with fast-firing, low range autocannons. Maybe some rapid-light-missile launchers to help protect against smaller, more agile ships: But that's it really. I, on the other hand, prefer to stay the hell away from an enemy. Long-range projectile guns are called artillery and for some reason, medium-range cruiser artillery really, really sucks.

It sucks so hard, you can get better damage by fitting rail guns, a type of long-range weapons the ship has no bonus for, which normally means a ship with the wrong weapon-types is heavily gimped. So I ran immediately into trouble since I fitted medium space cannons and then learned I didn't do much damage. As an additional problem, autocannons can be fit to the Stabber with no real trouble, artillery however needs so much energy, you'll end up gimping your ship just to fit those damn space cannons.

So I finally shrugged and went back to other ships. But I had one last farewell to this fine ship! Since I now knew what those colors in my route meant, I planned a long trip through NullSec, just to see how far I could make it. Just running through, one jump after another. Completely blind.

My Stabber before starting to my great trip.

After fitting my Stabber for my mad expedition (two space cannons, two missile launchers, a salvager and a cloak), I planned a route for a quick trip into NullSec and back out.

The Great Wildland Expedition of 2013

37 jumps all in all. Total suicide, but who cares? I did not.

If you're planning to cross NPC-NullSec, I guess LowSec isn't really scary anymore.

And so off I went. HighSec and LowSec-systems didn't stop my ship and the need for speed finally brought me into the Great Wildlands. In the very first system of the Great Wildlands, B-VIP9, someone had left me some NPC-wrecks and like the newb I was, I tried with my salvager and level 3 in salvaging to get something out of them. (I can honestly say I don't remember if I actually got something.)

Salvaging for thrill-seekers.

I made it to the station-system of M-M3DB, then I started running into trouble. Luckily my Stabber was too fast and too furious to get stopped by some minor annoyances!

I wonder what that Brutix-pilot thought about the strange lone Stabber suddenly turning up.

Only two systems farther into the Great Wildlands my Stabber was dead after an intense, but shortlived try at simultaneously running and fighting a gate camp.

To be honest, my pod didn't get much farther, too.

But surprisingly, doing this run turned out to be great fun. So periodically, I would outfit ships for some long-range adventure and just go.

Of course, first I had to learn that not every ship is a good exploration ship. Also, I had to learn people in EVE are often confusing the game-profession exploration with actual exploration. To be fair, playing garbage collector in space does bring in money, but the main draw in exploration always was the simple urge to go out and look at shit.

This means I make less money, but have more fun. As everything in EVE, you have to make a choice.