So … there are a lot of terms for an organized or disorganized group of ships (fleet, task force), or of people (crowd, mob, battalion, about a bajillion others). But, what about when the ships are functionally people, or can switch freely from one to the other?
Assuming it’s not like a call sign (which apparently you’re never supposed to give yourself), it seems necessary (or at least fun) to come up with a good collective noun for ourselves. So-- thoughts?
A few initial things that spring to mind for “A _____ of capsuleers”:
A blob (traditional; also pejorative)
A ball
A mass (equally appropriate for Amarr and those in Triglavian ships. Twice as appropriate for Amarr flying Triglavian ships!)
A gank
A hunt (but really this serves the same purpose as “fleet,” and might be a little influenced by my time in PYRE anyway)
A grin (imagine a bunch of us closing in with a hungry look in our eyes. Again, PYRE-inspired, though)
A killing (covers both what we do and what we usually make as a result)
An atrocity
A complaint
A snark
An omelette (of eggers)
A scramble (maybe just for tacklers?)
A wealth
Capsuleers, paid and employed by me… is slavery to you? How exactly are you imagining capsuleers getting enslaved in the first place, and do you understand how society functions in general? Services, work and goods exchanged for currency and favors? Have you never had a job in your life? Never worked with someone else in order to achieve something? Pooled resources for mutual benefit perhaps?
Having associates among capsuleers… and slavery. These are concepts I’ve never seen combined before. It’s downright delectable in its staggering stupidity.
I think “swarm” is a pretty apt descriptor with the ravenous nature of larger scale space combat. Most things insect or bug related win out for me, here. Either that, or a “tide” of them… because that opens up the possibility of adding standing coloration to it. Red tide, blue tide, et cetera.