Imagine, hypothetically, that you own a Merlin frigate. Imagine also, that you are currently piloting it and singlehandedly fighting a titan all by yourself.
The titan pilot, your arch rival and enemy, is completely overwhelmed by your martial prowess, and after a brief scuffle, is now only one button press away from being destroyed.
An option now presents itself:
You could spare the titan’s life and gain a powerful ally, perhaps a loyal friend as well…
…Or you could decide to give it the final blow, wiping out your competitor and basking in the glory of your kill.
The Titan dies ! It HAS to die. This is EvE. It’s Supposed to die !!
What kindofa question is that ?!
Anyway, the legendary status the Merlin pilot would gain from killing that Titan would lead to more friends and admirers, and fewer people facedesking.
P.S. Ask yourself, would he kill your merlin if given a chance ? Would he prefer to hold hands and sing near the campfire ? Or would he awox you at the first occasion ? This is EvE, a wonderful game where anything can happen. Pick your poison.
Kill the titan then use an alt to befriend the guy… just to get him into a position to kill another of his titan with the first character. Repeat as many times as it takes for him to realize your second alt is a spy. Then switch to a third alt…
I would manage to convince the titan pilot that I just want a killmark and honor demands it. But I will spare his ship if he comes back in a rookie ship to deliver my letal blow…
The titan pilot willingly ejects from his titan and goes to a station in order to reship into a rookie ship.
My alt boards his titan.
Now if he wants his ship back he must meet me in highsec and engage my ship.
He does it, gets concorded, I earn a killright on him while popping his pod.