I actually have no idea to what you are referencing.
I was talking about the metaphorical wall between players who are in Null Blocs and everyone else.
"Moreover, since EVE is a game, and morale dictates fleet numbers, it is absolutely ubiquitous for nullbloc fleet commanders to avoid uncertain fights. Simply put, if they lose heavily, their fleet numbers will be lower next time, and they can very easily cascade strategically; but if they simply go home, their numbers should be about the same. So, in some scenarios, Strategic PVP encourages denying conflict to focus on the objective, and in others, it encourages giving up on the objective to fight another day. "
Another way to put it:
“You chose the time and place of conflict.” - Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”
An item I wanted to add to @Destiny_Corrupted 's list was “gaining respect”. To your point, I can’t comment about it on an alliance level. But when you’re playing as a solo player in non-sov null space and making friends the hard way, sometimes getting into combat is the primary path to building a relationship with another local capsuleer. Not everyone is reachable via chatting in local. And they might not ever be a “friend” per se, and they might still want to shoot you, but at that point you’re a known source of fun – and folks tend to appreciate others who provide those fun opportunities.
1 Like
I operated several different times in Stain and I would agree with your comment about gaining respect, we often made friends with people who had been enemies due to mutual respect through combat and more importantly self interest, because often you would see new people try to move in, in an overbearing way and the locals would gang up and then create mini-coalitions, was a great way to develop in Eve.
when you are going on a fleet roam its a given you may lose your ship but you are going actively fit for what you think will be trouble and genuinly my heartbeat stays good when im in a non combat fit or something the gives me at least a fighting chance to have a go back ie a miner or a hauler im genuinly having heart pumping moments just watching as i helplessly try to run away while being taken down
Ever considered that practising for ‘the battles that mean something’ might actually mean something?
The bloc I was part of had a requirement that you partake in a minimum number of fleets, I’m fairly sure this was to ensure all the members of the bloc were used to being in fleets, used to following broadcasts and therefore able fill a role when the need was there. It also allows the more active members to practise all the more important roles. Whether these battles were arranged or not does not change the fact they we worthwhile training, so when the big moment comes they can fill fleets with trained individuals.
And believe me that there are lots of people who can’t follow broadcasts, take the right gate or even follow the simple order ‘hold on gate’.
1 Like
That’s only a strategic victory if you had the mindset of affecting the bloc in some way. If you were purely looking for a fight it is not. Depends on how you approach the activity, which is kind of the point of the blog.
Also thinking about it, it could be both a strategic victory and not to different members of both fleets.
1 Like
Understood and I agree, however if that is all there is then it is not really interesting as there is no meaning and the fights you really get into and really enjoy are the ones that have meaning.
I have often tried to explain to roamers and worm hole players coming in for fights, that them coming in with fast kiting ships or cloaky stuff gets very tedious. Fights means different things to some people. There were some people who always came in with blinged out kiting boats that were excellent at judging their warp out’s and would safe log when trapped. Should I feel bad that when they arrived I just went and made a cup of tea and sat on the toilet for a while?
Unless of course certain very good FC’s and players with high tackle skills and excellent probing were around…, sometimes those engagements were fun, if you catch my drift. I used to use a dual prop Vagabond, has 18 killmarks on it 
Ahh, sorry Ramona - I tried reading between the lines, but ended up doing so upside down!
So, I’ve not been in null for a while now, and frankly seeing things as a wall or divide is a little silly to my mind. It’s just groups of people. We’re playing the game differently, but we’re all of us in the same sandbox, throwing our turds at each other.
This idea that there must be a wall between groups of players because they want different things from the game, or interact with it differently, is not really helpful. That’s why I enjoyed the article so much - it really encapsulated the way different groups think about PvP, and how that affects their gameplay when they interact. More importantly, it does so without putting any value judgements on the different approaches, which is critical if you’re gonna engage with people playing the game differently, so you don’t end up “hating” the “other side”
That “strategic PvP” thinking is very real. I’ve done it myself, both from a practical perspective (I don’t have enough players online to fight these guys) and from a strategic perspective (I would rather deny content to these guys than offer a fight). It’s the reason I’m no longer in nullsec, as the people I was involved with had taken the industry and scarcity changes as an excuse to become more risk averse. Fine if that’s what you want to do, but it’s not for me.
At the moment, I’m very much into the recreational PvP type of stuff. Yes, I’m learning and refining my skills. But that’s not the point: the point is to take a ship out and have some fun. I don’t need any wider objective than that! I have a hangar full of fun, mostly cheap ships that I have no qualms about losing, as I have the means to replace them either through making Isk or selling assets. I’m going out from Jita in small groups or solo and just testing about the place, stealing from ESSs and killing whoever I can for the sheer joy of it. Oddly enough, it turns out this is at worst an isk-neutral endeavour so long as you pick your battles and take some risks with pinching those banks.
How do the null blocs recruit? Same as anyone else - either individually, or as corps, they find people.who would be of benefit and weed out the spies. Recruitment chat, or just diplo with folks you know. Take a peek at Dotlan listings for any of the major alliances: they have a titular corp with many thousands, and then dozens and dozens of smaller groups that are largely recruiting and losing members all the time. Thinking they’re some monolithic enterprise isn’t helpful, and fundamentally fails to understand that they’re just groups of people playing the game, same as everyone else…
1 Like
In my experience Ive only ever encountered “if we dont know you, you can stay out” mentality.
I always felt it wasnt what you knew, but who you knew, as I dont see any recruiters, adverts etc or have any idea who you even go to to try and get in.
I mean, if I was able to make that kind of isk, I guess Id protect it heavily too.
Ah well.
Thanks for the reply anyway.
There are multiple nullsec corps in the English Recruitment channel daily Ramona. Those folks are always looking for new recruits… Not sure who you’ve been in contact with in the past, though there are indeed groups that will only offer vouch-in or suchlike. These tend to be the more experienced, higher skill corps within the big blocs. However, there’s more than plenty corps that would welcome you in a heartbeat.
Put it like this: you’re not gonna get an invite from Goonwaffe or NC. without them knowing who you are. But Karmafleet or Pandemic Horde or suchlike will welcome everyone.
If you do genuinely want to try out null, drop me an eve mail, I know a few folks and can point you in a few directions depending on timezone and playstyle. The places I point you will not be vouched either, just to be clear on that! 
Cool I may just do that, thanks!
This mentality may be common for when a null group sees neutral players enter their space, because most of those ‘neutral’ players are hostile and looking for kills. Therefore it’s not surprising that any player that isn’t blue and enters their space is chased and if caught, killed.
If you want to join the null sec group, there are multiple groups that will accept you no matter how experienced or well known you are. I’m in one myself - I just asked them to join as newbie and they accepted me and I’ve had a lot of fun being part of this group for most of my time in EVE.
If you’re interested in looking how null life is like, just contact one group and ask to join them. 
1 Like
Thanks I may well do that.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.