July 2013 – Content, Content, Content

Two

Fcing, Ganked, RVB 1 Response »

Jul 232013

July 22nd 2011.

RvB – and some friends – went out on a roam, the inaugural RvB Ganked roam.

The theme was Rifter hulls. And it was glorious.

Apparently I even FC’d part of it.

And now here we are Two years later.

82 roams under our belts, 7375 kills, 575 Billion isk destroyed & 10 other FC’s “discovered”.

In short its been epic. I have – regardless of views to contrary – enjoyed every minute of every roam I have either FC’d or attended, and its all down to you all. So thank you.

For our 2nd birthday roam, I settled on Gnosis – shield fit to go with our shield logi, and never once did I think we would get nearly 100 Gnosis in fleet. Yet we did, and all that while I was flying for RvB in our first Alliance Tournament Eleven match against Why So Serious:

The roam itself started pretty quiet, we rolled over a few guys in Rahadalon, wandered through a really quiet Providence and generally saw nothing much to kill. After a short break in HED, we heard about a couple of gangs that were around and tried to get them pinned down, however that didn’t work either. Then I joined a convo with a member of Severance, who had seen the intel of our gang and wanted us to come and fight a BS gang he was in. We assumed tarp, but said yes anyway as why the hell not. We arrived in the target system, hung around until suddenly “CYNO UP”, and the Severance gang cyno’d in to the other side of the system.

It was on!

We warped to 0 at the gate they had warped to from their cyno, our logis came in at range behind us, and as it turned out, their logi was also at 0. So it made it 100 times easier to fully commit to the fight. Their logis dropped before I even had time to call each one, swiftly followed by their deeps and anything else that caught our fancy. It was pretty much a whitewash, they lost 40+ ships to the 15 gnosis we did…

And that was that, we decided that once again we would end the night on a high, which for me was perfect as I had been on a high ever since the Why So Serious match in ATXI! 150 kills, 11.5 Billion exploded and a ton of fun had. Love it!!!!

We had numerous prizes to give away courtesy of our sponsors at Somer.Blink – including a couple for the winners of these polls – and here are the winners:

Spots:

Dramiel – Roigon, Bald Rikk

Succubus – Atlas Jaynar, Mirzam Tectrin

Daredevil – Cosmo Blink, Duckslayer

Cruor – Chester Waldron, Captain Jonathen Archer

Distinction:

Ashimmu – Tgl3, Daneel Trevize

Best Year 2 FC:

Bhaalgorn – Mangala Solaris

Best Year 2 Scout:

Cynabal – Green Gambit

Finally, a reminder that there are no Ganked roams for the next two weeks. We are taking the remainder of the alliance tournament off, so that various members can focus on the serious part of the tournament.

We return to our scheduled programming in August with the following roams both hosted by Guest FC’s:

Ganked 78: Cherry Poppin’
Saturday 10th August
TGL3
Artillery – BC and smaller.

Ganked 79: TBA
Saturday 17th August
Larkonis Trassler
Drakes>Talwars>Tackle>Links

Fleet-Up

EVE, Fcing, Ganked, RVB 2 Responses »

Jul 172013

Recently there has been some talk on the RvB forums about a website called Fleet-Up.com and whether it would be viable for a group like RvB to use it. Personally given the nature of how we operate I do not think so as frankly too few of the FC’s would use it, let alone the members. Also it’s a cost we really cannot afford in the long term if member uptake is low.

However, after having a look around the website, I thought that it could be something for Ganked to use, at least for the guest FC’s and more involved attendee’s. So I stumped for 4 months usage of the site for a group of up to 250 people.

The site allows you to create groups, set up “events”, upload fits and even add those fits to doctrines for group members to utilise. Additionally it can help you create fleets, track those fleets and even see how well those fleets do compared to previous roams and so on.

I would like to give this a go on various Ganked’s over the next 4 months, and so would love it if many of you would join the site, and the RvB Ganked group using this link. I’ll give other FC’s full rights to create roams and doctrines, regular members the ability to upload fits – SENSIBLE FITS – and everyone else, just basic access. This is not a compulsory affair, but I would appreciate as much support from you all as possible.

The RvB Ganked Awards: Year Two

Ganked, RVB 12 Responses »

Jul 112013

If you follow anything I write you will know that Ganked is two in a few days, and as with last year I thought it would be a fun idea to have some awards for various people involved in Ganked. This will include your favourite FC, who in your opinion has been the best scout this year, as well as write in votes for your top roam & most entertaining person in fleet.

Now the awards will be kept secret until I secure agreement from Blink, but please vote in the polls and use the comments for everything else. I’ll be throwing in some random prizes for best comments too, so remember to use your character name!

Also, note that following the 2nd birthday roam on 20th July, we will take two weeks off to allow various people to focus on the Alliance Tournament, including me. We will resume Ganked on the 10th August.

So here you go, the award categories are:

[poll id=”4″]

[poll id=”5″]

Which roam from Ganked 32 to Ganked 76 was your favourite & why?

Who would you say has provided the most entertainment in fleet this past year?

As an aside, I would love to see your ideas for themes for our Third year, so get to it!

Newsround: 8 July 2013

CSM8, EVE, Ganked No Responses »

Jul 082013

AT XI kicks off in 12 days with the matches below making up the opening games of the first day of the tournament. Below you find my predictions for these matches – my chosen winners are highlighted in BOLD:

Circle-Of-Two vs SCUM. (The team with an AT pedigree v some lowsec gate-campers? No contest.)

Of Sound Mind vs YOUR VOTES DON’T COUNT (While I like SOUND, I have had many more good times with & against the waffles.)

Curatores Veritatis Alliance vs R.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N (T.O.O M.A.N.Y D.O.T.S. So I am favouring CVA, although will they form up before the match begins?)

THE R0NIN vs CAStabouts (Another team with AT Pedigree v ? Yeah.)

Goonswarm Federation vs Sleeper Social Club (I’d like to see Goons get far this year so I can take their scalp for the RvB scalp collection.)

Verge of Collapse vs Outbreak. (VoC riding a wave after last year, so totally favouring them.)

Wormhole Holders vs Rote Kapelle (I would love to face RK again this year, without them flying out of the arena.)

Perihelion Alliance vs The Fourth District (I like the 4th, and root for them every chance I get.)

D3vil’s Childr3n vs Late Night Alliance (Not a clue who either are, so I flipped a coin)

Clockwork Pineapple vs Rainbow Dash Friends (Ponies. Nuff said.)

RAZOR Alliance vs Babylon 5.. (I just finished a rewatch of B5)

Sicarius Draconis vs Test Alliance Please Ignore (Id like this scalp too)

Moist. vs Transmission Lost (Not a clue who either are, so I flipped a coin)

Surely You’re Joking vs Nulli Secunda (Scalps for the scalp throne)

Exiled Ones vs Choke Point (Not a clue who either are, so I flipped a coin)

JIHADASQUAD vs Exodus. (Exodus. seem like a pretty good group of small gangers, so I went with them.)

Noir. Mercenary Group vs Shadow Cartel (This was a hard call, both are good groups of pvpers, but in the end I also flipped a coin)

HUN Reloaded vs DarkSide. (HUN should do really well this year.)

Darkness of Despair vs Quebec United Legions (Lets see what these russians can do)

M.I.F vs Angeli Mortis (I have at least heard of Angeli, so I am going with them.)

Kill It With Fire vs Ministry of Inappropriate Footwork (Kill it could surprise me, but I know a few pilots in Ministry and totally will be rooting for them.)

The G0dfathers vs Urine Alliance (Urine are a scalp I want, and a group I want to do well, will they become Kings of Tourney space?)

SOLAR FLEET vs HYDRA RELOADED (Solar cant bot the tourney.)

End of Life vs Darkspawn. (Not a bloody clue.)

Heretic Initiative vs No Holes Barred (Fuck the franchise.)

WHY so Seri0Us vs RvB (Seriously, you expected anything else?)

W-Space vs Mildly Sober (Flipped a coin)

The Obsidian Front vs The Initiative. (Totally expect Initiative to take this.)

Confederation of xXPIZZAXx vs Dead Terrorists (Pizza will be great to watch I am sure.)

Sadistica Alliance vs Agony Empire (I like Agony, and know many of their pilots. Friendship, best ship.)

Pandemic Legion vs Synthetic Systems (Too easy a choice)

The Kadeshi vs Drunk ‘n’ Disorderly (The Kadeshi is a long term tourney participant, they should do this easily.)

If you have your own ideas, feel free to post them in the comments.

========================================================

Not really too much to say on the CSM, except that the past 3 weeks or so have in my opinion been really good for our interactions with CCP, I cannot say on what subjects, but I have felt like I have been contributing a lot more. Additionally the summit dates are the 28th to 30th August, I will not be “live”, but I will be there remotely due to work commitments.

Also, please join me on the EUNI public mumble on the 13th as per this post on their website.

========================================================

This past weekend Ganked 75 rolled over 120 talwars into space and scored over 120 kills. It was a strange roam, we had a quiet time in Syndicate, helped the blues of a fleet member defend a sieged POS, and got to Fountain were comms proceeded to break down enough that I got really annoyed and kicked everyone…

Now in my defence I had 2 guys giving varying intel, 1 guy rehashing a fight some slackers had just had, and a few other people continuing to sing – after an admittedly great fleet wide rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody – and someone else calling a cheetah on a gate as primary, just to see our own bubble go up as some bombers decloak while half the fleet is warping into our bubble and the other half is jumping away from the bombs, no wonder I was annoyed.

Anyway, I soon calmed down and we reformed around half the fleet in Stacmon – usual after a whelp – and went and fought an Agony Empire PVP Basics roam. Welcoming newbs to pvp always feels good.

We did have an array of Somer.Blink sponsored prizes too, and here are my winners for the night:

Spots: Hookbill (Rexanna Gold, Stian83, Rebbeca Naresh, Jeff Spartan, Saintcav, Lenier Chenal, Targan Yaken, mach eon, coat hanga strangla, kitty baugh)
Distinction: Navy Drake (Telemachus Rheade, FishySquirrel)
Excellence: Raven Navy (Ceofore Aideron)

Final Blow & Top Damage on our 7000th Mail: Osprey Navy Issue x2 (Redbad)

Three Wonderful Years

CSM8, EVE, Fail, Fcing, Ganked, RVB No Responses »

Jul 052013

When the in game clock ticks over to 17.55 today, Mangala Solaris will have been a member of the amazing institution known as RvB for exactly 3 years.

Like many of you, I first joined RvB with an alt however in July 2010, not long after returning from the outside world, I found myself looking for a home with my main and so I signed up to Blue Republic with Mangala. Within hours I was whoring those mails and even getting the odd final blow. My favourite kill from those early days will always be this one, and people wonder why I like the unlimited combat area so much!

Somehow I started FCing – arranged fights, impromptu scraps, roams and so much more – and from there I helped out in Command a couple of times and slowly moved towards becoming the pimp for RvB I am today.

During my journey from eager RvB main to jaded & bitter RvB veteran I have seen & undertaken many things:

Four moves from Verge Vendor to Everyshore to Lonetrek and now The Forge;
Helped RvB pass 500,000 kills, kills which no matter how they were made all have a story behind them;
Several epic wars with those smelly layabouts over in EVE University, during which high sec saw what we still hold to be the largest battles between two entities it has ever seen;
Innumerable other third party wars, some fun ones, some not so fun – MATE;
An RvB directors’ wild idea go from a simple purple roam to become EVE’s premier public roam, with dear old me having FC’d over 50 of them;
Our Mass frigate FFA’s, a couple of which have given the server a severe RvB shaped headache;
And who could forget all the support & assistance RvB gave me during my successful campaign to become a CSM 8 Delegate.

After three wonderful years & nearly 6000 killmails that I have found my way on to, I feel more at home here than ever, and I know that this is down to all of you. This includes the people who cause me to get annoyed, the people who cannot read the rules, the people who make the rules, and especially the people who make it a joy to log in and (occasionally) undock. Keep doing what you do and I’ll still be here in another 3 years.

Shoot All The Things

Planetside 2, RVB No Responses »

Jul 012013

Recently, I and other members of We Form Purple [RVBP] have resumed our Thursday night PS2 sessions. The game has improved dramatically since we stopped back in February, with new vehicles, weapons and even a new way of progressing on the way to capturing a continent: the lattice system (only on Indar right now).

So dust (lol) off those characters you have lying around and come join in the fun, every Thursday evening from around 19.00 UTC.

Remember we play as the Vanu on the Mattherson server.

Additionally, I have created two other Outfits on Mattherson, 1 for the New Conglomerate & 1 for the Terran Republic, here are the details:

NC: Smurf Republic [RvBB]

Contact is Auqakuh

TR: Elmo Federation [RvBR]

Contact is Simud

I would like to try and alternate our play on these factions just to change things up every now & then. Or if we ever get serious numbers, have our very own “Outfit Wars”!!! Yes, this does mean we too can become 4th Empire scum.

With your shield, or on it!

Fcing, Ganked, RVB No Responses »

Jul 012013

On the 29th June, the 74th numbered Ganked roam went out to play. It was lead by top scout & regular Guest FC: Green Gambit, as I would only be able to make it later due to taking part in a Space hangout with Ali Aras – a fellow CSM delegate. The time I spent with the roam was really great fun, a couple of good fights were had with the Providence holders and their friends.

Anyway, Green sent me his write up of the whole thing, so here it is:

So we’re out on Ganked 72 discussing future roams when I mention the idea of shield-Amarr as a theme. Next thing that’s chosen as the theme for Ganked 74, and I’m guest FC…

Fleet forms up in the regular favourite of Rens, although we don’t see any of the usual docking games. Departing a minute or two past 20:00 the fleet makes best-speed to Irshah where we meet up with the flashies in fleet. Now at full-numbers the 130-strong fleet heads one-jump out into Asabona when we’re informed of a small BC fleet, one jump back in Gomati. We run back to find that they’ve left local, and we have no clue which way they went. We turn around again and head into Curse.

Entry into Curse is quiet so we start heading along the pipe to VOL-MI. Forward scouts call a small gate-camp in CL-85V, so the fleet burns to try and catch something only for the scout to report the camp fleeing, as soon as we start hitting K-Q. Fortunately a Cynabal lands on the CL-85V gate in K-Q at the same time of the fleet, is forced to jump and dies in CL-85. We move on through Curse looping around through XX9 finding people in local, but space quiet. We arrive in H-A and as we’re warping towards the S-E gate, a gang on a gate in EQX is spotted, again the fleet makes haste over, but again the gang flees to station before we arrive. We turn around and head back towards VOL-MI cutting through Scalding Pass. Local009 spots another small gang in VOL-MI heading into ARG. We wait in R-3 hoping to catch them as they come through – however they must have scouted us as they flee, leaving us just with a solitary Stabber to kill.

We get intel on a relatively large Cruiser+BC gang in Providence, so head out of empty Curse and cut through Catch into Providence. Our scouts find them in T-RPFU setup at zero on the gate. This being Ganked, we jump in and open fire. We have slightly more numbers, but they have more BCs whereas we’re mostly cruisers. Add to them a dozen Scythes and they clearly have the upper-hand, but it’s a nice little brawl and we cut through most of the Scythes and net 28 kills overall.

Whelp One over.

Having finished his CSM business, Mangala joined us for round two, and the fleet reformed in Rens. We set off again around 22:45 heading back towards Providence but skirting through a little low-sec first. The fleet kills a random punisher on a gate in low-sec only to discover from the killmail it’s worth 92m ISK! But aside from occasional ships on gates this part of low-sec is quiet, so we soon find ourselves back in Providence.

We wander around Providence mostly missing small things on gates until local009 calls a small gang with Harby and Drake on the D61 gate in Y-MP. We send forward a couple more ceptors to tackle, and the two BCs are pointed. Fleet jumps in and kills both, along with 6 other ships from the gang. This seems to have turned around our luck as we then snag a few things on gates including a Raptor that thinks he can escape by burning away at 3km/s. However our tackle has him locked down and eventually he dies along with his pod. Unusually though Providence is quiet of ratter and miners.

We head further around Providence and venture into VKI then H-G. It’s quiet so we turn around to start moving round towards LF-2. There’s a little confusion about the location of fleet and scouts, and we’re told about a medium-sized gang – just as we jump into it in 3GX. Finding them set up, and ourselves outnumbered, we burn back to the gate and jump back into VKI – we lose a few ships, but most of the fleet make it back. The scouts still in 3GX inform the Provi-defence fleet, that we’ll stand and fight but only if they jump into us.

After a small delay they oblige and local spikes. A rupture is the first thing to decloak and dies almost instantly. We’re shooting other targets when Mang points out their Basilisks have decloaked right in the middle of us, so we switch targets. It takes us a minute to grind through the reps but they both die. We’re now starting to fall fast, but manage to pick-off a couple more ships before we’re done. Another decent fight, whelp two over and time for bed!

I’d like to thank.

Local009 for scouting and stepping up to target-call when needed.

Major Floor for scouting and bringing some links along

Cal Abungu for entertainment on comms

The provi-block for bringing two decent fights

As with the past 40+ roams, Somer.Blink sponsored some prizes for the roam and the winners are:

Navy Slicer: Major Floor, Akori Mitsumoto, Phantom OfKrankor, mikeshaw91 inkura, Dazmaz, Joe Appleby, Ragnar Alestorm, Kitty Baugh
Navy Omen: Cal Abunga, Oh’so Scrumptious
Navy Harbinger: Local009, Trinneth
Navy Apocalypse: sens1