Day 64 : The Heavy Weather Tengu Scare

It’s hot out again. Damn hot.

I’ve spoken before about how British summer weather is crazy, prompting Brits like me to talk (whine) about it all the time. I won’t go into it too much but the impact of both this and a few too many lagers last night is going to slow me down today. I might not get much done. Already my brain has turned into a thin, sludge like, coating for my lower skull. I even find myself wishing for rain, cool air and an excuse to stay in and take internet spaceships out. Instead I’m going to lie in the garden, soak up some rays and alternate between counting what I’m producing back in EVE and praying for the England cricket team while listening to Test Match Special. Not before I set production lines running though. I’m going to have to get better at timing these to finish in the morning and evening so I can seed for multiple Time Zone markets.

Later, sitting there, literally half baked, I find myself staring at some production figures for way too long. I’ve hit one of those dead spots in EVE where you are waiting for things to finish. You end up forgetting that there are loads of other things you could be doing while you wait. This happens to me now and again. I’m not sure what the trigger is, and I am terrible at multitasking so when it gets its claws into me it is hard to escape. Today the heat is making it worse. You have to just force yourself to get up and do something. If nothing else, mine. It’s a pursuit that is very suited to sitting back and providing minimal input. I’m not sure how many miners sit there doing it wearing only a pair of shorts though. I’m the half naked miner. How much is capsuleer sweat worth on the market? Can I sell the promise not to gross people out on a blog?

For this session of mining I’ve dedicated the resulting mineral output to sales, and those sales to buy certain items that should get me out of the waiting funk. It’s odd how I do this kind of thing when I've got the cash sitting in the bank. I'm very reluctant to dip into savings for inspirational ideas, it’s as if I am anticipating and paying for mistakes ahead of time. I can look at the bank balance afterwards and feel that nothing has gone wrong (it probably did).

I head out in The Diceman, trying desperately to imagine the proximity of the cool vacuum of space. I begin hoovering up any Massive Scordite left over since the respawn, it doesn’t look like many people have been out here today. I'm browsing the market looking for future products and starting to get drowsy when a Tengu drops onto the grid. Even a Space Noob has heard of the Tengu. Some kind of third tier cruiser fitted out with reverse engineered alien tech. Or something. Expensive and deadly. It has woken me up but not enough, I've realised I'm not even aligned to a station. I pour a glass of water over my head. That’s better. Surely no one would waste a Tengu on ganking a single miner? What if they are a scout for a bigger ganking operation? I’m about to get really, really paranoid when a conversation invite pops up. What the hell right? Lets say hi before I die.

I don’t die. I end up having an entertaining conversation with a self confessed bittervet explorer who recognised my ship name and then the blog reference in my Bio. “Bittervet” is a term for players who have been in the game so long that they get jaded, desperate to find something new to do while still milking the game of its last tender juices. They can’t leave, and they can’t glory in the EVE universe as much as they once could. Unlike burnout in other MMO’s it seems to have an epic quality to it. I like the notion of these jaded drifters, idly wandering empire systems, injecting some more adventure into high security space.  

I learn quite a few things about exploring. This the profession of scanning down various kinds of sites in dead space and then looting them, over or from the dead bodies of the original occupants. I hadn’t realised it’s potential for cash generation. I can sense another incoming swing in the skill queue.

By the time I’ve finished talking, ready to dock and refine the load, I’m really considering switching to some more exploration skills. I could handle some of those sites now, I even knew what a “kiting catalyst” was without having it explained to me. So, to the exploration bittervet who asked not to be named,  sir I salute you. You've altered the direction of the skill queue once again (lets face it, I'd have probably switched it to some other direction soon anyway)! Thanks for dropping by and giving me some tips and for the firework show. I ended up feeling sorry for the rats that turned up in that belt while the Tengu was there. Instant immolation. Rats? With a Tengu in the belt they were more like Lemmings.

Right. Exploration skills time then. I've run out of beer though. I promptly log off and go and watch some Stargate Universe, and Rear Window while drinking lager that I am cycling though the freezer to chill it. I'll explore exploration tomorrow.

EVE Track of the Day

No Where To Run To - Martha and the Vandellas


UPDATE: Added some more stuff to the Screenshots page.