A look at hiring mercenaries in EVE Online
The galactic setting of EVE Online is always buzzing with conflict, somewhere. The game is very PvP-centric, although not all players have an interest in the violent side of EVE. That's all fine and good, even those who concentrate on industry (EVE's take on the crafting system) have a powerful weapon at their disposal to fend off, or spark, hostilities from other players -- their in-game currrency. The power of the Inter Stellar Kredit (ISK) makes many things possible in EVE, and there are a number of mercenary corporations active in the game that are willing to kill or die for you, for the right price.
While many players are aware that mercs can be contracted for industrial warfare, to force retractions of war declarations from aggressors, to secure territory, and complete a wide range of objectives for their clients, the protocols involved with making this happen are less transparent. That's where the Guide to Hiring Mercenaries comes in, written by Alekseyev Karrde, founder and CEO of the mercenary corp Noir.
Karrde realized there's some general haziness among many EVE players as to what's involved with contracting mercenaries and how these contracts are fulfilled. His guide is concise and well-written, ranging from basic concepts and terminology to explanations of the details involved with contracting EVE's problem solvers.
His guide also deals with the contracts themselves, namely their significance to both mercs and clients, and the need for negotiation. He imparts some warnings in his section on vetting the individuals you're paying to complete a job, as well. And of course, Karrde warns of the dangers in stiffing your hired guns on their payment.
Karrde writes that his guide is not all-encompassing, though, stating "there are as many variations on how mercs operate and charge as there are merc corps in the game." Regardless, the guide stands as an excellent primer for the player community on dealing with mercenaries. Massively recommends that EVE players bookmark the Guide to Hiring Mercenaries... you never know when you may need to deal with a problem with other EVE players beyond your own capabilities to handle.
