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EVE Evolved: Hulk hunting in highsec
As it's a sandbox game, a big part of what makes EVE Online special is the interesting things players make and do within the game world that developers didn't anticipate. It's ultimately the players who collectively shape the game world, in extreme cases even overturning some of the developed game mechanics. Most players think of high-security space as a safe place to mine and run missions, with CONCORD police keeping a watchful eye on players and destroying any ship that breaks the law. But in EVE you're never truly safe anywhere but inside a station. With the right ship setup, it's possible to kill a target in the few seconds before the police ships arrive to turn you into a smoking wreck. In 2008, GoonSwarm alliance launched its infamous JihadSwarm campaign aiming to suicide gank every mining barge in high-security space. The imaginary safety bubble that miners had lived in for years burst, and highsec mining temporarily became one of the game's most dangerous professions. When Helicity Boson later kicked off the first Hulkageddon event, pirates competed to see who could destroy the most mining barges, and miners in high-security space were prime targets. Hulkageddon went on to become a regular event, with achievements to be won and billions of ISK in sponsored prizes. Recently, Hulkageddon V took an interesting turn when Goonswarm Federation pledged to keep the event running permanently by paying players 100 million ISK for every 10 tech 2 mining barges they kill. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at Hulkageddon from both sides of the fence, with tips on how to suicide gank mining barges and how to stay safe when mining.
EVE's Hulkageddon IV event begins today
Once or twice per year, EVE Online players across the world are gripped by the desire to destroy everything in sight. During the nine-day Hulkageddon bloodbath, players compete to destroy as many mining ships as possible. A variety of prizes are then handed out to individuals and corporations with the most kills or for special achievements completed during the event. The event was first organised by pirate Helicity Boson back in 2009, and so far it has been responsible for the destruction of several hundred billion ISK worth of Hulks and other mining ships. The event has come under fire for promoting griefing, as the primary method of gaining kills is the use of suicide attacks in high-security space. Hulkageddon supporters argue that it's a perfectly legitimate way to play the game, and EVE's sandbox-style game design and rules do permit it. Whether you like it or hate it, Hulkageddon has become a regular EVE tradition. To avoid a grim fate, miners should probably take a break between February 19th and February 28th. Head over to the official forum thread for full details of the impending carnage and the prize fund available for participants.
One Shots: We move as one
Sure, the last Hulkageddon is long over, and EVE Online has quieted down to its usual buzzing levels of drama. But that doesn't mean that Helicity Boson and the rest of The Python Cartel aren't thinking about new and interesting ways of "shooting other people in the face." Indeed, today's One Shots offers a peek into what Helicity and friends do when they're not gleefully overseeing massive amounts of intergalactic miner carnage. The note attached explains: "When we are not planning the extinction of all miners in EVE, the Python Cartel likes to wield various battleships together in unorthodox ways, yielding such results as this 'armamegageddathron' in the picture." Love the art of the well-timed gank? Want to show off a picture of your recent triumph in the dangerous skies of New Eden? Grab a screenshot from your travels and send it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. Feel free to include corp (guild for non-EVE) names or anything else you'd like to send in. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in! %Gallery-85937%
Hulkageddon III ends with an estimated 288 billion ISK in damage
Much to the dismay of miners everywhere, EVE Online's infamous Hulkageddon event made a return earlier this month. In this irregularly-scheduled fan-run event, ruthless pilots compete to kill as many mining barges as possible within a short period of time. While some kills are found in wormhole space and nullsec as part of a standard PvP roaming squad, most tend to be the result of suicide attacks carried out in high security space. As most miners stay in highsec, this is where most of the targets for the Hulkageddon are found. Opponents of the event argue that it causes unnecessary hardship for ordinary EVE players who enjoy mining. The event's organiser, infamous pirate Helicity Boson, responds to critics with her belief that it's a perfectly valid way to play the game. In an exclusive interview with Massively before the event began, she suggested that any pilot paying attention could see the suicide attacks coming and would have plenty of time to escape. A significant portion of mining barge kills during the Hulkageddon are also believed to be macro-miners, adding another dimension to this already controversial issue. The latest Hulkageddon ran from the 9th of July to the 18th, ending with an estimated 288 billion ISK worth of mining ships destroyed. To put that figure into perspective, it would cost you over $16,550 US Dollars to buy that much ISK legitimately by purchasing game time codes and selling them in-game for ISK. The prize-giving for the event was recently conducted, with a single ruthless player by the name of "Phil MacMannon" taking the vast majority of the prizes. With the event concluded, miners can finally breathe a sigh of relief and get back to eating every asteroid in sight.
Lock up your mining barges, the Hulkageddon cometh to EVE Online!
Like it or loathe it, EVE Online's infamous fan-run Hulkageddon event is back with its teeth sharpened. During this unofficial week and a half of torture, some of the game's more vicious players band together with one common goal -- the complete eradication of mining ships. Organised by pirate Helicity Boson back in October 2009, the first event was met with strong vocal opposition by miners. Cries that the unofficial event sanctioned griefing and calls for Helicity to be banned flooded the forums, sparking intense debate into what is and isn't acceptable in the sandbox. Despite opposition, the event made a return early this year, with January's Hulkageddon II destroying a record 278 billion ISK in mining barges and exhumers. With Hulkageddon III scheduled to begin next week on the 9th of July, continuing until July 18th, miners across EVE are in for a rough time. If January's event is any indication, even pilots in high security space aren't safe from attack. Suicide tactics have always been a popular way to kill barges, with packs of destroyers able to kill a Hulk before CONCORD arrive. Skip past the cut to read our in-depth interview with Helicity Boson on the upcoming carnage and how to stay safe.
EVE Community Spotlight: Helicity Boson
The setting of EVE Online is a vast galactic sandbox called New Eden, with thousands of charted solar systems and thousands more hidden in uncharted space. The title's developer CCP Games provides the expansive setting and PvE content, but beyond this it's up to the players to define what the game can really be. Although there are plenty of opportunities to take risks in the game with commensurate rewards, a large percentage of the game's playerbase are content to remain in high security space where there are less dangers. Many of these players spend their time mining in asteroid belts and ice fields, which most would admit can be a semi-AFK playstyle. After all, the process of mining is rote: lock asteroids, fire up your mining lasers, and some cycles later you've harvested ore that can be sold outright or used in manufacturing. That zen-like calm punctuated by the gentle hum of mining lasers was shaken up for many high sec dwellers earlier this month though, when the player-run event Hulkageddon II tore through the mining ship hulls of over 1000 players. The core idea of Hulkageddon II, as with the original event, was to destroy as many mining vessels as possible over the course of a week... a goal that many players pursued with reckless abandon. Indeed, there were numerous prizes awarded and 'achievements' that players racked up over the course of Hulkageddon II. Ultimately, the event injected some much-needed risk into the game -- whether some players wanted it or not -- in places where miners once felt they were untouchable by EVE's criminal population. Of course, a player-run event that pitted players eager to rack up kills against those who would prefer to avoid conflict has proven controversial. The man behind Hulkageddon II is Helicity Boson, a pirate who flies with The Python Cartel, though he was helped in large part by fellow player Garmon (aka El'Tar) and generous donations from other players. Massively caught up with Helicity to discuss his motivations behind running Hulkageddon II, his views on the game in general, and why some EVE players might be wound up just a bit too tightly.
Hulkageddon II event begins in EVE today, miners despair
A player-run event called "Hulkageddon" kicked off in EVE Online today, the second such event to be held in the game. Hulkageddon II is the brainchild of EVE player Helicity Boson, a pirate who flies with The Python Cartel, and is essentially a contest that rewards the destruction of exhumer (Hulk and Mackinaw) mining ships. The most recent Quarterly Economic Newsletter released by EVE developer CCP Games indicated that the Hulk is the most flown ship in the game, which provides plenty of targets for gankers in the contest. Hulkageddon exists much to the detriment of the game's numerous miners, seeing as it's a galaxy-wide demolition derby using the very ships they pilot, but has proven very popular with other players the first time around in 2009. Although it's only been a matter of hours since Hulkageddon II began, the event's killboard shows over 250 mining ships destroyed (along with 40 of their pilots). That number will, no doubt, climb over the course of this week. Also, the tears may be just a bit sweeter given the fact that Hulk prices rose sharply in the weeks preceding Hulkageddon II, the result of changes made to Tech II manufacturing requirements with the Dominion expansion. Whether you're interested in taking part in the contest or want to know what you're in for over the next week, here are a few details about Hulkageddon II:
