Null-sec: Gold and blood

This post is in response to a blog post made by CSM Sugar Kyle.

Go have a read. And whilst there, bookmark her blog. She's one of the best writers out there, and has a near unmatched passion for New Eden.

The gist of the post is in itself a response to a Twitter conversation about a lack of motivation to take the space owned by the big Null-sec power blocs. She mentions that mechanics are one of the problems. It is a larger, and more complex issue than my feeble experience can cope with... but I do know why I wouldn't storm Null-sec, and she's largely right.

There's not much point in toppling the power blocs in the first place.

If you want to live there, joining the existing groups is easier than taking space from them.

If you don't want to live there, why bother with the structure grind?

And even if you do take it, you've basically locked yourself into a life of constant defense against interlopers. Any trips to other parts of the cluster have to be short, so you can always be on hand to defend your space.

Much worse than that, you're obliged to keep *everyone* out of your space, just in case they do want to attack.

Null-sec is a place where you have to fight hard to get there, fight hard to keep it, and once there, you're basically stuck with the people that helped you get it, wandering around space, rolling in cash, and asking the inevitable question: What now?

To give you an analogy: The Gold Mine

You get a group of friends together to attack a gold mine. It's long, and painful, since there's only one entrance in. You lose a lot of friends along the way, but eventually you get a foothold into a rich seam of gold.

You use that gold to buy bigger weapons, but the further you go into the tunnels, the more concentrated the enemy, and the harder it is to get your guns down the tunnels. In turn, you get more gold, but you start losing more and more friends, replacing them with greedy people only interested in either money or blood. 

If you're stubborn enough, you get the whole gold mine, and all the riches are yours. But now some other people are looking at your wealth, and they'd like a piece of it. You know, from experience, that even just a foothold in the mine makes it easier for those people to buy better weapons, and take more from you.

So you barricade the door, and kill anyone that even takes a sniff. You drill secret tunnels to take your gold to market, using false identities and disguises, since you're terrified of people in the market, so terrified that they'll steal your gold. 

You spend all your time underground, terrified of the world outside your mine. The sun becomes a distant memory.

But getting the mine was an achievement right? Something you and your friends did together right?

But when you look behind you, to see who's in the mine with you, you see very few of your friends. Instead, the majority of your bunk mates are covered in blood, hungry for more. They jealously guard their own shares of gold. Much worse, they expect you to pay them to help defend the gold mine. 

Too late, you realise you've locked yourself in a dark hole, with only digging through more rock in your future. Locked yourself in a hole with murderous mercenaries. People on the other side of the barricade just as jealous, with just as bloody intentions.

Isolation grows.

Soon, despite a steady trickle of fresh recruits to man the barricades, a rot sets in. All the warriors turned miner become caked in dust. Their wealth grows, and grows, but with only ever more expensive weaponry to buy, restlessness increases.

Your followers grow scornful of the weak and poor people out of the mine. Those pathetic sunwalkers could never hope to take the mine they so obviously covet. But still, the barricades are held strong, and held stronger every day by the ever expanding arsenal.

It may take a few years. It may take a few days. But eventually, you'll realize the truth of the mine, and whatever dreams you had of building cities and monuments were actually never the true purpose of the gold mine.

Yes you built a barricade. Yes, the gods handed you ever better tools to make weapons with. You have vast tunnels pouring wealth unimaginable into your wallets, and beautiful engines of destruction dancing to your whim.

But all of this is underground, out of sight. Too dangerous to let the rest of the world see. Better to keep it safe in the dark. Maybe invite some of the sunwalkers to mine for a while, so they become as black-lunged and swollen with gold like the rest of us. Good fodder for the other tunnel dwellers.

Because that's all the gold mine is. That's all you can find there.

Gold... and blood.

Sounds fun right?

CSM Sugar Kyle is right. The mechanics of Null need to change. But competitive mechanics are not what Null needs. Rather Null needs a reason to let the barricades down, and allow both it's own people to get some sun, and allow people to come in and see what wonders they have built.

Blog Banter #56: Last refuge

Blog Banter 56

With Kornos and the upcoming industry changes following 6 weeks behind it, things are set for a vast upheaval in the coming months. Before he packed his bags and left Mord Fiddle asked some interesting questions:

The common wisdom in EVE Online is that, beyond the odd high-value moon or Faction Warfare scam, there's little in low sec or NPC null sec to the attract ongoing attention of the big-dogs of null sec, with their large fleets and super cap doctrines. It's assumed that NPC space simply isn't worth the bother of controlling even if one could control it.
Is this about to change?
The shift in industrial inefficiencies from high sec to NPC low sec/null sec has begun, adding value to NPC space outside of high sec. In the recent B0TLRD accords CFC claimed two NPC null sec regions, Venal and Syndicate, as part of the CFC sphere of influence.
What is the future of low sec and NPC null sec as the economic center of gravity shifts from high sec toward null sec?

Also, you can take this banter as a chance to discuss the ramifications of the style of play in low sec and NPC null sec if it does happen that major industry shifts there.

***

It's hard for me to write about low-sec.

Null-sec is relatively easy, as it generally comes down to politics and resource management. Hi-sec as well, since it's static and is the eternal anvil New Eden's industry hammers on. Wormholes have enough mysteries to keep the most prolific poets happy.

But Low-sec defies purpose and easy definition. And it is the only place for a capsuleer such as me.

First, lets discuss the wealth of Low-sec, or at least the income available there:

• Unique belt rats (Tags/New Mordu's Legion)
• Exploration sites
• Randomly placed high end ores (new)
• Faction warfare loyalty store

The one common theme for all these income sources is lack of stability, and predictability. Even the militia pilot bent on farming loyalty points will find themselves hunted down by pirates and opposing militia forces. Valuable belt rats rarely appear in the same place twice. Exploration sites are, well, random by nature.

This hints to low-sec's true purpose, whether by design or happy accident. Let me explain.

Every other sector of space has one common theme: stability.

Regardless of their outward personas, every action in null, high and even wormholes is towards this goal. They all have a deep desire to make their space more safe, more stable, and more predictable. Wormholers may claim otherwise, but in the next breath they will discuss the best way to collapse a wormhole. Warp bubbles, CONCORD, and intelligence channels all serve the same purpose: make my space safer, and more predictable.

Most attempts to stabilize low-sec have failed. The Empires themselves send their militias and navies to lay claim to this lawless part of space, and have become locked in an eternal struggle with only mercenaries and pirates profiting from it.

Most low-sec residents rebel against authority. It is in this space, almost exclusively, where you will find the independent fighter. The ones who dare to fly solo, without 15-ship 'micro-gangs', as they do in Null-sec. There is no certainty when you fly alone. Every encounter is different, as everyone with a ship is likely to test you.

Low-sec is a place where you never know what you're going to get. The next jump could bring fortune or death, or both. It is the unknown, and nothing you can build will alter that. There is adventure to be had, even with something as monotonous as mining.

It is not for people who expect to see steady growth of income. It is not for people looking to raise flags. It is not somewhere you can develop for farming. Null-sec entities cannot put up their walls, plow their ratting fields and hoist their standards.

To answer that question: Null-sec alliances can't use low-sec because it is NOT about economics. It never has been.

It is for people who value experience over income. For whom the white hot thrill of discovery is more important than the comfort of the every day. For whom curiosity is a compulsion that can't be ignored.

The pilot that barrels his Rifter into a dog-fight, for the one-in-a-million chance he may succeed. The miner who toys with pirates and dances in their scanners to claim her ores. The smuggler, sneaking wares past gate camps and opportunist hunters, in nothing more than an industrial ship. These are the residents of low-sec.

So what will happen to low-sec with the upcoming changes? Not much. The industrial changes do little to alleviate the chaotic nature of low-sec. The kind of capsuleer that makes his way here will still be the same; the adventurous and bold.

It is the last refuge of adventure.

Legion of dogs

Well... I saw these:

Images stolen from Eve News 24, The Mittani.com, and http://uglebsjournal.files.wordpress.com/ respectively 

I am in love!

Their utilitarian yet elegantly designed hulls matched with agility and missiles makes my Khanid heart sing for joy! Of course, the possibility that they are well tanked as well is low, but if Mordu's Legion were producing heavily tanked missile boats, Khanid Innovations would be out of a job!

Rhavas of the Interstellar Privateer already beat me to the explanation of the naming conventions (and as he is far wiser in the lore of New Eden than me, is able to draw better conclusions). But lets dig a little deeper, and see if there are more connections to draw.

Garmur

Whilst it is referred to as a hell hound, that's not all Garmr from the mythology is. His primary function is to guard the gates of Hel, or the underworld. It also should be said that Garmr is not really a hell hound. His actual description is similar to that of Sleipnir, the best of steeds. Garm is the best of dogs.

Hel in this case can be seen as Null-sec. Mordu's Legion will be moving into Low-sec, which can be seen as the buffer zone between the Empires and the capsuleer sovereign alliances. Mordu's Legion might be hired by the Empire's to protect them from the null-sec capsuleers.

A little more worryingly, Garmr is also linked to Ragnarok, or the end of days. It is said he will be let lose and that they will be the slayer of Tyr. This god reference could mean Mordu's Legion are out to slay Angels, or capsuleers. Remember, you are Immortal, my fellow pod jockeys.

A little further digging for the truly paranoid, a little line from the Poetic Edda:

"The Völva states that a crowing "sooty-red cock from the halls of Hel" is one of three cocks that will signal one of the beginning events of Ragnarök.

Mordu's Legion were based in Null-sec. And notice the colour of their ships? And finally, I'll leave their badge here. I thought it was eagle, but I'm not so sure.

Naming convention here is Minmatar.

Orthrus

The brother of Cerberus (but with only two heads), this particular namesake is meant to be guarding a herd of red-cattle on the 'sunset' isle. He is eventually slain by Herakles.

Now, our sunset isle could mean low-sec. It is between two opposites of hi- and null-. Not much more to report on this front, however, when we start myth mixing, it becomes a little more interesting.

Orthrus, is said to belong to a giant, and they herd the red cattle together. Again, from the above Poetic Edda, we find mention of another red-cock crowing the start of Ragnarok, this time from Jotunheim:

"He sat on the mound and plucked his harp
the herdsman of the giantess, cheerful Eggther
a rooster crowed in Gallows-wood
that bright-red cockerel who is called Fialar"

Two giants, two herds, one dog and one rooster.

Naming convention here is Gallente.

Barghest

So now we come to the battleship, and this is where most of my digging dries up. It's said to appear at funerals of notable people, and is a shape shifter. Other than it being a dog, I have found no real connection between that and the Ragnarok roosters.

It is linked to other black dog mythologies, and they attack lonely travelers on roads. This is kind of fitting with their role.

The naming conventions all fall down here too. Barghest is a Germanic, or Anglo-Saxon derivation, with is hardly representative of any New Eden culture. It would have most links to Caldari naming conventions, however, as they have a tendency to name ships after mythical creatures.

Conclusions

So, there you have it. A little more connections made. They are named for dogs, as fitting for a mercenary group. Their naming conventions are quite eclectic, as Mordu's Legion have been known to take members from all races. At least two have tenuous links to the re-shaping of the world, and one has a link to funerals and death.

Does any of this matter much? Not really, and most of it is probably far fetched in connection building. However, should another ship, or connection to the third rooster in Valhalla be announced, then the theory will be correct.

It wouldn't surprise me though. In a month's time, the way industry in New Eden is done will be entirely changed, and we already have signs that the cluster is going through large changes. Although we only have our two cockerels, Ragnarok may indeed be at hand.

But the important thing to me is that these will be missile ships, and as the naming convention suggests, most likely Caldari/Gallente based. That means I'll be needing to train up Caldari ships. As a fellow dog-of-war currently working for the Republic, I find their ships most suitable for me!

Savage's Fiddle

Or, "Bar-bar-bar."

I recently wrote about the people who were famous to me in New Eden. Mord Fiddle was one of them.

And that's peculiar. He spends most of his time in Non-sovereignty null-security space, and writes almost exclusively about the various events of the sovereign alliances.I spend most of my time in low-sec, and hi-sec trade hubs. We don't share any common ground.

Except for writing. And writing is the reason I count Mord as one of my most important influences. His writing style is unique among most bloggers, and he has a wonderful way of describing the machinations of the null-sec war-lords. Even me describing them as warlords in due, in part, to the colourful and vivid narratives and thought-provoking analogies he creates.

Not to mention the personal benefit I get from his blog. I get a steady stream of page views directed from his site. I'm proud to be included on his blog list.

But it was mostly what he wrote about that kept me coming back. More specifically, it was when he spoke of barbarians.

As he says, 'barbarian' is essentially another way of calling someone savage, or uncivilized. It's an ancient Greek term, since the conversation of their less-urban inclined neighbors sounded to them like "Bar bar bar bar bar." Over the ages, it's come to apply to anyone we see as overly aggressive, with a tendency to use their enemies' skulls for drinking wine.

And it is these stories that fascinate me.

Mord recently announced his departure from New Eden, based on the new industrial taxes that will hit soon, and the inferred Cosmic developers' contempt for those living in Hi-sec. I'm not convinced this is the whole of the reason.

CSM Ripard Teg said in a comment that most of Mord's posts are based on the unfortunately named CFC, and that they mostly contain a certain amount of vitriol for the group. He claims burn-out for Mord's choice to join the Sleepers in immortal slumber. I tend to agree.

I believe the reason for that is because the CFC are the only worthwhile thing to write about in Null-sec. They have been for a long time. And thus far, despite some minor footnotes of other alliances rising to power, but quickly brokering treaties with the swarm, there has been little else for him to talk about. I'd be burnt-out too if my passion had only come to chronicling the rise of a single entity. After commenting and  analyzing the chaos of null-sec before, I'm not surprised.

In other words, it's kind of dull.

I know nothing of null-sec, but things must have become more barren for one who wrote so passionately about it to lose interest.

So I think of barbarians. More specifically, I think about the more successful ones.

The idea of a barbarian without culture or civilization is entirely misleading. They often do have one, it's just distinctly different from those looking out over the horde and trembling. The word barbarian quite literally means foreigner, or something other.

Which is why Mord's ideas of barbarianism never really gained traction. Whilst he advocated looting and pillaging, I always felt it was from the perspective of setting out to raid and pillage from a secure place. Which is logical. You need somewhere to cart back that plunder.

But the next logical extension is that you'd need to defend said place, and things start to look a lot like a traditional null-sec alliance. And we already have one that reached the peak of that particular development cycle. The real answer lies in a fundamentally different way of living in null-sec. A different culture.

The most successful barbarians in ages past were nomadic herdsmen. They lived in tents, and never built anything to last. When things became uncomfortable, they just packed up and left. An entire empire was built this way. All they asked from their subjects was some gold to prevent unpleasantness. Other than that, they lived off the land, and traded with the more settled people.

This kind of nomadic existence doesn't exist in New Eden's null-sec. There is a general feeling of ownership, and that ownership of systems comes with a right to security. The idea that one should 'own' space before one is allowed to exploit it is built into the narrative of the cluster. Even worm-hole residents put up there POS towers as a way of flag-planting.

But, as Mord says, barbarians tend not to care who's hiding in the castle, so long as they get to use the lands whilst he's there. The very idea of paying to operate in someone else's space is a dream. It is certainly more convenient to be able to dock up, but with current technology, it's no longer absolutely necessary.

The Great Wildlands is home to nomadic Thukkers. I am entering this dark place to learn their ways. Once I have the theory and practice of living without station or POS, I will move to sovereignty held null-sec, and hunt all they have. I intend to find out whether a different culture beyond the settled farmers can exist in null-sec.

I am moving to Null-sec. But I am doing it on my terms. I will not bend my knee to any alliance there, and I will not pay for the right to live in space they refuse to patrol.

I do not go for destruction, although I am aware many will try to bring it to me. I go to create, to learn and to teach. I actually envisage collaboration rather than opposition to the locals.

But the biggest reason, inspirations aside, is to see if I can.

It is a challenge, and one I look forward to tackling.

I keep hearing null-sec is essentially safe. I'm not a big risk taker. Safe space sounds great to me. And if the local landlords come after me, well... I'm not all that risk averse. I love a good chase.

Catch me if you can.

Ugh, I have no talent for this philosophical rambling. Next up, some practical advice for living out of a depot.

Null-sec Nomad

It occurred to me as I looted the clone pirate wreck a week ago, that you don't need to own space to profit from it.

None of the high-sec capsuleers can claim ownership of a single system. Low-sec corporations can, by right-of-might, claim a system as their own. But they don't get to fly their banner from the stations ramparts. The closest they get to that is the cheery little corp logo adorning their station office door.

And yet, these pilots flourish. They exploit their space, quite without the keys to the system. When the mood takes them, they may camp outside the star gates, snarling at interlopers, but when it's time for bed, their ownership amounts to nothing but words lost in the void.

My little jaunt out to Thukker controlled space cemented this idea. I was exploiting space quite beyond the clutches of the Empires, the gentle iron fist of CONCORD, and with only minor pirates for company.

It's dangerous, no doubt about that. There are only a handful of stations in the whole region. But because of that, it's largely untraveled. Warp disruption bubbles aren't a problem if there's no one to deploy them.

So, I made a few little preparations and headed out to see if I could live there for a week.

Preparations were simple. The biggest problem of extended operations in the Great Wildlands was cargo space. This is semi-fixed by deploying mobile depots. I have a number of them dotted around the Region now, all in safe spots, and hopefully beyond the care of other people.

Setting up was easy enough. Cargo expanders in the lows meant I could carry more, and the depot ensured I could refit once I got into my hunting grounds.

I pretty much have this space to myself. I warp out to belts, collect the bounties on a few pirates, and loot them. I then return the loot to the nearest Depot. Rinse and repeat.

I see much more of the alliances I read about in the press. Pandemic Legion, Read Alliance, and some others. I never really met them in Hi- or Low-sec. They flitter around the Wildlands, probably looking for someone to kill. I wonder who? They can't be after me... unless they've brought a dedicated probe ship, and have their hearts set on a mobile depot kill mail. And the pirates in the belts go fairly un-molested, save for one lonely Khanid taking their bounties.

I also met a budding exploration pilot, wandering around the Wildlands in  Magnate, lows full of warp core stabilizers. Rookie capsuleer. He'd only been in space for 3 weeks. We had a brief chat about where to find things, and he left my hunting grounds. I wish him well. He said he learned a lot from his past 3 ship losses. Good man. Hope he can maintain that optimism.

But as I rove between my interstellar camps, wondering how I can convince Benh to pilot an industrial out to pick up all of what I've collected, I struggle with this question: Why am I out here?

And I think it all comes down to one writer.

Blog Banter 55: Famous to me

In response the the recent blog banter:

Last Blog Banter we talked about heroes in EVE Online. The followup to that topic has been provided by Wilhelm aka The Ancient Gaming Noob:

Write about somebody who is "space famous" and why you hate/admire them, somebody who isn't space famous but you think should be or will be, or discuss space fame in general, what it means, and how people end up so famous.
I'd like to add another take on the subject, is there a cost of being famous in EVE and if so, is it worth the price?

*****

This started out as a response to the previous blog banter. I didn't really like it though. Everyone had already said much of want I wanted to say. But this idea did form out of it, and it neatly lines up with the current banter.

Rather than focus on who's famous to everyone else in New Eden, I'll instead look at who's famous to me. All of them are bloggers, which perhaps says more about me than I'd care to admit. But these are the people I've come to respect and admire in New Eden.

Roc Weiler
A blogger, former Matari colonel, body builder and generally a nice guy.

Whilst I served in the Crusade I considered him my Minmatar opposite. Just as I sought to exemplify the teachings of a Khanid, he sought to express the spirit of the Brutor.

He recently joined Stay Frosty, casting aside his old military harness in favour of struggling for freedom from the Empires. I wish him well, and hope he finds whatever cause he's looking for among those surprising pirates.

What I admire most about the man is his sheer optimism. He genuinely believes that others can gain the discipline and success he has. His posts on physical fitness are a testament to his faith that people only need to be shown how to help themselves to make their lives better.

I hope he realizes others believe in Roc Weiler, and I consider it a tragedy I never crossed turrets with him when I was with the Crusade.

Sugar Kyle
A blogger, a pirate industrialist, and budding politician.

Sugar was actually the first blogger I met in space, although I doubt she remembers the encounter! Needless to say I didn't realize it was her at the time either, but we did chat about trading a little.

I admire how she balances her life between piracy and industry. Rather than simply use low-sec space as an arena, she truly lives there. It's not enough for her to use it to fight in. She develops it, and I'm grateful that her Cougar Store has had such a positive effect on Molden Heath (my youth's stomping grounds).

This woman embodies the low sec resident ideal.If you haven't voted for her for CSM 9, and you live in low-sec, I implore you to stop reading now, and change that.

Azual Skoll
A skilled pilot who has left fame and infamy.
I can't think of any solo-pilot who hasn't benefited from his teachings. His 'Know your enemy' posts were some of the first lessons I had in capsuleer combat. I'm continually amazed at how little I know about piloting in comparison, and how topics he wrote about years ago are still relevant today.

Mord Fiddle
I know nothing of null-sec politics, and yet Mord Fiddle's writings lay all so clear that even a fool like me can understand.
The enjoyment I find from his discussions of the state of the sovereignty alliances cannot be over stated. I only hope that my own feeble writings on the state of Faction Warfare come to but a tenth of the quality of his.

And now a word from my market partner, Benh Thanh...

The Three Wise Men

Yeah these are mine: croda, Gevlon Goblin and MoxNix.

Croda and the boss both started blogging at around the same time. I've stolen a lot of good ideas of that guy, and he was the first to link Behnid's blog. Nice Guy, and very market savvy. You only need to look at his wallet to see that.

Gevlon is a bit of a controversial character. He has a strong opinion about pretty much anything, but the way he attacks his projects shows more love for New Eden than most of the more popular personalities show. Stolen some good ideas off him too.

MoxNix showed me how to trade without all the effort of the other two. That's not to say he's lazy, but when it comes to making the easy ISK, without the data banks full of spreadsheets, he's true trade royalty.

All right, I've got work to do. Whilst Behnid wastes time writing about his idols, guess who's gotta keep the ISK flowing in. Don't know why I still work for the bast...*static*

Yes, thank you Benh.

You'll note that names such as The Mittani, or Ripard Teg aren't on my list. The reason is simple. I don't know them. I've read hundreds of articles on Jester's Trek, and I've heard many tales of the Mittani's nefarious actions. But they aren't famous to me. If they dropped out of the game tomorrow, I doubt I'd bat an eye.

People don't become famous in isolation. We make them. By the simple act of celebrating who they and their accomplishments, we turn them into celebrities. The people I've listed, to me at least, are worth celebrating. If any of them read this, I just hope they know what a positive impact they've had on my New Eden career.

Honourable mentions:

Kirith Kodachi. His simple posts linking my Rifter thought experiment gave me a wider audience than I ever thought possible. I couldn't thank him enough.

Rixx Javix. My former CEO is a man who hardly needs help tooting his horn. He is one of New Eden's true Characters, and his antics are always an enjoyment to watch.

Jack Dancer. A man kind enough to link my blog on his site after a chance encounter in space. I still owe him a Rifter duel in my Breacher!

The right ship for the job

Before you even undock, you need to think about what you plan on doing.

Seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how often people get into space without having a clue what they're doing or even why they're doing it.

You can't choose a ship unless you know what you need to do. In the most extreme cases, you'll have someone fitting auto-cannons to a Badger, and going out to conquer null-sec. Seems silly*, but you'll see a lot of similar cases in space. Things like that Coercer in a close orbit around the entry point of a complex.

The Coercer pilot didn't know their ship. They read some advice, along the lines of 'if you brawl stay close to the entry point' and 'brawling is the bravest way to fight'. They then got into the most deadly ship they can fly, and died in big explosion from that Breacher sneaking in under their guns.

This highlights a couple of mistakes.

First up, not realizing the Coercer is better for long range. There will be times when you want to get up close to a ship (maybe fighting against a cruiser for example), but if you're waiting in a plex, a bit of distance will mean melting that Breacher before it can even set it's drones on you.

Second, is not understanding the theory behind close orbiting. We do that to make sure we catch any kiters before they can get out to their preferred orbits. However, it's not a case of do it and succeed. You need a scrambler to catch those kiters, and a web to keep them from coasting out of range. Attempting to do the same trick with a warp disruptor will lead to a fiery death.

And that's only the fitting stage. You also need to have the discipline to focus first on web and scram, and then start applying firepower. I usually follow the advice of 'He who punches first, punches last', but in this case, if you don't have that kiter before their MWD launches them to safety, you've lost. It'll be a slow death, and you might be able to slingshot them back into your grasp. But I wouldn't count on it.

The third mistake is worrying what other people think about you. So what if you used a kiting strategy? That's just the ship you're flying. Hek, if you're the one in a defensive position, the bastard chose to fight a kiting ship. They certainly can't complain when that kiting strategy took them down.

What matters is that you survived the encounter. They may get frustrated, but if they can't learn from the loss, then that's their problem. You clearly learned your lesson. That's why you get the LP for the plex, and the bounty for their ship.

My oath gives me the strength and focus to develop myself as a pilot. Learn from the shadows. Learn from your past defeats. Bring your light of understanding. Then when you go walking in dark places, you just might come back alive.

And with some kill-mails to prove you've been there.


*But being the man I am, I've just had a quick think about how that could work. It involves siphon units, wormholes and a hold full of exotic dancers. You'd be surprised how many great ideas involve a hold full of exotic dancers.

Blog Banter 52: Living Space

So this blog banter involves analysis of a chart.

Be still my inquisitive heart!

For the past four and a half years, the graph has hovered around that 30,000 mark; it is, for all intents and purposes, a plateau. But everything must come to an end sooner or later and that is what this blog banter is about.

What's on the other side of that plateau? 

Is there any path for CCP to follow to raise those numbers upwards for a sustained period, or is EVE going to enter a decline to lower logged in numbers from this point? How soon will we see an end to this plateau? Months? Years? Or will you argue that 'never' is a possibility? Or you can look at the root causes of the plateau and tackle the question if it could have been avoided or shortened if CCP had taken different actions in the past. 

Also, what would EVE be like with an order of magnitude fewer or more players?

Living space

Most of the participants in the banter have reached the conclusion that seems obvious to anyone of a marketing mind. They look at it as a supply and demand problem of capsuleers. My trade servant would interpret it the same way too.

I, despite dealing with such matters on a daily basis, look at it in another fashion. It'll probably be completely wrong, but if you take into account the current plan for development, it might seem to make sense.. Let us talk of living space.

New Eden is a closed system.

Despite our attempts at colonization of wormholes, the cluster as we know it roughly the same size as it was all those years ago, when the first human emerged from the Eve Gate. Humanity spread to all parts of the cluster. The first capsuleer then emerged from the chaotic mass of humanity, and they, in turn, spread across the cluster.

Which is why the graph has flattened out.

Populations rise when there is an abundance of resources in comparison to the populations needs. Once the population increases to meet the availability of resources, it naturally starts to plateau. Put simply there isn't enough space for it to grow anymore.

Capsuleers have grown bigger than New Eden.

I know most of you are reaching for your keyboards to talk about the vast tracks of uninhabited null security space. You are quite correct. However, due to the lack of protection in null-sec, that space can only support a certain amount of capsuleers. The losses in ships and structures required to live in null-sec means that, despite the abundance of resources, the current population is all it can support. The accessibility of resources restrict growth here, as it does in Low-sec and wormhole space.

This is population equilibrium.

Whilst some capsuleers rise to power, others are forced into decline. Titans of industry will inevitably lose interest in manufacture, leaving space for others to grow. The new capsuleers, in their infancy, are often strangled by the competition. Most of you have seen this... friends falling to a indefinite sleep, minds dulled by the daily grind to survive. Young capsuleers bio-massed before they can come to terms with the struggle.

Yes, there are more resources out there. Wormholes and null sec systems go unexploited. But the number of capsuleers eager to work in these areas are already at maximum.

New Eden is at it's capsuleer limit. What can the various councils and space developers do?

New space.

Now you might understand why the proposed changes in technology are necessary. The Empires can feel the capsuleers claustrophobic battles with each other over the hotly contested resources of the cluster. The promised 'race for prestige' of building the first capsuleer gate is little more than a distraction, keeping capsuleers happy until they can spill out into new worlds, and slake their ravenous appetites for ISK and ore, far away from civilization.

Which brings me to another point.

Populations only grow when they are secure enough to do so. If you want a population increase, you must either increase resources, or reduce the rate at which resources are consumed. Or lost.

If CONCORD had it in their mind to increase the borders of protected space, I would predict another increase in population... at least for a while. Too much safety prompts stagnation and decay. Chaos in null sec and low sec is the stirring current that keeps New Eden alive.

New space, with a different set of laws, can maintain this chaos, whilst providing more safely harvested resources.

So what would New Eden look like with more capsuleers?

Depends on the living space. More capsuleers in current New Eden would see space ablaze with fiery wrecks, as desperate capsuleers feuded over shortening resources. Eventually those immortals unable or unwilling to compete would join the Sleepers in their quiet stations, rarely waking. And the population will decline.

So there's a slightly different way to look at the issue, if indeed it is an issue. If I'm correct, New Eden's capsuleer population will experience steady growth followed by another plateau once the first jump gates are created.

In the mean time, too much stability can lead to stagnation... just look at the Jovians. Go and try something chaotic today. Stir the alchemical pot of New Eden a little.

For other thoughts on it, have a look here.

War Record: Pulling the trigger

A few days ago, I was cruising through Metropolis low security systems in a Stabber, looking for organised non-capusleer pirates to kill (an activity knwn as belt ratting, or more accurately in this case, tag ratting).

I've written why, and will post soon, but the result is this: I landed in a belt with a Venture mining frigate.

I locked, and with a moments pause, pulled the trigger. His shields dropped in a instant, and his drones started to tickle my shields.

I hammered off the guns, and for a few tense seconds, just orbited locked in indecision.

It was a civilian.

It was an unprovoked attack.

It was a non-combatant.

The loss of ship wouldn't gain me any profit. I'd be lucky to get some ore.

It was not a fighting vessel.

The Venture just sat there, as confused as me.

Why couldn't I finish it off?

Eventually it remembered it had overpowered warp coils, and flew off to the relative safety of Hi-security space. I tried to open communications, but after a quick inquiry, asking if it was his first time in low sec, I received the brief reply of 'nope'. And then he cut communication.

He had only been a capsuleer for a week or two, and made the brave decision to mine in low security space.

I began to write him a message, complimenting him on leaving the shelter of CONCORD space, and was about to write some advice, but... I couldn't.

I still can't believe what I have done.

I wish I had the excuse that I didn't know it was a rookie capsuleer. But I did. He still had his ships name set to default, i.e. the pilot's name. I tracked him down using my superior knowledge of the Directional scanner. It wasn't even that hard. There was no challenge or value in the combat, and I sought it anyway.

I remember back in the early days of my career... almost like another life. I took a Stabber to low sec to hunt the belt pirates there. I lost that Stabber to a capsuleer pilot. It was even in the Metropolis region.

Before, I wrote about things coming full circle. I didn't realize how wide a circle that was.

I'm not sure I'm cut out for this kind of life...

No kill mail or official review. Now is a time for reflection.

On reputation

I am a terrible capsuleer combat pilot.

Really, go look at my November kill board. 7 losses to only 3 kills, and one of those was a completely unfit Executioner.

However, since I started flying the Stay Frosty banner, I have seen something unexpected. Pilots, in the militias and other pirates, are running away from me.

I'm now wearing the reputation of others, from incredible pilots such as Rixx Javix, and the superb skills of Joffy Aulx-Gao. This reputation precedes me, and some pilots look at my colours, and simply flee.

There is a lesson in this.

Do not be afraid of corporations or alliances.

The value of a badge is the paint used to put it on your hull. It is not a shield, nor armour. It is not a damage multiplier, nor a range extender. You may have heard of other pilots talking about how they went up against a specific corporation, as though that is an excuse for their defeat, or somehow makes their victory more poignant. It is simple bravado, and unwillingness to see the real reasons for a loss.

Simply being in Stay Frosty doesn't make me a better pilot. Simply being a part of Goonswarm does not make you an expert on the intricacies of 0.0 sovereignty. It is tempting to apply reputations to people wearing labels before they are earned, but resist that temptation, and deal only with what you see in front of you.

Never assume that some people are naturally better.

They might have been more lucky, or more studious when it comes to their particular trade. However, that same luck will come to you eventually, and knowledge is free to all who look for it. Training your reactions to situations takes time, and the speed at which you learn is only limited by your investment in learning.

Assume perfect conditions, but act on probability

Today, I earned myself a Coercer destroyer kill. Coercers are very highly damaging ships, able to vaporize a frigate from the field, sometimes even before the frigate pilot can lock up a target. However, I took the chance to attack, balancing the odds of a perfectly set up destroyer, against the shock of a surprise attack.

As luck would have it, the pilot was new to Faction Warfare, and I was able to slip under his turrets into a tight orbit, setting myself up for victory. 

As a quick aside, the new pilot, sreimm, then acted in a manner true to the spirit of the thinking warrior. He asked for help. He did not wail at the loss of his vessel, but sought to discover the reasons behind its loss. If you are reading, this attitude will serve you well in the future, and I fully expect you to surrounding yourself in flaming wrecks in the future!

The fight would not have happened if I did not take the chance.

Do not be afraid of space

In the past two weeks, I have flown industrial vessels throughout low sec, setting up planetary industry to supplement my traders income. As you can see, I have not lost a single industrial.

I went through gate camps, and sat in space assessing planets and customs offices. No one came after me, or even had a chance to get a lock on me.

The myth of dangerous space is just that: a myth. Fly intelligently, and low security space is as safe as high security. 

More to come on my Planetary Industry efforts...

Full Circle

Today, we will talk about circles within circles, and unplanned positive outcomes.

Despite being a proud Khanid, and the lengths I've gone to fight their natives, I have a tremendous fondness for the Republic regions.

A long time ago, back when I first began as a capsuleer, I had grandiose dreams of setting up Imperial colonies in the fringes of Republic space. I imagined myself as some kind of missionary, bringing the light of civilization to the poor Matari savages. Well... we were all young once.

Since I was developing planetary industry there, my goals fell in line with the Republic Fleet, and I worked with them a great deal to drive away the Angel Cartel pirates that infest their space. I spent a great deal of time in Molden Heath, and I consider that region to be my first home in space.

Then King and Crusade called, and I set my guns to the very people I sought to protect, not so long ago. For nearly a year I attacked my former allies, all for the sake of greater diplomatic relations with, lets be honest, an incompetent military ally. (Really, they've been entrenched in a war with the same opponent for years now. Either make a push, or pursue peace.)

Now, making full use of the freedom regained by joining Stay Frosty, I have moved back to the Republic regions. We have a staging area just adjacent to the Marr/Minmatar FW zone. It's a nice 'coming home' kind of feeling.

Quite happily, the Stay Frosty staging area in Heimatar lines up quite neatly with my old Molden Heath staging area, and also my market slaves base of operations in Hek. Everything is on the same 15 jump line, providing a variety of space to explore along the way, from Crusade space to more lawless territory. Much better than that, is that my old caches of weapons and ships in Amarr territories are on the opposite side of the rich FW hunting grounds.

I have a circle of arms caches and stashes around the entire FW zone.

The benefit of this cannot be stressed highly enough.

One of the most demoralising aspects of solo capsuleer combat is the inevitable retrograde pod voyage. In other words, running away after a fight. Depending on your luck, this flight back to your staging area might be only a few jumps, or something much more arduous.

However, by having multiple equipment stashes across space, you cut this particular downtime down to a minimum. You extend your particular range in space by a great deal. It also gives you a clear patrol path to follow... simply plot from cache to cache, meaning that a roaming map is not needed.

Not only this, but the statistics can be useful. If you find yourself re-stocking a particular cache more than the others, then this will give you a good idea of where to find battles, or at least willing opponents. Population is an easy thing to measure, but the willingness of locals to fight is a good deal more difficult to calculate (I chased an Executioner for an hour around Heimatar the other day).

Am I suggesting that all pilots create their own networks of supply caches? Well, perhaps for the logistically inclined.

At an individual level, it might not be worth your time, particularly if all you want is the thrill of combat. However, such supply networks at the corporate level provide a clear advantage, particularly for small gang and solo based entities. Members will appreciate the convenience, and be much more likely to stay with the corporation once the shine has worn off the corp logo.

It depends on how much of a support service you'd like your corporation to be, as opposed to a social group.

So at the end of that rambling, which I'll label as Strategikon, whilst not really being concise enough to be called so, I just wanted to point out my own good fortune, and the benefits of creating circles. 

To dark places

I sit here now, thinking deep thoughts about my career.

When I first started, I was proud to follow my King's decree. I believed in my objectives. I believed in having a reason to fight.

The desire to do a duty, even to a figure I had never met, gave me the impetus to strike out beyond safer places of space. The Crusade forced me into danger. It forced me into combat with other capsuleers. Under my King's orders, I was prepared to carve a bloody swathe through the stars, leaving a rail of my own cloned corpses and wrecked ships.

I fooled myself into believing that King Khanid's ideals and goals aligned with my own. Independence from the Amarr Empire. Freedom from tradition. Defying God's law, as told by theocrats. These attributes made me proud to bear the Khanid badge, proud to declare myself a Khanid Kataphract.

But it is illusion.

King Khanid is simply another Empire ruler. He serves his own interests, and is willing to do anything to get what he wants. This makes him admirable. To not be constrained by tradition or others' laws is freedom for him.

But without guidance, without someone else's goal, you must have one of your own. The ship does not sail without a destination in mind. Even those ships have something to look for.

What is my purpose?

In the Crusade, I was a simple soldier. Learning how to fight was my goal. A simple life: follow orders, do as well as you can, and get rewarded.

So what now?

I have my oath, but an open ended 'Learn to fight' goal doesn't have any real conclusion to it. My current plan of arbitrary 'Get x kills' is hardly compelling. But what else is there for me to do? There's no great war for me to fight. The current Empire Wars are only the bizarre outcome of controlled self-interest, regulated to the point of irrelevance.

There is nothing to really fight over in the Crusade. There is a lot of money to be made, but my market slave is nearly producing a fully fitted cruiser a day for me, at no real effort on my part. So why fight at all?

And after a week of wrestling with the concept, I still have no definitive answer for what I want to do in the end. All I really know is that I want to get better. To what end, I don't know. Perhaps that will be my goal. A romanticized drift through New Eden searching for a new objective.

My family's oath is to walk in dark places. I think I have found a dark place to walk. There are shadows there, shadows with skill and experience beyond what any in the Crusade can teach me. I'd like to walk with them for a while.

I hope they accept my application.

I hope my family will understand.

Arzad, and the character of the Crusade

Sleep has been elusive of late.

When I first started in the Crusade, it was when the Amarr forces had been pushed to their breaking point. Only a few strongholds held out.

My own contribution to the inevitable turning tide was negligible. But turn, the tide did.

Crusdaers had a sudden surge in skill, passion and above all, luck. They pushed the Republic capsuleers back, taking several systems.

One such system was Arzad.

The taking of Arzad was... special.

Jamyl Sarum, the Emperor of Amarr ordered the system to be bathed in slave blood. Not warior's blood. Not Matari. But slave.

A freighter was brought to the Infrastructure hub by capsuleers. It was full of slaves. The Crusdaers fired upon the defenseless freighter. Their lasers stripped it's hull quickly, and it detonated, killing many of the slaves inside.

They were the lucky ones.

The wreck floated in space, slaves still surviving inside. Slowly, their pressurised cargo containers lost integrity, and they suffered an agonizingly slow death, as their oxygen was depleted.

After an hour or two of taunting the Republic, daring them to rescue their bretheren, the Crusaders opened fire again, vaporizing the wreck, condemning the slaves inside to the harsh vacuum of space.

I very nearly left the Crusade that day, King's orders be damned.

I stayed believing in Khanid II. I stayed trusting his leadership would never set the Khanid Kingdom on such a bloody thirsty and psychotic path. We Khanid may be harsh taskmasters, but slaves are still a valuable resource for us. We are never so wasteful.

So I stayed, turning a blind eye to the psychotic nature of the Imperial Navy, and the Crusade.

There are many fine pilots here. Many who are helpful, and many who act like decent human beings. But even these could not stop Arzad. And so now, they are tarnished by the actions of others they could not stop.

And that includes me.

Breaking news: Amarr Admiral killed by Capsuleers

As far as I can tell, an Empire led assault on pirate systems in both Curse and Syndicate ended in an utter massacre at the hands of capsuleer run corporations who dwell outside of CONCORD's jurisdiction.

High ranking Empire officers were killed, including Admiral of the Imperial Navy's Third Fleet, Ran Karetta.

As the ship loss record clearly shows, the Admiral was ambushed and murdered by an ad hoc coalition of capsuleer alliances. Their guilt is quite obvious to any who care to look.

I'm sure the Emperor is in fierce debates now, coming up with a response to this grievous crime. 

King Khanid has also informed me that he is looking with suspicion at those capsuleer corporations bordering the Khanid Region. Such a communication from my King can only mean that he is considering a change in my orders. We shall see.

For now, let us wish the good admiral a pleasant afterlife. Incompetent as he was in commanding a fleet, he has paid the price for his shortcomings, in a most final manner. Here is a short quote from scripture, that was said to be the admiral's favourite:

"Face the enemy as a solid wall
For faith is your armor
And through it, the enemy will find no breach
Wrap your arms around the enemy
For faith is your fire
And with it, burn away his evil"
- The Scriptures, Amarr Askura 10:3

Clearly, dear admiral, lasers are better at burning, and sound tactics better defense, than faith.

Return of the Kataphract!

Whilst I freely admit I am a slave to my King's commands, that doesn't mean I don't see value in what I do. it certainly doesn't mean I can't have my own goals in mind.

My investigations of wormhole space reveled far more mysterious than this soldier can decipher. Exploration, whilst a pleasant break from the battlefield, is clearly not my forte.

I will post my findings later on, but for now, I am returning to the crusade. My King has put far more learned men than me to the task of investigating wormhole space, and exploration in general. I will post my own findings here in due time.

For now, I have been returned to the Crusade. Let the Minmatar rebels tremble in fear. Let pirates retreat to their shadows. Let Amarrians bear witness once more to a true Khanid warrior.

My goal is as always:

Walk in dark places,
Learn from shadows,
Bring the light.

I will learn and teach my fellow pilots how to succeed in combat. I will teach them how to survive to come home to their families. I will show them that civility need not be lost on the battlefield between immortals.

The Khanid Kataphract has returned!

Promotion

I had a pleasant surprise once I reached my staging station. I've been promoted to Arch Lieutenant.

This involved a typically long winded Amarrian ceremony, with more hymns and praising God than is bearable for any involved, at the end of which the rank insignia was, with great pomp and grandiosity, clipped to my uniform.

An Amarr insignia. On my Khanid uniform. The King will not doubt smile at that.

Once I managed to escape from the various priests and other recently commissioned Junior officers, I retreated back to my quarters.

The insignia itself is quite an ornate little thing, and has an inscription on the back:

"The word of the Lord is pure,It is a shield for the faithful,Brought unto men by the Angels,As a guiding light in the darkness""- The Scriptures, Prophet Anoyia 8:15

There is definitely a similarity to my families oath. The Arcani believe in bringing the light of understanding and knowledge to dark places.

Knowlegde certainly can be a shield to those who believe in it, but I rather believe in knowledge given to me by men, rather than that of Angels. No disrespect meant to Angels, but from what I've read of the Holy Texts, at least half of them do not have humanities best interests at heart.

The capitalization on Angels is also rather curious. The obvious link is to the Angel Cartel, an organization waist deep in rumors of Jovian secrets. But that gets into the realm of fantasy and deep conspiracy. Still, it might bear looking into. I can't really find when the Prophet's scriptures were written.

The rest of Prophet Anoyia's scriptures start off in simple church propaganda, talking about the the great Emperor leading the people in God's stead. They finish on a more general note of good behavior, referring to the Amar as the 'Chosen', and a call of obedience.

Either way, I appreciate the guiding light of knowledge being part of the Amarr war philosophy, if not entirely part of their practice.

That Angel line does have me curious though.

Walk in dark places

With all the press about the unfortunately named CFC and renters lately, I've been tempted to join a null-sec corporation.

The siren song of sovereignty null sec is certainly a sweet one. It's the battlefield that receives the most attention, and the most reporting. the battles are titanic, the logistical challenges absorbing, and even mining can be a great adventure.

My Oath calls me to walk in dark places, and the space in null-sec is certainly the darkest. The shadows there have great knowledge.

Planetary Interaction is strong there. Null sec regional trading should keep Benh as happy as a pig in mud.

There are certainly many reasons to go to Null.

There are, however, a few problems.

Fleet fights are incredibly dull. Usually a rank and file member won't even know what's happening. He will click on the primary target, lock and fire, without any input on overall strategy and tactics. Eventually, he will be primaried, and that will be the end of his battle.

The Rules. All null-sec alliances have strict rules and regulations. These rules are absolutely necessary for these null-sec entities to operate. Whilst I can appreciate this, my Khanid blood roars at answering to any man's laws except my King's!

Finally, the people.

Whilst the Crusade is packed to the brim of unsavory types, I am not affiliated with them, nor do I have to put up with their churlish behavior to succeed in my goals. If I were to join a Null-sec entity, I would be at the mercy of immaturity and often downright offensive capsuleers. Their reputation would precede my own, and I'd rather not listen to endless litanies about certain male organs, or the the inferiority of whoever they happen to be mildly annoyed by that week.

I'm sure there are great pilots in sovereign null-sec. But these good people allow their names to be marked by the apes flinging feces around them.

In short, Null-sec has it's appeal. But I'd want to go there on my terms. Not on someone else's. I'm happy to learn from shadows, but I refuse to become one.

Perhaps a plan for the future, but for now, the Crusade is where I belong.

At least until Khanid II deems otherwise.  

Strategikon Arcani: Infrastructure Hub Siege (Sub-capital)

So after the rout at the Lamaa I-Hub, I decided that a siege vessel was needed.

The target:

Shield: 10,000,000
Armor: 2,500,000
Structure: 2,000,000

Shield regen: 700 hp/s

The above stats are really not accurate, but I'm having trouble finding legitimate sources of information for an I-hub. If anyone has any other details (beyond about the same as a POCO and hearsay) I'd be grateful. Remember, the FW hub is a smaller version of the null-sec sovereignty one.

Nevertheless, the shield regen alone gives us a good base DPS target. If our We should at least be aiming to cancel out the regen. then whoever else joins the fleet can actually begin applying damage.

We also need to consider the mobility of the ship. Ideally for shooting structures, you would use capital ships. Even if I could pilot it, it becomes unviable as a solo pilot, due to the need for scout ships, jump drive operators and so on. It is not Strategically mobile in Low security space.

The use of capital ships is a fleet effort. It should not be done lightly.

Needless to say, a capital ship is also an attractive kill mail. Many pilots would risk a great deal to take one down.

Range, whilst traditionally needed for large caliber weapons (so you're not caught in your own explosion), is not an issue here. The explosion radius of star ship weapons is far exceeded by the range of even the smallest caliber star ship weapon.

Defense is less of an issue than you might think. The I-hub does not shoot back, and should the siege fleet be assaulted, the first thing to do is retreat to a more advantageous battlefield. Staying to fire a few more volleys into the structure (or shoot down a frigate) will cost you your ship, and maybe even your clone.

Avoiding capture and warp disruption is much more important than being able to absorb damage.

Here are the necessities:

• Damage scale-able up to or above 700dps
• Strategic mobility
• Warp disruption evasion.

Preferable:

• Low cost
• Accessible at low skill

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting my two solutions, for two different uses.

Hunting Ghosts

I was flying back after an extended patrol in space.

There were no engagements so far. The Republic seemed unwilling to fight with me that day. No matter. I had a productive time capturing some minor stations deep in enemy territory. The Republic will pay for its lack of defense when these systems are made vulnerable.

Entering a system, I noticed a war target broadcasting in Local communications. My sensors picked up the distress call from a minor training outpost. Readying my defenses, I warped to the invader! He would pay for threatening such young recruits!

I leapt into the complex, ready to do valiant battle.

My foe wisely turned tail, and fled, before my warp disruptor could catch him. The outpost recruits thanked me, and I defended the system until they could bring up their cloaking systems again.

As I was about to leave, a distress beacon was lit in system again, this time a small patrol fleet discovering they were the target of a Republic mission.

Two stealth bombers appeared in Local, and I hunted them down, daring them to engage the fleet so I could ambush them in return.

Eventually, they decided my pulse lasers were too much of a threat, and left the system, their objectives thwarted, at least for now.

Minmatar aggression subdued, and without firing a shot I might add, I continued on my journey home.

On my flight back, there were many targets of opportunity. Many small stations were captured without retaliation.

Some of the braver Republic pilots scouted my operations, including another elite Firetail, but declined combat. Their reasons are their own, but I saw none for them to give up their complexes to me without a fight. They were content to menace me from the furthest extent of my scanners.

These are minor victories. No kill mails are attached to them, but each one furthers the Crusade's objectives. Remember, it is capturing points that will win this war, not the number of wrecks floating in system.

This should be your mind set when engaging in combat. You are there to deny your opponent his objectives, and further your own. This is best achieved through careful planning and maneuvering. Once you come into contact with the enemy, you invite variables which can lead to you losing your objectives.

That's not to say you flee from combat. But choose the fights that further your goals, rather than simply attacking the first thing that moves. Ships are expensive, and you shouldn't treat fighting in one like a drunken bar brawl.