Thursday 13 May 2010

Is can flipping greifing?

After I read a interesting article today in the eve tribune, it got me thinking about my recent activitys. The article in question was discussing can flipping and its motivations and if it can really be considered greifing (find it here )

In my humble veiw and going on the definitions of the article, can flipping is not really greifing, if I flip a can it is not done with the intention of spoiling anothers game expirience, it is done for profit and amusement. flipping a can I will either profit by taking your ore/goods and selling them or you will shoot me, which depending on what I am flying will result in me shooting back or returning ASAP in a PVP ship (if I was flying a hauler).
Once PVP has begun I will either profit by destroying your ship and taking the modules and salvage and if at all posible ransoming your pod, or you will have a suprise up your sleeve and kill me..in which case I will be most amused and probably congratulate you on a good fight. either way I have fun.

However at no point was my intention to spoil the game for another player, my decision to become a pirate is based on the appeal of the lifestyle (and its contrast to the way I live IRL) and the fun to be had from small scale pvp (and the excuse I need to have rum to "get in charecter"), not a desire to ruin a game for others. the fact is pirating is a fun way to live in eve, and some of the most fun I had as a carebear was evading and frustrating pirates (or attempting to kill them), I think the profesion enriches the game and the fact CCP allows you the fredom to create your own traps is awsome, however needs some love form CCP in the next development cycle.

I would also like to direct anyreaders I have to look at another article in the tribune, discussing the ANTI pvp stance of CSM Ankhesentapemkah. read it here . I am never going to tell people what to do with their vote, but this type of stance in my opinion would be VERY bad for the game, make your own minds up but do your research before casting your votes..... (mynxee FTW :P)

6 comments:

  1. I agree, as much as I loath can-flippers when I am on the other side of the flipping, I still think it isn't griefing. To me the closest thing to actual giefing is suicide ganking, but even that depends on the situation. Can flipping can be used to grief someone however, but that is true of everything in Eve. Abuse is what it all boils down to.

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  2. *(and its contrast to the way I live IRL)*

    Come on now, it's known fact you have a patch and parrot in the flat. ;P

    Cheers

    EVE SOB

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  3. Everyone keeps saying, "the pirating profession needs love from CCP." What exactly do you mean by this?

    It's already possible to steal. It's already possible to kill. It's already possible to stop shooting and ask for a ransom for the ship. It's already possible to scramble the pod and ask for a ransom. I'm just not sure what new game mechanic you want.

    I really do want to know, I'm not trying to be a smartass (I already am, no need to try).

    I would say that can flipping is not normally about the profit (I mean, come on, you're not really making a profit off a punisher's cargohold worth of ore) and it's more about the PvP. I won't call it griefing, but you are (within the rules, of course) trying to make the other guy play in a way he doesn't really want to -- whether that is your intent or not is irrelevant since I don't call it griefing.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm all for more PvP. But right now I think it's fairly well balanced on the can flippers side. Sure, you can set a trap for a can flipper, but it's not very common. More on this coming soon ...

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  4. OK jokes aside and huge comment warning!

    Can flipping is really a series of choices. The miner chooses to jetcan vs anchoring a secure can or barge hauling the ore. In highsec if you really don't want agro and fly a hulk there is no reason you would have a can or a wreck on the field to loot. So the first choice of a can flip is the choice to take risk as the miner.

    The next choice is to shoot or not. IF the miner decides to shoot then at that point it's combat.

    Only time I consider it greifing is when a pirate extends that agro times through shooting wrecks and harasses the fool who decided to shoot for hours. Even then it's just a game mechanic and a result of a poor choice.

    Cheers

    EVE SOB

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  5. My two penneth worth;

    This subject has always had a stigma about it. You have the likes of Republic Alliance and (to a lesser degree) Electus Matari who run around crying bloody murder over pirate activities. I know one of the members of Republic Alliance in real life and he gets so bend out of shape over the pirate subject.

    The fact is without pirates, there would be no EM or RA. There would be no anti pirates, there would be nothing to break up the day causing EVE to be boring.

    As much as it was an arseache for me suffering through Hulkageddon as a Jack of all Trades (and therefore part miner/carebear) but the fact is I refuse to bitch about it for the simple fact, it is the essence of EVE that these events are possible and makes it so much fun.

    Being accosted by these so called "griefers" eventually causes you to start thinking outside the box, either by way of taking them head on, trapping them yourself or something as simple as moving to a quiet place. Hell, if Teonusude is so dangerous for miners now, GO TO NULL SEC and mine some decent shit worth potentially getting your hulk blown up for.

    In short, pirating is fun, but being a victim of pirates (as perverse as it sounds) is also fun. Don't destroy EVE, vote no on Proposition 69 :D

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  6. Part of the problem is that miners/missioners/PvEers tend to have their own corporations without a lot of PvPers. It would be great if there was some way for the PvPers in other corporations to help (we all know no self-respecting PvPer is going to join a PvE corporation). So why not a new type of mercenary and contracts to go with it?

    I agree, don't get rid of pirates and can flippers; we need people to cause conflict.

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