On May 25th our corp and our sister corp will be moving to Null Sec. We've tried the wormhole thing before and it didn't work out for logistical reasons. Once our anomalies were run, they didn't respawn for about a week, plus we were in a C4 with a static C4 which meant that we could spend hours scanning and still not have found an exit to known space. Things are different in Null, anomalies can respawn faster plus you're never stuck in your system for hours trying to find your way out.
Most members of our corp are between 4-6 months old but we've got 2-3 members with a few years of experience. I've been reading online as much information I can get my hands on regarding living in Null Sec, moving to Null Sec, Sovereignty, politics, etc.
I know that there isn't any ship restrictions in Null Sec and it is possible to run into carriers, capitals, and super capitals, but I don't know how frequent this actually happens. I can fly a freighter, and I'm currently training to be able to fly a jump freighter, but that's the closest I've ever come to a ship larger than a battleship or an Orca. I'm not planning on moving my freighter out to null sec, I figure I might as well just self destruct the ship and save myself the trouble if I wanted to do that. Instead it will live on the edge of high sec and null sec and move stuff around for us.
Together between our two corps we have about 40-50 members, but never more than 15-20 online at any given moment in time. 3-4 of our corp members only shoot rocks, and are currently training to be able to at least fly and fit a decent destroyer or cruiser, but for the most part they'd be cannon fodder in a real fight.
One of my biggest concerns is whether or not we will be able to defend our system decently. The alliance we are renting from will be responsible for large scale invasions and people trying to steal the sovereignty of our system, but we'll be mostly responsible for the small fleets that try to invade. If our alliance is nearby they'll come help, but we can't rely on them to do all our dirty work. I'm not afraid of a good fight or even a slightly unfair fight, but I don't want to just start pissing ISK away.
Another one of my concerns is what type of ship(s) are most useful in Null. I'm used to flying battlecruisers and battleships in high sec when I'm running level 4 missions but whenever I've roamed around Null Sec and Low Sec all I ever really see is Frigates, Destroyers, and Cruisers. I'm not sure if this is because of their cost or because of their effectiveness in a fight, or a combination of both. Should I bring any battleships or battlecruisers with me when I move to null sec, should I build them once I'm out there, or should I stick to Cruisers and smaller for now, until I can fly something else? If so what types of ships are the most useful out in Null sec?
Aside from that, I'm very excited to give null sec a chance. I'm tired of the carebear lifestyle in High Sec. I've been fitting destroyers lately and heading out to low sec looking for fights (mostly losing them, but not always), just to help build up my PvP skills. I've been learning a lot and will likely need to start teaching the other carebears of our corp how to fight.
You lot sound like you'd make a perfect addition to our area of rental null. If only I knew what corp(s) you run with :)
ReplyDeleteAs for what's useful in null, at a bare minimum, you'll want a dedicated ratting ship (rats in null are battleship size), something small and fast to move around in (preferably a cov ops or stealth bomber), something to mine in (if that's your deal), a non-cloaky hauler for use in the relatively safe areas, a cloaky hauler (for use in making runs outside your local area/runs to and from highsec for stuff), and a couple of PvP ships. The PvP ships should be 1 of the best ship you can fly, plus something small for scouting/tackle.
I will tell you that we're moving into Initiative space in CATCH. With TEST moving out of the area it opened up a perfect opportunity for us to rent a system. The area will likely be in flux and dangerous for a while with TEST moving out, but we're ok with that.
DeleteI've got a battleship in High Sec, that I was thinking about trying to move out there (with the help of scouts ahead of me so I don't get ganked on the way), I can fly a stealth bomber and covert ops so I'm good there. My alt can fly good hauling ships both blockade runners and standard ones, plus can use a mining barge for when I get bored. I think I really just need to focus on my PvP fits at this point. Training my T2 guns is on my top priority after Hull Upgrades V finishes in 2 days.
Darn. I was hoping I could talk you into coming out to join us in The Spire.
DeleteIf you don't have a carrier, moving large ships (battlecruisers and up) gets a lot riskier. Not impossible, mind, just a hell of a lot dodgy. Do a map recce first and never, under any circumstances, go for a direct highsec-nullsec entry point. Go through low instead.
Also, don't let T2 elitism keep you from getting in to ships and getting in to fights; all you'll do is sit and ship spin while training. Train for it, sure, but don't wait for T2 before going out and getting pewpew.
I wrote a long general post about it on my blog http://stabbedup.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/starting-in-null-sec.html
ReplyDeletebut let me give you a bit of advice on your specific situation.
INIT is going to probably lose Catch. It's almost certain to lose Querious where the CFC are currently fighting against TEST and Raiden. However Phreeze is a good leader and has a lot of PL friends so the deeper metagame is in favour of some sort of home being found for the Dinner Plate coalition somewhere else.
I'd suggest that you aim to work your way up the food chain into INIT proper rather than being renters. Take an interest in joining their pvp fleets and they'll welcome you, especially if you're winning to fight the tough fights.
It's not doom and gloom to be evicted, it's an opportunity to show people that you're part of what they should salvage for their next situation.
But don't plan on being renters forever, renting sucks.
Thanks Stabs. I'm guessing the first month of living in Null is going to bring lots of lessons with it. It's a chaotic time in that region, and I think things are only going to be shaken up more on 06/04 when Odyssey comes out. I'd rather be in the middle of it though, than reading about it while I live safely in High Sec.
DeleteWhy have I not read this blog before. Ace.
DeleteListen to Stabs or you'll just get berated by a horde of TEST dudes like I did last time I was in the pub with them ;)
And see, having been on the sov-holding side of things in null, my view is that sov-holding sucks and renting is, or can be, the only way to fly. I am so sick and tired of having other people tell me how to play the game I pay CCP for. I don't have to worry about that when renting, or at least not with the particular rental agreement we have, and yet I still get to participate in building our own chunk of null.
DeleteYMMV, though. It really all does come down to the alliance you're flying with.