Faction Warfare Microcosm

I discussed my views about FW in my previous post. Specifically, that Faction Warfare is meant to be a stepping stone between Carebear/Hi Sec/PVE and Lo-Null Sec/PVP/’EndGame’ content.

I also mentioned my idea that plexing, as an FW system, serves a very powerful role that most capsuleers don’t fully appreciate. Plexing provides a conflict space where you can have fleet fights (or solo engagements) between very specific hull categories. Is plexing boring? Maybe, if all you do it for is capturing a control point. Does plexing have any intrinsic reward or payback? Not really, unless you covet a rank insignia.
Will plexing or faction warfare change in the future to provide any of these enhancements? Good question. We’ll see I guess.

In the mean time I’d like to focus on what Faction Warfare and Plexing do provide. Last night was a perfect example. Some corpmates and I formed a small (6 or 7) fleet of a few stealth bombers and a merlin or two. Our goal was just a long patrol through Gallente Lo-Sec. We started out in Verge Vendor and proceeded through northern Placid. We ended up crossing the Gallente/Caldari border space at the Aldranette-Nennamaila stargate.

In Nenna we found a lone Catalyst flying wartarget in a minor plex. We warped to the acceleration gate and the stealth bombers began moving away to cloak. Stealth bombers, being T2 frigates, can’t enter a minor plex. The acceleration gates only allow T1 frigates and destroyers, primarily. A few of our absent fleet members arrived in system with a destroyer and another frigate at about the same time a second wartarget catalyst come into local.

Those able to get in jumped into the plex and good fights ensued. We were outmatched and lost 2 ships to their 1. Myself and a couple more team mates dashed off to dock our T2 hulls and grab a couple of griffins. Some additional wandering wartargets in more destroyers arrived and more good fights happened inside the plex confines.

Overall, this was a very good, low cost series of small gang fights. I have seen some seriously large ballistic furballs inside plexes as well. I’ve read that if you want to pvp you need to have the skills to fly a HAC, Recon, Battleship, etc. And that T1 frigates and, especially destroyers, have no place in pvp.

Thanks to faction warfare plexing, these statements are not true. Excellent, tactical, well fought pvp is happening in FW plexes all over the galaxy. If you are just starting out in EVE and want to learn the pvp ropes while being a vital part of the team, or if you are an experienced pilot with wisdom to share who needs a break from the blob and pos fights, get into FW, find a plex and have a good fight.