EVE Online at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

EVE Online has some of the most intense PvP of any MMO. In part, this is because of the completely open-ended nature of PvP in EVE Online: there are no arenas, no artificial balancing of teams, nor any other theme-park-style MMO trappings. Duels have developed as one way for pilots to fairly resolve their differences. Honor is well and good for some, but others prefer to wear the black hat. This guide explains several dishonorable strategies for gaining the upper hand in what might once have been honorable EVE PvP.

The story is an old one, and repeats itself dozens of times every day: a player says something mouthy in the local chat channel of a solar system, another players takes umbrage, and then they challenge each other to an "honorable" duel. Because of the game mechanics involved with aggression within high-security space, it is much easier to have a fight if both of the parties agree to it, rather than resorting to non-consensual combat. Wars take too long to become active, and have many poorly understood or poorly implemented mechanics. Suicide ganking is generally ineffective against specific targets, unless you have a surfeit of alternative characters that can surprise your target.

It's far simpler to meet a guy at a planet under agreed-upon circumstances, have one of you steal something from a jettisoned container belonging to the other one, and then have it out. Simple, perhaps, but not necessarily fair.

Unfair Advantages In EVE PvP

Some ways to win at these 1v1 duels might involve having a better character with more skill points trained in the right places, flying the right ship, fitting the right modules, or possessing a superior mastery of EVE Online game mechanics. Alternatively, and more to the point of this article, you might collect a series of invisible yet indispensable bonuses that tip the battle overwhelmingly in your favor.

Combat Boosters: EVE PvP Performance Enhancers

Though the best combat boosters are illegal in high-security space, they can be safely moved within a solar system or imbibed and then benefitted from without the interference of customs officers. A carefully chosen booster is like having an extra two or three modules fit to your ship, something that will surely make a difference in your "honorable" duel.

For the many varieties of boosters, see THIS article. The moral here is to be prepared. Smuggle your booster into your destination system before you need it, so you don't need to bypass customs in a hurry. Use a small, fast ship that can warp while cloaked, and it is unlikely that customs will bother you.

Out of Corp Fleet Boosters

The bonuses available from leadership or gang links are tremendous - stuff like a thirty percent range bonus to warp disruption or a bonus to armor resists. A well chosen bonus will make a major difference in your otherwise very fair, very honorable duel. Have a second character in a command ship (or even a battlecruiser) run a fleet with your bonus of choice and your opponent will likely never be the wiser (though probably the dead-er). If your opponent insists on being in the same fleet as you or that you be the only two pilots in local, feel free to accuse him of slandering your honor until he acquiesces.

See here for a list of the potential bonuses involved.