Killing other players in EVE Online is a common thing to do. This happens everywhere in the game, including High Security space. A lot of players do not understand how this is beneficial to the people doing it. Killing another player in high security space does not make sense right? Ganking in EVE Online actually does make sense in many ways.
Ganking in EVE Online and Benefits
Killing other players in high sec does not make sense at all to some people. The victim usually gets angry or frustrated about their loss they have to replace. When it comes to killing a Marauder or a Tech one hauler it can be profit making. The reason people do not tend to understand is because they have not seen the other side of the coin. Now take a deep breath and take it easy while reading this – there is a lot to cover in this article.
The Scenario: Haulers
Every day there are thousands of people hauling materials through EVE Online. Usually from wherever they are they will end up in narrowed down travel route known as a ‘Pipe’. When you are hauling your precious goods to a trade hub you might have noticed something in these areas. There are usually ships hanging around the stargates that lock you. They are scanning your cargo and running it through evepraisal to see how much it is worth.
A pipe in EVE Online is an unavoidable system where you will have to travel through. And there is no branching alternative route for this specific jump.
The Scenario: Mission runners
This scenario is about level 4 mission runners in EVE Online who usually have a very common goal. Building up ISK to invest more into other ships to run missions with or something else (requires hauling right?). If you are running missions in a mission hub you are most likely already scanned at the undock of the station. These small interceptors and frigates hanging around the station are there for a reason. You might have already guessed where this is going…
When you look at killboard of Osmon or any other common mission hubs. There is something very common with the loss mails of Marauders and other mission common mission running ships that have been blown up.
The Actual Kill: Haulers
So you have entered the pipe in your brave Tech 1 hauler, where all routes have merged together, usually a few jumps away from a popular trade hub. You casually look for the next gate on your overview, suddenly you see a neutral player blinking suddenly red in your overview. You already have guessed it yourself, that Vexor which is currently zero on the gate is coming for you. The bright and blinding explosion lights up your screen, and you have turned into an egg. You have not leveled up because you’re in an egg, you got ganked! At this point a Blockade runner warps in and the loot gets collected, from this point the death of your ship is a new Vexor and additional cash for the ganker.
If you are not quick, they may grab your pod too, just in case you might have some expensive implants in there – so warp off quickly!
The Bait: Mission runners
Most people who run missions in EVE Online are convinced of themselves, and believe they can kill everything with a couple of shots. And this is where it usually goes down hill and in favour of the ganker. When a ganker warps into your mission pocket where the mission runner is enjoying the explosions from the NPC entities, they often forget that player ships are much more resistant to the damage types that crush their usual NPC targets. And this is the point where you as a mission runner should realize it is already too late and warp off to a citadel and wait your timer out – if it is not too late already.
The Actual Winner: Mission Runner VS. Baiter
The ganker will attempt to get full attention from the mission runner. Usually this is done by looting a wreck to get a suspicion flag from the mission runner. Once he has the full attention (as in aggression) from the mission runner the real fun begins for the ganker, he will immediately start warp scrambling the mission runner, disabling his warp and holding him on field. This includes disabling the micro jump drive if the mission runner has it equipped on his ship. From this point someone who is aiming to gank you in high sec, you as a mission runner have failed to deny content to the ganker and lost ‘The Game’ of cat and mouse.
The catch: Turn around
The items that your hauler has dropped are usually sold to the nearest market or tradehub, by a neutral friend or character of the ganker. In high sec this is done for a reason, which is usually making money from other players. There is no way to evade getting killed in high sec, because in EVE Online safety is only assured when you do not undock. Concord are a reactionary police force, they punish criminals but can not always save you.
The Profits: Expensive Modules
When looking on zKillboard I have realized some thing that is very common to most of these kills. A lot of mission runners are using expensive modules and bling out their ship as much as they can get, time is money after all and a small bonus can save a lot of time. When these modules drop it becomes the main profit for the killer without much effort – easy money!
Bonus: Tears, Tears, Tears.
There is usually a bonus included when you kill a High Sec Mission runner or Hauler. Gankers love the angry and provoking responses from the victim. These responses are a pure golden bonus for Highsec Gankers in EVE Online. Each time when someone gets blown up in space there is usually freaking out in local or an angry private chat session afterwards. This is always a pure bonus and a pure win for the ganker. Because the mission runner or hauler has lost a lot of stuff and has now realised they made the mistake that cost their ship. Eve loves to punish those that are not prepared for the worst!
Conclusion:
When it comes to high sec ganking and baiting victims out, there is most likely a profit to be made from the victim. Which concludes the facts that the loss of your spaceship has made a turning profit for the ganker. As a general advice it is recommend to fly what you can afford to lose so you can replace it at all times. It is better to deny the content for the ganker, this leads to boredom, which leads to them finding someone else to target.
