Normally I don't like to drop one post on top of the other. However, I want to call attention to an event that relates to content in The Gathering Storm and Tickling The Dragon's Tail:
Yesterday, December 20, Goonswarm destroyed the IHUB at IT Alliance's stronghold of PQNY in Fountain. In response, IT Alliance has pulled major elements of their carrier fleet out of Catch to shore up their Fountain defenses.
With that, IT's "all in" defense of The Initiative comes to an end. It remains to be seen how much in the way of resources IT will continue to dedicate to propping up The Initiative.
The fact that a 6,000 member alliance with a vast Supercapital fleet is losing ground on one front while making only modest progress on the other suggests all is decidedly not well in Delve.
Volkus Terrain Done!
1 day ago
Or maybe now that Init has secured catch back, stalled the stainwagon counter attack and established ties with new allies.
ReplyDeleteThis has allowed IT to move back to counter Goons before they get anymore of a foothold in Fountain.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the new Drone Russian front might also pull goons back and forth. With IT having to do the same, as I fully expect stainwagon to start offensive operations again.
The NC conquered DRF Systems in DRF territory without goons near.
ReplyDeleteSo why should goons pull back for defense of NC space? Geminate was always a border region, until the NC cleaned it some months ago.
Catch was "secured" because IT made an all in. I don't think AAA will stop any time soon trying to get their space back. And without IT going all in, there was some massive fighting for systems. INIT is extremely over stretched.
David: As I wrote in Tickling the Dragon's Tale: "For IT Alliance to win this fight they must hang in the fight until the fight is done - and this fight won't be over until -A- is no longer a coherent nullsec power".
ReplyDeleteDeclaring victory is not victory.
The Southern Russians are still on the border of Catch and, with IT gone, will quickly be back on offense. All Impass systems are still in the hands of the Southern Russians. IT Alliance is showing it hasn't the internal will for an extended all-out fight.
Further, the numbers IT is putting into the field are mysteriously low for an alliance of IT's size under mandatory CTA conditions.
One wonders who's not answering the call and why.
Mord
ReplyDelete"Declaring victory is not victory"
I do not think anyone is doing that here.
To me I don't see INIT still having to fight the southern russians as a bad thing for them or stainwagon. It is kinda nice to have fights one region over instead of having to go across the map. Well see if Init can hold out now that they have re-established the front lines or if stainwagon can push back into catch. Having hostiles next door helps keep away the rot. I think any number of alliances will agree to this.
You will NEVER be able to remove an entity from NPC 0.0 if they do not want to leave. Just look at stain empire, bricksquad and any number of groups who are strong in a specific tz and strong willed. There is a reason AAA pulled back to LGK. AAA can fight indefinitely from there if they choose too.
Recent EVE history has lead people to think total removal of hostiles completely is always possible and the only "victory".
The 6k members is bit miss leading. Yes it's 6k but everyone isn't in the same tz. The old BOB was VERY heavy euro and IT is still slanted towards euro but IT also has expanded into other time zones.
Ve Vengence
You right NC did push into DRF on it's own and did pretty darn well at it. The down side is PL is has become a super cap serial killer, tech moon stealing, fleet killing monster, that the NC cannot remove as a result. Goons have started assist NC as a result against PL. There have been a number of fights recently between the groups. NC has only taken back 1 moon since they left the drone lands...
Personally I love where EVE is atm. Multi front wars all over the map! Drone Russians counter attacking and pushing into Germinaite, PL hitting NC. Goons pushing into fountain, IT getting pulled back and forth just like NC. Not to mention CVA, Evoke and providence residents going at it. This is all good for EVE. No more of the this side of the map verse the other side.
I don't mean to shit up your blog, I like reading it!
David -
ReplyDeleteTrue, you cannot eliminate an alliance from 0.0 NPC as long as they have the will to fight. The key phrase here is "no longer a coherent nullsec power".
How to respond when an enemy doesn't politely implode for you is as important strategically in nullsec conflict as it is in the historical real world.
It's a future posting all its own ;)
I love where EVE is as well....except for PL.
ReplyDeleteMord wrote earlier about PL having to die. I think it's true, but it won't happen. I believe Hydra Reloaded and PL are the two internally strongest alliances in the game, and that the lack of territory helps that - they don't grow soft in the face of easy isk.
There are maps of Fountain floating around that gives most of the territory to TEST. I wonder if IT saw a copy of this and realized that the DK were serious about expansion?