It is still startling to have capitals on the gates. There is still a moment of disquiet when they are ordered to warp to gates. What was once silly, potentially suicidal, or a strategic decision to support a fleet is not normal.
The mood seems different. Ships not often seen are undocking. Fleet compositions are changing. It is as if a shadow has been lifted.
That has the side effect of silly things happen. Mistakes are made. Capital ships are dying. Aggression seems to be shooting up. The structure of everything is changing. The who, what, where, why, and how has changed. It may not be a gigantic switch to some. It may be something that I spend more attention then most in watching. But change has swept across low secs landscape and left it familiar but altered.
I have some worries as things change. What will we become? What will this do to our landscape? I know that I have promoted some of these changes. Will they results be as I hope? Will I like what I have helped to make?
Contraction has been the side effect of Phoebe. Larger low sec groups have become reinforced islands. In my locality group sizes have grown. Fleets that we never could have fought each other with before are now happening. Our engagement with each other is changing.
I'm both frightened and excited at what we will become. At who we will turn into and what will come to be. This last week has shown me that there is more for low sec to evolve into. I did not realize that it was there. But now, all around me, I see transformations. Some subtle. Some not. But everywhere it whispers on the wind.
Change has come.
I would like to echo your comment on "Contraction has been the side effect of Phoebe".
ReplyDeleteLast night there was a large tower mooning mining exiting out of RF no more than 7 jumps from PL's low sec hangout in Amamake. We'd been contracted to assist in the defence of the tower so sent pings out a few hours before the final timer.
We managed to to swell our 20-30 AHAC man fleet into a 80+ ready to bridge in on an expected 50 NAVPOC + support fleet. Within 30 seconds of the initial drop we got intel on more backup for the attackers adjusting the field to 80 vrs 130+ at which point we bogged out.
In pre Pheobe could you image a 210 odd spaceships engaged in a fight 7 jumps from Amamake without a large coalition dropping a hammer on us all? We live in interesting times.
A Merc