NERD NERF NAZIS!

I always wanted to work in a newspaper, writing headlines a mile tall, so for the announced IS Boxer nerf, I'd have gone, as above, with NERD NERF NAZIS!

There has been quite a bit of debate on the issue for the past 12 months (including some contributions from myself). I congratulate CCP for finally biting the bullet and deciding to cancel this idiocy. It is amusing to me that it won't be retrospective bans. CCP knows who is abusing this. So does everyone else.

In fact, the mooted changes to ship cloaking, which rightly gathered so much outrage and were reversed, were aimed squarely at guys like Unimatrix, who can alpha carriers on jump bridges, and who terrorise a whole region and affect the dynamics of nullsec sov warfare and fleet warfare. Solo.

It is interesting to speculate that maybe this ban is coming about because CCP is IS Boxed into a corner on stealth bombers. They need to nerf cloaking, to nerf the Unimatrix guys and their perfect bombing runs. But they can't nerf cloaking or everyone with a cloak and a bomber is fucked. So their only option is the nuclear option.

Or, another way of looking at it is the PLEX prices. PLEX at a billion is ridiculous, to anyone who supports an account. Demand from IS Boxers may indeed be driving the prices up. it's either that or lack of supply from people who hate grinding ISK and don't mind dropping $15 - but at a billion for $15, it actually makes sense. So i can't see it as a supply problem, neccessarily, therefore it must be a demand imbalance.

Did PLEX hitting a billion trigger a rethink? I would think not, but you never know. Apparently there has been a surge in new subs after the new EVE IS Real video got released - maybe we can speculate that the new sub money allowed CCP to make financially motivated or constrained decisions to move on IS Boxer now. They may indeed have the luxury of doing that if they picked up a couple of thousand new subs - and looked around and thought - will these new guys hate having their ice belts ganked by Borg and company?

It's only taken 3 years of complaints. I remember when people began to abuse IS Boxer. Admiral Hayes in the Minnie-Amarr FW zone was a chronic IS Boxer abuser - he'd roll 3 toons in Hookbills or gank Merlins or Moas, and while it was impressive what he could gank as a unit of perfectly synchronised ships, it was pretty fucked that one guy in 3 ships would regulaarly blaze through 6 to 9 guys in 6 to 9 ships, simply because one guy's perfect synched DPS multiplies his effectiveness 300% versus 6 guys who have to communicate amongst themselves, are spread out across space, and have to react to a well-oiled machine. But what could you do? (I'm petitioning you, you cunt, Jan 1st).

The next memorable IS Boxers I encountered were mostly the ice miners. Borg and friends, found in ice belts with like, 8 toons in Mackinaws. Then 12. Then 24. Now it is 40 Skiffs and 20 security oracles, an Orca and even a Charon to haul the loot. It had started to get ridiculous. (Yep, you too, cockbag. Jan 1st)

We started seeing small-time IS Boxers appear 12 months ago. Gangs of 3 to 6 toons in highsec, named Blahblah001 to 006, are now reasonably common, all sitting in a belt sucking the same roid in perfect unison. I don't particularly care about these guys, they supply the raw materials in a time effective manner. (you get a pass, Jan 1st)

We also began seeing small squads, usually 4 to 8, of Ishtars in nullec. It's sometimes hard to tell if they are just AFKtars, but every so often there is Fuckbag001 to 008, blazing down Sanctums in 3 seconds flat, like a perfect school of fish. (Up against the wall, January 1st).

The most ridiculous shit is the guys in highsec with 20 toons who can now, with perfect synchronicity, alpha freighters on gates. I really question a game company that cannot see this as wrong on so many levels. Yes, suicide ganking is hilarious god fun. Yes, you should be able to suicidde gank freighters in highsec if you get your shit together. But no, having one person playing a game and ruining other people's game experience due to a technological fillip? Fuck that shit. Freighter owners can't IS Box anoms with 20 Talos's for 2 hours to afford 20 new Talos. It takes weeks of grinding and hauling to afford a replacement freighter, as a solo player playing a single toon. 

It was becoming egregious when people figured out how to PVE C5's in Ishtars. Versimilllidude001 to 024, your days are numbered mate. Lords Servants, as much as I respect your ability to fly YOLO phoenix, behaviour like this won't be tolerated.

In fact, if you had a grudge or wanted to deploy the nuclear option, you could go onto some multiboxing forums or IS Boxing forums, and pick and choose who to petition. 

I think that when the ability to get IS Boxers banned becomes available, my rule of thumb will be use in PVP. Like i said, i don't particularly care if people want to run 6 accounts to suck roids in highsec. it's shit work, shit ISK, and doesn't do a whole lot of harm. But dropping 17 Gilas onto ratting Drakes, blazing ice belts in 5 minutes, and shit like that? Fuck that.

Good job, CCP. Finally.