OUCH offers piracy training!

We've started providing courses on piracy, namely lowsec combat for fame and fortune.

Of course, we're not professional pirates, nor do we intend to be. But lowsec PVP is just as valid as nullsec PVP (and empire PVP, but maybe that will be a future stage), and so we're offering that as an option.

Surprisingly, most of our members have been eager to be involved in piracy operations! Bless their evil, little black hearts.

So not only do we offer nullsec training, but also lowsec training.

If anyone is interested in joining up for the variety of our courses, make sure you contact Black Claw in-game and talk to him about it, or just join us. We welcome everyone.

We also welcome trainers, for both nullsec and lowsec PVP. If you've led fleets on combat operations in lowsec as a pirate (or even mercenary, we don't mind), or in nullsec, and you want a change of pace where you're training others in how to do what you've been doing for so long, then we want to talk to you too.

OUCH is recruiting for nullspace survival training

That's right, the Open University of Celestial Hardship (OUCH) is looking for more recruits who are interested in learning how to PVP and make money in nullspace. Here's our recruitment blurb:'


WHAT IS 'OUCH'?

OUCH is the Open University of Celestial Hardship. We're based on the border of empire space and nullspace, allowing our members to ease into nullspace activity without being thrown into the deep end. Our goal is to help people get skills and confidence in entering and living in nullspace.

I should warn you that If you're looking for safety and boredom, you're not likely to find much of it with us. Instead, you're going to die. We guarantee that. You might even die a lot. But along the way, we'll teach you how to die less, and maybe even to stay alive long enough to be successful in your endeavours.

We don't just teach you the theory of operating in nullspace. We take you there so you can experience it for yourself. We take you on training operations into nullspace and show you how to avoid real warp bubbles and real gate camps, operated by hostiles really trying to kill you.

At the same time as teaching you how to survive, we also teach you about PVP. There's no shortage of PVP in nullsec, and we teach you how to fight and win, or how to avoid fights.


HOW YOU BENEFIT FROM JOINING US

OUCH recognises that one of the biggest reasons you don't want to go into nullspace is because you can't or don't want to lose the ships and fittings you've spent your hard-earned money on. So we provide the ships and fittings for you, and the skillbooks if you need them.

That's right, we give you the ships so you don't have to be afraid of losing your own. Of course, if you want to bring your own ships and fittings to use and lose, you're welcome to do so.

By being a member of OUCH you will have access to our resources which will help you learn how to survive. If you're looking to learn all about nullsec, then you owe it to yourself to be part of a corporation that can teach you.

We're also a member of an alliance of corps supporting OUCH's operations. This means that once you've learned all that you want to, you can join one of our dedicated support corps for your chosen specialty, whether that's industrial or combat operations, or you can move on somewhere else, knowing that you'll be an asset to any corp or alliance that might want you.

We have a network of allies (blue standings) that you can fleet with and be involved in active operations to practice what you've learnt.

We provide you with instructions on how to obtain and use Jump Clones for free, so that you can continue using implants in one clone, while being in another clone for PVP.


WHAT WE REQUIRE FROM YOU

We require from our members a commitment to venture into 0.0 space, to learn, to get involved in our training activities, and to help other members learn too. Eg. once you've learnt a few things yourself, we hope you might want to help other members too.

We aim to be self-sufficient, so we need miners and manufacturers to help the corp make money and provide ships and fittings for training requirements. You can join OUCH to learn about nullsec survival, and then if you're interested, you can stay on to help support OUCH's growth and operations.

We also need skilled PVP specialists to help secure operations and areas of space, and you can even join these ranks 'full time' after you join and become skilled at PVP yourself. It doesn't matter what you want to do, you will have a part in the corp.

It is your choice if you wish to join OUCH. Our members value being part of a corp providing nullsec survival training, and they value the contributions they can make to the corporation and that the corporation makes to them.


WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT

You can find out more by sending Black Claw an eve mail or visit the channel OUCH-UNI where you can talk to him (or someone) about your interest. We would be happy to have a chat with you and answer any questions you might have.

Guess who's come back?

My, what a busy time it's been with OUCH. The interest in membership has outpaced my ability to accommodate the members that want to join. So I suspended membership for 9 days to allow my skills to catch up...

Except that I'm getting about 5 new members a day joining OUCH, and the applications sitting there on hold were starting to pile up.

I had to do something, as I didn't want to break the momentum. I considered my options, and made a decision.

Black Claw is back.

Yep, that's right. Black Claw, who some of you may remember, and others of you have probably never heard of. He was my first character from early 2006 before I started Alexia Morgan early 2008.

He also has all the needed corp management skills that would allow for him to continue accepting membership applications to carry on the recruitment momentum. And he was a reasonable combat pilot too. (Could do with a bit more training today though... Good thing he's in a training corp!)

So I reactivated him yesterday, waited 24 hours for his roles in his previous corp to disappear, and then recruited him into OUCH today. I immediately made him CEO of OUCH.

Black Claw is back. Woohoo!

Black Claw is going to be the most active, due to his new commitments with leading OUCH. So Alexia is going to take a bit of a back step and be a 'secondary character' for a while. Maybe forever. Or at least until her own brand of skills are no longer needed.

It's been fun. But I think it's going to be even more fun back in Black Claw's saddle....

If you want to join OUCH, or you're interested in becoming a trainer, please hop into the OUCH-UNI channel, or send Black Claw an evemail.

Thank you everyone, it's been great. You can follow Black Claw's blog again now. :)

Eve Online on Reddit

A short while ago I created a 'subreddit' on Reddit called 'Evebloggers'. As of today there's about 35 readers of that subreddit. It was pointed out to me today by someone whom I'm unable to remember right now (please congratulate yourself in the Comments below!) that there is an Eve subreddit that has 650 readers.

35 readers compared to 650.... Hmmm....

So I've updated the share button at the bottom of my posts to point to the main Eve subreddit. If anyone else is sharing Eve blogs or websites on Reddit, please do the same.

Desperately Seeking Experienced PVP Specialists To Provide Nullsec Training

As the title says, I'm looking for people who are highly experienced in nullsec PVP, who can help provide specialised training to OUCH students.

I need people who can provide training in any of the following areas:

Nullsec survival

• Ratting / salvaging, scouting, evasion, map tools, etc
  

Small ship PVP

• Fitting, overheating, tactics, etc
  

Large ship PVP

Support / Logistics Training

Obviously, if you're skilled in something to do with surviving in nullsec, then you're the kind of person I'm looking for.

Some of your experience needs to be in being a fleet commander, so that you can comfortably and confidently lead a group of people in doing what they need to do.

I know there are lot of bloggers reading this who are skilled in teaching PVP skills. I know there are a lot more players reading this who are also skilled in these areas.

Some of you are looking for something interesting to do, that's rewarding and challenging. Some of you have even contacted me and told me how you think OUCH is a great idea, and you think it'll do well.

Well, I need you to help it do well. I need people to help train others in nullsec survival.

If that sounds like you, please contact me to discuss your interest.

Updates to evebloggers.com

Firstly, I've made a big change to evebloggers.com

I used to have outputs from both the Eve Blog Pack and Eve Player Blogs. The only thing is, the Eve Blog Pack are still 'Eve Player Blogs'.

So I've decided to get rid of the Eve Blog Pack output, especially considering that they're doubled up in the Eve Player Blogs anyway...

Now there are just Eve Player Blogs. And really, when you think about it, we're all part of the same community. It's not like there's a bunch of 'elitists' or anything that think they're better than others, so there won't be any issues with bringing everyone together into one group. Right?

Understand that this does not invalidate the Eve Blog Pack that Crazy Kinux started. Thanks to him, the Eve Online Blogging Community had a rally point, somewhere to focus their efforts on, and to expand upon. But I think everything evolves, and instead of having a small group of players calling themselves the 'blog pack' and holding themselves separate to everyone else, now we have a much larger community of Eve bloggers. I think we should recognise that we're all part of the same community, and we all support each other and enjoy each other's blogs and this awesome game that we're all part of.

Secondly, I've caused a big problem to evebloggers.com. I don't know how, seeing as how all I did was change around some of the RSS outputs in the widgets, but all the evebloggers.com Posts and Pages can no longer be accessed.

I've sent a support email to the host provider to get the site restored from backup, and I'm hoping that will fix it. If there are any Wordpress experts out there who know why the posts and pages have disappeared (but links to them are still there in the site's footer), please let me know.

Flying the Dramiel

A few days ago I was reading Andrea Skye's post about the Dramiel, and I was so inspired by their results with the ship, I went out and bought one of my own. However, I couldn't afford faction or officer fittings, so I went with the best I could. I figured that I'd do pretty well against other frigates and cruisers, so that's what I went looking for.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I eventually found a Thorax to play with, and engaged him outside a station. He was happy to play. I had small T2 artillery, allowing me to keep range at 22km and spit out some decent damage while still being within warp disruptor range.

However, I quickly discovered that the speed of the Dramiel meant that my 22km orbit quickly ellipsed out to 30+km, which meant I not only lost my target lock, but couldn't keep the target warp disrupted. So I went to try pulsing the MWD, but when I came back in to re-engage, the Thorax's own MWD allowed him to quickly close the distance between us. He had a scrambler, and I didn't, so his MWD was active while mine was shut down. Along with his web, blasters, and drones, it was quickly all over. I couldn't escape his 1,200m range, and I lost the Dramiel.

Quite annoying, really, considering that everyone else that seems to fly it has so much success with it, but that's what happens when you get into a fight - you don't always win.

So, if anyone with extensive experience with the Dramiel has any tips for me on how I can do things better, please add them to the Comments. :)

Nullsec Survival Training for PVP and riches

The below is from OUCH's new recruitment thread that I thought I'd reprint here to increase exposure. Please read, and contact me in-game if you're interested in joining:



DOMINION has arrived and you want to venture into 0.0 space (nullspace) to join in on the excitement, but you don't have any training... You know you'll die.

Most of the other nullsec corps and alliances will offer you training only if you join their 'cause', whether that's PVP or industry, but you usually have to fund your own way. That can be daunting for someone that doesn't want to be part of some 'cause', and who expects to lose a lot of ships before they start getting somewhere.

We understand your dilemma.


What's the answer?

OUCH is the answer. It's the Open University of Celestial Hardship. We're brand new, but we have very experienced trainers to teach you how to survive and prosper in nullspace. We have no 'cause' other than to teach you Nullsec Survival Training.

We have a T1 ship program that provides ships and fittings to all members - FREE. These include frigates, cruisers, battlecruisers and battleships. All ships can be used for training or individual use while in OUCH, and their fittings will also be included.


What does that mean for me?

If you lose a corp-provided ship, we will give you another one - free of charge. While you learn how to cope with the hardships of nullspace, losing ships will not be something you'll need to worry about.

And you will lose ships. You'll get podded quite a few times along the way too. We don't guarantee your survival in nullsec, but we guarantee to teach you how to minimise your losses along the way.

It's brutal out there, but when you're a member of OUCH, you're with a group of friendly, relaxed people who understand your fears. We're here to help you take advantage of DOMINION and get involved in nullspace. We will teach you everything you need to know.


What kind of training will I get?

Initially, as we start our operations, training will focus on frigates and cruisers as well as the following:

• Nullsec survival - includes ratting / salvaging, scouting, evasion, and map tools
• Small ship PVP - includes fitting ships, overheating, and combat tactics in fleets or solo

As we get more members (and more advanced skillsets amongst them) we'll move to battlecruisers and battleships, along with more advanced PVP training. Again, all ships will be provided by OUCH. (We also intend offering T2 ship training, including interceptors, covert ops, and support ships, but the ships will need to be provided by the students themselves.)

We're also part of an alliance that is dedicated to providing support for members of OUCH, including security, intelligence-gathering, and manufacturing ships and items. If you want to stay on and help support OUCH after you've finished with your training, there would definitely be a place for you.

We want to help you learn how to survive in nullspace, whether that's in PVP, ratting, or complex's. We will help you be the best that you can be, and teach you how to earn as much as you can along the way.

That's right, we'll also be teaching you how to make money in nullspace. There's no point giving you combat training if we don't include teaching you how to replace lost ships, right? We don't expect you to be with OUCH forever, so we understand you need to learn how to sustain yourself.


Ok, I'm interested - what do I do now?

If you're interested in learning more about how OUCH can help you, then join the OUCH-UNI channel in-game and talk to Alexia Morgan, or send her an evemail to discuss your interest and ask any questions.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you to OUCH's sponsors

This page is my big thank you page to all those who have helped OUCH. Whether it's through donations of ships, items or money, or providing loads of helpful advice or even some amazing emotional support, they're all going to be listed here (with their permission, that is... some might want to remain anonymous).

Thank you so much for helping OUCH get off the ground. Without your generosity, it would be that much harder.

• Noir Avlaa
• Iroxorsju
• Kalisis
• Seondar Moleck
• Jarob Talloway
• Shadows Lord new!
  
• Alex Carmel new!
  

As more people offer their support in whatever way works for them, I will add their name to this list.

Edit: updated 26/12

OUCH is open for recruitment

What is OUCH?

OUCH is the Open University of Celestial Hardship. Its purpose is to provide nullsec survival training for all those who are interested in learning how to survive and prosper in 0.0 space.

Where is OUCH?

We're based in Curse, an area of 0.0 space that still has a whole bunch of NPC stations for members to hang out in. And there will be plenty of targets that will offer plenty of training opportunities!

OUCH is looking for:

Trainers who can train newbies and veterans alike in any of the following:

Nullsec survival

• Ratting / salvaging / 'plexing
  
• Scouting
• Evasion
• Map tools

Small ship PVP

• Fitting
• Tactics
• Support
  

Trainers must have at least 3 years worth of experience, with most of it in 0.0 space, and be willing to offer their services to help others learn.

I'm also looking for trainees interested in joining OUCH to learn all of the above, and more. We have room for anyone and everyone. There is no minimum requirement for trainees, other than a desire to jump into nullspace and learn. Therefore, all trainees must be willing to go on training operations whenever they can.

Ship Program

OUCH will have a T1 ship program, so all ships (from frigates to battleships) will be provided to its members by the corp. In the early stages, however, it will just be 'small ships' including frigates and cruisers. As we get more members, and more resources, we will expand to battlecruisers and battleships.

We will soon offer T2 training, but members will need to provide their own T2 ships for such training.

Are you interested in supporting OUCH?

We require ships, items and money. If you would like to support us with donations of any sort, we would be most grateful for your assistance, and your name will be put on a special web page that will publicly thank you for your assistance.

If you support the concept of helping people survive in nullsec so they can play a more prominent role in helping others or fighting others, then we need your support in material or monetary donations.

Are you interested in joining OUCH?

I have a few people already either joined or preparing to join. Are you interested? Then contact me (or send an evemail ingame to Alexia Morgan) to discuss your options.

Thank you.