Solo Sard 5

The downside of solo

We’ve all experienced the difficulties of flying alone. Flying solo means there will be no backup when shit hits the fan, no friends to call favors on, no one to scout for you, or chit chat with during the dull nights in corp chat. Flying alone means dying alone, without anyone to scoop your wreck or complete what you started. It means when you do manage some outside assistance, you can only take it at face value, as those that aid you have only personal goals to bind them, rather than the obligations present between those within a corporation or alliance.

Reliable, consistent quality aid is perhaps the most difficult in my case. When I was still in UGH and working my solo experiment, Capital Punishment (CAP) was still present in Molden Heath, and with them we worked some pretty wicked engagements with the locals. At about the same time I started my own corporation, CAP moved to Syndicate (where UGH decided to move to, go figure) and I was left to my own devices. Since then I’ve occasionally had the aid of pirates around the area, but these are individuals with their own aspirations and schedules, neither of which require me. And trying to organize assorted elements of pirates into a cohesive gang? That can be the subject of an entirely different blag post.

Lack of interaction has also been a void in my gaming experience of late. While in a corporation, there are the forums to follow, corp mail to read, corp chat to watch, and voice comms to listen to. Killmails mean a damn, as there are other pilots to see one’s exploits and comment on them. After weeks of deliberation about leaving UGH, I didn’t pause to realize who I discussed this with: my friends within UGH and STUGH.

While less of an issue for me as I have alts to produce isk, UGH did provide extra backing in the form of free ammunition, modules and the occasional ship. UGH possessed the logistics ability to move operations to anywhere in the galaxy, while alone I struggle to move one ship or another to my current proving grounds. I still have at least 20 ships of varying class mothballed in Arnola awaiting the day I decide to move them or lose them.

All in all, I was having more fun in UGH than in this quiet corp called RANSM, despite flying on my own 30 jumps away from my allies within the corporation and alliance. Despite the most familiar face in UGH corp chat being my own, the lack of activity or vigor from other members, and difficulty I had with some in the alliance, it was better than the solitude I’ve experienced this past month. I miss bantering with old friends, listening in on one exploit or another and the hijinks recorded on forums.

I don’t wish to return to UGH at this point; my reasons for leaving that corporation are still sound. Where else to consider beyond my allies there, I can’t say. I know Biz has a good deal going with his current corporation, and I see those pilots around MH often. My frequent journeys to Metropolis have exposed some fun with the Bastards, however their PvP method seems far too chaotic for my tastes. Militia life would yield a great deal of PvP in the lowsec I frequent without the sec hits I’m accustomed to, however I’ve heard mixed reviews as far as quality of PvP goes. Gods above, I could even start recruiting for my own corporation: a frightening thought!

Parting note: Hellcats public chat makes for queer reading.