Impersonating an Officer of the Law

A few months ago, it came to my attention that rebels had begun efforts to impersonate me by creating characters with similar-looking names and portraits:

Can you spot the fake? They both are. My fame throughout highsec has also inspired various imitators who take the job of impersonation a bit less seriously:

Now the Knights of the Order have come under the eye of these shiftless rebels. Pictured below is the most elaborate of the most recent deceptions:

Note the use of the lower-case "L" in place of the "i" in Currin Trading. This false knight went so far as to copy Currin's bio and create a fake version of New Order Logistics.

The true New Order Logistics does not contain a "." at the end. Although the perpetrator copied the corp logo and used a similar-looking corp ticker, he did not bother to found the corp in Halaima. I'm told that other Knights of the Order are being impersonated, as well.

Don't be fooled! If someone comes into your system claiming to be an Agent and tells you it's okay to violate the Code, you know you're dealing with a fake. A true Agent will never ask you to violate the Code.

Code of Codes

I usually receive mining permit payments in the wallet of James 315, so I was surprised to see 110 million transferred to Currin Trading from a highsec industrialist.

Boo Neiko deposited isk sufficient for 11 mining permits. So far, so good. But conditions were attached: Boo would not pledge loyalty and had no interest in following the Code. From her childhood, she learned not to bow to criminal activity, though she had no problem sending said "criminal" a bunch of money.

I sent a response. If I were without honour, I might be tempted to keep the isk for myself. Instead, I kept the isk for myself and held it in trust.

Boo refused to follow the Code. Though she understood that she was still at risk of bump and/or gank, she didn't ask for the money back.

I reminded Boo of her responsibilities. I couldn't help but be amazed that a miner was more willing to hand over 110 million isk than to update her bio. No one ever said bot-aspirancy makes sense.

It was a battle of the codes. On one hand, the code of Boo, which requires giving away money and getting blown up for no reason. On the other hand, the New Halaima Code of Conduct, the power of which transforms highsec into a happier, healthier place every day. I ask the reader: Which code do you follow?

Aftermath of an Awox

Previously, on MinerBumping... Agent Syds Sinclair infiltrated a mining corporation and awoxed them, swiftly inflicting a billion isk in damage.

The "victims" identified Agent Tubrug1 as the source of the problem and began asking for a refund. When he refused, they demanded to speak with the Saviour of Highsec himself. An escalated petition!

Although they didn't want to speak with my alt, Currin Trading, they had to make do; I was in the middle of ganking operations. I gave them what solace I could.

The other shoe dropped: The carebears were convinced an employment history exploit was at work.

The CEO of a highsec mining corporation would never fail to do his due diligence. A bug must have artificially shortened the awoxer's corp history.

Would a carebear blindly accept a corp application from someone with an employment history like this? Surely not. But just in case, maybe they should whine for CCP to nerf awoxing by putting a red flag on corp applications from such evildoers. Perhaps a recruitment "rebalance" is in the works?

Caldari Highsec HQs

We have given Gallente highsec a lot of love and attention over the last several weeks. Now it's time to move on and spread the wealth. Originally I was leaning toward going to Amarr highsec, but then I thought, nah, forget it, let's go hit the most populated mining area of the game: Caldari highsec.

We tested the Knights of the Order project in Kamio, but back then we were just getting a feel for how the whole thing worked. Here's the new map, containing the six ice field systems we'll concentrate on, and the surrounding systems:

It's a heavily-modified Dotlan map, cutting across The Citadel, Lonetrek, and The Forge. Kamio and Halaima are in the center, of course, and you've got Uotila, Sirseshin, and Kino nearby. You'll notice the little island in the lower-left of the map. Outuni is somewhat isolated from the rest of the systems, but is actually about a half-dozen jumps away from Halaima (easily crossed during part of an aggression timer); it's just not easy to represent on the map without cluttering things. Unlike the other ice field systems, Outuni is not surrounded by other good target systems; it's included simply because it's such a highly-populated mining system itself.

After thinning the ranks of miners in Gallente highsec for so long, and having reduced so many mining centers to rubble, some New Order Agents may be shocked to see so many systems with so many miners in them. Enjoy!

Using the magic of New Order Logistics and corporate bookmarks, I have created insta-undocks and insta-redocks for a station in each of the six ice field systems, along with tacticals for the ice fields. Suppliers, it's your job to figure out which of the systems you want to stock with Catalysts and equipment. Outuni is off on its own, so it would need its own staging area. Halaima might serve for hitting Kamio and Uotila. Alternatively, Halaima and Kamio could both be stocked (since there's a chokepoint between them that can be easily camped), and Kamio could be used to hit Sirseshin. Kino is a logical staging point as well. It may be that we start in a couple systems and gradually spread our supplies out, as we did in Gallente highsec.

The following are the stations with the bookmarks:

As before, our Knights will move along with our supplies.

Goodnight Moon, Part 2

Previously, on MinerBumping... After challenging the New Order to gank her tanked-up Mackinaw, Moonsong Miner was ambushed in Brapelille and podded out of the system.

Moonsong made the trek back to the system, from wherever she had been podded. The winners of the fight offered a "gf" in local, but Moonsong did not reciprocate.

Once again, Moonsong was offered a chance to join the New Order family.

Moonsong was still a bit miffed about the loss of her Mackinaw. She could not be persuaded to join up.

Then she dropped a bomb: She would move out to lowsec, rather than obey the rules of highsec.

Incredibly, the attack on Moonsong's ship only served to drive a wedge between the miner and the New Order. Could the damage be repaired?

Moonsong Miner disappeared from the scene. Later, Moonsong's alt, Jajudo Song, appeared in Brapelille to deliver a message.

Rebel Szlam, paranoid as ever, suspected Moonsong of being a deep-cover operative. Not so. Jajudo reported that Moonsong had moved to lowsec to mine outside the jurisdiction of the New Order.

'Twas a bittersweet affair.

Agents present in the system offered their goodbyes to Moonsong.

Doctor Christopher Hansen made a painting to celebrate the life and times of Moonsong Miner. Whether or not we'll see her again, no one knows. But they say if you listen hard at night, when the moon is full and bright, you might just hear a few bars of Moonsong's moon song.

Highsec Miner Grab Bag #23

Welcome back for yet another edition of the Grab Bag of miscellaneous carebear tears. Today's edition will focus on EVEmails. Miners often say strange things in local, but that's the heat of passion talking. The EVEmails they send are more calm and thoughtful. Let's take a look!

Talzar counts himself among the miners who truly believe it's against the EULA to shoot at spaceships in highsec. He claims to have been a beta tester for EVE, which is difficult to believe. But his character does go back to 2004. Impressive!

Talzar also sent a version of the EVEmail to me. To hear him tell it, it's amazing the Knights of the Order have gotten along without his help.

"My disgracement will always be with you" is one of the better curses I've heard lately.

It's EVEmails like these that make me regret the retirement of the "I wasn't AFK mining, I was just..." square from Miner Bingo.

Nic Motsu takes it to a new level. "I wasn't AFK mining, I was just AFK in a belt". Nice try--the Code provision against AFK mining has always been applied in cases where there is a clear and present danger of AFK mining. If you're in a mining ship in a belt, there is an imminent threat of mining, even if your lasers are off. Oh, and the name of James 315 and the Order are doing just fine, thank you.

Most EVEmails from angry miners are succinct. I suspect many of the rant-writers cool down and decide not to click send. Not so for Alexorion Rivularis...

Alexorion has been saved from a life of mining. But I do have to ask, where are the 1,000 other ganking crews in highsec? I've hardly seen any since the barge buff.

I get a lot of contact level notifications from people, but they usually don't take advantage of the ability to leave a note.

No matter how many times I tell these carebears that I'm not a monster, it never seems to sink in.

bodyscrotum has his history mixed up. Many dictators have been dragged through streets and shot, but Saddam wasn't one of them.

Miners are so prickly about the EULA, but they're prepared to let it slide when it comes to threats against bumpers and gankers.

Miners rarely buy into the notion that untanked miners deserve to be exploded, but they think EULA violations against their enemies are justified because bumpers and gankers "ask for it". Hypocrisy?

blood valentine knows how to spice up local. Can the situation be defused?

Crisis averted. We'd hate to lose blood valentine!