Eve Online is famous for its battle involving thousands of players, resulting in losses counted in trillions of ISK. But they would never happen if someone did not notice a large group amassing in a station in the middle of nowhere, or an Astrahus coming out of reinforcement in the system next door. Scouts and the intelligence they provide are invaluable assets of any fleet. Today we'll cover the basics of providing accurate and concise information so you can make meaningful contributions to the fleets even without much SP on your account.
Use the voice chat
While dreaded by many new players, voice chat (usually referred to as "comms") is a mandatory tool for anyone looking for group content in Eve Online. It does not matter if you just tackled an AFK Marshall if there is no one around to help you out, and the most reliable way to reach your fleetmates is simply telling them what's going on. While we could write multiple books about how to use voice comms, to start with you should remember two things:
Saying "Check check" is usually enough to clear any ongoing chatter to make sure your actual message is heard loud and clear,
Not having push-to-talk set up is a surefire way to get muted from the server and/or getting kicked from the fleet - no one enjoys listening to someone chewing their food while playing internet spaceships.
Good Intel | "Check check, No'vac has a Marshall pointed on the Dodixie gate in Botane" |
Bad Intel | Chewing noises with a helicopter taking off in the background for good measure |
Speak in the third person
This comes as a surprise to many but saying "I'm tackled by the enemy fleet" means nothing for most FCs. Unless you are part of a really tight-knit group, you should refer to yourself in the third person - it makes it much easier to identify who is speaking and who to warp to in case they are in trouble. Whether you need repairs, you have a target pointed or just want to let your FC know that you can reship into logi, saying your name makes life much easier for everyone involved.
Good Intel | "No'vac is engaging a frigate gang outside the battlefield" |
Bad Intel | "Uhh... I'm being shot at.... send help?" |
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Provide precise information on the location
"Here" is not a place you can warp to. As such, you should strive to be precise with the locations you give so that your fleet can make informed decisions. When providing intel, make sure you mention the system name, where in the system are you located, and, importantly for FW, whether you are inside or outside of the plex. Given the restrictions on warping (outside of plexes is considered a deadspace and the fleet cannot directly warp to you) and entry (various plexes allowing different ship types in), the last part is crucial - there is no point in calling out that Tristan plexing in a novice if your fleet consists of T2 cruisers only.
Good Intel | "If you warp in from the sun at 50km to the Small Navy plex you will land right on top of them" |
Bad Intel | "They are right here, right on top of me, what do you mean "Where?"?! "keyboard smashing noises |
Pay attention to details
As you already know, Eve is an incredibly complex game and even tiny details can be the difference between victory and defeat. Just think how many factors you have to consider before you commit to a solo fight. That's just two ships shooting each other and the FC has to make informed decisions based on what tens or hundreds of people do in space. That's why you should make your reports as detailed as possible while cutting the chaff that would cloud the decision-making process. If you were engaged by a gate camping fleet, it would be wise to check their ship types but also see what modules they used (you can check which and how many effects were applied to you by hovering over the icons displayed on top of your HUD). If your plan to save a friend in trouble involves using a Command Destroyer to jump them away, you need to know how many warp scramblers the enemy has. If you noticed a recon ship for a split second on your directional scanner while shooting an IHUB, let your FC know about it.
Good Intel | "18 Caracals just entered the system, looks like they are fitted with heavy missiles. They also have 3 Scythes and 2 Blackbirds following" |
Bad Intel | "I just saw a big enemy fleet" |
Use out-of-game tools
Being a scout is hard work but there are many tools that will make your life easier. It definitely pays to have them opened when playing Eve as they simplify the decision-making process and filter chaff from the valuable information.
https://adashboard.info/intel - you can select everything in your directional scanner by pressing CTRL+A, copying it, and then pasting it to the page. As a result, you will get a summary of what ships and in which numbers were present on that scan.
https://zkillboard.com - you can use it to find more information about specific pilots - what they like to fly and how often they are backed up by a bigger fleet
https://localthreat.xyz - similar to zkillboard but instead of checking individual pilots, you can paste the entire chat member list (usually that will be the system's local chat) and get an overview on who's who.
Conclusion
While certainly not exhaustive, I hope these few tips will help you become a reliable and valuable scout. As usual, when in doubt don't be afraid to ask around as it should be in the best interest of your playgroup to help you grow and gain the necessary skills that will help you become a key part of that community.
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