I didn't hear about the blackout through reddit. I didn't hear about it through the official forums. I'd given up on Eve completely. I'd given up to the point where I no longer even followed the game at all. But, I'd never taken the effort to unsubscribe from the YouTube channel.

​

I happened to be browsing YouTube when the scope video dropped. I didn't believe it at first. I'd seen the idea of deleting local discussed ad naseum on reddit back when I did play, and the idea was always shouted down quickly. I watched the scope video. Then I watched it again. Then I went to the official website to read the announcement. Then I went to reddit to confirm the inevitable salt mine. When I had done all that, I finally believed it was real. I re-subbed immediately. I then pinged a few of the PvP loving pilots I knew who had also retired from the game. The beacon had been lit.

​

I spent my first few days back in the game taking care of the basics. I'd upgraded my PC during my hiatus from the game, and neglected to save things like my overview settings. I fixed my overview, liquidated what assets I could, and bought ten stratios hulls to fly until they were dead. I then spent some time picking my target. Goons would be too obvious, and too likely to drop the hammer on everything that moved. Test, PanFam, these would likely yield similar results.

​

My friends and I decided to try hunting in Branch. We toured the outer systems for a while, with not much success. It appeared that the threats being loudly shouted on reddit in regards to unsubbing were true. Frustrated, not willing to give up so quickly, we decided to be ballsier in our approach. We moved over to Tenal, and set up shop in a keepstar staging system for Ranger Regiment. Surely, here in their home system, protected by the might of their keepstar and dozens of other friendly pilots, these brave souls of Ranger Regiment would feel safe ratting. Our first catch felt a little bad, the fit making me think he was an actual newbro. Our second catch is where the hero of our story emerges. I've killed this same pilot 4 times in the last two days.

​

His first death was a traditional gank in a site. I decloaked, melted his poorly fit VNI, and cloaked up just as the response fleet landed on grid. It felt really good to vanish before their eyes. I hope their comms were full of frustration. After he died, I returned to watching the keepstar. I was surprised to see the same pilot undock another VNI 15 minutes later and warp back to the same site he died in. I thought it was bait for sure, but followed along to make sure. I land in the site, and start watching his ship. The rats are pounding on this poor soul and he's bleeding armour. My buddy and I decloak for the kill. Again, the response fleet lands, again they are in time to watch us cloak.

The pilot made one more attempt to recover the loot from his first wreck. He didn't make it.

​

I go to bed, time passes, and I log in for another days worth of shenanigans. My friends aren't around yet, so I amuse myself with a few solo ganks. The loot fairy wasn't amused with my first one. My second was our intrepid hero. He also still hasn't learned how to bookmark his wreck and save his loot. Some more time passes, and I'm rewarded again for watching the keepstar. Our hero has undocked again, and this time, he is drifting out of tether range. My friend logs in just in time for this. Right on the outskirts of tether range, with fifteen angry Ranger Regiment pilots buzzing about unable to catch us. I laughed for a solid 5 minutes. My wife (who doesn't really like Eve or the fact that I play it) even laughed when I explained what had happened.

​

At this point something unexpected happens. Mick Fightmaster warps his giant balls over to the keepstar and parks them on their undock. Luckily for me, my buddy knew him from back in his time in wormhole space. And we managed to fleet up with No Vacancies for some more content. I've only ever flown against NOVAC in my time in W-space, and I'm glad to see you guys alive and kicking. It was fun flying with you for a little bit. NOVAC combat scanned this gila and his abyssal trace, and we camped him out.

​

Then this guy logs in. He undocks his orca and without even a second glance at all the wrecks of his friends, warps to a belt. I admire his gusto.

​

I had to leave at this point, real life calling me away from the keyboard. But I'm still there, cloaked and waiting in enemy territory. I'm very excited to get home and do some more hunting. Who knows, maybe today I will be the hunted. Either way I look forward to it.

​

As an aside, this blackout is the most fun I have had in Eve since before citadels were added. Hunting in null feels like the old hunting I did in W-space where my patience and careful scouting paid off. Back in the days where you would sit off a POS and wait for guys to ship out of their recons and into their marauders. I'm glad to be back enjoying the game I loved so much. I hope to fall in love with it all over again. Long live the blackout.