Fleet Commander 'Boris' Interview: Part Deux

With the successful completion of this week's POS assault (for details, see Greenbeard's account here), the Fleet Commander known as 'Boris' gave us this exclusive second interview (preliminary interview here).

Seismic Stan: First of all, congratulations on what sounded like a successful operation. Three POSs assaulted and destroyed. There didn't seem to be much of a defence from the owning corporation, was that a surprise?

Boris: Yes it was. They had 3 days to plan for this yet didnt show up with more than 3 carriers and some POS gunners. We were worried about being hotdropped and attacked by 30+ ships.

SS: Apparently, one of the target corps (Electric Monkey Overlords) have been known to use POSs as bait and have in the past successfully lured and destroyed sizeable fleets (killboard info here). Do you think they had planned to do this to your fleet? Are you expecting reprisals?

B: I actually had not heard about that until later. We were rather lucky they did not attempt that kind of attack as we would've been unprepared however next time we will be prepared for anything short of a 40 ship cap fleet.

SS: You lost a few battleships this time around. How did that happen?

B: It was due to error on my part. I assumed pilots were not broadcasting that they needed help or that it was only fail fits. It wasnt until later when someon I knew pointed out my error but by that time we had already lost several BS. Basically I ignored the POS guns assuming they would just be a waste of time. Which was not true at all.

SS: Use of the broadcast system seems to be one of the more confusing elements for inexperienced players, is there any advice that you can give them?

B: Other than simply know how to use it and not spam it? None. It a must know tool for large fleets.

SS: Are there any broadcast system guides available online?

B: http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Fleet

SS: Can you recommend any other EVE-related resources to newer players?

B: Battleclinic is very nice. However there are too many for me to link here. I recommend finding an older experienced player and asking him for any advice.

SS: You are clearly an experienced pilot. How long have you been flying and can you tell us a bit about your history?

B: Well I started eve in a small little corp ASGS. This is where I first learned pvp from 2-3 very constructive helpful people. After four-and-a-half months I moved to my current alliance and began my real PVP career. Here I lead our killboards for 6 months until I ran out of iskies and started FCing alot more. Being in a less-targeted ship is kind important so you can keep calling primaries =P. I have continued to FC for my alliance and here is where I am now.

SS: Have you learned everything in-game or are there skills you have brought through from the real world that have benefited you?

B: My sexy voice is RL =P. Shiptypes, primaries, and how to move I learned from the game. How to stay calm when things occur.

SS: How would you describe EVE to a non-player, for example your grandmother (only joking, I mean someone who might be considering playing)?

B: An extremely complex game built around teamwork and loss. It's the only game I know where three one-month-old characters with the correct ships can destroy a three-year player's battleship if fit right.

SS: What are your thoughts on Dominion?

B: So far not much. I was very worried my favorite 0.0 Region would have alot of serious trouble holding however as can be seen that is not the case.

SS: I noticed in your bio that you are also a TREAD Alliance diplomat. What exactly does that role involve?

B: I am one of the people who deals with inter-alliance issues. Basically I am one of the external faces of the alliance.

SS: How large is the TREAD alliance and what does being a member entail?

B: 600 members i believe. Being a member of Tread means being part of a team and working together to make our goals a reality.

SS: TREAD doesn't hold sovereignty anywhere. Why is this and where is home?

B: Home is assah/G-5 area.

SS: TREAD is an allied alliance operating within the borders of sovereign holders, CVA, how did this come about?

B: We enjoy the NRDS [Not Red, Don't Shoot] style and CVA has been the only stable NRDS 0.0 empire. They assisted our alliance when we were younger so we in turn are more than happy to assist now that we have grown.

SS: Does the new Sovereignty mechanic affect TREAD in any way?

B: If we want sov it will change how we do it. Also affects how we protect this region.

SS: For a neutral trying to grasp the local politics, who are the major players in the region (foes and allies)?

B: Allies: CVA, -7-, Cold Steel, Fcon, I-red, AM, Pax, LFA, VVA.
Foes: Pirates, UK, -A-, Anyone who doesnt observe NRDS within this region.... which is a ton of people.

SS: Who is TREADs greatest enemy?

B: I wouldnt say we have one great enemy all pilots who neglect the NRDS policy and kill neutrals and pirate are our enemies.

SS: What do you hope for the future of the EVE universe?

B: I one day hope to see far more of 0.0 EVE become NRDS.

SS: Thank you once again for your time and Greenbeard's Freebooters look forward to flying under your command in the future.

This concludes our coverage of this week's TREAD-orchestrated POS assault. We hope to bring more interviews and accounts from around the region in the future.

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