So, yeah. Tyrannis is definitely keeping me way too busy these days. I’m working as hard as I can to suck my little dirtball dry while fending off the poachers who keep trying to take away the fruits of my labor.

In short, it’s a blast!

The only down side is the costs involved. Yes, I’m raking in a good bit thanks to the planet, but I seem to have really irritated some local pirate band recently. They’ve been making a point of picking on me, farming me for what I’m worth, but always making sure that I have the resources to rebuild afterwards. That way I can get myself in operation again just in time for them to raid me again. I’d cry griefing, but it’s a good plan and I can’t fault them for it. Plus, I don’t want GM attention right now since I have a plan of my own.

The basic idea is to buy isk up as fast as I safely can and build up a truly massive armada (there’s no way the Titan will be ready any time soon). That way, when they come for me the next time, I’ll be ready. The only difference is that I won’t leave anyone alive to tell the tale.

This, of course, always presents a little dilemma. Where to buy Isk? Well, this time is going to be a no brainer.

Mogs.com is offering 10% - 20% off of the whole site right now as a summer sale. I can’t justify buying anywhere else at those prices. Prices are up, like I predicted before, but this will help offset that just a little.

So I hop on the site, pick my server, and make the buy. I want to speed this along so that I can get to building faster, so I jump into live chat. The rep is right there waiting for me, so I confirm the order and get the ball rolling. They let me know it’s going to be about 2 hours before everything is ready.

I log into the game (I’d planned on playing for a while anyway) and get a few things ready for when I get the message. Thankfully, it only takes an hour before the isk is ready and I’m off to do some serious fleet building. These guys have a nasty surprise coming to them.

Yes, I know that Tyrannis ws dropped a while ago, but I’ve been too busy playing it to post anything about it. It’s funny how time can slip away from you when you’re hammering away on new content like that. Capsuleering hasn’t started yet, but I’m patient. Kind of…

As we all know and I outlined last time, the big draw here is that you can set up colonies on various planets and harvest the resources they offer. This can include all sorts of things, like heavy metals, non-cs crystals, and even suspended plasma. Of course, it’s going to cost an awful lot to keep the colonies safe, so I recommend you buy isk in decent quantities so that you can prep for the folks who are going to try and take your hard earned goods from you.

We all know that every pirate out there is going to be drooling at the thought of all of the resources up for grabs. Kind of makes me wish I had that Titan ready. It’d be pretty ideal for discouraging opportunistic types. Too late now, though. Here’s hoping that the fleet is up to the task!

Anyway, I feel like iI need to reiterate a few important points if you’re going to buy isk now.

The big thing that I usually recommend is to only buy from sites you know whenever a new expansion or major patch drops. The reason is really simple: scammers pop up in droves whenever there’s new content to be had. These guys will appear with all sorts of promises they never intend to keep, then vanish with your money.

The other thing to keep in mind is that prices aren’t going to hold steady for very long. Right now they’re right around $14.50 in most places, some higher, some lower. This won’t last for much more than a few days or so, maybe a week at the most. That’s when the supply chain will start to dry up and prices will start to climb. Usually it’s the lesser known places that will feel the crunch first. Stick to the bigger places when this happens, because they’ll have a larger supply pool to draw from. That helps keep the prices lower for longer. Plus there isn’t the added pressure of reduced supply making the deliverers nervous. Nervous people make mistakes more easily than others, which can lead to all kinds of trouble down the line.

Be safe out there!

Well, we’re only a week away from the next big thing in EVE Online! Seven days from now, they’ll drop the Tyrannis expansion, and the planetary exploitation can begin!

Of course, everyone has been working like crazy to have enough funds to make their first colonies really worth their while. This means hoarding plenty of isk to buy the new stuff with, and also spending some on upgrading their fleet to protect their new investments. The costs are going to be astronomical! I’m just hoping I can have my titan finished in time to make a difference. It doesn’t seem too likely at this point.

Now the big thing that I have to warn everyone about during expansion times is the insane number of scams that start cropping up. More people than ever have a good reason to buy isk, after all. So here are a few tips to help keep you safe from the unscrupulous types.

First off, remember to do your research before picking a site. Check for any third-party reviews you can. Not the reviews right on the site. Those can be faked way too easily to be considered reliable. Check out Bizrate or other sites for some independent opinions, too.

Don’t get suckered into sending money orders. Scammers like to claim this is the only way to avoid getting caught buying isk, but instead it’s really just an easy way for them to walk away with your money. After the order gets cashed, it’s as good as gone. The EVE devs can’t pull your credit card or paypal transactions without tons of probable cause, so don’t sweat it.

I pity the fool who don’t have a money-back guarantee! These are the best thing to see on a site. They indicate a site with longevity in mind. Plus you know they’ll take extra precautions to ensure you don’t get busted because their money and reputation is on the line. If you need to see what a good example of these things look like, head over to Toonstorm.com. Theirs is worded really well.

Finally, use your common sense. Bad sites have a tendency to make really ridiculous claims to try and get people in the door, so to speak. Check with sites that you know and trust, then compare what they offer to the other site. If it all sounds too good to be true, then it is. If it’s more in line with reality, then I’d go ahead and consider it.

Hey everybody.

Well, things are finally starting to come together for the new expansion. It looks like the official launch date has been set for 5/18, and the best part about the whole thing is that it’s free. They’re adding a really REALLY cool feature that allows you to interact with the planets in New Eden!

Basically, what this means is that we can finally do something that made sense to do all along. We can now pick a planet, stake a claim, and start stripping out its resources. This will give us access to way more stuff than we had before, and we won’t be quite as dependant on a fluctuating market to supply us with goods. Now we’re going to have more direct control over the amount of supply on the market, meaning we can set the prices. This will be truly intense.

Now, of course all of this will come at a cost. You’ll have to build a colony up with extractors, processers, and refineries to make the whole thing worth your while. But once it’s done, you’ll be in amazing shape. The best way to get a leg up on this, of course, is to buy isk so that you aren’t draining your coffers to fund the new ventures.

Another cool feature will be the EVE Gate. This basically lets you manage some of your in-game info from anywhere with an internet connection. They’re talking letting you manage your contacts and your profile, and that the game doesn’t need to be installed. I’m a little iffy on the security of something that’s stored in the cloud like that, but it would be nice to do on my breaks or if I’m out of town.

One thing that I feel the need to point out here is that scammers love this sort of info. I’ve seen it happen around every major announcement and expansion that EVE has ever kicked out. They take advantage of the massive upswing in interest and set up bogus websites promising tons and tons of isk for next to nothing prices. Then, of course, they shaft everyone who buys from them once the money rolls in. I’d advise anyone buying right now to stick with known companies so that you don’t find yourself scammed. Buy Isk safely, folks.

I’ve come to the conclusion that this Titan isn’t going to build itself, and that it’s just taking way too much time to build the thing without a little help. I’ve done this a couple of times so far, but I’m having to keep the purchase sizes low to avoid bringing attention to myself. Today will be no different. I’m just looking for a little boost to help speed things along a little.

I’m feeling a little impatient about the whole thing because a few of the sites I’ve been monitoring have been complaining of really unreliable delivery systems lately. I remember when Toonstorm had a similar problem, but they were quick to simply cut out the people who were causing the problem. Since then they’ve had to slow delivery times a little, but at least they’re accurate. That’s why I’m going to buy from them today instead of someone else. No sense playing roulette with it.

Today I’m going to pick up 300 million isk. It’s running for 18.80 right now which has me pleased. Other places have spiked prices to compensate for some of the supply chain trouble they’re having. So I make the buy and today I’m going to play with live chat to see if it’s still working as well as the old fashioned confirmation call. As it turns out it’s working fine. I talked to the rep for a few minutes to make sure that they’re doing everything possible to keep me safe. No sense getting this Titan worked on if I’m going to get suspended for it. He was really reassuring, and let me know that all of the less-than-safe people they’d had to work with in the past were long gone. Plus my order would be ready in about 5 hours. Not bad all things considered.

And I’m back a bit later to let you know that the handoff went fine, and about half an hour earlier than expected. Time to sink that Isk right into the Titan and hope for the best.

Anywho, Toonstorm is still a great place to buy Isk, so keep them in mind.

Hey again folks.

First things first, I really have to say I’m impressed with everyone who went out after reading the last post and made a buy to help raise money for Haiti. Toonstorm hit their goal in no time with all of your help. A huge thank you goes out to each and every one of you.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, the devs of your favorite game and mine allowed us a little peek at the new expansion via a mass test that they were running. The basic idea was that they need to see just how much lag was going to be produced during combat. It was insane. I really have to hand it to them. You almost never see that level of player and community involvement when a company is developing the next chapter of their world. It just goes to show how smart these guys really are that they’d want the people who spend the most time with their game actively involved in its further improvement.

That being said, I should throw out a cautionary tale from when Dominion launched because I don’t want the same thing happening to you when Tranquility finally comes out.

A good friend of mine was planning on making a big Isk buy. He’d bought a few times before and figured that it would be nice to have a little extra going into the expansion.

So, he shops around and finds a new place that looks awesome. He schedules a big buy (nothing that would get him noticed, he’s no rookie after all) and can’t wait to make the purchase. Next day he goes in and drops his money via Western Union as requested and is told to wait about 4 days for delivery “for his safety”. This is actually not all that unusual around an expansion or major patch. The mods are really paying attention then, so people slow down a little to avoid getting detected.

Anyway, he plays every day or a week straight but never gets a single message about it. When he tries emailing the company he gets no response at all. Finally a few days later the site comes down. Turns out they were another scam out there.

I only bring this up because it’s really easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new expansion and get burned. I know when TQ is finally out I’m sticking with my friends at Toonstorm for a while since they’ve never let me down yet.

Hello again, folks.

So, the Titan build is picking up again, and things have generally been good in the world of EVE.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been so good elsewhere. I was talking with a friend about funding my Titan, and playing EVE in general (he’s a HUGE EVE fan), when this lady comes out of nowhere and starts ragging on us about spending money on games when the people in Haiti were suffering.

This bugged me for a couple of reasons. You’ll see how it matters to the blog a little later.

First off, I’m just as sympathetic as the next person about the disaster that struck Haiti. No one should have their homes and businesses destroyed by an earthquake. And no one should have as much trouble as they are getting the relief they need to help them recover.

Second, I really resent the implication that we’re some sort of slackers or socially irresponsible just because we play video games. Yes, we’re spending a lot of money on a hobby, but so does every stamp collector, bird watcher, and model train builder out there. Just because it’s games doesn’t make it any less valid than any other recreation.

Fortunately, I had a comeback. You see, Toonstorm.com has started donating 5% of every purchase made to charity. They’re saving up to try and hit $7000, then they’ll hand that over to a major charity to help with the Haiti relief efforts. And while $7000 doesn’t sound like a lot, given the size of the business (let’s not kid ourselves: this is a seriously small niche we’re talking about) it’s really pretty impressive.

At that point, I had to ask her just what she was doing to help the relief efforts. Not suprisingly, she just walked off.

So, the lesson here is simple. A lot of us don’t have enough money to go throwing around without seeing something concrete back for it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help out. Head over to Toonstorm ASAP and buy EVE Isk like there’s no tomorrow. You’ll get the goods you’re after, and feel good about helping out those in need.

Until next time!

Hello again everyone.

I hope everyone had a good time over the holidays! I sure did, especially since my Isk order was delivered the day after Christmas, 2 days ahead of schedule. I love it when things work out.

Anyway, I thought I’d ring in the new year with a remedial lesson about how to safely buy eve isk. It’s been a while, so I figure any newbies could benefit from a crash course.

So, without further adieu, here are some basic do’s and don’ts.

DO make sure that all payments are made over a secure connection. Be suspicious of any place that wants the money through non-refundable places like MoneyGram or Western Union.

DON’T talk about the fact that you’re buying Isk. Personally, I feel that anyone who blabs about buying isk in open chat deserves to get banned. Either the GMs will catch you while they’re trolling, or another player will take offense and report you.

DO use common sense. Outrageous claims about pricing and delivery times are a sure sign of a scam. Does anyone really think that someone can deliver 1 trillion in under 10 minutes? It’s places like this that have caused the purges I mentioned last time at Toonstorm.com. Dishonest practices hurt everyone in the business.

DO double-check the reputation of a site before making a purchase. bizrate is a good place to check for reviews and ratings. For example, they gave Toonstorm.com an excellent rating in all categories.

DO look for a money back guarantee. I won’t buy from any place that doesn’t. It means that the site is willing to put you before your money. They won’t take any stupid risks when delivering your product, because they value you as a customer and want to see you come back again. I’ve noticed that places without a guarantee tend to let the customer come last in the transaction.

These little tips are just a few of the words of wisdom that many people who like to buy eve isk have shared with me over the years. Keep them in mind, and you’ll never have to worry.

Until next time!

Hey everyone!

I’m really sorry that I’ve been out of touch.  I know I said I would be doing regular updates last time, but things just kinda caught up with me.  Super busy life = teh suck.  Things have finally settled down a little, though, so I should be able to get a little more consistent schedule going again.  Not to mention winter is keeping me inside so it’s easier to play now.

Unfortunately, I’ve been out of touch with the Eve world, too, so my Titan buying has been slowed waaaaaay down.  I have a lot of work to do to get that project back on track.  Fortunately, we all know one way to help that process along. 

The real downer is that I haven’t been scouring for sites like I did before, so I don’t have a good review or anything to work with this time.  Companies that sell Isk come and go pretty quickly, so while a newcomer may look good, they aren’t necessarily what I’m after.  I must say I’m glad to see one old standby is still in operation, though.  Toonstorm.com is still around, and seems to have kept their reputation intact over the last few months.  In fact, I just read something interesting on their site that I feel I should share with all of you.  It seems that they’ve done a purge of their supply chain recently to improve safety to buyers.  Delivery times are a little slower than they were before, but they have ramped up the security as well.  This makes me feel good about buying from them again because I know that my Isk won’t suddenly be stripped from me.  Prices are still good with 200 million Isk for $19.69, so I’m going to place an order now and we’ll see if they still have all of the same procedures in place. 

Okay, it’s been about 5 minutes and I just got my verification call.  They explained the delay situation again, which is nice.  Keeps things from getting confusing.  They let me know that my order should be ready in about 5 days.  I’ll keep an eye on that and let you know just how it turns out in my next post.

Until then, later gamers!

Hey everyone!
I’m super sorry about not being able to update for the past month or so, I’ve been playing the heck out of Apoc and then of course life catches up with ya and it’s been warm outside…You know how that goes

I figured I’d come back with a BANG! or maybe a ZAP! Yeah Let’s go Zap…or maybe even a Pehw Pehw.

Anyway, I’ve got some questions from past blogs that I’ve posted that I think are pretty solid and need an answering. Let me first start by thanking the people who posted these questions and I hope you enjoy the site!
Let’s dig in - The first question comes from Angel about a blog I wrote in February! She asks:

”

Several blogs ago, you mentioned “safety procedures in place” that would assure a secure delivery.

Could you comment on what it takes to make a delivery safely?”

Great question and I totally didn’t think of explaining that good enough. On that particular blog we were doing a purchase from Toonstorm for a good amount of Eve Isk.  Safety procedures include how the company you’re buying from handles the ISK. In game there are scammers and fraudsters just like in real life. CCP is pretty good about banning or catching people who set up fake corps in game with the intent to defraud users, and people who hack accounts etc. In that particular blog I had a good conversation with the customer service rep at Toonstorm who handles the Eve Isk trades for their company and I was very impressed with his answers and knowledge of the game. Talking with a fellow player put me at ease, and hearing about how they handle the ISK, purchase from safe places, and the measures they take to prevent buying bad product or get their customers in trouble.

Here’s a few general tips on what to look out for:

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