You know, I really can’t think of another company remotely like CCP or another game like EVE. Two expansions a year is a really ambitious feat, but they’ve managed to deliver so far. They are taking the one that should be out shortly a little more cautiously, though. They’re dropping it in two parts, the first within the next month and another chunk of it a month later. Can’t say as I mind, really. As long as it’s good I don’t care when they get it to us.

This one, according to the official press release will contain at least the following:

•80 new story line courier missions
•Rocket balancing
•Tech 2 ammo balancing
•Adding faction ships to the market
•Fighter bomber missile visual effects changes
•Anti-aliasing support
•Window resizing, camera offset
•Meta-item indicator icons
•UI optimization to contract delivery filtering
•Cargo can now be dragged to hangar by dropping on Neocom
•Toggling probes in overview
•POS gunners now receive notifications about control towers under attack
•Sorting deliveries according to distance in jumps or regional locations
•Unique icons for Microwarpdrives and Afterburners

What does that mean to us? Lots and lots of stuff that will cost insane amounts of isk.

I know, the icons and such are just window dressing and all, but 80 new quests is a lot to muster. We’re going to be running up and down the galaxy trying to get everything done and not one piece of it will be cheap.

Thankfully, I’ve been working with a place that get you some isk in no time at all. Remember Toonstorm? Yeah, they are delivering in under 5 minutes right now. No joke! Check it out! And 1 billion isk will only set you back $45! If you can find a better deal, I suggest you let me know. Because you’re working with a scammer!

Seriously, though, I’m pumped for the new content even if it’s going to be a little later than expected. With all of the good stuff that’s bound to come of it, I’m going to go buy Eve Online isk so that I’m prepared.

After all, I do still have to protect my assets while running these quests, and those pirates haven’t forgotten me. Can’t go letting my guard down just because there’s new content around.

Plenty of stuff going down in the universe we call EVE online. All sorts of little things they keep adding to make the game fresh and keep people from taking too much advantage of each other out there. That’s one thing that’s always struck me about EVE is just how laisez-faire it is. In most MMOs you’re encouraged to work together overcoming threats from NPCs, bosses, and other external sources. The devs are constantly coming up with new threats, each more powerful (or ridiculous) than the last. The armor gets spikier and the dragons get bigger, but it’s all stuff that has next to nothing to do with your character. Technically, your toon could just tell the world to take a flying leap and not bother saving anyone. The game wouldn’t really go anywhere for you, but you can.

EVE is just a little different. There are plenty of hazards put in place by the devs, but some of the worst threats come from your fellow players. Pirates are just the most obvious examples of this. While I really hate being farmed by a group (see previous posts), there’s an honesty to what they’re doing. When you see a pirate fleet coming for you, you know what you’re up against for the most part. They want what you have and are going to take the most direct route to get it, that being to blow you up.

More dangerous are your fellow players who are more business minded. They have the same goals as the pirates, but the methods are vastly different. You have no idea where they will come from, how they will hit you, and in some cases who is making your life miserable. Suddenly finding your supply of raw materials drying up? It could be an honest shortage, but it could just as easily be a bit of espionage designed to weaken you for some grand takeover.

Other players can be your worst enemies when you’re buying Eve Online isk, too. If you’re a little careless about who you tell about your buying habits it can get to the wrong ears. This can mean the devs, who would be happy to ban you. It can also mean a player who isn’t above a little blackmail.

Therein lies the rub with this game. Other MMOs lead you by the nose through the game. Here people have the freedom to be as good or horrible as they like.

Be careful out there.

Well, things are finally starting to take shape with my Titan. It’s taking way longer than I thought it would, but that doesn’t surprise me all that much. After all, I’ve been a little busy with the capsuleering project and defending myself from poachers lately to focus on it. However, I did myself a favor and got the project moving again. Of course, I had to buy Eve Online isk to make it happen, but it was definitely worth my while.

I took advantage of the deal Toonstorm was offering at the time. With the special they had running, I got a good deal on my Isk and was able to buff up my defenses. The last thing to do is try to get my Titan completed so that it can baby sit some of my assets. People are less likely to farm your shipments if there’s a hulking pile of doom watching over it.

I may as well let you know just how the buy went. Besides having the best deal available, Toonstorm also had the best delivery times of anyone I looked at and that was really important to me.

Here’s how it went:

First, I logged into the site with my secure ID, etc. That keeps anyone too curious from finding out just who I am and who I play. It’s rare that anyone goes fishing for that info, but it never hurts to be safe about it.

Next, I picked out the amount I wanted. I went for 1 billion isk to make sure that I had enough for what I needed at the time, but also not so much that I showed up on anyone’s radar. I processed a payment with my favorite credit card and gave them the info they needed to get it to me safely.

Lastly, I chatted with a rep who verified everything they needed to make sure that I wasn’t hacking someone else’s account for the buy. It’s little things like that which help me feel better about my buys. Then came the best news – I’d get my Isk in all of 5 minutes. Can’t complain about that!

I barely had time to log in and double check the situation before I suddenly had 1 billion isk coming my way. With that in my coffers it was plenty of extra cash to beef up my defense force and keep the griefers from stealing my hard earned stuff. Justice is wonderful.

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 Eve Online 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.

Hello again,

Last week I said I would work on some tips and hints for buying Eve Isk safely. So, as promised, this week I wanted to give you a rundown of some of the mistakes people make when trying to buy Isk… and hopefully help you avoid some of those pitfalls that can occur. Some of this may seem obvious to you if you’re a veteran buyer, but much of it bears repeating anyway. And for those of you looking to buy Eve Online Isk for the first time, it’s definitely worth a quick read. So, without further ado, the DO’s and DON’TS of Isk buying:

DON’T  be fooled by outrageous claims. If it looks way too good to be true….well, you know the rest. Sites offering 1000 gold for $5 are probably out to scam you and take your money. Sad but true. Also look at their delivery time claims…..think hard about what is humanly possible.

DO run any sites you’re interested in through a google search. Often the worst scammers will have been labeled by now and discussions and warnings will pop up in a search. There are also sites dedicated to exposing scams, try those out as well. It’s worth the extra few minutes of your time to be sure. 

DON’T send any money unless you know it’s being sent over a secure connection. I won’t go into details here, but if you’re not sure how to tell if your transaction is secure, there is plenty of information out there, just Google “how do I know my transaction is secure” or something similar. This is so important when you’re giving out your credit card number.

DO look for a money-back guarantee (such as the one offered by Toonstorm.com.) Any site worth its salt will offer you a full refund or equal credit if anything goes wrong. If they can’t promise you that, don’t waste your time or risk your money.

So that’s just a few quick things to keep in mind next time you go to buy Eve Online Isk. Wishing you best of luck and happy gaming!