Renters and Fossiesov are likely to make for some interesting scenarios over the next month. As alliances and coalitions in Null work to spread their PvE players out to raise defensive indices, we’re likely to see renters used to achieve this end as well. Of course, one has to consider the psychology of the renter, which can usually be described as one of a recluse. Given that renters tend to prefer quiet regions where dangers to their ISK making operations are few in number, I can’t really see a scenario in which the hassle of managing and defending risk-averse renters would be worth any SOV index increase in a busy region.
Black Legion. However, see things quite differently. The recent announcement of their opening of a rental system in their lesser used Fountain constellations does seem a bit daft. The daily fighting between BL/Fcore and HERO has already made Fountain one of the most active PVP regions in the game, and that seems unlikely to change given that the regions r64s are probably going to draw even more competition. Adding renters to that equation and painting a target on their back will likely draw more roaming gangs bent on blasting blingy renter ships. One must consider that BL mostly requires their members to be self-sufficient economically and the alliance has a sizable portfolio of assets and investments creating economic stability for the group. So why would they bother with renters while still fighting over Fountain?
It’s quite obvious why BL are doing this. And it’s a mixture of three motivations. The first is raising SOV indices, followed closely by ISK. BL aren’t the biggest alliance, and their defensive PvE would be limited. So assuming they can find some foolish sods to pay them for the privilege of raising indices, BL has a lot to gain from this both economically and militarily. The third motivation is a bit of a reach, but seems likely. Here’s how I think BL view the situation. They see an opportunity to make ISK and potentially provoke HERO into more direct offensives against their assets. It seems like they’re trying to draw HERO into a full engagement in which BL feels comfortable taking HERO SOV without fear of major reprisal. And the renter idea seems like a way to do that, which begs the question; Why not just take HERO SOV? This part is what bugs me about this whole thing. I can’t shake the feeling that there is some level of meta-gaming keeping BL from fully invading HERO. The posturing between the two groups suggests a fair bit of animosity, and I wonder why the powder keg hasn’t exploded yet. So it seems possible that someone is getting manipulated. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, maybe they just want to keep HERO around as a meatshield and pinchusion. Who knows?
