Attacked in Secure Space

Attacked in secure space?

Should I not be safe from attacks in high security zones?

In the universe of EVE, no space is 100% safe. It is vital for every player to realize this as soon as possible after starting playing the game.

Concord can't prevent all crimes.

While concord and faction police forces have a firm grip on all empire systems with a security rating of 0.5 and above, they are not powerful enough to make attacks impossible (nor are they meant to be). They will attack unlawful agressors mercilessly and bring them down without failure. In many cases their intervention may not save the victim, but the agressor will be blown out of the sky and his security status lowered to reflect Concord’s lowered opinion of him.

Kamikaze Attacks

Despite the lack of absolute safety, empire space is still relatively safe. The biggest threat to the average player in Empire space is the risk of “kamikaze” attacks when carrying a cargo of noteworthy value. Just like on modern day earth, the risk of attack rises with the amount of money sticking out of your pockets. If attacking you becomes a lucrative enough option, the best of neighbourhoods may become unsafe for you to walk around in.

Some players are willing to lose ships and their good standing with Concord for the hope of quick profit from a juicy loot drop. The “kamikaze” attackers usually work in pairs or groups. They scan the cargo holds of bypassing pilots flying easily destructable ships until they see something worthy of a ship loss. They then blow up the ship and and while Concord do what they do best, a second character picks up the loot from the ship’s wreck.

This is not seen as an exploit of the intended game mechanics and there is no compensation or reimbursement to be had for losses caused by attacks in secure space.

How to travel more safely in "safe" space

The intention was never to make attacks completely impossible or completely unprofitable. It is up to each player to take measures to ensure his own safety when traveling. This is especially important when one’s cargo is of extreme value.

Pilots transporting valuables through empire space should therefore hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Knowledge of the risks at hand and the right preparation can help in three ways:

1. By reducing a pilot's chances of being singled out as a target
2. By increasing their chances of surviving an attack
3. By reducing the potential for loss of cargo in any one trip

Here are a few general tips on safer travel through “safe” space:

• Make it harder for people to tell what you're carrying

Kamikaze attackers prefer to wait for targets that they know are loaded with a large amount of valuable cargo. If they don't know what you're hauling, they are very unlikely to gamble that it will be worth losing their ships to find out. See Avoiding cargo scans for details.

• Fit to last

If you come under attack, more hitpoints and higher resistances can save your ship. The longer it takes to blow you up, the likelier it becomes that Concord will bring down the attacker before he brings you down. Tech 2 haulers, though expensive, are tougher than their Tech 1 equivalents and can fit much stronger defences. They can also haul more.

• Choose the best ship for the job at hand

Items that take little space but are of great value, such as blueprints and implants, can be transferred in much sturdier ships with smaller cargoholds. No kamikaze attacker will attack a well tanked battleship or battlecruiser knowing that Concord will blow him to bits for scratching the paint job of a bypassing ship.

• Be fast

Try to avoid the use of the autopilot, because it give them much more time to scan you and prepare a kamikaze attack and don't wait AFK at a gate until someone is willing to take your cargo.

• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

If you are transporting all your worldly goods it may be smart to make more than one trip. If by chance every other precaution fails and you end up in your pod cursing Concord for their tardiness, at least you haven’t lost all you have. Risk management can be your best friend.

Remember that your safety when traveling is your own responsibility as well as your most relevant interest. Fly safely, arrive safely.