Logistics

Often a greatly underrated profession, logistics pilots provide support both in and out of combat. POSs remain online due to their valiant and tireless efforts, fleets receive vital repairs both during and after pivotal engagements, and commodities, luxuries, and staple goods move in and out of sometimes dangerous territory at the request and gratitude of countless residents of low and null security space.

But this profession, often overlooked by those who have not had to experience the shortcomings of being without it, is an endless journey of task after task, haul after haul.

I am talking fuel, ships, goods, minerals, livelihoods, and every other manner of well being that stems from the ability of a corporation and alliance to move materials with almost guaranteed safety and security.

As a medium sized corporation, much larger than the majority, but still small enough to experience significant growing pains, we are finding ourselves at a crossroads. There are numerous pilots in the corporation who are able to fly Transports such as the Viator pictured above. Many of them have professed an interest in supporting the corporation and preventing me from going insane, by hauling fuel, goods, materials, and the like in and out of Providence.

As GAT has announced, we are forming a Logistics wing in the corporation, just for this purpose. These pilots, are going to sustain the corporation on a long term basis, until we have a Jump Freighter, such as the Ark, with which to provide even greater stability and potential for boundless growth as a player group.

I am going to begin placing corporate sponsored courier contracts in and out of Providence for players, such as yourself, who can fly a blockade runner, and assist me in the day to day grind of corporate administration.

Okay, so the elephant in the room however is, "Mendolus, you have been fueling the POS yourself for a couple months now, what has changed that leads you to think others should haul this fuel instead of yourself? Shall we nickname you SpongeDude LazyPants?"

Well okay, granted, I just hauled an additional 200,000 m3 worth of fuel to Mamet myself in a matter of 5-6 hours earlier this week with no incident, and granted I am so accustomed to this routine that I can gather the appropriate materials, get them to Mista, and haul them all myself in one fell swoop. But here's the deal. As I had announced in a previous post, I am working towards an Ark now. A 3,500,000,000.00 ISK Ark, mind you. Where is this money going to come from? Well, out of my own pocket, and that's fine, I eagerly anticipate being able to use a Jump Freighter to move that same 200,000 m3 of fuel in one single jump from Mista to Misaba. The only problem is, I need to actually make that money, and that means I need to rat 2-3 times a week for personal profit. How long do I have to make that money? About a month and a half. That sounds like a long time until you think about how much ISK/night I would have to earn to get 3,500,000,000.00 ISK in 45 days. I would have to earn 75,000,000.00 ISK/night starting today, every day, until the day I ding the ability to fly the Ark on Maduin Ardens.

Pretty daunting, even for a veteran player.

So I need to refocus on many things, one of which is obviously ISK, but another which is, surprise, things like this blog, the new fittings photo album, and other various public works that I am now devoting a great deal of energy to in order to bolster the corporate portfolio so that you guys never lack for information, support, encouragement, resources, and etc. But I cannot do these things if I continue to have to haul fuel all by myself, haul T2 goods all by myself from one place to the next, haul ships one by one from N8XA-L to Misaba in order to insure them at the corporate level, etc.

For every person who has offered to assist in hauling with their blockade runners, I implore you, take up the torch, and support your buddies, as even though corporate hauling does not pay directly, it will pay in credit, when I go to consider who is eligible for the battlecruiser replacement program for instance. Not only that, but there are going to be dozens of courier contracts assigned at the corporate level by myself alone, from ratting in 7Y, which is money in your pocket.

So, anytime you see a courier contract at the corporate level that is marked as a fuel haul, or a commodities run in the name of the AU-F, please complete it! These things make everyone's lives easier ingame. You might even get some freebies from people who are grateful that you hauled their goods the same day they contracted them!