I'll start by setting the scene. I'm running missions for the various Gallente Federation agents. I'm in an 0.5 system having finished a lvl1 mission there. I find a Federal Customs agent available to me. Level 1, quality 20 (or 2.0), so I naturally assume easy. He sends me on a courier to the next system which is 0.4. Low-sec, but I've been in 0.4 systems before and they're not too dangerous (or so I think). I mark destination and warp to the gate. Jump. There's no deadspace encounter entered so, being a noob, I dock to the only station in the system thinking it's my destination... (mistake 1). Noobing even more, I open up the only agent I see, which happens to be a different agent. I figure out by now that I forgot to accept the mission. What the heck, I accept this dudes mission, since he's Federal Customs too and the lp is somewhat OK (mistake 2). He wants me to go to the next 0.4 system to shoot some rats. I like shooting rats, so I'm eager. Warp to the gate. Jump.
FML.
On the other side, two pirates think they're gate-camping. I see a pod in the list so I try to run before the cloak is off. Too late. I'm scrambled. And start doing mistakes. My Vexor is slow like any, but has 10MN ab, so it can run quite fast. Foolishly I click a destination away from them to run out of the scramble radius and warp to my mission. I should run towards the gate. Foolish. their dps is massive. My shield falls quick and my armor tank holds for a moment, but I'm in all red right when I reach the bubble's edge. And lose my ship. It's my third Vexor, so I don't worry about it, I can replace it somehow, although my rigs where gifts and the whole fitting was complimenting the Vexor.
And then my pod is blown to smithereens.
No warning. No ransom. No real reason. No challenge.
This wasn't pvp. Call me a carebear all you want, but I've lost 2 Vexors in pvp and this was not one of them. It's a Vexor. A cheap Cruiser for noobs. It shows. What do you think you can get from my pod? Implants? I'm a noob who can't afford more than a Vexor, what kind of implants could I possibly carry? PVP is one thing and I respect it. Pod-killing is a pointless act.
Not to mention the location. An empty 0.4 system, with nothing in it except gates and lvl1 missions. So it's bound to be visited by noob mission runners. Which is their target. So it all ads up to kids. I don't care about age. Doing 400 dps means you can go up against battleships and Battlecruisers. Instead you prey on the weak and the noobs. Well done. You're a great pirate. Now grow up and shoot someone you own skill level.
Call me a carebear all you want. Truth is I like pvp. I don't practice it, but I like it as an aspect of EVE. I also like piracy. Including ganking, gate-camping, nullsec and w-space and all those things. I will even indulge into these dangerous habbits, once I'm confident of my skill. But pod-killing is incomprehensible to me. You don't need it. You got the killmail. You looted my wreck and maybe even salvaged some parts. Good for you. But pod-killing to me spells anger. And you don't even know me, you will probably never even meet me again. What do you get from it? You skill is proven the moment my ship goes boom. You could also ransom me for all I care, I would pay if the price is right, it's an understandable practice. But blowing up my pod? Why?
Anyway... I had to rant. I'm a noob and it's my first pod to go boom. I had a clone with more skillpoints than I had, I had money to buy back the stuff that was blown and had time to rethink my actions. Do missions for agents you care about (ie. you care about standings and lp). Be prepared for anything in lowsec (ie. gate camps). And always run TOWARDS the gate shooting at the pirates with all guns.
