A player-run event called "Hulkageddon" kicked off in EVE Online today, the second such event to be held in the game. Hulkageddon II is the brainchild of EVE player Helicity Boson, a pirate who flies with The Python Cartel, and is essentially a contest that rewards the destruction of exhumer (Hulk and Mackinaw) mining ships. The most recent Quarterly Economic Newsletter released by EVE developer CCP Games indicated that the Hulk is the most flown ship in the game, which provides plenty of targets for gankers in the contest.
Hulkageddon exists much to the detriment of the game's numerous miners, seeing as it's a galaxy-wide demolition derby using the very ships they pilot, but has proven very popular with other players the first time around in 2009. Although it's only been a matter of hours since Hulkageddon II began, the event's killboard shows over 250 mining ships destroyed (along with 40 of their pilots). That number will, no doubt, climb over the course of this week. Also, the tears may be just a bit sweeter given the fact that Hulk prices rose sharply in the weeks preceding Hulkageddon II, the result of changes made to Tech II manufacturing requirements with the Dominion expansion.
Whether you're interested in taking part in the contest or want to know what you're in for over the next week, here are a few details about Hulkageddon II:
- When does it run? January 7th - January 14th
- Where do I find out more about it? At the Hulkageddon site, Helicity Boson's blog, or the EVE forum thread.
- How do I "win"? Gank exhumers. As many as possible. The numbers will favor corps or alliances rather than individuals, but there are many achievements listed on the prize page that an individual pilot can rack up to win.
- What can I win? Prizes include billions of ISK, faction ships, and faction modules. The prize list is extensive and made up of donations from the playerbase. See the Hulkageddon II prizes page for more info on what can we won.
While suicide ganks are a standard tactic employed in Hulkageddon, some players are already finding more inventive ways of dispatching exhumers. Helicity recounts how the alter-ego of a Goonswarm pilot, Lady Maroon, joined a mining corp for the express purpose of scoring a Hulk kill on a corp mate, thus avoiding getting blown away by the police. Without CONCORD to worry about, Lady Maroon was able to do this with a noob ship, earning the "Skillpoints Schmillpoints" achievement and winning a Proteus Tech III cruiser. Helicity is also seeking records of what Hulkageddon II participants are doing through screenshots and videos. If you've caught your criminal acts in New Eden on film, send those shots and YouTube links to Helicity at Hulkageddon AT gmail dot com.
Note: For those less familiar with EVE Online, it should be pointed out that Hulkageddon II is a completely player-run event and is not something that EVE developer CCP Games is running or sponsoring.
