Guest Poster: aPOCOlypse

From time to time, I'm approached by an alliance-mate or friend who really wants to post something for wider distribution.  1Robert McNamara1 felt very strongly about the conflict-driving nature of high-sec POCOs and submitted the following piece.

Something very strange is happening in high-sec.  There are wars with purpose.  I’m impressed with CCP they gave small and large groups a rope to pull on, tied with the knots of war.  Along with it, several new conflict drivers in high-sec.

The larger conflict driver is Player Owned Customs Offices (POCOs).  RvB, Goons, and other large groups are clearing Interbus offices en mass, with smaller groups doing much the same.  Naturally Caldari space is getting most of the attention.

What’s interesting about the high-sec angle is that it’s shaping up to be the sub-capitol baby brother of null-sec style fights and conflicts.  This new age of POS-lite warfare has people looking at planets to see who owns it and declaring war if they think they can take and defend…  Big sov blocs like Goons and N3 will have momentary distractions, giving the little guys chances to take planets.  Not sure what could distract a group like RvB however they may be poised to own huge swaths of empire space. 

We just passed is the land grab period.  Most un-defended planets in Caldari space have been claimed.  Now is a period of real conflict as null-blocks and empire fighters trade fleets for POCOs.  All of this leaves the carebears with an awkward arrangement...

The PI carebear now has a vested interest in throwing their lot in with a PVP group that can defend a network of planets.  This is remarkable as currently only null-sec offers such a driver for PVE to seek out PVP groups.  This gives the high-sec groups a reason to cut their PVP teeth.  A reason to organize and fight for ‘turf’.  Good preparation for the larger scale conflicts.

Given that high-sec lacks the same tools for force projection, it may well be that it will be divided up by local groups who reside in a given constellation or region.  Hopefully we see more high-sec conflict drivers like this from CCP.  It stands to reason as the empires lose their dominion over high-security pod players.

Keep track of the action yourself, with the eve-kill feed of POCO conflict.

1Robert McNamara1