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Hot topics: is local an intelligence channel or chat channel?

Posted by Alex Sinclair in EVE Online

We've decided to tackle another of EVE's hot potato topics: local chat. To win a prize, we want you to share your opinion on whether it is and should be an intelligence gathering tool or a place to chat. Feel free to argue one side or to make a nuanced position somewhere in between the two. You can enter with text or video. Whichever your position and medium of getting it across, let's deal with this hot topic with cool heads. Civil disagreements are fine, just remember the civil part and consider the best version of your opponents' position.

Check out our community interview with CCP Hellmar for his take on the subject.

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Created at 12:23pm, 19th December, 2024. Page last updated at 9:09pm, 19th December, 2024.
Deadline at 12:00am, 19th March, 2025.

FirestormGamingTeam 12/19/2024, 12:35:44 PM

My take on this:

High Sec Space - For the average high sec player it is simply to see who in local channels, occasionally chat with people and some of the good eve friends I have I have made simply by asking questions or asking for a little help on missions. So more social aspect.

Low/Null - Whilst they can be used for intel channels i.e "so and so spotted in this system, ship type, heading this direction" etc, they are often used as local and friendly banter between enemies, I've seen people chat for hours whilst trying to murder each other.

WH - There is no local channel in terms of being able to see who is there so, it's kinda more to stay very quiet like a rabbit when in wormholes and you never quite know which cloaked player is going to say "hello" and then start hunting on you.

So to sum up the above rambling.

Local channels are not used for intel specifically but more social aspect and simply to chat with others or insult people should the mood take you.

LukaZaharin 12/19/2024, 1:38:14 PM

I would say it is not only both an intelligence tool and a chat channel, but also a space of psychological warfare. With tools like localtreat.xyz and ZKill, local chat can be a valuable intel channel, but the simple social aspect of having a good talk and meeting new people is a very important too. From my point of view, Firestorm nicely explains the differences between security areas, so I want to focus on the tactical usage of local chat.

In my area, it is also often used to arrange fights and manipulate others. A very fun bluff my corp and I pull off every now and then, is one fleetmate typing about his burned AB in local chat, followed by a "oups, wrong chat". Misdirection about the tactical situation inside factional warfare sites is not uncommon in local chat. The same goes for some Pochven and WH situations as well as suspect baiting in highsec.

Rixx Javix 12/19/2024, 2:12:44 PM

When I started playing Eve back in 2008-2009 I was in Providence in the LFA Alliance, which was part of the CVA umbrella. We were taught never to speak in local except to say "Amarr Victor" once a fight was over. I was taught early on that local chat was 100% an intelligence gathering tool, not to be trusted, and to be exploited in every situation. Breaking those rules back then meant being kicked from fleet.

Since those early days my opinion about local chat has evolved and changed. At its fundamental level it remains an important intelligence gathering tool for myself and other pirates in Stay Frosty. A lot can be gleaned from loose-lipped local chat participants. And a lot of mystery can be created by being silent, or ignoring calls to chat, or hellos given in local. For me, if someone calls me out in local it can often mean my cover is broken. Although I will respond if I can. Or if I see it.

Local chat is totally situational. We're using it to our advantage. Others are also using it to their advantage. Most are unaware of this and talk freely, or express anger, or give away intelligence freely. We will often use this knowledge to our advantage and egg on those in local who like to pontificate - to give up even more information. This is all part of the fun. In our business every advantage is one we need. And worth often playing the idiot in local to achieve.

After the fight we always try to give a "gf" in local and may even join in to the conversation. Over the years we've had some truly amazing conversations in local. It can help to build a greater sense of community and good will. It can also, quite often, be a place for those who have an axe to grind to express themselves. Which can be quite entertaining.

I try to teach my pilots master level local manipulation. Be the one to say less, not more. Use local like you use any other module or tactic to gain an important advantage over your enemies. Remember that your words reveal more about you than they do anyone else.

Kraken 12/19/2024, 2:53:33 PM

I would say it is abit of both, in the first place local in high space especially in Jita is great as a one stop shop for advise, fun chats, team ups, and business. It is great for getting to know other players and allows for the first step of making friends and building alliances.

However when one starts travelling to low and more importantly nulsec/wh space. As this provides situational awareness on what the battlefield and territory looks like. This comes more important when doing business runs that requires you through. It show immediatley yhe how many people are in the current system, how active chats are (which indicates how much monitoring is going on) the status of those players (especially if they have done recent criminal activiy in low sec. This can also help if you safe doing any covert ops like double agents and stuff.

Kurai 12/19/2024, 8:06:20 PM

Local is the most important PvP intel channel you have . They say you dont miss something until its gone, so hop into a wormhole and see how it fundamentally changes all aspects of game-play, and approach to content if you are not yet convinced.

In nullsec, if you are the only person in local, for that transitory time, you are safer than you are in high sec . In high-sec a system like Jita , with its multiple thousands of players in local allows the wolves to hide among the sheep. Or in this case the carebears! So easy to miss a war-target or suicide ganker sitting in a catalyst or tornado on the undock who notices you are carrying way more in value than your ships EHP should be carrying.

Back in an empty nullsec , the only thing that can kill you is NPC pirates. Yes , things can change quickly, if you leave an "unrolled" active Wormhole (WH) in your system, someone can pop up , you not notice them and suddenly you come back from your quite autonomous ratting session to a malediction or cloaky Tech III cruiser pointing you. But , there needs to be several points of failure for that to happen. You need to leave that hole , unrolled. You need to not be watching your other intel channels that can tell you of threats approaching your ratting system and finally you need to miss watching LOCAL and seeing that neutral player pop up.

Now go live in a WH for a month and see how much you miss the safety of the warm, loving blanket that is : local.

Sturmer 12/19/2024, 9:09:34 PM

Local chat in EVE Online is an invaluable intelligence tool, and I use it creatively to deceive and create chaos, buying myself precious seconds or even minutes while the enemy is left confused.

If the directional scanner is like a rear-view mirror in a car, then local chat is akin to side mirrors—it often provides additional context or even obscures crucial information.

For example, if you know someone is docked in a station, you can rename your ship to their name to sow confusion. Imagine an opponent sees "Sankao" in local and then spots "Sankao's Loki" on D-scan—they might hesitate or misinterpret the situation, giving you an edge.

Another clever tactic is sending fake "oops" messages meant to look like fleet chat slip-ups, such as: "Tackler on a Vigil arrived! What’s the order?" Meanwhile, you're cloaked in a Falcon, ready to execute a Black Ops drop.

Local chat isn’t just a tool for spotting enemies; it’s a stage for psychological warfare and misdirection, rewarding players who think outside the box.

I never use local for chitchat, GGs, GFs etc, only to stall, deceive, and pretend. But maybe because I'm 100% of the time in a hostile space, mistakes are too expensive for me.

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