Many of the best tactics in EVE are built on the ability to disengage...
- Nanoed Kiting ships (vagabonds, cynabals, etc) can outrun most other ships and never go inside scram or web range.
- Dramiel's are dual propulsion so they can overload their afterburner and escape a fight they are losing or being blobbed in.
- Heavily tanked ships can tank multiple enemies long enough to kill something and then escape through a gate or into a station.
The other night I was flying my Dramiel (they are like crack to me, I can't stop flying them) and I found a Caracal in a belt. Now, there was a chance he was a Anti-Frig Caracal and would kill me easily but based on my knowledge of the area and the fact that he was in a belt ratting made me think he was most likely ratting fit.
When I warped in on him the first thing I did was establish tackle and a orbit, then get guns and drones on him, and THEN within 3 to 5 seconds of engaging I found a warpable object in space, clicked it, and prepared to align and warp to it should I get in trouble or get blobbed.
I didn't even really realize it but in every fight I have, one the first things I do is decide on a way out. Just in case things go bad, I always have a plan for how I will try to escape.
Many if not most of my tactics and ship fittings are based on this one thing and it has shaped the way I PVP.
But don't be too quick to pull out... I have lost fights by running to early when I would have won had I stayed.