Ecliptic Rift

Just some random thoughts on a quiet Wednesday evening…

I discovered something very dangerous in EVEHQ: the Character Creation Tool. Now, in the hands of most pilots, this probably gets used, well, almost never. And when they do, most of them will simply identify a need they’d rather fill with a quick alt than with a corpmate or friend (e.g. cyno alt, station trader, etc.)

But I have this weird craving for alts to explore different bits of background lore or character & corp concepts. You’ve almost certainly heard EVE described as a “sandbox” game. EVE then becomes a seductive temptress, beckoning with promises of new desires and unfulfilled dreams, rather than a matronly caregiver nurturing us into maturity. LILITH Online, perhaps…

The “Employment History” sort of lends itself to this, I think. It creates pressure on players to maintain a stable history and promotes a culture that eschews corp-hopping, especially when mixed into an environment where metagaming and espionage receive simultaneous praise and cursing. For the sake of clarity, what drives me here has nothing to do with this sort of infiltration. Rather, I hear the call of the explorer, not in the game mechanic sense, but in the wider sense of exploring new nooks and crannies of roleplay without the restraints imposed by an existing character.

At the same time, across games, the activity I enjoy second only to character concept creations is corp (or “guild”, in most games) concept creation. 90% of EVE corps seem to fall into a few basic categories, but that other 10% really keep things interesting. Some of them break new ground in using game mechanics — think of the Guiding Hand Social Club or, perhaps slightly less famously, Suddenly Ninjas. But my thoughts tend to drift towards the melding of game mechanics and roleplay / fiction into a cohesive whole that represents something concrete and, usually, limited in scope but (hopefully) unlimited in potential depth.

Both processes start the same. A brief thought (nonviolent resistance in New Eden, or Syndicate-affiliated capsuleers) sparks a lightning storm of activity. What would a satyagrahi want to achieve in EVE? How would he attempt to do it? Or, why would capsuleers affiliate themselves directly with the Syndicate? What sort of station administrator, or sub-faction of them, would sponsor that type of group? What game mechanics could support that fiction? From there, an entire system begins to develop itself, and I feel almost like an observer just recording the entirely theoretical development and how it could play itself out in the design CCP has given us.

In any case, do those of you with similar inclinations keep them under control? Why, and how so?

Or should I even bother? Should I indulge my tastes for exotic adventure and keep trying new things, heedless of the effect on my player reputation (or perhaps playing multiple OOC personas as well)?

The first banter of 2010 comes to us from CrazyKinux himself, who asks the following: As we begin another year in New Eden, ask yourselves, “What Now?” What will I attempt next? What haven’t I done so far in EVE? Was it out of fear, funds, or knowledge? What steps and objectives will I set myself to accomplish in order to reach my ultimate goal for this year? EVE is what you make of it. So, what is it going to be for you?

Destination : Future by gilderic

I’ve had a rough idea of how I would like 2010 to go (EVE-wise) for a while, at least in some senses though not necessarily others. So let’s take a look…

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I got some happy news last night: EON Magazine selected my submission as a winner for their Dominion screenshot competition! I’ll get a free copy of the magazine and a bit of ISK. Not a huge amount but I’ll never turn down actually free ISK (scammers need not apply). This shot shows an Intaki Bank station in Syndicate.

Banking Rings

In related news, I have an EVE Online photo set at Flickr now. I’ve made a first stab at incorporating that set in a sidebar box here at my blog, but I want to iterate on that design and find a better way to include more and better EVE-related images.

The intricacies of power politics never cease to confuse me. I spent some time out in Syndicate this week, conferring with the Intaki Bank offices in TXW-EI (and a few other corporations) to clear up some confusion from a few months ago. An agent had asked me to remove a troublesome Minmatar Republic convoy, and I had trouble. We exchanged some heated words and evidently he filed a report indicating that the Syndicate couldn’t trust me. I’ve got it all fixed now, or nearly so.

But during this renegotiation process, when Louis Stiers, another agent, had asked me to deal with some police surveillance squadrons and listening posts, an odd request came up. Interspersed with various assignments focused on the Khanids, apparently working with the CONCORD Directive Enforcement Department (DED), and, to a lesser degree, the Republic and even the Gallente Federation, I received a nudge to hit a Thukker convoy. When the agent transmitted the contract to me, I immediately turned it back around. Not only did the Thukker tribe have traditionally good relations with the Syndicate (if a little strained due to Maleatu Shakor’s political efforts), but they have a station in the same system. I may not mind starting all sorts of violence among podders, but I’d rather stay out of an underworld war against two large groups with whom I really like working, particularly where Back Alley has an office and various business interests.

For a bit, I wondered if they not might have just tried to test me. I thought this because, as soon as I rejected it, the agent immediately gave out an assignment to deal with some regular scum who had made the mistake of falling behind on rent payments for their pleasure hub location in the next system up the pipe.

Yeah, right...

At any rate, the Bank has assigned me another agent for now, one Guispon Meganier. He understands how to use my abilities a little better, so I’ve done some discreet deliveries and even inserted a marine detachment into a Syndicate station whose guard commander had gotten a little corrupt (well, independently corrupt). Unfortunately, I lost my Prowler to a Nighthawk underneath the station while I argued with traffic control to let me back into the hangar.

So I clone-jumped back to Oursulaert for a few days to attend to business there. In the meantime, I consulted with my old friend Eran Mintor, who seemed equally troubled. Wonder if I should go talk to somebody back at the Tribe about this?

Image credits josh.liba and america.gov

Let’s see. Since the last time I took stock, what have I done?

I’ve started a new skill training program, getting all my rank 1 learning skills to V. I’ve finished Learning V already and Instant Recall should complete tomorrow sometime. The +5 memory and intelligence implants I bought the other day help quite a bit. Which reminds me: my first trip to the Traders Mecca, Jita, saved me a substantial amount of ISK. I don’t know that I would really try to sell a lot there, myself: fast turnover but razor-thin margins. That doesn’t fit my style that much.

I’ve spent a good bit of time out in Syndicate. Clown Punchers Syndicate had seven pilots sitting together with me in Poitot 5-14 Intaki Syndicate Bureau. Evidently, they really enjoyed my company and didn’t want me to leave. I offered them coffee, but they lacked the social skills to appreciate the offer. This actually didn’t present much of a problem: a CEO and trader can do her work from just about anyplace.

In fact, I’ve started making financing arrangements with the Intaki Bank. Once I’ve done enough for them, they’ll come around on me for sure. But more on that tomorrow, along with some other corporate-type announcements.

I’ve learned a few lessons out in null-sec:

• Don’t panic in a bubble, especially if you have a cloak. Keep it together and look at the situation calmly. Your chances of getting out safely will improve.
• You have nothing approaching a guarantee at any rate.
• Don’t get lazy and start treating it like low-sec. That way lies disaster.
• Get jump clones or don’t use implants.
• Markets work differently out here. I don’t have them figured out just yet, but I’ll get the secret to the ISK sooner or later.

I picked up a Fenrir the other day, as well. I love this ship already. Not only does she have the tremendous cargo capacity typical of her class, she feels far more niimble than the Orca. That warp speed does get a little tiring but it doesn’t really hurt too badly.