Jita Park Speakers Corner

I appreciate the gesture, I just wish it was heart-felt. If you truly respect me as an individual, instead of just saying more nice words, demonstrate that you mean it by taking a minute to do what you know should be done and fix up your thread.

Nope it's never too late to question's a candidate's leadership ability. Polls have closed, but I could still be elected, and voters have every right to question my ability to challenge CCP on important issues, especially in light of my initial reaction last summer.

Of course, its easy to say just about anything by quoting a single post, and those that take the time to read all my posts since then, will see that I very much changed my tone and opinion of CCP once I found out the newsletter was real.

I have no problem owning up to the fact I really thought it was fake. There was so much RAGE over the expansion, and any time emotions are at a peak, rationality takes a dip. I honestly believed that the newsletter was a troll attempt, because it seemed "too perfect" at the time.

Of course, I turned out to be wrong, and that moment single-handedly changed my perspective on CCP, how much we can trust them, and how grounded they were in what the players actually wanted for their own game. I became intensely interested in EVE politics and the role of the CSM following the "Fearless" controversy, and that's when I started working across the four militias to compile a list of fixes for Crucible. I saw an opportunity arise where CCP seemed to be honestly interested in delivering a feature chock full of player fixes, and the minute they mentioned Faction Warfare I wanted to be sure that if we had ANY chance at all of getting some changes implemented, that it was taken.

Once we had built enough community consensus about the most pressing issues, I started getting in touch with the CSM, and asking about the process and how I could help make sure the FW community was heard. I was able to get my notes to the developers this way, and everything that has changed so far regarding FW was part of that set of notes.

I continue to be highly skeptical of CCP, you have to remember a year ago most of us in the FW community honestly believed that CCP had no future plans to work on FW, ever again. The second eye-opener was the release of the summit minutes. In the minutes, Faction Warfare improvements were described that shared little resemblance to what the community envisioned for the feature, and I realized that the possibility existed that once again, CCP might pursue their own overly-ambitious vision for a feature without zeroing in on the "meat and potatoes" issues that meant the most to dedicated Faction Warfare pilots.

These were the events that led to my run for office. I reached out and was able to get involved with the feedback process in meaningful enough way that I saw just how much players can make a difference, but also enough to realize how much pressure CSM7 is going to have apply to prevent CCP from falling into old habits.

What I'm really looking forward to is a YEAR of crucible-like productivity, based on a continuation of the relationship the CSM and developers have enjoyed in the wake of the "fearless" crisis. I want to keep the ball in play, pushing for iteration not just on the game itself, but also iteration on the CSM itself and its relationship to both CCP and the player base. My experience has given me an understanding of the need to keep improving the process - everything from election mechanics to the way meetings are documented and shared with players.

I've learned that the CSM can be a fantastic "canary in a coal mine" - but only if CCP pays attention when the bird keels over. Incarna was a demonstration of what happens when they ignore the warning signs, Crucible is a sign of just how much can be done on spaceships now that avatars have been sidelined and resources re-routed.

Focusing the entire company (with a few exceptions) back on to the core game of EVE Online, is the right thing to do right now. It'll be a huge opportunity to be on the CSM during an entire year of expansion goodness now that all of the developer teams back and headed in the right direction. I'm excited!

Already cast my 3 votes for Roc, but reading your platform document and some of your replies in this thread, you certainly have my moral support as well. I hope you both get in.

/Yargle

Great response. I'm glad when you found out it wasn't fake, you didn't react like a certain csm delegate and tell everyone basically "yeah ignore that memo."


Also keep in mind there is no person called ccp. There are lots of people at ccp, and everyone I dealt with either gm or dev I have found to be extremely honest. Plus they made a great game.

I know allot of people will disagree with this but, much of the rage was spawned due to their effective communication and brutal honesty about the disagreeable direction they were taking the game.

Well done

Congrats to you, Hans

Congrats Hans.

Hans come withing a few dozen votes of a first-7 place and that's a achievement against a field as strong as the CSM7 election. Even without a seat in Iceland, I'm sure he'll be an able and productive advocate.

Congratulations sir!

Congratulations, Hans. I am happy to see a strong voice for Empire PvP in the CSM.