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Are we still the minority?

Author
Aphoxema G
Khushakor Clan
#1 - 2011-11-15 14:49:59 UTC
It wasn't that long ago that we were set loose in New Eden, and look at what we've done. We've redefined ship design, warfare, nullsec colonization, international politics... we've been a sweeping force in the last decade and our very existence has changed the entire spacescape. Even the currency we deal in is overwhelmingly powerful.

Many thought we would destroy the face of this cluster, the invincible pilot threatened education and economy without needing to replace and train the loss of entire crews. Even the crew we do have is much safer from less need to remain out of retrieval pods. Even with limiting factors such as implant installation, the threat of Mindlock syndrome and the sheer cost of even enrolling in a capsuleer program, we're still nearing the millions.

We've proved them right and we've proved them wrong. Many of us have grown careless or inhumane, strengthening death cults or lobotomite nations or pirate organizations... even occasionally committing genocide and other crimes against humanity under our own initiative. Though as much havoc we've caused, it hasn't all been to the detriment of societies.

Many of us have funded and even taken into our own hands incredible research, archaeology expeditions, augmentation and biology, education and fundamental science. We've done much to eliminate slavery or improve the way it is carried out. We've arranged trade routes that have allowed even the most remote settlements to flourish. We've expanded the influence of empires and the places where the empires don't dare to go. Just look at wormhole exploration and colonization.

How much of an impact have we really made?

Where would New Eden be without us?

Have we made things better? Have we made things worse? Have we done both with no net effect?
Verone
Veto Corp
#2 - 2011-11-15 15:38:52 UTC

Yeah, we're still the minority.

Verone CEO & Executor Veto Corp WWW.VETO-CORP.COM

Caellach Marellus
Stormcrows
#3 - 2011-11-15 17:16:12 UTC
Of course we're a minority. There aren't enough licensed capsuleers to populate a Homeworld, and power shifts continue whether we influence them or not.

When your gut instincts tell you something is wrong, trust them. When your heart tells you something is right, ignore it, check with your brain first. Accept nothing, challenge everything.

Aphoxema G
Khushakor Clan
#4 - 2011-11-15 17:26:16 UTC
Caellach Marellus wrote:
Of course we're a minority. There aren't enough licensed capsuleers to populate a Homeworld, and power shifts continue whether we influence them or not.


If one person has the power to dictate the events of a system, then they aren't a minority in that system no matter how they are outnumbered. My question is... have we come to function in a way that parallels governments? If we all dropped our conflicts and worked together, would our collaboration give us the might to rule? Would our voice be heard over others? Would we even be considered a threat?

I wonder if even individually we've got more say over our small piece of the universe than had ever been expected of us.
Silas Vitalia
Doomheim
#5 - 2011-11-15 18:51:20 UTC
We've made an impact, but we should not overestimate that impact.

'Unaligned' (as in not directly still working within Empire militaries) capsuleers still make up the tiniest, smallest fractions of overall population. Among the trillions and trillions of unwashed masses we are but the smallest sparks.

The yoke of CONCORD still remains.

I do agree that the larger null-sec capsuleer empires have enough strength to rival some smaller nation-states, but were it ever to come to outright armed conflict with the empires we would be slaughtered. Our ships smashed, and our clone bays destroyed across the galaxy. The largest capsuleer conflicts perhaps have one or two thousand capsuleers at their heights, the empires and their navies have 100 times that in ships, manpower, and resources. Even if every capsuleer ship is worth five or ten traditional ships, it makes little difference considering the shear scales involved.

Let's not overstate our current capabilities.

...this is not to say that in time, things might be different.

Sabik now, Sabik forever

Elson Tamar
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2011-11-16 00:01:38 UTC
Plus we dont have our own clone tanks. we might think we are independent, but we aren't if we want to remain immortal.
Silas Vitalia
Doomheim
#7 - 2011-11-16 00:29:03 UTC
Elson Tamar wrote:
Plus we dont have our own clone tanks. we might think we are independent, but we aren't if we want to remain immortal.


I would clarify that the vast majority of capsuleers do not own their own clone tanks. The wealthiest among us do have access to privately owned facilities aboard some capital vessels. There are of course rumors of privately owned facilities as well...

Sabik now, Sabik forever

Aphoxema G
Khushakor Clan
#8 - 2011-11-17 04:00:32 UTC
Elson Tamar wrote:
Plus we dont have our own clone tanks. we might think we are independent, but we aren't if we want to remain immortal.


That really does put my thoughts into perspective, but don't even the most influential politicians trust their lives in faith that either no one will want to kill them enough or have done enough to keep those from succeeding?

It is different for us, though, every time we die there's the risk that it'll be the last, and that decisions can be made by others from very far away. I have to admit that feeling so much like a wraith, having died so many times and always pretending to be alive again, it wouldn't take much for someone to trick me into getting podded.

Of course, that's all on top of the fact that we're just as vulnerable as anyone else without our resurrection machines.
Elson Tamar
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#9 - 2011-11-17 10:39:17 UTC
Just live your life as if you only have one, otherwise life gets a little stale.
Callista Nueva
Bustin Space Rocks INC.
Caldari Alliance
#10 - 2012-01-30 14:55:41 UTC
I can agree towards us all being a minority, look at all these 'great' alliance's and corporations, they achieve but thats thanks to large collections of capsuleer's, Demi-Gods, 'Immortals' whom are truthfully only immortal thanks to the assistance of other perhaps 'ordinary' human's, who must be behind all the physical work, such as machinery to take what we place in our hangar's and such, but .. what if, we 'immortal's are really a stepping stone? As you mentioned augmentation, what if someone .. designed something better than us, something that can out perform us, possibly outlive gunfire or something..

What if we are simply tossed aside, or shut down, in replacement for a demi-god V1.2 or something which could outperform us in all kinds of ways, such as being capable to have weaponry on thier ship hit area's on your own ship which would possibly cause 200% more damage than we can even perform.

What if .. the ships we use are the ships that are only known to us as the companies have refused to give us intel or even conformation of newer, or possibly older ships that could take on possibly (if im not thinking too much) a titan or something and its essentially the class of like a battlecruiser.

I'd say we are a minority, until we are a majority of disposed corpse's, only to be replaced by 'greater' Demi-God's or possibly mortal's that can outperform us easily, what if mortal un-augmentated humans could out-perform us?
What would happen to us? be disposed? have to flee out of fear of being shut down? or is there secretly a massive kill-switch connected to EVERY Demi-God alive in EVE, would we realise if we are being replaced to have a chance to fight back, or would we just have that feeling of what mortals call 'death' without the strangely peculiar feeling of awakening in a new body .. ?

Just because i see things in a differant viewpoint does not make me paranoid it makes me a bit obsolete in the majorities views.

Aand i do love the thought of Using repair drones as bait O:

Katrina Oniseki
Oniseki-Raata Internal Watch
Ishuk-Raata Enforcement Directive
#11 - 2012-01-30 15:53:12 UTC  |  Edited by: Katrina Oniseki
Are we a statistical (numerical) minority? Yes, of course.

Are we a social minority? Yes.

Despite our great power, we are far too small in number to hold enough positions of power to become the social majority. We still answer to the whims of baseliners, like it or not.

We have Capsuleers in high places, and we occupy a part of the social elite, but do not mistake that for suddenly being the social majority.

Katrina Oniseki

Aphoxema G
Khushakor Clan
#12 - 2012-01-30 17:18:13 UTC
Katrina Oniseki wrote:
Are we a statistical (numerical) ? Yes, of course.

Are we a social minority? Yes.

Despite our great power, we are far too small in number to hold enough positions of power to become the social majority. We still answer to the whims of baseliners, like it or not.

We have Capsuleers in high places, and we occupy a part of the social elite, but do not mistake that for suddenly being the social majority.


That's a helpful perspective.

When I thought to ask this months ago, it was for the concern that maybe, someday, we'll accidentally become the dictators whether we like it or not; Having so much influence, capsuleers are given a lot of responsibilities and the expectations of them can grow. There will always be some way to destroy us, our serial mortality depends on an established and prosperous society and if we abuse our power too greatly we'll inevitably destroy the infrastructure that allows us that power.

With further reliance on us by existing nations, we risk developing our own nations in which we are the ruler. These might be large corporations or even alliances now, but these are from the cooperation of the other demigods, our peers. Alone we may become so prosperous that our entourage could be entire tribes or races through no intent of our own.

I worry that by not realizing how influential we are, we can do a lot of harm we don't want to do.
Katrina Oniseki
Oniseki-Raata Internal Watch
Ishuk-Raata Enforcement Directive
#13 - 2012-01-30 19:32:59 UTC
No matter who causes it, the status quo is never maintained forever. It is a matter of when, not if.

Eventually, the current empires will fall, and new ones shall rise to take their place. Capsuleers are in a unique position of being both in great power and influence, but being highly vulnerable to political shift. Our very existence depends on certain things being maintained, namely the cloning services present in every region.

When the status quo changes, when a new social majority (Capsuleer or otherwise) take power and change the balance of power, Capsuleers will be a major focus. It is only speculation what sorts of new power (or limits) we might experience at that time.

For now, Aphoxema G, you can rest well in knowing that we do not wield as much actual political power as you suggest, merely influential power through money and force. There are checks that exist to hold us back still in full effect, and they still bind us ever so strongly. Even the Star Fraction, Rote Kapelle, Goonswarm Federation, Pandemic Legion, and others must (and do) obey certain limits.

Katrina Oniseki

Zimmy Zeta
Perkone
Caldari State
#14 - 2012-01-30 20:12:48 UTC  |  Edited by: Zimmy Zeta
Your masters have tought you well, Aphoexma, you sound like a true Amarrian already.

Ha, ha, just joking.

But seriously, all that transhumanism "We are god-like, we are responsible for the development of mankind bla blah"-stuff sounds like the chatter of a drunken Amarrian- I mean really, badly drunken, when he is past the stage of Brutor-jokes.

As a gentically engineered property of the Zaniou Biotech Corporation I am in the pleasant situation of knowing my worth.
It is 1.580.000 Isk. Capsuleers are rather cheap when you can breed them in a lab, and they are easily replaced. So...I may be a minority, but I could be mass produced to meet the military demand, maybe up to the point of making me a majority.
Does this make me any special? No, on the contrary.
What I am trying to say is: get over it, get a life, leave your pod sometimes, just do something.
Someone told me that you minmatar pilots are all "bio" without any genetical and surgical alterations- and that you are still in the possession of reproductive organs. Not sure if this is true, but damn, if I were you, I sure as hell knew what to do with my free time....

I'd like to apologize for the poor quality of the post above and sincerely hope you didn't waste your time reading it. Yes, I do feel bad about it.

Aphoxema G
Khushakor Clan
#15 - 2012-01-30 20:54:45 UTC
Zimmy Zeta wrote:
Your masters have tought you well, Aphoexma, you sound like a true Amarrian already.

Ha, ha, just joking.

But seriously, all that transhumanism "We are god-like, we are responsible for the development of mankind bla blah"-stuff sounds like the chatter of a drunken Amarrian- I mean really, badly drunken, when he is past the stage of Brutor-jokes.


You misinterpret my musings for a manifesto. I'm not so deluded as to think we could possibly be confused with anything divine, but I am still thankful we have some characters like Katrina and (as much as I hate to admit it) Silas who can argue in favor of reason.

No, I don't really think we're any kind of remarkable power in ourselves, I'm just wondering where it could go from here and what I might have to face in my own indefinite lifetime.
Telegram Sam
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#16 - 2012-01-30 22:52:33 UTC
The collective energies of all capsuleers might be formidable, if they were pointed in one direction. But instead, a great deal of that energy is expended in individual capsuleers battling one other. The product of much energy and effort-- a capsuleer's ship-- can be destroyed in an instant. The capsuleer who destroyed it while likely before long see his/her own efforts (ship) destroyed. Somewhat like in atmospheric weather systems, the energies in motion tend to cancel out one another, rather than moving together and building into a more powerful system.

On the other hand, those capsuleers who devote themselves to mining or trade may have very significant impact. Compared to their non-capsuleer counterparts, at least. A non-capsuleer's overall business plan has to be limited to the period of only one lifespan. One can plan for beyond one's lifetime-- but one must rely on one's heirs or a corporate structure to carry out those plans after one's death. A capsuleer businessperson, though, can make a plan stretching into eternity, and personally see it carried out all along the way. I'm no business expert, but surely that power to execute 50, 100, or 500 year plans has some impact on our economies and societies.
Fredfredbug4
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#17 - 2012-01-31 02:09:15 UTC
There are many mortals who have accomplished deeds that seemingly cannot be fitted into a single lifetime. It is impossible to fathom how much a single immortal can accomplish given that our "lifetimes" are measured in the amount of clones we can afford.

Chances are, given how much time we have, we will accomplish at least one notable deed.

Or maybe our immortality will get to our heads and procrastinate our deeds for later until they never happen?

However to answer the question, capsuleers will always be the minority.

Watch_ Fred Fred Frederation_ and stop [u]cryptozoologist[/u]! Fight against the brutal genocide of fictional creatures across New Eden! Is that a metaphor? Probably not, but the fru-fru- people will sure love it!

Nola Doyle
Doomheim
#18 - 2012-01-31 04:37:12 UTC
It would be a mistake to misinterpret numbers for influence, as clearly shown by the impact of the capsule population on the species as a whole. Our caste has been the forerunner of technological advancement, the lifeblood of an interstellar economy, with the power and influence to shape the future of nations, yet our numbers fail to rival that of a typical asteroid mining colony. Unfortunately, I don’t have the data to support either opinion that we are greater sources of positive or negative influence on society as a whole, but I certainly have my suspicions.
Deceiver's Voice
Molok Subclade
#19 - 2012-01-31 06:53:00 UTC  |  Edited by: Deceiver's Voice
Aphoxema G wrote:
How much of an impact have we really made?

Where would New Eden be without us?

Have we made things better? Have we made things worse? Have we done both with no net effect?

To put it simply:I believe we are not in a position to make an unbiased judgment, but I don't think that's the kind of opinion you're really asking for.

Let's say that I believe the following. Without capsuleers the cluster would be in far worse shape. That's beside the point though isn't it? We are here, we are doing our part to maintain a status quo, and we are too fractured to represent a serious threat to any single power in the cluster.

So, do the collective efforts of an entire community rest on the actions of individuals, thereby absolving the community of culpability, or do individuals have an obligation to work towards the betterment of that community? If those who see problems within the community do nothing to end those problems, are they more culpable than those who are committing these offenses?

That's probably not helpful either. My apologies.
Telegram Sam
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#20 - 2012-01-31 19:56:57 UTC
Elson Tamar wrote:
Plus we dont have our own clone tanks. we might think we are independent, but we aren't if we want to remain immortal.

Very true. Capsuleers aren't actually immortal. They just have access to a copying technology. Sort of like BPCs. If someday one's clone technology doesn't work perfectly...no more immortality.
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