Assembly Hall

I feel this issue needs to be directly addressed toward the CSM and to be brought forth to CCP. In an article posted by The Mittani here: http://themittani.com/news/ccp-secretly-gifted-somer-blink-ishukone-scorpions it is leaked that CCP gifted Somer employee's Scorpion Ishukone Watch edition ships without any announcement made public or any legitimate reason given.

Lets also not forget CCP's past grievances in the form of favoritism for BoB (the GM in question was fired) as well as the other former issues regarding Somer prizes in past raffles that stirred controversy. This is not a post bitching about someone getting a rare ship.

Actually if I chose to I could simply purchase one of these if it mattered that much. But it doesn't. What does matter is the unequal favoritism garnered toward a gambling site that makes CCP profits by selling GTC and advertising PLEX either through raffles or other means.

Lets also remember that other sites sell GTC's yet receive NO form of special favoritism or direct rewards from CCP. Also there are a myriad of other sites dedicated toward improving our community. From the creator of EFT to the people at Eve-Kill other players spend countless hours improving and making New Eden a more fun and excellent place for us all.

But they aren't gifted special edition Battleships for their efforts are they? Indeed these past rewards were given because of CHARITY. And the justification for Somer's gifts? “one of the most awesome community sites we have" as quoted by CCP Navigator.

I find this thinly veiled excuse reason enough to voice my complaint. Let us also remember in these eve mails Somer employee's were told to keep quiet and NOT disclose what CCP was doing. There is absolutely zero transparency in this issue and the manner in which these ships being handed out was utterly deplorable.

So let us assume a gambling site that openly promotes making CCP profitable is all well and good. Let us assume Somer employees are justified in receiving these gifts. That is all well and good. However the secrecy, the lack of openness, and the past flaws and favoritism leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Let me spin this another way. Let's say Shadow Cartel an Alliance I am part of does a Community event. Let's say we put forth isk, time, effort to benefit the Community in some way as others have in the past. Do such actions justify reward from CCP? Is not the experiences gathered and dare I say the overall improvement of our experiences in New Eden reason enough?

Why not gift Battleclinic mods ships? Or Eve-kill mods? Or the creator of EFT one as well? Or how about giving every member of Goonswarm who participated in the Burn Jita event one? Or how about all the players who fought in 6-V? Where is their limited edition Scorpions?

My point is unfavorable advantage being given toward a site that promotes gambling and addiction to turn more profits for CCP is not only deplorable but an outrage to every person who has given back to the Eve community in one form or another.

I humbly beseech the CSM to bring this issue to CCP and to have these ships REMOVED from Somer employee's hangars immediately. This is a game of equality where every player is bound to the TOS and where each experience is different and unique.

And as such one's efforts and results in improving this game should be reason enough for making New Eden a better place for everyone. Stop favoring those that only promote CCP's bottom line and instead favor those whom truly enrich New Eden with openness and transparency. Not a ship worth 20 billion isk.

I wish you guys would settle on one thread to whine about CSM never responding. This is like putting out brush fires.

You also need to decide which way you want to whine and not come at the issue from both sides.

Either there should not be things given out in which case you should leave out all the other deserving folks you listes and the not so deserving you added for irony.

OR

You shouldn't complain about things given out, demanding they be taken back and instead focus on creating a more equitable system for CCP to issue community gifts.

Me I lean towards the latter.

m

Wasn't going for rude. Not my style.

But tell me, in what way would you see that this could have been 'put to bed quite easily'.

I said where I stand. How about you?

m

The only person whining here is you. Never once did I state the CSM quote "never" reply. If that were the case why would I make this thread in the first place? Perhaps you should have contemplated the CSM position entails more than a free trip to Iceland...

Thank You for a warm and more than adequate response and being a shining example of why the CSM truly are the players "voice" in New Eden.

Wait did you seriously write this? Why should it be MY focus on creating a more "equitable" system (whatever the F&^% that means) anyways? Isn't that YOUR job? No of course not!

Why perception being 9/10's of the law, CCPs's checkered past with T20 and other entities garnering favoritism, and the more recent embarrassment over other SOMER practices why surely! Who would have ever thought we'd need a more "equitable" system for dividing favoritism?

Yes a daft idea I agree completely. Or rather I have an idea for you. I never voted for any of the CSM here (I voted for Monk personally) because I already knew my play style and voice would never be represented anyways and your cold and begrudging response proves my gut feeling correct.

However that being said one would think as an "elected" member of the Counsel of *cough* "Stellar" Management you and others would actually hold CCP's feet to the fire instead of bitching about the very people you represent asking for exactly that!

So my idea is simple. Do your job. Instead of throwing your arms up and kicking your lego blocks and going home why not listen for once? Why not understand that trust in CCP's practices have come into question before multiple times?

Why the very creation of the CSM was in turn due to a breach of this trust! YOU are supposed to be an emissary of that trust. And quite frankly you and the rest are doing a very **** poor job of ever convincing myself or anyone else that we can truly "trust" CCP to not be favorable toward an entity again.

Their very actions past, present, and yes potentially future have proven this time and time again.

See? Now this is what I was looking for.

1) about the only way I can see there being no isk value is if we did some sort of 'bound items' gimmick locking it to a character. Not entirely bad, but a bit artificial.

2) transparency, while I agree wth this one strongly you might want to set an arbitrtrary 'petty cash' limit for minor prizes. So there is an encouragement for more people to get smaller things rather than one entity to get it all.

3) the petty cash line might keep us from being inundated to the point od the signal being lost in the noise but other than that? hell yes saying that stuff gets given and to whom is a good idea.

now how do you feel about prizes for less than ttally open events, say a pvp tourney at fanfest or vegas? It is only open to those who paid to be there and in that respect, limited. Same question to any swag gifts at live meets. Would you expect complete tranparency of who and what in all of that?

and yes, I end damn near everything with the m, think of it as part of my sig, above the line

m

CCP have decided to lock the other thread, and refer users to threads that are about the prizes somer were publicly given in order to raffle off

which is kind of an entirely different complaint

hmm, odd how they'd try and deflect and misrepresent it like that