CSM Campaigns

I had the pleasure of having Xander Phoena as a guest on my podcast, where we talked about his CSM campaign, go check it out at the following links below.

Mp3 Download Link:
http://www.legacyofacapsuleer.com/mp3/LOAC_ep_05.mp3

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb-DeAitKY4

Vote him in so he doesn't lose anymore Ishtars ratting....

Xander assures me that, should he be elected, CSM9 will be the CCP-certified Best CSM

I don't know what more you'd need.

Good segment on Eve Radio!

Your answer about sov had me thinking - do you think deployables, both current and future, represent the right way to change sov to make it more dynamic? Speifically, I'm wondering about the ESS.

It was good on ER! I pretty much agreed with what you answered Wiggle's question with more or less to the letter. ISK charges based on alliance sizes just isn't the solution to the thorny issue of sovereignty mechanics.

Honestly, I hadn't really though about using mobile deployables in that way. Now you suggest it, I see no reason why not. I love some of the potential ideas that have been suggested for mobile deployables even if the ESS was an failure in my eyes (even in it's current 'fixed' state).

Personally, I think the focus should be on trying to incentivise coalitions to divide forces up over numerous systems. Could that be done via deployables perhaps? Not sure. I mean, a deployable that somehow limited the number of people who could be in the system (for example) seems only to favour the dudes with the most supers.

I'm thinking about this even as I write it - I kinda think using mobile deployables to 'fix' sov could work but it would be a little bit of a band-aid. I think the fundamental nature of how sov works itself needs fixed first and foremost and subtle tweaks can and should be made via mobile deployables.

But yeah, the ESS was terribad.

There have been several discussions here on the forums and elsewhere on how our actions and motivations in Eve reflect our actual selves and whether it's dumb to care for pixels.

While it's (imho) obvious that blowing people up in game doesn't mean you are a terrible person, I think the intend of your actions does say something about you.
Eve is a game of choices with no formal goal. In a way it's a multifaceted simulator. If someone plays "for the tears" / with the intent to specifically mess with another player; if someone choose to suicide gank on a player ship instead of an NPC hauler because he wants the player to react emotionally (and not for profit, political reasons etc) - I think that tells me this person likes to make others miserable.
Hilmar actually did a presentation I really liked and spelt out thoughts I had on Eve and virtual worlds. Because I do think Eve is real. It's not 'just' pixels. It's the representation of effort/work done by people and more importantly it's real communities of real people and their real interactions.

What is your serious take on that matter?
Do you think there are players that claim to enjoy the tears just to appear more mean/tough? Should players that almost entirely play to mess with other players - that is, to ruin their day - be encouraged or discouraged?
Is it foolish to attach emotions and personal value to virtual items considering people attach emotions and personal value to real life hodgepodges, vanity items or other stuff related to love, esteem and self-actualization?

The device was clearly considered a null sec nerf in it's initial form so LP was added, effectively turning it into a null sec buff a something 0.0 frankly doesn't need. The design of the ESS is obtuse and clunky and as about as far from intuitive as can be possibly imaginable. I know we're Eve players and meant to have some modicum of intelligence but nevertheless this just seems awkward. To boot, in Vale, we have them in place everywhere (why wouldn't you?) and it's made no perceptive difference the traffic we have seen in the region.

How to avoid in the future? Well you mention objectives and the problem is I can't really tell what the objective was with the ESS. At first if was a clunky 0.0 nerf and now it's a clunky 0.0 buff so I just don't know. I mean I guess the point is the potential to awox corpmates and for small gangs to come steal your stuff but deployables such as siphons do this in a much cleaner and intuitive manner. I know you and Malcanis have both stated that you were kinda unhappy with CSM8's performance over the ESS 'thing' and mobile deployables are certainly a great development avenue but I'll be keepng a very close eye on them should I be elected.

tl;dr - more siphons, less ESS.

First up, great question.

The answer, like the question itself, is complex. Eve is a game about relationships. It is also a game about achievements. When you grind enough minerals to make your first Rifter. Grind enough red crosses for your first Raven. Jump in there for a one on one you know you probably should lose and somehow get the win while warping out in structure. Your own corp getting 100 players.

We all have goals in Eve and when we achieve those goals I imagine we have a huge amount of elevation. On having put in the blood, sweat, tears, time and commitment to achieve something. That it is pixels is almost irrelevant.

And that achievement is all the more because you are beset with dangers and perils at every corner. Had you not overheated that hardener at the right point you'll have lost that one on one. If you hadn't trusted your instincts with that corp app for a guy you felt in your gut was a scammer .

For there to be any sense of achievement in Eve there has to be the potential for loss. To truly feel happy after achieving a goal against all odds, you need the potential of the crushing disappointment when it all goes wrong.

The griefing scamming side if the game isn't for me. I don't play Eve to harvest tears. Would I remove that side of the game? No chance. As you say, Eve is multifaceted. It's a whole ecology. Just like those of us trying so hard to build our sandcastles, we need those willing to kick them down.

That's ok. If everyone on CSM agreed with each other in every single way on everything, you could run with just 1 as opposed to 14.

With your dedication and dialogue abilities I think you'd be a great asset to the CSM.