Intergalactic Summit

1- Does the Amarr Empire, having defeated an invasion by Minmatar and using new technology have the strength and will to defeat Jove, the other Empires, and Outlanders [collectively capsuleer empires] without help?

If they did, they probably would have already done so.

2- How deep does the Caldari State go? Is it all about profit, alliance with the Amarr or hatred of the Gallente?

Depends on how deep the stereotype is.

3- Minmater and Thukker forces have struck once, escaping with 3/4 of their fleet and a lot of migrants. What's next?

Refugee camps.

4- Gallente has flexed its muscles. Are they still allied in some way with the Minmater? Whats the public mood in that democracy like?

Depends on the focus group or poll of choice used.

5- Concord has had a slap in the face from its downtime with the Thukker tribe. Sansha is really pushing Concord hard. It seems obvious the Concord pilots rely on pretty advanced tech, not surprising as Jove is in the picture. Whats next?

Red tape and bureacracy.

6- Capsuleers all over New Eden are flexing their muscles. What is the likely outcome?

More killmails.

Hope that helps.

1- Does the Amarr Empire, having defeated an invasion by Minmatar and using new technology have the strength and will to defeat Jove, the other Empires, and Outlanders [collectively capsuleer empires] without help?

No single nation in the cluster, be it capsuleer led or conventional, concord signatory or otherwise, has this ability. If they did, they would likely be putting it into practice.

2- How deep does the Caldari State go? Is it all about profit, alliance with the Amarr or hatred of the Gallente?

The Caldari State is arguably one of the least understood cultural hubs in the cluster. Stereotypes run deep, many of which are a result of isolationist policies and tendencies to be soft spoken and stern faced with outsiders. The State exists for the benefit of its people, more so than any other nation (in my opinion) but it is far from perfect and some grains of truth exist in the stereotypes. For example, Caldari do not live for profit, but a good few I have had the pleasure to work with, consider that outsiders live to be profited off of. This is equally untrue for others, see some of the Caldari who post here who showcase a more forthcoming, humanitarian view of foreigners. Simply put, I feel that the State is culturally deeper for all of the misconceptions, than it otherwise could be.

3- Minmater and Thukker forces have struck once, escaping with 3/4 of their fleet and a lot of migrants. What's next?

That all depends on if the Republic government is willing to spend on grain, what it largely spends on guns. Infrastructural development, reinforcement of the twin values of education and social mobility, and a focus on perceptible change from generation to generation in both quality of life and integration with the wider cluster will be required to survive, let alone prosper. The Minmatar likely have the hardest social and economic challenges ahead of them, as they experience the pressures of having unprecedented numbers of civilians enter their domains, with unique cultural preferences and ideas of what it is to be Minmatar.

4- Gallente has flexed its muscles. Are they still allied in some way with the Minmater? Whats the public mood in that democracy like?

The Federation answered an incursion into it's sovereign space with an admirable show of force, followed by a despicable escalation in brutality. It has asserted its dominance over its ally and it boggles the mind that the incident started off over a single jurisdictional issue. The only real outcome of this mess was a spotlight shone over the flaws in both nation's national security and diplomatic cadres. That and the snide jokes concerning Tripwire only detecting allied fleet movements, and the Federation having a tougher stance with its allies than its enemies (up until the Shiigeru was deorbited, at least).

The public mood, as little as I have experienced, is the same as always - a spectrum from ill informed activism to equally ignorant apathy, with spikes of single topic 'expert' opinion seeping through. Everyone knows war is bad for business, but everyone feels it makes a great conversation piece, especially if you enjoy arguments over which you have no executive control.

5- Concord has had a slap in the face from its downtime with the Thukker tribe. Sansha is really pushing Concord hard. It seems obvious the Concord pilots rely on pretty advanced tech, not surprising as Jove is in the picture. Whats next?

CONCORD is and continues to be, a gate keeping force. It is the entity that ensures that Capsuleers are kept in line, which seems to be more and more of a full time job. It may once have had a mandated to ensure some degree of status quo maintenance in the cluster, but it is sorely apparently that it is no longer fit for purpose. However, I do not really know what would come next, I have my own reasons for advocating the dissolution of CONCORD and the maintenance of national interests, but this is coming from a capsuleer very much involved in the living of life in capsuleer controlled territories.

6- Capsuleers all over New Eden are flexing their muscles. What is the likely outcome?

Capsuleers in the current form are all very young, ten years in the pod going on eleven at most. All of the perceived flexing is simple testing of one's strength, much the same way as an infant grasps and curls to see how its body may be redefined under its own power. This is what we are, and the best among us, alliance leaders, large scale industrialists and fleet commanders all, understand that we have only just started to define the term 'Independent Capsuleers'.

Political autonomy, large scale rapid manufacture and increasingly sophisticate social developments have defined the current capsuleer to be anything from a mostly station bound biological computer parsing trades and pursuing simple ambitions, to region spanning coalition members and even leaders, plus everything in between. In that short time we have gone form seeing Battleships as the last word in firepower, to seeing them as workhorses and a minimum standard.

To continue the analogy, we're just out of our first couple of years of life, tottering about and sharing/taking toys when we feel like it. The second decade of the capsuleer is the terrible-twos; there will be a lot of noise, a lot of anguish and moments of well deserved pride as something truly surprising and pleasing is achieved.

1) No. The Amarr likely cannot deal with any single one of those entities just now, let alone all of them. This is not a knock against the Amarr; the Republic cannot really do so either. It's just an indication of the sort of stalemate that we have arrived at. The Amarr seek to continue their reclaiming, or at least, some of them do, but at this moment, really cant.

2) The Caldari are as varied and profound a people as any in New Eden; I know Caldari artists and musicians who are every bit the dreamers and free thinkers that their contemporaries within the Federation are. Lesson here? Stop stereotyping people, and maybe actually get to know a few. As far as their alliance with the Amarr, I dont see them as being eager to be too buddy-buddy with the Amarr for too long; the Empire has openly stated that ALL within new eden must be "reclaimed". This includes the State; the Caldari people are far from stupid.

3) Political restructuring, likely leading to a shift in our foreign and domestic policies. The Parliament is a distant memory, Shakor's power has been clearly defined, and the Republic is now controlled by the Chiefs. Acassa Midular in particular has outlined the direction she desires for the Sebiestor Tribe; as of yet, none of the other Tribes have followed suit. I expect our relations with the Gallente to remain strained as a result of our shift away from democratic government.

4) We're still allied, though our alliance is of course strained. As a whole, the Gallente people are good friends to us, and us to them. There are racist and nationalist attitudes present in both sides, of course, which has of late come to the fore in the Federation. However, the Federation and its people have far too much invested in the Republic and my people to simply sever ties with us; time will tell how our relationship develops. I hope it doesnt come down to them deciding that "We need freedom".

5) Concord will lumber on as it has for the last 10 years. I dont expect much of note from them.

6) Peen waving, "lolz" and general irrelevance. See Veikitamo's reply above.

Apparently pretty deep considering your answer to number three. As if a single returned slave is not... Forget it. It is not worth the effort.

3. We will continue to grow stronger. The seed must grow regardless of the fact it is planted in stone.

6. We will continue to grow stronger. I am sure that this cold war will end in the universal summer.

I fail to see the difference between the effects of either.

1- Does the Amarr Empire, having defeated an invasion by Minmatar and using new technology have the strength and will to defeat Jove, the other Empires, and Outlanders [collectively capsuleer empires] without help?

This happened 5 years ago. If they could, why would they be waiting?

2- How deep does the Caldari State go? Is it all about profit, alliance with the Amarr or hatred of the Gallente?

The Caldari State currently seems a lot busier with their internal affairs than foreign ones. Just take the desperate bounties they handed out for the manhunt on the Provists the other week. Then there's also the matter of Ishukone going slightly rogue in the whole matter and... well, it's definitely an interesting sight to watch. Someone pass the refreshments, please.

3- Minmater and Thukker forces have struck once, escaping with 3/4 of their fleet and a lot of migrants. What's next?

Thukkers are already slowly realizing Shakor's promises are empty and are returning to their old ways. (I can introduce you to a few firsthand, if you're more interested in the matter.) As for the Elder Fleet, Depleted Uranium XL shells can't fix the Republic's collapsing economy. Sometimes war is just too simple of a solution.

4- Gallente has flexed its muscles. Are they still allied in some way with the Minmater? Whats the public mood in that democracy like?

Tense, with racial and nationalist tensions still running high. On both sides.

5- Concord has had a slap in the face from its downtime with the Thukker tribe. Sansha is really pushing Concord hard. It seems obvious the Concord pilots rely on pretty advanced tech, not surprising as Jove is in the picture. Whats next?

CONCORD and DED never cease to show how absurd a farce they are. But the Four don't want to abolish it because they don't know better, leaving us all in a lose-lose situation. I'll leave it at that.

6- Capsuleers all over New Eden are flexing their muscles. What is the likely outcome?

They keep killing each other like they have for the last 10 years. While the threat of capsuleers shouldn't be underestimated, they're still too fickle to be considered a major player - a random maelstrom would be a better term.



Hope you won't find these answers too cynical for a bunch of undergraduates.