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Implementing the Espionage Career path
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Reyd Nosha
Island Paradise
#1 - 2016-10-18 02:20:09 UTC
The following will outline how a corporation could conceivable set themselves up as an information brokerage:

Establish a website that allows players to contribute information.
(Attaching a character name for compensation purposes)
-Corporation Assets
-Corporation and Alliance Events
-Character info and sightings

Allow search access to the records that have been recorded with a unique search key.

Sell the unique search key by hiding it within the notes of a bookmark and contract out the bookmark.
(Corp leader sets up and sells the bookmarks to either corp members who then disperse them or directly for public sale)
(specify no guarantee of authentic search keys for bookmarks sold from non-corp members)

Compensate those who report information whenever their information has been retrieved in a search.

Allow customers to request information and post these requests for all espionage agents to view with a time frame to be fulfilled by.



With a database aligned website to record and search the information, and bookmarks sold through contracts a corporation focused on the secure sale of information becomes possible.

(Sadly I do currently not possess the web design capability to see this idea through but feel free to keep me informed if anyone cares to go for it.)
YeuxVerts Belle
Royal Amarr Institute
Amarr Empire
#2 - 2016-10-18 11:51:08 UTC
It doesn't work, unless it's capsuleer-driven.

Viewing intel is not the same as assessing it useful. If i want to make easy money, all i have to do is add a recognizable intel into the website, and ask all my alliance-mates to search for it. Cha-ching.
There's no automated counter to that.

But it raises the question of capsuleer information brokers. Why aren't there any?

The above message presents my opinions on the topic at hand. If there is a conflict between my views and reality, consider reality to be correct until proven otherwise.
Bad Bobby
Bring Me Sunshine
In Tea We Trust
#3 - 2016-10-18 17:12:15 UTC
YeuxVerts Belle wrote:
But it raises the question of capsuleer information brokers. Why aren't there any?

They certainly exist. Strange how they don't advertise their existence, you would think that people that work in the shadows and wield immense power would want every Tom, **** and Harry to know their name.

(Apparently the forums don't like the short form of Richard.)
Reyd Nosha
Island Paradise
#4 - 2016-10-18 17:36:30 UTC
YeuxVerts Belle wrote:
It doesn't work, unless it's capsuleer-driven.

Viewing intel is not the same as assessing it useful. If i want to make easy money, all i have to do is add a recognizable intel into the website, and ask all my alliance-mates to search for it. Cha-ching.
There's no automated counter to that.


Yes, you'll make money if your information gets searched, but if each search costs money through the sale of a Key Code, then all you're doing is transferring money from whoever bought the key code to you. It's not like it would be some easy magically appearing money. And if the information that is searched for has also been provided by other brokers then the cost of the key code will be split among those who provided the information, so you would be losing money in the process.

What you suggested would only accomplish one thing, a roundabout transferring of isk and perhaps an increase in information provider ratings (assuming such a rating system even gets established)


But yes establishing controls to keep the amassed data accurate and useful would be important, as would customer feedback to report false information.
Reyd Nosha
Island Paradise
#5 - 2016-10-18 17:50:31 UTC
Bad Bobby wrote:
YeuxVerts Belle wrote:
But it raises the question of capsuleer information brokers. Why aren't there any?

They certainly exist. Strange how they don't advertise their existence, you would think that people that work in the shadows and wield immense power would want every Tom, **** and Harry to know their name.

(Apparently the forums don't like the short form of Richard.)


I think the reason why no one knows who they are is because the main method of obtaining information is by having an alt join a corp, and you don't want your characters to become linked for betrayal.

As for a neutral third party group of people or corp that sells espionage services. I really don't know if they exist or not. Even if they do, chances are they don't live off of it. It is much more likely that people spy and betray on their own accord, than for others, to try for a big score of their own.
PopeUrban
El Expedicion
Flames of Exile
#6 - 2016-10-18 22:04:54 UTC
People do this to varying degrees every day in EVE.

I ran such a service for a while in another game and it became really clear it just wasn't all that profitable because any entity that can afford/needs to pay for such information can also afford/pay to run their own spies.

There's also the problem of actionable intelligence. EVE as a game hands out a ridiculous amount of free actionable intelligence. Useful things like corp histories, positioning of assets, fleet comps, probable fits for a pilot, etc. are all extremely easy to get through absolutely free third party tools.

The stuff that isn't generally tends not to be useful for very long, certainly not long enough to establish a profitable borkerage database.
Sabriz Adoudel
Move along there is nothing here
#7 - 2016-10-19 12:19:53 UTC
YeuxVerts Belle wrote:


But it raises the question of capsuleer information brokers. Why aren't there any?


They exist.

I have sold information related to potential high value assets in space, including selling the location of a highsec POS in which a tech 2 BPO resided. Because I held the buyer in high regard, I sold the information cheap (only 3.5 billion).

I am also aware of a few people that trade in information about high value corp theft targets in WH space - corps with more assets than opsec.

For an appropriate fee, I might be able to provide you some of this information.

I support the New Order and CODE. alliance. www.minerbumping.com
The Leopardess
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#8 - 2016-10-31 14:43:44 UTC
I'm not so sure this is a great Eve career path for you if you don't understand how to work it already! It's really very simple, you become no one and are of no consequence wherever you go.

Bingo, you're a very good spy!

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