Jita Park Speakers Corner

from http://poeticstanziel.blogspot.ca/2013/03/prolific-ripard-versus-terrible-trebor.html

Some people question why I would support Ripard Teg, considering I am so dead set against Trebor Daehdoow as a candidate. Some people question why I would support Ripard Teg, when I also strongly support Psychotic Monk as a candidate.

It is simple, really. I want a broad spectrum of intelligent voices on CSM8. We'll likely have Mynnna on the council. Malcanis. Unforgiven Storm. I'm supporting Psychotic Monk. The right wormhole candidate will rise to the top of that heap. These are intelligent people. I'd like to see Ripard alongside them. I want people who are going to help CCP in choosing and refining their development. Players who will represent player interests. Players who care about the principles of the game.

One worrying aspect about Trebor is that most of his ideas concerning EVE's future direction boil down to him arguing those suggestions in favour of CCP's bottom line. He claims to know how to grow CCP's business.

Yet, look at his own business ventures. He created the Wizardry line of video games thirty years ago. He stopped being involved by the fourth sequel, and Sir-Tech eventually went out of business. Later he developed the first anti-virus software for the Macintosh, the company was eventually sold in early days. Then he founded AnimEigo, the first company to license Japanese anime for the North American market. AnimEigo is his only company still in business, yet it was leap frogged by other more successful ventures into the market afterwards. First in the industry, last past the post. Trebor has a good track record in recognizing new markets, not much of one in capitalizing on those new markets. He has demonstrated no ability to adapt.

He certainly knows how to create a promising business. Yet, he's demonstrated no long-term growth or follow-through with those businesses. Every business has either folded, been sold-off, or has stagnated. Yet, much of his platform devolves into the argument that what he suggests would help CCP grow their company.

If CCP were soliciting advice on how to grow their company, I'm not sure they'd hire someone who has demonstrated no growth in their own businesses. CCP has marketed and grown EVE Online successfully over the last ten years. They are more than capable of determining how to market their company for the next ten years. They don't need Trebor giving them advice.

Trebor has been on the CSM for so long, that I believe he's begun to see himself as a virtual employee of the company. The CSM's job is to simply monitor game development. To supply advice and feedback on that development. Their job is not to act as junior CFO. And yet, over the three years that Trebor has been involved with the CSM, this is the direction he's been slowly gravitating towards.

Show me any statement by Ripard where he talks about any idea in relation to CCP's bottom-line? Ripard is committed to the principles of the CSM, and that's to supply valuable feedback on game development, not feedback on their subscriber numbers.

Ripard Teg covers much of the same ground as Terrible Trebor, risk versus reward as it relates to the various areas of space. Especially highsec. Ripard has stated that highsec is about as safe as it needs to be, that it might even be a tad too safe. Trebor wants to go further, and has repeatedly brought up the idea of introducing PvP-free zones into EVE Online.

Ripard understands the core philosophy of EVE Online, that the moment you undock, you are at risk. Trebor seems to have lost touch with that. Again, because of his focus on the bottom-line, Trebor's begun suggesting features he feels could attract the themepark crowd. EVE Online is a successful niche game. It has grown in that role, it doesn't need to water itself down to continue that growth.

About the only positive quality that people continually bring up concerning Trebor is his work ethic. People ignore all of his terrible ideas, and focus solely on that work ethic. Certainly work ethic is an important consideration, but there are people who have good ideas who could and would work as diligently. I'd rather have someone who works hard and doesn't have terrible ideas (Ripard Teg), than someone who works hard and argues in favour of very terrible things (Trebor Daehdoow.)

Further, Ripard actually plays EVE Online. Whereas, Trebor rarely does. Ripard is in touch with all the changes that have occurred in this game over the last several years. Trebor's only ever been in a room to discuss those changes; he has experienced very few of them. One has to play EVE Online to understand EVE Online. I feel Trebor has increasingly fell out of touch with the game over the three consecutive years he's been a CSM representative.

People will argue that CSM members mostly play on alts. Some might, but most do not. Certainly the logged-in time of any active CSM member will drop during their term, but most still do play. From Hans, from Aleks, from Elise, from Two Step, you still heard stories of their play during their CSM terms. I still saw all those people logged in and playing the game. Trebor, where does he ever talk about playing EVE Online? Even if he were playing an alt for the last three years (and I don't buy it for a second), where do we see him talking about his in-game experiences? You don't. Because he no longer plays. He logs into to chat. To go on the very occasional roam with Dirt Nap Squad, but that's it.

Come the CSM8 ballot. Place Ripard ahead of Trebor. Consider not putting Trebor on your ballot at all. Consider the integrity of the CSM. Consider people who understand the role of the CSM. Trebor no longer understands the job at hand.

Yes but do we want someone with experience in the business to be our voice?

That is what the CSM is all about, speaking for us.

Now due to CSM 7, our voice has already been massively attacked, while CSM 7 applauded.

Do we really want more of this?

Or do we want people who take being our voice as something special, something to not be given back to CCP?

Yes it is their company and their game but the CSM is the voice of us players and it has now been weakened to the point it is now little more than a shadow of its former self.

We should demand people who will stand for us and be our voice.

Not people like Trebor and Seleene that will sell us down the river worrying about CCPs bottom line. CCP has accountants and marketing to worry about their bottom line.

So just say no to sell outs.

That a good point. There is no purpose of the CSM if they are simply going to parrot CCP's stance. I'm sure CCP don't need CSM members who have practically zero knowledge of the companies business strategy and finances to tell them how they should be running their business. The purpose of the CSM is to help CCP improve the actual gameplay of Eve.

No, no it's not.

The institution of CSM is now stronger than its ever been. By far.

Whether CSM8 will be equipped to make the most of that power is the real question in this election. I don't agree with Trebor's focus/rhetoric on short term monetary gains for CCP, but he has proven effective as a part of the team and compromised with opposing views more often than not.

I thought my trolls were bad

But can it be proven that is HIS fault for the failures ?

Businesses fail for a lot of reasons. Especially in the world of gaming. Other's bad decisions factor in as well that he could have no control over. Also this industry is almost more dependent on trends than pop music.

Remember, even Atari did initially fail in it's first incarnation.

Also, Trebor was not involved in anything malicious like the takeover and creeping in of malicious tactics like what has happened to EA (see current SimCity).

This attitude about Trebor and focusing on the one thing is starting to seem like a kind of distraction from the truth only.

It's like a bunch of people trying to discuss Woody Allen films and there are the two people who can't get off the Soon-Yi Thing.

I don't know exactly what Trebor does or does not stand for, but surely the purpose of the CSM is to advise CCP on EVE gameplay issues and not be concerned with how they make profit? CCP already has the shareholders after all to worry about the company making profit, CSM is the voice of the actual players.

Personally it seem to me as if the CSM should be 100% focused on gameplay issues, and then it is up to CCP to tell them whether that is possible or not financially.

I am not disagreeing with that, but the argument has become skewed into seemingly that that is the sum total of Trebor's contributions.

Also, CCP does not have to listen to his advice, and I'm sure he knows that. He is not there to be a financial consultant as seems to be what is implied.

Also, since the CSM members are under NDA on almost all issues, we cannot be sure that this has indeed been going on with Trebor at all.

All we really have so far is the allegationsof one member, Poetic, unless I have missed some sourced posts, and please do post them if so.

Again, this is starting to smack of propaganda with a laser focus on only one issue concerning the person, Trebor, and pooh-poohing his amazing contributions to the CSM and the game over the years.

We also have Trebor's very public statements and stances on which to base our assessment of him on.

Same with any other candidate in every election ever. You base your vote on public statements and actions. You don't see people stumping for a Presidential incumbent candidate saying "I'll bet he did some really cool classified ****, so we should vote for him."

And on Trebor's public merits, I am going to stay the hell away from voting for him.