Intergalactic Summit

Hello, friends. Ever since joining the militia group Teraa Matar, I have found myself surrounded by a question, one which I myself had not asked in past combat scenarios. What is the role of honor, and perhaps by extension chivalry, in this age of modern ship-to-ship combat?

In times past, one human would like in the eyes of another, sword drawn. The two are fighting over honor, you see, and the victor takes all and the loser earns nothing (and perhaps even dies, depending on the conditions of the fight). These days, the most direct analogy in the capsuleer community is the use of two spacecraft instead of swords. In keeping with the solitary nature of honor-duels, some choose to use frigates which have no crew (or crew which has been replaced by automations). I have witnessed such frigate duels myself and participated in some, and find them to be satisfactory for defending honor.

There is a problem.

It is all too common for one person to insult another in the local comms channel, and the insulted party may challenge this insulter to a fight. This is all well and good, but complications arise! I have witnessed it time and time again: one person overwhelms the other in a duel by allowing fleet-mates to join in, which results in pretty instantaneous ship-loss for the solitary fighter. Or perhaps one person brings a ship which clearly and obviously outclasses the other; a Rifter cannot hope to gain victory over a Hawk, given ceteris paribus on pilot skill and access to high-tech equipment for fitting. The question which has most frequently popped up in recent weeks is this: Where is the honor in such things? Who is it that truly wins?

"Why surely the person who was overwhelmed lost, for they lost a ship and were naive to trust the other person", some would say. And still others may say "While one lost their ship, it is the other who has lost their honor and dignity and stained their name with deceit". Which view holds most weight in this modern age?

I have already came to my own conclusion on this, but I wish to hear your opinions, people of the Summit.

And enjoying yourself.

And leaving a fabulous looking corpse.

And having someone make a martini for you after you wake up in the clone vat.

Utter nonsense.

It’s all about the sport. You try to blow up my ship and I try to blow up your ship, and we might dress it all up in some sort of grandiose silliness about it all being for the honor, or the Republic, or the magic fairy in the sky, but stripped to its core, it’s about the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of the kill.

And we have more than just the guns on our ship as weapons. We have instinct and guile, and often a few associates on the other side of the gate to tip the balance most assuredly in our favor. If I offer you a duel, you are wise not to accept. Because explosions are lovely and I'll use any means at my disposal to witness one.

This is perhaps one of the few things Lady Vitalia and I can agree on.

The reputation you cultivate as a capsuleer is similar to the reputation you cultivate in any other area of your life, be it with family, friends, the boardroom or the battlefield. By and large most of us will not make a lasting impression upon the world we live in. The universe will forget us when we finally do chose not to renew our clone contracts and meet a final death or retire quietly into obscurity.

However, for the time you are out there sailing across the heavens, you can, and will leave your mark on the other mariners of the cosmos. Cultivate the reputation you wish to be known by and don't let anyone else steer you away from it. Rest assured there will be those who try to tell you that honor has no place on the battlefield, that chivalry is dead, and any sense of "fair play" at best pointless and at worst detrimental.

At the end of the day, no one will weigh you by your fleet of ships. No one will measure you by wallet's balance. They will judge you by the way you conduct yourself in all the things you do.

So, for the sake of anyone that couldn't tell by now, I most definitely believe that a sense of honor and respect are important for any capsuleer.

I will also point out that one person's view of what is honorable may not line up with the next person's. For example I need only point to the Goonswarm Federation. Most would agree they, as a whole, are deplorable, yet if you take into account the rather....different perspective of the average "bee" within the swarm, you realize they honor their communal code of conduct quite well.

I, of course, find myself in agreement with Comrade Thar, Uraniae, and Lady Vitalia.

Miss Johnson, your speaking of "fun" on the activities of hotdropping and attacking the defenseless disturbs me somewhat..

As long as I win a battle, I don't worry too much about what steps I took to get there.

Other people should, though.

It's OK for me to have this double standard.

I'm me.

I think the question of whether honor, in the sense of an equal matching against your opponent, is important in modern combat presupposes an answer to a deeper and more important question. What are you fighting for?

When I wish to hone my skill as a warrior I seek even odds, or odds that are stacked against me, so I can push my limits, test my skill and resolve. In those scenarios, you can be assured that I will honor my word, that I will not unfairly tip the scales in my favor because, in the end, I am not fighting you; I am fighting myself.

If I am fighting for my family, my home, my brothers-in-arms, then the root cause has changed, and everything along with it. At that point, I hold that dishonor lies in not doing everything within your power to conquer your enemy. When the line is drawn and the barbarians are at the gate, I will stand as a cunning, determined and fierce protector and no one should make the mistake of assuming that I will seek a fair fight with the barbarians.

In the end, to define honor as a balanced fight is too simple. I believe that both of the scenarios above hold honor, but they are different faces of the same concept.

With regards to the scenario you described I don't think winning or losing can be decided with reference to honor unless both combatants hold the same values. In your scenario, technically both sides won. The lone warrior kept true to the principles that drive them and the gang got to keep their ships and pods intact while making a profit.

As a capsuleer you've likely murdered hundreds, if not thousands of people for isk, territory or a shiny gold star from your superiors. And yes, you're directly responsible for deaths of many of your own crew in the pursuit of selfish goals like 'honor'. Pretty disturbing if you think about it.

Hypocrite? Perhaps you'd care to explain.

As for the topic, 'honor' in combat is outdated and ridiculous. If combat is unavoidable, fight to win, and fight to minimise collateral damage.

If you're still fighting duels (or just fighting) for the sake of your own personal satisfaction and 'honor' then you've regressed on the evolutionary ladder and you should turn in your wings and start a career as a zoo exhibit.

This, friend, is exactly what I hoped to find in this Summit. I know of a few others who hold this view, and admire them all.


But of course. When more than your own honor and safety are at stake, fight to the hardest to save lives!

[qoute=Sovai Elaaren]
With regards to the scenario you described I don't think winning or losing can be decided with reference to honor unless both combatants hold the same values. In your scenario, technically both sides won. The lone warrior kept true to the principles that drive them and the gang got to keep their ships and pods intact while making a profit.[/quote]
Oh certainly, one could say they both won, but as others have wisely pointed out reputation stains the pages of the history books.