CSM Campaigns

So basically, everyone wants to log on and create content, be part of a fight, get rich and/or acquire something,, or otherwise partake of some chaos and hilarity. However, in the current state of EvE, this can be an actual challenge – so much of the population is in High Sec, which should come as no surprise as so much of the 'cheese' is so safely available there for new and old player alike to grow fat and bored on. The main principle I am running on is buffing NPC null, Low Sec, and Sov Null to the extent that people can start in any security band from day one while also prospering learning, and getting involved with the universe. Let's make EvE like the trailers – for real. Distribute resources as content seeds and watch the players do the rest. Give people a challenge, not a chore.

My go-to success story is that of Barleguet and Brave Newbies. I am in no way affiliated with Brave, but I have seen their work first hand. Basically, you had an empty low-sec system which was otherwise unremarkable besides for a few level 5 agents. Once they were done moving in, Barleguet was transformed into a 24-7 content stop where a man could buy a quafe, a rifter, and 5000 rounds of EMP S and use them all on the way home. Just by concentrating some population, all sorts of content sprung up; new markets, defense fleets, and gangs coming from far and wide. Surely some of the most fierce players in Brave now surely got their first lessons and adrenaline rushes from belt ratting around planet seven. Content fed a cycle of content creation. An unimposing, non-FW system became a huge hub of activity.

Which brings me to the actual crux of it all – there needs to be more resources in low and null that are both profitable and accessible to new and old players, resources which will both be in demand and create content. The Security Tags and Mordu's Angel spawns are great examples. I think everyone sort of tacitly realizes that High Sec L4s and Incursions are a sacred cow that will not be tipped over any time soon, ergo the solution if you want to promote more real interaction is to actually properly balance other resources and income potential. If you could put another Barleguet on the map, you would create a great place for new players to actually learn the game, and content for everyone. The charm of Barleguet wasn't smashing the day old player in the venture trying to get rich off that sweet, sweet Jaspet, it was the chaos that immediately descended into asteroid belt. For better or worse, you just need an impetus to get people undocked, the rest created itself. I want a reason for a new group of players to rush out into lowsec, struggle to survive, lose countless ships, but have a chance to become far wealthier than their High Sec cousins, and have many more exciting tales to share.

Basically, I am against anything new in High Sec – High Sec is fine. Add all new content to other security bands and plant the seeds of content today. Getting people to lose ships day one will create players who appreciate the beauty of the game. Alternatively, they can just grow fat and bored in High Sec, and not create content for others and themselves. The new player experience should be unique and personal, not reminiscent of some tired quest hub NPC telling them to slay 30 Yeti and recover 30 Yeti toenails...I mean 30 Serpentis and tags. Give the new player a rifter, and let the universe and his new friends be the teacher.

If you are a High Sec player, then you should still vote for me. Why? Half the reason High Sec is such a warzone right now is because you have tons of bored players with nothing to shoot – all the big, easy killmails are in High Sec. I used to run a ganking corporation. Under a proper re-balancing of resources, there would a reason for some gankers to actually grow up and leave High Sec, as there would actually be content to chase. Incursions, however, should not even be in High Sec. Story people should have Sansha Kuvakei use wormhole technology to steal CONCORD ship plans from the Jove, enabling them to jam system-wide communications; no CONCORD response to capsuleer aggression in systems under incursion. Having income that secure and that high in High Sec literally asphyxiates content in all other security bands. At least nullsec ratters create content for people, and are at risk for their daily income. Put another way, we would never have seen the miracle of Barleguet if all of those brave new players simply min-maxed risk vs reward and stayed in high sec doing L4s or Incursions.

Tech II logi frigates need to be a thing. Many players would be very interested in flying one and the skill requirements should be forgiving enough so they can get into one as they would an assault frigate. It is good that lots of good fleet doctrines use lots of lower SP ships. Lots of "Fun Size" ships are in good shape now, but are always in need of some work; the golden rule should be, can a group of 5-10 friends who decide to play the game together, after enough welping, be able to field a good gang?

Whatever new ships, whatever new tags, whatever new anything is released, the core question should be, will it create conflict? Will it be a resource people can fight over, and a resource that will be in demand? A lot of that is probably way above what one can do as a CSM, but at least you know where I stand. After a few hours in Thera, it shows the promise of a Barleguet style area that is linked to the whole universe – this idea was amazing and is fantastic for every part of the game.

Hmm, I don't want to be part of a fight, I don't play simply to make my wallet larger and don't partake in chaos and hilarity.

As a permanent high-sec dweller you want to deprive me of any developer-love and yet you ask for my vote?

You claim that Thera is a wonderful idea.

I assume that this means you will spend a lot of time there.

Good.

My name is Hannukah Goldberg and I approve this message.

Compare and Contrast – The Astero vs the Garmur.

The Astero is probably one of the best ships that has been released in recent history. It is versatile, multipurpose, and has fits and uses that augment almost anyone's play-style. Much the same can be said about its bigger sister, the Stratios. It can solo, it can explore, it can blops, it can even rat. Even though the game ill-needed yet another drone-boat, the rest of the package literally redeemed it's reliance on the overplayed weapon system that is drones into something new and minty-fresh.

The Garmur, while undoubtedly one of the most powerful ships released in recent history, is another beast entirely. Its sleek design is as sharp and focused as its purpose. Existing as either long range tackle or 'solo' and plaguing faction warfare as an un-engageable target, speed and scram/point range are the only things on its resume. While every ship isn't supposed to have a diverse fitting profile, the single-mindedness of combining point range and speed into new ship when kiting is already king leaves a bit of a sour taste. While really cool, the current meta neither wants nor needs more ships like this.

Basically, the Sisters ships increased diversity; the Mordu's ships just encapsulated everything that was overplayed by current field: Omen Navy Issues, Ishtars, mass medium rails, etc, fast sniping stuff. So this is where I stand on ship balance:

->Brawling needs some love. Kiting setups are used almost exclusively to brawling set ups in many areas of the game. I do not hate kiting at all, just that too much of any one style is stagnation.

->Battlecruisers basically went the way of the dinosaur once the patch-day meteor hit. Previously they were a great balance point between size, sp requirements, cost, and performance, giving people something to fly that was just rite-sized for some fun. Scientists still debate if it was just the warp-speed changes alone which caused their extinction, with some pointing instead to other causes, such as their performance versus other ship classes, and their hulking mass which left them awkward at chasing the new preponderance of smaller prey items. Dumb metaphor aside, Battlecruisers and Battleships need some love and adjustment. The Nestor and the Barghest are almost never used, whereas the frigate and the cruiser in their respective lineups are some of the most popular ships – when you cannot get people excited about a new battleship, maybe it tells you something about how battleships/battlecruisers in general are suffering. You are never going to see battleships outside of larger fights regularly until there is a need for them, and there will never be a need for lumbering, awkward giants so long as the only ships worth flying are small, fast, and kiting ships. While in general I think its cool that the warp-speed changes brought some diversity, they did so at the cost of wiping out entirely the age of the battlecruiser. It is a sad day.

Well hello there!

My name is Lanctharus Onzo and I am one of the co-host and writers of the Cap Stable Podcast.

In early 2014 our podcast interviewed a great majority of the candidates for CSM9 and we will be doing the same for CSM10.

Here is our announcement:http://capstable.net/2014/12/01/council-of-stellar-management-x-call-for-candidate-interviews/

As we stated in the announcement, you can contact us to schedule your one on one interview via any of the following methods:

Email: podcast@capstable.net
Twitter: @CapStable
Or via our contact form

We look forward to speaking to you about your particular skill set and expertise in EVE Online and we hope you success in your candidacy.

Sincerely,

Lanctharus Onzo
Co-host & Writer of the Cap Stable Podcast
Military Director, Alea Iacta Est Universal

I anticipate having you quite high both on my personal vote sheet and on my recommended 'how to vote' list.

The point is more about what all skill point levels can do for isk. As someone who basically "grew up" in null, I can tell you that there is really very little to do there as a newbie for cash. Mining comes with rats you can't kill at early SP levels. Anoms are out of the question until you are into a VNI at a minimum. Exploration is mixed, and the ISK/effort not really spectacular. I made my most ISK by finding DED complexes for bitter vets to run--fortunately in my corp folks like Vic cut the newbie who finds a site in for a full share of the proceeds.

Answering for myself, because they are boring, require a stack of isk and SPs better spent elsewhere in null at the start, and require a whole lot more knowledge and experience than a real new player has. (also, my alliance doesn't have SRP)

eta: and even if mining, pi and industry didn't somehow bore the new player to unsubbing, with the changes to JFs success at these professions requires a thriving local market, which in at least my area of NPC null just doesn't exist because its so sparsely populated. Which gets us back to the OP. Granted that I assume that most people are in the ISK generating grind to buy ships to get blown up, because we all want to be bad ass space pilots shooting other nerds and laughing about it in local

I agree with your other point though that there has to be incentive for players to leave highsec, and I think Vic's idea is a good way to do it.

I do not believe I speak for a specific alliance, or particular security band. I hope to have the privilege of speaking for any who want more content seeds planted, for those that spend far too much time searching for content, only to have hours of empty space grate their will to play. You know who speaks for the Alliances, who then, will speak for you?

It's easy to hate AFK ratting, but it does actually generate a fair bit of content on both sides of the equation. Especially with Thera now, you can get anywhere you want really to harass ratters, whereas before I could see not wanting to go 60 jumps to get somewhere.

If I had to compare, NPC null is in more dire need of enrichment than Low; at least Low has Faction Warfare. In either case the issue is the same, and both need work. More people need to live and prosper out there, instead of day tripping.

A PI alt with 20 days of skilling can net you half a PLEX's worth in a month of purely passive ISK. The skillbooks will cost about 10 million. It's really a matter of poorly utilizing the space in which money making opportunities already exist.

A throng of newbies who can just shoot things don't get to eat. To eat, you need to know how to collect and cook food. And alts in this game are a thing.

In terms of the market in NPC Null being scarce, this is nothing a CSM member is going to change. Uncapped hope is a thing but we are arguing mass market mechanics here.