Sunday, December 13, 2020

The Torment of Sisyphus

It is said there is no recourse for the scourge of botters. Botters in EVE will thwart the most cunning devices used to stop their nefarious activity.

And yet, in the panoply of human misery that we so freely inflict upon one another there are things we can do, that CCP can do, to make the botting experience a bitterly frustrating one.

1. At random intervals, set the bot account’s SP amount to 0. They can now no longer fly any ship. No more botting.

2. At random intervals, set the wallet to 0 ISK. They can no longer afford to buy anything. No more botting.

3. At random intervals, remove injected skill books. Using skill injectors will no longer work. No more botting.

4. At random intervals, remove all the ships in their inventory.

5. When an account is flagged as a known botting account, revisit them on a more regular basis and see whether their values have gone up again so that they can resume their illicit activities? And set them back to 0.

“But,” I hear you say, “they can just buy PLEX for their account, buy skill books, buy skill injectors, buy/make new ships, and carry on.”

To which the answer is: how many times will they do that until that sum goes to zero? At what point does it become so much of a pain in the nether regions that it’s no longer worth the effort? How many times would someone sit there and click through the interface, giving CCP more of their money to purchase the PLEX to be able to carry on their illegal activities?

The point is pain. The point is frustration. Not because we want that for them but because we want to protect and preserve that wonderful universe for the people who genuinely want to engage with it, warts and all.

When the pain of botting becomes more than the pleasure derived from it, the botting activity will stop.

The Elysian minds in fair and far Reykjavik would be able to devise a cinematic that is displayed where the botting account is directly confronted with the proof of their activity, and where punishment is meted out in a swift and certain manner.

The message would borrow from the lessons of the Sisters of the Bene Gesserit, of Frank Herbert’s Dune fame, whereby the announcement of the impending punishment is in itself a punishment. “We are aware of your activity, you know it is illegal. We will always protect ourselves against the likes of you. We are looking out for you. We will be watching you. We will never relent. You will never win.”

There is no greater punishment than despair. It should be meted out with great eagerness and enthusiasm and in copious amounts. CCP wanted EVE Online to be a bleak and dark land where pain is part of the experience. Botting accounts seem like the natural target to feel the impact of the most exquisite Hobbesian hellhole in the realm of digital entertainment. 

I do not believe in the invincibility of botters. It only depends on what CCP is prepared to do to protect us from these evil ne’er do-wells. If the punishment is factored in and considered to be ‘the cost of doing business', then it’s not an effective punishment. An effective punishment is providing a disincentive to the activity that needs to stop. The fact that this is an unpleasant experience for the perpetrator is a key factor of the punishment process.


Friday, December 11, 2020

Celebrations

A weapon will be created. It is a DoomsDay weapon called Santa’s Secret Super Soaker.


It loads a gigantic snowball that when fired, literally, explodes into a million little snowballs. This ammunition is distributed at the behest of CCP for the abundant expression of the joy of life itself. Call it: Snowflake Surprise.


For 1 PLEX a specialty munition can be had that explodes into a cascade that shows the outline of all the ships of the faction the titan is a part of. Call it: Trooping The Colour.


For 5 PLEX a specialty munition can be had that explodes into a cascade that shows the outline of all the ships in EVE in a dazzling array of sparkling colours. Call it: One Big Happy Family.


For 10 PLEX a specialty munition can be had that explodes into the contours of the face of the capsuleer firing the weapon. Call it: Self Portrait.


For 100 PLEX a specialty munition can be had that displays the contours of the faces of all the capsuleers in the corporation. Call it: Home Team Advantage.  


Why? Because: immersion, baby. Zest for life. Bragging rights, representation, making a statement. It’s EVE Online, live a little!


Monday, December 7, 2020

A Winning Proposition

We cannot have an alliance tournament.


Or, so I’m told.


CCP does not want to organise them, it takes too much man power.


The player community doesn’t want to engage, it consumes too much time and effort.


No human endeavour faces more adversity than the one humans do not want to engage with. The arrow bends to the negative and nothing happens. It’s as simple as that.


Yet, on the face of it, an alliance tournament, and certainly single or (small) fleet engagements as an eSport, would seem like a no-brainer.


The important question is: why would we even want to do that? Because, dear friends, this is the era of gaming. This is the era of eSports. 

People are already becoming professionals in team-driven games. EVE Online is just about the most natural environment for such eSport to emerge from. We have to build nothing new in the way of ships and fittings. 

CCP already have experience with gaming on a global scale. 

More and more people engage with games and are enticed by the possibilities games afford to enjoy them and to make a name for themselves.

There is an enormous potential for this to be a major revenue driver for CCP.


What would we need in the way of resources:


  1. The blessing of CCP, without which no amount of dreaming will come to fruition.
  2. A dedicated cluster, but not of the entire New Eden universe. One region should be ample to host all the engagements we require. If the phenomenon takes off on a scale we had not expected the amount of available space can be expanded to meet our requirements.
  3. The panoply of ships, fittings and ammunitions that are the basic requirement to even have these engagements. All of which exist already.
  4. A dedicated interface to clearly distinguish from the normal New Eden environment we know and love. I have some ideas how that could be made to look. My visions are as nothing to what the Elysian minds in fair and far Reykjavik would conjure up to make that the gorgeous dance of light and delight to invite us to engage.
  5. A call to arms to have those among us who are of that persuasion to engage on a larger scale and at the same time, to invite people not of our ken to meet the wonderful universe of New Eden and see if their efforts meet those of our most talented theory crafters.
  6. We will want to design types of engagements to be a challenge on different levels, much like what happens now in the Proving Grounds.


What is the upside?


We build a world class eSport that resonates with millions of players who will make their own path, build their own reputation.


We make EVE Online a household name in the world of gaming as the home of massive multiplayer eSport tournaments.


There is an almost limitless potential for additional revenue for CCP to be made building non-pay-to-win (this point cannot possibly be made strongly enough) assets that can be had for PLEX. Including, but not limited to:

- Team / Alliance ship SKINs

- Team / Alliance uniforms

- Medals “Give me enough medals and I'll win you any war” [Napoleon Bonaparte]

- Trophies

- 3D models


Any number of items that enrich and enhance the experience for the players so involved. As an example: 

Wargaming.net in their World of Tanks franchise have created an enormously lucrative business model selling electronic products. I am not blind to the risk of this being taken too far, specifically with the non-pay-to-win features. 

At the same time there is no reason why CCP should not benefit from making their IP available in the form of an eSport that entices people who are not familiar with EVE Online as a worldclass MMO to get to know it better and maybe join our ranks.


What is the downside?


You tell me.

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Burial Rites

  The Kronos came to rest in its berth in the station’s humongous space dock, the hull thawing in the pressurised atmosphere. Siddartha stood in the open airlock, having just decanted from his pod and made his ablutions, breathing deeply to take in the smell of space. It smelled a bit like steak. Just a tiny fraction, a hint of fragrance. Space couldn’t really smell like anything of course, there were not enough particles about that would afford space a smell. He had noticed the smell depended on what ship he was flying. The consensus is that it is the smell of components extracted from the metals in the ship that make it seem as if space has a smell.

His ship was hovering over the dock, illuminated from all sides by the glaring lights of the docking berth. Even now, as the ship was attuning itself to pressurised atmosphere, alll manner of crew and dock hands were opening various ports and cavities, to service the ship, to remove its cargo and to replenish consumables. You could tell a lot about how a station was run by the way the dock hands handled their duties. These were quiet, efficient and focused. They had established an almost effortless rapport with the crew to discuss and divide the duties each was going to perform. Siddartha was pleased with the no-nonsense attitude of the station crew. Their movement on and around the ship had more of a strictly orchestrated choreography. They clearly knew their way around his ship. Many pilots docked in this station using all manner of ships, they would have had ample opportunity to hone their skills on the multitude of hulls that came in for service.


In the cavity of the dock, the tools and machines that took care of the heavy lifting of equipment and cargo had their own kind of rhythm. Siddartha closed his eyes to allow the din of the space dock to bring forth its own music. It didn’t take long for a attern to establish itself. The drum of the hydraulics being recalibrated, the hiss of the consumables being recycled, the occasional thump when some object hit a larger object, the occasional shout as a chorus. To the uninitiated this was mayhem, chaos. To him it was the living, breathing heart of New Eden, an expression of the essence of what it meant to be a capsuleer. It was why he did what he did.


“Excuse me, sir?”


His train of thought was interrupted by the foreman whose team was working on his ship.


“What do you need?”


“Status update, sir. We want to know how you want the ship conditioned.”


“Sure. Go ahead.”


“Were you planning to reship this visit, sir?”


“I might, I’m waiting on confirmation. I still want her to be ready for action.”


“Thank you, sir.” He checked off a line on his touchpad. 


“We have updated all your consumables. Your crew was going to handle loading ammunitions from your corporate hangar. Did you want to swap weapons or modules?”


“No, I’ll take this configuration.”


“Alright.” Another tick. “Some of your modules were overheated and 3 drones show extensive damage. Do you want those damages repaired?”


“Yes. Obviously, how do you think I’m going to survive the next scrap with faulty equipment?”


“It’s an item on the list, sir.” The foreman switched the context of his screen and made adjustments. Right away some claxons sounded, notifying the crew repairs were going to be made to the ship and its drones. The crew dispersed, one man barely got out of the way in time for the automated sequence to start. The foreman made a note to call in the crew member for further training.


“Your cargohold has some valuables and common items. How would you like them to be handled?”


“I will put the valuables on the market, the common stuff will go to the corporate hangar to serve as equipment for ad hoc fleets that need to put together a working fit for non-essential operations.”


“Perfect, sir.” Another check.


“Your hold also, ahm, contains other cargo that we are not properly equipped to deal with, I’m afraid.”


Siddartha smiled. He had been waiting for it.


“We found what appear to be four capsuleer corpses.”


“That would be correct.”


“How would you like them to be handled, sir?”


“You don’t have to worry about those. I will take care of it.”


The foreman refused to display his discomfort by heaving a sigh of relief for not having to handle corpses. You never knew why the capsuleer types do the things they do. You don’t want to give them the satisfaction of showing they got to you.


“Thank you very much for your time, sir. Did you have any other questions or requirements?”


“Is this station capable of fitting SKINs?”


The foreman tried hard not to be indignant.


“Of course, sir. Our station can handle any SKIN available to you for whichever ship you choose to fly.”


“I thought as much. Do me a favor and fit this ship with the Biosecurity Responders SKIN, please.”


“Of course, sir. When the repair cycle has completed we’ll fit your ship with the SKIN.” He marked the requested procedure on his tablet.


“Thanks. I appreciate it. That will be all.”


The foreman nodded curtly and joined his team to handle the rest of the pilot’s requirements.


Siddartha made his way to his hold. The crew was busy finishing the transfer of goods. The four tanks holding the corpses had been left untouched. This was one cargo he never had to fear somebody would make off with.


One by one he opened the tanks to allow each corpse to thaw out. As soon as they were able to be handled he started working on them. He closed the eyelids of those who had been taken with their eyes open. He disengaged the connectors that were still attached to the body. He removed any clothing on the corpse and respectfully performed ablutions, straightening out the limbs and closing any wounds caused by the impact of the rending metal as the capsule disintegrated under incoming fire.


Siddartha performed these duties without haste, in great serenity. Soft music was playing in the background. He does not believe in the super natural. The universe as it presents itself is enough of a profound mystery on its own without having to invent stories about it. However, not even today, in this era of advanced knowledge, was humanity capable of saying it knew everything there is to know about the universe. On that off-chance that his perception was wrong about that, and if there was anything left of the essence that had animated these bodies while still alive, he did not want to deprive them of an opportunity to experience what little comfort he was still able to provide. And thus he played music. If not to soothe his own soul then perhaps those of these recently departed now under his care.


When he had completed the procedure he placed each body in a stasis container. He called for his crew to come and collect them. A junior aide looked at the containers with morbid fascination. Although she had been warned never to address or question a capsuleer, much less ask them why they do the things they do her mouth was faster than her mind could silence her.


“I’m sorry, sir. These corpses, they are the pod pilots that died during our recent engagement?”


Siddartha was too focused on his duties to be annoyed by the question.


“Yes. What of it?”


“I’m not sure why you would destroy their capsule and then collect their corpses and prepare them for their funeral? It seems odd somehow.”


“What is your name?”


“I’m Natalie, sir.”


“For whatever reason we entered into the engagement that ended up with them dying, Natalie, they are capsuleers. However we may think or feel about them, whatever our political inclination is, they are, for better of for worse, my kind, my people and therefore worthy to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. These bodies, each of them are vessels that souls once passed through. I feel… compelled to treat them how I would like to be treated myself. Does that answer your question?”


“Yes, sir. It does. Thank you.”


“Alright. Please transfer these to my Obolus. These 4 will fill out its cargo hold and I will need to make a trip soon.”


Without a further word the crew moved the containers carrying the bodies out of the hold, to transfer them to the Obolus.


Siddartha opened a communications channel that his alliance would find deeply problematic if they knew about it. He did not spend time making conversation with the party on the other hand. He only made them aware that he was coming, he was friendly and not a threat.


When the four bodies were transferred to the Obolus, Natalie was curious.


“Don’t people get buried by shooting them out of a tube into space in this station?”


“Yeah?”


“So… why are these not loaded into a tube? It looks like the pilot is taking them somehwere?”


The oldest crew member shook his head wearily.


“There’s so much you don’t know about how this universe works. Look at this thing. It’s small, it’s got no weapons. It’s just got a hold to store one specific cargo into it. Where do you think this is going?”


“I honestly have no clue. Launch them into space himself, by way of a burial rite? You know, out of deference to his fellow capsuleers?”


The three other crew members burst out laughing.


“It’s a great crock of shit, that. We see him do this regularly. He doesn’t care about his fellow capsuleers, what nonsense. He’s in it for the ISK. This is not a celestial hearse to carry these corpses to the stars. He’s not burying them, he’s selling them to the Drifters.”



=====


Important note: This story was inspired by the line “each of them are vessels that souls once passed through” which Natalie provided.


 


Obolus

 

December 31 2015 at 1:29 AM

A new ship will be constructed. This ship is frigate / cruiser-sized and holds stasis containment pods [6 to 8]. It will be called Obolus or Danake, after the coin paid to Charon for the trip to the afterlife across the river Styx.

The containment pods hold corpses harvested from space.

The corpses are sold by means of a market system to the Drifters or their faction. The Drifters use the corpses for their own purposes.

Incidental implants found on the corpses are recuperated intact because the Drifters cannot use them and return them as unwanted spoil. It is important to understand that only the Drifters can remove the implants from corpses.

Because the Drifters are a new factor in the sandbox, it stands to reason capsuleers will want to explore opportunities to interact with this new faction. Drifters are known to harvest corpses they repurpose for their own ends. Capsuleers want an opportunity to explore an emerging market for a new kind of commodity.

Thoughts?

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Jewels of Jita

The EVE Online store will be enriched with a range of vanity items in the shape of jewellery that reflects the magic and wonder of the New Eden experience expressed in rare stones and precious metals.

This collection may contain but is not limited to:

  1. The Pod Pilot Pendant: 24 carat gold, the universally recognisable shape in all of New Eden. A ship that is the very essence of what it means to be a capsuleer
  2. The Outer Ring: an Onyx-Ruby ring with all the names of the systems of Outer Ring carved into it
  3. The 47 Virgins: a head piece made of silver, with 47 pearls, representing the 47 jumps it now takes to travel from Jita to Amarr
  4. The Giant Secure Container: a stainless steel pendant in the shape of the iconic container that can be anchored in space. It has a lock to safely store the picture of your loved one, a lock of their hair, a thumb drive storing all your secrets
  5. The Warp Core Stabiliser: a platinum set of earrings to remind you that you can just leave whenever you want to
  6. The Cynosaural Field Generator: A cobalt blue circle captured in a golden ring; if worn as a head piece, to indicate that you are friendly and open to conversation; if worn as a necklace, to indicate that you are commemorating a loved one lost, sending out a signal to guide them home
  7. The Friendship Fleet: a necklace in the form of a chain consisting of a plethora of miniature ships of all factions to indicate that no matter what you fly or who you fly with, the friendship is always the best ship to fly in
  8. The Permaband: a four-ring diamond-encrusted outline of the new Jita Caldari Naval Assembly Plant model for naked, unabashed, in-your-face bragging about how much of a badass pod pilot you are
  9. Caroline’s Star: a rectangle pendant in white gold with rounded corners, depicting Caroline’s Star. Subtle, delicate, bespeaking a desire to travel to undiscovered, strange and wondrous places
  10. Gjallarhorn: an ornate ear piece, gold and titanium, with ostentatious gold and silver elements, supporting the Horn of the Gods that dangles beneath them. You are a titan pilot and want people to know you only fly serious ships
  11. Head In A Jar: a silver necklace with a head, suspended in fluid, in a clear jar. You are not afraid of the weird people in New Eden. You ARE one of the weird people in New Eden
  12. The Needlejack: a platinum / gold / ruby pendant. For when you’re in the mood for the unknown. Interested parties may touch it, indicating they are looking for an adventure, wherever fancy may take it. If the interest is reciprocated you hang the pendant around their neck. Whatever happens next is both your responsibility. The pendant is recovered when you get dressed/straighten your clothes afterwards, ready to leave. The party receiving the pendant shall not assume it to be a permanent gift

Other people, better versed in the design and creation of jewellery, will have their own ideas on how to give shape to this concept and their input is greatly sought after and very welcome.