Of Hope & Faith

 EVE  No Responses »
Oct 262011
 

Over the years that I played EVE I have seen CCP achieve some brilliant things with this game, making it really enjoyable to play.  However some 18 months ago, if not earlier than that, they seemed to start down a road that took them away from their core product, and what it is really about for the majority of EVE’s subscribers, towards a vision they had of an EVE that encompassed so much more than “mere spaceships”.  In doing so they began alienating the “spaceship” fans, all – in my opinion – to grab a share of the generic MMO market by offering such things as full body avatars, and things related to these as found in those generic MMOs. I lost a large amount of the faith I had in CCP, so much so that i sold off characters from my stable and let other accounts go inactive, bringing myself down to 1 active account.

A result of this, over the 18months or so that they were obviously focusing away from EVE, was a substantial drop in subscriptions, a major drop in PCU numbers and even more anger on various forums than normal, quite a feat considering how vitriolic eve related forums usually are.  Player dissatisfaction really came to a head with the Incarna expansion in the summer of this year, which saw the first iteration of full body avatars added to the EVE experience, along side a VERY controversial micro (I know!) transaction store. There was much rage, and the largest sub and PCU drops to date.

This seemed to wake CCP up, and slowly, very slowly over the summer they began to make noises about refocusing on their core product, their golden goose, EVE.  This culminated in a number of things:

  • An “apology” from Hilmar;
  • CCP making some staff redundant, and moving focus away from 3 products to 2;
  • A winter expansion, that promises a large amount of changes and fixes to the core product;
  • New ships, specifically chosen from some contests last year.  The info on these is to be released weekly over the coming weeks. The first is the Tornado.

All in all, this turnabout is very welcome to me personally, as a 5+ year veteran of EVE, and as someone who has followed the game much longer than that, it saddened me to see the product go ignored/have half done content thrown at it, like it did. I cannot say CCP has restored all the faith I had in them, but they are doing a good job of it.  I am sure that with enough time, and the items listed above are a good beginning, that they will reclaim the faith of many more people, and I hope that this is only the earliest days of a glorious resurgence of EVE.

To FC or not to FC

 Fcing, RVB  3 Responses »
Oct 102011
 

… that is the question.

And it is one I have been asking myself for a couple of weeks now, especially since the Unista war and leading several large, very serious business fleets against their blob. The fleets we in RVB put together for large scraps against E-Uni, were very very impressive especially when you consider the “rep” we have as a pvp training group. However, the sheer amount of organisation required in getting nearly 100 people together, getting a fleet set up just so relevant boosts take across it, then getting all of that from point A to point B, and ensuring that everyone understands the plan, and is willing to win by potentially dieing in a fire, eventually just gets to you.  

I know it did with me.  

Since the end of that war, and with the exception of 2 events, I have not really done much FCing as it just feels so much harder now and so much more stressful, even in the smaller fleets that happen daily in RVB. With the varying levels of experience found across the members in both Red Fed & Blue Republic, it often feels like herding cats with ADHD, mainly due to one or all of the following:

  • Poorly set-up overviews (if set-up at all);
  • In-ability to follow call lists “durr, wut iz primaree”;
  • Not following any plans that may be in place;
  • Jumping, when not being told to jump;
  • Bringing the wrong ship type, when the fleet description says otherwise;
  • Back seat FCing in chat, but not stepping up themselves;
  • Not getting on comms;
  • Joining fleet and then never actually joining the fleet at their location;
  • Not knowing how to give correct intel;
  • Bitching about one or two losses;
  • When the FC goes down, no one steps to the calling plate, and the fleet dies as a result;
  • Joining the fleet, then immediately claiming that you are under attack or there is x or y on the un-dock of HQ, when the fleet is no where nearby.

Eventually you can start to feel really angry about doing it – no matter how much you enjoy it – or even worse, just end up hating it.  And in RVB when you start to feel like this, then everyone suffers, as we have a dearth of FC’s and people willing to call on a regular basis, or FC gangs that leave the respective HQ systems. I know that as I got close to my snapping point I was letting go at my fleets much more often on the slightest of things, eventually it came to a head in a gang that TGL3 had been running, he went down, I took over and then just went off on a tirade against a fleet member who I felt was trying to back-seat FC, on top of a fleet that was not addressing the targets as I called them.  Since then I have just not really tried. Although I am still enjoying my time in RVB, especially since my latest RVB event “Anywhere But” got going.

Now, the question is how does someone who likes to FC, get over the burnout, and get back to it?

Truthfully, I do not know.  

Right now, I am soloing around, in the hope that my event, will get more people out and about as well, giving me some rest from the recent nonsense that I feel contributed to me snapping and getting myself back to the fun of pvp, which once I rediscover that, may kick start my will to pass it on to others. Although people being people, not many folks will wander and roam without an FC – big catch 22 right there.  

Other FC’s within RVB spend their time missioning when it gets too much, others just do not undock or log that character on.  It really is a difficult problem to solve when simply upping and leaving is not an option as you love where you are.

So to recap, I am burned out, other FC’s are burned out, and yet there is no obvious solution, but RVB is still fun for the majority who do not see these problems. And as long as RVB is fun, then I’ll be around.

 

 

Happy Birthday RVB

 Fcing, RVB  1 Response »
Oct 022011
 

So, a couple of weeks ago my beloved RVB was two.

We celebrated this with two Ganked nights during September, the first of which was a Thrasher hull night, and which went very very well from start to finish. Seeing what 100 thrasher hulls can do – especially when armed with artillery – is just an amazing thing, like really amazing.

Take a look at the Ganked killboard for a quick overview (Right now this campaign is not displaying correctly, but you can at least see the numbers, until I figure out what is wrong) of the kills we got during Ganked 3: Time On Target.

The second September Ganked was one that took the majority of the attendee’s back to their pvp roots: Rifter hulls!!  And as with Ganked 3 (and indeed any Ganked) it was a great success!!  Fleet was a sight to behold with – again – nearly 100 rifter hulls rolling out to mess up the evening of anyone they came across – and we did it with style, despite 1 smart bombing abaddon, and a group of very determined Scythe Fleet Issue pilots (We love you too Hydra) trying their best to under cut our fun!

However, the main event – and an internal RVB one at that – was one I termed “Sink the Bismarck“. This final birthday event would see a Red Fleet try and guard it’s flagship, the RVBFS Bismarck from Veisto to Oimmo, at opposite ends of the RVB combat area, while the Blue Fleet tried to prevent that.  Battleships, Battlecruisers, and relaxed rules on logistics and electronic counter measures made this a much more interesting prospect than every day RVB and both sides pulled in 70+ members for their respective fleets.

Both fleets surprisingly had formed up on time and the hunt was on, Reds rolling with an excellent scout team, and Blues with Fintarue – who is a scout team all on his own!! (They did have other scouts, however AFKing on a gate does not a scout make). Eventually, Red Fleet got near to Oimmo, and a stand off ensued.  However, it did not last too long as the Red FC made the decision to leeroy into the Blue Fleet who had setup in Vourrassi on the Hageken gate.

The rest is glorious.  Ships burned, logis repped, ECM jammed and carnage happened.

RVB did what it does best.

Happy Birthday RVB.

 

Note: I personally lost 2 battleships, and 2 loaned guardians.  And it was so worth it.

 

Failure to communicate

 Fail  1 Response »
Sep 212011
 

Once upon a time, there was a group of pilots who lived in Null security space, and after getting thrown out by the Russians, set up an alliance in Empire space that goes by the name Pinked.

They recruited other corps into this alliance using the following points:

  • Are you bored of those annoying war decs?
  • Are you wanting to fight back?
  • Are you wanting to learn to PvP?
  • Are you wondering what those 0.0 sec fights are really like?
  • Are you wanting to reach your full potential in PvP?
  • Are you wanting your corporation to stand on its own feet?

However, it seems that when push comes to shove, they do not do any of the above for the members of their alliance, they demonstrate a total breakdown in their message when it comes to the members of the corporations they recruit.

How do we know this? Because over the course of the TWO times they have declared war on RVB, they have obviously had new corporations join and then failed to tell them they are at war with RVB, or even given them any of the leadership and training promised in their advertisement.

During the first war, a corp called Irrationality ILLC joined them, and suffered some embarrassing losses at our hands, with no aid or leadership from the so called experts in their alliance.

Then during a second – currently on-going – war, that has some RVB D-rama behind it, they inducted another corp, obviously under false pretences and also threw some more stupid losses our way.

http://redfed.eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=10676689

http://redfed.eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=10675677

http://redfed.eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=10680574

We have tried to speak to the players we have killed, and tell them what is going on, but some do not even know they are in an alliance, let alone know why they are at war with the two most active pvp groups in Empire.

This really is an amazing example of failure to communicate from a leadership which expressed a willingness to be different; such a failure which will just ruin the enjoyment of the game for some of their members, and if luck will have it, cause said “leadership” to run back to null with their tales between their legs.

Red Versus Blue against EVE University: The 1st Night

 RVB  No Responses »
Sep 212011
 

“Be the ordeal sharp or long, or both, we shall seek no terms, we shall tolerate no parlay; we may show mercy – we shall ask for none.”

Eve University, what can I say about them that has not already been said by so many others before me. They are good for Eve, good for the hordes of new players who pass through their doors, and partake in the lectures and classes offered by their instructors. Many go on to be productive members of society on Tranquility, others take up less salubrious roles, even more just shoot npc’s all day in some mindless quest for isk. Then of course there are those who mine.

Despite all the good, in the minds of many something about Eve University does not ring true, could it be the cult like way ex-members talk about them, or could it be the non-aggressive stance they take, in a world wrought by war and terror? Yes, it is that exactly. How can an entity that tries so hard to be good for Tranquility, be so opposed to the basic fact of life here: People die, often in explosions.

However, it seems that for some time all has not been right within the sheltered halls of Eve University, people have been questioning their non-aggressive stance, been wanting to know exactly why they wave the white flag when attacked, why they dock in their stations and refuse to come out, why with their numbers can they not fight! And so they took the decision to fight, and to take that fight to some of the best and brightest in the Empire controlled area’s of Tranquility.

Best, being Red Federation & Blue Republic.

When we heard the war drums beating for the upcoming conflict, both sides rapidly started gearing up and putting our plans in motion, including a combined fleet that would roll down to their space and punch them in the face repeatedly, for having the audacity to challenge US!

Cue a day spent gathering intel and forming a fleet, which when it did roll out was amazing to see, nearly 100 Red and Blue pilots working well together and moving as only a well oiled machine should. After a small stop to reship in Hek, we moved onwards towards Aldrat, having heard that the Eve University defence fleet had annihilated a smaller, but stronger (on paper) fleet from another group who they had challenged to a war.

“Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

Fleet was split at this news with much doomsaying from several of the fleet, however I as Fleet Commander knew that come what may our 15 Battleships, 35 Battlecruisers and myriad other supporting vessels would eventually win the day, once again demonstrating the superiority of Red & Blue over all challengers to be found in Empire space.

However there was the small matter of an insidious smell following us around as we endeavoured to pull the Eve University fleet out of Aldrat, it turned out that there was a spy (possibly more) in our fleet reporting everything we said and did to a neutral party who then fed all that information publically to Eve University in the local chat of Aldrat. So after bouncing back one system then changing tactic too fast for anyone to catch on, I ordered the destruction of the spies ship.

Suddenly, Eve University lost their will to even camp their own in gate and retreated to their POS. It seems I had hit one nail on the head perfectly. Using this mistake by their command, I order the Glorious RVB fleet, now numbering over 110 ships to jump into Aldrat and we immediately started hitting various safe spots in system, all the while demanding they speak to us, tell us why they chose us to have a war with, and then not fight us at all.

Eventually, the only reply they gave was a Raven un-docking from their headquarters and attacking a fleet member, which resulted in our fleet warping in and destroying said Raven, just as the entire Eve University fleet landed to try and save him. Battle was brought.

Immediately I called several targets including various battleships and battlecruisers, wanting to get these heavy hitting vessels out of the fight early on – and having intel of my own, I knew several of their command would be flying such vessels. Cut off the head and the body dies does it not?

And that worked, as I called more and targets, they fell faster and faster, eventually the Eve University fleet – what remained of it – bailed off their OWN headquarters and we were victorious. Scoring the first victory against Tranquility’s latest aggressors, despite the other forces arrayed against them.

“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.”

All in all chaps, yesterday’s OP was a huge success on so many levels, demonstrating what we can do when we put aside the nonsense that so often plagues our daily explosive interactions and are united by a common enemy.

I totally look forward to seeing us do as well, if not better in the future.

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