Vacation Update: Cause I'm bored and felt like it.

TLDR: Dark analogies, WoW character info and a thank you to Bronya for letting me listen in on EVE.

I’m very aware that no one truly quits EVE, especially someone like myself who is so emotionally invested in it. I’m reminded by that old adage that “if God didn’t exist it would have been necessary to invent him”.  EVE is like that for me. I think even if EVE should go offline one day, the community would hold a fund raiser and reach out to all of its former and current players to resurrect it. Even if it was just a single system game, played by a few hundred people. Just Jita, no space ships, jus the chat channel and the trading, scamming and sense of community.

I wonder sometimes if EVE is like that old man neighbor who invited you one time into his house with the promos of cookies. “MMmm cookies, yes please” The he snatchs you by the wrist and places you in his makeshift basement/dungeon. “No I don’t know want to play Monopoly with you again in my fruties, just stop!” Eventually you just realize that he is sad because his family has forgotten him and he just longs for the attention he never got as a child. You start to feel for the old guy, sure you pass out after eating his ‘special sandwiches’, but what’s true friendship if it doesn’t involve ‘trust black outs’ for hours on end? A bond is formed, an odd kinship you could say. Even years after you look back at the experience, not out of malice or betrayal of trust, but more out of respect and love.

Anyway.. Vacation update time.

So I started playing WoW again. I feel like typing that sentence is more of an admission of guilt than an update, but we are all friends here, RIGHT?!  Let me tell you why.. WoW is the amusement park to EVE’s sand box. I don’t have to do anything other than walk from one ride to another. That’s it. No thought, no evil motives, no darkness and punishment that I have become accustom to. I met some people in game, they asked me to join their guild and help me. No clue why. I’m not sure what they are getting out of the situation, or what their motive is, they hide it well, because from all I can tell so far, they just want to help me.

I log into WoW from being gone for several years and instantly I’m asked to join a guild. I refuse right off the bat. I’m guessing its someone attempt to harvest newbie tears. Then someone starts up a conversation with me. He also asked me if I want to join their guild. I ask why. Lets see them dance their tail of lies so that I can untangle it to my gain!

 I then proceed to give them little to no real information in conversation. Being intentionally indirect as possible, this is a common exchange of information in EVE. Subtle cues  based on how quickly they respond, what questions they ask, how they word them. Everything that keeps you alive in EVE. Well let me tell you, that type of talking may keep you alive in EVE, but in other games, you just look like a dick head.

Thankfully, after 2 or 3  exchanges like this, I found a bunch of guys that could answer my questions. I joined their guild! No crazy interview process, they even gave me access to the guild bank, which I have thought more than a few times, to totally empty, because someone should punish their trusting nature.

I’m not plotting to destroy them from within, but o my god, they could totally be ripped apart at the seams with just a word here or suggestion there. I could do it, but I’m finding self-control is sweeter then execution. Ever wonder why the evil madman in all the movies gives that totally unnecessary monolog right before he tries to kill the hero? Everyone watching in their right mind is screaming “JUST KILL HIM!” I know why now. It’s because the hesitation, the buildup is so much sweeter than the action. Not that I would do something so terrible to my new WoW friends, just saying…

So here is me divulging information! The awesome thing is, I would never do this in EVE.

I’m playing a lvl 90 Orc rogue on the Area 52 server. I paid for that instant level 90 thing so I could catch up with the rest of the game. My in game name is Bumblekitty. I made the character so long ago that I forgot why I named the character that. Look me up, we can totally quest together or something.

An amazing amount of WoW players don’t use external voice services which is totally needed in EVE, not so much in basic WoW it would seem. Its slightly lonely.

EVE update:

So I somehow snuck into Isogen5’s (EVE Wormhole corp) voice coms and I have been listening to their EVE fleet coms. It nice to listen to people enjoying EVE and I know most of the people in that corp. I keep my voice down when they are doing fleet stuff and tell jokes when they just bull shitting. I feel like I still have a connection to the friends I had in EVE without needing to play the game.  I’m enjoying listening to people play something I love, and not doing it myself. Thank you Bronya for letting me listen.

Perhaps it’s just another EVE dark analogy… where I like listening to someone play with my beloved while I cry, stroking my junk in the corner. Maybe they will command me to clean up after... (Google "Chuckold", I fucking dare you) Now that’s on your search history. /evil laugh. Muahaha

BLOG commenting rules:  If this wasn’t totally obvious and needed to not to be said. If you leave me anonymous trolly comments, I don’t post them. No this isn’t your platform to fk with me. Make your own blog for that shit. I’m happy for dissenting opinions, but if your goal is to get a reaction from me and be public about it, meh.. Delete button is in your future.

And nothing of value was lost.

TLDR: Taking a vacation from EVE. No you can't have my stuff.

In my opinion, there is a little moral compass that directs what’s right and wrong.  A true sociopath doesn’t have that compass and if they do, its stopped working within the boundaries of society. The majority of people in real life follow that compass to a T.

But in the fantasy game of EVE online, that compass can be suspended, if you got the balls. If you can put aside that compass, be a bad guy, be terrible, you can profit from fame and fortune. But that path brings danger... thats the draw... the hook. To be good or to be bad. To eat the apple, or not.

Here we come my tattoo and I. People might be under the false impression of why I have my tattoo of a video game. That I’m some sort of ultra fan boy or insert reason here “____ “

The true reason I have this tattoo and I have said it many times before privately and publicly is, it’s a reminder of how diabolical humans can be to one another, when given the rope to do so. When given the choice between right and wrong, people can shock you and impress you. That little “compass check” for lack of a better term. EVE teaches you to be aware, cautious and question everything, because not to, has consequence. Just like real life.

I played EVE multiple times before it truly clicked in my mind the potential of this game and it got me “hooked”. My “hooked” moment was a guy was trying to recruit me to join someone else’s corp for the soul reason of tearing it apart from the inside. The idea that someone would want to destroy another player group from within and to lie to another group via a total new person… was shocking at the time. It was like video game role playing. Something I could never do in real life. I could be a double agent, I could join their corp, talk to them as one human to another on their voice coms, acquire their trust only to totally destroy them from within, and not without reproductions either. I had to be on voice coms with that person while I did it to them, to hear their hard work go down the toilet because they were dumb enough to put faith in me.

It takes a special kind of person to do that and not have some level of empathy. Someone without a moral compass to guide them. Or at least the ability to suppress that compass. That was the fantasy, that was the draw. I could be an internet sociopath without the real life consequence.

I chose to not do it, because at the end of the day, I simply didn’t have the heart.

But the choice was there. That choice, between right and wrong is why I got my tattoo.

A video game managed to capture and facilitate that choice over and over again. To do wrong, or not.  EVE made me a more critical person, to question human emotions and motives. I carried that new found perspective to real life, its proven incredibly useful and removed the level of naïveté I had about others I wasn’t aware of before.

People ask why I play EVE. My answer every time is, “Because its hard, and the people who play it at the level I do, are hard!”

The game has become less hard in my mind. Its devs have become less hard and its player base, the people I respect as opponents are less hard. EVE to me is the razors edge of morality, trust and betrayal. The thought process you had to engage to conduct yourself successfully, is that of a paranoid trauma patent.

In my mind, this is no longer the fact. What worse, it’s my view that the players, the people I called opponents, threats and victims are fully embracing this change. Those that don’t, well theirs the door.

This was made apparent to me in a conversation I had on reddit.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/2g4xv8/csm9_as_the_ban_hammer_swings_funkybacon_noreply/ckfr3nl

I said:  Quoted:  “ Clearly you are just trolling for trolling sake. “

“he isn't if you actually read the comments. He didn't get banned, he doesn't seem to care if people are banned or not, but what he is crying for is clarity, the same thing the rest of non-peons are asking for. Its not a huge request, its a logical one made by logical people who don't make a habit of eating the shit we are shovel” – Longinius Spear

Unrelentingone responded: 

“You'll eat it, you'll like it, and you fucking well know it. That is of course the source of all these wonderful tears. But you go ahead and see what making demands to CCP does for you. I'll wait here, you come back when you've got your answer, or you cancel your sub. Because after all, you won't eat the shit, right?”


This was my “Ah Ha” moment, the second I realized. Wait a minute, I’m paying these people to do this to me. I’m paying CCP for the privilege to treat me like a consumer and not even going so far as giving me the pleasure of a reach around.

It all fell into place in my mind. I’m paying these people who don’t even give a fuck about me, to give a basic explanation on how they are fundamentally changing the reasons I play this game.
By removing people from the ecosphere who are deemed less desirable, they are removing the choice that I value in this game. The idea that I could be terrible but choose not to. That choice is gone in my mind and now its just another video game.

The thing is, without that moral compass, and that right and wrong to hide EVE’s actual issues. This game really isn’t good. It’s a terrible space simulator with a broken economic system, and I’m paying for 5 accounts worth.

$75 dollars a month gone in revenue because the devs can’t stand behind the idea that EVE is a harsh game filled with hard people. The game to me is less harsh… filled with people who are a little less hard.

Here are some very upvoted comments found on reddit voiced in response to people being banned, for reasons not even the responders know. They just know mean people are gone.

Darfidiot -- Good riddance. Fuck anybody who is involved in this shameful business.

Lowlevelguy - Oh that's a real shame. Now you can have more time for real life activities, like bullying your girlfriend, making fun of developmentally disabled people, suffocating puppies and kittens, and generally feeling like a badass because of all that cool stuff you like to do.

Bryn987 - Good. Gtfo

Paladin327 - At least nothing of value was lost

That final comment is what got me. At least nothing of value was lost. Remember what my hook was in playing this game. The danger, the moral compass that I needed to consult, that right and wrong choice matrix.

At least nothing of value was lost. When you remove the flavor of something, it becomes more bland. Sure its easier to consume by the masses, but easier to consume isn’t what kept me here as long as it did.

You could say that banning these people who are the equivalent of internet bullies, you can even spin it in random ways that these people were torturing another human. I say it was someone who was tricked, a stiff warning to others that the danger is real, that this is the limitations of meta. That consequence and difficulty are real.

BUT--  To remove these people without even so much as to what line was crossed, makes me sick. CCP would like you to think these people are just a different version of an internet bully. But the point is, no one banned bullied the HUMAN, they bullied the persona, the meta.. They were meaner than most, bragged about it and found wanting.. by CCPs never to be written rules. Because I quote "Will never be written,  so people can just skirt the edge".

I hope you get 5 more subs from this course action CCP, because you just lost my 5.

And nothing of value was lost.

Rant: I think my EVE is being destroyed

TLDR: CCP needs to iron out clear rules for bad behavior or someone like me might get the wrong idea.

First before I begin my rant. I want to point out, I was not banned. I don’t know the people who were banned. I have 0 investment in the banning.

BUT! --- I am a firm opponent in the “grey area shuffle” and the evils it brings. That is why I’m posting this.   

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=5007086#post5007086

Titus Tallang wrote:

can we expect some clear-cut rules on what you would classify as 'real life harassment'?

CCP Falcon wrote:

"It isn't our job to dictate to people how to maintain a base standard of human decency toward one another, and we're not going to do so.

The bottom line is that it's down to members of the community to know where the line crosses from common decency to harassment. We will not draw a line in the sand so that people can skirt on the edge of it and bend the rules as much as possible.

This isn't a debate about what constitutes "harassment". If you're not familiar with the word, find the definition in a dictionary and that will satisfy your question.

What we will do, is continue to use best judgement on a case by case basis to ensure that real life harassment is kept out of the game, and ensure that those who choose to involve themselves in such activities are no longer permitted to be part of our community.

Cut and dried, that's all we have to say on the matter."

The above post by CCP Falcon is useless, condescending and it is devoid of clear boundaries needed on this topic.

OK, I'll bite, 

Let’s do what he says and move forward shall we?

Since this isn’t a debate about harassment and if I’m not familiar with the word, CCP Falcon says I can “Find the definition in the dictionary” and that should clear everything up.  

Well here it is.

noun

noun: harassment; plural noun: harassments

1. aggressive pressure or intimidation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harassment

"Harassment (/həˈræsmənt/ or /ˈhærəsmənt/) covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. In the legal sense, it is intentional behavior which is found threatening or disturbing."

I would like to point out at this time. Nearly everything done in the market, ship pvp or even talking to another person in an angry tone, could be considered ‘Aggressive pressure or intimidation’ on one level or another.I might go so far as to say nearly everything done in EVE Online, is just people harassing one another.

Its vague, and that’s why I’m pissed. You have an entire culture based on being a total jackass (or not) to your fellow players and suddenly you want its player base to self-govern – OR ELSE.

It’s FAR from "cut and dry". It’s far from clear and it sure as shit shouldn’t be the basis if someone is banned or not.  

Moving on…

This sentence really worries me and it should worry everyone in EVE.

CCP Falcon “It isn't our job to dictate to people how to maintain a base standard of human decency toward one another, and we're not going to do so.”

That’s just it. If it’s not your job, why are people being banned over it? Clearly at some point, somewhere CCP felt it was their job, otherwise why are they banning people? 

Is this the action of some rogue GM that wanders around and says,“This isn’t ‘my job, but your banned! Be nicer to people!” "Sorry, can’t tell you why I’m banning you because it’s not my fucking job". 

Being mean to someone and being banned in an environment that supports being mean to your fellow players, is CCP trying to have its cake and eat it too. You can’t have both! In this statement by CCP Falcon, they are trying to have both.

So where do we as the players draw the line?

Here is some hint to were the line is, because at this point in the game, we just have hints.

CCP Falcon -- What we will do, is continue to use best judgement on a case by case basis to ensure that real life harassment is kept out of the game, and ensure that those who choose to involve themselves in such activities are no longer permitted to be part of our community.

Well that clears it right up! 

“Real Life Harassment”! That I think is the key. 

But here is the crux, since what makes EVE... EVE is the meta and the meta is defined as things that occur outside the game, that effect the game, the meta can be defined as something “Real Life”. For those of you who might think I’m drawing conclusions, please respond with what you think everything outside of the game is called, other than real life.

I know that’s confusing, but hear me out.

If I email you in game and say “I’m going to hunt your character, kill your character, and make your time in EVE shit”. I have made an in game threat, which I would like to point out, is OK. 

Now if I use voice coms as a medium for my projection of this threat, is this a “Real Life Harassment”? The threat was made, outside of the game.

We don’t know.We do know, that being a human piece of waste, recording it and posting it outside the game will get your ass banned.

This is where it affects me and may effect you... My in game victims, might just think I'm a human piece of waste. They may even think YOU are a human piece of waste. They might even go so far as to say you don't 'belong in their community, see ya!

 Is it all out of game content projection. IE a blog, or reddit, or the EVE O forums.  All of those things based on precedent set can and have been construed as “Real life”, based entirely on the bannings of E1 and his cohorts. 

This should worry, every single person who uses voice coms, blogs, forums, whatever reddit is or even 3^rd party recordings of conversations. Not worried? Really? Since you can't clearly define what is real life/meta and just a digital medium to continue the EVE(evil) so supported in game.. who's to say? O I know.. CCP SHOULD~!

All of these media forms are the meta of EVE. 

Ask anyone who has played this game for any length of time about what makes this game different than any other, they will say “the meta game”. The ability for out of game actions ‘Real life’ to affect in game actions. Wars started by people at fanfest, or fan fest itself. Player meet ups, blog posts, youtube videos… you name it. All of those things that make EVE what is, are things that could be defined as “Real life” they sure as shit don’t happen in the game. It’s a two way street, entire disagreements are sorted out via out of game conversations. Entire agreements are sorted out the exact same way. IE – B0tlord accords.

CCP Falcon said - We will not draw a line in the sand so that people can skirt on the edge of it and bend the rules as much as possible.

Instead you will let people unknowingly pass over an ever changing and broad definition of harassment to the tune of having their accounts banned.  GENIUS! That sounds reasonable.  Are you fucking kidding me?!

Will this post on my blog get me banned? Who knows. I might be deemed an unruly subject by this CCP kangaroo morality court. I am being critical after all, and that could be defined as harassment based on the definition in the dictionary. 

This is an “Out of game” AKA Real Life post. I guess I’ll just ‘find out” by trying to log in one day I was too mean in my post.

 CCP Falcon said -- What we will do, is continue to use best judgement on a case by case basis to ensure that real life harassment is kept out of the game, and ensure that those who choose to involve themselves in such activities are no longer permitted to be part of our community.

Lets hope you have your coffee the morning you review my file, so I might have a chance at a favorable ruling.  Since no one knows the rules, and it seems like the majority of you are simply flying by the seat of your pants on this topic. Here's to crossing my fingers if I fit into “Your community” at whatever moment you choose to review my case.

Don’t think this is a hot topic CCP? Something you need to apply some level of effort sorting out? Think its 'cut and dry'? Well here is my proof that it isn't;

Check this http://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/2g24cl/massive_banwave_hits_the_dark_side_of_eve/ It has 500+ comments in less than 24 hours. That’s more than any dev post in the past year. Think about that! Thats 500+ posts and discussion on this very "cut and dry" issue.

CCP; You need to apply some level of effort to address this issue and stop the condescending bull shit!  See --  CCP Falcon -- “If you're not familiar with the word, find the definition in a dictionary and that will satisfy your question.” Really?! Is this really the response of an adult, let alone someone with some level of power?

Here are some terms you can look up Falcon – Ivory Tower, Diffusion of Responsibility, Kangaroo Court, Witch Hunt and my favorite Moral Ambiguity

 Conclusion:

 I'm at a loss of what I can do to change minds. There comes a point when you just stop, write it off as a lost cause and remember the good times. 

Sad honestly. Sad. 


EDIT: FunkyBacon Said it better, and with paint gifs! http://funkybacon.blogspot.com/2014/09/as-ban-hammer-swings.html?showComment=1410468600172#c6035375495913092429