Monday, December 24, 2012

The Brapelille Crusade

As Father of the New Order and Saviour of Highsec, I get quite a bit of EVEmail. Some good, some bad, some ugly. On a routine mail check, I came across the following letter from a miner named Professor Billions:


It was a heartwarming tale of a miner attempting to spread the Code to his brothers in the ore belts.


Suddenly, the story took a disturbing turn. Professor's CEO, Jake Salvator, interrogated him about his support of the Code. The corp had about 50 members, but Jake intended to expand it to 500. Apparently that would make mining permits too expensive, even though it's still the same rate of 10 million per miner.


Jake gave Professor a choice: Forsake his mining permit and clear his bio, or be kicked out of the corp. Like all true miners, Professor chose to stand for the Code. Jake expelled him from the corp.

I was alarmed by Professor's story. But I do not believe in taking action impulsively. Before doing anything, I wanted to find out the truth. And I wanted to find a peaceful solution to the problem. So I went directly to the source, and I sent an EVEmail to Jake Salvator asking for his side of the story:
Jake--

Hello! I am James 315, the Father of the New Order and Saviour of Highsec. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, though I wish it were under better circumstances than these.

I received a disturbing report from one of your corporation's former members, Professor Billions. First, he informed me that he is a follower of the Code. So far, so good. But then his story took a nasty turn: He claims that as CEO, you kicked him out of the corporation for refusing your demand that he forsake the Code.

Obviously, these are serious charges--very serious charges. When miners fail to abide by the Code and pledge their loyalty to the New Order, that's grounds for corrective action. But when someone attempts to influence other miners to violate the Code--particularly when it's someone using their position of authority to do so--that takes the crime to a whole new level. Then, to add to the offense by using one's influence to punish a follower of the Code?

Well, you can certainly understand how this report caught my attention.

Given the severity of the situation, I decided it was necessary to follow up on this with you to confirm the accuracy of Professor Billions' report. Is it true? Did you really remove him from your corporation because he follows the Code and would not forsake the New Order? I am a man who believes in the ultimate value of the truth. If you deny the charges, you can rest assured the New Order will launch an investigation and get to the bottom of this.

If the report is true, then we have a problem on our hands. Fear not! I have often worked out peaceful solutions to problems like these. If you offer Professor Billions an apology and a chance to rejoin your corporation, that would be a great first step. Then we can work out an arrangement to help you get the rest of your corporation into compliance with the Code in a fair, affordable manner. I look forward to working with you on this.

However, should you decline my offer of peace, I must warn you of the potential consequences. The New Order will be made aware of the situation, and your crimes will be made public on www.MinerBumping.com , one of EVE's most popular blogs. Declaring yourself an enemy of the New Order would not be a wise decision, in my view. In just the past couple weeks, the New Order has destroyed 60 billion isk worth of ships and capsules of our enemies. You may view our killboard here (a work in progress, but it lists many of the kills):

http://neworder.mindflood.org/

Our Agents have ample access to locators, so there is no possibility of avoiding retaliation by relocating your corp. In addition to wardecs and corp infiltration (aka "awoxing"), our Knights are practiced in the art of suicide ganking in highsec. At this stage, I am uncertain whether or not we will relocate our HQ for the purpose of becoming your neighbors and focusing more intently on retaliating against you. If not, you should still consider that the inflammatory nature of your (alleged) action is likely to arouse the ardor of our Agents.

I notice that your corp is new and that you have ambitions to expand it. I am a man who desires peace and cooperation, not war and destruction. I wholeheartedly support you in your industrial endeavors--provided they take place within the bounds of the Code.

I look forward to hearing from you, so that we may find a satisfactory resolution to this matter as soon as possible.

Thanks a bunch!

Best wishes,

James 315
Father of the New Order
Saviour of Highsec

cc: Professor Billions
I wanted to make sure Jake Salvator understood that I was not interested in grief or terror, only peace and progress. All he had to do was respond to my EVEmail and tell me the truth. We could find a way to coexist.

Shockingly, Jake chose not to respond to my EVEmail at all. He just blew the whole thing off. This was highly provocative. But again, I am a man of peace. The next day, I saw that Jake was online, and I attempted to initiate a private convo. Incredibly, Jake decided not to accept my invitation! All these lifelines I sent him, and he ignored them. Clearly, Jake was not receptive to diplomacy, not in the least.

Even still, I remain a man of peace. The next day, I sent him a second private convo invitation when he was online. This time, Jake actually accepted it.


At long last, I opened a channel of communication. I asked Jake to present his side of the story. With any luck, we'd sort out the mess and become friends.


I have been in some heated peace negotiations before, but even I was surprised by Jake's response. He didn't want to tell his side of the story.


Being a highsec miner, Jake is a busy man with a fast-paced career. His hourly mouse-click was probably coming up.


Jake claimed that Professor's harmless bio had attracted enemies, which was the real reason he had been kicked out.


I asked for clarification on what he meant by "attracting enemies", but was instead treated to an outburst right out of left field. I was asking for his help in putting the matter to rest, but for whatever reason he invited me to send the full force and power of the New Order against him and his corp. Don't do Torarjan Collective any favors, dude.


Despite all the provocations, I offered another olive branch.


The convo was awash in the stench of Jake's guilt. He didn't want to tell his side of the story or deny that Professor Billions was telling the truth.


Over and over again, I tried to give Jake and his corp a peaceful way out. Jake took the opportunity to abruptly terminate the conversation. As if I had not been patient enough, I sent him a quick EVEmail after the convo, inviting him once again to shed light on the situation and make peace. He never answered.

So who is this Jake Salvator, and who are the Torarjan Collective? I decided to find out.


According to their website, Torarjan Collective is completely unlike the thousands of other highsec mining corps because Jake is a successful business owner in real life. (Of course, that doesn't always go well.)


To give them due credit, their command structure is clear and easy-to-follow. I noticed their "morale officer" position is vacant. They might want to fill it soon.


The official corp literature repeatedly vaunted their commitment to peace and diplomacy. Personally, I found it lacking. As to their military prowess, we'll see.


One thing that I found very interesting about the Torarjan Collective is how quickly they've grown. Jake has only been in EVE for a couple of months, but he's somehow managed to convince over 50 people to join his corp. They have a very aggressive recruitment policy.


Given the severity of the crimes involved, I found myself with no choice but to Red Pen their entire corporation. All members of Torarjan Collective should be considered high-priority targets for corrective action. This website offers a partial list of the members. You can also easily identify them in local by adding the corp itself as a contact:


Because I am merciful, I am offering an amnesty program to all members of Torarjan Collective who wish to leave the corp within 48 hours of this post. (If you have roles to resign, send me an EVEmail within the 48-hour period.) To qualify for amnesty, leave Torarjan Collective, send me 10 million isk, and pledge loyalty to me in your bio.

Otherwise you will be Red Penned. After being Red Penned, you will continue to be a high-priority target for corrective action, even if you leave Torarjan Collective. In addition, any corp you join will be notified of your crimes. Please be aware that the Red Pen goes on your permanent record, so anyone who ever has Torarjan Collective in their employment history (other than Professor Billions himself, of course) will be given this treatment. To have the Red Pen removed, send me 30 million isk and copy me on a sincere apology EVEmail to Professor Billions.


As for Jake Salvator himself, his extraordinary crimes call for extraordinary punishment. I am giving him the Double Red Pen. This is a punishment so severe that it breaks the damage limit, penalizing him with a 60 million isk fine. He, too, must pledge loyalty to me in his bio and copy me on a sincere EVEmail apology to Professor Billions.

Until Jake Salvator complies, he is a permanent enemy of the New Order, and all actions he takes in highsec will be subject to New Order supervision. His corporation will be considered our primary target. If he leaves Torarjan Collective, it will continue to be our primary target. If he creates or joins another corporation, it will become our primary target, as well.

Jake's persecution of a harmless Code-compliant miner in his own corp was the greatest act of intolerance and hatred we have yet seen. It is unacceptable and appalling. In other words, Jake Salvator is the living embodiment of all that is evil and unjust in humankind. Everything he touches in highsec will be destroyed, forever and ever, until he complies with the Code.


The headquarters of Jake's corporation is located in Lirsautton, two jumps from the ice miner mecca known as Brapelille. If the name of that system sounds familiar, it's the home of Agent BillMurray, who gave them a foretaste of the Code months ago. Pictured above is a highly-modified version of the Dotlan map of Gallente highsec, where Brapelille is located. Brapelille is four jumps from the market hub of Dodixie. It's also four jumps from Chelien, another major ice mining system. (Note the limitations of the map--Jaschercis is two jumps from Chelien in the east, which wraps around on the western side of the map.)

The cluster of ice mining systems pictured in that map are one major source of Gallente ice, with the other cluster being around Tolle, which you'll remember. If the geography of highsec is starting to fall into place for you, it's because the New Order is slowly devouring it all.


Our headquarters in Brapelille will be the IV-2 Federal Freight Storage station. This may be a little confusing, because there's another IV-2 station. Federal Freight Storage has a better undock and has the repairs service. The other IV-2 station has medical services, so put your clone there. Also, we deliberately did not choose a station near the ice field for our HQ. Instead, we want stations nearest the ice field to be empty, so rookie ships spawn there; we can clear the ice field by undocking from them.

This sudden move may come as a surprise, given how recently we moved to Osmon. In fact, I had only expected to be fully relocated to Osmon just now. Our bumpers, creatures of speed always, were already in Osmon conducting major operations within hours after last week's announcement. There were a lot of targets, and then our Knights rolled in and flattened the place.

By contrast, I expect to be in Gallente highsec for a longer period. If our targets clear out of our new home with similar speed, the miners of highsec may as well hang it up, because this is a very important mining center.

One final word on our conflict with Jake Salvator and the Torarjan Collective. Our central mission continues to be the enforcement of the Code to highsec. We're not going to mindlessly chase after Jake and his corp. Everything we do is on our own terms, in a manner that is convenient to us and consistent with our goals.

Therefore, if Torarjan Collective abandons its headquarters tomorrow and sends its miners to some remote place, we're not going to cancel the Brapelille campaign. Instead, we'll occupy Brapelille and, when the time is right, relocate to a nice place near Torarjan's new HQ. The whole point of mining in highsec is the safety, stability, and predictability of it. Torarjan will no longer have that. This will be a long-term process, unless they surrender.

Merry Christmas.

44 comments:

  1. Note that Jack promised not to cry once the action starts.
    Do keep us updated on that front, James.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. most likely they'll move into a wormhole?

      Delete
  2. Just in time, my baby ganker is big enough for his first hunt! Brapelille or bust! -DÅ 

    ReplyDelete
  3. its so easy not to show a full text log is-int it. just give people what they want so you can fight

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  4. \o/ The wrath of the savior is upon you! May god have mercy on your souls.

    -Galaxy Pig

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  5. As a Knight of the New Order, I read Jake Salvator's words with mounting anger. Does he not know who he is dealing with here? I think he must not. Does he not know what he is dealing with here? I think he must not.

    The "who" is the largest gank fleet in highsec. Or perhaps second, behind miniluv, I don't know. But in any case, there is a huge difference. Miniluv ganks for profit. A noble motivation, to be sure, but a self-constraining one. Miniluv will not gank your freighter if you aren't worth ganking. Jake Salvator can avoid miniluv if he stays low and never occupies a ship worth ganking. But he cannot avoid the New Order. Because we do not fight for money.

    And that is the "what". What Jake Salvador is dealing with here is the Code. It is not me, or any ganker or bumper. It is not even James, any more. It is all of us unified behind what is right. We fight for the Code, and we fight for the souls of men. You cannot stop us by any means existing in Eve. We will save you, like it or not. From yourselves. Even Jake Salvador.

    Salvador is an interesting name. It means "savior". But there is only savior in highsec, and only one Code. Torarjan Collectivists, I implore you to abandon this man and save yourselves. Your heads will bend, one way or the other. The only difference is how much you pay. You can pay us the token payment prescribed by the Code and live without looking over your shoulder in highsec. Or you can become hunted men. Your choice.

    We are coming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. but you are doing this for money... miners have to pay to not be ganked

      Delete
    2. This reply is exactly what I expect from a rebel in thrall to ISK. Look below the surface.

      First off, as a Knight I make jack shit. I make nothing; in fact I pay for the privilege to gank. You might think I am just an exception, but the Knights are many and growing more numerous. None of us make any real money from this. (I have never collected a mining fee.)

      Ah yes, but the mining fee! Someone is collecting all those fees, right? Yes, they are. But consider first how little it is. Any EVE player can make 10m isk/hour. Even miners make that much. Most of us could make much more. Few bumpers even sell 1 license per day, much less 6. All could make much more money doing something else. The opportunity cost of bumping is negative.

      Again there is the puzzle, for you, to explain: why are New Order agents intentionally losing money?

      Or let's look at this from the other direction. What if the New Order really was extortionate. How much should the mining fee be if we were actually in it to maximize profit and not for some other reason? A miner makes 10m per hour, or more. One hour per year is our tax rate? Does not, say, a more IRS like rate of say 1 hour per day seem better? If we want to max profits we'd sell it by the month: 300m ISK/month. How does that strike you?

      You know, there is a solid business plan here. Indeed: I wrote just such a plan after my first week of ganking for the New Order. But it has one huge flaw: it relies on the availability of a gank fleet -- and everyone who wants to gank miners is coming to us. So, you know, you really ought to thank James that he was called to save Highsec before someone figured it out and did it purely for profit. You can continue to mine the way you are used to, with taxation so light it is almost nonexistent.

      The money is a token, grasshopper. Think on it.

      Delete
    3. he's right. the mining fee is normally not enough to balance the cost of operations. the point of minerbumping is to filter the wolves from the sheep. any miner with half a financially intelligent brain will gladly pay 10m for the service of exterminating local botters. the only thing stopping them is their self pride. with them around, all the high sec miners with any teeth will smarten up and move to low sec or further, and only weak, easily controlled miners will exist in high sec. on that day, there will be no question who is the king of all high sec... and then the fees can begin to rise without limits...

      Delete
    4. not a lot of isk... he just asked a corp for 500mil + 60mil. So james 315 will be rolling in isk and you get nothing? in fact as you said you lose isk so why help some one like that?

      Delete
    5. "not a lot of isk... he just asked a corp for 500mil + 60mil. So james 315 will be rolling in isk and you get nothing? in fact as you said you lose isk so why help some one like that?"

      To quote Gladius Codicis: This reply is exactly what I expect from a rebel in thrall to ISK.

      Delete
    6. not a lot of isk... he just asked a corp for 500mil + 60mil. So james 315 will be rolling in isk and you get nothing? in fact as you said you lose isk so why help some one like that?

      Why? because we can, James is building an active and often hilarious community that transcends petty squabbles and wars, we have pilots that under any other circumstances would quite happily blow each other up repeatedly working together, we have hisec industrialists and miners mixing & working with members of major nullsec alliances (a rare thing indeed), Eve is not just about ISK, it's about teamwork, community, shared goals and satbbing people in the back. Above all it's a social game, and in the future I plan to be using the contacts I've made bumping and ganking to further my goals in Eve. Besides, your tears are delicious.

      Delete
    7. if james was not in thrall to isk he would not ask for any indulgences. indulgences themselves are a bane to free worship as martin luther pointed out long ago...

      Delete
  6. Oh, it is SO on....

    Highsec is worth fighing for.

    Bing Bangboom
    Agent of the New Order
    Belligerent Undesirable

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  7. the average sec on their EveWHO is 0.4
    these miners are outside of highsec...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An average Security Status of 0.4 does not mean they mine outside of highsec. Infact, the evidence presented in this very blog post shows that they mine inside highsec.

      Delete
    2. Actually it's not unusual for hisec miners and industrialists to have a relatively low security status, most rarely kill rats and the ones that they do kill are belt rats which give poor security status boosts.
      Source I'm a miner and industrialist, when I'm not removing the competition at the end of some blasters. The only one of my characters that has a decent sec status is my mission alt, both of my mining and industry/trade alts have sec status that is lower than 0.5

      Delete
  8. Many a despot has wooed his followers into a false sense of security with promises of a grander, purer future under his leadership. Formulating an enemy, releasing propaganda and focusing his troops on someone proclaimed necessary to be hated is a tactic used long before the colonists first arrived in New Eden.

    I was willing to allow your actions to slide, as I felt my time was better spent focusing internally, helping my corporation and it's members grow.

    However, you have forced me into a corner James 315. I am immune to your propaganda as are my members. I never liked bullies when I was a child and I certainly don't like them now.

    As a result of this post and the in game messages you have been spreading around, I have already received countless messages of support which have further solidified my position as CEO.

    I told you countless times I wanted nothing to do with your piracy and blackmail and I was willing to let you be. However, that is no longer the case.

    Please prepare your forces, for I am preparing mine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are not the first to posture in such a way, nor will you be the last. Cease your empty words and fight - if you can find the courage. Fight, and vindicate everything we have ever stood for - that New Eden belongs not to the bot and bot-aspirant carebear, but to those who are willing to sacrifice their time and ISK for what they believe in, that New Eden belongs to those not chained to their lifeless drip of ISK.

      Open fire - and by doing so, and prove us right.

      Delete
    2. James Salvator, compliance with the code is not discretionary, it is mandatory. You may be immune to our propaganda, but are you immune to billions of ISK in ship losses?

      Delete
  9. So you're a religion now, James? Are you going to file for tax exemption from CCP?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have spent much more money enforcing the laws of Highsec through ganking, issuing bounties, and supporting the New Order through share-purchases than I EVER expect to make from any of these activities. "Why???" you ask? Well it's written all over the code and this site. I'm really amazed you can still maintain the delusion that we're all doing this for ISK. We are doing this to reform highsec. You can figure it out if you try to step back and think outside of your Lil ISK-ran world.

    -Galaxy Pig

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  11. Hmm. Let's see the severity of his crimes:
    1. Kicking a code follower for unknown reasons (and not telling you).
    2. Taunting james315 to come at him.
    3. Slight impoliteness towards James315.

    Results:
    1. Full declaration of movement and open war (via red pen list)
    2. Red-penning not him but ALL of the 50 members.
    3. Inventing double red-penning.

    Expected act:
    Jake probably spent a lot of his time forming this corp, and by the looks of it, he's quite successful at it. You put an eve-o forum post of a member saying how good this corp is. Being inside many mining corps, that's hard to find, and valuable.
    Now there are 2 results: They switch corps or accounts (possibly corps), ruining the result of Jake in his corporation hardworking and his corp dreams of 500 members. The members of them will be destroyed, possibly even without loot profit (if they are good players they will temporarily switch to skiffs). You guys, however, have near infinite funds compared to them, so you will be throwing money for this no matter the cost, eventually obliterating them.
    The other result being they standing up together and becoming more stronger by this bond. Also you would think their recruitment would stop, but you just posted here about their corp, and not only code followers read it; your enemies read it too. They will join them probably after this. The result however, may still be the same: you guys obliterating them.
    But for the cause of what? The 3 reasons I wrote above? Ridiculous. You mean to destroy a corp and its creator who has struggled hard to make it good and has carried it to the point of 50 members from nothing in a few months, over this? AND still add another 30M payment for it plus all the fire that will follow?
    You, have become drunk in power. And this is making you do things like this (The prime example is double red pen).
    Your judgement is wrong.
    You obviously don't represent all miners, as you don't represent Torarjan collective.
    But who can argue with you? As long as you see it your way, you will continue, and since you've become a power house, you don't even care for them now.
    May them be protected from the likes of you.
    Determinor

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TL;DR version of your wall of text:

      crimes: asking for the New Order to declare war on them.

      results: the New Order declared war on them.

      Expected conclusion: They got what they asked for, now something will happen.

      Delete
    2. Determinor,

      Who will protect the Torarjan Collective from the likes of the New Order?

      If you feel you can do it, do it. If you cannot, then serve the Order as an example of why our enemies perpetually falter - because they are unwilling to act, unwilling to defend themselves, always waiting for someone else to fight their battles.

      Delete
    3. >If you cannot, then serve the Order as an example of why our enemies perpetually falter

      in other words "if you can't bet em join em". these are obviously the words of one without honor or self respect.

      Delete
  12. Ostensibly, the reason for this incident is that Professor Billions's support of the New Order created numerous enemies for the Torarjan Collective - we can only speculate on who those enemies might be. Disgruntled local miners? Powerful nullsec alliances? The rag-tag rebel alliance of Kamio who are perpetually mired in inaction (they claim they will begin training a suicide fleet of their own - soon)?

    Given a choice between two enemies, Jake Salvator happily chose the New Order.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, the Professor here. Here on this blog is the first encounter I have had with the notion that my peaceful mining operations and willingness to assist in corp operations earned me a list of enemies. On the contrary, I believe my compliance to the code has earned me nothing other than a list of brothers and sisters united under a perfect ideology. Jakes choice did not lie between foes, it lied between right and wrong.

      Delete
    2. We're having a great start. Our fleet gets more efficient by the day and non-compliant miners were dropping like flies. We got 2 1.2 billion isk pods while I was on. 2 of our gank targets even bought permits.

      A couple of 2 jump ganks went of perfectly with 1 resulting in a miner and hauler double-kill!

      - John E Normus

      Delete
  13. You know they're mad when they resort to hacking killboard banners. No reimbursements for you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well alright Mr. Anonymous poster, let's just see how your kill-board looks... Oh! That's right, we can't because you're an incompetent coward who posts anonymously on a space-blog he "hates".

    -Galaxy fuckin' Pig

    ReplyDelete
  15. Also, for the record, the Savior of Highsec reserves the right to become drunk with power when he feels it's appropriate. As agents and knights we cannot allow this act of bigotry against our Order to go unpunished. Public executions send a strong message, may this carebear corp be made example of, by publically putting it to death.

    -Pig

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow the hostility is strong in this anonymous poster, not content with being nasty to downs syndrome sufferers, which I find highly offensive btw, they have to project their homoerotic and bestiality fantasies onto us. Way to look like a complete and utter tool there Mr Anonymous.

    With reference to the killboard, we're merely continuing the long standing Eve tradition of hulkageddon, a tradition that is normally carried out by the rampaging hordes of nullsec and lowsec, who, on the whole, are pretty good at PvP, unless it's GSF, they're just bads :P

    ReplyDelete
  17. "Collective front launched against the New Order, James315 and miner bumping."
    https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=186759

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've done my duty to report criminals who have broken The Code!

      http://toleroguard.com/report-new-order-members/

      Delete
    2. This will end well, personally I can't see any substantial resistance forming because that would require actually playing the game. Looks like someone just painted a huge target on their back.

      Delete
  18. This is the part that I hope the miners DO adopt:

    Update your bio & forum signature to say “Supporter of the Tolero Guard – to learn how to fight back against those who attempt to extort you while mining visit www.ToleroGuard.com”

    Would be hard to make a mistake when ganking if they would cooperate like this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol nobody is willing to make themselves a bigger target than normal. just keep posting that toleroguard.com as first comment for any new post on this site so victims will know where to go for help.

      Delete
  19. they contribute. unlike you all.

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  20. as a wormhole dweller, i look to this blog for the lolz.

    ReplyDelete
  21. there is no such thing as an important high sec mining center.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Indeed they do contribute. Several pods with mining implants for one, and torrents of tears of another all contribute to the greater glory of the New Order!

    Dr Tyler

    ReplyDelete

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