Wednesday, May 8, 2013

How to Strike a Spark


Highsec miners often get the impression that many EVE players don't give them a second thought, that people are indifferent to the miners and don't care about them one way or the other. One thing that I think miners really appreciate about the New Order is that we care. By our actions, we show that we're concerned about the miners on a personal level, and we get involved with their EVE experience at a visceral level.


Other gankers hit and run. We don't. To an Agent of the New Order, the destruction of a miner's ship is merely the beginning of the conversation. Agent Selina Dyle started talking with Spark2Universe after killing him. Spark questioned the honour of the act. Agent Selina informed Spark that the New Order is all about honour, and that Spark had committed a criminal offense by mining without a permit. From there, the two embarked upon a journey of mutual discovery.


It quickly became clear that Spark was the kind of miner who likes to blame the victim. Anyone who has read the Code knows that my Agents and I are the heroes of EVE; it's the thousands of highsec miners who want to be left alone who are the villains. Agent Selina attempted to make this point, but Spark wasn't having it.


Spark and Selina exchanged a few EVEmails on the subject of whether EVE is a computer game, and whether it's immoral to shoot mining spaceships. To press home the point, Agent Selina put a bounty on Spark2Universe, which made Spark "WANTED" in the context of the game. Had Spark therefore become the very kind of criminal he claimed didn't belong in EVE?


The seeds of a strong friendship were being planted. Spark revealed that his real name was Rafael, and Agent Selina reciprocated by revealing her own real-life name, which is Sarah Palin. Still, she wanted to see some kind of proof of Spark/Rafael's honour, so she repeatedly requested it.


In the end, the two were able to come to a tentative understanding. They agreed to disagree on some of the issues they had discussed. Spark2Universe would continue to violate the Code and base his mining operations on the principles of the U.S. Constitution. For her part, Selina Dyle would abide by the the principles set forth in the Code, which meant she would attack Spark whenever she felt like it. Yet the work of the New Order is sometimes like a relay race: One Agent may pass the baton to another. Perhaps other Agents will take up the cause and help Spark2Universe find his way.

16 comments:

  1. I have seen the carebear, and the carebear is RLY long-winded!

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  2. CCP...PLEASE...Give Us S P E L L C H E C K in the next expansion! Took me 4 minutes to re-read everything just to be sure i had it all right.
    and i always say Assume - "Makes an ass out of U, NOT Me." i never understood why someone who assumed something incorrectly makes me look like an ass. im right, im not an ass i dont look like an ass....he is for deciding something that wasnt true like an idiot.
    otherwise...this guy acts like the only tragedies in humanity have occurred in the last dozen years or so.

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    Replies
    1. Four the sake of yur sole I prey that u find one.

      :)

      There is nothing quite like comparing real life tragedies to brief and momentary in-game events. That does not speak of a lack of judgement and perspective. Nope, not at all.

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    2. I believe it to be rather shameful to compare such events in real life to things that happen in EVE.

      ---Alistair Drake

      Friendly Neighborhood Scoundrel

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  3. It's worrying that he attributes real world horrific events to in-game game play actions.

    I told my house mate how in Eve you are allowed to do nasty deeds to other people and we had this brief conversation not verbatim;

    HM (House Mate) - He asked me if the character was my troll account.

    SF (Sidrat Flush) - Quite unfair actually as I never intend to troll. I will merely display alternative game play options to those that haven't seen the adventures that Eve Online offers.

    HM - He asked me if that was how I was justifying my actions (that I actually haven't taken yet).

    SF - I don't need to justify my actions in game, because it's a game. It's part of the intended game play and I told him the character name that I'll be using and said he could publish it in the hope of limiting the damage but the people that will be my target, don't actually read external web sites or even the official forums. They play Eve like a single player game which is fine as those that realise it's a multi-player game will get more enjoyment from the experience.

    I then directed him to this site, he doesn't play Eve and I don't think he's ever tried it. What would regular readers of the site suggest to him? Is it a morality issue? Is there bushido in a game? Why are Eve Players so anti non-consensual pvp more so than in any other game?

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  4. I always play eve with honor and treat everyone with the utmost respect.

    John E Normus

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    Replies
    1. So says a ganker - lol. Like the rapist that always uses a condom!

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  5. All that time playing sapce shrink/pastor could have probably been better spent making space monies to replace his hulk and buy a permit.

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  6. Why was I in his email? I mean I got the email but I had nothing to do with the gank. =/


    Anywho, you'd be pleased to know that even in a small highsec island surrounded by low and nullsec, ganked miners and carebears react the same way as ever.

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  7. Sparked2Universe is a scary dude...

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  8. For all his moral pontificating did anyone notice his corp name?

    6Six6 Ltd.

    I'm just gonna leave that here...

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  9. If you're ever in doubt of the morality of minerbumping then these guys makes themselves deserve it retroactively.

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  10. He's so judgemental it hurts... He should at least know what his religion says about judging others before acting as a space pastor

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  11. The ever present military and religious fanatism and regurgitation of war on terror propaganda makes one wonder how deep does the US culture/media can affect someone.

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  12. I personally found the story about the Seven year old orphan girl waiting for her father to cross the finish line at the marathon, slightly humorous. I didn't know orphan's had parents hence the label orphan. Also, the fact that story seems to be a complete fabrication, maybe spark needs to go back to his scriptures and read the chapters on honesty.

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  13. "Code and base his mining operations on the principles of the U.S. Constitution. For her part, Selina Dyle would abide by the the principles set forth in the Code, which meant she would attack Spark whenever she felt like"

    It's obvious that the US Constitution - great as it is - is nothing compared to the greatness of the Code. So, I know who I have to follow.
    --Lady Geesica Marstolt

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