Saturday, September 21, 2013

Don't Go It Alone

I'm all for independence. I think it's great when highsec carebears decide to take up the mantle of personal responsibility. But on the other side of the coin, it can be very dangerous when miners take a "Do-It-Yourself" approach to everything.


Consider Dez Carthis, a highsec ice miner. Do you think he consulted anyone about his Retriever fit? If so, someone owes him an apology. He thought he would make more money with a max-yield fit, but he used tech I equipment. Obviously this is wrong. All miners should use a max-tank fit. Agent Gaylord Fappington of the highsec Fappingtons had no choice but to kill him.


Almost a half-hour later, Dez returned to his keyboard and was shocked that someone had the courage to take him down for his crimes. He whined and begged for a new Retriever. Then he asked "What is your response?", as if he had backed Gaylord into a corner or something.


The controversy was brought to my attention. I don't know what to make of Dez Carthis calling the New Order a "black bag operation". I mean, yes, I can see how a carebear might look at an Agent of the New Order and think we're super-spies. We could be, if we wanted to. Instead, we operate in the open, for all highsec to see. We'd rather use our talents to benefit humanity. In any case, it's not the color of someone's bag that I'm concerned with--I only care about what's in someone's heart.


Dez put his own spin on things, carefully eliding the part about his crimes against highsec. He asked me what I thought about the disagreement. Well, on one hand, we have a faithful Agent of the New Order acting with honour and dignity. On the other hand we have a bot-aspirant. Whose side do you think I'm going to take?


Gaylord didn't feel that Dez was entitled to a replacement Retriever, but he sent him ample information about the Code. Unfortunately, he started the EVEmail with "Dear April Simon", presumably referring to another carebear he'd sent an EVEmail to.


At first, everything looked good. Dez was willing to pay 20 million isk and follow the Code--or so he claimed. Before he could even reach the end of his sentence, he'd already started talking about rules that he wouldn't follow. And he still wanted a free ship.


Thus, we see the fatal error in Dez's approach to the Code. Dez, like so many carebears, wanted a "Do-It-Yourself" Code, built according to his own vision of the world, and accommodating his own selfish desires. Friends, the Code is not a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book. When you enter my territory, you're making a decision to become a supporting character in my adventure, the story of the redemption of highsec. The Code is an all-or-nothing proposition. If you think pledging loyalty to me in your bio is "akin to slavery and branding", then I suggest you get out of the way, while the rest of us build something amazing.

13 comments:

  1. Sorry James you make it black and white approach to the game, and its not. I see myself in the middle ground the grey area. On one level I support your views against bots and afk miners. But not against honest at keyboard miners. I don't see why they should pay the 10 mill isk.
    I have over time put some serious isk towards the NO in the background, because I believe eves a mmo game and shouldn't be played by afk miners or bots mining or milking mission running.
    I hope you can respect my approach for the game, and I will happily say gf to any NO knight or group of Knights that gank me.

    Manic Miners

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    1. but it IS black and white.
      an example:
      everyone is required by law to maintain car insurance. now, theres not "car insurance police" and youre more than capable as an oxygen consuming human, to decide that you will NOT maintain said insurance. When the police DO stop you, if you dont have it, you face the consequences. You may get away with being uninsured for a while, but that one time you get caught, you WILL pay. Youve heard of insurance, you KNOW youre supposed to have it, but when you make the decision to neglect such a simple indulgence, loss is inevitable.
      Good, smart, law-abiding drivers pay what they owe, and they continue to operate in the right. Remarkably easy concept.

      Goofus and Gallant - Dont be a Goofus!

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    2. Guess we must differ on our views then. But that's what makes eve fun, we have our views and can debate them on here, or with computer pixels.

      Delete
    3. Actually EVE is primarily about debating views via internet spaceship combat; and secondarily about reading and following the principles found on this website. If you are coming here to debate views, and going to the asteroid belts to read and follow well-organized principles, then it's no surprise that you are so confused.

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  2. But EVE is a "Choose your own Adventure" game. And I have been in many systems in highsec in the last few months, including Kamio, and I have yet to enter YOUR teritory TONTO...

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  3. Well, if you are not a miner, then it does not concern you.

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    Replies
    1. Wow...now some attitude...I do mine when I want to, I do all sorts of things...after all, EVE is a "Choose your own Adventure" kind of game...and I have my own CODE to follow...

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    2. ohh here we go again....

      bingo? anyone?

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    3. I just mine somewhere James 315 is not, problem solved. He doesn't rule the whole galaxy, you know. If you don't like him, either get some people together and kick his butt, or move.

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    4. @last anon: There are a few ways to acknowledge James's rulership of highsec. One is to allow him to dictate your location, gathering resources in hiding like mice while the cat sleeps. Another is to obey the Code, mining wherever you like in perfect freedom. You choose the former, good miners choose the latter.

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  4. James 315 your story will save High Sec...I hope I will be there to see it

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  5. Too many people train ship tech to get the largest and shiniest ships but they don't stop to backfill the skills needed to properly fly ships. For this reason you get mack pilots who have barely got the skills to fly a properly kitted venture. When many of these achieve ownership of their field-raping monstrosity they compound their error by continuing to train Exhumer skills....

    This means that when it comes to combat, they are months of training behind having the appropriate fittings to defend themselves or others. Miners who concentrate training up to Exhumers in the fastest time possible to get that mining boost and get that larger ore bay are therefore guilty of an offense that is far worse than bot-mining. That offence is the squandering of skill points.

    This squandering of skill points is a subtle form of bot-aspirant behaviour, because it shows the alt with 10 million skill points can do nothing more than robotically traverse roid and ice fields; their PvP skills are non-existent in practice and they lack the training to even field even a T1 frigate tackler. Miners would do better to stay in mining barges while they qualify for Tech II fittings for Frigates to Cruisers.

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    Replies
    1. Miners should look at getting all core and defence certs to elite standard. They really do help you to survive, if you tank your ships properly. All the miners in our alliance are given this advice. But if they don't follow it, they don't have anyone but themselves to blame if ganked.

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