EBB #22. Loyalties of an Opportunist

Welcome to the twenty-second installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month topic is brought to us by L'Dene Bean of Nitpickin's who asks: Why, and how did you pick your corporation? Is your loyalty solid or just until a better placed organization "recruits" you. The shorter version:  Who holds your Unshakable Fealty and why?

So let's just say I have never been the most "loyal" of followers while in eve.  Usually I find myself on the other side of decisions made by those in-charge.  At least until the semi-recent past, pre-STIMULUS.

So what makes STIM so different?  I'm not 100 percent sure to be honest.  I've pirated, been the CEO and co-CEO of two mildly successful merc/pirate corps.  Been in industry corps, robbed them blind, mined for them, produced ships, traded, the whole gamut.  STIM just feels like home.  It's that feeling that has slowly added a bit of loyalty stock the longer I remain in STIM.

STIM capitalizes on PvPers, we are elitist assholes for the most part, willing to do crazy, suicidal things on a regular basis in search of just one more kill.  We enjoy the fight and more often than not find sick satisfaction in dying in a horrible fire to those blobs more than 2-3 times our size.  We operate in mostly lag-free environments, with little to no mandatory ops to go kill xxx TCU or setup xxx SBU.  It's real, pure, fast paced eve-style PvP. Mesh STIM with four or five like minded corps in RK and you get a solid backdrop of not only corp but alliance.

Jay Carr said,
“They were fast-moving opportunists encased in cynicism and proud of it.”

And I have to say we are proud of it.

For the record, I chose to join STIM after reading up on them after my previous corp disbanded again, from day one of my trial I was in more fights, better teams and stronger leaders than most of my previous years in eve.  While I still maintain ties to some of the other pilots, corps and alliances I used to fly with STIM is where my usually fickle loyalties lie.

After all,

“I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles around my neck”  - Stanley Baldwin

Other Banterers

EVOGANDA

Chocolate Heaven

Merry Life and a Short One
The Elitist
A Mule in Eve
Mike Azariah

AT8 Teams announced!

Well it's that magical time of year again!  Where teams trying to get into the AT but didn't scream on the forums, and those who did get in prepare for hell.  This year the overall field looks strong!  Even stronger since Rote Kapelle made it in!

So many teams to root for, so little time.  Not to mention the wife not being happy when I broke the news to her that we made it in, she really doesn't like me waking up that early to go play INTERNET spaceshipzz!

In any case, the full list can be found here...  AT8 Participants.

Now, I get to look at each team and try to figure out how everyone will do!

A#1.  Rote Kapelle - Well obviously I would like to see us win this time, to avenge our poor showing at the last tourney!  With the outside chance I might be on the team makes this look even better!  gogo fail Kapelle.  Seriously though we have a LOT to prove, especially after last AT where I lost count of the mistakes after the first fight.

Everyone else...  That I actually know.

Against ALL Authorities - Great batch of pilots here, including Wensley, hope they do well against everyone but us, honestly I hope they aren't in our bracket!

Agony Empire - Teachers of some reportedly great pvp classes, and seem to have some good instructors and pilots, it will be interesting to see what they field.

Cry Havoc. - I'm starting to be a big fan of these gents as well.  But I used to hate them as ENH and Outbreak pretty much crapped all over one of my more favorite corps I was in.  Anyways I wish them luck!  They have some very capable pilots and have always made a strong showing AND good pvpee video's.

Curatores Veritatis Alliance - CVA, well I just hope they lose.  Wonder if they will show up golden fleet style?

Dead Terrorists - Out in Syndicate by us.

death from above.. - Apparently Jagerda's old alliance mates...

Electric Monkey Overlords - Know these guys from around the Groothese pipe.  Wonder if I will see anyone I remember in the fights?  Pretty horrible though, gate camping in dictors ftw, no idea how they are now.

Get Off My Lawn - Last time I saw these gents they were in our local, cloaking in SB, smack talking (yay) and doing bombing runs when they weren't trying to bait us into engaging a either overpowering fleet or trying to trap us.  Wish them luck because unless they have dramatically improved, they are going to need it.

GoonSwarm - Really?

HUN Reloaded - Always a solid team!  Won AT6 I think?

Huzzah Federation - It's spring so they must be reforming.. again

HYDRA RELOADED - Genos is scary, good luck out there!

Important Internet Spaceship League - They base in Syndicate pretty close to us so we see them on a regular basis.  That's all I'm gonna say

Interstellar Alcohol Conglomerate - Really?  I thought IAC was mostly dead?

Noir. Mercenary Group - Our second fight AT 7, just barely lost to these folks!  Seems like we have seen at least one of the better alliances in combat before.  We also fought NOIR. about a year or more ago in Syndicate, though they weren't targeted against us, we did see them around so to speak, as much as you can see cloakers =)

Panda Team - gogo Josey Wales!

Pandemic Legion - What I would consider one of the favorites here and a great set of teams last year, we will see how they match up this year!

The Kadeshi - I remember these gents from last year, not sure why I remember them, but their name sticks with me.  Just looked at it and though they beat the Five last year, they were killed by Manifest Destiny... Battle Badger anyone?

The Star Fraction - Could be a very solid team with good financial backing, doesn't mean I have to like them!

The Tusker Bastards - Two effective pirate corps, so it will be interesting to see what they can do in what should be small gang pvp.

Ushra'Khan - Always root for UK since I hate CVA arrogance so much, not sure I care about them this year though.

Good luck to all!

Eve Blogging Question (EBQ) #1: Infiltration?!

Well since I get limited playing time and thus few stories  to relate here, I am going to ask some questions of myself and if you would like to participate you can as well... all 10 people who read my blog that is!

My first question: define corp "infiltration"  v hacking.


Secondly,

Are there instances where I would infiltrate into another corp in any capacity? if so, what instances?

and Last,

Are there instances in which your main would infiltrate into another corp?  Why?

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First let me lay out what I think the definition of infiltration in Eve Corps is.

Corp infiltration can really be broken down into about three MAYBE four separate, but pretty broad types.

• First being intel gathering, possibly getting an alt into the corp to get a member list, and to provide intel through monitoring of vent channels and or forums to coordinate specific attacks made by your main or whoever hired you to complete the intel gathering.  Requires a minimum of work, just enough to remain low profile.  Usually once the war is over you trash the alt or remove them from the corp without revealing the source of the leak.  I would call this infiltration light since you don't really mislead anyone, or become friends with people to turn around and stab them in the back.

• Next there is infiltration with the idea of both providing intel for the other side, as well as to hurt the structure of the organization that you are infiltrating by providing disruption.  This is a bit different than just getting into a corp to steal assets and make off with goods and money.  Here you are gathering the intel as in the first type, and attempting to gain access to items stored in corp hangars, POS etc.  You operate to both gain access and  feeding your side the information to operate effectively against the targets.  Here you are actively misleading people, and backstabbing as some call it, or others just call it acting like a SPAI!

• Third is infiltration for the sake of gaining assets, isk, or something of monetary value.  Here you are gaining the trust of the corporation, making friends and attempting to gain access to corp wallets, POS stuffed with goodies, etc.  There is no real combat imperative that put you against this corp, they just seemed weak and you moved in to try to get some easy money.  Like above you are actively deceiving the other members of the corporation to gain access for the sole purpose of theft.  This is the mode most corp thefts usually take, select a random corp, join, act like a friend, get access to items, take items and profit.

• The last, and hardly ever seen, would be consensual infiltration.  Where RPers would for the sake of a story allow a known spy into their ranks with the support of the player of the spy to drive a specific plot line or course of action.  Once the story is played out the Spy is outed or killed and the story moves on.

Hacking on the other hand falls into terms that are more legally defined for me, meaning :

• Hacking - broadly defined as intentionally accesses a account/forum/vent server without authorization or exceeds authorized access.  This would be using a tool or a site venerability to exploit access, guessing passwords or breaking into area's where you should not have access usually utilizing tools found outside of the game of eve.  Things like Meta-gaming to some extent fall under this for me.

• Hacking is the term I use to describe what people do when they log into a forum and delete it's contents, or hack into a vent server or TS server to shut it down to provide real world based disruption to enemy comms or to grief other players.  This is done outside of the game.

So with my definitions out of the way,  Here is what I think of it all

Infiltration of all kinds is a valid game mechanic in my eyes.  It takes a cold individual to do either of the two middle types of infiltration, something I can't even pull off because at heart I guess I am just too nice of a fellow, and I end up feeling bad about it all in the end.  However infiltration for just intel, I don't feel bad about that part of eve.  In fact I find that a very amusing and important aspect of the game.

Hacking on the other hand, I don't find anything okay with that on any level.  Breaking into a forum, or server of any kind, data or voice just seems outside the scope of the game.  I know some will say "HTFU," but at some point you have to draw your line in the sand and that is where the game ends for you.  On the other hand, if you suddenly get a vent bomb dropped on you from a spy versus from being hacked, that is a little difference, but just as hard to figure out so it may just get all lumped together.

So would I infiltrate a corp using a Alt?  I have and I would, but like I said before, I just never had the heart to steal anything.  Did I transfer intel?  Yes.  How about try to lure people to their deaths?  Of course, but I never took anything and in most cases ended up making a mistake somewhere along the line that left me exposed and ultimately kicked or removed from the corp.  In the right circumstances would I theft?  I think so, but it would have to be for some predefined insult or something that I could place the blame on for my overactive conscious.  Don't ask me why it didn't pipe up when I kill people for no reason in eve.

Would I do the same using my main?  I guess so if the circumstances were correct, like seeking some kind of RP vengeance, or for some kind of repayment of a similar debt.  Honestly it would have to be extreme to happen though, and the level of infiltration would be one of intel and teft/disruption.  Two things prevent me from doing any of that.  One being that I am in Stimulus and apparently we are known far and wide for corp infiltrations, mainly thanks to our unsuccessful attempts and the few successful ones, not to mention a few inaccurate ISD stories.  So anyone seeing that in my corp history would raise the red flag.  Second being that since Logan is my main, I would not want to expose him to that kind of hate.  If he became a truly hunted man after that and it prevented me from playing Eve the way I like, then it would become quite hard to justify remaining in the game.

As a side note, my current poll is due to finish tomorrow sometime so I will put up a new one on the sidebar of my blog about this to see how people feel.  Hopefully I can get more than 3 votes!  I think Mail still needs to vote for Gall so I have one vote for each race.