I’ve been playing Eve since 2014 and have never stopped looking for the next adventure. For my second year as a CSM member, I remain an advocate for the Eve that is a true sandbox accommodating many ways to play, many play-styles and the grand adventure of sorting through it all. I want to give you those days where you see what seems an unsolvable problem and then find yourself rejoicing mightily when you find that you have conquered it.
Like the day very early on when I realized that space on a flat screen was still 3 dimensional – and that going toward something had to take into account that third dimension. And then there was the day recently when I lifted my hands from the keyboard during a fight knowing that I would next be watching our beloved 4-H keepstar bursting into flames, conquered but still glorious in the blaze of her magnificiant final good-bye. And for all the adventures in-between those days, I still log in with anticipation to see what next puzzle awaits.
As far as gameplay areas, I have found my interests to lie in a variety of areas related to managing teams, large and small: diplomacy, new player experiences, leading teams that provide good services to my Eve friends and alliance members. I have led new player training programs, diplo teams, logistics teams, renter programs, structure fueling teams, infrastructure planning (like sov upgrade plans), recruitment teams, alliance metrics tracking. Today I watch over about 12 to 15 teams of players handing various roles within Winter Coalition.
No matter the size of the group – small corp to large alliance or coalition, the basic tasks are the same: Pulling people together to a focused objective and creating and communicating the processes and tools to make that happen. Understanding the game mechanics underlying the team objectives and the resulting tools needed. Communicating well what is needed from the team. And – most important – helping people find purpose and reward in serving a bigger cause in the game.
The specifics where I have the most experience include:
Region infrastructure management (sov hubs, upgrades, workforce and power distribution, jump bridge locations, fueling).
For Eve improvement: complexity, takes too much time, both initially and ongoing, to set up and manage.
Metrics – how do we track things like fleet participation and activity level of corps within an alliance and players within a corp.
For Eve improvement: need more and better in-game and Eve-specific tools.
Diplomacy – understanding a problem well from multiple points of view, gathering data, understanding the stories, and exploring ways to maximize overall satisfication across several points of view.
My personal rewards in the game: accomplishing the impossible – like the day my Eve boss contacted me and told me that he needed an emergency team instantly pulled together to install several regions of upgrades to alliance sov hubs. A big project with a very short timeline – and when we somehow we managed to accomplish what was needed in record time, that made it to my list of really good Eve days.
My experience last year on the CSM was my chance to apply my skills to the bigger Eve context. I am anxious to continue this approach through my CSM term, furthering my goal to represent all who love the game, whatever they choose to do in this big sandbox.