Dr Spodumain - CSM 16 - Always go for spod first

Council Of Stellar Management CSM Campaigns
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Your EVE Online story - TL:DR Edition

Played on and off since 2009. Dabbled in null, ran a buyback service. Tried all the different space jobs. Made obscure third party tools. Started a wormhole industry corp that became a successful high-sec industry alliance. Likes space money, trading, sometimes hauling.

Please see reply below for more detailed backtory.

Your areas of expertise. In which areas of the game do you feel you are the most knowledgeable? What qualities set you apart from other candidates?

TL:DR, in order of magnitude:

  • 3rd party development
  • Game mechanics (What is and isn’t possible on a technical level)
  • Trade
  • Industry (Highsec & lowsec)

My core expertise will always lie in third party development. Building tools for EVE actually launched my career as a software developer. I demonstrated a crowdsource-isk-loan site I’d built in my first serious interview. They must have liked it as they called me an hour after the interview offering me the job. Besides wacky tool development though, I have a brief history in game development myself. Picking up a few prizes in 24 hour development competitions back in the day. This combination leaves me with a deeper-than-most understanding of the what, how, and why of the game’s mechanics and third party integrations. That and I sit all day F5ing hoboleaks as if my life depends on it.

Beyond the technical stuff, I’ve run a successful industrial alliance for a number of years, and built myself a reasonable bit of wealth through marketeering. Two subjects that have been historically underrepresented in the CSM. Leading a group containing many newer players has granted me some insight into the struggles they often face. All the while having to learn the dark secrets of the corp management interface. My skittish history also brings me a good general base, but I am more than happy to admit to the holes in my knowledge when they appear.

Why are you applying for the CSM?

Every year I’ve struggled to find someone who really made me want to vote for them. I’ve always done my civic duty and dragged the names into an order that seemed acceptable on polling day, but nobody sparked that fire. I’m hoping to fill that gap, hoping that I’m not the only one that wishes it filled. As mentioned above, the sections of the game I am passionate about have also been the least represented throughout CSM history.

Since the patron saint of ESI, Steve Ronuken, took his leave from the CSM there has been little to no representation for the toolmakers of New Eden. ESI has stagnated (though not unjustified in some ways), and third party development seems to be in a bit of a rut. Near game-breaking industrial issues go largely ignored or misunderstood, and the market interface is just as screwy as it was when it launched. Not to mention the confusing mysteries of corp roles.

What can players expect from you?

A representative with the humility to refer to the experts on subjects outside my particular scope, but not afraid to stand my ground when I have the familiarity with the subject. I’m readily accessible, being a frequent Quality™ poster on the Talking in Stations Discord, and occasionally I even read EVE mails. Jokes aside, I work from home so you can readily contact me at almost any time via any of the following:

Dr Spodumain - In game character, mail is preferable but you might catch me for a private convo occasionally.

Any of the Discord servers I frequent. If it’s a EVE related Discord, I’m probably lurking in there. (NSPI places, SCC lounge, Talking in Stations, OZ’s Discord, Convocation of Empyreans, ARC, CSM Discord…)

Twitter (https://twitter.com/spodumain)

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Your EVE Online story - Wall of Text Edition

For the longest time EVE Online was that weird space game my elder brother played, my oldest memory of the game is watching him brawling a battleship at zero outside of Jita 4-4. I don’t remember if he won or not, but we’ll pretend he did. It wasn’t until the late 2000s that I tried the game for myself, starting my first character as a typical Caldari. So many characters lost to time, being too young and stupid at the time to pay for a real account I was a serial trial-accounter. This first foray into EVE coming to an abrupt rage-quit after a friendly local invited me to try out level 4 missions in my prized drake. The guy did no more than warp me to the site, then immediately warp off while my terribly fit ship disintegrated.

Later, around late 2013, a friend invited me to try the game again. Being something resembling an adult, I could actually subscribe to the game and jumped in. Dropped into smaller alliance in the HERO coalition (think BRAVE and friends) I immediately set to typical newbie stuff. Zooming out of GE-8JV station after a fight to steal any dropped loot only to get slapped by a Pandemic Legion machariel 150km above the station. The occasional bit of attempting to rat in a caracal, and getting my venture blown up by roaming gangs. As it usually does, this got old fast, I needed something more interesting to do. And I wanted those space bucks.

Those that were in Catch around 2014 will remember the variety of buyback schemes at the time. Schemes that seemed very lucrative. I wanted in. So, I did no more than make a clone of Evepraisal, buy a snazzy domain name, and set up my own. GE-Buyback. It was me, a badger, and the jump bridge to HED-GP. I made a (relative) killing, and I got to feel like a Han Solo type smuggler at the same time, though I did have my fair share of accidents. Warping 50km off a 100 man gang in a paper thin badger doesn’t usually end well.

My experimenting with buyback schemes was to become my first foray into a love affair with 3rd party development for EVE. Leveraging my custom modified copy of Evepraisal I was able to factor in shipping costs. I even compared prices with my competitors to win over customers. Of course I’d eventually move onto bigger things, but it was a start.

After a while the group I was with left Catch, to dissolve as we struggled to find a new lifestyle. It was a shame to lose a group of friends. I spent the next few years trying a few of the different flavours EVE had to offer. I dipped my toes into a couple roleplay corporations, tried a PVP wormhole group, and tried to lend a guiding hand to numerous highsec newbie corporations. Inbetween bouncing between corporations, I’d set up my own alliance of alt-characters for my own trading experiments.

Unable to find something that resonated with me, I decided to take a few real-world friends and found a corporation of our own in late 2018. We started mining moons in a C1 wormhole to great success, our numbers swelled and our wallets grew fat. Eventually though, the change to wormhole rolling mechanics, and removal of ‘regular’ ores from moons put a stop to the party . Hunting for somewhere new to set up our industrial operation, we joined Provibloc.

Regrettably, our time in Provibloc was not to last. Trouble onboarding and a few faux pas on both sides brought the relationship to an end, and we found ourselves marooned in highsec. We setup mining ice and providing low tax structure services to the locals, something which we oddly enough enjoyed. Ever seeking a thicker paycheck though, we followed the lucrative EDENCOM victory sites into a highsec island. Our own private-ish utopia where we could mine valuable ore day and night. Though you may know, eventually the mineral rich rocks disappeared from these sites with the conclusion of this part of the triglavian story arc.

Starved of our once bountiful rocks, we turned to the local moons. Having enjoyed our time on the island, we’d decided to stay and put down roots. Bringing the story to current day, we’ve expanded into our own local market hub, industrial infrastructure, and a full rack of moons. Bigger and wealthier than ever, we’ve flourished in this new home.

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First -. also on my ballot!

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I am voting for Dr spod

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I lost that fight on the 4-4 undock.

Still 11/10 Dr Spod as best worst highsec dictator.

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I am here to show my support for my glorious leader! He said kind words to my first death at a gate gank and I’m also pretty fond of his buyback system. Do the thing and vote for Dr Spod!

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You have my vote. Your Corp is the best ever.

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Best Industrial corp I’ve been in thus far hands down! He’s got my vote hands down!

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In my short journey in EVE, I have not met a greater space leader than Dr. Spodumain. He is knowledgeable and well-versed with the intricacies of this game and all that this universe has to offier, but more importantly, he is a genuinely wonderful guy.

Always go for spod first.

Now and forevermore.

You have my vote, sir.

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When are you interviewing @Ashterothi? I’d like to know more. - Intended/prefered dynamic

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Scheduled for this evening, most likely 18:00 EVE time assuming nothing weird happens.

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Got my vote

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If you’re after a little more context as to why I’m running, check out the interview I did with @Ashterothi. We chat a little bit about industry, third party development, and my professional background.

Hopefully we can work together again soon my dude, would love to have a chat on how EVE ‘actually’ works or something similar.

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This foul individual not only refuses to support our important charity, but also boldly slanders us on public media, implying we’re a front for a drug ring.

We, the poor starving children of 1DQ1-A III, are good citizens and would never take part in such shady deals, and this individual has no proof whatsoever for his completely fake claims.

Therefore, we urge the so-called Doctor Spodumain to reconsider his stance on supporting the starving people.

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I think you’ll find I made a more than generous donation to such a cause, considering the current financial state of the universe.

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Had a chance to discuss CSM stuff, a little on the industrial changes, and a touch of reddit drama on the Push To Talk show alongslide the venerable @Brisc_Rubal
Check it out: Push To Talk - May 8th - YouTube

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Details matter. Only post that has decorated and easy to read text. If someone puts effort into CSM things from the start I’ll better pick this one from all unknown to me candidates than those with walls of unreadable text.

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You got my vote too.

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Thanks dude I appreciate it. Campaign season has barely begun though. I’ve got some videos and what not to finish and put out soon :slight_smile:

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Had an interesting chat the other day @White_0rchid and @Reicher514 on Between 2 Keepstars, check it out if you missed it.