Kontan Rekor for CSM 18

[Kontan_Rekor]

Hello, my name is Kontan Rekor and I am running for CSM for the first time this year.

My goals in running for CSM this year are the following:

• Bring mainstream attention to issues that affect Pochven and the rest of the game
• Provide a different perspective from many of the perennial candidates; I have been playing the game actively for only 2-3 years.
• Engage with my fellow CSM candidates and the rest of the game about issues that affect every EVE player, regardless of preferred playstyle.

My story in EVE:

I had always heard about EVE Online, but I was primarily playing other MMOs back in the 2005-2010 era. It was not until about 2012 when a friend I had met from another game encouraged our group of friends to give EVE a shot.

I hopped in, was quickly brought out to Great Wildlands to live with his corp and alliance (Reptilian Shapeshifters/Hashashin Cartel), and decided that the Republic Fleet Firetail was going to be my favorite frigate.

I bounced off of the game after getting ganked during my first attempt to do missions in a rupture, but the game stayed in the back of my mind.

Having heard the epic stories of betrayal, warfare, and triumph in the mainstream Gaming media, I finally decided to give it another shot. Back in 2016, I decided to join Karmafleet for WWB1. I lived out of a lowsec station with the rest of my fellow goons and enjoyed the game for the first time in years.

Sadly, I once again bounced off of the game once again, but this time I subbed for a year or two with a long training queue.

I finally came back to the game when I heard about the start of WWB2 in another MMO I was playing. A guildmate of mine told me he had to re-sub to go help his friends attack Goonswarm, and I informed him that I would be doing the same, but for the other side.

Fast forward a year or two, I finally decided that I needed to try doing PvE for the first time. I had taken a break during the war, and decided that EVE was one of the final games I needed to consume in its entirety. My goals were simple: Become someone/do something of note, and help my alliance succeed.

I believe I have made very good progress on this front so far, but I don’t want my campaign to only focus on me and what I’ve done in this game. Instead, let’s talk about the things I believe need to change.

Campaign Focuses

Pochven - I am yet another Pochven candidate, but I feel like I bring a unique perspective to the region. I have had long conversations with many of the unaffiliated (non-nullsec) locals about the things that have been turning the region into an isk faucet for multiboxers and blocs over time.

There are legitimate grievances to be had about the current state of Pochven, because what it currently represents is an ISK source that rivals wormholes (the traditional high-income activity) while being much easier to get into, to the point that blocs have been moving in half-uncontested for the past two years.

I intend to discuss the problems, suggest solutions, and hopefully facilitate a move towards a healthier Pochven for the people who prefer the unique playstyle, rather than being hyper-attractive to people that are only looking for easy ISK.

Player Retention - Being a fairly new player, I have seen only the scarcity era of EVE. I hear the stories about what EVE used to be from the people that have been playing for ages, but I know those times are unlikely to return.

Instead, I would like to focus on the current players of EVE. True death only occurs when you stop caring, which means that having angry players represents that people still care, even after 20 years. Angry players can become happy players, and once mollified these veterans will be valuable ambassadors for the game.

Additionally, I would like to place a huge amount of emphasis on newer players, not necessarily new players. What I mean by this is that new players need new groups to call home, which naturally means that smaller and newer groups need mechanics in the sandbox that emphasize their growth potential.

The existing power structures and blocs represent one way to retain players (you want to play for your team), but the status quo (people piling into these groups due to mechanics and convenience) is unsustainable and unhealthy for the game.

What now?

I wanted to keep this post fairly readable and short, but I have plenty more that I want to talk about. Starting now, I am fully open to questions and discussions about anything I’ve talked about here, or anything else in particular really. If you want to find me on Discord, I am ‘Kontan Rekor’ in many popular EVE Discords, and you can also DM me there.

Other Candidates:

I would like to endorse a handful of candidates that I want to learn from, and best exemplify what I want to bring to the CSM. This doesn’t mean that I think you shouldn’t vote for candidates that aren’t listed here, of course!

Drake Iddon

I have interacted with Drake many times in Pochven, and he has been a champion for Pochven in a way that I haven’t up to this point. He is much more knowledgeable about the seagulling era than I am and known by almost everyone.

Mark Resurrectus

I have not spoken with Mark before personally, but as someone that doesn’t participate in wormhole content, I feel like Mark has been a great ambassador for his playstyle and the people he flies with. I attended at least one of his Town Hall events, and I feel like he is committed to making this game better for everyone. I hope to learn from his style and skills in community outreach.

[Kontan_Rekor]

reserved

[Hatanata_Ozuwara]

Why there is a picture of a rock? lol

[Drake_Iddon]

sacred pochven rock do not steal

[Uriel_the_Flame]

@Drake_Iddon

sacred pochven rock do not steal

@Kontan_Rekor

[Kontan_Rekor]

I must formally request that you leave the ‘long rock’ in its proper place. He must not be angered, or else we are all in danger.

[M1sterDoctor]

Glory to the Long Rock :prayge:

[Drake_Iddon]

I:< oi

[Arakkis_Melanogaster]

Kontan has an impressive understanding of game mechanics, group leadership, and small to medium gang FCing. While he is a member of one of the big blocs, the majority of his experience has not been in blobby nullsec tidi BS. He worked to form relationships with small gangers and other neutral entities in Pochven, and has a lot of respect in the triangle community. The vast majority of his FCing experience has been in gangs of around 10-20 people running heavy armor battleship brawls. So if you are looking for a candidate that understands the challenges of running small to medium sized fleets in spooky space, he is the candidate for you.

Praise be the Long Rock

[Elinore_en_Divalone]

@Kontan_Rekor would you back any idea mentioned below as CSM member?

1. Insane idea - pay with PLEX in NES for extra dev time
2. Quafe+ is from "biomass" (...or corpse reprocessing)
3. Little things / Small QoL suggestions - Better Visibility Of Other Players’ PI Networks
4. Little things / Small QoL suggestions - 8 (search shows 13) requests for Stack Split enhancement since Jun’18
5. Little things / Small QoL suggestions - PI KB-shortcuts for toggling between groups of structures

[Rhett_Schouten]

yo

1. What do CCP do correctly?
2. What do CCP do incorrectly?
3. What do you wish existed in-game that doesn’t?
4. What exists in-game that you wish didn’t?
5. What exists in-game that you think ought to continue to exist?
6. What doesn’t exist in-game that you hope never comes into existence?
7. How would you improve PI?
8. How would you improve the entire corporation UI?

[Death_Killer21]

What do you intend on changing in pochven and what do you think is the main causes of the issues now other than isk?

Outside of pochven, is there anything you majorly feel needs a change?

[Yendor_Kashada2 (Yendor Kashada)]

Will you oppose RMT and Gambling operations being run off TOR and other means, Kontan?

[Kontan_Rekor]

1. I feel like they adequately keep the game running, there are issues of course, but I don’t share the same doom-and-gloom opinions that some older players may have.

2. There’s a list here for sure, but the one important thing I feel like has been lack of adequate communication before changes happen that are going to be clearly hugely unpopular. Examples being lancers vs. jump freighters and the recent combat booster snafu.

3. More reasons for people and shiny things to be in non-instanced space. I could elaborate on what that would look like, but it would make more sense as the subject of its own post.

4. I’m not sure any content needs to be removed, there are things that do need to be reworked however.

5. This is a weird question, as there’s lots that I think should continue to exist. Maybe the easiest answer for me is Pochven. I would like for regions like Pochven to have a place in EVE, even if the current state of the region is not ideal.

6. The cop-out answer is more blatant Pay-to-win mechanics, but I will also add that more instanced PvE like ESS reserve key sites and abyssals should probably not be expanded upon.

7. I have never done PI, but if I were elected I would definitely put forth an effort to experience far more about EVE than I currently do. My priorities until then are to continue focusing on what I already know and what I’m good at.

8. Same as my answer for #7, but I will say that the whole ‘roles’ section of managing a corporation is really confusing at first.

[Kontan_Rekor]

I know it’s just your wording, but I want to emphasize that I don’t intend to try to force any changes for Pochven if elected. I would like to encourage a dialogue and provide my point of view to CCP as someone who has spent an average of 8 hours per day in the region for the past two years.

In my opinion, the issue comes down to one of dev time. It’s likely that they have decided that Pochven does not necessarily warrant dev time more than other things in EVE, and they are likely accurate in this assessment considering that Pochven is a small percentage of the game.

However, Pochven does have outsized effects on the rest of the game, and dev time is definitely warranted when it comes to addressing some of these things.

Main causes of the issues:

1. Lack of attention - CCP has (my impression, I don’t sit outside their office listening to what they talk about) barely paid attention to the region outside of the recent shadow war event. The Observatory Flashpoint cooldown bug fix/change was a great example of how to not fix Pochven.

2. Lack of variety - The main money-makers in Pochven are very formulaic in nature and have been mostly ‘solved’. This is what has led to the proliferation of cheaper drone comps which abuse the region’s isk potential to the max. The main change that had the potential to change this dynamic (HAC nerf) did not touch the Ishtar at all, which is the main offender.

3. Triglavian supremacy - This could be considered an add-on to point #2, but the whole EDENCOM vs Triglavian dynamic was originally sold as a conflict with consequences. Siding with EDENCOM or the Triglavians was a huge deal during the invasions, and now there are literally no reasons that I can think of to stay positive standings with EDENCOM other than to cheese Observatory Flashpoints or travel through EDENCOM systems in high-sec.

This issue is something I could talk about at length, but the lack of real choice or incentive to go against the grain is a huge issue for Pochven in my opinion. I also feel bad for the people who sided with EDENCOM during the invasions and are now locked out of one of the best money-makers/content sources in the game with no restitution from CCP at all (no docking in NPC stations with negative Trig standing).

Outside of Pochven:

I alluded to this in my first post, but I feel like null-sec needs a shakeup - not in the forced way that I see a lot of people talk about - but in an organic way through mechanical incentives. There are mechanics that disproportionately benefit large and entrenched groupings of players and dissuade smaller groups from attempting to coalesce into something relevant. The lack of real conflict between the blocs prevents anyone from being disruptive as well - just look at the Southeastern part of the map.

[Melicien_Tetro]

That preface is very responsible. I don’t think it’s the CSM’s duty to come in saying THIS IS WHAT I’M GOING TO CHANGE. You might have key issues that you have intimate technical knowledge on, but promising to change something is just irresponsible.

I feel like 1 and 2 are almost “platform” stances, if you could say that, but 3 is a really thoughtful answer.
@Prospektor_Schipplock
What things do yall need? Also, consider giving this nice fellow a vote on your ballot. He considered your interests unprompted.

[Rhett_Schouten]

@Kontan_Rekor

This is a weird question, as there’s lots that I think should continue to exist. Maybe the easiest answer for me is Pochven. I would like for regions like Pochven to have a place in EVE, even if the current state of the region is not ideal.

It is a weird question, and you gave a great answer. This question is really asking you what you value about the game and the answer you gave is Pochven, that might seem like a weird thing to say because you have Pochven. However, sometimes we don’t know what’s important to us until it’s threatened or taken away. By asking you what exists that you’d like to see keep existing I learn what’s important to you and what you’ll fight to protect.

I’ve noticed that Pochven is important to a number players and I’ve also noticed that within the player group that thinks it important there’s general consensus that it needs some development work. Good luck with you on that challenge.

@Kontan_Rekor

but I will also add that more instanced PvE like ESS reserve key sites and abyssals should probably not be expanded upon.

These play opportunities are my Pochven, so I’m hoping that there’s some representation for continuing expanding on improving these game elements. Perhaps the points of transition need improvement so that instanced content feels more integrated into the non-instanced aspects of the game. There are of course people who don’t see how that’s possible but then again there are people who do. After all is said and done, how satisfying is it to chomp up a deliciously fattened high level abyssal runner as they exit the abyss back into space. Of course we don’t have to agree on this particular detail.

@Kontan_Rekor

the whole ‘roles’ section of managing a corporation is really confusing at first.

Tell me about it right! Some good solutions have been offered by other candidates, it takes a village after all. Good Luck and thanks for your replies.

[Rhett_Schouten]

@Kontan_Rekor

1. Triglavian supremacy - This could be considered an add-on to point #2, but the whole EDENCOM vs Triglavian dynamic was originally sold as a conflict with consequences. Siding with EDENCOM or the Triglavians was a huge deal during the invasions, and now there are literally no reasons that I can think of to stay positive standings with EDENCOM other than to cheese Observatory Flashpoints or travel through EDENCOM systems in high-sec.

This issue is something I could talk about at length, but the lack of real choice or incentive to go against the grain is a huge issue for Pochven in my opinion. I also feel bad for the people who sided with EDENCOM during the invasions and are now locked out of one of the best money-makers/content sources in the game with no restitution from CCP at all (no docking in NPC stations with negative Trig standing).

This is a lost opportunity and potential conflict driver