o7 pilots,
I’m Kshal Aideron, founder of EVE Rookies and the new CEO of Wormlife.
Over my 5.5 years of playing Eve, I’ve focused on building stronger communities. Even before founding Eve Rookies, I was active across Eve’s online spaces encouraging players to undock and join the new player roams I FC’d.
Today, EVE Rookies is 4500 players strong and standing up 100+ fleets a month while helping over a thousand players a year experience content in every corner of New Eden.
That brings me to CSM20. My campaign boils down to one mission:
“Getting players to undock.”
Let’s face it. If players don’t undock ships, there’s no content. If there’s no content, we’re all going to be in the safety of our hangers spinning our ships.
Why Vote for Me
Look, Null will always have representation on the CSM. At least half of the 12 seats will go to block-backed players, and that makes sense! Null has the largest population and needs voices for CCP’s vision of that space.
But what happens when CCP decides to touch areas of the game nobody from Null has played since starting in EVE? Or haven’t touched for over a decade? That’s where lack of perspective becomes a problem for the rest of New Eden.
That’s where I come in. I get players to undock.
Through EVE Rookies (and now Wormlife), I help shape and maintain a fleet schedule of 100+ fleets a month. I partner with smaller groups so they are able to undock more often. I even work with individuals who come in to learn the content so they can turn around and build content for other communities (i.e. incursions in null sec).
So while my expertise over the past 5 years is the new player experience, as well as building strong communities, I also bring something broader. The general player experience.
I talk to players across highsec, lowsec, wormholes, markets and even Pochven and null and do my best to bring their voices forward to be heard.
Where I’ve Come From
I’ve been running for CSM since CSM17, and with each campaign I’ve grown alongside the communities I serve:
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CSM17: “The Newbro Candidate”
I ran on a platform entirely focused on new player experience. My goal then was to make sure rookies had a voice on the council. -
CSM18: “NPE, Community, Accessibility”
By then, E Rookies had grown, and I started pushing for broader inclusivity and accessibility in EVE. -
CSM19: “NPE, Community, Inclusion”
I ran on new player experience, community and inclusion within EVE itself, themes that are very much part of the player I am today.
Now, with CSM20, I’m tying everything I’ve stood for into a single call to action: getting players out of station and into space. I want players to try something new, meet friends and find enjoyment in this game we love.
What “Undocking” Means
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Lowering barriers for new players so their first undock is exciting, not terrifying.
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Making fleets accessible across all scales — not just massive blocs, but casual, public, and small-gang groups.
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Getting tools to communities who create content, so it’s easier to bring players together.
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Ensuring variety so both new and veteran players have reasons to keep logging in.
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Reducing toxicity so players feel welcome in every corner of EVE.
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Bridging solo and group play so players can transition naturally from “me” to “we.”
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Pushing quality-of-life changes so friction doesn’t keep people docked.
Stories That Shape My Perspective
In 5.5 years of game play, it’s safe to say I’ve probably done more than most players. From standing up a community of over 4500 players from under 10 to presenting at EVE events multiple times and even serving on the CSM.
I just want to give a few different tidbits that have shaped my perspective of EVE and the communities and players I’ve met along the way.
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Letting leadership lead. When it came time to move EVE Rookies into HQ (headquarter) incursions, I set the framework, gathered the tools and my leadership team ran with it. Even during my term on CSM18, they kept the community moving forward while I was less active. Knowing that I’ve built a team that loves this community as much as I do is one of my proudest achievements.
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Core values in action. Since the day that we came up with the Core Values for EVE Rookies, I’ve had players tell me how comfortable they feel in the community. Some overcame anxiety to become FCs. Some started speaking in voice comms for the first time. Others made it a goal to join just one fleet a month. These may seem small, but for those players, it’s a huge step!
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My first NPSI fleet. That was the moment I started “getting” EVE. I saw players thrive by showing new pilots how to PvP and their enthusiasm was contagious. I wasn’t thinking about running a big community back then but the experience certainly planted a seed for my community building.
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Crisis and resilience: Early on, one of our leaders provided most of the ships for our incursion fleets. When we updated our doctrine, they disagreed and left - taking 20+ billion ISK worth of ships with them. We had a fleet scheduled that night. Instead of folding, our members came together. People donated ships, others chipped in ISK, and we got enough hulls staged to undock.
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Growing future leaders: Today, EVE Rookies has over 100 ambassadors, FCs, and teachers living our Core Values. Many of them go on to run fleets in their corps and alliances, or become directors, SIG leaders, diplomats, even CEOs. I don’t see that as competition. I see it as proof that we’re growing the next generation of leaders across EVE.
EVE is at its best when people undock, take risks, and have stories to tell. That’s what I’ve dedicated my time in this game to, and that’s the perspective I’ll bring to the CSM.
If you believe in a healthier, more vibrant EVE where players of all levels can find reasons to fly, I’d be honored to have your vote for CSM20.
o7
Kshal Aideron