Hello New Eden!
My name is Jay Cee Ormand, and I’m fresh meat. But not for your ship cannons—I’m fresh meat for the CSM, an institution that for far too long has seen the exact same faces, over and over again.
EVE Online has over two decades of history behind it—it has officially come of age. After over 23 years, many players who started in the early days are now retirees or close to retirement. A massive generational shift is taking place among the player base, and we urgently need an equally profound shift in how the game is represented and developed. We need mature, grounded people to face the challenges of the years to come.
Over the past few months, we have actively pushed our recruitment efforts and achieved solid results. The new members joining us have an average age of 30. They are seasoned players with years of experience in other online MMORPGs who are now eager to discover the depth and beauty that New Eden has to offer.
They all have very active real lives—families, careers, and personal commitments. They are looking for a game that allows them to relax, an environment where they can chat with corp mates, meet new people, and build genuine friendships. Just like the younger generation does today on social platforms and across other online gaming communities.
These new players—who represent the actual future of this game—have zero interest in spending their entire lives inside EVE. Because of that, sovereignty mechanics simply do not matter to them. And let’s be honest and say it out loud: sovereignty space is completely locked down by massive blocs. Becoming a leader in those structures, let alone establishing your own independent sov space, is practically a pipe dream.
So, what can these new players actually find interesting in EVE? Will they become executives in some massive null-sec alliance? Highly unlikely. Will they become gankers? Maybe, but let’s be honest: ganking is a repetitive, dead-end playstyle that quickly loses its charm and offers zero long-term engagement.
What’s left for them? Becoming miners, industrialists, traders, and explorers.
Naturally, they will refine their skills in High-Sec first, and then—maybe—eventually transition into Low-Sec or Null-Sec. But with the current level of danger, friction, and harassment present in those lawless regions today, that transition is either painfully slow or completely frozen.
Unfortunately, as things stand today, the resources available in High-Sec seem tailored exclusively for Alpha clones—who were originally meant as an entry step toward Omega status and the lawless regions of New Eden.
If we want to make this game attractive and rewarding for new players right from their very first days, we need to rethink the fundamentals and give them a sense of progression and accomplishment that is currently almost impossible to achieve in High-Sec.
Countless players—including seasoned veterans—choose to play in High-Sec, only to be met with a bleak scarcity of resources. And the few resources that are available in High-Sec are poor, depleted, and barely profitable.
We must rethink High-Sec as a truly safe harbor for new players, as well as for veterans who simply don’t want the headaches of lawless space. We need to provide them with real opportunities to build wealth, engage in high-value trade, discover rewarding exploration sites, and thrive in an environment tailored for economic growth.
Here is what needs to change:
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Enrich High-Sec Resources: Increase resource abundance and make mining in High-Sec genuinely valuable again.
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Empower Healthy Industry: Provide accessible, profitable tools and infrastructure for local manufacturing and processing.
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End the Ganking Plague: Put a stop to relentless grief-ganking that destroys player retention before new pilots even get started.
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Open Dynamic Trade Routes: Establish functional, rewarding economic pipelines between High-Sec, Low-Sec, and Null-Sec.
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Introduce Local High-Sec Sovereignty: Allow small, independent groups to hold and develop localized stakes or authority within High-Sec systems.
There is a pressing need to stop treating EVE Online like a second full-time job and start turning it into an enjoyable, rewarding environment for everyone, regardless of where they reside in New Eden.
As the CEO of an industrial and mining corporation, my members ask me questions every single day:
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“Why can’t I launch and control more than 5 drones?”
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“Why can’t I own one or two planets in High-Sec?”
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“Why can’t my corporation run Planetary Interaction collectively as an entity?”
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“Why can’t we use automated moon drills here?”
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“Why am I getting blown up while simply mining a rock?”
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“Why do the minerals I spent 3 hours extracting yield so few ISK?”
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“Why do I have to wait 6 months of skill training just to pilot a specific ship?”
What am I supposed to answer them?
What answer am I supposed to give to players who genuinely want to stay in this game, but realize day by day that their prospects are shrinking unless they go do PvP in Low-Sec/Null-Sec or bow down to a massive sovereignty coalition?
I ask all of you today: give a clear, simple, and deeply convincing answer to these questions.
Don’t get me wrong—welcome to the players who want to jump straight into Low-Sec or Null-Sec! Welcome to those who want immediate PvP and fleet wars! But the clear, undeniable fact is that more and more players want to stay in High-Sec and achieve meaningful satisfaction comparable to those other regions.
We must give a major, courageous push to High-Sec from every single angle. Because these new and independent players are the true soul of this game—they are the ones who will keep New Eden alive, not the old guard alone. We must have the courage to satisfy those—whether veterans or new players—who choose High-Sec as their home.
1. Your EVE Online Story
I have been playing EVE Online for over eight years, spending my entire career immersed in the world of industrial gameplay, fleet operations, and corporate leadership.
I am the CEO of STeMCO - Small Trade and Mining Co., a group of miners, industrialist pilots, and traders. Over the years, I have built, managed, and protected real industrial infrastructure—from operating complex Planetary Interaction networks across multiple systems, to managing multi-structure industrial hubs (including building a 100 billion ISK industrial hub in High-Sec), organizing command-boosted mining fleets operating under a strict anti-ganking protocol developed directly within my corp, and coordinating daily logistics with Blockade Runners and Jump Freighters.
Beyond corporate leadership and industrial management, my passion for this universe led me to write and publish on Amazon a novel inspired by true events that took place entirely within High-Sec—a story rooted in our corporation’s history, the daily lives of miners, and the bonds built within New Eden. For me, High-Sec isn’t just a place to refine ore; it is a vibrant space rich in stories, camaraderie, and human experiences that deserve to be celebrated and protected.
While we operated independently for years, we recently joined an alliance (Cat Scratch Fevers) that fully shares our core philosophy: EVE Online must not become a second full-time job. It should offer genuine satisfaction and progress during the time we can dedicate to it, without demanding that we sacrifice our real lives, families, or personal commitments.
Whether navigating regional markets, establishing hub structures, or managing diplomatic agreements, my goal has always been the same: ensuring that miners and manufacturers have a safe, profitable, and dignified home in the High-Sec areas of New Eden.
2. Your Areas of Expertise & Required Topics
What qualities set you apart from other candidates?
I bring mature, operational leadership and a real-world perspective. While most candidates focus on PvP fleet mechanics and coalition geopolitics, I bring direct experience in running complex corporate economies, managing resource supply chains, protecting fleets under real threat, and retaining new players who want a balanced, enjoyable game rather than a second full-time job.
Here is my perspective across the key areas outlined by CCP:
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Factional Warfare: I approach FW from the supply chain and economic angle. Active warzones thrive on affordable ship hulls and steady logistics. A healthy industrial foundation is essential to keeping FW pilots supplied and fighting.
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Unstructured PvP: Open-world risk is fundamental to EVE, but non-consensual grief-ganking in High-Sec actively destroys new player retention before pilots can even grasp the game’s depth. Risk should exist, but it must not completely paralyze independent growth.
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Ships, Gameplay, and the HUD: Industrial ships (Barges, Exhumers, Haulers, Industrial Command Ships) require ongoing adjustments to survivability and operational clarity. The UI/HUD should continue to streamline fleet boost management, inventory sorting, and logistics routines to eliminate unnecessary tedious clicks.
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Industry and Markets (Core Expertise): This is my daily gameplay. I understand blueprint manufacturing, refining yields, structure upkeep fees, and regional market distribution. Industry must remain profitable and viable for independent small-to-medium corporations, rather than being monopolized by massive Null-Sec coalitions.
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Sovereignty Management and Logistics: Logistics is the backbone of New Eden. Jump freighter mechanics, fuel costs, and shipping routes dictate market prices everywhere. While big blocs control sovereign space, their economic realities directly impact every single High-Sec miner and manufacturer.
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Highsec and the New-Player Experience (Core Focus): High-Sec is home to thousands of dedicated players, not a sandbox extension or a poaching ground for Null-Sec mega-coalitions. I advocate for strict boundaries or mechanics that prevent Null-Sec sovereignty blocs from invading, dominating, and imposing their corporate politics and raw firepower on High-Sec space. Instead of political interference, we need a functional, two-way economic corridor designed specifically for the flow of raw materials and finished goods. This pipeline will benefit the global economy of New Eden while ensuring that players who choose to stay in High-Sec can manage their own space, structures, and business without external interference from Null-Sec giants. Furthermore, new players shouldn’t be recruited merely as cheap tackle frigates for someone else’s war; they deserve clear progression, valuable local resources, and tools that teach them true financial independence from day one.
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The Connection between EVE Online and EVE Vanguard: Any integration must create a genuine two-way economic bridge. Allowing Vanguard mercenaries to influence planetary logistics or resource extraction could offer exciting opportunities for industrialists, provided it remains balanced and non-punitive.
3. Why are you applying for the CSM?
I am applying because High-Sec industrialists, independent miners, and small-corp CEOs are almost never genuinely represented on the Council.
Year after year, the CSM is dominated by high-profile fleet commanders, null-sec diplomats, and PvP personalities. While their perspectives matter for their playstyles, the daily struggles of the independent miner, local manufacturer, and relaxed player are routinely ignored during developer discussions.
I am running to give a voice to the silent majority—the players who log on after work, mine with their corp mates, manufacture goods for local hubs, and keep the market stocked.
4. What can players expect from you?
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Relentless Advocacy for High-Sec & Industry: I will actively challenge changes that penalize resource gathering, inflate structure costs out of reach for small groups, or treat High-Sec as an afterthought.
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Practical, Common-Sense Feedback: I evaluate game mechanics through a pragmatic operational lens: does this make the game more engaging, or does it turn EVE into an unrewarding second job?
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Open Door & Total Accessibility: My DMs and Discord will always remain open to any miner, industrialist, or small corporation CEO who needs their voice heard by CCP.
Thank you for your time, your trust, and your support!
Jay Cee Ormand
CEO, STeMCO - Small Trade and Mining Co.
Fly safe, mine hard, and protect your fleet. o7