Hi, I’m Progodlegend, some of you may know me as one of the head FCs for the PAPI coalition right now, but I’ve been doing the big block FC thing for a long time.
I started playing in 2007, and after doing some high sec wars got my first real test of large fleet warfare when faction warfare was introduced. From there my corporation joined the CVA block and I quickly became one of the block FCs for them just before the war with -A- started. That was 2009, and I’ve been leading full 256 person fleets ever since, with only a few six month breaks sprinkled in. After the war in provi and a brief stint with Gentlemen’s Club that allowed me to experience MAX 2, I decided to start my own alliance in August of 2010. When I started Nulli Secunda, it was just my corp and a few others, and we were lucky to get thirty in fleet. But I had decided early on to instill a concept of uniform fleet doctrines, something that was still not widely adopted around EVE, and the rigidness and discipline that required set the tone for our culture. Within a year we were major members of the Southern Coalition, beating Morsus Mihi and Razor Alliance and other well known names that had dominated EVE’s first decade. We would go on to fight many wars, winning and losing our fair share, until eventually we would form N3 coalition alongside NCdot. N3 coalition would go on to own half the universe for over a year, and fought the Halloween war against Goons and Stain Co., which was the largest war until this one we’re fighting currently. During this time I was elected to CSM8 and CSM9 as a candidate specialized in nullsec warfare.
Eventually as I finished college I took a break from EVE and left Nulli for six months while doing so. Upon coming back, I decided to take Durr’s offer to come run TEST’s military with Vily, and one of the first things I did was convince them to accept Lenny’s contract to invade Goons in what would become World War Bee. Since then TEST has survived moving across the galaxy, and grown to lead one of the three main blocks in this game. Last year I held the first meetings to put together the PAPI coalition, and was one of the primary drivers in pushing for this current war, which is by far the largest war ever fought in EVE history.
It has been twelve years since I first led a full 256 person sniper battleship fleet against -A-, and ever since then EVE has been essentially the only video game I played regularly. I’ve been a major fleet commander in almost every single war this game has had for more than a decade. I’ve done this while also leading top alliances, making decisions about logistics, handling drama, and all the other thankless jobs that come with it.
In a nutshell, I’m an expert in how the largest player groups in this game function, create content, and sustain themselves over the years. I created a major alliance from nothing, and to prove it wasn’t a fluke I also took an established alliance at one of their lowest points and returned them to glory. I’ve personally started quite a few of the game’s major wars over the years, and led large fleets and large alliances in the ones I didn’t start. I can count the number of EVE players who have similar experience using just my fingers.
My experience was enough to get me elected to the CSM eight years ago, but I haven’t run for a while, so why now? While EVE has always had it’s issues, I’ve grown increasingly disturbed by the recent trend of CCP’s updates. There have been plenty of good changes, but the overall theme of the last two years has been one of punishment. I understand the reasons behind some of CCP’s decisions, but the manner in which they’ve pushed them out gives me the sense that CCP view their players as the enemy. The critical changes with little warning, the concept of scarcity with a vague promise that “this is only temporary and it’s for your own good”, the constant frustration from half baked mechanics, and the uncertainty over where all of this will end up, all of this has added up and put EVE in one of the most confused spots it’s ever been in. Almost all of the changes over these past few years have had the effect of making it harder for content creators to create content. The people who build ships, move them, and the commanders who use them, have all seen their gameplay get more tedious and confusing over the past few years, and I’m not sure if we’ve gained enough to justify this forced contrition.
Years ago, CCP Seagull stated that her primary goal was to support the “enablers” of this game, which was just her word for content creators. This was the correct approach, but CCP has obviously forgotten this mantra, and they now seem determined to disrupt the gameplay of Seagull’s “enablers” wherever they can. While I can understand this instinct and there is some merit to shaking things up, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. If I’m lucky enough to be elected to the CSM a third time, my goal is to provide feedback that gives CCP the confidence they need to balance the game while also empowering it’s content creators. There are few people who know as well as I do what causes a major player group to decide to go to war, with all of the logistics, planning, and risks that come with it. My ultimate goal is to help influence CCP to get back on track to allowing corporation and alliance leaders to feel like it’s actually worth it to take some risks again.
This current war between PAPI and Goons has shown everyone the limits of these game mechanics. Let’s make sure that CCP learns the right lessons and makes real tangible progress that allows us to enjoy EVE for many years to come. I’m willing to lend my expertise towards this goal one more time.
Thanks for your consideration!
