The Oz for CSM 18

Council Of Stellar Management CSM Campaigns
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TLDR / Summary

Proven and respected EVE markets and economy expert — Completely independent without any alliance influence or committments — Purely focused on making the game better — Years of experience discussing issues with CCP, CSM members, and expert players on my Twitch show and podcast — Trusted leader of one of the largest Discord communities in the game.

If you would rather watch something than read this, this FanFest presentation shows exactly what i am about.

Quick intro about me outside of the game:

  • I am 42, married with children, currently living in Germany
  • I have been fortunate to get the chance to live in the US for 10 years, South America for 8 years, Australia for three years and the rest in Europe
  • Professionally, I have spent fifteen years in financial analysis and management consulting and now manage a market data analysis business

My EVE Online story:

I started playing EVE in 2004 and was immediately fascinated by the largely player run game economy and market. Since day one, I have been analyzing the markets, devising strategies - and yes, also creating lots of spreadsheets - to gain an advantage over others and make that ISK. While trading has always been my focal point, I have dabbled in most parts of EVE at some point. Like most of us, I took some longer breaks from the game but was always drawn back in.

In 2020, I started streaming markets and trading content on Twitch, which over the past three years has turned into:

  • A markets and trading focused Discord server with 6,000 EVE players (one of the largest in the game)
  • Development of a public trading spreadsheet, which has helped thousands of new traders learn the ropes
  • Presenting on the FanFest main stage about the EVE economy and my trading tools
  • My trading guides being used in the EVE academy
  • Regular interviews with CCP developers and EVE players from all corners of New Eden as well as frequently guest hosting the official CCP Twitch channel
  • A weekly EVE market insights podcast (“The Oz Report”) and a “Shark Tank” like game show where I invest all of my ISK back into projects that benefit the EVE community in some way (“The Oz Tank”)
  • And finally, running EVE’s largest public investment fund valued at over 3 trillion ISK

Going forward, my main mission is to turn this beloved game into the best verison of itself to attract and retain new players and vets alike and thereby securing its future.

My areas of expertise:

  1. I have a very clear grasp of the EVE economy and the drivers that impact it. I have publicly proven this on countless occasions (e.g. watch my FanFest presentation or various analyses on YouTube) and am already one of the experts CCP goes to when it comes to market changes and impacts.
  2. I already discuss and debate the EVE economy with CCP, CSM members, and other EVE players on my show and within my Discord community daily. I understand the expectations, goals, and fears of the various subgroups within EVE and still learn something new from them every day.
  3. I have built some of the most effective and complex market spreadsheets in EVE by using various parts of the API. These sheets have been analyzed by CCP with my permission in the past to better understand the trading playstyle. Many of them are being used by thousands of players across EVE.
  4. I work together with third-party developers (e.g. Adam4Eve, Mokaam.DK) to improve the available tools and liase with CCP around their challenges, which affords me valuable insights into that part of EVE.

What qualities set me apart from other candidates?

  1. I am as independent as you can be in Eve. I am not active in any big alliances or corporations and my complete focus is the health of the game. Through my stream and guides I help new players understand and be successful in the game. I invest a lot of personal time into this as I think it is crucial for the overall health of the game. I am also too rich to be able to be influenced since I have more ISK than I would ever need.
  2. I am a hardcore realist because I understand what it means to run a profitable business in the real world. And in the end, that’s what EVE online is to CCP and Pearl Abyss. So I will not waste my and subsequently your time chasing unrealistic measures or campaigns. I will focus on action items that make sense for both sides.
  3. Having lived on four continents for at least three years each, my extremely international background will allow me to seamlessly connect with players around the world to pool their feedback and effectively serve on the multi cultural institution that is the CSM.

Why am I applying for the CSM?

I love this game and want to play it for many more years. So I want to do my part to ensure that will be possible. While CCP has taken some steps in the right direction lately, I still think there is quite a long way to go and part of that is rebalancing the economy and larger ecosystem, something I have very deep expertise in. I want to help get it there and bring the experience and knowledge to do so. These are two examples of topics I think need to be tackled and that I would make my priority on the CSM:

  1. All signs point towards a serious lack of communication between the business side of CCP and EVE game developers. Reckless sales implemented without consideration for the in-game economy and therefore endangering this vulnerable ecosystem, desperate revenue initiatives that threaten the very soul of what EVE is, and many more. We need to send a loud and clear message that if they continue on this path, there won’t be a player based left to monetize.
  2. EVE desperately needs more meaningful encounters. As long as NPSI and aimless “roaming” are necessary (and I realize that they are) because there are no real conflict drivers, CCP isn’t doing their job. They can’t keep solely relying on players to create the content that makes EVE great. The Faction Warfare expansion was a good start to getting people to fight over something semi-meaningful again, but players should also be fighting over resources and space because they actually mean something, not be forced to resort to just the size of killmails.

What can players expect from me?

  • Expect me to to listen to the player base and consider all sides of an issue before making up my mind and arguing for a position.
  • Expect me to be humble towards the player base in light of the big task that you will have given me while confidently stepping up to CCP to effectively communicate our opinions at eye level.
  • Expect me to always come prepared with arguments and a presentation because I will treat this appointment as professionally as I would treat any other important job.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this and for considering me as your candidate for CSM 18. If you would like to reach out you can find me here or in game:

Twitch: OZ_Eve 29

All my social links: Oz — Bio Site

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Wanted to state my support for Oz as a CSM candidate.

Oz is someone with extensive and proven experience and expertise not just with the in-game economy itself but also the requirements and challenges of a real world business and real world financial management.

His previous content demonstrates his ability to levelheadedly and thoroughly analyze and discuss the reasoning behind, effects of, and benefits/shortcomings of various changes to both the in game economy and CCP as a business.

I wholeheartedly believe Oz would be one of the most beneficial candidates for the health of the game as a whole, and as a neutral party, one that would work for the benefit of the entire game, not an individual group or area of space.

If the health and longevity of EvE is of any importance to you, vote for Oz!

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I cannot recommend Oz enough (and not only because he mentioned my tool, thanks Oz <3)

He has a deep understanding of the underlying economics of the game, something I feel has been sorely lacking from both the CSM and CCP. The few people we have had in the CSM with something of that knowledge have all been from the blocks and thus lacks the independency which is just as important in this type of thing.

We absolutely need an independent expert in the EVE economics on the CSM rather than just another block candidate.

On top of that he has a proven record of putting the community first, which is also often overlooked in the CSM elections.

As always, when Oz is running, I will put my first vote on him and recommend everyone else to do the same.

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I would trust this dude my ISK, so I would trust him my vote.

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A good choice for a candidate. Will be able to speak an entirely different language (economics) than the other members.

I would love to be on a council with him.

m

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What a chad!

I’ve only recently returned to EvE and have only dabbled in trading and economics, but I’ve been watching Oz’s stream and content the past half a year and I can say that he is consistent and he really means to help the community.

Apart from that, I’ve seen him communicate and influence CCP. I remember it was in one of his streams when he discussed the issue of someone placing a POS in Perimeter that was named very similarly to the “Tranquility Trading Center” but had the outrageous 50% broker fee, just so that people get baited and mistakenly put a sell/buy order that would ruin them. He called out CCP and explained to them that this is not a reasonable mechanic and that someone could be financially ruined by making a mistake like this and stop playing because of this and such incidents that can be entirely avoided is not healthy for the community. Soon after that, CCP patched it so that you can no longer put huge broker fees on POS-es. This is one small example that I personally followed.

I am sure Oz has also contributed a lot more in other regards, so I am just sharing this one testimony that I personally witnessed, so that I can make the case that in a format like CSM, it’s good to have non-partisan members with huge economy experience (in-game and IRL) that CCP listen to!

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Surely a rather unique but beneficial skill set a CSM candidate can have. The Oz is very likely to have a place on my personal ballot.

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Wow. Based on this support already, I’m looking forward to you your contributions on CSM 18.

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Thank you, Mike. Best of luck for you. You will be on my ballot as well!

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I do hope you get in Oz and I will be voting for you.

…but, I have to ask, considering you already have a huge exposure to us players by eve standards and as you openly state already have open two way advisory communications with CCP. What extra boon do you think being on the CSM will grant you?

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Excellent question, thank you!

The big difference is that at the moment the feedback opportunities from me to CCP is unstructured and without much accountability on CCPs end. I am not part of the structured discussion that takes part between the CSM and CCP and thus I am not there to infuse my arguments and expertise when it truly matters and CCP has at least commited to “listening” (if not acting on it). The combined impact of the CSM after a discussion has taken place is much larger than my individual voice as a standalone.

Of course, neither situation means that CCP will actually do what the CSM or I say, but the chance to engage in a meaningful 2-way discussion is much higher on the CSM.

Makes sense?

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It does indeed. Thanks.

Since I have played there has been several common themes but one of them has been an apparent lack of in game knowledge the marketing team seem to have in regards to items/packs for sale for real cash and the effect that has on the in game economy, what advise would you give CCP when it comes to
monetization should that come up?

I also wondered what you felt about pulling Plex off the in game market entirely and having its own dedicated area for in game trade/sale. Something that’s always bothered me as someone that works a lot in RL and has to already pay a lot of real world tax, to purchase Plex from the online store there is more tax (VAT) then to sell that in game I have to pay more tax in the form of fees. I know you have some thoughts on Plex so what are your thoughts on the in game fees to sell it on the player market or contracts?

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I only found Oz on YouTube a couple months as well. I did not expect him to run but Oz is definitely going to the top of my ballet. Oz seems like a perfect person to have on the CMS

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@The_Oz Serious question here… What do you bring to the game?

I mean, you never undock. You don’t produce anything. All you do is push up market prices so that the average EVE player has to pay a little bit more for their equipment, and the slight markup goes to line your already wealthy pockets.

But what does your game style actually bring to the game?

My answer would be absolutely nothing. Your game play does not help EVE to become a better place.

Just my two cents as a disinterested observer.

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Pecunia Infinita

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Realism. His play style brings realism. Farmers, Artisans, Warriors, Merchants, and Kings.

Besides contradicting yourself, the fact that you aren’t able to discern how hundreds of players fuelling trade between markets, moving money and goods around New Eden, and filling the coffers of Eve’s great powers, influences the game, is more telling of your narrow understanding of how the world works than it is an indictment of Oz’s contribution.

TTT was just destroyed and you’re scratching your head trying to figure out the importance of market trading in Eve?

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The value I would bring to the CSM I list above in my post.

The value that the trading playstyle brings to the game is liquidity and convenience to all players. Tranlsation: Without traders, the markets would be moving much slower and it would take the average player much longer to turn their assets into ISK and vice versa. We also seed regional market hubs, making goods more conveniently available to all players. The “profits” you frown upon are the payment for this service. Just like any other playstyles.

On me personally, I am definitely in the top 10% producers if you compare me to the rest of the playerbase, so wha the hell are you talking about.

My tax haven corp is one of the largest non-affiliated corps in the game (top 20).

I find the fact that you are trying to forbid traders to play a sandbox game in a particular way quite ironic. There are a myriad of more “harmful” playstyles to the ecosystem.

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I don’t think you would enjoy an EVE without traders. Who do you think buys your loot or your PI products when you sell them in Jita? Who do you think stocks that shield booster you need?

Traders don’t make things more expensive, they make them cheaper, because traders compete with each other to force the market into equilibrium. You see this with low volume items that are not traded frequently, their prices are extremely volatile.

Without traders the markets in EVE wouldn’t function, and if the markets didn’t function the economy and the game itself would be thrown into disarray.

Aside from the actual trading, Oz is one of the most prominent content creators for the game and clearly does more for it than the average player.

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On me personally, I am definitely in the top 10% producers if you compare me to the rest of the playerbase, so wha the hell are you talking about.

I was under the impression that you did not build anything. You are merely a middleman. If I am incorrect in this understanding then I apologize.

I find the fact that you are trying to forbid traders to play a sandbox game in a particular way quite ironic. There are a myriad of more “harmful” playstyles to the ecosystem.

I am not trying to “forbid” anything. You are saying that you would like to be a representative for the EVE playerbase. I am questioning your ability to truly be representative of the Playerbase given that you do not engage in 90% of the gameplay.

I can admit that you have a wealth of knowledge about one aspect of the game. But EVE is an exceptionally complex game. To the degree that you understand the marketing aspect of the game, there are a dozen other areas that are equally as complex to which you are completely inexperienced.

Pretending like this is not a valid concern for any player voting for you only demonstrates your hubris @The_Oz .

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You misunderstand. I have no issue with traders. I understand that they are healthy for the game.

I am concerned about a player that does not participate in any other aspect of the game. It leads to narrow opinions about the game when you are not experiencing any other aspect of the game. He can only speak to a single aspect of the game. Granted in that one area he is extremely gifted. But there are so many aspects of this game that are broken and need CCP attention. How is OZ going to effectively champion any other cause outside the narrow sliver of the game with which he interacts?

Aside from the actual trading, Oz is one of the most prominent content creators for the game and clearly does more for it than the average player.

I do agree with you here. OZ does have a reach outside of game. That is definitely a good thing. I just don’t see how having him on the CSM enhances that in any way.

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