Something is stirring in Providence. The core alliance that made Providence the well-known NRDS (Not Red Don’t Shoot, for you youngsters) region that it has been for a huge chunk of two decades has made a return to the region.
It’s interesting to see that this happens in parallel with the funny “war” in the south and southeast of the map, aimed at opening at least a region for new groups to settle in and grow as nullsec entities without the burden of being mere renters. Both moves on the map should make newer corporations and alliances hopeful and interested in carving out their little corner on the map.
As a former provi bloc player, here’s me rooting for CVA to succeed and make Providence meaningful again. The only advice I would dare to give them would be to reset their KOS list after a month or so, lol, and not let it degrade into a high-maintenance perma-red list.
Here’s me also hoping that the big blocs come to their senses and realize that having something like NRDS Providence is good for the game itself - although it may look as if the sov owners live by the grace of the larger blocs, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that.
That would mean that there’s less space for Ishtar and Gila bots, and therefore less money coming in to make the BMW payments on time, so we’re going to have to shelve the idea for now, sorry.
This is good, I support this, however I fear the same fate may eventually happen, unless there is an agreement with the major alliances to allow it to exist, and maybe even protect its status.
It can be like a protected Nature Reserve where solo players and noobies are able to RUN FREE in null sec, without being mauled by a lion.
As housing needs funding and defense now with outposts gone, this won’t happen likely. Unless a big bloc decides to cultivate some kill farming ground (which Provi was in the old days).
There used to be a public database allowing people to look up reds, so anyone could choose to adhere to NRDS. Is that still around?
I, too, miss the diverse ecosystem Providence used to harbour, and the utopian dream that underpinned Project Deliverance.
I found it to be my top motivator to play Eve Online - as did many people, with wildly differing playstyles.
A return of NRDS might entice me to undock and head back to lowsec/null.
Today, again, I found myself wondering how CVA fares, I went to dotlan and was exalted to see them holding sov again, in the region they have been claiming for the Empress for so long.
Health issues, and the care for my demanding cats, had kept me from trying to help out in their Odyssey, and I felt guilty over that.
EvE pilots have very long memories, and some (like Provi Bloc) have very long histories. Some of those histories are dragged along and brought back up at many occasions - on alliance level and, as in your case (which is very recognizable, btw, and of course you are right in my opinion) on a personal level. That never makes it any easier to continue with a very challenging way of playing sov-EvE, across alliances and individuals within a coalition.
… or in a discussion about the value of having something like an NRDS region, Providence in this case - with CVA at its centre because they were the originators of the first initiative.
One thing is certain: a few challenging problems would have to be looked at afresh, and the bulk of the old solutions ditched…
NRDS is not manageable from a position of weakness and relative poverty (foregoing a meaningful cap fleet is probably as dumb as it sounds, to put it bluntly, it made eviction even more likely as history has shown more than a few times)
NRDS space is probably not manageable without the consent and active support from the biggest coalitions, if you don’t plan to be big.
NRDS relies heavily on goodwill, so it needs to give back to the majority of sov-EvE something meaningful in the long run.
NRDS is meaningless if the combination of standings and KOS listings puts the majority of players and groups on “enemy” status quasi permanently.
Yes, those are morning coffee thoughts.
I’m not suggesting that Providence should be NRDS space, or that an NRDS region should be lead by CVA (I don’t know of any announcements they made on the subject).
But I am suggesting that having some sort of NRDS principle could prove very valuable to the game, by making at least one part of it look less challenging, more welcoming and accessible, more relaxed even and more adventurous - a true try-out zone for player groups that will be here for the next decade(s).
How anyone can solve the few challenges I listed, our best shot at this moment would be CVA: they have the experience, the history, the memory, the original concept, perhaps the contacts and, to their merit, at least they never sided with any of the larger coalitions who hastened the end of the NRDS initiative, which can’t be said of all members of the former Provi Bloc.
Provi was the main kill farming ground for roaming fleets back then. I doubt reenacting a concept which was popular outside of Povi mainly because of abusing its flaws will work nowadays. You can’t repeat history, it was a unique experiment which consequently failed due to the nature and evolution of EvE.
That didn’t threaten the existence of the NRDS region itself - only attacks via sov mechanisms do, which have nothing to do with roaming fleets and guudfights but everything with power, wealth and contacts.
Provi welcomed roaming fleets - in fact we were not allowed to do anything that would chase the guudfights away, lol. KPB7-G used to be in the top 10 list of violent nullsec systems every day for years. It was fun for us, and much needed training for our newer members,
“It can’t be done” is not a point. The concept is as valid now as it was at its origin. That KOS list however… perhaps a Suspect list would have been a more workable solution. Don’t shoot until shot at sortofthing because “not RED”. And the only way to become RED would/should be by attacking the sovereignty.
I don’t think this will turn into something big and interesting. There are just too many “new” in game mechanics which promoting different game paths. Even Thera and its Eve-Scout group isn’t so fascinating with these new “jump-filaments” and Pochven routine.
Looks like that’s a “Cannibal war” to absorb renters and ‘krabbers’ from smaller alliances. It’s a new Meta and I have no idea how CCP will fix this “boomer” situation. I’m not sure, because I wasn’t an active player lately, but Dotlan data say so. It’s hard to say who initiated the war (or who was interested into it), but looks like they are settling “decorations” for future war, which can happen in Drone lands or nearby regions. As a new group I would not like to settle between those “decorations”. I’ll not be surprised that at next FanFest, or in a patch, they’ll introduce the Drone NPC stations
How anyone can solve the few challenges I listed, our best shot at this moment would be CVA
CCP could make NRDS more manageable, and either bring outposts back, or add NPC stations.
My experience leaves me under the impression they don’t care, and are enclined to make the Eve universe as Machiavellian as possible.
I believe they do a disservice to the game that way, as NRDS has proven to appeal to a broader, more diverse range of players, and gives them an alternative to blobbing up in huge blocs (in a similar way to how NPSI allows unaffiliated players to experience some fleet based PVP action).
