We only get a few rare occasions in life to come across something truly extraordinary, something that at first glance is seemingly mundane, like a simple game, but that over time proves to be something more than that. Something that taps into our inner being and allows us to express ourselves in ways we never thought possible. Something that over time leaves a mark on us and in doing so it transforms us into something more. Something that the French may call a certain… “je ne sais quoi”. I started playing EVE: Online just about three years ago just out of curiosity and it proved to be just that “je ne sais quoi”.
My adventure into EVE: Online started when I accidentally came across an online advertisement telling me about this “Free Online Spaceship Game”. I’ve always been a sci-fi fan, holding close at heart writings like Isaac Asimov’s “The Foundation”, H.G. Wells “The Time Machine” and basically all of Jules Verne’s sci-fi writings, but also cinema works like “2001: A space Odyssey”, “Star Trek”, “Stargate”, “Star Wars”, “The Matrix” and many others. I’ve also played genre oriented games in the past and I fondly remember completing “Homeworld”, “Nexus: The Jupiter Incident” (old one, but I highly recommend it, especially to CCP devs), and “Hegemonia: Legions of Iron”. So when I was presented with the possibility to play a free space-game, alongside other players, I didn’t hesitate. I locked on and pulled the trigger.
I created my first and still my main character (Adrian Vexier) in May of 2017, I played for maybe several hours over the course of several days, but real life obligations and EVE’s steep difficulty made me effectively quit. The character was an Alpha and my main motivation to log on was to explore the game for, would you believe it – it’s graphical eye-candy. That kept me in touch with the game and it was all that was needed. For starters, I didn’t even know what skills were, I was a stubborn maverick and skipped through the tutorial. Fun fact: I haven’t completed the tutorial to this day. Slowly but surely, I began dabbling into mission running, wormhole exploration and mining. Over the next half year, I was an irrelevant capsuleer, suffering a handful of losses to other players and NPC’s. Up until January 2018, in 7 months of playing, I have scored only a single player kill, to 21 losses. Anyone would have been forgiven for betting I would never amount to anything more than a loser in EVE. I learnt about mining, skilled into an exhumer and used to spend time mining blue ice. It was my first stable ISK income and allowed me to buy my first battleship. I would like to note capsuleer Mark O’Helm for organizing and sheparding the ice mining community during this period.
But… starting January 2018, that slowly began to change. I had my first solo kill on the 8’th of January and the second solo kill just a day after that. They were lop-sided victories, battleship vs destroyers, but victories nonetheless. That first taste of victory stirred a craving for glory inside me. A craving that would motivate me throughout the next three years that would follow. I then joined my first corporation, which was a wardec and structure bashing corporation. I kept experimenting and one of these experiments implied trying to out-range a station with a super-sniper Rokh. I pursued this experiment, disregarding fleet doctrine, I lost the Rokh during a siege and was dishonorably discharged and disavowed from the corporation. I was kicked out for “being a noob”. I must admit, that hurt me, I felt betrayed, belittled and humiliated. I was never going to let that happen again… and I would grow so much as to outshine all of my former corp-mates.
Over the next year, I spent my time in exile in the NPC corporation “The Scope”, exploring, experimenting, growing, sharpening my edge. In the process, I became better and better at PvP, scoring increasingly improbable kills and becoming bolder and more brazen by the day. I was still fond of the ice mining community, but I was soon to find out that life is a game of balance and as I was beginning to excel in PvP, that was beginning to get noticed and I was soon expelled from the mining channels and black-listed by the very people I used to mine with. Very well, then… that treatment only served to strengthen my resolve and many of those that gave the cold shoulder would eventually end up as statistics on my zkillboard. Some that know me might remember this journey, as I began baiting, scoring kills on Orcas with a Nereus and soon became known in certain circles as “The Scourge of Elalan” or “The Beast of Everyshore”. Miners began to leave ice fields only at the sight of me landing on grid… and I was only getting started. I would like to note several older baiters that I learnt from: Iliad D’jax and Krig Povelli.
My adventures took me into Null-Sec, where I landed my first entry on a Keepstar kill, on the 11’th of June 2019, in the M-OEE8 solar system, just half-way into my three-year EVE journey, during the Goonswarm Federation incursion in the North, against Northern Coalition. Being on a Keepstar kill felt tremendous, little did I know I would feel that sensation 8 more times since then. Three days after that Keepstar kill, on the 14’th of June 2019, I got a direct invitation from Maded Rift to join “Antiqua Vero” – a corporation part of “The Ancients” – a known NPSI Alliance. This occurrence seemed providential, as in real-live, Stargate is one of my favorite sci-fi shows and The Ancients are a pivotal race in the show’s lore. I didn’t hesitate and accepted the invitation. I like to think that neither Maded nor the current CEO - Lups doesn’t regret doing so, as over the last year and a half I brought a couple of thousand kills and close to 5 trillion in ISK destruction to the corporation zkillboard. I also complemented the zkillboard with every type of player owned station, including every type of faction fortizar, pushing the ante so far as to kill one of each type within 3 hours, on the 13’t of Decembr 2020. In the second part of my three year journey I perfected my baiting and ISK making techniques:
I set-up a Null-Sec warzone infiltration scheme, flowing myself in like a shadow, striking unexpectedly and precisely in front of often entire fleets of enemy combatants, then evaporating like a mist before anyone even notices me. I would like to note a certain capsuleer – Barry Foldar, who, along with several of his friends/ alts repeatedly tried to extirpate me, but to no avail so far. I would also like to note a fellow Null-Sec capsuleer with whom I often positively competed and had much fun in the process – Odyssey 2049.
I set-up a stable and sustainable PI operation in high-sec that brings me between 50 and 60 million ISK per day with next to zero risk and minimal input. I’ve also fully researched, own and regularly use 334 10%/ 20% BPO’s.
I’ve amassed close to 400 billion ISK in cash and assets and trained over 82 million skillpoints.
I’ve missioned up to level 4 agents for several factions, on several toons, which proves to be quite useful especially concerning locator agents.
Notable events I was present at and participated in: the Goonswarm incursion in the North in 2019 – I was there. World War Bee II of 2020 – 2021 (ongoing) – I was there, both in The Fountain, Querious, Period Basis and Delve campaigns. All the Luminaire Snowball Fights since 2018. The triglavian invasion – all chapters – I loved the content and would love more, especially lore. I will also fondly remember the various times I’ve played cat-and mouse against Jason Kusion and his ganking gang in Uedama, while I was and “anti-ganker”, in the days before I turned to “The Dark Side” and adorned the triglavian mask I now wear. Chappy’s Birthday Bash, both the first and the second – I was there.
Over this short period, I have etched my name into New Eden’s history and EVE won a special place in my memory.
I leave a legacy of 3690 kills, 582 of which solo, to 76 losses, most of which in the first “noob” half-year. I have actually had only 4 losses this whole year, to more than 1000 kills. 14.829 kill-points to 387 loss-points and 5.05 trillion ISK in destruction to 10.92 billion ISK in losses and recently becoming the number 1 all-time PvP’er for the system of Aydoteaux – all within 3 years, done with honor and penache.
But most of all, I’ve had a lot of fun, I like to think I provided good fun and content to others and inspired others to also play this game. If you look at my zkillboard’s first 7 months and my in-game track record for that period, you wouldn’t ever guess I would straighten up and become the capsuleer I am today. But time has come to move away. So this is my farewell letter to you all. I thank you for the attendance, all the help, the hate, the salt, the applause and the engagement you showed in-game.
Also, a message I would like to pass and make clear to all the newbies, new-bros, green-horns and newcomers out there is that you never know what lurks deeps inside you and you never know what your potential is until you are motivated enough and reach in to realize it. Never be afraid to try new things, regardless of how outlandish your theory might seem, never let anyone bring you down, never let any loss, scam or some sort of event demoralize nor demotivate you. Always strive to find an unexpected and efficient solution and don’t forget to enjoy the game while playing it.
Adrian Vexier – over and out
Stay safe and fly dangerous!
