Punishment

PVP members wanted for the Kadavr Black Guard

2011-09-10T15:08:00.001+10:00

I've been busy. Not with Eve, but with real life. Work decided to increase my responsibilities and work load (not that I mind!), I've got a new girlfriend (she's become a new 'hobby', and you know how much time hobbies can take up), and we recently went to China together for a holiday. That was quite an enjoyable experience, I tell ya...

But I'm back into it now. And my first task was to tell a new recruit to go somewhere else!

So let me tell you the story...

I'm the Aussie timezone director of the Kadavr Black Guard, a dedicated PVP Corp basing itself in lowsec. We're recruiting people who have had experience with PVP and want to join in on some lowsec action.

However, we're also recruiting people who DON'T have PVP experience too. Basically, if you want to join us, you'd be welcome. But there's a small catch for those who have no experience - you'll have to undergo PVP and survival training.

For that, we're pushing inexperienced (but eager) pilots to join OUCH (Open University of Celestial Hardship), go through their nullsec survival and PVP training, and successfully graduate. All graduates get a medal to prove they've graduated and can survive and fight in nullsec, and that guarantees automatic membership into the Black Guard.

So I told someone where to go today - to join OUCH! Ironically, they had already been a member of OUCH but failed to graduate before they moved on. They were hoping to join the 'big boys' for PVP, but they were good sports to accept that they needed to rejoin OUCH and complete their training before that would happen.

I also found out one of my fellow directors has a 'Leroy Jenkins' style, but at least he kills a lot more than he loses, so that's ok. And he's an excellent FC, so I can live with that. :)

I'll be developing some Corp policies soon to help ensure that members maximize their wins and minimize their losses. That's the kind of thing I enjoy. :)

If you're interested in joining us, look me up in-game or send me some questions by eve mail. I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

The Kadavr Black Guard

2011-07-15T13:30:00.001+10:00

And so starts something new...

I've joined the Kadavr Black Guard this week as one of their directors. After extensive talks with Nashh Kadavr, I've decided to take up the challenge of seeing what I can do in his Corp.

I have a few ideas, which he's agreed to, so the future of the Black Guard could be very interesting indeed. Obviously what I bring to this Corp will be a combination of my past experience and coordinated plans for the future with Nashh... It's his Corp after all. :)

There's a bit more information about this on Nashh's blog.

Any questions or comments? You know the drill.

What kind of corp would you like to see?

2011-07-02T17:31:00.001+10:00

I'll be honest - the Corp I tried to create didn't work. There was ZERO interest in an anti-pirate Corp, and after spending more than a month trying a few different recruitment strategies, I've had absolutely no interest. I've concluded that no one wants to join an anti pirate Corp, even though they all whinge about pirates...

So I'm trying something different now.

What kind of Corp would you like to see?

What do you think is missing from this game? What kind of Corp would you like to see in Eve Online, that either doesn't already exist, or exists but not very good?

My last challenge was to create something like Eve Uni, but for nullsec. I created OUCH, and that is currently going exceptionally well. I'm looking for a new challenge, so please throw some ideas at me so we can discuss them.

It was you, the readers, that helped OUCH come into existence, so maybe you'll help me create something else. Thank you :)

The zombie pirate apocalypse is coming

2011-06-21T19:10:00.000+10:00

[I was going to put this ad on the Eve Online recruitment forums, but I forgot Incarna was starting today. So while everything is down, you can read it here first.]

Pirates. You all know about them. But something worse is coming. Zombie pirates. Be it a zombie pirate uprising, fast rage virus zombie pirate or shambling zombie pirate outbreak, eventually there will be more pirates than you can poke a stick at. And most of them will be zombies, wanting your brains. 'Loot', they call it. But we know the truth.

Of course, as members of The Punishers we're prepared to defend the galaxy's homes, families and way of life from these zombie pirates by using our exceptional knowledge of intel management as well as zombie pirate uprising and counter-zombie pirate attack computer simulation training (eg. making sure we don't run out of Twisties and cans of V while spending entire weekends playing Eve Online).

But even with our steadfast dedication to the cause and our staunch ability to survive, we must concede that some of our kin will be lost to the all consuming zombie pirate horde. Are you really as prepared as you could be? Are you REALLY safe?

We are making preparations for Galaxy War ZP (for Zombie Pirate) and we think you'll be interested. Why slum it alone on a backwater planet armed only with a machete when you can spend your time sheltered in a cozy modern ship with a nice bottle of Quafe?

We are building up impressive defensive positions and looking to fill our numbers with the best of the best. The soldiers, and the survivors. You'll want to do your bit to preserve the invaluable knowledge of humanity and build a brighter future even after the last autocannon round has been spent and the final ration-pack has been eaten.

After many hard choices it's been decided that membership will only be offered to those pilots with previous combat experience.

But don't think that just because you know your way around a Tech 2 frigate and you own a T3 Strategic Cruiser that you automatically qualify. To ensure your survival against the zombie pirate hordes you'll also need to have:

- at least 10 kills on your personal Battleclinic killboard
- the skills to fly battlecruisers, covert ops, and recon ships
- an intense desire to save the galaxy from the pirate horde
-

Miners will get eaten and even smug Transport pilots will be at the mercy of the horde, but if you can deliver tactical and combat successes in a relaxed, people-centric corp then your tasty brains are a commodity that we are very keen to have. (Not eat, ok? Just so we're cool about this there's no brain eating in this role whatsoever).

(Honestly)

Applicants for The Punishers should also have a sense of humour. And be willing to help the corp grow. And not want to eat brains.

Any questions? If you have any, send an evemail to Alexia Morgan.

If you have no questions, just apply to join us. We'll arrange an interview with you, and if you pass the test (which may or may not involve a bowl of tempting brains being put on the table in front of you) your application will be accepted and you will become another proud member standing between the zombie pirate horde and the rest of humanity.

Join us. The galaxy is depending on you.

The Punishers are recruiting

2011-05-25T21:48:00.002+10:00

What we're about

The Punishers is a new antipirate corp which will do its best to keep the lowsec areas of Derelik safe for the general public. The corp is in the very early stages right now, currently looking for members, but it will maintain a public intel channel that will allow all pirate and hostile activity to be reported through Derelik and beyond. The corp will have reds who are pirates or known hostiles, and this information will be publicly available as well.

Corp mission: helping to keep people safe

What we plan to do

As the corp grows, it will be involved in intel-gathering to create a database of pirates and hostiles in the lowsec areas of Derelik, and this information will be shared publicly.

As the corp's strength increases, it will include anti-piracy PVP in lowsec, as well as PVP roams into nullsec. Over time it will expand its activities into other areas and explore the idea of doing what CVA once did with Providence.

What would be required of our members

All members must meet the following minimum membership requirements:

Must have at least 50 kills on their personal killboard
Must have a minimum of 10 million skill points
Must be able to fly covert ops or recon ships, and T2-fit battlecruisers

(We will discuss membership options for people who have less than 50 kills and less than 10 million skill points, but only if they join OUCH and graduate from its nullsec survival and PVP training - these skills will be essential to have while in The Punishers.)

All members must be willing to:

roam various lowsec systems and monitor for pirate or hostile activity
provide intel in the public intel channel whenever appropriate
engage flashy red pirates when chances of success are in their favour *
rat or do missions to ensure an income to support PVP activities

* We have strict rules of engagement to minimise stupid losses and maximise smart victories.

If you're interested....

If you meet the minimum requirements and/or you're interested in being involved, then contact Alexia Morgan in-game. You will be interviewed about your interest and whether or not you will be a good fit for The Punishers, and if you get past the interview and get accepted, you too can be a Punisher. :)

The Punishers are back

2011-05-19T16:28:00.000+10:00

Some years ago I started a corp called The Punishers and I went around 'blowing shit up'. Lots of things happened along the way and then I moved on to join Ushra'Khan, and then joining my good friend Black Claw in running OUCH (Open University of Celestial Hardship). That's been extremely successful and OUCH is now doing quite nicely without my help, so I've decided to return to The Punishers (after my roles in OUCH have dropped, that is).

The Punishers are going to return to those activities they were originally involved in, which is dealing out punishment to those who deserve it - namely pirates in Empire space and lowsec, and asshats in nullsec.

Now, I know it's not going to happen overnight. I'm not going to immediately have the strength that I know will be required to achieve successes against those that deserve to be punished. I know its going to take time, and it's going to take commitment.

The commitment is not just from me but also from its members - those pilots who join The Punishers are going to have to be as committed as I am. Campaigning against pirates is not for the weak or the faint-hearted. It's not for those who are looking for easy kills and quick successes.

It's a long, hard road we walk, but we're in it for the long haul because we know that if not us, then who? Someone needs to take a stand against those who would prey on the weak and the innocent. The Punishers are going to take that stand.

What I'm looking for are those noble soldiers who want to fight the good fight, to stand up against the bastards in red and say, "We're not going to allow it any more!"

Is that you? You're going to have to be pretty damn special for this task. You're going to need the below, at a minimum:

10 million skill points
can fly covert ops and recon ships
can fly T2-fit battlecruisers
you have at least 50 kills on Battleclinic

If you have any interest in becoming involved and want to find out more, send Alexia Morgan an evemail in-game and I will contact you to provide you with more information about my plans and how you might be involved in them.

OUCH offers piracy training!

2010-01-10T22:23:00.003+11:00

We've started providing courses on piracy, namely lowsec combat for fame and fortune.

Of course, we're not professional pirates, nor do we intend to be. But lowsec PVP is just as valid as nullsec PVP (and empire PVP, but maybe that will be a future stage), and so we're offering that as an option.

Surprisingly, most of our members have been eager to be involved in piracy operations! Bless their evil, little black hearts.

So not only do we offer nullsec training, but also lowsec training.

If anyone is interested in joining up for the variety of our courses, make sure you contact Black Claw in-game and talk to him about it, or just join us. We welcome everyone.

We also welcome trainers, for both nullsec and lowsec PVP. If you've led fleets on combat operations in lowsec as a pirate (or even mercenary, we don't mind), or in nullsec, and you want a change of pace where you're training others in how to do what you've been doing for so long, then we want to talk to you too.

OUCH is recruiting for nullspace survival training

2010-01-08T16:31:00.002+11:00

That's right, the Open University of Celestial Hardship (OUCH) is looking for more recruits who are interested in learning how to PVP and make money in nullspace. Here's our recruitment blurb:'

WHAT IS 'OUCH'?

OUCH is the Open University of Celestial Hardship. We're based on the border of empire space and nullspace, allowing our members to ease into nullspace activity without being thrown into the deep end. Our goal is to help people get skills and confidence in entering and living in nullspace.

I should warn you that If you're looking for safety and boredom, you're not likely to find much of it with us. Instead, you're going to die. We guarantee that. You might even die a lot. But along the way, we'll teach you how to die less, and maybe even to stay alive long enough to be successful in your endeavours.

We don't just teach you the theory of operating in nullspace. We take you there so you can experience it for yourself. We take you on training operations into nullspace and show you how to avoid real warp bubbles and real gate camps, operated by hostiles really trying to kill you.

At the same time as teaching you how to survive, we also teach you about PVP. There's no shortage of PVP in nullsec, and we teach you how to fight and win, or how to avoid fights.

HOW YOU BENEFIT FROM JOINING US

OUCH recognises that one of the biggest reasons you don't want to go into nullspace is because you can't or don't want to lose the ships and fittings you've spent your hard-earned money on. So we provide the ships and fittings for you, and the skillbooks if you need them.

That's right, we give you the ships so you don't have to be afraid of losing your own. Of course, if you want to bring your own ships and fittings to use and lose, you're welcome to do so.

By being a member of OUCH you will have access to our resources which will help you learn how to survive. If you're looking to learn all about nullsec, then you owe it to yourself to be part of a corporation that can teach you.

We're also a member of an alliance of corps supporting OUCH's operations. This means that once you've learned all that you want to, you can join one of our dedicated support corps for your chosen specialty, whether that's industrial or combat operations, or you can move on somewhere else, knowing that you'll be an asset to any corp or alliance that might want you.

We have a network of allies (blue standings) that you can fleet with and be involved in active operations to practice what you've learnt.

We provide you with instructions on how to obtain and use Jump Clones for free, so that you can continue using implants in one clone, while being in another clone for PVP.

WHAT WE REQUIRE FROM YOU

We require from our members a commitment to venture into 0.0 space, to learn, to get involved in our training activities, and to help other members learn too. Eg. once you've learnt a few things yourself, we hope you might want to help other members too.

We aim to be self-sufficient, so we need miners and manufacturers to help the corp make money and provide ships and fittings for training requirements. You can join OUCH to learn about nullsec survival, and then if you're interested, you can stay on to help support OUCH's growth and operations.

We also need skilled PVP specialists to help secure operations and areas of space, and you can even join these ranks 'full time' after you join and become skilled at PVP yourself. It doesn't matter what you want to do, you will have a part in the corp.

It is your choice if you wish to join OUCH. Our members value being part of a corp providing nullsec survival training, and they value the contributions they can make to the corporation and that the corporation makes to them.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT

You can find out more by sending Black Claw an eve mail or visit the channel OUCH-UNI where you can talk to him (or someone) about your interest. We would be happy to have a chat with you and answer any questions you might have.

Guess who's come back?

2009-12-30T17:33:00.003+11:00

My, what a busy time it's been with OUCH. The interest in membership has outpaced my ability to accommodate the members that want to join. So I suspended membership for 9 days to allow my skills to catch up...

Except that I'm getting about 5 new members a day joining OUCH, and the applications sitting there on hold were starting to pile up.

I had to do something, as I didn't want to break the momentum. I considered my options, and made a decision.

Black Claw is back.

Yep, that's right. Black Claw, who some of you may remember, and others of you have probably never heard of. He was my first character from early 2006 before I started Alexia Morgan early 2008.

He also has all the needed corp management skills that would allow for him to continue accepting membership applications to carry on the recruitment momentum. And he was a reasonable combat pilot too. (Could do with a bit more training today though... Good thing he's in a training corp!)

So I reactivated him yesterday, waited 24 hours for his roles in his previous corp to disappear, and then recruited him into OUCH today. I immediately made him CEO of OUCH.

Black Claw is back. Woohoo!

Black Claw is going to be the most active, due to his new commitments with leading OUCH. So Alexia is going to take a bit of a back step and be a 'secondary character' for a while. Maybe forever. Or at least until her own brand of skills are no longer needed.

It's been fun. But I think it's going to be even more fun back in Black Claw's saddle....

If you want to join OUCH, or you're interested in becoming a trainer, please hop into the OUCH-UNI channel, or send Black Claw an evemail.

Thank you everyone, it's been great. You can follow Black Claw's blog again now. :)

Eve Online on Reddit

2009-12-30T17:21:00.002+11:00

A short while ago I created a 'subreddit' on Reddit called 'Evebloggers'. As of today there's about 35 readers of that subreddit. It was pointed out to me today by someone whom I'm unable to remember right now (please congratulate yourself in the Comments below!) that there is an Eve subreddit that has 650 readers.

35 readers compared to 650.... Hmmm....

So I've updated the share button at the bottom of my posts to point to the main Eve subreddit. If anyone else is sharing Eve blogs or websites on Reddit, please do the same.

Desperately Seeking Experienced PVP Specialists To Provide Nullsec Training

2009-12-26T11:56:00.004+11:00

As the title says, I'm looking for people who are highly experienced in nullsec PVP, who can help provide specialised training to OUCH students.

I need people who can provide training in any of the following areas:

Nullsec survival
Ratting / salvaging, scouting, evasion, map tools, etc
Small ship PVP
Fitting, overheating, tactics, etc
Large ship PVP
Support / Logistics Training

Obviously, if you're skilled in something to do with surviving in nullsec, then you're the kind of person I'm looking for.

Some of your experience needs to be in being a fleet commander, so that you can comfortably and confidently lead a group of people in doing what they need to do.

I know there are lot of bloggers reading this who are skilled in teaching PVP skills. I know there are a lot more players reading this who are also skilled in these areas.

Some of you are looking for something interesting to do, that's rewarding and challenging. Some of you have even contacted me and told me how you think OUCH is a great idea, and you think it'll do well.

Well, I need you to help it do well. I need people to help train others in nullsec survival.

If that sounds like you, please contact me to discuss your interest.

Updates to evebloggers.com

2009-12-22T15:55:00.003+11:00

Firstly, I've made a big change to evebloggers.com

I used to have outputs from both the Eve Blog Pack and Eve Player Blogs. The only thing is, the Eve Blog Pack are still 'Eve Player Blogs'.

So I've decided to get rid of the Eve Blog Pack output, especially considering that they're doubled up in the Eve Player Blogs anyway...

Now there are just Eve Player Blogs. And really, when you think about it, we're all part of the same community. It's not like there's a bunch of 'elitists' or anything that think they're better than others, so there won't be any issues with bringing everyone together into one group. Right?

Understand that this does not invalidate the Eve Blog Pack that Crazy Kinux started. Thanks to him, the Eve Online Blogging Community had a rally point, somewhere to focus their efforts on, and to expand upon. But I think everything evolves, and instead of having a small group of players calling themselves the 'blog pack' and holding themselves separate to everyone else, now we have a much larger community of Eve bloggers. I think we should recognise that we're all part of the same community, and we all support each other and enjoy each other's blogs and this awesome game that we're all part of.

Secondly, I've caused a big problem to evebloggers.com. I don't know how, seeing as how all I did was change around some of the RSS outputs in the widgets, but all the evebloggers.com Posts and Pages can no longer be accessed.

I've sent a support email to the host provider to get the site restored from backup, and I'm hoping that will fix it. If there are any Wordpress experts out there who know why the posts and pages have disappeared (but links to them are still there in the site's footer), please let me know.

Flying the Dramiel

2009-12-21T10:09:00.007+11:00

A few days ago I was reading Andrea Skye's post about the Dramiel, and I was so inspired by their results with the ship, I went out and bought one of my own. However, I couldn't afford faction or officer fittings, so I went with the best I could. I figured that I'd do pretty well against other frigates and cruisers, so that's what I went looking for.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I eventually found a Thorax to play with, and engaged him outside a station. He was happy to play. I had small T2 artillery, allowing me to keep range at 22km and spit out some decent damage while still being within warp disruptor range.

However, I quickly discovered that the speed of the Dramiel meant that my 22km orbit quickly ellipsed out to 30+km, which meant I not only lost my target lock, but couldn't keep the target warp disrupted. So I went to try pulsing the MWD, but when I came back in to re-engage, the Thorax's own MWD allowed him to quickly close the distance between us. He had a scrambler, and I didn't, so his MWD was active while mine was shut down. Along with his web, blasters, and drones, it was quickly all over. I couldn't escape his 1,200m range, and I lost the Dramiel.

Quite annoying, really, considering that everyone else that seems to fly it has so much success with it, but that's what happens when you get into a fight - you don't always win.

So, if anyone with extensive experience with the Dramiel has any tips for me on how I can do things better, please add them to the Comments. :)

Nullsec Survival Training for PVP and riches

2009-12-21T10:05:00.002+11:00

The below is from OUCH's new recruitment thread that I thought I'd reprint here to increase exposure. Please read, and contact me in-game if you're interested in joining:

DOMINION has arrived and you want to venture into 0.0 space (nullspace) to join in on the excitement, but you don't have any training... You know you'll die.

Most of the other nullsec corps and alliances will offer you training only if you join their 'cause', whether that's PVP or industry, but you usually have to fund your own way. That can be daunting for someone that doesn't want to be part of some 'cause', and who expects to lose a lot of ships before they start getting somewhere.

We understand your dilemma.

What's the answer?

OUCH is the answer. It's the Open University of Celestial Hardship. We're brand new, but we have very experienced trainers to teach you how to survive and prosper in nullspace. We have no 'cause' other than to teach you Nullsec Survival Training.

We have a T1 ship program that provides ships and fittings to all members - FREE. These include frigates, cruisers, battlecruisers and battleships. All ships can be used for training or individual use while in OUCH, and their fittings will also be included.

What does that mean for me?

If you lose a corp-provided ship, we will give you another one - free of charge. While you learn how to cope with the hardships of nullspace, losing ships will not be something you'll need to worry about.

And you will lose ships. You'll get podded quite a few times along the way too. We don't guarantee your survival in nullsec, but we guarantee to teach you how to minimise your losses along the way.

It's brutal out there, but when you're a member of OUCH, you're with a group of friendly, relaxed people who understand your fears. We're here to help you take advantage of DOMINION and get involved in nullspace. We will teach you everything you need to know.

What kind of training will I get?

Initially, as we start our operations, training will focus on frigates and cruisers as well as the following:

Nullsec survival - includes ratting / salvaging, scouting, evasion, and map tools
Small ship PVP - includes fitting ships, overheating, and combat tactics in fleets or solo

As we get more members (and more advanced skillsets amongst them) we'll move to battlecruisers and battleships, along with more advanced PVP training. Again, all ships will be provided by OUCH. (We also intend offering T2 ship training, including interceptors, covert ops, and support ships, but the ships will need to be provided by the students themselves.)

We're also part of an alliance that is dedicated to providing support for members of OUCH, including security, intelligence-gathering, and manufacturing ships and items. If you want to stay on and help support OUCH after you've finished with your training, there would definitely be a place for you.

We want to help you learn how to survive in nullspace, whether that's in PVP, ratting, or complex's. We will help you be the best that you can be, and teach you how to earn as much as you can along the way.

That's right, we'll also be teaching you how to make money in nullspace. There's no point giving you combat training if we don't include teaching you how to replace lost ships, right? We don't expect you to be with OUCH forever, so we understand you need to learn how to sustain yourself.

Ok, I'm interested - what do I do now?

If you're interested in learning more about how OUCH can help you, then join the OUCH-UNI channel in-game and talk to Alexia Morgan, or send her an evemail to discuss your interest and ask any questions.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you to OUCH's sponsors

2009-12-15T19:09:00.005+11:00

This page is my big thank you page to all those who have helped OUCH. Whether it's through donations of ships, items or money, or providing loads of helpful advice or even some amazing emotional support, they're all going to be listed here (with their permission, that is... some might want to remain anonymous).

Thank you so much for helping OUCH get off the ground. Without your generosity, it would be that much harder.

Noir Avlaa
Iroxorsju
Kalisis
Seondar Moleck
Jarob Talloway
Shadows Lord new!
Alex Carmel new!

As more people offer their support in whatever way works for them, I will add their name to this list.

Edit: updated 26/12

OUCH is open for recruitment

2009-12-14T11:41:00.005+11:00

What is OUCH?

OUCH is the Open University of Celestial Hardship. Its purpose is to provide nullsec survival training for all those who are interested in learning how to survive and prosper in 0.0 space.

Where is OUCH?

We're based in Curse, an area of 0.0 space that still has a whole bunch of NPC stations for members to hang out in. And there will be plenty of targets that will offer plenty of training opportunities!

OUCH is looking for:

Trainers who can train newbies and veterans alike in any of the following:

Nullsec survival

Ratting / salvaging / 'plexing
Scouting
Evasion
Map tools

Small ship PVP

Fitting
Tactics
Support

Trainers must have at least 3 years worth of experience, with most of it in 0.0 space, and be willing to offer their services to help others learn.

I'm also looking for trainees interested in joining OUCH to learn all of the above, and more. We have room for anyone and everyone. There is no minimum requirement for trainees, other than a desire to jump into nullspace and learn. Therefore, all trainees must be willing to go on training operations whenever they can.

Ship Program

OUCH will have a T1 ship program, so all ships (from frigates to battleships) will be provided to its members by the corp. In the early stages, however, it will just be 'small ships' including frigates and cruisers. As we get more members, and more resources, we will expand to battlecruisers and battleships.

We will soon offer T2 training, but members will need to provide their own T2 ships for such training.

Are you interested in supporting OUCH?

We require ships, items and money. If you would like to support us with donations of any sort, we would be most grateful for your assistance, and your name will be put on a special web page that will publicly thank you for your assistance.

If you support the concept of helping people survive in nullsec so they can play a more prominent role in helping others or fighting others, then we need your support in material or monetary donations.

Are you interested in joining OUCH?

I have a few people already either joined or preparing to join. Are you interested? Then contact me (or send an evemail ingame to Alexia Morgan) to discuss your options.

Thank you.

OUCH begins

2009-12-14T11:18:00.005+11:00

Over the weekend I created an alt and then sent him into 0.0 space to seek out a good location to start an office. It only died twice before reaching its destination. Not bad for a 1-day old character. :)

The office was created next to a system with clone facilities. I don't think the area will be too busy, so it will make for a good location to start training.

One thing I discovered, however, is that it's just going to be too difficult to run a nullsec survival corp with a character that's brand new. So I've decided to use Alexia as the CEO of OUCH. Over the next week I'll be moving my ships from where I am, to where I want to go. (Can't give locations just yet, as that could inspire someone to try and stop me.)

Thank you

OUCH is a proud new member of the New Bastion alliance, and I would like to thank Cal for coming forward and offering some very valuable and much-needed support. His input into the development of OUCH, and his support to help it move forward, has been nothing short of amazing. Thank you!

While I'm thanking people, I need to include Noir Avlaa. She is another example of someone committed to the ideals of OUCH. Over the weekend she donated some resources to OUCH. This included dozens of frigates, hundreds of items, and tens of thousands of units of ammunition. More than could be fit in a single contract (so there were 2 contracts!). For this I am extremely grateful.

More coming soon.

Nullsec Survival Training is coming!

2009-12-11T15:11:00.006+11:00

Most of you have seen me discussing OUCH (Open University of Celestial Hardship). I just wanted to give a small update on it:

I've had some interested people approach me to become both trainers and trainees
I've been successful in negotiating blue status with a major nullsec empire
I've been offered membership in a nullsec alliance for the purpose of moving forward in a 'nullsec training alliance'
discussions are underway with interested 'stakeholders' on location, corp funding, and training modules

I will be creating a new character over the next couple of days, and this character will become the CEO of OUCH, the 'nullsec survival training' corp. Once I do, I will create a blog for the character and the corp.

If you're interested in being a part of OUCH, please contact me to discuss how you can be involved. Ideally, I'm seeking sponsors, trainers, and trainees. You can also join the public discussion on Google Wave if you have a Wave account: Open University of Celestial Hardship (OUCH).

If you would also like to join OUCH simply to help provide security for the training missions (in some kind of Security Division), I'd love to hear from you as well!

The Open University of Celestial Hardships

2009-12-03T11:50:00.003+11:00

I created a Google Wave for discussing this, and the Wave link is here:

The Open University of Celestial Hardship

I thought it would be a good idea to have it here as well, to allow non-Wavers the opportunity to discuss this too.

I'm seeking expressions of interest in starting up a 0.0 corp that caters to education and training of nullspace activity, including PVP, ratting and industry. A bit like Eve University, but in nullspace instead of Empire space.
I'm imagining the corp needs to be part of a 0.0 alliance, so if any alliance directors would be interested in providing support, please make yourselves known as well.
I look forward to comments and discussion, so please don't be shy. If you want to help, or you want to be involved, become a participant in this Wave.

OUCH

2009-12-02T07:47:00.005+11:00

I've been seeing some chatter lately about various tales of woe with Eve University, and how it can be difficult for new players to get to learn the game because of the attitudes of those already entrenched in University operations.

If there's one thing I dislike more than Crying Carebears, it's Elitist Scumbags. You know the ones... They think they're better than you because of their position, status or skills, and they'll go out of their way to remind you of it.

It's not just limited to the University though. They're all around us. They're just... everywhere! Those people who think they're the Gods' gift to the races.

If you fly with a Scumbag, you're supporting them. You're encouraging them. If you give them positions of responsibility, you're doing the same thing. But you're also lowering morale amongst the non-Scumbag members of your corp or alliance.

No one wants to fly with a Scumbag (unless they're a Scumbag too... we all know those Scumbags need to stick together), but if you force or encourage people to fly with Scumbags, you're slowly driving your pilots away.

And if you're one of those who just doesn't like the Scumbag you have to fly with, then just stop flying with them. If the corp or alliance or University has too many Scumbags, then go somewhere else.

Here's a tip for the new players:

The best University is in 0.0 space. Suck it up, gather your belongings, and head out to the Open University of Celestial Hardship (O.U.C.H.)* and you'll learn more there than you could ever possibly imagine.

I've already helped a few people out to 0.0 and they've joined O.U.C.H. and haven't looked back. You could too.

Contact me if you're interested.

* Just in case you're wondering, O.U.C.H. is not a real university. It's more like the 'School of Hard Knocks', but O.U.C.H. sounds better than S.H.K....

Sorry I haven't posted in ages!

2009-12-01T18:37:00.000+11:00

I'm so sorry that it's been such a long time since I last posted. I think it's been maybe 3 or 4 hours. I hope you guys can forgive me.

I promise to post more frequently in the future.

Eve Player Profiles - Ga'len

2009-12-01T13:46:00.002+11:00

Please tell us about the person behind the character, we'd really love to know a bit more about you - What do you do outside of Eve?

In the meantime, here's Ga'len!

Your character name:
Ga'len

Your real name:
J. Riley Dagastine

The country you're living in:
USA

How old are you:
36

What kind of work do you do:
IT Support Specialist. I work tech support for a surgical instruments manufacturing facility. I maintain the production systems for the CAD/CAM systems as well as support other manufacturing facilities across the East Coast.

What other hobbies or interests do you have:
I like to cooking, watch movies with the missus and read engaging books. That whole pinacolada's drinking and the rain stuff, well, hangovers and being soaking wet are just not my thing anymore.

Do you have a personal blog or non-Eve website you want to share:
I have another domain on the net, however, it's not very active as I am focusing my efforts here, however you can visit it at http://www.dagastine.net.

Who you gonna vote for?

2009-11-24T09:46:00.003+11:00

I wasn't going to vote in this year's CSM elections, as I didn't care enough about having a representative. I'm quite happy with the game, and satisfied that any changes in the game will work themselves out.

"The world will be what it wants to be."
- Tao

I had the same view about the game - it will be what it wants to be. And what it wants to be will be a result of player-driven hysteria (along with some valid game-testing and suggestions) and the vision of the game developers. Who am I to think that a lone voice crying out in the wilderness can influence that juggernaut called evolution?

But a lone voice can, by calling out to other lone voices in the wilderness, and together they can perform miracles.

Or they can use the CSM Vote Matching Tool.

I did, out of interest in how it would work, and I was pleasantly surprised. It helps you match your interests in the game with a CSM who is in alignment with what you want. And it links to where you can place a vote for the candidate of your choice.

So I did it, and I found there were two candidates who most closely matched my needs - 67%. The candidates were Mrs Trzzbk and Song Li. I was a little disappointed that no one got any closer than 67% of what I thought was appropriate for the game, but so be it...

Now, I'd never heard of Mrs Trzzbk, but I have heard of Song Li. And he's a fellow blogger. So guess who I voted for? That's right, Song Li.

I hope he wins!

And you can have a say too. Go to the site, answer the poll to provide your thoughts on the game and its future, and see who matches your own beliefs. Check out their websites, see what they're saying, and make an informed vote.

You're a lone voice in the wilderness, but together with other voices, you can make a difference.

Do it today. You don't have much time left!

PS. Who thinks I should run for next year's CSM? It's a thought I've had lately....

Share Eve blogs on Reddit

2009-11-19T13:07:00.001+11:00

Just to make it a bit easier for you, I've added a button to the bottom of every post. If you think it's worth sharing, please click on the button and it will allow you to submit the post to Eve Bloggers on Reddit.

Thanks!

5 Tips to Make Your Blog More Successful

2009-11-18T15:26:00.001+11:00

If you write a blog, you're probably doing it for a number of reasons. You're doing it because you want to share your adventures with others, you want to learn how to write better, you want to be noticed, you want to share what you learn, you want to help others to play the game better, you want to be a part of the community, or you want to help build or promote the community. And I'm sure there's many more reasons you're blogging that I haven't mentioned.

Being a blogger, you're putting yourself out there, and you're likely to guage your success or even failure by how many people visit your blog, how many people leave comments, and how many people try to promote your blog.

If you get more people visiting your blog and leaving comments, it makes you feel good. It encourages you to write more and to participate more. What some people have a challenge with is truly understanding how to get more of all of the above, or how to make their blog successful.

Now, I know that some bloggers truly don't care about 'success'. They're blogging for themselves, and they really don't care about getting more visitors to their blog. If that's you, maybe you won't care about this post. But if you want to make your blog to get more visitors and comments than what it currently is, then you might find something useful in the following tips.

1. Post regularly

If you try to keep up a schedule of posting either every day, every few days, or every week, people will see you're active. They'll be more interested in engaging with your blog if it's active. If you haven't posted in a few months, they're going to wonder why they should bother leaving a comment or even promoting your blog. If you're not posting, they're going to assume you're not around and they'll leave. So post regularly and keep them coming back for more.

2. Have conversations

When people leave a comment on your blog, they're connecting with you. If you ignore them and don't reply, they're going to wonder why they bothered. If you reply to their comments, you make their effort worthwhile, and you encourage them to do more of it. People like to connect with others and have conversations. They like to be heard. Listen to your readers, and communicate with them.

3. Be yourself

Write as if you're talking. It makes it easier for people to read as it becomes a 'conversational style', but it also makes it easier to write. You can imagine talking about a topic in your head… write that down, word for word. You should find it easier to just write what you think.

Of course, if you're writing 'in character', then you need to put yourself into the mind of your character, and do the same thing. Write as if they're the ones thinking, rather than you. Translate it to text, and voila! You have a blog post.

4. Communicate with others

One of the best ways of getting visitors to your site and spreading the word about your blog is to visit other people's blogs of a similar nature and leave comments in their posts. As you communicate your thoughts with them about what they've written, they - and their readers - will click on the link to your blog (make sure you leave a link to your blog in the website field available when you post a comment) to see what else you have to say. This engages a community by bringing together like-minded blogs and bloggers as they leave comments on each other's blogs, increasing their exposure.

5. Help them, entertain them, or anger them

If you just drone on about nothing interesting, people might get pretty bored. No one wants to be bored, so you're likely to see very few visitors or communication on your blog. Even though you're doing the blog for yourself, if you're interested in 'being successful' you have to make sure you give the readers what they want to read. Present your content in such a way that it either helps them, entertains them, or angers them. Any of those 3 methodologies will get more people coming to your blog and leaving comments.

If you follow all the above tips, you're going to see an increase in visitors to your blog. You're going to have people commenting on your blog. And you're going to find your blog will be just that bit more successful than it used to be.