Having been waylaid by RL events and a killer cold shortly after making my first couple of posts, I’m now back in good health! I now have a forum post up on the Jita Park Speakers Corner forum, which you can view here.

Here’s the full text:

I would like to take a moment here on the forums to announce that it is my intention to run for a seat on CSM8 as a lowsec representative. For those that may not know me, here is a brief history:

I have been playing EVE Online since early 2008, primarily as a lowsec resident and pirate, with interludes as a high sec war deccer, ninja, suicide ganker, wormhole resident and nullsec line member. I have blogged about EVE since 2010 and over the years have maintained ownership and management of Evebloggers.com as well as the EVE Blog Pack. In 2012 I joined the staff of TheMittani.com as a lowsec writer and within a month was made an Editor, a post I still hold today.

I am a solo and small gang PVP enthusiast who, for a time, got lost in the reaches of nullsec with Goonswarm Federation. Prior to that I was a member of The Tuskers, one of lowsec’s most prominent and long standing pirate organizations. I have been both a Director and a CEO of smaller pirate corporations and was proud to start my time in EVE Online as a member of The Guristas Associates alliance, a name that will always be remembered in the annals of pirating history. Currently I’m getting situated in my new digs with Quantum Cats, in the Gallente Militia.

Love them or hate them, the CSM has been growing ever more influential. Recently, CCP announced their intention to focus more clearly on the big picture. To develop a roadmap for the next 3, 5, and 10 years – and to include the CSM in that development process. While it has become somewhat of a cliche to state that the CSM has ‘laid the groundwork for great things to come’, I believe that to be a particularly true statement coming at the end of CSM7.

I intend to provide a strong, passionate and clear voice for lowsec as a whole – not just pirates, not just faction warfare, but for all the players who have come to know and love the gray area between CONCORD’s vigilance and nullsec’s political machinery. With CCP’s new conceptual/thematic approach to expansion planning, it will be possible for every expansion to contain at least a little lowsec love. Things I will push for include:

1. Making lowsec matter in the broader context of the game, with a tangible impact on more than just lowsec itself.
2. Pushing forward the idea that, while Faction Warfare is a prominent part of lowsec, it is not the be-all end-all of the area, in order to bring a wider variety of gameplay opportunities.
3. Improving the ability for lowsec residents to turn a profit, be they pirate, faction warfare pilot, bounty hunter or industrialist.
4. Continuing the good work put in to make faction warfare and bounty hunting successful by pushing for the small, yet vital, improvements they need.

For Pirates: A new method of gaining security status for those that chose to do so. Right now, the most effective method of recouping security status lost in lowsec or highsec is to go to nullsec, which makes no sense. The implementation of either a ‘Tags for Sec’ program or more inventive methods is a priority.

The extension of faction warfare mechanics to the pirate factions is a change that is both long coming and well deserved. For years pirates have wished they could actually be a ‘pirate’, joining up with the Guristas or Sansha. This expansion of the faction warfare model would bring renewed focus to lowsec as well as more gameplay opportunities for the PVPer and PVEr alike.

However, new feature implementations in lowsec must also be balanced against the very strong desire for many of lowsec’s existing residents to be divorced from anything remotely resembling ‘sov’. The protection of the current way of life for the pirating profession is also a huge part of my campaign.

For Faction Warfare: While facwar can fairly be described as in a ‘stable’ state, there is still work to be done. Providing a means through which Faction Warfare can be a unique source for items (be it faction mods or ships) will go a long way towards ensuring the long term stability and impact of the feature.

Also allowing the war in lowsec to have a meaningful impact on the empires and the game as a whole is a goal I would like to see achieved. Recently the Gallente Federation conquered all of Caldari facwar space in lowsec – and they got a medal. While cool, it’s not really something to get the engines going. Making your mark on the map is something that excites many players of EVE Online – allowing FW to do so would be a great next step in its evolution.

For Industrialists: While the capital production market is alive and well in lowsec, other areas are virtually nonexistant. Bringing a renewed focus to industry in lowsec, be it through the introduction of unique resources in the area or providing the best profit margins, is something that has long been needed.

While not a lowsec-exclusive item, a POS revamp would also be a boon to lowsec. Making it easier for players to enter the POS arena, as well as making it more worthwhile in lowsec, will provide valuable gains to the lowsec industrialist’s cause, as well as drive more conflict (which is always good for business!)

For PVE: While static DED complexes and Level 5 missions provide an option in lowsec, they are often seen as ‘not worth the risk’ to the run of the mill PVEr. I would like to see a more robust and healthy PVE system implemented in lowsec, be it through an expansion on exploration gameplay, the inclusion of lowsec-unique (and very lucrative) PVE activities, or both.

For PVP: I also intend to push forward for improvements to the war dec system, bounty hunting, as well as to help improve the sad state of affairs with such time honored (but swiftly diminishing) gameplay options as the ninjas of high sec.

——————–

I’d be grateful if you could voice your support, ask your questions, or contribute your comments to the forum post or on this blog.

Posted in CSM8 piratical philosophy
1 Comment Posted by Marc