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Constructive Use of Time

"You seem quite the industrial player to be in Snuff Box."

It was an interesting conversation and I found myself doing what I often find myself doing in Eve. I defended a part of my game play. "I am a combat pilot," I pointed out. I listed Sugar's abilities. I listed Chella's. I pointed out my dreadnought abilities. I added in my fully trained link and recon pilot. I explained that I am a combat pilot and one that people would find useful. It is just that I do a lot of other stuff as well.

Wex and I have been given the title of Carebear due to our industrial project. I suspect that is because we've demanded a corporate hangar just for ourselves, we've set up a POS for our efforts, and we've raised Sujarento's industry index with our project.

On my own I make boosters, run a market, do logistics work if needed, and talk to people in local. It is the same story that I discuss every day but I find in these situations I'm justifying myself. "I can manufacture capitals for my corporation! That is very useful post Phoebe. I can do this... I can do that..." it is a continual justification process on why I'm useful when I do all of these things that are not PvP.

It is one of the saddest things that I find myself doing more and more. I often find myself explaining why anyone would keep me around for doing other things beyond exploding people. I have to stack up reason to make it okay that I spend a lot of time doing other things.

Eve doesn't exist in a PvP vacuum. I'm also not bright enough to keep my other habits safely hidden away on alts where they will not smear my reputation as a bad ass pirate. That is my own fault. Due to not being intelligent about hiding it and the fact that I think the entire process is a lot of fun.

I live and operate in low sec because I like it not because it is hte smartest thing to do financially. It makes life a pain in the butt. Moving things in. Getting things out. My mornings are often composed of cyno after cyno. Jumping in. Jumping out. Loading in minerals or ships or modules for the market or capital building or booster making. Sometimes I have to replace things for Sugar or buy a new doctrine. Sometimes I ship things out for sale. All of that is part of my life in low sec. Not just the times when one ship touches another ship.

I love that you can make urban renewal projects and invigorate an area. It's like cleaning streets and painting fences. It is hugely satisfying to see the end effort. I know that it has value so I really have to stop apologizing to people for having other interests. I'm getting on my own nerves with that.

"I'm so sorry that I like to build the things we use in house. Please forgive me."

Maybe there will be more battle reports then industrial reports in the future. The two require different amounts of time and I miss fleets these days because I have to make a decision on how to use my time. Someone said they wondered how the CSM would affect my writing. It has affected it like this. My topics have changed as my time, experience, and interests have changed and expanded. I don't write blog posts with the volume that I have in the past. I probably write more then I ever have.

Plus, I like it. The other day I read Revi saying how hes crisping around the edges and he needed to take a step backa nd free himself up some. My personal balm has always been having multiple things to do. It also means I wind up looking forward to doing things. Another CSM side effect is that I want to do some of these cool things that have entered to game or that I've helped change... when I find the time. For now I pick up what I can with my split attention and prior engagements. Actually playing and not just using a fancy IRC client is very important to me.

And, if people get tired of me being too industrial... well too bad.

Comments

  1. I despise the term carebear. Not because it is a label to debase a sub-set of the players; but rather its lack of concise definition. Although I should not be surprised that the very word is a sandbox in a sandbox game.

    Sounds to me Sugar like you have goals and focus by doing industry. This has infinitely more value than mere KB stats. Goals and Focus are the core to player longevity and enjoyment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Labels are weird to be in this game. I'm mostly focused of industry, trade and PvE but I don't consider myself a carebear at all. I like PvP but prefer a reason to fight. I consider my playstyle as "all of the above" and there is no place I'd rather be.

    ReplyDelete
  3. People aren't mad at you for doing industry. Everyone does at some level (at least missioning or ratting). They are mad that you are proud of it, instead of giving the attitude of "ima badass lol".

    They are mad, because they are lying hypocrites and you are not.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Convenient epithet aside, when it comes to Eve where PvP can descend on you at any moment, the term “CareBear” is in serious need of definitional honing. To be useful, the term “CareBear” shouldn’t refer to the activity one undertakes but rather the expectation that one can pursue that activity absolutely carefree. That is to say, indifferent and oblivious to the environment around them and most especially indifferent and oblivious to the presence of other players. In this sense (and again I think it’s the most useful definition to apply to the term), many Eve players may not be particularly belligerent (they’re not picking fights) but they’re far from carefree and therefore not CareBears.

    So . . . If a player argues for safe zones --> CareBear
    But . . . If a player embraces that there should always be some notable risk involved --> Not CareBear

    Additional elaboration:
    Working to reduce risk is not CareBearing. Rather, it’s centering risk as an important element of game play and undertaking ways to manage it.

    While I don’t suspect such definitional honing will catch on (flinging fuzzy epithet is such easy fun), I find I can’t refrain from it.

    In the end we are what we are, no?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right, but too lengthy. I believe you are looking for the following question: "Who is the carebear? Who flies a frig he can't care losing into combat, or the one who jumps an 1000x more expensive JF into lowsec?"

      Delete
    2. To which the answer would be 'neither'.

      Delete
  5. EVE History with Kaeda :)

    There was this idea/myth back in the mists of time perpetuated by now extinct 0.0 alliances that if you had to many carebears in your organization you'd become infected by something they called 'carebear rot'. People would cease to want to PvP and just focus on making ISK and soon you'd be over run by your warlike neighbors.

    The last time people who believe this nonsense thought they were proved right is when the old Northern Coalition (the one around Morsus Mihi, not NC.) fell apart because they had many of these 'carebears'. (In fact many people who were part of this still live in the exact same space they did then, just under a different coalition, looking at you Razor)

    Fact is the alliances that originally perpetuated this idea have all gone extinct and 2 of the most powerful 0.0 organizations have huge amounts of industry players the CFC has many (and in fact the Goons themselves) and so does Pandemic Legion (several of their main corps do large amounts of industry). Nobody sane is going to claim these people aren't also capable of mounting some serious PvP firepower.

    Carebear rot is nothing but a myth but the stigma about carebears always stayed around long after it was proven wrong.

    I have slightly malign theory however about why it is still so prevalent in lowsec organizations, many of the people of the now extinct 0.0 groups who once perpetuated this idea now live in lowsec and old habits die hard etc. Not saying that any particular group is guilty of it, but the idea is in my (completely anecdotal) experience more prevalent amongst ancient (2008 and older) veterans then it is amongst younger players.

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  6. Like sex is the only thing in a relationship. Or because we cook a meal doesn't mean we won't eat it.
    Whatever in EVE peaks my interest I will pursue.

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  7. I run four characters myself. I am a combat pilot living in lowsec, my other three characters focus on Trade, Hauling, Industry and Exploration ... I LOVE doing new things/different things, that keeps EVE always enticing as a game, and keeps me involved. I wouldn't want it any other way. That said...

    Carebear -- someone who is Willingly Ignorant... like a cartoon bear, trundling happily through their virtual life carefree. It shouldn't, since it doesn't in reality, have ANY connection to what aspect of gameplay they are found in.... after all, the Clueless and Willingly Ignorant exist everywhere.

    ReplyDelete

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