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Darkness in Winter - Day Seven

Photo Album is updated.

Everything caught up to me and I missed out on writing about Friday because I got back to my room at 0330 and I was exhausted.

Day Three minutes.
Day Four minutes.

On Thursday night, Corbexx and I headed back early. We were tired and there was still another day of the Summit to go. I was a pile of nerves about having done my low session. The two of us had a nice dinner at a steakhouse that I enjoy and decided that we needed an early night. We both failed at going to bed early after working on Eve stuff and going back over minutes. I wound up working on sessions until midnight when I decided that I was to damn tired to be productive anymore.

Back up at seven and down to breakfast at seven thirty where I met up with Corbexx. We then headed into the office for nine although we didn't start stuff till later. That hour was good for going over the minutes again and comparing our notes from the previous day. My low sec session stresses me out. How did I do? Will people be pleased with my attempts? It is a session I ask CCP for and I pretty much lay information out to them. That is also rather intimidating but well received. Sometimes thou, this thing is over whelming. I just had to leave them alone and let fate takes its course.

Then day four started. There are some pictures and such done. I opted out. I have no fondness for cameras or video. I thought about it a lot. Some people may not feel that I have a right to opt out of being recorded in those ways but I decided that I'd take whatever negative publicity came to me. I've never been fond of being in front of a camera and if that is the thing that makes me bad in someones eyes I can accept it.

We ran through the rest of the day and tackled some bigger issues. The biggest one was the CSM itself. The discussion is there and it may be hard to follow because we are all over the place.

CCP Leeloo wants to remove permanent attendees. A lot of us would like to as well but there are several reasons why some do not think it is the best of ideas. Read the minutes if you are interested in the breakdown from the others. My issue is one of perception. I am told quite often about my Icelandic vacation. The CSM is also called CCP sympathizers and other such things. If CCP always picks CSM members the favoritism calls will be loud. There are some activities that do not translate well across the NDA and that is where things like the CSM holding itself accountable comes into play. There is such a goal of professionalism that people are being shielded when call outs need to be made. If people are happy with an inactive member or a member with poor activity levels that is fine but it should not be a guessing match as to who is and who is not active. We are elected by the players to function not by each other to be best friends.

And yes, we discussed ideas on how to remove inactive members. I believe that every CSM has had someone just go fully inactive after they joined. That is not the same as not being productive or having bad ideas, just never log in, never respond, never do a single thing after they collect their forum tag. I think that is a horrible situation. It is also a tough one because no one wants to disenfranchise the voters.

Areas such as removing Fanfest is to get more members over to the summits. Fanfest is a nice perk but it is a perk. It isn't like the summit with days and days of meetings and working over things. CCP is so busy preparing for fanfest that they could not if they wanted to. The goal is to get the most use out of the CSM and the budget for fanfest could instead be used for better summits or even longer summits.

Some have already come back and said that it is a reward and a cookie that may make people work harder. I don't think that is the point of the CSM and I say that as someone who is getting all of the trips. I want people to run for CSM because they want to run for the CSM and do the work and make the effort. Not to get a trip.

So that was a session... then the community team and their goals and plans. I asked for swag for my local meets and agreed to meet CCP Falcon the next day. Afterwards, we hung around the office because we were heading to dinner in an hour. Friday is a group dinner night. At the same time a group was touring the CCP office and having a conference after hours. No idea what it was about but it was fascinating.

So, off we go to the restaurant in cabs. Our reservation got confused so things got a bit messy but we had a good dinner, if long. Afterwards, it was onto the local bar. The development team had a group dinner as well so I walk into this bar and its full of people. Huge, bearded Icelandic developers grab Xander and start roaring at him and waving beer. I slink around to a somewhat clear spot and just stare at the noise which involved men singing R Kelley's "Ignition" in heavy accents. So weird. I did wind up chatting with CCP Masterplan for a while about stuff and when Corbexx said he was leaving I was ready to drop out as well. That was three thirty. I got back to my room, stared at my laptop, and dropped into the bed with the goal to sleep late.

I kind of did. Corbexx skyped me at like noon to go eat. So, I poured myself from the bed, found clothing, and went to have lunch. We then came back and spent a few hours working on the day four minutes with Sion. After that, I claimed them as pack mules and we trundled off to CCP to get my swag. I got a lot of swag. I am not sure how I'm getting it all home without going over my luggage weight right now but I think it can be done. I loaded Corbexx and Sion up with some for myself and we braved the howling winds and pelting snow to get back to the hotel.

From there, we started an adventure to find souvenirs and a bag. That didn't go as well as I might wish. I am used to just finding cheap duffle type bags around. I found bags costing a hundred USD that I might have spent thirty on at home. It was insane. So we kept walking. Sion got a magnet. I didn't settle on a shirt for my husband. I now need to do that in the morning.

The wind was blowing. Snow was blinding us, and CCP Leeloo had invited those interested to play Cards Against Humanity. We went looking for a soup shop that I had read about. We managed to pass it and only found it because Corbexx asked someone. I was busy hoping I'd just trip over it and looking for a large sign. Turns out the sign was more subtle and half covered in snow. Sion was blind from said snow and only the power of Corbexx saved us and got us amazing, hot, delicious soup.

The soup was described as chili soup with meat and tomatoes. It was in actuality a creamy slightly cheesy, chili pepper flavored, ground beef mixed, vegetable holding bowl of savoriness that looked like glop and tasted like heaven. It was in a bread bowl that was delicious. Corbexx has never seen a bread bowl somehow. The menu fascinated me. It was a very stylized black man. The decorations made me think someone had spent some time in Africa. And it was a tiny shop. Sion and Corbexx commented that the place was mostly full of locals which was a good sign. Whatever it was, delicious was part of it.


We headed back through the blowing, wind driven snow. I decided to stay in. Sion went to play cards. Corbexx went to pack and then play cards. I had this to write and swag to pack. I have no idea how I am going to do it but it will all make it home somehow in three bags. I have stuff to give out for months now. I'm so excited. I wont be taking this to one meet and tipping it all on the table for a frenzy. I'll have to figure out some type of distribution method. I have a lot of stuff so everyone will get something.

And its late and I'm tired. I've been listening to the minutes being gone over with Eve Radio. It is interesting listening to it.

Comments

  1. Sugar,

    First, I can completely understand about the picture thing. Personally, I'm not only not fond of having my picture taken, but I also have an aversion to having my picture displayed in public. I've helped organize a few community projects over the years that have been covered by local media, but I always manage to disappear when the photographers show up to document the events. I've even gone so far as to forbid my friends from posting pictures with me in them on Facebook or other sites (for a variety of security reasons). So know that you are not alone in your dislike, and that you have every right to avoid these pictures if you choose.

    Secondly, regarding this part of the day 3 minutes:

    "Sugar Kyle then brought up the idea of a T2 exploration cruisers. There was a discussion that it would be a very niche role ship and that T3's currently fill that position as well as the Sisters of EVE Ships."

    Sugar, thank you so much for bringing this up! This hole has always been a pet peeve of mine. I was a bit disappointed to see that the idea seemed to be so quickly dismissed (I say "seemed to be," as with the new minute format, it is difficult to tell how much discussion there actually was). From my perspective, the fact that this niche is currently only filled by faction and T3 ships is exactly why a T2 alternative is needed!

    Right now, T3s and SOE ships are more of a barrier to new explorers, as there is no viable alternative between them and racial exploration frigates. For example, let's say I'm a new Caldari pilot interested in exploration. I work my way through herons and buzzards, but now I want to make the progression into something bigger and with a few more teeth for exploring more hazardous parts of the game. What are my options? None of my ship or weapon skills that I have gained so far lend themselves to progressing into an SOE exploration vessel, so the only logical progression is a Tengu. But a T3 is a very expensive hull on it's own (not that faction ships are exactly cheap either), especially when you consider that I'd be moving into it from a T2 frigate. Not to mention the cost in time for the T3 subsystem skills. There really need to be racial T2 exploration cruisers to bridge this gap!

    At least this part looked somewhat promising that this may get some attention in the future:

    "There was a short discussion about the expansion of exploration sites that do damage and need combat abilities and how it may open up a future place for the idea."

    I would wholeheartedly support this! Both the development of more exploration sites that need combat abilities and the ships to fly in them would be a welcome improvement to the current state of exploration.

    Again Sugar, thank you so much for all the hard work that you do; it is clear that you take great efforts to represent each of us, and that is very much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you.

      The T2 cruiser came from an e-mail and I went, "Huh, I'd like this myself." I've never been fond of the legion I currently use to explore with and the changes over the last year and a half to exploration make it a possibility.

      New ships are not a small idea but introducing the thought is. Some people dismiss everything and automatically. I like the idea and think I will hold onto it.

      Delete
    2. Thank god I'm not alone. It always weirded me out how exploration is supposed to be such a niche a faction cruiser and T3s are enough, when every other role gets complete lines of T1 and T2 ships AND T3s, thanks to their versatility.

      Hell, for a time I was exploring in a Pilgrim, because I love this hull. The missing scanning bonus wasn't too bad, but the missing bonus to virus strength really hurts sometimes, as I found out.

      But overall, I think we should have a full line of T2-exploration cruisers just so people don't get forced to jump from T2-frigates to expensive faction cruisers and even more expensive and skill-intensive T3s. (Also I think most of the T3s in their stealthy configuration look incredibly ugly, which for me is a major drawback. I think without the Pilgrim and the Stratios I would have given up on EVE long ago.)

      Delete
  2. "Corbexx has never seen a bread bowl somehow."

    The sad, isolated life of a wormhole dweller.

    ReplyDelete

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