CSM Election Interview Series: Ashina Sito

Hallan Turrek > My name is Hallan Turrek from A Merry Life and a Short One. Today, I'm interviewing Ashina Sito.
Hallan Turrek > Hello Ashina!
Hallan Turrek > How're you doing?
Ashina Sito waves
Ashina Sito > hello
Ashina Sito > fine, you?
Hallan Turrek > I'm well. Lets dip into your platform here:
Hallan Turrek > Your platform seems to indicate a great interest in 0.0. Do you consider yourself primarily a null-sec PvPer?
Ashina Sito > Well, I do some High sec can flipping/ninja baiting
Hallan Turrek > What does that entail exactly?
Ashina Sito > My focus is on Introductery PvP for new players
Ashina Sito > well, with baiting
Ashina Sito > I have used on an alt a mining bait vexor
Ashina Sito > mining into a jet can to attract flippers
Ashina Sito > moved up to a Hulk later
Hallan Turrek nods
Ashina Sito > she went 18 and 0 in it
Hallan Turrek > You said your focus is on introductory PVP?
Ashina Sito > yes
Hallan Turrek > You mean introductory PvP in 0.0 for new players?
Ashina Sito > That is correct
Hallan Turrek > You believe then that 0.0 is the best place to learn PvP?
Ashina Sito > Well, the reason for the focus on 0.0 PvP is simple
Ashina Sito > no kill rights
Ashina Sito > I trian up new pilots, yougest ever to go into 0.0 was playing for 5 hours
Hallan Turrek > You believe that kill rights are a barrier normally to those wishing to learn combat?
Ashina Sito > if you go and gank someoen in low sec as a newbiw you could be in trouble
Ashina Sito > Not if you go to 0.0 =D
Hallan Turrek > So is that something you'd like to see changed?
Ashina Sito > Not at all
Ashina Sito > well
Ashina Sito > transferable kill rights should be done
Hallan Turrek > What do you mean?
Ashina Sito > well, lets say I kill you in low sec
Ashina Sito > but your not skilled enough, as a pilot or a player, to take advantage of that kill right in high sec
Ashina Sito > the ability for you to hire aonther pilot to attack me woudl allow you some revenge
Hallan Turrek nods
Ashina Sito > it would give Anit- pirates somethign to do.
Hallan Turrek > I didn't see that in your platform. Is that an addition?
Ashina Sito > no, your questions brought it up
Hallan Turrek > So it's not something you feel you'd push for?
Ashina Sito > push, no. Back yes.
Hallan Turrek > Lets talk about the "Incubator Systems" your platform mentions.
Hallan Turrek > What is an "Incubator System"?
Ashina Sito > many stations. with most if not all the usefull services.
Hallan Turrek > You believe the current regions such as Syndicate are insufficent?
Ashina Sito > yes
Hallan Turrek > How so?
Ashina Sito > There is not enough space, that simply
Ashina Sito > there does not need to be a lot, but there is room for some more regions like syndicate
Hallan Turrek > That's a requirement for good 0.0 PvP?
Ashina Sito > it does no good to have a base 14 jumps from the nearest clone bay
Ashina Sito > no, good populations
Ashina Sito > more players, more PvP, more PvP more fun
Hallan Turrek > So a combination of factors then?
Ashina Sito > correct
Ashina Sito > clones, manufacturing and hopefully good refining
Ashina Sito > then anyone, player, corp or alliance can come out and test teh waters
Ashina Sito > after a time, tehy will move on. Ether back to high/low sec
Ashina Sito > or into Player Sov space
Ashina Sito > hopefully with Dominion there will be room for them
Hallan Turrek > So then what would you do to solve the problems of 0.0 PvP?
Ashina Sito > Well, that is an impossable question to answer atm
Ashina Sito > Dominion is so close
Ashina Sito > it will change everything
Hallan Turrek > Does that mean your platform is changing as well?
Ashina Sito > What I can say is that I will use my skills and knowladge as well as principles to make sure that I attemt to make things out there as balanced as possable
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Lets move onto non-0.0 related issues then.
Ashina Sito > ok
Hallan Turrek > Do you believe that ECM is broken in it's current form?
Ashina Sito > Ether ECCM or ECM is broken
Hallan Turrek > Either?
Ashina Sito > since I have expreiance on both sides I woudl say that ECCM needs some help
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > What kind of help are you proposing?
Ashina Sito > The boosting of the ECCM Module by 50-100% and/or the addition of ECCM rigs
Hallan Turrek > So you'd make ECM counterable with just one module?
Ashina Sito > Not really, just give the chance for an ECCM fitted ship to not get jammed rather then soak up jammers and still get jammed. If that makes sence.
Hallan Turrek > You'd rather see a ship with ECCM not get jammed instead of requiring more ECM to jam?
Ashina Sito > Not quite. ECCM should not be a free pass. But in my experience an overheated ECCM BS can still be jammed more then not
Ashina Sito > I woudl like to slide the jam free time to the ECCM ship a bit more then it is now
Hallan Turrek > And that would include doubling the ECCM boost?
Ashina Sito > 50-100% yes, mabe less if CCP added ECCM rigs which would be a great addition
Hallan Turrek > When you say that, you mean all ECCM modules, Passive and Active?
Ashina Sito > I would say all. But don't get stuck on the ammonth of the change. The idea is less a number and more of a concept. A few more jam free cycles for that ECCM fitted ship. At that poijnt I thing that ECM would be well balanced
Hallan Turrek > So your platform seems to indicate that you're unhappy with the way drones currently perform. What are the main problems?
Ashina Sito > they get wilder with every passing year
Ashina Sito > currently the biggest issue is that they will go to an assigned target, then wander off to another target. So you reassign, and they do it again, and again, and again.
Ashina Sito > They still do not stay in a groups
Ashina Sito > group
Hallan Turrek > So you'd propose that they not do that then?
Ashina Sito > correct. They worked well for a while there but sicne Apocrypha they have gone a little bonkers
Hallan Turrek > You platform includes a section on cloaking as well. What does "decloaking friendlies" mean?
Ashina Sito > if one cloaked ship flys within 2km of another firendly cloaked ship they will decloak eachother.
Ashina Sito > This is most problematic with recon/bomber gangs
Hallan Turrek > You'd like that to be less likely to happen or you'd like it not to happen?
Ashina Sito > Movemnt and set up become very difficult
Ashina Sito > It should not happen
Hallan Turrek > What would your solution be exactly?
Ashina Sito never has flone in a cloaker gang... flies with too many noobliets
Ashina Sito > Simplest fix is to make it so friendly cloaked ships do not decloak eachother
Ashina Sito > if that is simple coding wise I do not know
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > You're also proposing to fix the Directional scanner, can you tell me how?
Ashina Sito > Adding an AU or KM option to the directional scanner. Reducing the recalibration from scanning to 1 second from the current 2 seonds. A "cllick to select" instead of click and drag" ability to the angle when using the directional scanner.
Ashina Sito > 3 elements lifted from my CSM blog
Ashina Sito > AU KM conversion is annoying
Hallan Turrek > It sounds like you'd redesign the directional scanner entirely.
Ashina Sito > not really, add a switch for the AU KM
Ashina Sito > the "drag" angle aspect is a real change
Ashina Sito > and peopel are begging for the recalibration timer to be lifted
Hallan Turrek nods
Ashina Sito > In all fairness, those 3 are on the CSM table currently, I left them on as my planks to show people my prepective on things
Hallan Turrek > Besides what we've talked about, what is the number one issue that you'd push for as a CSM member?
Ashina Sito > More monster trucks on space?
Ashina Sito > sorry.... CSM related joke
Hallan Turrek > I see.
Ashina Sito > Tough question.
Ashina Sito > Mabe the removal of insurance for CONCORD related losses
Hallan Turrek > You believe that insurance is broken now?
Ashina Sito > depends on how you look at it
Ashina Sito > but suicide ganking is still cheap and easy
Hallan Turrek > And it shouldn't be, in your opinion?
Ashina Sito > also, if some poor pod pilot gets CONCORDed shooting their friend on accident, they will learn the lesson well if they do not get insurnace
Ashina Sito > In a nut shell, yes. Suicide ganking is too cheap.
Ashina Sito > a couple of thorax's that cost a 3-5 million after insuracen to take out a stationary Hulk mining in high sec
Ashina Sito > Risk Reward, the ganker has no risk and recieves all the reward
Ashina Sito > It's why I take such joy in killing can flippers and ninja's
Hallan Turrek > Are there any links you'd like published with the interview?
Ashina Sito > My Jita Park CSM canidate announcment http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1206974
Ashina Sito > that has a link to my Blog in it
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Alright then, it was nice talking to you.
Hallan Turrek > I appreciate your time.
Ashina Sito > your welcome, and thak you for your time as well
Hallan Turrek nods

CSM Election Interview Series: Jonathan Dawnchaser

Hallan Turrek > My name is Hallan Turrek from A Merry Life and a Short One. Today, I'm interviewing Jonathan Dawnchaser.
Hallan Turrek > How are you doing Jonathan?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Great
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Only a little nervous entering the wider stage of New Eden
Hallan Turrek > Heh, it can be daunting.
Hallan Turrek > Lets get right to it, what out of game experience do you have that you think qualifies you for the position of CSM?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > One moment, I am trying to think of how to best answer that
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I am a graduate student pursuing a degree in computer science, and while my focus isn't on MMO design I am familiar with the scalability issues MMOs have to address. This gives me insight into how new features effect existing products.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > My focus is on Network Security (Data Integrity, Confidentiality, and Authentication).
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Aside from my academic career, I also have experience in mediation, something I think would be useful when trying to bring disparate groups together to accomplish something.
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > And ingame?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I have spent the last nine months in the School of Applied Knowledge, learning the game and then fostering other new players that I have seen first hand how ill prepared many new players are for the barrage of information presented to them.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Today alone, I have helped five new players (some that spent less than an hour in their school corp before being scooped into a player corp that doesn't teach them anything) through some of the hardest "starter" content.
Hallan Turrek > Alright. It seems from your answer and your platform that new content and the new game experiance would be the focus of your time on the CSM, would that be a correct assumption?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > It would be part of it
Jonathan Dawnchaser > We all have heard about the new 11% tax that is going to be placed on the rookie corporations. I think it is only fair that some measure of aggression sharing also be included (obviously not immediately, but eventually).
Hallan Turrek > It seems from your platform so far that would be the only focus, am I missing something?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > If you do a word find for "Aggro sharing across fleets" you will find this
Hallan Turrek > I understand that, but that seems to be a much bigger issue for rookie corps than the normal corps.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Yes, I'm sorry, were you including "rookie corps" under "new game experience"?
Hallan Turrek > I do, generally.
Hallan Turrek > Most would, who weren't in a rookie corp really.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I think the new game experience is very important to the life of Eve Online
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm just asking if that is to be your primary focus.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > MMOs live and die by how new players take to a game. And for Eve, the first few days (if not moments) seem to be the most important. A player that has readily available advice is less frustrated and enjoys the game more.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Yes, my primary focus is on the new player experience
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > So what's the most important thing you think needs changed?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I think a "primer" would help.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > the tutorials are nice and all, if you figure out which part you need to read
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I don't remember reading anywhere when I first started that "Right Click" was one of the three "easy" buttons of Eve.
Hallan Turrek > So then, you'd include a basic tutorial on that?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I am not sure it has to go that far
Hallan Turrek > What would you do then?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > maybe just a page that can be loaded in the forth coming improved in game browser that has a bullet point list of tips
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Sometimes simple is better
Jonathan Dawnchaser > a list allows a user to go through text instead of tabbing through a tutorial hoping they are in the right one
Hallan Turrek > For arguments sake, couldn't you make that page and try to spread it around?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I did
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I used it have my bio dedicated to that, but current needs have forced me to repurpose it.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > But I am in the process of coding a page to have those tips
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > It comes down to visibility. Most people that know of these lists, don't need them.
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Moving on to your mining ideas.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > The one thing I want for mining is more interactivity.
Hallan Turrek > You support locking bigger ships out of newbie systems? Or are you for creating new systems for newbies only?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I think that cruisers, mining barges, exhumers, etc have no place in a Tutorial System's belts
Hallan Turrek > Wouldn't that be meta-gaming for a game that does everything by RP rules?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > It would be metagaming, but there are ways to justify it in game. Shrink the gates going into the stations.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > sorry shrink the gates going into the systems.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > There are so many systems in eve that using those systems is like a slap in the face to new players
Jonathan Dawnchaser > but that is just a small part of mining
Jonathan Dawnchaser > The main thing I think mining as a whole needs is more interactivity.
Hallan Turrek > You'd like normal space to be more like wormhole space?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Partially
Jonathan Dawnchaser > And not necessarily
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Right now a miner: Undocks, warps to a belt (or bookmark), gets into range, cycles the lasers, docks to unload, and repeats
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Or some variation
Jonathan Dawnchaser > But mainly that is it, it isn't fun
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > But in your system he would...
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I think including explorations, which admitably take longer to perform, would mix things up a bit
Jonathan Dawnchaser > For example, let's say a current miner takes 10 units of time to mine 100 units of minerals
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I see no problem with a new system that required 5 units of time to find ore that yielded the same 100 units of minerals given 5 units of mining (essentially this ore yields twice as much).
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Perhaps the exploration method yields a slight advantage (110 to 100) to make it worthwhile.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > But overall the current method of going to known belt beacons suspends my belief in the Eve World.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > These sources of great potential wealth are known but aren't controlled?
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Alright, so moving on to the rookie corp extensions then. What were your plans?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Eve is a very social game
Jonathan Dawnchaser > and I know that in real life I made some of my best friends in college
Hallan Turrek > So you'd like to expand that social aspect?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > A character's School Corporation (their first rookie corp) is sort of like their college
Jonathan Dawnchaser > and joining a player corporation means leaving that behind
Jonathan Dawnchaser > yes you can make a public or private chat channel, but then it has to get spread around
Jonathan Dawnchaser > and as veterans leave a school corp it means they can't share their experience with new players
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I believe in CCP's vision for 0.0 and player corporations, but I think that if there isn't a way for people to pass on what they learn, Eve could never evolve into CCP's "Emergent" Vision.
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > So you said you'd like to see aggro shared across fleets. Did something specific make you decide that was important?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Yes
Jonathan Dawnchaser > There are many ways to "wage" PvP in this game, and the one seen most in high sec is commonly referred to as "baiting."
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > The big problem I have with baiting is the inequity of the situation. The baiter has a disparate amount of control of the situation.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > The baiter can decide to only target rookie corp members (and often do so) because they guarantee an isolated target.
Hallan Turrek > Do you mean can flipping?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I am talking about "can flipping" or looting someone else's wreck
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Baiting with the aggression timer.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > the target can engage or not, but whatever they choose they are alone if they are in a rookie corp
Jonathan Dawnchaser > but if the baiter is in a player corp, it could be a situation of a gang verse 1.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > That doesn't seem fair to me.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > If a baiter can have a gang waiting just at warp distance, I feel the target should be able to share the aggression timer with their fleet.
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > This would also address other issues in Eve
Hallan Turrek > Like what?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > such as:- Suicide Ganking- Transitioning players into pvp
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Right now the typical suicide ganking strategy is:1. Wave tries to kill the target before concord gets them.2. An alt warps in to loot/salvage
Jonathan Dawnchaser > That alt is normally in the fleet with the gank squad, if the gank squad hit a small fleet, maybe the hauler is dead, but the others could intervene to stop the looting of the hauler.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > That seems much more in line with the conventions Concord espouses in the context of Eve's story
Hallan Turrek > Then they leave the alt out of the fleet.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Alt still gives aggro when looting the hauler
Hallan Turrek > That happens now, you want concord to stop them?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Right now, the aggression window is given to the person that is looted
Jonathan Dawnchaser > That person is usually in a pod at that point
Jonathan Dawnchaser > If the pilot is in a player corporation their corp mates get a window
Jonathan Dawnchaser > This change would also make outsourcing escort duty a possibility in high sec
Jonathan Dawnchaser > as those fleeted with the hauler would get aggression windows
Jonathan Dawnchaser > This change wouldn't stop the alt from looting the dead gank ships or salvaging anything, but it would help protect the cargo of the victimized party
Jonathan Dawnchaser > in fact it doesn't stop the alt from looting anything
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > it just allows the attacked party (in this case the escorts) the option to fight back.
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Alright, what's the most important thing you want to see changed in Eve?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > I think Aggression Timer sharing is the top of the list
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Any links you'd like published in this interview?
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Just my JPSC announcement thread.
Hallan Turrek > It was nice talking to you Jonathan. Good luck in your bid.
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Thank you Hallan, I appreciate the time you spent listening
Hallan Turrek nods
Jonathan Dawnchaser > Fly safe. o/

The Non-Interview

So sometimes people contact me for interviews without any preparation. I've decided to troll anyone that does that to me again.

Hallan Turrek > Howdy.
Z0D > morning HAllan
Z0D > Eva told me i should talk to you
Hallan Turrek > About?
Z0D > CSM
Hallan Turrek > Aha. I am indeed the person to talk to about interviews on that.
Z0D > its a first for me on that part :))
Hallan Turrek laughs
Hallan Turrek > I'll need a link to your platform.
Z0D > been more in the back of Take Care as an advisor
Z0D > a link to my platform?
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > What you're for, what you're against. What you plan to do.
Hallan Turrek > I don't do interviews unless you have a well defined platform posted somewhere.
Z0D > like what i stand for etc, the different points etc?
Hallan Turrek > Yes. That.
Z0D > k, will need to work on that and put it through the take care web site as well as prepare a campain thread for the Jita speak corner
Hallan Turrek > Well, lets cover some basics.
Z0D > kk
Hallan Turrek > Are reinforced bulkheads overpowered?
Hallan Turrek > If so, how would you fix them?
Z0D > well everything has been so tweaked compared to a few years via stacking and some more severely than others, but defitively it has removed the abiliuty as in the past to move ships at insane speeds to put more people whatever the ships are to a more
Z0D > similar speeds, i find and that smy opinion that like overdrive mods that a lot of those affect the stats in ways that i think don't totally rely to their initial module goal
Z0D > deftivrely by adding structure maximum velocity is reduced, but 11% in that sense should be different and more take longer to acheive the same maximum velocity rather than simply reduce the max speed
Z0D > on T2 mod for example
Hallan Turrek > I've heard alot of talk lately about the Bantam being boosted, are you in support of those changes?
Z0D > the real base stats of some of those basic ships could receivce a liltle help help new players starting a biut more when they are in their initial starting phase and in trials etc
Z0D > help help --> love...
Hallan Turrek > What do you plan to do in Iceland?
Z0D > well, that would be to help push ideas and players issues so they can actually become realities in the future, lots of things in the game are either not enough or too much or in other case simply don't make any senses
Hallan Turrek nods
Z0D > and an example on that the very CVA incident that just happened....
Z0D > how do we go as a CEO or Director go about taking 24 hours to expell a member from corp... but can instantly kick all corps out of alliance and close alliance with a single click with no votes of any kind.....
Hallan Turrek > Someone told me that they were going to give us more snowballs this Christmas, that's pretty cool right?
Z0D > hehe alwayts cool to do some cold damage :))
Z0D > i was at the last Fanfest (my first) was some great fun and met some people i did not know in game and made some new ones, was surprised at how cold it was for even just early October
Hallan Turrek nods
Z0D > Defitively want to go back through :))
Hallan Turrek > You get laid out there?
Z0D > with the beer lol! lots of it , first 3 days slept maybe 8 hours...
Z0D > was there 6 days, 3 days fanfest and 3 extra days to visit some of Iceland, felt for me when arriving like arriving on another planet literally
Hallan Turrek > Do you support the addition of beer to eve?
Z0D > well in station.. would be interesting to be able to fly around and run and do stuff while under the influence and get attributes modidied in a drunken way by it.....
Z0D > and also as items... with spiced wine and the likes, item wise...
Hallan Turrek > Are you the guy that brought down CVA?
Z0D > nope lol!
Hallan Turrek > Liar!
Hallan Turrek > How'd you do it?
Z0D > in a legal way, in long con, i would have been a good corp member, helping everyone and work the ladder until i get the right roles then with access plan asset transfer to maximise the possible gains to the max... then if in excecutor corp, kick every
Z0D > corp out then close the alliance as now, as well as kick as many players with no roles of any kind to cause the maximum damage possible
Hallan Turrek > I knew it was you!
Hallan Turrek > Why'd you do it?
Z0D > hehe i did not do it and out of many alliances out there, its the most unlikely deserving to have some like that especially in such a way done to yourself in such an easy way, its wrong the way it is now, and as a CEO myself and also head of my alliance
Z0D > i know the feeling of how easy it is to do, its way to easy to create such damage as a single person without any forced and mandatory voting system to stop it from happening
Hallan Turrek > Alright I'm gonna come clean with ya. This was a joke interview. If you'd like a real one, follow my instructions at the start of this conversation. Get a platform and contact me then. Thanks for the interest.
Z0D > np

To his credit, he took well.

CSM Election Interview Series: Alekseyev Karrde

Hallan Turrek > My name is Hallan Turrek from A Merry Life and a Short One. Today, I'm interviewing Alekseyev Karrde.
Hallan Turrek > Hello Aleks, how are you doing?
Alekseyev Karrde > I am doing mighty well, thanks
Alekseyev Karrde > yourself?
Hallan Turrek > I'm good.
Hallan Turrek > Lets get this out of the way:
Hallan Turrek > Full disclosure, Alekseyev Karrde is my CEO.
Hallan Turrek > And a real hardass, just FYI.
Alekseyev Karrde > :)
Hallan Turrek > What personal experience do you have that qualifies you for the CSM?
Alekseyev Karrde > I have a degree in international relations and am currently getting a masters in information science. I have significant experience working in groups, traveling internationally, and working with groups made up of many nationalities. Coupled with my ingame experience I think this makes me a strong candidate
Hallan Turrek > So then what ingame experience do you have that qualifies you for the CSM?
Alekseyev Karrde > I've been part of an industrial/pvp antipirate corp as a grunt and as a leader, military director of a small landholding 0.0 alliance, and for over a year and I half I've been CEO, contract manager, and regular FC of Noir. one of EVE's top merc corps
Hallan Turrek > Lets dip right into your platform shall we? What among the items you've chosen to give your attention to would you consider the most important?
Alekseyev Karrde > I'd like to think it's the level of firmness people expect from their CSM reps
Hallan Turrek > Could you expand on what you mean by firmness? Is that honesty?
Alekseyev Karrde > I'd call it an unwillingness to compromise on ones principles
Alekseyev Karrde > I hold myself and those in my corp to a high standard and I don't settle for less
Hallan Turrek > Anyone in particular on the CSM you believe has compromised on their principles?
Alekseyev Karrde > Can't compromise what you don't have I suppose
Hallan Turrek > You're referring to Larkonis then?
Alekseyev Karrde > Pretty much. I don't have any issue with Lark personally, we've been friends and foes. But I do disagree with how he conducted himself as a csm candidate both in the AT7 scamming incident and the eventual insider trading which spurred his resignation
Hallan Turrek > So then you support CCP's recent decision to disallow his candidacy for CSM 4?
Alekseyev Karrde > absolutely
Hallan Turrek > Do you think he should've been permabanned?
Alekseyev Karrde > Honestly no, I think permabanning would've been a little harsh
Hallan Turrek > So you think you could bring something to the CSM that it currently lacks?
Alekseyev Karrde > If elected, I'd be the only mercenary corp representative so bare minimum it'd be a fresh viewpoint
Alekseyev Karrde > I also think that my role as a merc ceo gives me an insight into the many facets of EVE PVP and buisness competition concepts which can give me a more holistic view of changes to PVP, space, and the economy
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > So you're running as a Mercenary candidate then?
Alekseyev Karrde > I won't hide from labels, especially if they aren't wrong, but I'm not the merc candidate or pvp candidate, I'm the best candidate
Alekseyev Karrde > I consider improving the GM department, promoting relevance of small gang warfare post Dominion, removing price ceilings and floors, and improving corporate management tools to be the bulk of my platform.
Alekseyev Karrde > I have something in my platform for CEOs of all stripes, PVPers of all sec levels, wormholers, and industrialists
Hallan Turrek > More on the economy then. You've said you have a distaste for price floors and ceilings, how would you address the problem?
Alekseyev Karrde > I want to identify and eliminate all npc sell orders which can be refined into minerals and I want to remove the insurance payouts for self destruction and CONCORD deaths
Alekseyev Karrde > I know I won't get all of it, especially that first one, but I will try to make the market as free and open for competition as CCP is willing to allow
Hallan Turrek > Would that solve the insurance problem? Can't people just have a corpmate kill them?
Alekseyev Karrde > It won't solve it, no. But I'm hopeful it will help reduce the impact insurance currently has as a price floor
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Lets talk about PvP then, what's the most important issue on your platform with regards to combat?
Alekseyev Karrde > ensuring the changes to Dominion actually do empower small roaming gangs like CCP has advertised
Alekseyev Karrde > and if they really don't give AF a 4th bonus, getting AFs their fourth bonus so they stop being the Pinocchio of T2
Hallan Turrek > You believe then, that AF's are underpowered?
Alekseyev Karrde > I believe that they are the only tech 2 ships in the game with 3 bonuses instead of 4 and that people still look to the Taranis over the Enyo when they want a frigate blaster boat
Alekseyev Karrde > It doesn't have to be AB speed boost, but they clearly need something to compete or even better DIFFERENTIATE themselves from combat interceptors
Hallan Turrek > How would you fix them then?
Alekseyev Karrde > I'd add race appropriate bonuses to give each ship a little bit of a different flavor while fixing their shortcomings/giving them a new edge
Hallan Turrek > Like that?
Hallan Turrek > Give me a few examples.
Alekseyev Karrde > k. Enyo: second damage bonus
Alekseyev Karrde > Ishkur: 10% drone hitpoints and/or speed
Hallan Turrek > Any concepts in mind for something that isn't Gallente?
Alekseyev Karrde > heheh
Alekseyev Karrde > Retri: 5% rof
Alekseyev Karrde > Vengeance: 5% rocket rate of fire
Alekseyev Karrde > I'm not a dev tho, these numbers will need testing
Hallan Turrek nods
Alekseyev Karrde > the AB boost was a great idea but it overpowered some ships and I knew it probably wouldnt make it through
Hallan Turrek > Lets move on, you've talked a bit about changes you'd like to see to ECM, what's the main problem with it right now?
Alekseyev Karrde > Because of the mechanic that one ECM module can completely disable an enemy ship for 20s it is overpowered vs other ECM and leads to a frustrating gameplay experience
Hallan Turrek > You'd fix that how?
Alekseyev Karrde > I'd bring them in line with the burst and ecm drone mechanic where it just breaks lock or I'd at least reduce the duration from 20seconds activation/lockprevention to 10s
Alekseyev Karrde > 5s would also work ^^
Hallan Turrek > So you'd like to see them with reduced time of jamming? Any compensation for it on the ECM pilot's side, or do you advocate a straight nerf?
Alekseyev Karrde > Reduced jam time is partnered with reduced duration
Alekseyev Karrde > the idea is to get more attempts in so instead of being blocked out of an enjoyable fight for a big chunk of time there's more chance for failure of not eccm'd and success from their side in terms of ships which are eccmd
Hallan Turrek > Won't that have a seriously adverse affect on ships with slow lock times?
Alekseyev Karrde > yeah, it may
Hallan Turrek > And you're alright with that?
Alekseyev Karrde > Small ships in large numbers backed up by EWAR should be an appropriate counter to large ships
Alekseyev Karrde > 10s is a good compromise in my opinion
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > Do you have a problem with current cloaking mechanics?
Alekseyev Karrde > I do. I do not think non cov ops/black ops/recons should be able to inficloak
Hallan Turrek > Why not?
Alekseyev Karrde > AFK cloaking a rifter alt in someone's 0.0 just to mess with them should have a counter besides taking the risk it's not a rifter alt
Alekseyev Karrde > not to mention the stealth buff to macro hunting in 0.0
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > What changes could do that?
Alekseyev Karrde > Add a cap drain, cool down timer, those two are my favorite
Alekseyev Karrde > *cap drain or a cool down timer
Hallan Turrek > Cool down timer?
Alekseyev Karrde > aye, instead of infinitely repeating, extend the activation time to X minutes and then have a period of time during which it cant be activated
Alekseyev Karrde > like they do with doomsdays
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > RR mechanics seem to be an issue that is important to you. Is it broken?
Alekseyev Karrde > It's one of the two things ruining empire PVP
Hallan Turrek > How so?
Alekseyev Karrde > Neutral logistics ships or rr fit bs can be deployed to the field without your opponent being able to challenge their presence, they can then rep and turn the tide of the fight, and then instantly dock or jump (depending) the moment their tank is in
Alekseyev Karrde > danger of being broken
Hallan Turrek > You'd prefer an aggro timer then?
Alekseyev Karrde > aye
Hallan Turrek > Would that solve the problem?
Alekseyev Karrde > It'd allow players to solve the problem. With guns.
Alekseyev Karrde > There's little you can do about alts being on the field if they haven't revealed themselves to be helping your wartargets, but if you can make them pay for getting involved then that's good enough for me
Hallan Turrek > So what's the other issue that's ruining empire pvp?
Alekseyev Karrde > The unrealistic docking radius' of stations in EVE. This applies to lowsec and 0.0 as well
Alekseyev Karrde > Some caldari stations permit you to be over 50km from the actual skin of the station model before you read 1m away or greater on overview
Hallan Turrek > Can that be fixed?
Alekseyev Karrde > CCP has altered the spatial displacement of stations before, they can do it again
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > I believe that wraps it up then.
Hallan Turrek > Any links you'd like published with this interview?
Alekseyev Karrde > My forum campaign thread with updated links to everything in my campaign blog.
Hallan Turrek > Alright it was nice talking to you then.
Alekseyev Karrde > I'd also like to plug www.planetriskshow.com where I'll be making an appearance with other csm candidates for a debate soon.

Politician Caught Lying!

Truth is not determined by majority vote.
Doug Gwyn

UPDATE Preface:
Spectre said...

Hey Hallan. That scam log is actually from days after my interview with you. Nothing I said at the time we talked was inaccurate. Previous to the other day I had never scammed more than a couple hundred million ISK. Thanks.

As I'm trying my best to do good reporting here, and do proper investigations, this little problem seemed glaringly obvious from my interview with Spectre:


Hallan Turrek > Have you ever participated in a scam before?
Spectre3353 > Yes, I have on a couple occasions attempted using market scams to make money.
Spectre3353 > I believe I actually have one post on my blog about that.
Hallan Turrek > About how much money have you made, would you say?
Spectre3353 > I don't currently partake in it though.
Spectre3353 > At most, a couple hundred million.
Hallan Turrek > You support the concept of scamming?
Spectre3353 > I think it would make sense to continue to make scamming due to poor UI something that is less common.
Spectre3353 > But
Spectre3353 > If people make mistakes due to their own oversights or incompetence, not related to poor UI or mechanics, that is part of Eve and I support it fully.

From Spectre's Blog Post:

Scamming some random poor soul out of 650 million ISK and then rubbing it in via extreme sarcasm and taunting:

Spectre > hey whats up... want to buy another ship?
Figis > those are not navy issue
Figis > u fucked me
Spectre > what??!! seriously?
Spectre > must have been a mistake by the guys in the warehouse
Spectre > let me ask them and ill get right back to you
Figis > i want my money back
Spectre > i already spent it on a new house in the hamptons
Spectre > sorry friend
Figis > they are normal ships
Spectre > yea if normal is AWESOME
Spectre > theyre MEGATHRONS dude, that name is incredible
Spectre > AWESOME MEGATHRONS
Figis > i want my money back
Spectre > better start mining i guess then
Figis > so you wont trade back
Spectre > no i will, im just talking to the guys in accounting to sort things out
Spectre > we should be able to send you a rebate check within 6-8 weeks of this transaction
Spectre > you can contact our claims department at 1-800-UR-SCRWD

I don't care, and since Spectre is out of the running for CSM it doesn't matter. It should be pointed out however that he lied to me in my interview at least once.

I've got a couple of other interviews ready to roll, and I may do a Wednsday update to catch up(since tommorrow won't be an interview post). Next up should be Alekseyev Karrde, who is currently my CEO.

Edit: I'll just post that today as well.

CSM Election Interview Series: Spectre3353

Welcome to the first of my CSM Election interview series for CSM 4. Hope you find them useful.

Hallan Turrek > My name is Hallan Turrek from A Merry Life and a Short One. Today, I'm interviewing Spectre3353.
Hallan Turrek > Hello Spectre!
Hallan Turrek > How's it going?
Spectre3353 > Very well, thanks.
Hallan Turrek > Good to hear.
Hallan Turrek > You know in the interest of full disclosure, I think it would be appropriate to mention that you and I have shared the same corp, fleets, and sometimes killmails.
Spectre3353 > Sure have.
Hallan Turrek > Also in the interest of full disclosure I must also mention that I totally kicked your ass a few months back in that duel.
Hallan Turrek > Just sayin'.
Spectre3353 > I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, I have never lost a fight ever.
Hallan Turrek > Keep tellin' yourself that. I've got the killmails.
Spectre3353 > No comment.
Hallan Turrek > Fine. Spectre, tell me what personal experience you have out of the game that qualifies you to be in the CSM.
Spectre3353 > Well honestly I'm not sure what out of game experience I would really want to bring up that would relate to being CSM. I do have experience working as a Software Developer using the Scrum methodology which would give me at least a bit of insight into
Spectre3353 > the way that CCP develops functionality and the time it takes to complete and implement functionality.
Spectre3353 > That being said...
Hallan Turrek > So you don't believe any experience is necessary to be successful in the CSM?
Spectre3353 > I have plenty of experience more directly related to Eve including a large amount of PvP experience as well as some industrial and other PvE experience. Additionally I have been writing an Eve related blog for nearly a year and a half and help to run a pirate corporation that is going very successfully.
Spectre3353 > It's hard to really have experience at being CSM as it's only been around for a few session so far, not many people really know what it entails.
Hallan Turrek > So you plan to learn on the go?
Spectre3353 > I've read the CSM meeting notes and blog posts and read many posts on the forums but it's still a pretty new role that not many people have had the opportunity to experience.
Spectre3353 > To an extent, sure. I would think that would be a desired trait of your CSM candidates is that they are quick on the uptake and not too easily flustered by taking on a lot of new things at once.
Hallan Turrek > You take any breaks in your time in Eve?
Spectre3353 > I have taken one extended break for a couple months which was near the end of last year.
Hallan Turrek > Why?
Spectre3353 > What I pretty learned is that there is no quitting Eve
Spectre3353 > To play other games and MMO's with a number of my friends in real life.
Spectre3353 > It got old fairly fast though.
Hallan Turrek > Ahh, any games in particular?
Spectre3353 > I see what you're doing :)
Spectre3353 > Yes I did play the last WoW expansion and I played WoW for several years before I played Eve.
Spectre3353 > I enjoyed it for a period but it became relatively stale beyond a certain point.
Hallan Turrek > Interesting. Lets move back to your corporation and ingame EvE experience as relating to qualities desirable in a CSM candidate.
Hallan Turrek > You're a pirate, correct?
Spectre3353 > Sure.
Spectre3353 > Among other things yes. My main character engages in lowsec PvP a majority of the time.
Hallan Turrek > Your alts tend to do what?
Spectre3353 > I have one alt that I use for probing for both combat and exploration purposes and he also just finished training to mine with a Retriever.
Spectre3353 > I am currently training him to fly a Hulk.
Spectre3353 > I also had an alt that ran Level 4 missions in a Raven for a while.
Hallan Turrek > I did notice that your platform included a lengthy section on mining. Is it safe to call you a "mining candidate" in addition to the more traditional "pirate" and "pvp" monikers?
Spectre3353 > Well I do not want to mislead people. I am primarily a candidate for lowsec and "piracy". That being said, I feel that the key to fixing/updating lowsec involves making it viable to players of all professions and security statuses.
Hallan Turrek > Ok, but how would you "fix" lowsec then in regards to making it more viable to such persons?
Spectre3353 > Well there are two paths I see really.
Spectre3353 > One that I would really prefer to see is a large scale overhaul in which lowsec is given a unique resource or role that isn't found in nullsec or highsec. There are many suggested ideas on how this could be done. Some of the best I've seen revolve around fleshing out the role of boosters and drugs better and making lowsec the place where the materials for these are mined/found and the production is done.
Spectre3353 > A more realistic and smaller scale path is to simply fix some of the outdated/unbalanced items related to timers, sentry guns, risk vs reward of mining/missions, etc
Hallan Turrek > I did want to get into that a bit more, but lets talk about the boosters.
Spectre3353 > Sure
Hallan Turrek > You didn't mention that in your platform, is booster reform something that you're planning on making a priority?
Spectre3353 > In general? Not really. As something that could be fleshed out further and made into something unique that distinguishes lowsec from other types of regions? Sure.
Hallan Turrek > How would it do so? Specific manufacture locations? More gas clouds?
Spectre3353 > I have lots of ideas but one thing I have not created a specific plan for is how that would be done.
Spectre3353 > Honestly
Hallan Turrek > Like?
Spectre3353 > There are so many good ideas out there already, I would feel silly creating yet another about how to do it....
Spectre3353 > As far as I see it, the main purpose of the CSM's is to choose topics that have been approved by the players and champion them.
Spectre3353 > If I were to get the chance to play that role
Spectre3353 > I would push for an examination and update to lowsec overall, much like Lark did during the last CSM
Spectre3353 > While pushing for smaller and approachable improvements that could actually get implemented in reasonable amounts of time.
Hallan Turrek > You mentioned the GCC earlier. You believe that's broken? Would you be supporting it's removal?
Spectre3353 > Not removal
Spectre3353 > But currently the length of 15 minutes is way longer than it really needs to be.
Spectre3353 > Additionally.
Spectre3353 > The whole issue of "buggy" (I don't know if it's technically considered a bug) sentries is a bit awful.
Spectre3353 > I would love to push for the fixing of invisible timers.
Hallan Turrek > Buggy in what way?
Spectre3353 > Well anyone who is familiar with how timers work in lowsec knows about the wacky and unpredictable way that timers and sentries behave when related to docking at stations.
Spectre3353 > Even if your timers run out, you will still get shot on undock and your NPC timers will be reset
Hallan Turrek > Yes, generally I was to understand it was a feature whereas the stations don't like criminals to dock while being pursued by the police. You consider it to be a bug?
Spectre3353 > Punishment for illegal engagements in empire space is understandable but making the punishment unpredictable and considerably longer than necessary is something I would like to be changed.
Hallan Turrek nods
Spectre3353 > Perhaps bug isn't the right word. Unpredictable and poorly expressed via the UI would probably make more sense.
Hallan Turrek > Ok, so what about "blob" tactics.
Hallan Turrek > You've expressed some disdain towards it and an intention to fix it, how so?
Spectre3353 > This one is a really difficult topic.
Spectre3353 > Well, currently due to several reasons, "blobbing" in lowsec has become pretty common
Spectre3353 > To elaborate
Spectre3353 > Blobbing = Gangs flying around in gangs of a size/power that is so large that they can't realistically expect to find an opponent who can fight back.
Spectre3353 > And things like increased population and faction warfare has caused it to grow considerably
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > You think that's because of nerfs to agility and speed?
Spectre3353 > The agility and speed issue is more related to the inability to fly in solo or small gangs as well as previously
Spectre3353 > Part of it is just part of the nano-nerf which did have some good results
Spectre3353 > But even past the nano-nerf they were making changes that nerfed ship align times.
Hallan Turrek > Will the new assault ship changes help with small gang warfare?
Spectre3353 > Assault ships, even after their buffs, are still overly expensive and niche ships
Hallan Turrek nods
Spectre3353 > I would rather see PvP overall balanced to still be viable for solo and small gangs rather than just for AF's or frigates.
Hallan Turrek > Back to the blobbing problem. You support "fights" more than the search of "kills"?
Spectre3353 > Yes. Not that I am innocent of ever fighting with overwhelming odds but I think a majority of pilots will tell you that they would rather have a fun engagement and lose than get a killmail in a 30 vs 3 fight
Hallan Turrek > So you're of the mind that CCP should enforce fair fights somehow?
Spectre3353 > I don't think they should try and force anything, but some tweaks to balance things back towards how they were prior to the nano-nerf might help.
Spectre3353 > I like a lot of changes that came out of it.
Spectre3353 > Especially the scrambler turning off MWD changes.
Spectre3353 > That being said, I feel like ship agility and align time was hurt to a point that it is now almost impossible to roam lowsec in a ship larger than a frigate and expect to survive anything that sees you on a gate.
Hallan Turrek > If you could revert one change right now, what would it be then?
Spectre3353 > Well there was a change right after the nano changes to make ships easier to catch on gates, their align times were reduced
Spectre3353 > specifically larger ships, not frigates
Hallan Turrek > And that is what you'd revert?
Spectre3353 > I would love to see that turned back at least somewhat
Hallan Turrek > You've said on your blog that the UI is broken as well. Can you give me a couple of concrete examples?
Spectre3353 > Wow I don't even know where to begin with that....
Spectre3353 > To start there is sentries and timers.
Spectre3353 > It can be extremely difficult to tell what timers you have and when you are going to get shot by sentries.
Spectre3353 > I am all for consequences for your actions but at least make them predictable
Spectre3353 > additionally
Spectre3353 > Mynxee was recently pushing for some changes to the directional scanner to make the interface use buttons as opposed to sliders and numbers which I think is a simple but great idea.
Spectre3353 > Probing still has some issues... arrows being almost invisible if you look at them from the wrong angle in certain systems.
Hallan Turrek nods
Spectre3353 > I have seen suggestions to put things like velocity and name next to targets in space as opposed to only on the overview, I like that idea as well.
Spectre3353 > The corporation interface is just atrocious and unintuitive
Hallan Turrek > How so?
Spectre3353 > I could go on forever with this one :) There are a lot of changes that could really be made
Spectre3353 > Well I can recall when I first became CEO
Spectre3353 > it took me about an hour to figure out how to have my CEO skills become applied to my corporation
Spectre3353 > Roles are very difficult to set up
Spectre3353 > etc..
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > So in the end, why'd you decide to run for the CSM?
Spectre3353 > Well before I decided to run I tried to ask around and talk to a lot of fellow pirates to see who else was running and what they were supporting.
Spectre3353 > I felt I saw a lack of one person supporting lowsec and it's enhancement to catch up to highsec and nullsec (especially with their upgrade via the Dominion expansion)
Spectre3353 > So i thought I would take a stab at it.
Spectre3353 > Frankly if I don't win I won't be upset as long as pirates/lowsec has some representation in the CSM somewhere
Hallan Turrek nods
Hallan Turrek > So if another pirate runs, you'd think about supporting him?
Spectre3353 > Well at this point I have thrown my hat in the ring and put significant effort into campaigning so I probably would not just suddenly back out.
Spectre3353 > But depending on who it was, who knows.
Hallan Turrek > Would you mind a hypothetical question Spectre?
Spectre3353 > Sure.
Hallan Turrek > Assume for a moment you've been given privileged information as part of your position as a CSM member. If you used it you could make yourself a lot of in game money. Tens of billions. If you could use that information and not be caught, if no one would ever know you did it but you, would you use it?
Spectre3353 > Are you asking me if I would follow in the footsteps of Larkonis?
Spectre3353 > No, i would not use that information for anything like that.
Hallan Turrek > No, I'm asking if you knew you wouldn't be caught, would you do it?
Spectre3353 > No.
Hallan Turrek > Have you ever participated in a scam before?
Spectre3353 > Yes, I have on a couple occasions attempted using market scams to make money.
Spectre3353 > I believe I actually have one post on my blog about that.
Hallan Turrek > About how much money have you made, would you say?
Spectre3353 > I don't currently partake in it though.
Spectre3353 > At most, a couple hundred million.
Hallan Turrek > You support the concept of scamming?
Spectre3353 > I think it would make sense to continue to make scamming due to poor UI something that is less common.
Spectre3353 > But
Spectre3353 > If people make mistakes due to their own oversights or incompetence, not related to poor UI or mechanics, that is part of Eve and I support it fully.
Hallan Turrek > Ok.
Hallan Turrek > Any links you'd like published with this interview?
Spectre3353 > Just my blog post announcing my candidacy and some general ideas about my platform. It can be found here.
Hallan Turrek > Alright then, it was nice talking to you, and good luck.
Spectre3353 > Thanks for the interview :)