1. Please start by giving us a short introduction to who you are and your history within EVE Online. Include how long you have been playing and the groups you have been involved with.

So I first gave EVE a shot in 2008. I was part of a fairly newbro friendly nullsec corporation called Omen Incorporated, who were a part of Brutally Clever Empire (BRUCE), in Fountain. Unfortunately the alliance sort of fell apart as we were under siege and we vacated the region back to highsec mostly. The corp became inactive and I went back to highsec mission running for a while before ending my sub nearer the end of the year.

I returned again, properly, in around 2013, where I joined up with Eve University very briefly but realised I had some relocation to do in real life, so couldn’t devote much time to EVE. I spent some of 2013 and also 2014 on various accounts running missions, doing incursions and flying with Bomber’s Bar, before deciding at the start of 2015 to re-apply to Eve Uni. I spent a year with them getting used to the game again and helping out on their recruitment team. In that time I lived in a low class wormhole, null sec and low sec, while still running incursions with their group when I could.

At the start of 2016 I made the decision to move on, so I joined up with Waffles. The last year has been spent deploying all over New Eden with Waffles, concentrating entirely on PvP, both in null and low. We participated in world war bee and were one of the first forces to assault SMA space. I’m still flying with Waffles and have recently been made a director.

 

2. Who would you consider to be your key constituents? Who would you best represent within the playerbase?

While I’ve spent a lot of time in lowsec over the last year and have a fairly decent insight into the way it functions, I most definitely feel I would not just represent the lowsec playerbase. Between running high sec missions, incursions, lowsec pvp fleets, assaulting and defending sov, living in low class wormhole space, running high class wolf rayet cap escalations (before the changes) and station trading/low level industry, I think I have the experience to represent a large portion of the the entire playerbase in some form. I am also a software developer/system consultant and thoroughly enjoy finding ways to improve systems in the real world, which I think would translate well to the CSM.

 

3. Please summarise your platform. (Preferably using key bullet points)

• To represent players from all areas in EVE with the ability to play devil’s advocate when changes may have knock on effects that have not been considered.
• “Timezone tanking” and citadel timers need some work I feel
• Drilling platforms - I want to ensure these are implemented in the correct way
• General ship balance. In the past CCP have said they prefer to take time over this but I think there’s a better “happy medium”

 

4. Why have you decided to run for CSM this year?

In short, I want to help the game. I feel I’m in a good position to do so due to my varied experience within EVE. Couple that with my ability to provide constructive feedback while remaining approachable and I think I would be a great addition to the CSM.

 

5. Have you run for or been a member of CSM in the past? If so please list each year and if you were elected.

I have not been a member nor have I run for CSM in the past!

 

6. What makes you a unique representative when you compare yourself to other candidates?

As I briefly mentioned beforehand, I have a broad range of knowledge on the game which isn’t something you always see in a candidate. While the CSM no doubt confers with each other, I suspect it’s very useful to not just hear other opinions but also be able to relate to and understand them as well. I also consider myself an approachable person who has no issues interacting with others, which is of paramount importance for a CSM candidate.

 

7. Do you have any out of game experience and skills that make you a good candidate?

My “real world” job is that of both a software developer and systems consultant. What that means is that while I’m quite at home writing code (mostly C# as I’m a microsoft stack guy) and playing with databases, my underlying reasoning for doing so is one of improvement. I take a wider look at computer systems that are either running inefficiently or lack certain features, consult the users of those systems on how they use it, what would happen if I changed it to do ‘X’ and what knock on effect that might have, to come up with a new solution that works for everyone. That process in itself is almost how CSM works (with the exception of the actual coding). I see the CSM as a group of people who should be taking ideas, critiquing them and playing devil’s advocate at every corner, and using their knowledge and connections, feed their conclusions back to CCP in a level headed manner.

 

8. What areas of EVE are you weakest at knowledge wise?

Most definitely mining and industry. I have a character that is capable of flying Exhumers but I will admit to only using it once or twice. I’ve also never done any industry outside basic research and producing a variety of T1 hulls.

 

9. If you were offered unlimited development time - what's the biggest change you would lobby for in EVE?

I’m not sure I would focus entirely on one project. I have lots of things I’d love to change, for example:

• Change the new structure mechanics so they can be RF’d at any time but the timer that is created works similar to the POCO timer, where you define a certain window each day. Implement new structures that take the place of the IHUB/TCU so you are able to install upgrades. Potentially look at allowing the IHUB like ones in wormholes/lowsec too but with lesser rewards. Either move these new structures to the new timer system for consistency or adapt the current entosis sov mechanics to use these new structures.
• Make PvE more dynamic with ‘clever’ AI, introduce new missions/sites/incursion-like events that use this unpredictable AI to make them challenging.
• Give faction warfare an overhaul. Create new plexes in between mediums and larges that allow T2 cruisers and BCs, ban the T2 cruisers from mediums. Potentially look at introducing larger scale events that get the NPC groups from each side involved to make it feel like a true war.
• I’d also like to progress some of the lore, I’m no expert but whatever was going on with jove space/drifters sounded really interesting and I’d love to see that worked on.
• It would be fantastic if we could get to a position where TiDi was no longer a thing. While the new architecture helped out with regards to how the servers cope with larger numbers of players in one system, there is always room for improvement.
• Following on with the above, I’d love to pick out all of the times legacy code has been cited as a reasoning for not being able to change something, and sort it out!
• I would really like to see the missile formula revisited. It’s nice they have something “unique” and that they don’t just follow the standard tracking formula, but some (Rapid Light) are comparatively stronger than others (cap guns and HAMs/Torps).

 

10. If you could wind back the clock - what feature or change would you remove from EVE?

That’s quite a hard question because I’m not entirely sure if there is anything I’d entirely remove from the game. I most likely wouldn’t have implemented the Entosis system or Jump Fatigue in their current state though.

 

11. If you could pick one candidate to be elected with you who would they be and why?

It’s hard to say, I can’t single out one particular candidate. I would say Steve Ronuken has a unique perspective on the game and tooling and would be, yet again, a valuable addition. Jin’taan for his transparency and community integration and capri sun kraftfoods as some of his ideas align with mine.

 

12. What is your favorite memory in EVE and why?

In game, probably one of my intense solo fights for the kicks it gave me. This https://zkillboard.com/related/30002182/201607081600/ was a really tough fight.

I don’t think even that compares to midnight Christmas karaoke with Waffles and Chocolate Rahne though.

 

13. What platform(s) do you use currently to engage with the wider player base? If someone wanted to contact you what is the best way to do this? (Include Twitter/Emails/Skype/Slack etc.)

I’m a member of a wide variety of discords/slacks, including Eve Uni, Bombers Bar, Tweetfleet, various streamers (Zarvox etc) and like to engage in conversation with their members. Getting in touch with me is fairly easy. I’ll answer in game mails most days (just take note the 0 in orchid is a zero not a letter ‘O’), I’m available on all of the above discords/slacks, you can contact me on any of the methods at the bottom of the page.

 

14. If people wanted to find out more about your platform - where is the best place to do so? (Include blogs, forums posts and podcasts)

I took part in one of the CSM debates hosted by Jeffraider, you can find that here (http://audio.crossingzebras.com/Files/TJS34B.mp3). I also spent some time with Matterall and we mostly spoke about myself as a person, so if you’re interested in that head here (https://soundcloud.com/mt-erall/tis-lounge-csm-series-white-0rchid).

Aside from that, feel free to chat with me if you have any questions at all.

 

15. What is your closing statement (no more than 500 words please!)

With my varied and broad experience in EVE I believe I would be able to contribute in any discussions CCP want to engage the CSM in. I consider myself an approachable person and am happy speaking with players and listening to their thoughts on current issues and, with the aid of the other CSM members, feed those ideas back to CCP in a structured and eloquent way.

I am not running because I wish to push my own personal agenda or be space famous but to improve the game as a whole from a top down perspective.

Thanks

White 0rchid

Zkb - https://zkillboard.com/character/240174263/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/White0rchidEVE

Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/u/White0rchid

Discord - @[WAFFLES] White 0rchid#9781

Email - white.0rchid@outlook.com