Daily Archives: February 14, 2011

CSM 6 – Roc the Vote

Posted by Roc Wieler on

VOTING IS NOW OPEN: ROC THE VOTE PEOPLE!

I believe in Eve Online. I believe it was once one of the most innovative and trend setting games ever created in the MMO industry. I believe it is still a beautiful and immense environment, with the strongest and most loyal community I have ever encountered within an intellectual property. I believe our game has so much potential for its future. I believe CCP can take it there.

All of my beliefs in this are dependent on one point, and one point alone: listening to the people.

A game succeeds or fails not based on board room meetings, or even how good/bad a game might be; it depends on its audience. A game is only as good as its players.

I could tell you about my ideas for EVE; how I would make factional warfare meaningful, how I would make low sec the single best area of space to live, how they should have tea as a commodity instead of just synthetic coffee. I could share with you the same ideas I shared with the CCP Dev Team last Fanfest, about how to create a dynamic and innovative player driven content system, or how the EVE API could be improved upon, as well as working with CCP to build a model that would allow third party developers to actually monetize their efforts, but I won’t. I won’t overpromise on any of these things.

Do you know why?

Because they are my ideas, and my ideas alone. Don’t get me wrong, if the opportunity arises to introduce my own agenda to help shape and mold EVE Online, I would certainly make the best of that opportunity, but to me, that’s not what CSM should be about.

The CSM is the voice of the people.

In the real world, my voice has been a pain in the arse to many over the last 15 years of my career. I’m a technical lead developer; a business analyst. My job is to work with a client, identify their needs, make a granular list, architect a solution for them, then work with the team that develops and delivers that solution to make sure it stays true to the original vision.

I have no fears of saying no. I have no qualms with showing flaws in logic and providing better alternatives. My entire career has been about qualified communication. I have always brought all of my passion to my work, to my hobbies, to my life.

To me, being on the CSM is no different. Qualifed communication is key. There must be passion. There must be an understanding on many levels of how our game works. I have that.

I’ve also already done business with CCP as the face of Capsuleer. I know much about how they work internally. I know people there; some that like me, others that do not.

Capsuleer had over 60,000 users. I know how to market and nurture a well-built product to success.

I am also all about community. Between this blog, my artwork, my music, and everything else I do, I am immersed in many aspects of EVE Online, and only want the best for our game.

So what are you getting when you vote for Roc Wieler? You’re getting an intelligent, charismatic bulldog that won’t back down from a fight. You’re getting a man that will stand tall and proud, shouldering your requests to the CSM, and then to CCP. You’re getting a cigar smoking, exercise driven ex-Matar Colonel that will fight with his last breath for what he believes in.

Prosper or Perish by the People.

@rocwieler

#RocTheVote

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Valentine’s

Posted by Roc Wieler on

I’ll admit that I got a bit of a rush wearing my officer’s dress formals. My posture was noticeably better, my demeanour possessing more of an air of authority, and the looks I would get from non-military personnel, well, let’s just say I had my choice of any woman I wanted, and probably more than a few men.

I cleaned up real well.

One might have thought I was enroute to an Officer’s gala, or some high profile charity auction, but no, I was dressed up with another purpose in mind. As the magtrain slowed into the central hub station of the promenade, I quickly, yet casually made my way to a nearby employee entrance. My contact was already waiting.

“Everything’s ready?” I asked. He nodded an affirmative, looking around cautiously. I paid him a few isk, which he greedily clawed at, then turned tail and disappeared.

On any given morning rush hour, an estimated 2.5 million civilians passed through this station hub, according to the news. It was one of the highest volume magtrain stations in all of the Republic.

They wouldn’t even see it coming.

I opened the employee entrance. Everything was indeed as I had requested. I rubbed my hands together in anticipation, and set about my work. I had to be quick, but precise; if I handled things indelicately it would be me that suffered for it.

Ten minutes later, everything was set.

There was only one major causeway where the magtrains stopped and passengers disembarked. It was a logistical nightmare really, far too exposed and isolated for security to prevent any real catastrophe from taking place.

I smirked, ready to take them all by surprise.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” I yelled, holding the first rose up in my hand. I had several buckets of pink and red roses with me to hand out to all the women that morning. It didn’t take long before they started lining up, eager to receive their free rose on this festive occasion.

“There you go, beautiful.” I said to one homely woman as I handed her a pink rose. Her cheeks flushed as she quickly took the rose and continued on her way.

“A beautiful rose for a beautiful lady.” I said, handing a red rose to an older woman, who smiled back at me, her eyes brighter than they were a moment before.

I had no agenda really. I simply had woken up that morning when the idea had hit me.

Women should be coveted each and every day for all the wonderful things they are, but words are just lip service, and honestly, it doesn’t take much to make a simple gesture of appreciation.

I had bought up every rose from every flower shop in the promenade, and arranged to have them ready for pickup. Of course, there were far too many people for me to do this alone, but I had thought of that as well.

Several other Tribal Liberation Force pilots, past and present, had responded to my NeoCom message only hours earlier. They filed in, in full dress, and began handing out roses to the masses.

“For you, my dear. Thank you for being all that you are.” I said, handing a rose to another wonderful lady. She smiled a beautiful smile back at me and spoke, “Thank you, Colonel, for what you’ve done for all of us.” She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I smiled.

Like I said, it doesn’t take much to show appreciation.

I had purchased roughly five thousand roses; half of them were here with me to be handed out. A genuine smiled crossed my lips.

—

It had been a long and trying day. Nothing had seemed to go right for her since she first woke up that morning. She slid her ID card along the door lock to the station quarters she rented out on an annual basis in this lowsec station. All she wanted was to have a shower and go to bed; the sooner this day was over, the better.

As she entered her room, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes opening wide in astonishment. She quickly scowled, regaining her composure, and crossed the rose filled room to her desk, looking for the card that would surely have been attached to the delivery.

The damn roses were everywhere: on the floor, on her furniture, on her bed, in the bathroom. There must have been thousands of them. She finally found the small envelope and tore it open.

I miss you babe. Roc was all it said.

Mynxee smiled and felt herself tearing up a little inside. She quickly pushed her emotions back down, throwing the card to the floor. Asshole, she thought, as she began undressing to take a shower.

Despite her foul mood though, she did take a moment to stop and smell the roses.