Right. So after talking with Hilmar at Fanfest and receiving unbelievable inspiration from everyone I met; after being humbled by the impact I’ve had on some real lives … I decided it was time to do more for our EVE Online community.
It began with a simple idea. How do I make a healthy lifestyle appealing to EVE Online players? Dick Talens over at Fitocracy wrote an app. I’m working on an app as well. More on that in another post. I don’t want to replicate what Fitocracy is. What would be the point of reinventing the wheel? Also, I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew as this will undoubtedly be something I do in my spare time so being automated is a plus. It would also be great if the community could get involved in helping me create it. The efforts of the many always outweigh the efforts of the few.
THE IDEA
Real life digital skill books. Real life skill training, just like in-game. You want to learn Cardio II? It will have a specific set of requirements (like already having Cardio I) and actual time spent to learn it, just like in-game. I could probably even borrow the look and feel to a degree. You want to reach the specialization skills? You need to learn the basics first. Sound familiar?
I shared this idea with a few esteemed colleagues and friends whom also happen to play EVE Online. They loved its simplicity.
THE DOMAIN
I registered the Clone Upgrade domain. I haven’t done a thing with it as of yet.
THE HELP
As an EVE Online player hopefully you’ve heard of SomerBlink. They do wicked lotteries and the technology behind their website is brilliant. I’m fortunate in that I know GrammarNazi personally. He’s part of that corp and while I absolutely detest his name, I’ve reached out to him to see if he can help me build this vision into reality.
I can architect this. I can design this. I could probably build it but it would take a long while. I’m hopeful that if I can get a few good web developers onboard to help me out, we can put together something pretty awesome in shorter order. If you’re interested in assisting me with this vision, email me roc@rocwieler.com.
I’m asking for your help.
ROC'S RAMBLINGS 
I hope there will be a range of intensities of excercise available, not everyone wants to train until they make themselves sick. 😉
Absolutely. Just like not everyone likes mining in EVE, or playing the Market, there will be different paths available in Clone Upgrade to appeal to everyone’s taste. In fact, the app I am building will be something that works for EVERYONE, regardless of level of health or fitness.
“Your stretch task for today: Pushups for an entire strip miner cycle. Clock’s ticking…”
You may laugh, but there is precedence: software developers doing pushups or crunches while their system compiles. They got really nice muscles, and a working product.
like the idea, if i had more time i’d help out, but i got so much going on already =)
Excellent idea. Presenting the process in a familiar way should make it much more familiar to those of us that play Eve.
As always, whatever I can do to help. Which doesn’t sound like much right now tbh, but I’ll help in any way I can.
Spread the word within your circles please and help me find some devs.
As I mentioned on Twitter, I have an application data storage framework you might be interested in. It’s agnostic to desktop or mobile app use and I have been prototyping the simplest of simple fitness apps just as a demonstration of it. If you would like more information about it and some of the extra added value things it enables you to do, then it would be great to hear from you.
Hit me up with more info at roc@rocwieler.com please. I’m definitely interested.
Cool, will prep an intro document for it. Speak later.
Not quite sure where you’re going with this, but after finding out that I’m not made out for single-person exercises anymore, there’s another tack I want to pursue. I’ll elaborate in a few weeks.
(And the reason I write this is to establish public accountability – now I have to do what I have in mind, win or fail, otherwise I’d be just making a fool out of myself.)
PS. Awesome logo.
I love this idea Roc … I for one will be giving it a try once you role it out … I do have one question/idea … As has been stated earlyer not everyone has the same starting “skills”, will your app/program take this into account by giving out a handfull of base skills to spesific lvls deppending on the clones starting fitness ??
Correct. Membership will involve a form, quiz and fitness test to determine base skills. Can be skipped for zero skills start.
How is this project working out ? Is it still viable?
Definitely. Content creation is taking a long while but still moving forward.
Cool.