Eve Online – Open invite

When Eve first appeared on my radar back in 2004 I entered the game with the intention of setting up an XDC unit (kown as a corporation) in game along with =XDC= 7, but it never materialised. The two of us instead linked up with Recoil and his corporation, however this wasn’t the group for us and we both grew a little frustrated with the game and went back to playing BF 1942, or whatever it was at that time. The problem we had with Eve was that we wanted to fight people, but we had been led into a situation where the focus of the game became accumulation of wealth via in game mechanics which destroyed our souls.

This is a common problem for new players in the game, and it wasn’t until I linked up with Crazy Hippo and Wizzywig, a couple of years later, that I finally got to see the game’s potential. The thrill of a fight in this game is where the attraction is, as it’s second to none, simply because the fear of loss is so acute. This was in part due to the grind that still existed for making enough of the in game currency to replace losses, but as time goes on, you also develop a sense of pride in the group of people you’re flying with, and winning or losing a fight versus your rivals in game provides an emotional rollercoaster not dissimilar to watching your team win or lose at football. Strange as that may seem to find in a computer game, it hooked me, and in the intervening years Eve’s snared quite a few other XDC members in exactly the same way.

Those of us playing it have always maintained contact via in game chat channels, but it was never really practical for us to link up together due to the various skill levels and affiliations we each had. We considered it for a time in 2007 ish, when Mugs and me linked up, and we tried to support some newer players to the game, following a long thread discussing the game on this forum, but it was difficult. This was mostly due to game locations, and with each of us having to prioritise support to our team mates, over support for xdc members trying out the game.

I don’t expect many, if any, of those who’ve tried it before, to try it again, but it’s worth bringing to everyone’s attention a change in our game circumstances. We have at last reached a point where we had several XDC back in game each searching for a new direction, and these were the conditions Mugs and me had decided to wait for before we’d reconsidered an XDC Corporation. The reason for this is that the bonds you build when playing the game for long enough become central to how you play it. Time out of game weakens these bonds though, and while we each maintain a bit of sympathy towards the various sides we were once part of, in the grand scheme of eve politics, we talked amongst ourselves and decided there was no harm in trying something smaller scale amongst ourselves. So XDC-UK has been born.

What this means for the rest of you is that you may see some strange faces on the forums, as with eve being the most active vestige of XDC, we’re recruiting some old friends to the cause from in game. At the moment the only person most of you will not have seen before is Gary Goat, but between myself, crazy hippo, and wizzy, we’ve known him for quite a few years in game, so please make him welcome. Silversides has also joined the XDC cause, but we all know him already. Making up the rest of the Corp, are myself, Stalker, Signal, and Max, as well as our various alts.

Anyway, the other thing this means, is that if anyone wants to give the game a go, or wants to return to the game, we can offer you a home and support as you find your feet. If you’re new to the game, just be aware that there is a learning curve, and there will be an initial grind before you get to the fun stuff, but with support from us, we can help ease your way along that path. This post is made in public because the invite is open to anyone affiliated with XDC past or present. The idea for us is to have a solid core of players who know the game, but mostly who we can trust, and who have a similar game philosophy – namely the pursuit of player vs player combat. We haven’t quite nailed our organisation yet, but we’re working on that, and hope to have exciting times ahead. It is also worth noting that we’ll be keeping this going regardless of BF3 being on the horizon, although obviously that’ll take up some of our time as well when it’s out.

If you’re interested, give me a shout before you sign up, as we should be able to sort you out a longer trial via the buddy invite program, which we also benefit from if you eventually subscribe. We’ll also answer any questions you may have in advance however, before you ask, bear in mind that it is hard to quantify just how much more attractive to girls playing this game makes us, but suffice to say you’ll not face any shortage of offers.

Just incase you need a taster, here’s a rather glorified vision of eve below, but cool nonetheless 🙂

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