Re: Blessed are the Cursed

Throughout the game of EVE Online, CCP has provided a large scale virtual reality and a broad spectrum of opportunities. While one player can enter the game with a desire to mine ore, and build his empire on trade, another can enter this arena with no greater desire than to blow someone else up. This wide variety is the strong point of EVE Online, and CCP has wisely chosen to interfere as little as possible. As with so many other aspects of life, strong points always bring along some weak points as well, and one of the greatest weak points in EVE is its lack of clarity when it comes to culture and background.

This month, EVE Online A Ghost Blog put out an article entitled, Blessed Are the Cursed. In this article he portrays the capsuleer as both being blessed with an eternal lifespan, while being cursed with forever being imprisoned in a pod.

Though I greatly respect the perspectives of others, and regard their development in the realm of role playing, I am forced to point out that this is not entirely accurate, when it comes to what CCP has offered.

Over the past several years, CCP has officially announced their efforts to bring out what is code named: Incarna. For the longest time, it had been referred to as Walking in Station, but the gist of the matter is that capsuleers do have the ability to leave their pods and walk around as they did before their conversion into a capsuleer.

During the 2009 Fan Fest, CCP presented a video introducing their efforts to make Incarna a reality.



Now, I am not about to point out how these notions are incorrect, but as an opinionated pilot/ player, this perspective I must totally disagree with. And since this is in fact MY blog , I get to post my ideas!

w00t!!

First off, Capsuleers as a whole, do in fact can and will leave their pods. Speaking from the perspective of Gabby, he has been a normal person for quite some time. The first 4-5 decades had been normal, and this is what he is used to. Granted, being a Pod Pilot is a big rush. You are surrounded and integrated into vast amounts of power, it is only natural to feel more comfortable for a capsuleer to be in his pod than out, but like Gabriel, many other pilots have a life outside of the pod.

The Theodoulos home world is Khopa IV. It's a small system a couple of jumps from Amarr, and the family as a whole, are aristocratically comfortable. Gabriel has family, and in the virtual reality, it is only natural for him to interact, as he had all his life. For him to be forced to live his eternity in a pod, would be psychologically terrible (as pointed out in Ghost's blog).

Second, I must stand up to and address this video provided by CCP and disagree with it as well. This pilot is forcing himself to leave the pod because he must do something that he does not wish to show up on any network. The impression I am left with is that he finds it absolutely revolting to walk around as a normal human. From the psychological perspective, I also have to disagree with this as well. Gabe, is more used to being out of a pod than in it, because he has spent the most part of his life, being out of the pod, and interacting as a normal human being. Granted, the power and strength of a capsuleer is phenomenal, but as a human, he is still a bipedal creature, needing to interact.

Now, out of concern with ruffling a few feathers, allow me to say that with EVE Online, anyone can take the liberties to create any type of background and culture they want. But to paint all capsuleers as being cursed to live forever in a pod, is not the norm.

Hopefully, within this millennium, CCP will bless us with Incarna. When this happens, Ghost's curse will be lifted and he will be free to wander around in blissful freedom. But until then, we are forced to obtain our liberties through our imagination!

Fly Safe!