Losing Track of Time

Frequent readers may have noticed my absence.  I just finished the first week of my new job, moved to a new city the week before, had to sort all our boxes (success!), and keep a close eye on the kids to make sure they’re acclimating well, all while trying to figure out exactly where the supermarket, doctor, barber, etc. all are.

Suffice to say, I’ve had little time for Eve.

But I’ve still been thinking about Eve, even though I haven’t had a chance to play.  And my thoughts have been continuously resting on the headshot of N3 in 0-W778.

On the one hand, I can entirely understand the rationale.  NC. in particular has been a perennial pain in the ass for the CFC, and having the opportunity to lock up a good chunk of their assets indefinitely is simply good strategy.  Plus, as a Razor pilot, I appreciate locking their war chest and throwing away the key.  After B-R, it’s a little insult added to the injury, but in war you beat people down until you can’t beat them anymore.

On the other hand, I recognize it for what it is: a devastating blow to anyone who wants to see a serious war happen again anytime soon.  For all that Goons talk about wanting to create a robust null-sec world with multiple coalitions – just not any that can threaten the CFC’s existence – it’s simply not true.  B-R was an epic battle, but 0-W was about extermination.

Again, I can’t blame anyone for succeeding.  But whether it’s good for that bloc – or for me personally, for that matter – is a different thing from being good for the game.  A video game thrives on chaos, not control.  And the chaos of having no superpowers at all is best for the game.

The worst thing is hegemonic control, by which I mean one entity dictating the course of all events with absolute certainty.  And I think we may be there, or very close to it now.  Let’s look at the details:

1. The CFC has neutralized PL with the B0TLRD accords.
2. They’ve essentially granted Solar and AAA space, and the Russians will almost surely turn on each other sooner or later.  Keep in mind that he who grants you a thing has power over that thing.
3. No other entity of note could hope to put up even token resistance against the CFC.
4. The CFC renter program will ensure the loyalty of its members, and the CFC treats its members very well, suggesting stability, control, and organization necessary for long-term survival.
5. The CFC has faced off against pretty much the entire galaxy and been victorious during the Fountain war.
6. The only tactic that succeeded against the CFC was a supercap/titan blob, and that succeeded only because the CFC didn’t realize how powerful it was.  That threat has been neutralized forever.  Keep in mind that BL’s supercaps played no part in B-R.
7. All of the CFC’s enemies have been reduced to annoyances that will reduce the flow of isk by the same amount that a satellite performing a slingshot maneuver steals velocity from a planet.  ie. not much.
8. The CFC even exerts its will on high-sec and low-sec freely.
9. In any war, the side that has CFC support will win, without exception or reservation.

If that’s not hegemonic control, I don’t know what is.

In the real world, stability brings profit, happiness, and growth.  In a game, stability brings boredom, unsubs, and stagnation.