A front line capsuleer in Cloud Ring’s faction warfare hopes to be elected president of the Gallente Federation. Julianus Soter believes that the inhabitants of New Eden have been subjected to untold hardship in the months since the Triglavian Collective’s invasion. He says that the Collective has thrived due to the absence of a repelling force from the four great empires and an impotent CONCORD. Having gained a secure foothold in our space, he sees the Triglavians now attempting to turn loyal citizens and Capsuleers into mercenaries against the sovereign Empires.
Soter hopes to garner the battle-hardened vote of militia fighters he has lead and fought beside. He is confident that his corporation, Moira (the founding corp of the alliance Villore Accords), can continue the fight against Caldari forces while he focuses on threats to humanity at large. Following precedent set by previous presidents of the Federation, should he be elected, Soter vows to step down as the Executive Director of VA and devote his last joule of energy to official duties for the duration of his term.
Soter believes that the Triglavian crisis is, in part, due to CONCORD’s complacency and accuses them of purposely withholding critical data from the public. He is open to diplomacy with the Collective and believes that common ground could be found if the Gallente can collect the proper information. He also believes the Triglavians are long lost cousins of humanity separated by space and time.
No stranger to what he labels the “bloated bureaucracy of CONCORD,” Soter has previously delivered vital information to the galaxy at large. Via the CONCORD Freedom of Distribution Act of YC113.11.4, Soter lead research in an in-field reconnaissance operation that collected experimental evidence indicating a possible relationship between Jovian and Sleeper data structures.
Asked for his thoughts on the election, Soter says, “I decided to become a candidate because this may be the last chance in my EVE career to try such a thing. Gallente elections occur every five years and I wanted to throw the dice and have some fun. Within Villore Accords my campaign has received a lot of positive sentiment.”
He has no idea how CCP and Delegate Zero, who oversees lore development for EVE, will respond to his candidacy. “I imagine they didn’t anticipate my campaign at all. The desired response obviously isn’t that I ‘win’ the election, although that would be hilarious, but I would like to have some attention brought to the concerns highlighted in my candidacy’s platform. We need to learn more about the Triglavians. The Gallente Federation, being enshrined on the principles of freedom of speech and freedom of information, offers the best possible opportunity to ‘leak’ some dark secrets from behind the curtain of the EVE Universe.”
Soter says that the main engine for change in EVE and the game’s story are the players. A lore-heavy story line should, by default, engage with the players. As for CCP improving the RP community, he asks a simple question. “What is there to lose with trying? I want a fun way for myself and other players to re-engage with the story of EVE, and to entertain and amuse my alliance members. So far it’s succeeded on both counts. Going forward, I’d like to see how far I can take this and see what kind of story we can shape as Capsuleers tackle the Triglavian Invasion and engage in the ongoing faction warfare drama.”
Players and their in-game actions being canonized is not completely unprecedented. The most recent example in fact revolves around the political climate of the upcoming Gallente election. Governor Celes Aguard of the Mies system, who was a former presidential candidate himself, hosted the opening ceremony for the Renuiphora and in so doing referenced and recognized the Garoun Lunaries. The Lunaries is a project put together by players and has now, for the first time been officially acknowledged, by CCP.
A political correspondent familiar with potential Gallente candidates provided remarks into the current climate regarding CCP and the February 2020 election. Auriga Menkalinan says that the current president, Jacus Roden, was handed his 2014 bid to be re-elected, contrary to the bigger events surrounding the 2009 elections. Menkalinan has hopes, and believes that Delegate Zero will make the 2020 go round more interesting.
However, Menkalinan doubts that Soter will ultimately win in this run, citing the difficulties and time requirements that would arise from a Capsuleer being at the head of one of the four empires. He quickly adds that a failed candidacy isn’t a complete loss for Soter. “I expect that this will raise the profile of Villore Accords. If Soter or the GMVA get mentioned in the World News, that’s powerful advertising to a large group of players that might well be interested.”
Corroborating Menkalinan’s hopes is INN’s Bill McDonough, who believes that Delegate Zero and the New Eden Correspondents volunteers are a “really good group, and they try to keep everyone involved, or at least provide everyone avenues to get involved.” He says that “the Gallente Election is DZ’s doing, and it’s something he’s been wanting to do for a while now. Presidential elections don’t happen every year!”
In a previous interview with INN, Delegate Zero conceded that Eve’s lore in recent years has unfairly focused on the Amarr Empire, and that Soter’s candidacy presents a unique opportunity to address EVE’s progressing story with the principles that the Gallente Federation was founded on.
Interested parties can learn more about the campaign by visiting its web site.
