In a Dev-Blog released on April 14, CCP Dopamine announced the process for the election of the 16th Council of Stellar Management (CSM). Dopamine also thanked the members of CSM 15 for their “continuous dedication” to providing feedback on topics ranging from game balance and marketing to new game features.
CSM 15, unfortunately, missed out on the annual summit in Reykjavik, where they would have spent a week discussing EVE Online with the developers in person. Whether the new CSM will have that opportunity is unclear as yet. The lack of a summit is a blow to any CSM cycle, but it should be said that CSM 15 has done an admirable job representing the community under such difficult circumstances.
This is also the second year following the institution of a “three-year terms rule,” which was partially retroactive against CSM 14. Therefore, any serving Councillor can only remain on the CSM for three years before being forced to take a one-year “cooldown.” As a result, there are a number of CSMs for whom this is their last eligible year before an enforced break, should they choose to run again and are successfully elected. Those CSMs are Merkelchen, Innominate, Gobbins, and Vily.
The Timeline
The timeline for the CSM 16 elections is very similar to the last election cycle:
26 April – 12 May – Submission Period
26 April – 14 May – Application Processing
20 May – Live Candidates Announcement
20 May – 4 June – Campaign Period
8-15 June – Voting Period (from 11:00 UTC to 11:00 UTC)
21 June – Live CSM 16 Reveal
Further information on the Council and its functions can be found here.
The Process
First – Applications must be submitted between April 26 and May 12. CCP cautions that applicants should “beware session time-outs and make sure to save your text in a document. If you don’t get a confirmation, re-enter the information and try again.”
You should also submit your document scans/pictures to [email protected] in high quality, with the subject line reading “CSM 16 application.”
Second – You must create a campaign thread in the CSM section of the EVE Online forums covering the following questions:
- Your EVE Online story
- Your areas of expertise. In which areas of the game do you feel you are the most knowledgeable? What qualities set you apart from other candidates?
- Why are you applying for the CSM?
- What can players expect from you?
- You are free to add more information and manage your campaign thread as you see fit, but the above four questions are the bare minimum required from everyone.
Third – There are a number of additional requirements for any candidate. None are new, but they bear repeating.
- Your account must be older than 60 days at the time candidacy applications close (May 12).
- Characters on both Alpha and Omega accounts are eligible to run.
- You must have a history of honoring the EULA and the Terms of Service. CCP will screen every applicant thoroughly, and EULA/TOS violations on your record can result in a rejected application.
- Your account must have updated and correct information at the time of your application. This includes your real-life name, correct date of birth, and the same email you use to submit your application. To view and edit this information go to the account management website.
- Candidates must have reached 18 years of age. If the legal adult age in your home country (the age at which you have the legal capacity to enter into a contract) is higher than 18, that number applies instead.
- As an applicant, you must consent to provide your personal details to CCP, including your real name and a copy of your passport. CCP needs to affirm your real-life identity for NDA contract purposes, and the ability to travel to a summit in Iceland is a key function of the CSM.
- If you do not currently have a valid passport, we will accept a picture/scan of a valid and approved passport application accompanied by a picture of your driver’s license.
- You must consent to share your country of origin with the EVE community and display it on the EVE Online website. You will not be required to share any other personal information with the EVE community.
- If you are running as an “alt” and control a character that has a reputation in the EVE universe, CCP may require you to run under that identity at its full discretion.
INN will, of course, be tracking the CSM campaigns with both articles and on our Twitch Channel‘s talk shows, so be sure to check back regularly for future CSM updates.
