Man Child
When I began playing this game, my immediate impressions were that its concept was something I could fully get behind. It was a game with seemingly infinite pathways. A game of perpetual and cyclical wars, both of the traditional military type, and of psychological, financial attrition. One could argue it had ‘virtually’ no limits. However, in the early days, it was plagued by bugs and lag at times rendering the game unplayable for me, at least. Like pretty much everyone else, I created more than one account and character with poor attributes which, once selected, were set in stone at that time. These characters I either abandoned, or reworked with knowledge that had been gained over the first year or two. With the reader’s permission, I’ll skip past some of the large corporations and alliances that shaped and influenced much of the early Eve Online environment either to die or fade into folklore and obscurity as they are not necessarily the main focus of this piece.
Big Blue Doughnuts and other confectionery
Cookies, Cake and Pie (CCP) alliance, comprising m0o, Reikoku, and Evolution, were forced to change their name by CCP. In the process, they hovered up ex m0o Rough Necks, ATUK and Black Nova Corp into the entity know from the annals of Eve history as Band of Brothers (BoB). At its slickest and most powerful, BoB consisted of 5 main corporations: Reikoku, Evolution, Black Nova Corp, Finfleet, and finally Destructive Influence. There were also a few other satellite corps, allied corporations, and alliances known as the GBC.
In a New York Times article entitled ‘In a Virtual Galaxy, Assembly Is Required’ By Seth Schiesel, dated June 28, 2008, the leader and CEO of Band Of Brothers spoke out.
“Our goal is to control all of Eve,” Mr. Molen said in an interview over an Internet voice chat program. “It’s totally impossible to claim all of Eve physically. But it’s possible to control the people. It’s possible to control the alliances, be it by economic means or fighting means or political means. That was the goal and that is the goal.”
On February 4 2009, 8 months after the above articles publication, GIA — Goonswarm Intelligence Agency — operatives infiltrated the inner circle of the BoB alliance and pulled the plug locking down many of the alliances assets and hardware in the process. The irony of this did not escape me. The entity known as Band of Brothers Alliance had come to an abrupt end. The great war was declared over by both those with little or no skin in the game, and certain major players. Since then, many observers of the subterfuge and political map across New Eden seem to me somewhat myopic. Today they often seem uninterested in the extension or protracted political machinations, instead, centering their focus on short-termism and fleeting moments. My amateur observations have seen that political discussions take place in ever decreasing concentric circles, supplanting the day to day operational developments of those spheres as if these engagements are ALL already concluded in full. A small percentage are and these have no bearing in the grand scheme of things. However, they often dismiss out of hand the long game. Today the mere mention of BoB brings the stock declaration from most across New Eden that BoB is Ded! I, on the other hand, do not believe that it is. In fact, at no point in the time since the disbanding have I ever believed that to be true, the disbanding of the alliance being just one in a series of on-going battles, and I certainly don’t believe the Great War to be over yet.
Meet The New Boss same as the Old Boss.
History has recorded that the entity known as BoB no longer exists. However, its legacy and vision, evidently, to this day is as much an influence across New Eden as it has ever been. Black Nova Corp is, to all intents and purposes, in hibernation, an inactive corporation with 7 members. However, Evolution, Finfleet and Destructive Influence lay at the heart of the Northern Coalition organisational structure. Combined with their long time allies Reikoku, although disbanded and reformed into Pandemic Legion, are essentially the same core group that has existed together since Cookies, Cake and Pies were ordered to change their name. The not so subtle influence of the core Northern Coalition corps in addition to the infusion of Reikoku on Pandemic Legions previously loose nomadic hit and run, flamboyant style and flair operational missive has caused them to evolve into a hard lined expansionist megalomaniacal directive. Fostering many of the old ‘MAX’ stratagems and ideals formed at the BBQ in 2007 precisely those espoused by SirMolle in his public address via the NYT article cited above (yes the BBQ we often laughingly refer to in meme form was real and its conclusions did have a malevolent intent)
Ring of Fire
It would not be in the interests of any observer, political or military, to ignore or dismiss, the possible let alone the probable. The developments in the years from 09 to the modern reformation informs all who care to examine. The effects of any given entity’s actions can and often do have far reaching ramifications in New Eden. Perhaps an observer more suited will analyse and dissect the intertwined relationships between the above-named corporation and the supposedly free trade networks operational corps, a starting point might be Spontaneous Defenestration and its members. Therefore it is with this thought in mind that I pose the question what is your current situational vulnerability and how may it be affected by the ring of fire otherwise disguised as NETC. It seems to me that the funding of the Casino War against the Imperium may not be enough to protect Lenny ‘the Teflon Don’ Kravitz2 from his ultimate demise when New Eden Alliances finally cotton on to how the NETC plan also exposes their own vulnerabilities to the expansionist actions of the Axis of Evil in the shape of the NWO NCPL.
