*may contain propaganda*
An Apostle in Amarr? Isn’t that a capital ship? Why yes it is! In hi-sec? Why yes it is! News just in is the that his Holiness Max Singularity VI, First of his Name, otherwise known as our very own Spacepope, the Spiritual Leader and co-founder of the Sixth Empire alliance with yours truly, has indeed been honoured by the Gods of New Eden, or CCP as they are affectionately known. How is this possible I hear you cry, surely there can be only one, the legendary Veldnaught owned by the equally legendary Chribba. Therin lies a tale best said in his own words taken this morning from our alliance forums:
Short Story:
The Apostle in Amarr, piloted by Max Singularity is allowed by CCP, providing rules of conduct regarding Capital Ships in High Security space are strictly followed as stated by CCP Customer Service.
Statement by Charles White
I purchased the Apostle on the general market in the Amarr trade hub, with my EVE Online character Max Singularity. I didn’t know I couldn’t do that. This was done on Christmas morning 2016, after I had docked in the Amarr station. I used much of the Plex I won as a Cosplay winner from EVE Online Fanfest 2015 and 2016. I could not believe this Christmas miracle of being so lucky. I immediately wrote Chribba to tell him the news and he had congratulated me and looked forward to the both of us flying together in Amarr.
What a sight it would be.
At 57 years old, I should not have been running around the house and cheering and happy as a little kid on Christmas morning, but here I was doing just that. I even recorded a video to post on YouTube showing my excitement. However, all that joy would become extreme disappointment. A small detail, that not even Chribba himself picked up on.
I found out… you can’t buy a capital ship and keep it in High Security Space. Through no fault of the buyer, CCP states that the ship will be returned to the seller where he can pick it up in low security space, and the seller will be fined the cost of the sale and all the money would be returned to the buyer. CRAP!!!
That’s the rule.
Knowing this, and not wanting to hurt my standings with CCP, I sent them a Customer Service Ticket admitting my sins, for as a declared Pope by the people, the people expect me to live up to some standards. So I did the right thing to do and submitted the ticket. My head was bent low.
Days went by. It was New Years EVE and 2017 was at hand. The amount of sheer willpower, the extreme degree of discipline needed to not undock that beautiful ship on New Years Eve, fitted with fireworks and snowballs, targeting shocked Capsuleers before a Polaris Class GM Frigate showed up and zapped me to lowsec was on my mind and my mouse finger hovered over that undock button for longer than it should have, with the fate of a single click. HAPPY NEW YEARS. Boom zap. Busted!! Might have been worth it.
But no. Ticket in system. I’ll wait for official response because as we all know, they have a huge back log of tickets they are presently working through and I didn’t want to mess this up. I really needed that money back! Not only did I not undock, I kept it discreet. I did not post my YouTube video, nor did I post hanger videos of my docked Amarr ship in hanger within the EVE Facebook group. I just waited.
I did share my disappointment with the Chribba because after all I did contact him when I got the ship. He too was disappointed because it would have been grand that the both of us flying together these awesome ships.
Days became weeks. I was now afraid that the Capsuleer I purchased it from would no longer have the ISK I paid to reimburse me for the purchase, but I was confident that CCP would do the right thing and make up the difference somehow. I waited.
January had come and gone. Weekend after weekend my mouse over that undock button. Must wait.
February had come. Nothing. I was waiting for the ban hammer like waiting for a sentencing. On February 14th, my Birthday, I was going through my mail, and low and behold there was a reply from February 6 in my junk folder from CCP Customer Service. Holy shit. Time to die. My Christmas miracle would be a punishment to be read on my Birthday. I almost did not open the email, not on my birthday. Fine.
Oh! My! God! Could it be true?
So I’ll paraphrase… With many words it basically said I can keep it as long as I don’t violate the existing Capital Ships in High Security space rules.
Wait what? I get to keep it? I have a stay of execution? I’m not a bad boy?? H-O-L-Y SHIT!!
And on my Birthday too!!! WOW My Christmas Miracle and Birthday present both. Oh damn.
After I read that… I again was running around the house like a little Birthday Boy. I kept my cell phone nearby because at any moment I could have a heart attack or stroke and I would try to dial 911. Again, holy shit how can internet pixels cause this level of adrenaline rush in a person. I’m a professional. I’ve helped put real spacecraft on Mars and around other planets in the real Solar system from Earth, but here I am jumping up and down with excitement as I have done with my real NASA space missions.
What type of game does this? EVE. EVE Online. We have a saying among us players that, “EVE is REAL” and I have been fortunate to be the poster boy of the EVE “Butterfly Effect” video, where the actions of one person can affect the entire game.
Why did CCP allow me to keep the Apostle in Amarr?
I wrote CCP Falcon and told him the news and what happened. He congratulated me because if it came from Customer Support then it was legal. I told him there is going to be a PR backlash of jealous pilots and I apologized for what this is going to do to him as he is the public community representative.
His reply, “It’s not a problem. Enjoy, and congratulations.”
Since the 14th, I have disclosed the news to Alliance mates and I asked them too what they thought why CCP would allow me to keep it. The had many answers, some silly, some crazy, and some like these below:
“Maybe CCP is appreciative for all you have done to raise role play awareness.”
“Maybe they are happy you killed Jamyl, even though you didn’t”
“Maybe they are appreciative of all your EVE Vegas and EVE Fanfest Talks”
“Maybe they are showing support for you contributing to the book Frigates of EVE”
“Maybe for the hundreds of little things you do for our community”
“Because your the f’n Pope that’s why!” <— My personal favorite.
So there it is. I’m the second capital pilot in High Security space and I join a club of two. I look forward to that bright day when Chribba in his dreadnaught, and me in my FAX Machine fly the planets and belts of Amarr. Per the strict rules, we are able to mine and show off, and that’s a good thing because I have Show Off Level 5, and Show Off Specialization Level 4 skills.
In order to pay tribute to Chribba’s “Veldnaught”, the Apostle in Amarr shall be christened as the “Popenaught” and by that name it shall be my official Pope mobile for the Amarr System. It even sort of looks like a Pope hat.
I also look forward to a future day when all Capital Ships can ‘transit’ High Security Space where the game system will enforce mandatory non-violent compliance. I think it would give senior pilots a place to show off, and new players to EVE a sight to behold. Inspiration to attain a goal. Wait what? Maybe that was yet another one of the untold reasons CCP allowed this to happen.
Regardless the reasons… Thank You. Thank you to CCP for making me feel like a boy. Thank You to the community for the kind words. Just when I think I can’t level up as Pope, you or CCP pulls me up.
I’m so looking forward to seeing you at Fanfest 2017, and there… I will drop another lecture regarding real space, and I’m also going to give a second talk regarding the [redacted] which you have all been wondering about how the [redacted] works. We have been flying in submarine physics and now there is a full [redacted] explanation.
One can not win EVE. But you have won my heart. Damn this game.
/s/ Charles White, player of Max Singularity
This is the description of the Apostle=class Force Auxiliary:
“Her Imperial Majesty’s life will stand eternal as an example for all who live truly and rightly within the embrace of Holy Amarr. The martyrdom of Empress Jamyl I was inflicted with base treachery but its lasting effect will be the inspiration of a thousand generations down the ages.” – excerpt from the Funeral Oration on the Passing of Empress Jamyl I by High Chaplain Kalefa Sufrin an-Kador, YC117.09.20
Following the assassination by a Drifter strikeforce of Empress Jamyl I while she was aboard an Avatar-class Titan in late August YC117, there was a period of soul-searching and close scrutiny of capital ship doctrines by the Imperial Navy’s staff officers. It was soon realized that lack of experience in capital ship warfare had left fleet doctrines lagging behind the tactics of capsuleers fighting in the Outer Regions.
From this realization was born the concept of the Force Auxiliary capital ship, a vessel dedicated to ensuring the survival of more combat- and command-oriented capital ships such as Carriers and Titans. The Apostle-class Force Auxiliary was commissioned in memory of Empress Jamyl I and is richly decorated in token of this dedication ”
With this in mind, I asked him why he bought an Apostle.
Naturally, Max commented, “So Jamyl will turn in her spacegrave”
