Posts by Lord Azlan

Quote

Originally posted by Trainwiz
Sorry, but I'm with OP on this, the FL community is awful in supporting each other.
Give me Morrowind's and Oblivion's mod community anyday

Cool - go Morrowind and Oblivion gamers -

RESPECT!!

I like him cos he mentioned two of my fav gales of all time in his rants

Oblivion and System Shock2 -

Hopefully I will see you online one time but dont call your char "FuckYourMandatoryRegistration" as I think there is a limit on the number of characters - but I could be wrong.

Good luck brave pilot

From a much better writer than I

Credit here : http://www.raphkoster.com/2009…/the-eve-upset/#more-2517

His piece begins:

Edit: I dont actually play EVE, just watch from afar. Ive corrected some errors below that players of EVE mentioned to me.

A few days ago, everyone wanted me to write about the massive destruction of the Band of Brothers alliance in EVE Online, and how Goonsquad GoonSwarm finally triumphed via an act of betrayal.

But honestly, another day, another giant EVE scam. Ho hum. Is there anything really good to say about this?

For the uninitiated: there was a huge aliance named Band of Brothers. There was another clan named Goonsquad GoonSwarm who hated them (edit: well, everyone, really) and worked against them, but was not nearly as big or powerful. Goonsquad GoonSwarm would recruit BoB members in order to scam them. A BoB member joined under these false pretenses, but then chose sides and rather than be scammed, asked to join for real and offered up BoB as his price of entry. He was a high-level admin of BoB, and he basically disbanded the whole thing, destroying it from within, and Goonsquad GoonSwarm made piles of virtual money.

The most intriguing aspect of the whole thing to me isnt the way it happened, but the overall social dynamics of it the fact that it was completely inevitable. Theres been lots of talk about how this was basically a sort of exploit, that one person should not have enough power to destroy the work of thousands. But Ill make the case that this is exactly what CCP should want to have happen.

Band of Brothers was an alliance, a network of networks, so to speak. It existed within a preferential attachment system, meaning that the clans of EVE are a system whereby the big tend to get bigger. A new entrant into the system tends to attach to an existing, larger group, over time.

Because of the external pressures of sheer survival, you tend to try to join a clan of a reasonable size, and then the clan gets drawn into alliances of a certain size, and so on. There is safety, and strength, in numbers, and the game system is essentially zero-sum for any given conflict. And given the way in which time equals power in EVE, there is a natural tendency towards growth, solidification, and continued existence.

What you end up with is an ecosystem with a classic power law distribution of social group sizes, a scale-free network which is extremely hard to destroy.

This isnt the first time we have seen this phenomenon in competitive virtual worlds. Famously in Shadowbane, single guilds would tend to come to own entire servers, because the game system there was also zero sum. The result led to boredom, because in a game premised on conflict, the notion of a single eternal empire is dull.

Scale-free networks are notoriously hard to kill. In fact, mathematically, if you start randomly removing connections in the network, you have to remove a ridiculous percentage of the total to make it cease to exist as an entity. This is how guild social structures can survive for years.

But there is a way. The characteristics of a scale-free network are that there are hubs. And the hubs are the vulnerable spots in the network. Take out hubs, and you can make the network fragment to disconnected bits, because the hubs hold subgroups together.

Band of Brothers was a hub, and the before-and-after images show clearly that separation into component pieces, each then no longer indomitable.

This was good for the game under its own terms, because the game is premised on conflict. In any PvP scenario which has a temporal component even one as simple as leaderboards you need to overturn the anthill or else you will end up with a static power structure. The guy who held the record will hold it forever. The top guild will stay the top guild, etc. This is why you often see leaderboards offer different time spans best today, this week, all time, etc. Otherwise, its hopeless to compare yourself against statistical outliers who always win.

In the case of something like a PvP-centric team-based game, theres really two ways to accomplish this overturn. One is to wait until the empire rots from within (security breeds carelessness, inattention, and eventually vulnerability). The other is to aggressively force the rot, by attacking the hubs and attempting to co-opt them.

This has been used as a business tactic: World of Warcraft consciously pursued the guild leaders of the largest and most influential guilds in its successful attempt to dethrone Everquest. By recruiting them over to the new game, they managed to harm the social fabric of EQ while also creating a ready-made community within WoW.

In the case of a self-contained (and richer) simulation like EVE, theres assets to worry about. The loss of one director might be a blow to BoB, but the real blow is the destruction of its assets, largest of which was the alliance itself, the groups identity, but which also include the money, ships, and so on. Without those things being scattered to the winds, there would be no overturning of the empire.

So unless a traitor can empty the bank accounts and disband the alliance, its very unlikely that BoB would fall. And the game, as a game, does want BoB to fall, because from a purely mechanical point of view, what is fun about EVE is the struggle, not the victory condition. The victory condition is boring.

Lots of folks lose their livelihoods when an empire falls, and players invested in BoB are likely upset that years of work were lost. But EVE is not a game about the height of the Roman Empire. Its a game about the sacking of Rome by barbarians, so that they can become the next short-lived top dog. BoB existed to be torn down, and anyone who dreams of permanent glory in a game like that should understand that their destiny is to be taken down by the next upstart, in a dog-eat-dog world.

If anything, the fact that it takes a betrayal by a single high-level user with extraordinary powers reveals that perhaps the network is a little too strong; it should have been easier for Goonsquad GoonSwarm to take BoB down, because the system as it stands now means that political intrigue is where the excitement lies, and that leaves out (in a power-law distribution of clans and alliance sizes) the majority of the users.

And for once, wouldnt we love to hear an EVE story about the single newbie who found a way to destroy the dominant political body through sheer cleverness and determination? Because the same-old-same-old stories of well-organized mafias taking each other down gets repetitive.

Sounds like a good idea - I would be in to participate if one was on when I was online.

Quote

Originally posted by Jack Bauer
Somebody f***ed up a major EVE clan from what I understand, and defected to another one... leaving the members of that clan high and dry while taking everything for himself and his soon to be clan.

Bingo - but wasnt my metaphor more interesting?

The clans involved were totally opposed like BG and LP would be I suppose - it's not a prediction.

C mon guys - if you want the EVE section on SWAT to be interesting - it'll need a bit of work to get right.

I could just post links for info - but what you get from me is an original piece - at no extra charge!!

BoB not BG

What's all this about - that moron not having another go at the BGs? Kick him out for goodness sake OP, we dont need his kind in SWAT.

No fans, I can assure you I am well past that hate stage - I love you all now - no more hate in me - but dont get me started.

What's this about then?

Band of Brothers - BoB - a huge alliance in EVE consisting of thousands and thousands of players, assets even Dop in his wildest dreams could not imagine - get's a right kicking.

What does this mean for EVE? The forums and such were going crazy with Conspiracy Theory Inc coming up with a new story every hour - for a Crossfire goon - what does it mean Az? Why are you spamming our board again?

Hmm - maybe I can use some SWAT metaphors to describe what happened - let's think.

Cue hazy music and some fog, the drama unfolds with a single guy in his office.

He is OP, aka OPR8R, former leader of one of the mightiest clans in Freelancer history, well known and well respected. His clan is steeped in history going back to the midst of time, the Blood Guards, the Dragon, the honour and respect (my blah blah)

But the guy aint happy, he has not been "A OK" for a long time now. He has had disagreements with othe BG leaders for some time now and the differences between OP, Wavey, Gal (I cant remember the names so used these for illustratory purposes only) have not been resolved but simmer under the surface - like molten lava steaming and moltening for an eon under the hugest most gigantic volcano that ever existed, half a mile from the most populist conurbation major metropolis.

Breaking his own rules he starts a new char called "New Guy like pirate rp" and talks to Canoso and Amos about joining LP.

"Yeah I like saying Mwahahaha"

"Whiskey? Just tell me where and when baby!!"

"Fight and run away - yeah I love it"

"tax or die, Tax or die, TAX or DIE SCUM!! - see it comes natural?"

"dont worry mates - in BG I learned how to fight.. Oops"

Canoso does a headstand and flips onto the ceiling,

"Crap we got a spy, a BG spy and as he has only guns - it must be OP - oo er"

OP aint thinking straight and does this (see bullet points) - he has had enough - ENOUGH!!

"I will teach you Waves (see second brackets above) - you messed with me for the last time matey - Mwahaahah"

OP does this - which he cant do in Crossfire, but what someone in his position in EVE could do - and did do, and now there is a lot of doo doo.

1. OP takes every ship and every item in the BG stores (including the stolen 5000 Champ shields - just joking, I know you dont have that many)

2. OP takes the bank savings of every character in BG

3. OP disbands BG, so that BG cant even be called BG anymore - they are called KenZoku

4. OP gives all of the above - including the rights to the name BG to Canoso.

5. OP made public and free to access the entire BG forums going back to its very creation.

6. BG OPR8 is now LP OPR8R.

Well - that is sorta what happened - but imagine that thousands and thousands of people are affected.

It's a big event in EVE history - read this piece here for a more accurate/informed version - and if you want to find the truth of what actually happened - the truth is out there somewhere - but I cant find it.

http://www.eve-tribune.com/index.php?no=4_7&page=1

Anyway - no complaints please - just a story - BG and BG OPR8R are fictional chars and dont resemble real life people and I also hear or read somewhere and those two are getting back together again which is good news.

There was an interesting thread on the EVE forums recently relating to the purchase of ready made characters.

http://myeve.eve-online.com/in…p?a=topic&threadID=993479

Before CCP introduced a legitimate way to exchange real life cash for in game ISK, like many MMOs, characters, goods, ships and ISK was being sold in places like ebay for real cash.

Although this still happens, CCP introduced a secure way to exchange real life cash for virtual dollars.

So the headline here COULD be - "Not only play EVE for free but make real cash as you play!!"

Some guys buy a whole bunch of GTCs for about 35$ each and then sell them on the forums. This will allow them to instantly purchase a great character or a new ship or fund their pvp activities. Everynow and again you see someone offering to sell 10 GTCs and such.

Some months ago I purchased a character for 5.5Bill ISK and recently I sold on that same guy for 12.5Bill ISK - a profit of 7 Bill in just a few months. A few weeks ago I purchased a new character for 22 Bill ISK - going by this guys data - this could be worth $1232 to someone!!

Going by todays prices, 22 Bill could have paid my subscription to EVE for the next 5 years!!

Now we understand why the culmination of ISK in EVE is so important - it's a way to pay your subscription to the game and to advance yourself in terms of abilities and assets. Why is it such a struggle? The concept of an ISK SINK

One of the biggest difference between EVE and Crossfire is the ISK Sink - does that make the game better or worse?

The main sink in EVE is pvp - although the purchase of equipment and ships is also a sink.

Every 1% improvement in anything in EVE is priced like an exponentional function.

For those Crossfire citizens amongst us, it would mean, for example, the Hull Armours costings would instead of being thus:

Hull Armour 1 1mill
Hull Armour 2 2mill
Hull Armour 3 3mill
Hull Armour 4 4mill
Hull Armour 5 5mill

Would be like this:

Hull Armour 1 1mill
Hull Armour 2 2mill
Hull Armour 3 4mill
Hull Armour 4 16mill
Hull Armour 5 256mill

The main sink in Crossfire I think are the cost of hi level missiles and torps.

When you die in EVE you respwan in your birthday suit with little equipment around you to hide your equipment - you are newborn, go back to Old Kent Road - do not pass GO.

Imagine losing a fully equipped VHF in Crossifre everytime you got killed in pvp - that would mean losing maybe 80mill every fight!!!

That's why some of us enjoy EVE, the risk and danger of flying and always knowing, at any time, and I mean at any time, you could be a dead man with no ship screaming in space - and the losses of your ship and equipment can easily reach over 250mill - 500mill

That's also why a lot of people dont like EVE

Quote

Originally posted by SWAT_OP-R8R

How comes there is a CF guild in EVE Online actually based on our community and its members but that guild is no part of SWAT? How comes that those people dont contribute anything EVE related to SWAT?

Hi - another good post (seems to be quite a few recently)

I am afraid there are only a few things I can do to help the SWAT community apart from some online activity.

As I do read various Eve Online stuff all the time - I will try and update those parts of the forum with interesting tid bits, stories and stuff for info

I also did offer to help moderate the forums already a few times (serious offers) and at least one senior guy in the community thought I was given this task - but sorry - I dont think I was ever given those powers.

Other than that - I think - to be realistic - that is what I can do.

Az

Quote

Originally posted by ZooP
lol the review's almost a year old xD where were you all back then?

There is a long queue -

Look for reviews into Golden Axe, Elite, and Ultima IV next week.

Thanks for the review mate - this was one game I was looking at.

Saw a couple of K41s in NY last night

Welcome mates - have a great time here and do the best roleplay you can

New faces mean new ideas and new perspectives

Wow - it's been a while since we had one of these threads

Not sure if I follow everything that happened

Interference in events is a SP matter (but in absence of SPs senior players can and should step in if possible to help)

If the guy told the other guy he was going to an event - he should have been allowed to pass - I hope senior people in that clan will set him straight on that one

P off new players is something we are very good at and it really needs to stop

Lastly, imho, Clan (System) Rules are a BANE, a NOOSE dragging us down

I would suggest they are simplified to improve FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT (My long running campaign) so that the main rules are:

Show respect to other peoples property and to other people

Freelancers or people that look new should be able to go where they please

Clan members need to ask but it's ok if no one is around

Kudos then to clans like BG, TRF and some others (I forget) who have relaxed their rules recently

Wow - I have to say those screenshots look damn sexy and SO HOT - I burst already.

I was on the server last few days and activity seems to be way up and best behaviour all round - excellent news!!

I cant get it to work on my pc

What are the perks and pension rights if someone joins your organisation?

Free bus pass?
Hot meals on Sundays?

Either way - good luck mate - I will surely point the right sort of people in your direction.

Is this about Bush?

Patrick McGoohan?

Ricardo Montalban?

Either way - sorry to hear that Kerm and I hope they move on up to better things.

I was thinking about this myself the other day - very recently.

It would probably lead to some amazing rp instances, if people knew who was online - but not where - I would even include clan systems in that.

Even if the ingame chat window was changed so that you only have names - not locations.

If that happened - imo - that would lead to better rp at the expense of pvp.

Probably too late to change things now anyway!!

Quote

Originally posted by Centaurian
Shocking as it may seem, even I have recently begun to (cough, cough) pay taxes to pirates (occasionally, though I would usually rather die!).

Aarrrghhh! This aint fair - Who was this mighty and fearless pirate that managed to corner the most elusive and slippery slimey pilot that ever existed in time and space?

Surely we must build a gold statue in their honour and write stories for little pirate children that there is nothing that cannot be achieved if you persevere and there is no mountain that cannot be climbed.

Who is this legendary pirate that accomplished this impossible feat?

The sky is no longer the limit.

Got to say this is the best news I heard on the forums for a very long time - thanks OP and thanks to your advisers and helpers.

I realise server clans have high priority - but I hope that the future rp plans will be very inclusive and allow clans like IFC to participate easily.

I would not want freelancers or others (non server clan people) to be in a queue to 'make up the numbers' -

I would accept direction from rp commanders to join whichever side as appropriate.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all souls on SWAT and Crossfire

Xmas Ode to Guns

Mafioso Leader turned
Sirius Bucks poisoner was churned
To rival Daed Tea Trading Company
Mayhem and Havoc
The lawyers were paid in golden doughnuts

Chorus

You resigned
You resigned

I have a small inkling what Guns did for the server as SP - but I prefer him as a cop!!

Hmm - I got iTunes - but when I put the ABBA CD in - I never got the option to rip the stuff - maybe I have an older version?

I will see if I can update it.

Does it rip to mp3 or MPITUNES?