The Foundational Rules of EVE Online

Before we recorded Episode 11 of The Safe Spot, Rixx sent me three simple rules for EVE Online: all rules apply to all players equally, EVE is about spaceships, and nowhere is 100% safe. That was the spark for the episode — the idea that beneath all the mechanics, balance passes, doctrines, wars, and player drama, there are a few foundational principles that explain why EVE works when it works.

But the idea stayed with me after we finished recording. Those three rules felt less like a closed list and more like the beginning of a larger conversation. They made me think about loss, trust, information, inconvenience, player history, and all the strange social machinery that makes New Eden more than just another online game.

What follows is a further exploration of those rules — not an official rulebook, and not a manifesto anyone needs to agree with completely, but an attempt to name the principles that feel foundational to EVE Online. Read them as a returning pilot. Read them as someone who's been around long enough to remember when some of these things went without saying — and who's watched what happens when they get ignored.

Speedlinking New Eden — June 7th, 2026

The week New Eden held its breath.

That's the only way I can describe it. Seven days, almost no major announcements, no lore bombs, no surprise developer streams — and yet the whole EVE ecosystem felt coiled, tense, pointed at one fixed date: Tuesday, June 9th, 11:00 UTC. 

The Cradle of War expansion drops in less than 48 hours and the pre-launch machinery ran full-tilt this past week: expansion notes published early, a developer roundtable posted to YouTube, and the Mastery Pack sale running down to its last hours.

Oh, and NoizyGamer quietly dropped some of the most interesting player-retention data of the year. We'll get to that in a minute.

Let's jump right in.

The Ten Commandments of the returning EVE capsuleer (now that the kids have grown up)

Back in 2010, I wrote a post called The Top Ten Commandments of the Capsuleer Parent. It was about survival — squeezing EVE Online into the margins of parenthood. Nighttime ops after bedtime. Changing diapers between gate jumps. Negotiating screen time with your spouse like it was a sov treaty.

That post came from the trenches. I was tired all the time, I was stubborn with my gameplay and blogging, and I was absolutely not giving up my game time.

Fast forward to 2026. The kids are grown. The house is quieter. The evenings are mine again. I should be living the dream, right?

Well. Sort of...

Here's what nobody tells you about coming back to EVE after a long absence: the game kept going without you (of course it did!). And so did you. You're no longer the same player. The game's not the same game — it is in a way, but it's also so different. And that freedom you spent fifteen+ years fantasizing about? It feels different than you thought it would.

So in the spirit of the original, here are the updated Commandments. 

Not for the parent surviving the chaos — but for the returning capsuleer looking at his docked ship and wondering where the hell everything went.

The New Eden Banter: EVE Blog Banter returns (2026 reboot)

Some traditions deserve a reboot.

Back in 2008, I kicked off something called the EVE Blog Banter—with a monthly email that invited bloggers to write, reflect, argue, and occasionally confess their in-game sins. The format was simple: one shared topic, many voices, and a roundup so everyone could discover each other.

I ran it for two and a half years (26 editions), then passed it to other EVE bloggers who kept it going. By the time I wrote my last entry—#68, back in October 2015—the community had produced almost 70 banters worth of arguments, stories, and insights.

Fast-forward to 2026. The platforms changed. The "blogging is dead" takes have multiplied. And yet... here we are. A few of us are still writing about EVE. Still sharing our virtual lives. 

Still building corners of the internet worth visiting.

So I'm bringing it back. 

EVE Blog Banter returns as: The New Eden Banter (NEB).

Why joining a corp changes everything in EVE Online (and how I landed in Quantshure)

I've officially joined Quantshure, part of Xagenic Freymvork (VAULT). I hadn't really planned for it this soon, but my NEOCOM Corporation tab kept blinking (or was it just lit up?), and that invitation sitting there was too tempting to ignore.

And yes, I did have a brief moment where I thought: "Well, clearly they saw something special in me if they invited me."

Then reality checked in: it was automated. 😉

Housekeeping, and a clearer sense of where this blog stands

If you’ve only been reading this blog recently, you might not know how far back it goes, how long of a journey it was to get here.

It started in 2005, back when blogging felt like pulling up a chair at a truck stop, and seeing who stuck around for a conversation. And boy oh boy were there a lot of those way back when.

Since then, life happened. Got married. Kids suddenly became top priority (obviously!). Careers shifted. Priorities changed. The pace slowed, picked up, slowed again. And even crawled to a stop at some point. The blog never really went away though, but it did gather a bit of dust.

Over the past little while, though, I’ve been writing again in a more deliberate way. Not chasing volume, but following curiosity. Digging into things that stuck with me. That meant posts about coming back to EVE Online with older eyes, breaking down ship fittings and early PvE lessons, but also stepping back to look at why that universe still works the way it does. It meant long-form takes on city builders and strategy games — Foundation, Frostpunk, Surviving Mars — not as reviews, but as systems worth understanding. It meant writing about science fiction again, from Arcane to Avatar, Dune & Star Wars, from space travel concepts to the stories I keep returning to with the kids.

After taking the time to look back at the history of this blog, its numbers, and its long, uneven arc, I realized something: the writing had moved forward over the last few months, but parts of this site hadn’t quite caught up.

So over the last little while, I’ve been quietly cleaning things up.

Nothing dramatic. No rebrand. No “big comeback.” Just the kind of work that happens when you care about a place and want it to reflect what’s actually happening inside it.

Reigniting the flame: reviving the blog, one post at a time

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you might recall my countless attempts to revive it over the past decade (here, here, here, here and most recently here). There were a few bursts of enthusiasm, but never the consistency I was hoping for. So if you’re still here reading this—thank you! Life has a knack for tossing us in unexpected directions, whether it’s work, family, new games, or that latest sci-fi obsession. Somewhere in that cosmic mix, the blog ended up on the back burner.

But here I am again, feeling that familiar urge to write, to geek out, and to reconnect with all of you. I’m brushing off the space dust and bringing CrazyKinux’s Musings back to life. With the 20-year milestone coming up in about a month and a half, I’m more motivated than ever—two decades of rambling, community-building (the first decade if I’m being honest), and shared passion is definitely worth celebrating!

Rekindling an old love. Or how I've been sucked back into blogging!

Header by Juan Pablo Roldan - "Arca" via ArtStation

2019. A new year. A fresh beginning.

Having recently resubscribed to Eve Online, I find myself wanting to get back to my old habits of blogging and being more active with the community of gamers and Eve bloggers with whom I've shared so much in the past.

And so, I've decided to get back to a much more active blogging schedule. Before I do that though, I need to clean-up the blog, removing some old tags I used at the start of my blogging days back in 2005-2006. In addition to that, there's still a ton of old links that use .com instead of my new domain CrazyKinux.ca.

That's still ongoing and will likely take me a few more weeks to finish up. In the meantime I still want to post regularly with updates on my new adventures in New Eden, share some of the cool artwork that I come across (as in the above), share short movies and trailers of what I'm looking forward to in the near future. All in all, just getting back to my pre-july-2011 days.

I'll try to push out one most post later today with ideas for my weekly blogging schedule.

Stay tuned!

The EVE Blog Pack & Banters are looking for a new home. Are you up for it?

Earlier this week I tweeted that I was looking for someone to take over the maintenance of both the EVE Blog Pack and the EVE Blog Banters. At this point in time I'm looking to enjoy the game more then to promote the EVE Blogging Community. Something I've not been much of these passed few months, despite trying!
Indeed, over the last 3 years the Community has become a healthy vibrant landscape of EVE Online blogs and Twitter personalities, far beyond what I could have ever imagined. And now it's time to hand over these two very special initiatives to someone (or group) who will give the care and nurturing needed. That might sound very "paternal", but when you've poured your heart and soul into something, it almost feels as is they're alive.

But let me reassure you, I'm no leaving the EVE community, au contraire! Being less involved in maintaining the Banters and Pack will free me to focus on playing the game, and even dare I say blog about it. There are of course other circumstances that have forced me to come to this decision. I've recently accepted a position within the gaming industry, and to prevent any conflict of interest with my new employer, I'd rather have someone else take over the role of caretaker for the Banters and Pack. At this point, I can't say more about this new opportunity, but you'll get to learn more in a few weeks. And no, it's not CCP! :p

So, who's up for it? Who's got the passion, the time and the guts to take this role? I don't yet know how we'll make the transition, but we'll figure something out!

Please use the comments below to put forth your candidacy and offers. Let's have a healthy, friendly discussion!

EVE Blog Banter #26: Beyond nebulas and shiny ships

Welcome to the twenty-sixth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month's topic was proposed by @KatiaSae of the much praised "To Boldly Go" blog. Katia asks: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As an astrophotographer, I've found it in the stars and planets of New Eden. Where have you found it? Perhaps you've found beauty in the ships we fly? Maybe it's the sight of profits being added to your bottom line? Or maybe it's the pilot portraits you see in the comm channels? Where ever you've found it, write about it and post an image." Don't be afraid go beyond the simple visual aspects of EVE as well. Is the EVE Community in itself a thing of beauty? What makes EVE the game, the world, the Community, so appealing to you?

EVE looks stunning. It always has, and if the last decade hints to what we can expect in the future, it most likely will continue. 

EVE Blog Banter #25: And by Alliance you mean.....?

Welcome to the twenty-fifth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month's topic comes to us from @Tetraetc - "Tetra's EVE Blog" - who asks: "Have Alliances and the sovereignty system limited the amount of PVP and RP potential in Null sec? Imagine a Null Sec where anyone could build outposts, wherever. Would the reduction of the Alliance game mechanic, and the removal of the sovereignty game mechanics (and the modifcation of it from Alliance level to Corp level for that matter) force more PVP into Null sec, or would giant power blocs like the NC still form themselves?"

This is one of those rare occasions where it's hard for me to state my opinion. The reason is simple: I just don't think I know enough to grasp the various issues at hand when it comes to Alliances, sovereignty and how all this ties into 0.0 space. I do understand the basics, but to actually suggest that the current alliance game mechanics have a positive or detrimental effect on PvP or RP, and be able to defend my arguments is beyond such understanding. 

The ever expanding EVE Blogosphere! - Part 12

Over the last few weeks the list of new blogs to add the the EVE Player Blogroll has steadily risen. And now it's time to roll up my sleeves and add all of them! Here's the list to be added:

1. Breakin' Rocks In the Hot Sun...
2. Cyberea - Personal Log
3. Durzo Chronicles (The)
4. Eve Online Day By Day
5. Flying Rust
6. Jae's Journal
7. Letters from the Front
8. Purely Business
9. Rants of a Jaded Miner
10. Wandering the Void…my EvE musings
11. Way of the Gun

• To Boldly Go <-- URL updated

Tag: [NEW BLOGS]

Friday Video: Artificial Intellegence Neighbour [Lost Enterprise]

Help me save "Fiddler's Edge" and add a great blog to the Blog Pack

Earlier this week I cleaned up the EVE Blog Pack, removing outdated blogs and adding a fresh new set of prolific EVE Online bloggers. In doing so, I turned down a few bloggers who had made the request to get added to the Pack. Last evening I set myself to the task of cleaning up my Unread emails that were related to this blog. Some of these dated back to last November.

You see, despite the fact that I may not be as productive in writing about my experience in EVE as I was in the past, I still get a ton of emails, which all warrant my attention. And sometimes, some of these request slip through the cracks. Just as great blogs can sometimes get overlooked. Fiddler's Edge is one of those.

Without realizing the terrible mistake I was about to make, I simply declined his request, once again, to join the Pack. And now, Mord seems to have decided to move on.

I've just spent the last hour, going through emails and evemails, from folks asking me to add Fiddler's Edge to the Pack. Mord even wrote about it and got a ton of comments to encourage him to continue and to disregard my blatant mistake. And indeed it was a mistake not to included him.

But hopefully it's a mistake that can be corrected. This is where you come in.

I need you to head over to his blog and add to the comments, and request that he reconsider and continue to do what he's been doing all these months; writing a great blog, for the benefit of his readers and the EVE Blogging community.

And Mord, if you're reading this, I hope you'll forgive this ol'time EVE Blogger, and provide us the privilege to be part of the EVE Blog Pack!

EVE Blog Banter #24: Be, all that you can be, and so much more!

Welcome to the twenty-fourth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month's Banter topic comes to us from the ever helpful Eelis Kiy, capsuleer behind the "Where the frack is my ship" blog. She asks: How does your real life personality compare to who you are as a character in EVE? Does a good leader of people in the real world make a good leader of pilots in game? Or vice-versa? Do your real-life skills help you with the roles you fulfill in your corporation or alliance? Or do you behave completely differently? Does the anonymity of the Internet allow you to thrive on the tears of others in New Eden whilst you work as a good Samaritan away from your keyboard? Or are you as mean outside of your pod as you are inside it? Have experiences in EVE Online affected your behavior, skills or attitudes outside of the game?

In a world such as EVE Online, with endless possibilities, it's easy to see why the attraction of developing an alter ego would be there. Let's try to answer Eelis' questions!

How does your real life personality compare to who you are as a character in EVE?

EVE Blog Banter #22: The Belated Edition

We may already be in November - and the 10th at that! - but October's EVE Blog Banter was held back on October 26th and quite a few of you participated. Unfortunately I didn't not. Elements that were out of my control prevented me from participating this time, though not from lack of interest.
So here is the list of those who participated in this last Blog Banter, as well as the topic:

Welcome to the twenty-second installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month topic is brought to us by L'Dene Bean of Nitpickin's who asks: Why, and how did you pick your corporation? Is your loyalty solid or just until a better placed organization "recruits" you. The shorter version:  Who holds your Unshakable Fealty and why?

List of participants:

1. Blog Banter #22: Corp Loyalty « Evil Silents
2. Confessions of a Closet Carebear: Corporation Loyalty - Brothers and Sisters till the end?
3. Who holds your Unshakable Fealty and why? | Nitpickin's
4. loyalty isnt for sale | A Mule In EvE
5. Blog Banter #22: Corporation Guilt? | Sarnel Binora's Blog
6. Ask Not What Your Corp Can Do For You… « The Lathspell of Mithrandir
7. New Eden History Student » Blog Archive » Why I went to college
8. Esprit de Corps
9. where the frack is my ship?: Blog Banter 22: Home is where the heart is
10. A "CareBears" Journey - Am I Loyal, Or Just Complacent?
11. Captain Serenity: Blog banter #22 - Loyalty?
12. Not a Nice Game (Blog Banter 22) | Interstellar Privateer
13. CK’s Blog Banter #22: A Fighter’s Heart « Prano's Journey
14. EvE Blog Banter #22: Where We Stand EvE Blasphemy
15. divagoth | wandering the gaming landscape
16. The Eternal Ninja - The Fang
17. An Amarrian Capsuleer: Blog Banter 22: Corporation Cooperation
18. Nashh Kadavr's EVE Blog: Bastard for Life
19. Double Threat: Blog Banter #22
20. Drifting: Blog Banter #22: Corporation Loyalty - Brothers and Sisters till the end?

Expect the email for the next - and 23rd - EVE Blog Banter to go out before the end of the week!

Will we see each other at Fanfest VII (2011)?

With CCP Game's 7th iteration of the EVE Fanfest - thanks to Mandrill for the heads-up by the way - the most famous party at the top of the world moves from an early Fall schedule to early Spring. As most of you know, I had the opportunity to attend Fanfest V (Fall 2008) and had a blast! The experience is like no other in the world. This is the time where we capsuleers get to mingle, chat, interact and party with CCP Devs. This is also a time, where friends and foes get to finally meet face to face, share a few laughs, as well as a few drinks - ok, a LOT of drinks!

I look very much forward to this particular Fanfest, and hope to meeting with a great number of you who will also make the annual capsuleer migration to the land of Vikings and rotten shark! Since my last Fanfest over 2 years ago, the EVE Blog Community has grown quite considerably, and I've had the chance to virtually meet with quite a number of people whom I consider good friends today. During this Fanfest, I really hope that we'll get to meet with some of you and put a real face behind your avatar.

I think that @Mandrill's initiative to organize a tweet-up is a great idea, one that will surely be successful. Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there!

So will we get to meet?

6 years, 800 posts, and almost a million pageviews later...

I'm still at it! So I may not post as often nor as much as I used to in the past, but I'm still here. I first started blogging over 5 and a half years ago - February 2005 - and the sporadic posts slowly became more regular, of greater length, and hopefully quality. Later the Blog Pack was born, as did the EVE Blog Banter - which reminds me that I still need to post October's Banter!
Over those last fifty-some months, this blog has seen a lot of activity. Here is some of those stats as of today:

• 801 posts
• 578,473 unique visitors
• 920,109 pageviews
• 1.6 pages/visit
• Visitors 2005 - 2010
• 2005: 337 
• 2006: 6,976 
• 2007: 54,256
• 2008: 135,688
• 2009: 177,355
• 2010: 203,861 (as of November 4th)

And so, I write this post not to brag, but to thank you for being here, for reading this blog, for commenting, and for help this old blogger keep his edge. Even he seems to be losing it these days. I could not have done it without you guys!

Fly safe, and be proud of the Community we've build!

Friday Video: The Dronelands [2 EVE Online VIDEOS]

Just as I expected when I did my Top Ten EVE video post earlier this week, I've received a number of links to some amazing EVE Online videos. Out of all those I was not aware of, the 2 that I found particularly of great quality (minus a few typos in the narrative) and visual F/X are below, for your pleasure and mine! Hopefully you'll enjoy them!

The Top 10 EVE Online Videos of all time! [VIDEO]

I was recently made aware of a top ten video listing ( Top 10 Animated Children’s Movies of All Time ) which got me thinking about all those amazing videos that have been released over the last few years, both from CCP Games themselves, but especially those made by the fans. That got me thinking: what would a Top Ten listing look like for EVE videos? The listing below is my pick — but it's only a tiny sample of the amazing talent in the EVE Community!

What's your Top Ten?

#10 – Day of Darkness (Original)

#9 – No Other Destiny (CCP)

#8 – Permaband – HTFU (CCP) Couldn't help myself!

#7 – War Has Come to EVE

#6 – DUST 514 (CCP)

#5 – Tyrannis Trailer (CCP)

#4 – The Butterfly Effect (CCP)

#3 – Tortuga – Lacrimosa

#2 – Future Proof

#1 – Day of Darkness II