The Top Ten Commandments of the Capsuleer Parent

Every EVE Online player who became a parent during his capusleer career, knows how difficult it can sometimes be to juggle a professional career, a marriage and children, while giving in to the calling of New Eden. But with time, through sheer effort and good planning, it can be done. I know, I've struggled myself to manage to do all of the above, but I'm still here, playing the game, blogging about it and having a great time doing it, despite the occasional trolls!

How do I do it? Well over time I've come up with a few basic rules that seem to work for me. And so I wanted to share them with you, and see what you yourselves can come up with!

1. Thou shall put real-life first. Always!
2. Thy children shall always come before the pod
3. Nighttime shall become my best friend
4. Thou shall master the art of flying a ship while changing a diaper
5. A game schedule thou shall agree upon with thy better-half
6. Thou shall learn the EVE Bushido of the Parent Warrior
7. EVEMon shall be installed on every PC I can come in contact with
8. Thou shall know all the ins and outs of of the EVE Skill Planner
9. ...
10. ...

I didn't want to finish the list, not because I ran out of steam or ideas, but simply because I want you to add the last two! Come on!

I go AWOL and the EVE Community gets an Award!

Talk about shitty timing! I take a few weeks off from blogging and tweeting as I normally do, and during that time, Ten Ton Hammer awards the EVE Online Community the Best Community of 2009. Indeed, best time to take a break. I've seriously just found out about this - like an hour ago - while looking over my Facebook News Feed!

Still, it's a hell of an honor to be part of this great community of players with whom I share a passion for an amazing and complex world. Long live New Eden.

Before I jump back on the horse and return to my regular posting schedule, I just wanted to update you on what I've been doing this last 4 weeks! For those of you who don't know, I'm currently enjoying my paternity leave, of which I've got 2 more weeks (yep, that's 5 weeks during which I'm being paid to spend some time with MiniCK2). During that time, those of you who follow me on raptr will know that I've been playing some EVE Online, some Torchlight and Defense Grid, as well as a lot of Mass Effect. All this playing only happens when the MiniCKs are sleeping, which makes for some difficult gaming schedule. And with the PC downstairs in the basement and the Xbox 360 in the living room, playing Mass Effect (Xbox 360 version) is currently more convenient.

Add to that the fact that I want to finish the game before the sequel, which I've pre-ordered, comes out on the 26th.

I've also been reading a lot more, which is something I used to do more before the kids, and before this blogging, tweeting, facebooking took over my leisure time! I managed to finish reading The Sky People and Deadhouse Gates. I've started reading The Child Thief, Mass Effect Revelation and Pathfinder Core Rulebook. It's really fun to have the time to do so.

I'm slowly getting up to speed with emails, request and posts, so expect a return to my daily blogging and tweeting starting next week.

It's good to be back!

The end is the beginning of something new...

I have played. I have blogged. I have podcasted. I have done all those things and more. I have lived through the day and seen the shadow of night set its blanket over the horizon. But I have seen the light. I know that a new dawn lies ahead of the darkness of night. And it will rise again.

He who has never fallen, will never know the meaning of standing.

Okay, cut the romantic prose, and get to the point you may be asking. What the hell is he talking about?

I'm talking about this blog. About the game. And mostly about continuity.

I've been blogging about gaming and EVE Online for over 4 years now. At first it was a minimal; a post a month. Then I got more into it. Then it became a habit. Then a passion.

But when you pour your heart and soul into something you eventually run the risk of forgetting what it is you were doing in the first place, and why you were doing it. And the it all comes crashing down.

Then they start to point the finger at you. They start to say that you're a quitter. That it's the beginning of the end.

Then you say the hell with'em! You raise a knee and push your self back up, and dust your self up. You look around. See what you've accomplished and get back on the train.

You may think I'm writing this to explain myself. To justify my absence. I'm not. I'm simply standing back up, dusting myself, and getting back on the train.

Life's not planned. It throws curved balls at you. Some you're able to avoid, some not. But you go on. You persevere.

Blogging is similar.

The end is the beginning of something new... ...it's good to be back!