AI didn't make me creative, but it did change "how" I create

 

I've been writing on CrazyKinux's Musings in one form or another since 2005. Long before ChatGPT, Claude, image generators, or any of the current AI tools existed, I was writing about EVE Online, about the community of players & bloggers, sharing things I had learned, interviewing people and generally following whatever rabbit hole happened to interest me.

So AI didn't suddenly make me creative, but it's definitely changed how I create.

2025: Finding my way back to writing, one post at a time

It’s that time of year when I take a step back and look at what actually happened over the last twelve months.

Going into 2025, I fully intended to blog more consistently. In reality, that consistency only really showed up in the last four months — and if I’m being completely honest, it’s mostly been the last two.

And yet, despite that slow restart, this blog saw more life this year than I expected.

This wasn’t a year of volume. It was a year of re-entry.

After long stretches of relative quiet, 2025 became about finding my rhythm again — figuring out what I still wanted to write about, what felt forced, and what I kept coming back to even when no one was asking for it. Writing sorta stopped being something I planned to do and slowly became something I did again.

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!

So, you want to be part of the next EVE Blog Banter?

The last few months I've been getting emails from a lot of you asking me how to get into the EVE Blog Banters. It's a very simple process which involves sending me (CrazyKinux@gmail.com) a short email asking to be added. Once I've added you to the list, I send you a quick email to confirm this.
Though you don't need to be on the mailing list to participate, being on it gives you a heads-up on the next Banter topic with the date that it goes live. This way our EVE Banters have the greatest impact and best chance to generate a good discussion amongst us.

Let me also add that you do not have to have an EVE Online Blog to be part of this. Though it's called the EVE Blog Banter, only your specific post has to be about that month's Banter topic, not your whole blog! So if you've got buddies that have blogs (not specifically about EVE Online) and play EVE, you can certainly tell them about the EVE Blog Banters so that they may participate!

I'll be emailing you all about September's Banter topic this week, so if you want a head start in writing your post, and have not been added to the list, then now's a good time to do so!

Fly safe!

Look mom, I'm in PC Gamer!

Things have a strange way of turning out they say. Had anyone told me 5 years ago, when I first started this blog, that one day that I would actually get published in PC Gamer, "THE" PC Gamer magazine, I would have laughed and not have given it a second thought.

How strange the paths of life are.

Early this past July, I got this private message on Twitter asking me if I'd be interested in freelancing for PC Gamer, the Holy Grail of PC gaming magazines. Seemed my tweets, and my blog had captured the attention of an editor over there, and they were interested in my work. Despite the fact that work and family life were sucking every minute of my free time back then, there was no way I was about to turn this down, so I said a big fat YES!

My first assignment was to write an article on CCP Games' 8th Alliance Tournament which had just finished a few week-ends earlier. The article would get published in both the US and UK editions of PC Gamer. I would now be part of a privileged group of writers. those who'd seen their names linked to this institution of the PC gaming world.

After a lot of research, reviewing of the tournament videos, as well as quite a bit of back and forth between my editor and I - still feels weird to say that I've got an editor at PC Gamer, hell to say I've got an editor period! - I gave in my article.

A few weeks passed and then it happened: the issues came out at the newsstand. I was now a published author of a mainstream PC gaming magazine (having written for EON in the past, this wasn't my first experience in the publishing world). The impossible had just happened!

So you all can understand my excitement when, earlier this week, I  received a copy of each of these issues - issue 205 for the US edition and 217 for the UK. There it was, my article, in print, with a picture of me. Weird. Very freakin' awesome weird.

I'm curious to see what you guys think of it though. I'd be very happy to hear your feedback about both versions of the article, and the next as well. Hopefully I haven't made a fool of myself, and through your input and feedback I can improve my style.

So If you've had a chance to pick either of these issues, please let me know your thoughts. And while you're at it, let me know topics you'd like to see me cover in the magazine as well. I might be able to persuade the editors if I know enough of you would be interested in a particular topic.

How to start an EVE Online Blog

I've been wanting to write this post for sometime now. Over the last few months I've received a number of emails from you, from Mark, Todd, Jamie and a few others, all asking for tips and advice on how to start an EVE Online blog.
The following is an attempt to answer as much as I can about how to start, and most importantly how to maintain, a successful EVE blog. The post is divided in some general advice on starting a blog, tips on writing, building a readership and finally some general advice and great sites that have helped me at the beginning of my EVE blogging career.

As always, please feel free to send me your questions, advice and tips by email or in the comments below!

Starting an EVE Online Blog
First, you'll need to know where to host your blog, and whether you'll host it yourself through a provider, or use an existing platform. There are benefits to both. I have my blog hosted through Blogger's Blogspot service. Others will use the WordPress platform and put up their blog on a hosting service like Lonetrek Hosting or others. Besides Blogger.com or WordPress.com, an other simple yet powerful platform is Podlogs.com - which is specifically geared for EVE Bloggers. In the end, they're all great means to host your blogs. Pick the one you're most comfortable with, depending on your level of geekiness!

Do you have what it takes to be the next Tony Gonzales?

If you believe there's a Tony Gonzales hiding somewhere in you, waiting to come out and write some brilliant novellas such as Ruthless and Theodicy or even a novel (Empyrean Age), then this is your chance!

Silver Night is currently running the first annual fiction contest, and the prizes are pretty interesting. Hell I might even give it a try myself, if I wasn't busy running this blog! Have a look:

1st Prize: Winner's choice of any one of the following faction battleships, with a 300m fitting stipend. Choices are: Bhaalgorn, Vindicator, Rattlesnake, Machariel, Nightmare, Raven Navy Issue, Tempest Fleet Issue, Apocalypse Navy Issue, Megathron Navy Issue, Dominix Navy Issue, Typhoon Fleet Issue, Armageddon Navy Issue, or Scorpion Navy Issue.

2nd Prize: Choice of any one of the Navy Issue or Fleet Issue battleships listed above. There will be 2 second prize winners.

3rd Prize: Choice of Empire Faction Cruisers from the following list: Caracal Navy Issue, Omen Navy Issue, Vexor Navy Issue, or Stabber Navy Issue. There will be 4 3rd place winners.

So if you ever wanted to write some fiction set in New Eden, than this might just be the carrot that gets you going!

The Oracle of EVE - An EON contest!

Have you ever dreamed of what EVE Online could be, or should be? Ever wondered what EVE could be in a 10 years, 5 years, or even next year? Well here's your chance to prove that you've got that game designer flame burning in you! It's little contest, simple in its elegance, and pleasurable in its rewards!

Looking ahead to 2010, come up with either realistic predictions of new EVE features, or wild speculations of what might happen in game during the course of the year.

What we're looking for here are the best, most accurate and entertaining, well constructed pieces of speculative reporting ever concocted about EVE Online, And the best 10 will make into the next issue of EON magazine, which comes out early January. Not only that, but I've been told that for those winners attending the next Fanfest, the folks at MMM Publishing will even chip in a beer token!

These 10 best articles will be hand-picked by myself and EON Editor, Mr Zapatero himself!

Here are the Rules and Regulations:

• Your article has to be between 350 and 400 words. No more. No less.
• Stick to one prediction / one subject per 400 words.
• No formatting (no lists, bullet points etc).
• Take one in-game screenshot to illustrate your prediction. If it's in-space, please have it as high-res/spiffeh as possible.
• The 10 articles picked will each cover different subject (no more than 1 article about Incarna will be picked. We're looking for variety here!).
• Write your article on your blog, post the URL in the comments below.

The Prizes:

• Your article gets published in the January 2010 EON issue.
• You get a free copy of that EON issue
• One FREE beer token for next year's EVE Fanfest

The contest starts today and ends on November 30th EDT. The 10 winners will be announced the following week!

Here's a limited list of ideas to get your fingers twitching on your keyboards:

• The EVE economy in 2010
• Fanfest in 2010 and why people should go
• Incarna
• What will happen to out portraits once Incarna is released?
• It's been too long since we've had new ships
• The next Summer expansion
• How the political map of EVE might change in 2010
• The CSM in 2010
• Will Chribba still be the King of EVE?
• Who are the rising stars of EVE: The names to look out for in 2010 and why
• Who will dominate in the alliance tournament
• Re-arranging the stage: How the empires might shift in 2010
• Faction Warfare needs some love, or does it?
• Looking forward to Dust 514
• The EVE blogging community in 2010
• etc.

So, are you up to the challenge?

Space Blockades, Air Combat, Shock Troopers and Planetary Conquest

Planetary Conquest. Shock Troopers. Orbital Strikes. The idea was simple, yet complex at the same time: bringing planetary conquest to EVE Online. The contest was two-part: fiction and mechanics. The timing was perfect. DUST 514 was about to hit the gaming world, and shake the foundation of gaming genres. In the end, 17 articles were submitted, 2 of which were unfortunately disqualified for not making the deadline.

The quality and originality of the articles submitted was quite impressive, thus making my job of judging each one that much harder. I must have gone through the articles at least twice, if not three times. I must say I had a really hard time narrowing it down to the 5 best articles/ideas/concepts. But the Night is the mother of counsel they say. After a good night's sleep, the last 5 submissions you see below, managed to stand out in my mind.

1. Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah - Planetary Control Contest
2. A Misguided Adventure - Planetary Conquest, my idea
3. Death's Sweetest Kiss - Planetary Conquistadors!
4. Bellum Eternus - Crazy Kinux's dev interview contest entry - Fiction Component, Design Component
5. Anomaly T - More Than a Rock - Planetary Control: Colonies and Capital

I really wish all these folks could participate in the podcast interview, but only one spot was available. The luck of the draw was Xiphos83's articles "Planetary Conquest, my idea".

Congratulations to Xiphos83! I'll be contacting you shortly to work out a schedule with the CCP Dev whom we'll be participating in the podcast.

I'd like to thank the participants, all 17 of you. Your ideas were all very ingenious! See you somewhere in space. Fly Safe!