EON Alliance survey now live!

My mates Zapatero, Editor of EON magazine, on behalf on Nate Combs (the other mate), EVE Online's representative over at Terra Nova, are conducting an alliance survey to better understand the motivations of players and the effort needed in getting such a large group of players to work together.

As Zapatero puts it:

To help us further in our understanding I've put together a survey to find out what people's opinions are about their own alliances and alliances in general. The survey does not ask for any character or alliance names so everything is very anonymous.

So head on over to >> complete the survey <<. And this goes for anyone who's ever been part of an alliance, whether you're still in it or not.

The survey will close 10am GMT on Feb 18th. The results will be studied and used within an article we have planned for the next issue of the magazine. Soon after publication the data will be made available to the entire community.

Zap, you owe me a pint!

The next Montreal EVE Online Player Meet

As I returned to EVE after a short break, I had an evemail waiting in my inbox. This brief mail was from fellow Montrealer and EVE player Cartboard Box informing me of a player meet that was being organized on the 22nd of February. So I headed over to the EVE forum thread and added my voice to the discussion.

If you're interested in meeting up with a bunch of EVE buddies over beer and greasy food, then let us know on the EVE forum thread. This would be my 3rd such event that I would attend - this being the first.

I'll make sure to bring a camera to get some pictures of these fine folks!

Looking forward to it.

What's the longest you've gone without playing? An EVE Online poll.

So as you probably know (or should!), I took the first month of this year off. No blogging, no EVE, no gaming. None, nadda, notin! Though it wasn't planned, it was a breath of fresh air, and aloud me to consider why I consider spending so much of my leisure time in or around EVE Online.

So why did I come back after a month hiatus? For a bunch of reasons actually.

First and foremost, the setting - science-fiction on a space-opera scale never seen before or since. CCP's space MMO is in a league of it's own when it comes to vastness. The lore also has a lot to day with this appeal. And this goes for the official EVE Chronicles and the fan material (EON, forum and all). More, give me more. I can't wait for Tony's book in June, and for CCP White Wolf's RPG books!

Second, it's a virtual world (notice I did not use the term game) that has endless possibilities, one where I can do as I please. It's not a theme park, its much more a sandbox. I can build a castle of any size I choose, I can play with others, or not, and I can share my toys, or not. I like choice; I hate being told what to do, or where to go.

Third, the EVE community, the players. I don't know if you've noticed, but EVE Online attracts a different type of player than your typical theme-park MMO (WoW anyone). It's a more dedicated crowd (hell with the learning curve it has, only addicts get beyond the tutorials!), a more mature bunch of geeks. Though we still know how to throw a god damn amazing party, especially at the top of the world! And how could I forget the unforgettable, unmistakable, Warp Drive Active podcasts by the greatest EVE fanboys out there, winterblink and urban mongral! How could I live without my regular WDA podcast!

So for all these reasons, I came back. I returned home, to New Eden. To have fun, to dream, to get podded. And to try all over again!

So what about you? While you're at it, if the poll is still up (top right of this blog), please cast your vote, let us know why you left, but most importantly, why you came back. Cause you did come back, right?