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Friday, August 6, 2010

Corp relationships - for better or for worse?

I've been thinking a lot lately about where I currently am in my "EVE Career", and where I would like to be. I'm probably having a mid-EVE-life crisis.

I know this might sound weird, but I believe your relationship with EVE Online Corporations is sort of like relationships with people in real life.

When meeting a new love, at first you may have this overwhelming feeling of passion. Everything is new and exciting. You want to spend as much time with them as possible and get to know everything about them. Your EVE life in general changes completely. You are willing to move to new places, fly new ships, go out of your way to please and help the corporation.

Then reality sets in. You start seeing flaws that you previously overlooked. The fresh passion and excitement is no longer there, and so you have to decide whether you love them enough to stay in the relationship and make it work, or whether to move on to something new.

So here is how I view some of these EVE Corp Relationships:


First love / Highschool sweethearts

These are the very first relationships you had. Everything was so new and exciting. You were so young, innocent, and wonderfully naive.

Even though it obviously didn't last, these are the relationships that you still look back on with nostalgia.

You might even still have in your Bio written something like, "Proud ex-member of so and so Corp/Alliance".

My first Eve-love was NQX Innovations. They introduced me to PVP, and I learnt so much from them and fell in love with the game more that I ever thought I could. Even though we've parted ways,  I still hang out in their chat channels and post in their forums. I've met a few of these guys in real life, and are friendships that will last.


Party Hard
 
This is the corp that took you to the most extreme in your EVE career. They pushed you beyond your limits, opened your eyes to new things, and corrupted your wide-eyed innocence.

The relationship to the corp was addictive and intoxicating, yet possibly destructive. EVE was never the same way again. You may have been: yelled at in Fleet Ops, ridiculed and bullied mercilessly on the killboards and forums for flying badly fitted ships, and may never have felt good enough to be a part of the group. It may have traumatized you, but in the end, you became a better pvp'er for it all.

To me such a corp was Genos Occidere. People often ask why I've left the corp (since it does have a bit of an "elite" reputation). My answer is pretty much this. Being an European Timezone corp, I found myself so addicted to the hard and fast pvp, that I was staying up all odd hours in order to go out on roams with them (thus not very healthy on my RL).  I learnt so much from them, and they are indeed amongst the very best players in the whole game, and it was a priviledge. But in the end, I needed a corp that was more down-to-earth and in which the pvp fitted around my schedule and preference (I wanted to be in Factional Warfare, not 0.0).

- Disclaimer - Any Genos people reading this please don't take offense. I love you all and still think you're the best. Please don't hunt me down or I'll get a restraining order (hire Noir. mercs) on you.


Flings 

These are the corps that you go to, in between finding more long-term commitments.

The rebound corps, summer flings, one night stands. You may have just come out of a difficult break-up, and all you want is to have fun, nothing serious. You want to try new things. To re-spark your love for EVE Online.

For me, this was Red vs Blue and the Federal Defense Union (Gallente Militia/npc corp).
They represent non-commitment. You can solo, do your own thing, no one cares. No mandatory ops, nothing serious.

If it does start to get too serious, or anything about them rubs you the wrong way, you just leave. Nice and easy, no one will even care or miss you. They can be lots of fun, or full of regret (maybe you'll lose a lot of isk with so much pvp), but mainly they are just there to take away the loneliness of being single (i.e. in an NPC corp). Soon enough hopefully you can move on and find someone you really care about and want to commit to.


Love and Commitment

Sooner or later, after being sick of being single or hopping from relationship to relationship, you may decide you want to settle down.

You have become wiser in choosing a mate, you have a checklist of requirements they must fulfill before you go ahead and let yourself fall head over heels for them.

And so you find a nice respectable corp, and decide you'll make the most of it. They may not perfect and there may not be passion and sparks all the time, but they treat you well and there is mutual love and respect.

To me, my current corp is like this. I came across Bi-Polar Bears at a time after I'd been roaming around alone in Factional Warfare, and they took me in and gave me a home. They're full of mature players, all with busy RL's (spouses, kids etc) and they can kick back and have a good time without too much srsbssns stuff. Well, at least not in my timezone (i.e. quiet AU/late U.S tz).

They pretty much let me be free and do whatever I want. Most of them are -10 pies, but they don't mind that I'm not. They also have a fascination with Zealots and RR gangs, whereas I pretty much only fly T1 ships and only own 1 RR Battleship (which I never use, but keep out of respect to the corp rules).  But they don't try to change me and just let me be who I am.

So far I'm happy with them. There's nothing to complain about, they're really nice guys and great pvp'ers. I'm just not sure if I'll get the seven-year itch one day... Maybe I should've signed a prenup?


True Love / Soul Mates 

Is there such a thing in EVE Online? Is it possible to find a corporation that fits your ideals so perfectly that you want to stay with them forever?

Sometimes I look at some people's Employment Histories, and see that they have been in the same corp all their EVE life. Some of these, since EVE first started in 2003!

I admire these corp relationships, it's like looking at old couples holding hands. You know that they are so committed to each other, and still very much in love. It's rare, but it does happen.

In many cases, when it comes to EVE Online though, the people that stay in those corps for years and years are often the very CEO's and founders of the corp. This makes total sense because if you really want a corp with people that:

- Plays in the same timezone as you
- Does the same activities as you
- Speak the same language
- Always live in the area of space as you want to live
- In all ways fulfills the same ideals that you have in EVE Online

Then you pretty much have to start your own Corp.

To the brave, stubborn, egotistical and persevering individuals out there that do this, may you live happily ever after in marital bliss!


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Question for my readers:

Tell me what kind of relationship you have with your corp! What do you look for, and what do you expect to give and get from the relationship? 



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22 comments:

  1. What a fab post!

    My first real home was with Revelation Space - that was deffo my first love! We all grew up and "learned Eve" in that corp, and had our first taste of pvp together. Last year we merged into SOTF and it was a pretty heart-breaking thing to do on a certain level. I always look back all the good and bad things that happened there with fondness.

    SOTF hmm somewhere between Party-Hard and Commitment. I've learned a lot, but am pretty much part of the furniture here now. It's a corp I really do love and admire, but it has changed me as a player.

    But in the back of my mind is a thought that I might like to try something new one day, and for that I would probably have to leave SOTF and join a new corp.

    Lots of corps have their own area of playstyle/expertise, which means you often find a new home when trying something new... perhaps the true soul-mate corp is the one that says "baby don't go, we're coming with you!"

    I wonder if RL relationships reflect in ones corp relationships? I'm certainly more of a long-term type than a fling type lol

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  2. I was going to write something mean here but the thought of Noir hunting me made me think otherwise!

    Also, admit it, you miss CHED. He's like a fluffy little animal you just want to cuddle over and over.

    (Good post, btw!)

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  3. Hiya Laedy. Just found your blog the other day, very interesting, I love it.

    I've only been in two corps so far, but my relationships have been something like...

    1. With PIE, more of a Father/Wayward Daughter relationship. Their rules were so strict I could never really live up to their expectations no matter how hard I tried. And trust me I did try. Like I'd plex for hours and be all, waiting for approval but then it'd be like, BAD SHALEE YOU TALKED TO A PIRATE. Yada yada.

    2. With KOTMC, it's more of a brother/sister relationship. When I left PIE, Aldrith Shutaq (my current CEO) left too and started his own corp and brought me in as a director. We are like two kids who ran away from home or something.

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  4. Great post! I didn't know that you were in Bi-Po, we had a semi recent war that nothing ever came of really, and recently provided much lulz when Eddie killed one of our alliance mates Badgers.

    I think it is possible for people to find a home in a corp that they love enough to stick with it. For me it's happened twice. First was in Nubs. We started out as a pirate corp in placid and became pretty influential there before Outbreak of old came and kicked the hell out of us making us leave and start a more roaming lifestyle. From there we ducked around 0.0 and lowsec fighting in various wars and taking/losing space eventually the wheels came off and the corp disbanded.

    From there I ended up in STIM where I have been pretty much ever since and not really a chance of leaving. Just some very good pilots, equal in some respects to those in Genos in my not-so-humble opinion. It can be rough sometimes, but I'm thinking I like it that way. We fight well together and with each other, or rather on each others asses, but it's worth it in the end.

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  5. Funny and insightful all at once. Great post.

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  6. Well Python is a strange corp for me. In any other game: I like to win, I like to be able to be able to rely on the people next to me. But Python.... fail at everything. Just ask anybody of some of the stories about how we have failed. Some are quite hilarious.

    My timezone is completely outta whack. I'm EU and thier mostly US. Its not so bad for me, as I have wierd sleeping patterns. But I'd prefer it if it was a 100% Eu corp.

    Then theres teh "PENIS PRIDE!" and how python is probably the most homosexual corp in EvE. Yet I dont think we have a single rl homosexual in the corp.

    Basically what I'm trying to say is. Python is exactly the opposite of what I usualy look for in a corp (or guild, i play wow sporadically) but here I am. Been in this current incarnation of Python for over a year and two months, and I was in the original python from near the start, till it ended. I dont see myself ever leaving the corp (unless it falls apart again, which i dont see happening anytime soon)

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  7. I have a purely sexual relationship with my corp members. I don't actually like any of them but they are all great in the sack.

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  8. @ Eelis Kiy - Thanks for your reply, great to see another militia gal blogger!

    @ Intigo - Yeah you're right, I do miss CHED :(

    @ Shalee_Liann - That's really funny you say that about PIE. I have heard of corps that are like that with their members, very controlling etc... I could never be in a corp like that. I definitely enjoy my freedom in this game.

    @ Logan Fyreite and Mord Fiddle thanks for your comments :)

    @ Andrea skye and Spectre - ♥ Pythons. You guys are so wacky. I'm sure you stay together despite your differences because of your love for one another and same sense of humour. Also, Where the heck are you Spec? Log in more and blog more plz. kthx

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  9. Another Python, checking in!

    You definitely hit the nail on the head in regards to the CEO bit. If you look at my employment history (Golden Helmet), you'll see I had a bajillion flings after I left my first love (Veto.).

    I got tired of bouncing from corp to corp after I left them. Some were too carebear, others weren't pirate, others had too few US players, the list went on. So I figured, "Screw you guys, I'll do it myself!" and Python was born.

    They may make me facepalm on a daily basis, but I've not had a single regret. I love this corp, our wacky antics, our massive and glorious fails, and our abundance of PENIS!

    If you can't find the corp you love, then you have to make it. It's that simple.

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  10. Whoa scary how your categories matched with my corp progression.

    First love - Chikens
    Party - E.V.P and White Noise
    Fling - FDU
    Commitment - QCATs/SLAPD

    Great post and sweet blog Laedy, I'll definitely be following this one :)

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  11. Good post :) This is particularly interesting to me, at the beginning of my EVE career and interested in...everything. Right now I'm focusing on mining and industry, though that's not the quickest way to make profit, so I'm having to salvage and mission to get by. Trading is profitable but risky. PVP...I know I'll get there eventually, I have a pvp streak a mile wide from previous games (WoW, WWIIOL, and a lot of first person shooters). I'd actually been deliberately trying to avoid PVP here just to force myself to try something new, but I know I'll get back to my old habits eventually. Plus there's the whole having a job and bills and a life and such... I don't fit in with the teenagers anymore, and I can't match their playing habits.

    One of my characters is in E-UNI, and the other is still running around in the NPC starter corp, until I find a home that sounds good and fits.

    Cheers! I'll add your blog to the list to follow :)

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  12. Laedy: Starcraft 2 and some other stuff have taken precedent :/ I will be back eventually as usual but for now I am out of Eve.

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  13. I always thought you were in Hellcats ;/

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  14. First: Holy Crap Laedy why didn't you say you had a blog! I'm so excited now.

    Second: I'd have to say that Veto, my current corp, is definitely in the Love and Commitment category. There is, of course, one or two niggling little details than make it a micron less than perfect, but it's great. And the "Party Hard" one for me was definitely Gunpoint Diplomacy, With Sard, back when you were terrorizing me in your damned ishkurs.

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  15. I am in my first corp still and defintely in the first phase as well! I'm loving learning to pvp and live in 0.0 with the corp and alliance. The corp suits me perfectly with an equal split of EU and US players and a pretty equal split between 0.0 and hi-sec. So I can do whatever I want at any time of the day! Unfortuntly my low skills are limiting my abilities right now but I aim to change that soon.

    Loving the blog and adding you to the (steadily growing) list of blogs I follow.

    Fly safe

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  16. "Then you pretty much have to start your own Corp."

    So true. Saying that as a tiny corp CEO.

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  17. Python Cartel will be my only true EVE love.

    I've gone from entrenched enemy to Co-CEO in the span of a couple years.

    We've cultivated a strong pride of man love, weird humor, and relentless smack talk while being one of the most notable pirate corps despite our daily and hilarious failures.

    Python is my home. My love. And the only reason I still play EVE.

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  18. Thanks so much for the replies guys! Very very interesting,keep 'em coming.
    Makes my heart all warm and fuzzy :)

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  19. Love this post, I can totally go through my employment history and identify flings and relationships etc. I'm definately in a party hard corporation right now, though i think i joined at the wrong time in my eve life, getting a bit tired and need to settle down i guess =P

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  20. Hi, I found this blog through Rixx Javix's. I'm in the early passionate stage of my EVE relation and didn't even realize it! This post gave me a lot of perspective. Thanks!

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  21. Necro! I guess I am in the Party hard stage. But the Tuskers are pretty chilled out as a group. But in my 6 months with them my pvp skills have improved (I can almost manually pilot now! lol). Plus I'm flying Drakes....and they are an amazing ship! We've had 20 man militia gangs refusing to fight our 6 man BC gangs.
    Dragging my ass out of bed at 6:00AM AU time for an op is hard. But god damn if I'm not having the most fun in Eve.

    Hope life is treating you well, Laedy.

    Regards,

    Naoru

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  22. Hi Naoru!

    That's great to hear you've been loving EVE, especially in the last 6 months when so many people have given up on this game or become disillusioned.
    I concur, drakes are awesome. I'm sure the coming expansion will be an even more exciting time for you with new ships and all the fixes. Even I might log in and try pew pewing again! Although I'd be so rusty I'm not sure... lol

    All the best o7

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