[Happy Monday] Simply A Perk

“I still don’t get it.”  His words echoed into the metal crevasse which normally hosted one of the seven turret hardpoints.  “It just seems like a bunch of asshole shit to me.  No offence.”

“None taken, but you’re only partially right, Nef.”  Her response was casual, but it was nothing new.  Most who lived as immortals among men maintained a constant air of disinterest.  Ary had been on the cusp of such a mentality since she became a capsuleer, but it seemed her time in The Swarm exacerbated that particular personality trait.

Nef was Ary’s nephew and gunnery man.  He also boasted the honor of being the only person Ary trusted with her ships and equipment.  The moniker was not his birth name, but a familial nickname she gave him when they were children.  She was the only one who ever called him Nef.  If anyone else did, usually found themselves on the receiving end of a black eye. 

“They cried for blood.  We are simply answering the call.”  The indifference in her tone bothered him slightly, but she didn’t seem to care. “It’s a basic tenant of survival if you think about it.  I’ll give you an example.  You find yourself in a thick jungle, unfamiliar territory.  You see one of the people in your travel party go down.  Is screaming out into the darkness, into the dense thick unknown for help, your best option for survival?”

He knew instantly it was a metaphor for what transpired a month ago.  The Chairman, leader of The Swarm, has been sentenced to a Concord sanctioned cloning freeze.  During a public festival; the leader of the large alliance and (at the time) Council of Stellar Management went into a crass tirade singling out a specific pilot and encouraging some pretty heinous behavior in a rather grotesque display.  The alcohol fueled display was disgusting, but most didn’t bat an eye... until the result of this year’s polls came in. 

The announcement of his re-appointment caused backlash almost as volatile as The Jita Riots.  Pilots from all regions were howling for blood.  Some simply wanted The Chairman removed from office and others screamed for his final death.  The pressure for Concord sanctioned action was so strong they had no choice but to give in.  The Chairman was given a 30 day freeze and through a technicality he was removed from office.  The sentence was taken with grace, but the ordeal roused new bloodlust throughout the coalition.  To mark his release The Swarm and their allies intended to celebrate the best way they knew how; utter destruction and annihilation.

Nef watched Ary as he considered her question, but she didn’t seem to notice.  The majority of her focus was trained on the holo-tablet in her hands.  Even though she seemed distracted, he knew she was studying and testing him.  What did she want him to see?  Nef sat up from his reclined position, his large form slightly hunched.  Full lips pursed as his mind milled over her question.  Dirty, grease stained fingernails scratched at the scruff of his beard.  Then, suddenly, it struck him.

“No.  That’s the worst thing you could do.”  Nef startled himself as the words left from his mouth.

“Why?”  The answer from him in low, cool tone.

“Because when you scream out anyone can hear you.  Friend or foe.”

“And we have heard them.”  He watched as a dark smile curled at the edges of her mouth.  He watched her approach him with the same grace a dangerous animal uses to stalk their prey.  Her fingers danced deftly over the holo-tablet in her hand. The image projected changed from a Thrasher to a Hulk.  “However, it goes deeper.  What do you see?”

“A Hulk.”  Nef responded numbly.

“And now?”   Her fingers swiped over the screen and the image flickered shifting into a jump freighter.”

“An Anshar.”  Nef’s response came a little slowly this time, but it wasn’t due to lack of ship knowledge.  She knew he studied at Pator Tech School, so what was she trying to prove?

“And now?” The holo-image flicked a final time.

“An Orca.”

“Now, why would it benefit The Swarm to destroy these ships?” She gently laid the tablet down on the large fitting console positioned near the edge of the ship hanger.  “What little side project would...”

“OTEC.”  He was breathless as the word left his lips.  Nef was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn’t realize her cut off nor did he realize he was holding his breath.  His response did seem to please her. 

“And what better way to show them the error of their ways then to have them pay us to destroy them.”  The sweetness of her voice frightened him more than the darkness that laced her tone, but her smile.  Her smile terrified him.  “Like I said, you were partially right.  It’s part business and part... re-education.  Being an asshole is simply a perk.”

Dat Shit Cray

When I first listened to this song all I could think was, “What kind of garbage is this?”  Rap lyrics about black dudes in France and fish filets?  Crap. Crap. Crap.  Now I have the same thoughts when I look around at the Eve Online community.  All I can say, “So disappoint, son.”

I’m disappointed for a laundry list of reasons.  However this post isn’t about placing blame, raging, sperging or beating a dead horse.  It’s not about crucifying someone over a mistake.  It’s not to make people feel guilty.  All I want to do is say three things and then I’m done.

1) Let he who has no sin, cast the first stone.

I’m not a religious person by any means, but I have done some extensive religious study.  I think this is one of the coolest lines in the Bible when it comes to putting things into perspective.  None of us are perfect.  We’ve all made mistakes.  None of us have just cause or reason to sit on a high horse.  Period.

2) A person of good fiber will admit when they’ve done wrong.

This has happened.  An apology both public and private has been issued.  The person that was victimized is over it.  That is what matters.  If you are strong enough to own up for your wrong doings, you deserve respect for that. 

3) If you were not directly involved, you need to shut the hell up.

It’s not your business.  I will repeat.  It’s not your business.  You are not Team America World Police.  You are not the Justice League.  Sit down, shut up, mind your business and stop being such a busy-body.  If you have issue with this, please proceed to point #1.  The individual victimized has seen fit to be done with it, so who the hell are you to do other wise?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go play some Skyrim and League of Legends until folks calm down.  I don’t want to see it or hear about it, so I’ll be removing myself from the situation until it blows over.  I just don’t have the patience for it. 

Feel free to contact me if you know of some kick ass Skyrim mods or if you want to play a game of LoL.  My summoner name is PureEden, I’m level 16 and I’m terrible.  I like to play Sona and Soraka (4ever a healer) as well as the occasional Annie, Siver, Ryze or Tristana.  Also, don’t make my play the carry.  I’m terri-bad as a carry.  Smurfs welcome.

Ciao♥

Listen to the Voices ATX 2011: Contests and Giveaways

The following is a follow up to the post: Listen to theVoices ATX 2011: An Update.  This particular post details the fun giveaways and contests that we plan to hold at the Meet-Up.  Pay close attention because some of the contests have specific instructions that you need to follow.  I wouldn’t want you missing out because of a silly technicality.

If you've been directed to this blog, but have no idea what Listen to the Voices 2011 is... Then check out the LttV Facebook event page or the LttV Events & Gatherings post on the EVE-O Forums.

See you there New Eden.

Dani♥

Pod Breaker

The sucky thing about going to gaming conventions or meet-ups is that you usually don’t know anyone there.  Well, never fear.  We have a plan to fix all of that.  For the first event of the night, we’ll be doing a little something called a Pod Breaker.  Think of it as an EVE Online scavenger hunt, but you’re looking for pilots.  Attendees present will be given a list and it will be their job to find a pilot that has achieved the listed items in game.  Now you won’t be able to use the same pilot twice so… you better get socializing. 

The Swag-Off

Pilots attending the meet up are encouraged to bring along their most unique pieces of EVE Online memorabilia.  Not only to you get to prove that you’re the coolest pilot in the station and allow others to bask in your glory, but you also have a chance to win even more cool swag.  That’s right.  The most unique pieces of swag will be rewarded with… more great swag.

EVE is Real… Oh so real

This event is for you more creative types out there.  For this event, we want to see how much you get in to Eve Online by seeing whose avatar resembles them the most.  Now it doesn’t have to be your main on display.  You’re more than welcome to create a custom alt just for the event.  Just remember to show up with a picture of the character so our judges can see how real your EVE Online experience is.

Note:  15 pilots must participate for prizes to be awarded.  To participate, please bring a picture of your avatar with you.  Print outs and pictures on smartphones will be accepted. 

This one time… In EVE Online

EVE Online is a single-shard universe where absolutely anything can happen and we want you hear your story.  Come tell us your story of tragic loss, epic triumph or a tale absolutely boggle the mind.  Rip off a corp for billions of ISK?  Take down a massive freighter full of BPO’s in your rifter?  Get tricked in to becoming a council member and diplo director for an alliance that lost 72 plexes in a freaking destroyer?  Whatever the case is, we want to hear about.  The most spectacular and entertaining tales will walk away with… you guessed it.  Spectacular prizes from the EVE Online Store.
Note:  To participate bring a small summery write up of your experience with you.  The top stories will be selected to present to our "judges panel" for a chance to win prizes.  All entries must be received by 6:00pm CST the day of the event to be considered. 

Fantasy Feature

Hey all your amateur game designers.  Here’s your chance to showcase that great idea for a new EVE Online feature that’s been rolling around in the back of your mind.  It doesn’t matter if it’s an idea for a new ship, module or even a game mechanic.  Make sure you tie up those loose ends and add those finishing touches because not only will your idea land you a chance to win some sweet swag, but you’ll also be getting some dev feedback from the one, the only, the bro… CCP Soundwave.
Note: Please bring a small printed summery of your fantasy feature feature with you.  All summaries will be reviewed and the best will be selected to pitch their ideas to CCP Soundwave.  All entries must be received by 6:00pm CST the day of the event to be considered. 

LttV NFL Football Pool

As you all know the meet up is being held on Sunday.  And nothing goes along with an Austin, TX Sunday like the NFL.  Lucky for us Lavaca Street Bar and Grill has 21 flat screen TV’s to catch all the action, so we’ll be taking advantage of that and doing our own NFL Football pool.  At the bottom of this blog post you’ll find the games that are scheduled that day.  Pick your winners and e-mail them to vandvpodcast(AT)gmail(dot)com.  If you’re the pilot with the highest score, you’ll score yourself a swag filled touchdown. 

Note: Only points for games that have completed will be counted.  Entries must be submitted prior to Saturday October 8^th 11:59 CST.  Winner will be called at the end of the event.  15 pilots must participate for prizes to be awarded.

Listen to the Voices NFL Picks For Oct 9th
New Orleans	@	Carolina	Your Winner:
Cincinnati	@	Jacksonville	Your Winner:
Tennessee	@	Pittsburgh	Your Winner:
Kansas City	@	Indianapolis	Your Winner:
Tampa Bay	@	San Francisco	Your Winner:
New York J.	@	New England	Your Winner
Philadelphia	@	Buffalo	Your Winner:
Seattle	@	New York G.	Your Winner:
Oakland	@	Houston	Your Winner:
Arizona	@	Minnesota	Your Winner:
San Diego	@	Denver	Your Winner:

In the event of a tie, the tie breaker will be determined by who guesses the closest scores for the Oakland @ Houston Game.

Oakland Score:

Houston Score:

Listen to the Voices ATX 2011: An Update

In less than three weeks the Listen to the Voices ATX Meet-up will be here and everyday I’m getting more excited.  Most places I have a calendar, the date it highlighted and when  I look at them I feel like a kid counting down to Christmas or their birthday.  Not surprisingly, I’m cool with those particular vibes.

Each passing days little pieces of the puzzle are coming together.  I’m in the final planning stages with CCP Daishi and CCP Soundwave for the different events and giveaways we’ll do.  I have been assured that some wonderful goodies from the EVE Online Store will be available for those that are brave enough to participate.  I just hope that those coming will be as excited about winning the swag as I am about giving it away.

Jason, Tegh Rhind and I have also taken the liberty of getting some podcast and event specific swag to give away as well.  Any good Hostess (or Host) will make sure their invited guests will have something memorable to take home with them and I’m no exception.  Plus this is Texas so Southern Hospitality is a must.  That’s why everyone who RSVPs will get some Listen to the Voices ATX swag just for showing up and making the event a success. 

The community response to the event has been bigger then I could have ever hoped.  Almost 50 players have RSVPed on the Listen to the Voices Facebook page and another 10 or so have signed up on the EVE-O Forums.  Of course some of these may be cross posted, but that’s still a better response than I could have predicted. 

I did try to get the word out as best I could, but in a community as massive as EVE Online it was a little challenging.  Of course I went the obvious route and made posts on the EVE-O forums.  The post was stickyed on the “old” forums and I’m still waiting on that sticky for the post on the new forums.  [Insert comic clearing of throat at CCP Daishi here.]  Then there’s the event posting on the Facebook page, ads on my own podcast as well as Jason’s.  I also put up a little something on Reddit seeing as how 1 of every 3 Austin EVE Online players seems to be in TEST. 

Even with all that people are still posting “I just found out about this.’  Are you people living under rocks or what?

So that’s the basics of where things are with the meet-up.  I can’t wait to meet those of you that will be attending.  Make sure you come ready to eat, drink, be merry and socialize.  There are also a couple of other things that you should come ready to do.  That has more to do with the events though so if you want to go home with a little something extra… I suggest you check out the blog post Listen to the Voices ATX 2011: Contests & Give-Aways. 

Audio Blog: To Dine With Death and Enjoy Its Company

I liked how the quasi-fiction blog came out so much that I decided to turn it in to an audio piece. Enjoy.

Quasi-Fiction: To Dine with Death and Take Pleasure in Its Company

Warning:

This blog features a writing style I’ve decided to experiment with that I’m calling “Quasi-Fiction” or “Dramatic-Recount.”  It features real events, but it presents them in a role-playish and very dramatic style.  If it seems over the top or fanciful, it’s supposed to.  Leave me comment if you like or don’t like it.  Constructive comments are always appreciated. 

Thanks!

Dani♥

 

Oh New Eden.  What have I done?

I’ll admit that I’ve done my share of deeds that could be considered criminal, but I’ve never done anything like this before.  What I did the other night was unthinkable to me at one point in my career.  Of course I had considered it once, maybe twice, but it was nothing more than a flicker of a thought pushed to the back of my mind.  I thought it was a trifle of a daydream, but I was wrong.  It was more than that.  It was seed of temptation.

I have now succumbed to that temptation, that little flicker of a thought.  In the blink of an eye I found myself sliding deeper into the rabbit hole.  The fruits of wanton destruction were bore unto me and I could resist them no longer.  I bit into its succulent flesh and found rapture.  Its exotic fragrance flooded my senses intoxicating me.  The taste of the divine upon my lips is something that I will never forget.  Then again, you never do forget your first.

The experience was a whirlwind when I think back.  We were alerted to a proper quarry and in a rush of action preparations started.  The blood in my veins quickened as adrenaline spread through my body like a fever.  Settling into minimally fitted destroyer class Minmatar ship seemed almost like a virginal experience.  Reverence came over me as I considered its sacrifice for my tawdry pleasures.  The time for such thoughts would be short as the fleet commander called for us to undock.

There we were.  Basking in rich, bold light of the Gallante sun that fed life to our system.  Oh, how it’s light flicker against our hulls.  It was a truly magnificent spectacle that would soon draw anguish in deed.  We were ready to be wielded like the steady and true hand of death itself, for that is what we had become.  Final checks were given and with the precision of a true professional our fleet commander took us and led us down a path where angels feared to tread.

Local would empty quickly.  Those left behind… no.  Those that were given a moment of freedom from our tyranny, loosed a bated breath.  It would be a short lived time of reprieve for them.  An opportunity to escape what had once held them down with impunity.  Still in the backs of their minds, as they skittered from our solar system they would know.  They would know somewhere out in some not to distant sector of space… someone was suffering a fate much worse than theirs.

We slipped into high security space moving as one under skilled direction.  I use the term ‘slip’ loosely due to the fact that Concord’s watchful eye is ever present in the higher security systems.  Announcements of our criminal status and threats against us flashed across our screens so quickly the names barely registered.  We were all criminals as far as the intergalactic law was concerned.  As poor as our reputation was… is… we cared naught.  There were more important and insidious things that kept our focus.

It happened so quickly, but those memories play like slow motion in my mind.  The scene could almost be described as serene.  The floating asteroids twirled as if they were in some majestic ballet.  The sun’s tendrils of light slithered through the darkness to cast it away.  Even the sight of that one lone hulk with its lasers drawing in the universe’s riches was peaceful.  While they are all very… placid, what happened next was truly beautiful. 

Really there’s no other way to describe it.  I’m sure there are others out there who would adamantly disagree with me, but this is my story.  When you combine the intensity of such sensory delights; the flecks destroyed hull that burst into space like burning diamonds, the unmistakable sound of artillery* fire, the tightness in your chest due to your heart stopping for briefest of seconds until your held breath explodes from your lips much like the vessel before you.  The ecstasy that you feel can not be denied.  No matter if it’s from endorphins wrapping you in their chemical bliss or the gratification if your inner predator being fed; you will have your satisfaction. 

In this exquisite dance of brutality and delight there is only one problem.  Once you have supped from the tree of life and taken in its fruits; your eyes are forever opened.  There is no turning back.  There is no straight and narrow.  There is no from whence you came.  No.  There is only you, your ship and the pursuit…

Oh New Eden.  What have I done?

 The Kill Mail

* This was originally auto cannons. I prefer the sound of auto cannon fire and I think it's more recognizable than artillery fire.  However, after having to listen to my corp mates bitch and moan on TS and through eve mail that our fit has artys, I've decided to change it.  Yes.  I changed my blog post to get my WSHOT to STFU.  Fuck you guys.  I like auto cannons.