The Curious Case of the Accidental Scam

This morning I made a startling discovery. It is way easier to scam in Eve Online than I originally thought. In fact, scamming is so easy; you can do it accidentally. What to know more? Found out how by sending me 250 Million ISK in game! All ISK transfers should be made directly to Arydanika.

I’m just kidding. You don’t have to send me 250 Million ISK. Well, you can, but it would be out of the kindness/stupidity of your heart.

So, last night I logged on to my YouTube account to switch the two commercials[1] I did for Alliance Tournament X from private to public since the Tourney is over. As I logged on to my account I noticed I had a new comment and went to check it out. It read:

4 months and I still don't have a photo. I'm starting to think this is bullshit...
– MindVisionMachinima

 The message was posted in the comment section of the Fits of Angel Commercial[2] I did a while back. It was a parody commercial based on the ASPCA commercial featuring the song “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan. It was also the first Eve Online I made that wasn’t absolutely shit. In fact, it was so good the handsome and debonair CCP Manifest (aka Mr. Atlanta) linked the video via the Eve Online Twitter and Facebook account.

When I initially read the message; I just blew it off. Clearly the guy was an internet troll of sub par standard. I mean, the commercial is a parody and obviously a joke. No one would be dumb to send me 18 Million ISK for a picture of a sh… :christ: That’s when I realized I need to check my alt account.

You see, when I made the video I thought ahead. I knew how devious and conniving Eve Online players could be. I could just imaging some jerk in Jita spamming alink to the video on a character in a fake corporation gaffing people out of ISK[3]. Normally I wouldn’t care, but the commercial is on the Voices from the Void YouTube account and I don’t want the podcast associated with scamming[4].

In an effort to project my fellow players (and the imaginary integrity of my news/interview podcast about a video game) I took the liberty of creating the corporation Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ships [SPCS.] under my alt Ms Flinstone. This way I knew no one could scam with the corporation name used in the video. My plan was fool proof or so I thought.

There’s an old proverb that states, “A fool and his money are easily parted.” When I checked the corporation wallet for SPCS. there was approximately 100 Million ISK in the wallet. It’s not a lot by any means or stretch. However, for a scam I was trying to PREVENT FROM HAPPENING I think it’s freaking amazing.

It’s just another example of the fantastic and unexpected things that can happen in Eve Online. What other game could begin to scratch the surface of this kind of interaction and game play? What other game gives its players the tools and the freedom for these kinds of hyjinks; intentional or accidental? This is just another reason why I find so much enjoyment in being a part of Eve Online. With experiences like these, you can hardly refer to it as “playing.”

Also, I’m not giving those people their ISK back. I will send them a picture of a space ship though.

Footnotes
1. – Amok. Commercial & WGoE Commercial
Yes I know the font & ending effect are the same. They were created very far apart and I’m deeply in love with that font and effect.

2. – Fits of an Angel Commerical

3. - This fear was validated when Ackbarre from Goonswarm Federation popped in to the Amok. Mumble channel to complain the corp name was taken. H was pretty bummed when I told him I made the corporation and he couldn't scam from it.

4. – Which is why I very particular about not scamming at all. It’s not about E-Honor, but my podcast means a lot to me.

VandV Podcast: Epsiode 18

In Episode 18 of Voices from the Void; join Arydanika and Hallan Turrek for their usual coverage of Null Sec, CCP and Community News. This week the Blog Spotlight goes out to the EVE Online Blog Pack v2 and it’s new Big Daddy. In Section 4, Shadoo gets put right in to the creamy filling.

Full length Chill Session with Shadoo coming soonTM.

Also don’t forget to check out the VandV Podcast 20th Episode Thanatos Lottery!

WSHOT Prayer

The following video is a collaboration of sorts.  A while ago one of my corps mates, Esqui, sent me a little something called the "Wrecking Shots Prayer."  Soon after writing it, he sent it to me and asked me to do an audio for it.  I did, but it seemed flat when I listened to it.  That's when the real work began.

I came up with the idea of doing a video for the prayer.  There were two obstacles though.  First, I have a terrible video card so the fraps I take comes out very low quality.  Second, I'm not that good with Sony Vegas and only knew a few tricks.  In my usual way, I found a way around all that.

You Tube has become a saving grace when it comes to EVE Online.  Some of the best tutorials for the game are on You Tube.  I found this to the same for Sony Vegas and also for obtaining great footage.  I learned a few new tricks from the tutorials, but my You Tube loitering didn't stop there.  For inspiration I started watching the trailers.

That's when it hit me.  Why do I need to fraps new stuff, when there's great video footage already out there.  As I watched the EVE Online trailers, I realized there were scenes that went perfectly with the prayer.  Though CCP Game's use policy I was able to borrow those scene.  As for the actual fraps footage, that I knicked from a fellow corp mate Black Jesus.  He has a fraps FTP dump for the corp.

Then there's the music.  For that I have to give thanks to MadeLoud.com and Exordium Project.  MadeLoud.com is a royalty free music site where budding artists can publish there work and offer it for free or paid downloads.  Sometimes you have to sift though a lot of "interesting" works, but you do come across some gold.  Thought chance I found the track "Black Apocalypse" by Exordium Project.  It was a good song, but not what I was looking for.  I went to their page and there was only songs.  The moment I heard " Demon Music Box" it all came together for me.

I should also mention that the Thrasher footage is a High Sec Hulk gank that the corp did a little while ago in the Placid Region.  Those ganks have been a lot of fun (for us of course, not the Hulk pilots).  It was also Black Jesus' first hulk gank.  


Enjoy!

Voices from the Void: Episode 17

In this edition of Voices from the Void Podcast, Arydanika and Hallan Turrek bring all that EVE Online goodness to you that you love so much.  In Weekly game play they discuss Hallan’s rise to power and Dani’s lulz pretending to be a Pirate in Placid.  The News is filled with the latest in-game happenings including the Southern Conflict, the Northern Clean Up, IEG and Sniggwaffe falling out with their counterparts and of course the Phaser Inc Ponzi Scheme.  The Blog Spotlight is all about EVEOGANDA. Then CCP Manifest & CCP Hekatonkheires jump right in to the middle of the creaming filling for an inside look at EveisReal.net.

Check out the podcast here.
Check out the full length interview here

Also, we've updated The News segment.  It's now being packaged on it's own with some snazzy new video editing.  Enjoy!