Thursday 13 January 2011

The 24th EVE Blog Banter (January 2011 Edition) - Topic: EVE and Real Life

Welcome to the twenty-fourth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!


This month's Banter topic comes to us from the ever helpful Eelis Kiy, capsuleer behind the "Where the frack is my ship" blog. She asks: How does your real life personality compare to who you are as a character in EVE? Does a good leader of people in the real world make a good leader of pilots in game? Or vice-versa? Do your real-life skills help you with the roles you fulfill in your corporation or alliance? Or do you behave completely differently? Does the anonymity of the Internet allow you to thrive on the tears of others in New Eden whilst you work as a good Samaritan away from your keyboard? Or are you as mean outside of your pod as you are inside it? Have experiences in EVE Online affected your behavior, skills or attitudes outside of the game?

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I will openly admit that I dislike people abusing the anonymity which the internet offers. It is an almost flawless tool that allows griefers and trolls to do what they do. Inside the game, I fully expect it, no question. The EvE Forums, however, wind me up no end. It shouldn't, but it does - even though I do force myself to remember that griefing is a part of EvE outside of the game as much as it is inside of the game. And their are even griefers who I do respect.

So, with that in mind, it would be hypocritical to say that I do not hide behind anonymity. Well, actually, I do. But I do not use it to troll. I've just chosen to make it about Akinesis, not about myself. I refer to what Akinesis is doing, what he has done or his plans. I treat it as a get-away from the real me. I have revealed some information in a few posts (in Function Vs Aesthetics I start off talking a bit about my profession and Persistence Prevails is about my partner) but I do hold back as many details as I can without jeopardising the topic I'm trying to address. In this post, however, I will be breaking that rule in order to discuss the topic.

It should now go without saying that I do not grief. I'm not out to try and annoy people or ruin their game. That is without question a direct reflection of my own personality - I can't hide from that after what I've said so far. I don't get high off of tears. In real life I will more than often try and practice diplomacy towards any situation. Even people I don't particularly like rarely experience a negative approach from myself. I also don't enjoy making people feel like an idiot and like to help out if I can, and all this reflects on Akinesis.

I've also mentioned before that Akinesis is a jack-of-all-trades. If you ever met any of my real-life friends or family I'm sure they will tell I am the same. And, just like Akinesis, I do not particularly excel at those talents. I can do many things to a good standard but I will never be an A+ student at a particular task. Likewise, Akinesis can do just about anything in EvE, but only to a moderate standard due to the broad range of his skills. Giving too many chances is also a trait of mine (perhaps an unwelcome one that I should shake off!) which I mention in the 22nd Blog Banter, and this is also repeated in-game.

At this point it is almost blatant that Akinesis is a digital representation of my true self. That now begs a new question - why am I playing myself in a game? Surely that's boring? The fun thing do is to play as an alter-ego, right?

Moving on. 

My profession in real-life is engineering. Aviation Engineering to be exact (more leaking!). Now, while these skills don't transfer to the game directly, it might explain my fussiness on the design of the ships and my desire to research and build them.

One of my personal traits, however, is creativity. Before EvE I channelled my creativity trait through both illustration and a novel that I never quite finished. I developed those skills enough that I almost got a part-time job drawing for a gaming magazine and my novel (according to a few professional people who proof-read samples) was on to a winner. It might sound foolish to have abandoned those projects, but it was hard to balance such commitments with the career that I have. EvE, however, slots in my free time nicely and accommodates creativity very well, so I'm not losing out completely. My enjoyment of writing is satisfied through this Blog (don't judge this Blog on my novel - it's written in a very different style and I don't write often enough to get back 'on form' - I had to get that in!) and one could argue that creativity is required to expand and further a Corp. My illustration is put to use through my job to a certain extent, but even that could be channeled through this Blog if I wanted.

As for gaining skills from the game, perhaps my own multi-tasking skills have increased slightly with Akinesis living in a Wormhole! But, in truth, if I have gained any skills from playing EvE, I probably don't even realise I have them. Trading in the EvE Market I'm sure holds many useful similarities to the real world.

At the very least I'm optimistic that I would be able to do something fantastic with a large rock, a near-by container and a pick-axe. Thank you, EvE.




Other Blog-Banter Responses:


EVEOGANDA - Real Life & EVE
A Mule in EVE - RL + EVE =
Confessions of a Closet Carebear - EVE and Real Life
The Hydrostatic Capsule - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Alt
Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah - Reflections
A Scientist's Life in EVE - The Other Side of the Screen
The Durzo Chronicles - Who is More Real??
A Lush in Space - Worlds Collide
Captain Serenity - Personalities
Diary of a Space Jockey - I Am Me
Freebooted - You Talking To Me?
EVE A to Z - EVE and Real Life

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