Thursday 24 April 2014

Update: Catch Region 8/4/2014 - 21/4/2014

Continuing their previous momentum, H.E.R.O Coalition has kept taking more systems in the Catch region. With Against ALL Authorities Alliance seemingly offering no resistance, the only set backs to plague the operation have been the Black Pearl Alliance incident, and the controversial intervention of Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) Alliances.

Provi-Bloc

The Volition Cult - 1 system, 1 station  
Apocalypse Now. - 1 system, 1 station  
Curatores Veritatis Alliance - 4 systems, 1 station

Total: 6 systems (6%), 3 stations (7%)

RUS Coalition

Against ALL Authorities - 43 systems, 17 stations  
AAA Citizens - 8 systems

Total: 51 systems (47%), 17 stations (41%)

H.E.R.O Coalition

Brave Collective - 16 systems, 4 station
Spaceship Samurai - 19 systems, 8 station
 

Total: 35 systems (32%), 12 stations (29%) 

N3 Coalition

Pandemic Legion - 1 system, 1 station
Northern Coalition. - 4 systems, 1 station

Total: 5 systems (5%), 2 stations (5%)

Unaligned

P-A-T-R-I-O-T-S - 1 system, 1 station
Black Pearl Alliance - 6 systems, 4 stations
The Initiative. - 1 system
 
Total: 8 systems (7%), 5 stations (12%)

Unclaimed

F4R2-Q, V-3YG7, J-ODE7

Total: 3 systems (3%), 2 stations (5%)

8/4/2014 - Spaceship Samurai Alliance claims sovereignty over the A-VILQ system, with Against ALL Authorities Alliance losing sovereignty over the CB4-Q2 system.

9/4/2014 - The CB4-Q2 system is gained by Spaceship Samurai Alliance. Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over three systems: 3-OKDA, 36N-HZ and J6QB-P, with the P-A-T-R-I-O-T-S Alliance claiming the 3-OKDA system later that day.

10/4/2014 - Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance gains sovereignty over the 36N-HZ system. Brave Collective Alliance claims sovereignty over the J6QB-P system.

12/10/2014 - Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over the KW-I6T and G-7WUF systems.

13/4/2014 - Spaceship Samurai Alliance takes sovereignty over the KW-I6T and G-7WUF systems. Against ALL Authorities loses sovereignty over the 3-SFWG and CNC-4V systems, with the 3-SFWG system later claimed by Spaceship Samurai Alliance. AAA Citizens Alliance loses its sovereignty over the N-8BZ6 system.

14/4/2014 - Black Pearl Alliance claims its first system in the Catch region, CNC-4V. AAA Citizens Alliance loses its sovereignty over the 6-MM99 and FZ-6A5 systems, with the FZ-6A5 system later gained by Spaceship Samurai Alliance, which claims the N-8BZ6 system as well. Agaisnt ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over the 25S-6P and Y-PNRL systems.

15/4/2014 - Black Pearl Alliance claims sovereignty over the 25S-6P and Y-PNRL systems. Spaceship Samurai Alliance gains sovereignty over the 6-MM99 system, but loses later that day sovereignty over the 3-SFWG system. Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers Alliance loses its sovereignty over the JW22-V system, later claimed by Brave Collective Alliance. Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over three systems: S-U2VD, W9-DID and WQH-4K, with AAA Citizens Alliance losing its sovereignty over the JBY6-F system as well.

16/4/2014 - Spaceship Samurai Alliance claims the S-U2VD, W9-DID and JBY6-F systems, with Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance claiming the 3-SFWG system and Brave Collective Alliance taking sovereignty over the WQH-4K system. Rookie Empire Alliance loses its sovereignty over the R-K4QY system. Against ALL Authorities manage to lose five systems in one day: GE-94X, I-8D0G, 2J-WJY, A-803L and GMLH-K.

17/4/2014 - Brave Collective Alliance claims four systems in one day: A-803L, R-K4QY, 2J-WJY and I-8D0G. Spaceship Samurai Alliance takes two sovereignty over two more systems: GMLH-K and GE-94X. Against ALL Authorities loses its sovereignty over the 6BPS-T system.

18/4/2014 - Black Pearl Alliance claims sovereignty over the 6BPS-T system, while Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over the GJ0-OJ system.

19/4/2014 - The GJ0-OJ system is claimed by Brave Collective Alliance. Against ALL Authorities and AAA Citizens alliances lose sovereignty over the RR-D05 and M8-NKE systems respectively.

20/4/2014 - The RR-D05 and M8-NKE systems are picked by Brave Collective and Spaceship Samurai alliances respectively. Rookie Empire Alliance loses its sovereignty over the OGL8-Q system, while Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses its sovereignty over the QBQ-RF and 4-07MU systems.

21/4/2014 - The Initiative(dot) Alliance loses its sovereignty over the QSM-LM system, later claimed by Brave Collective Alliance alongside the OGL8-Q and QBQ-RF systems. Black Pearl Alliance gains sovereignty over the 4-07MU system. Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance claims sovereignty over the FAT-6P and HP-64T systems, which were lost earlier the same day by Against ALL Authorites and AAA Citizens alliances respectively. Rookie Empire Alliance loses sovereignty over the J-ODE7 system, with Against ALL Authorities losing two more systems that day: F4R2-Q and V-3YG7.

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Providence Fight Club: T-RPFU 4.4.2014

On the fourth of April, a Providence Bloc force met its demise by the hands of The Unthinkables Alliance at the T-RPFU system, Providence region, in what marked the second battle in a series of skirmishes between the two entities.

Providence Bloc forces were organized in a Rupture class Cruiser fleet, consisting of around a hundred pilots, and led by corebloodbrothers, of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult Alliance. The force was mainly occupied with border patrol at the time, with mixed success.

During the operation, reports came of a large Unthinkables force entering the Providence region through the F9E-KX system, Catch region. The force, some eighty pilots in total, mainly in Muninn class Heavy Assault Cruisers with a sizable Logistics Cruiser support, entered the D-GTMI system in the Providence region and was reported as making its way towards the T-RPFU system.

Using the Providence region Jump Bridge network, Providence Bloc's fleet managed to intercept the enemy fleet, reaching the T-RPFU system before it and setting to engage them on the D-GTMI gate, where it was situated.

At first, the battle seemed to be going well for the Providence Bloc, with several of The Unthinkables' Heavy Assault Cruisers succumbing to the damage output of the Providence Bloc fleet, disregarding their Logistic Cruiser support entirely. However as the battle continued, the tide turned, with The Unthinkables being able to sustain the Providence Bloc volleys and quickly diminish them, as losses mounted on the Providence Bloc's side.

In the end, The Providence Bloc was forced to retreat, conceding the field to The Unthinkables. Several reasons were given for the defeat, mostly centered around pilot errors. Fleet members were unable to focus fire due to the need to re-load ammunition, being further away than their guns' range allows, or unaware of any target switches due to not setting up proper filters for the fleet broadcast system, thus being overwhelmed by useless information, and even difficulty understanding the Fleet Commander.

Though at first it seemed that at least on the ISK value alone of the destroyed ships Providence Bloc could claim some sort of victory, but as days passed and the Killboards updated, it was apparent that on that front, Providence Bloc has suffered a defeat as well. Regardless, one must ask will the Providence Bloc be forced to deal with the efficiencies uncovered by this engagement, or continue its losing streak?

Fixed Battle Report.

Monday 21 April 2014

Providence Fight Club: F-YH5B 3.4.2014

On the third of April, a skirmish in the F-YH5B system, Providence region was decided in favor of Providence Bloc forces, after Red Alliance forces abandoned the field.

The fight started when a large Red Alliance gang, some sixty strong mainly in Naga class Battlecruisers, entered the Providence region through an unknown entry point, and made its way to Providence Bloc's staging system, F-YH5B. The gang set camp in said system, looking for targets of opportunity.

However, since it was peak time for the European Time Zone pilots in the Providence Bloc, a large force manged to hastily organize itself in the station under the command of corebloodbrothers, of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult Alliance. The fleet, mainly in Naga and Tornado class Battlecruisers as well, reached more than a hundred and ten pilots.

The Providence Bloc fleet undocked from the station and both forces began to skirmish, with each fleet warping in and out in order to get into an optimal position and quickly volley the other force's ships off the field before disengaging and starting the whole cycle again across the system. 

After a few exchanges, with both sides losing a few ships but not incurring any major losses, the Red Alliance fleet disengaged, and made its way towards the Assah system, Derelik region, in order to extract from the Providence region. 

Due to a Sansha Nation incursion in the G2E-RJ Constellation at the time, Providence Bloc forces could not use the Jump Bridge network in order to cut off the retreat of the Red Alliance fleet, and it managed to safely extract from the region.

While not a decisive victory, the fight proved that Providence Bloc can and will respond quickly to a large hostile presence in its region.

Complete Battle Report.

Friday 18 April 2014

News: N3 Coalition Destroys a Providence Bloc Capital Ship Assembly Array in H-GKI6

In the early hours of the seventeenth of April, an N3 Coalition force destroyed a Tower belonging to Silent Infinity Alliance, a sovereignty holder in the Providence Bloc, which held a Capital Ship Assembly Array in the H-GKI6 system, Providence region.

The attacking force, some hundred and fifty pilots strong, mainly in Armor Strategic Cruisers, bridged into the system and proceeded to attack the Tower. They were accompanied by ten Capital ships, mainly Dreadnaughts and one Archon class Carrier. The Dreadnaughts quickly entered Siege mode and annihilated the Tower and its modules, including the Capital Ship Assembly Array. Only token resistance was offered, mainly by Silent Infinity Alliance Stealth Bombers, who did little to no damage to the attacking force. Once the Tower and all its modules were destroyed, the N3 Coalition force safely extracted from the system. 

A screenshot of the attacking force on the Tower in the H-GKI6 system 

According to Nero Draconian, of Forging Industries, Silent Infinity Alliance, the Capital Ship Assembly Array was empty at the time of its destruction.

The response given by the N3 Coalition to this event by Travis Musgrat, of BURN EDEN, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, was that the aim of the attack was to provoke a fight from the Providence Bloc.

However, contrary to these official responses, a claim was raised that the Capital Ship Assembly Array in question was not, in fact, lying idle until the moment of its destruction, but was actually in the process of producing an unknown ship, either a Mothership or Titan class ship. An information leak allowed the owners of the Tower to empty the Capital Ship Assembly Array well before the time of the attack, thus saving the materials from being lost.

Further more, it has been speculated that the ship in production was not intended for a pilot who is a part of the Providence Bloc, but a client outside the coalition, possibly either from the CFC or a former member alliance of the RUS Coalition. This theory can be given credence by the fact that there is little to no use for this class of ships by members of the Providence Bloc, nor readily available capital to purchase one easily.

If so, the operation may have been a warning shot aimed at the Providence Bloc, cautioning its members not to trade with the CFC or any of its allies. It may even be considered a prologue of the anticipated war between the N3 Coalition and the CFC, with the N3 Coalition attempting to limit any source of Capital ships for the CFC, including neutral entities such as the Providence Bloc.

Regardless, there has been little to no confirmation of such claims, and both sides maintain this was done mainly for the sake of a good fight, which did not appear to have materialized.

Complete Battle Report.

Special thanks to Nero Draconian, of Forging Industries, Silent Infinity Alliance and Travis Musgrat, of BURN EDEN, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance for granting interviews, as well as Dragoshi, of Asturm Fidelis, Apocalypse Now(dot) Alliance, for supplying screenshots of the battle.

Providence Fight Club: EX-0LQ 30.3.2014

On the thirtieth of March, Providence Bloc forces suffered a defeat in the EX-0LQ system, Catch region, by a force of The Unthinkables Alliance.

The fight occurred after Providence Bloc recieved reports of a large H.E.R.O Coalition fleet in the KW-I6T system, Catch region, some a hundred a fifty pilots large, mainly in Stealth Bombers and Augoror Navy Issue class Cruisers. The force was reinforcing sovereignty structures belonging to Against ALL Authorities Alliance in said system.

republicov, of treu republic, Silent Infinity Alliance, a prominent Providence Bloc Fleet Commander, decided to form an Armor Cruiser fleet, comprising mainly of Maller, Thorax, Omen and Vexor class Cruisers, with little to no Logistic Cruiser support. The fleet comprised of some fifty pilots, made its way towards the system, hoping to get a fight out of the H.E.R.O Coalition force.

However, unknown to the Providence Bloc force, The Unthinkables Alliance bridged into the KW-I6T system a large force of their own, fifty pilots strong, mainly in Zealot class Heavy Assault Cruisers and Legion class Strategic Cruisers, with a large Logistic Cruiser support. The force attempted to engage the H.E.R.O Coalition fleet in the system, without much success.

Holding on the KW-I6T gate in the EX-0LQ system, republicov was given reports about the status of the two fleets in the adjacent system. However, the numbers he received for The Unthinkables fleet, both of Logistics ships and the overall ship numbers, was lower than the actual figure. 

A Test Alliance Please Ignore Fleet Commander, in charge of the Augoror Navy Issue fleet contacted republicov as well and offered assistance if the latter would choose to engage The Unthinkables fleet. With the promise of assistance and an underestimation of the force of The Unthinkables, republicov decided to engage The Unthinkables fleet on the KW-I6T gate in the EX-0LQ system.

With The Unthinkables force deciding to jump into the EX-0LQ system, republicov's fleet held on the KW-I6T gate and engaged them immediately upon de-cloak. However, even after the initial tackle, no assistance came from H.E.R.O Coalition, and the entire fleet was lost to the last pilot, as the Providence Bloc fleet could not break the tanks of The Unthinkables ships nor defeat the superior logistic capability of their Guardian and Oneiros class Logistic Cruisers.

This would mark the first of many skirmishes between the Providence Bloc and the N3 Coalitions.

The Battle Report

Monday 14 April 2014

Providence Fight Club: B-WPLZ 22.3.2014

On the twenty-second of March, Providence Bloc forces suffered defeat at the hands of an RvB Enyo class Assault Frigate fleet.

RvB, or more properly, Red versus Blue, are basically two Corporations, later turned Alliances, whose sole purpose is to allow players to engage in PvP activities in High Security space, by utilizing the war declaration mechanics in the game. This has attracted many players over the past years, with both Alliances reaching a three thousand and five hundred pilots each.

The large fleet, though led by RvB, contained many neutral and unknown entities to the Providence Bloc, and fielded eighty three Enyo class Assault Frigates, twenty three Incursus class Frigates as well as a mix of Tech I Logistics Cruisers, Interceptors, Interdictors and other assorted ships. All in all, the force was estimated at a hundred and eighty three pilots, and entered the Providence region the Dital system, Devoid region.

Providence Bloc forces hastily formed an Armor Cruiser class ship gang, mainly Omen and Vexor class Cruisers with Tech I Logistics ships and assorted support, reaching a hundred at ten. republicov, of treu republic, Silent Infinity Alliance, was the primary Fleet Commander, with corebloodbrothers, of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult Alliance as secondary Fleet Commander. 

The RvB fleet entered the KBP7-G pocket, effectively trapping itself in. Thus, Providence Bloc forces raced to the B-WPLZ system, which forms a bottleneck in said pocket. Sitting on the KPB7-G gate, a decision was made to fire warp interdiction probes at a fifty kilometer range from the gate itself, in alignment to the other star gates present in the B-WPLZ system, in order to halt the enemy from warping to the gate itself and allowing for an optimal engagement range for the Providence Bloc fleet.

While the RvB fleet entered the system and obliged the Providence Bloc forces with a fight, things did not go well for the Providence Bloc forces. Both republicov and corebloodbrothers were swiftly made primary targets by the enemy fleet and forced off the field, leaving the Providence Bloc forces leaderless. Most of the fleet's Logistics ships were quickly overwhelmed and destroyed as well, leading to the fight descending into a series of brawls, as chaos spread across the battlefield. Though reports indicate the Providence Bloc forces had a slight numerical advantage, in reality there were two more Providence Bloc fleets on the field, acting independently, fielding incompatible fleet doctrines and working on different voice servers than the main fleet, which only added to the confusion.

The result was a thorough defeat, with Providence Bloc conceding the field and attempting to regroup and re-ship in order to re-engage the hostile fleet. However, this was delayed due to the presence of a GoonSwarm Federation Alliance blockade, which targeted the Jump Bridge linking the KBP7-G pocket and the main staging system of Providence. The GoonSwarm Federation force, mainly comprised of Stealth Bomber class ships, kept bombing the Jump Bridge, effectively stopping reinforcements from arriving and forcing any attempts to regroup to be done further away, again adding to the delays.


With the first engagement over, the RvB force made its way to the G-5EN2 system, where it exited the Providence region through the Assah system, Derelik region, making its way towards the Sendaya system and H.E.R.O Coalition's staging headquarters, leaving Providence Bloc to asses the damages caused in its wake.

Fixed Battle Report.

Thursday 10 April 2014

News: Apocalypse Now(dot) Alliance Deploys a Refinery Upgrade in 6-OQJV

Apocalypse Now(dot) Alliance has deployed a tier two refining upgrade in the 6-OQJV system, Providence region, on the second of April. This was done in preparation for the upcoming summer expansion, which will see major changes done to the refining mechanics of EVE Online. This marked the completion of over a month of planning and work done mainly by the higher echelons of the Alliance.

Overseeing the initial donation drive and preparing the needed materials for the upgrade itself, was Breahur Laeonas, of Burning Skies Corporation, Apocalypse Now(dot) Alliance’s High Security space Commander. According to her, it took three weeks to assemble the needed materials, partly due to the difficulty of obtaining specific items as they required the need of re-tooling existing Planetary Interaction chains in order to construct them as well as gather certain products which are exclusive to Relic Sites alone.

The second challenge was the purchase and delivery of the two construction platforms into the Providence region, as each possess a volume of seven hundred and fifty thousand cubic meters, necessitating the exclusive use of Freighter class vessels for the hauling.

With the Pedestal Upgrade Platform needed to construct the upgrade costing at seven point two billion ISK, and the Minmatar Outpost Refinery Platform which allows the expansion of station services to begin with, estimated at one point eight billion ISK, it is easy to see how a Freighter moving those “Eggs” as they are commonly referred to (Due to their shape) would present a tempting target for gankers.

Thus an effort was made to mobilize Titans, scouts and escorts in order to safely move the two “Eggs” while maintaining the operation’s complete secrecy. The Freighter pilot, who wished to remain anonymous, said that though the operation itself went smoothly, there were several times when caution dictated he should dock and wait, rather than continue on his journey, with much of the hauling done in times of low system population on the route in order to avoid discovery.

However, even delivered and awaiting assembly, the troubles of Apocalypse Now(dot) Alliance were not over, partly due to the recent deployment of H.E.R.O Coalition to the Catch region and partly due to the influx of hostile activity caused by the Halloween War winding down, making the target system to be frequented by roaming gangs and hot dropping fleets at a greater rate.

Since in order to install the upgrade a complete lock-down of the system was required, so that it wouldn’t be destroyed by any hostile force that came by chance into the system, the Australian Timezone of the Alliance was recruited to completely shut off access to the system, led by Event Horizon Expeditionaries Corporation and its CEO, Sienna d’Orien, who set gate camps and deployed warp disruption bubbles on all the entry points to the system.

Just before the server’s scheduled maintenance the “Eggs” were deployed and filled, with the server start-up registering it as installed. After the deployment, the participants of the operation celebrated the success of the operation on the station undock.

Deployment of the "Egg" and the protection fleet 

With the current upgrade, it is now possible to get a perfect refining yield in the station with only level four reprocessing skills, though this will invariably change once the summer expansion rolls in. No doubt, other entities in the Providence-Bloc are probably hard at work preparing for the upcoming change as well.

Apocalypse Now(dot) Alliance’s Second in Command, JedsZero, of Burning Skies Corporation, wished to commend all those who donated and took part in the installation of the upgrade, and the Event Horizon Expeditionaries Corporation for providing security for the operation. The Unnamed Freighter pilot wished to thank all those who gave their time to scout, escort and Titan bridges for him

Special thanks for the following JedsZero and Breahur Laeonas of Burning Skies and Sienna d’Orien of Event Horizon Expeditionaries, Apocalypse Now(dot) Alliance for granting interviews.

Tuesday 8 April 2014

Update: Catch Region 25/3/2014 - 7/4/2014

After what seemed to many as H.E.R.O Coalition's initial push into the Catch region losing momentum and stalling, with its members becoming acquainted with the grind of sovereignty warfare, the end of March saw the Coalition re-invigorated, as more systems fell into its hands, and most of the remaining sovereignty infrastructure of Against ALL Authorities Alliance put into reinforced mode. The EVE Scribe is here to give you a brief summary of the past two weeks' activities.

Provi-Bloc

The Volition Cult - 1 system, 1 station  
Apocalypse Now. - 1 system, 1 station  
Curatores Veritatis Alliance - 4 systems, 1 station

Total: 6 systems (5%), 3 stations (7%)

RUS Coalition

Against ALL Authorities - 70 systems, 28 stations  
AAA Citizens - 14 systems, 3 station

Total: 84 systems (79%), 31 stations (77%)

H.E.R.O Coalition

Brave Collective - 5 systems, 2 station
Spaceship Samurai - 6 systems, 4 station
 
Total: 11 systems (9%), 6 stations (14%) 

N3 Coalition

Pandemic Legion - 1 system, 1 station

Total: 1 system (1%), 1 station (2%)

Unaligned

The Initiative. - 1 system

Total: 1 system (1%)

Unknown

Rookie Empire - 3 systems  
Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers - 1 system

Total: 4 systems (4%)

Unclaimed

A-VILQ

Total: 1 system (1%)

27/4/2014 - AAA Citizens Alliance loses the L7XS-5 system, later secured by Pandemic Legion Alliance. Nexus Fleet Alliance drops sovereignty in the X3FQ-W and E-YJ8G systems.

28/3/2014 - Brave Collective Alliance secures the X3FQ-W and  E-YJ8G systems.

30/3/2014 - Against ALL Authorities Alliance losses its sovereignty over the EX-0LQ system.

31/3/2014 - The EX-0LQ system is claimed by Spaceship Samurai Alliance, who later in the day takes the WJ-9YO system from AAA Citizens Alliance as well.

2/4/2014 - Against ALL Authorities Alliance losses its sovereignty over the G-AOTH system.

3/4/2014 - Brave Collective Alliance claims the G-AOTH system, while Against ALL Authorities Alliance losses its sovereignty over the KA6D-K system.

4/42014 - Against ALL Authorities Alliance losses two systems in one day, with the UQ-PWD system lost in the early hours, and the RNF-YH system lost in the evening. Spaceship Samurai Alliance manages to secure two system, namely KA6D-K and UQ-PWD.

5/4/2014 - Spaceship Samurai Alliance claims the RNF-YH system.

6/4/2014 - Spaceship Samurai Alliance manages to contest the CBL-XP system from Against ALL Authorities Alliance, who later losses its sovereignty on the TA3T-3 system as well.

7/4/2014 - Brave Collective Alliance claims the TA3T-3 system, with Against ALL Authorities Alliance losing its sovereignty over the A-VILQ system.

Monday 7 April 2014

News: Corporate Theft in The Volition Cult Estimated at Thirty Billion ISK in Damages

The second of April saw a theft of Corporate assets and funds from Iron Mongers, a member Corporation of The Volition Cult Alliance, a sovereignty holder in the Providence-Bloc Coalition. The theft took place around Tranquility server's scheduled down time by Fat Elvis Presley. Amongst the stolen items was an Ark class Jump Freighter, a Rorqual class Capital Industrial ship, an unspecified Freighter with assorted modules and materials, as well as seven billion ISK taken from the corporate wallet. All told, it is believed that around thirty billion ISK was stolen.

When interviewed about the event, Fat Elvis Presley explained it was a spur of the moment, rather than a calculated thing, born out of his frustration with the Corporation, specifically the inability to bring any of his proposed projects to fruition. The money taken was part of a fund he himself started, and which he claims he was the chief contributor to. Using his other accounts, he was able to quickly move all the stolen assets out of the Providence region around down time, though he suspects his CEO became aware of his actions once he logged into the game, after the scheduled downtime. When asked whether or not he regretted his actions, Fat Elvis Presley said he did not.

xtreamer, CEO of Iron Mongers, claims the theft itself did not have any serious impact on the Corporation, but will have a lasting influence, as recruitment policies and roles need to be re-evaluated and changed. Though he understands Fat Elvis Presley's actions, considering the Corporation itself is more oriented towards family and friends who spend less time in EVE Online and more playing together on other games, he believes the one who actually lost from the entire ordeal was Fat Elvis Presley. Trust is rare to come by in EVE Online, and the theft will possibly cost Fat Elvis Presley credibility in the future. However, xtreamer still professed to being personally hurt by Fat Elvis Presley's actions.


corebloodbrothers, of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult Alliance, gave an official statement regarding the event, claiming that Fat Elvis Presley and his associated accounts have been set permanently KoS (Kill on Sight) by the Providence-Bloc, meaning that regardless of what Corporation or Alliance he may join, he will still be regarded as an enemy by all Providence-Bloc Coalition members.

Fat Elvis Presley has since joined TEMPLAR(dot) Corporation, Initiative Mercenaries Alliance.

Friday 4 April 2014

Summary: Large Fleet Battle in HJ-BCH 30.3.2014

In the early hours of the thirtieth of March, a large fleet fight erupted in the HJ-BCH system, Scalding Pass region, between CFC and N3 Coalition forces over a tackled Titan on a station.

Almost Awesome(dot) Alliance is a small, unaffiliated organization in New Eden, who has taken possession of the HJ-BCH system and outpost in order to illicit a fight from any of the sides involved in the Halloween War.

However, on two previous sovereignty timers, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance opted to field a small, unsupported Capital fleet to quickly burn through the reinforcement process, leaving Almost Awesome(dot) unable to respond. During the second timer, though, qicia, of Mercurialis Inc, Razor Alliance, one of the Fleet Commander of Razor Alliance, was present and witnessed the Northern Coalition(dot) Capital deployment in the system.

Contacting the locals, an agreement was reached to set a trap for the Northern Coalition(dot) Capital force in the next timer, with Almost Awesome(dot) supplying initial tackle and cynosural beacon, and Razor Alliance bringing the damage to the field.

However, when the timer was reached, Northern Coalition(dot) forces did not seem to commit. A decision was made to use a  bait to lure them, an Archon class Carrier to sit on the un-dock and enter Triage mode, repairing the station. qicia hypothesized that once seeing that, Northern Coalition(dot) will jump a Titan in, but he had no illusions that his fleet was even capable of destroying the Titan itself.

His hypothesis was confirmed when a cynosural beacon went up in the system, and an Erebus class Titan, with fifteen assorted Mothership escorts jumped into the system. The Titan immediately fired its doomsday device, destroying the Archon class Carrier. However, the Northern Coalition(dot) fleet was severely lacking in support, and was quickly bubbled down by the Almost Awesome(dot) Interdictor class Destroyers, effectively preventing it from jumping out. Almost Awesome(dot) lit their own cynosural beacon and allowed the Razor Alliance Tempest class Battleship fleet to bridge in.

At this point, both forces were pinging their allies for reinforcements. Northern Coalition(dot) itself quickly formed a Tempest Fleet Issue class Battleship fleet and bridged it into system thanks to one of the tackled Motherships refitting cynosural generator. The fight seems at this point to have gone Razor Alliance's way, however, with reinforcements entering the field from both coalitions, reaching over six hundred pilots in the system, and Time Dilation kicking in, the tide of the battle was uncertain to stay this way.

qicia, believing he didn't have enough support to deploy a Capital fleet, and with mounting reinforcements coming from the N3 Coalition side, decided to withdraw. At this point in time there were seven fleets in the system fighting. For the most part the CFC forces managed to extract with minimal losses, with only a Harpy class Assault Frigate fleet lost to the last pilot, with opinions divided for the reason, as some claim it remained on the field to cover the other CFC entities' retreat, or that it may have not realized the other fleets were withdrawing.

The N3 Coalition itself managed to save the tackled Titan and its Mothership class escorts, who safely jumped out of the system.

The fixed Battle Report.

Both sides have since claimed victory in this battle, with Almost Awesome(dot) achieving the fight they have been looking for, the CFC causing more damage in ISK to the N3 Coalition, and the N3 Coalition holding the field and taking over the system.

Alexander Jabez, of Burning Napalm, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, who was the Fleet Commander in charge on N3 Coalition's side, has admitted that lack of resistance from the locals, coupled with confidence in the US Time Zone of the Alliance, has led to the use of Capitals and Super Capital ships unsupported.

qicia, of Mercurialis Inc, Razor Alliance, has only lamented the lack of numbers from the CFC side, and the miscommunication with the Harpy class Assault Frigate fleet. However, for the most part, he is satisfied with the result and wished to commend the N3 Coalition for committing to it.

Roweena Azur, of Hit Squad 420, Almost Awesome(dot) Alliance, wished to express his gratitude to qicia for organizing the trap, and claims that Almost Awesome(dot) will continue to cause mayhem, however in a different region of New Eden.

SpiritOne, of Burning Napalm, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, wished to commend his Corporation's members for fielding the Archon class Carrier force, which he believes was instrumental in securing the victory for the N3 Coalition.

Special thanks to SpiritOne and Alexander Jabez, of Burning Napalm, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, qicia, of Mercurialis Inc, Razor Alliance and Roweena Azur, of Hit Squad 420, Almost Awesome(dot) Alliance for granting the interviews.

News: Dispute in Brave Collective Alliance's Leadership Ends with Resignations



I am not one to comment or post about what I perceive as internal disputes and power struggles in Corporations and Alliances around New Eden. For the most part, I believe such news has its place, and that is in the tabloids and gossip columns, rather than front pages of news outlets. This is born out of my own firm belief that accurate, objective reporting is impossible when passions and interests collide in such a fierce manner, and that anything I may write on the subject will end up hurting many people who took no part in the proceedings only to become collateral damage due to their allegiances.

That said, I cannot ignore the fact that the Brave Collective Alliance dispute has made headlines in the past few days, and by sides who have more to gain from stirring the pot, and are not themselves divorced from taking part in the events which unfolded. Thus, I am forced to break my own rule, hopefully for this one and only time, in order to try and make sense of what has happened, trace the reasons behind it, and report its aftermath in the most neutral tone I can muster.

The Beginning

The roots of the dispute were firmly planted by the unprecedented success of Brave Newbies Inc(dot). The Corporation's rapid growth, as well as its creation of a different gaming culture in the landscape of EVE Online, one centered around a "Fun per hour" concept, led to the founding of the Brave Collective Alliance, which itself gave birth to the H.E.R.O Coalition. In just the space of one year, Brave Newbies Inc(dot) went from a small corporation of new players, to being the second largest Alliance in EVE Online, at the head of the third biggest Coalition in the game.

So long as they were content to live in Low Security space or the Syndicate region, the many  deficiencies that were caused by the rapid growth of the Alliance and the inexperience of many of its members would have taken months to grow and deepen, and could have been handled better and far easier in the low pressure environment presented by these locales. However, the decision to relocate to the Sendaya system, Derelik region, and launch a campaign centered around the disruption of regional infrastructure in the Catch region by engaging in full scale sovereignty warfare, proved to have disastrous effects on the Brave Collective Alliance.

The Pressures of War

The state of the current mechanics of sovereignty warfare and its many deficiencies has been discussed in detail in the past and needs no repeating. Suffice to say, it is a chore, requiring the sacrifice of many hours of gameplay, often times with little to no reward for the individual. Add to that the location of the Catch region and the Sendaya system, which neighbor both the Providence and Curse regions, who house many active PvPers that often times interfere with operations, adding further complications.

Another problem that could not have been foreseen was the disbandment of Darkness of Despair Alliance, which caused a radical shift in the battle lines of the Halloween War, bringing the Catch region closer to the front lines, as well as freeing many pilots in the N3 Coalition, who took the opportunity to return to small scale PvP, at the expense of H.E.R.O Coalition.

The stress brought by all these factors only further aggravated the situation Brave Collective Alliance was in, turning those deficiencies from small fissures into gaping chasms. This could be seen in the loss of a Capital fleet, attributed to failures in communications and organization, the lack of progress, and, even reversals in the gains made in the Catch region, as well as the difficulty of H.E.R.O Coalition fleets to even undock and leave their own staging system, which caused much frustration and dissent amongst allies.

Recognizing the Problem

To the credit of Brave Collective's Alliance Leadership, they did recognize the fact that they had quite a few urgent problems on their hands, chiefly among them was that of communication and delegation of roles and work. However, quite a few voices on the Brave Collective Leadership Council believed that the top priority should be given to the restructuring of the Alliance, as it seemed the most important issue at hand.

Up until this point, Brave Collective had functioned as a Republic, with certain CEOs, Directors and "Floaters" (i.e. people without a defined role) given the power to vote and take part in the Leadership Council, where they discuss and made decisions. Lychton Kondur acted as a benevolent dictator, allowing the council to function and only intervening if things got out of hand. So far, not the most standard of New Eden's ruling structures, but hardly a wild departure from the norm.

Yet, this structure was now deemed insufficient to run an Alliance the size of Brave Collective. In order to replace it, two factions formed with the intent of presenting proposals for the council on the future Leadership structure of Brave Collective. Each faction was given a period of three weeks to discuss, present, fix, modify and prepare its proposal, with the intent that on the thirtieth of March, both proposals will be ready for presentation and a vote at the Leadership Council meeting.

The Factions

The first faction, which can be called the "Restrictors", was headed by draleth, Head Diplomat of Brave Collective, and was interested in decreasing the council's actual authority in favor of a Triumvirate of Directors, who would wield the actual power. The council will remain as an advisory board, with the ability to remove the Directors by an Absolute Majority vote, but not overrule their decisions.

The other faction, headed by Malphas Inanis, a "Floater", wished to do just the opposite and expand the council itself, thus earning his faction the name "Expanders". Under Malphas' plan, the council would increase to encompass all CEOs in the Alliance, as well as more elected members, who would be replaced in a staggered manner, allowing for the council to maintain an institutional memory. The removal of a Director will only need a Relative Majority vote, and it will continue to function as it has been in the past.

Both factions maintained Lychton Kondur's role as a benevolent dictator intact.

The Dispute

On the thirtieth of March, both proposals went into vote, with an overwhelming majority siding with the "Expanders" plan rather than that of the "Restrictors". After the vote, draleth and her second in command, Anna niedostepny, leave the council channel on the Brave Collective mumble server, and join a private room, where Brave Collective diplomat, Nonnak Severin logs in. A brief consultation ensues, in which draleth makes her intentions of resigning clear, and rehearses her resignation speech, with Nonnak Severin put forward as her effective replacement. 

The three join the council channel, where draleth reads her resignation letter and appointment of Nonnak Severin as the new Head Diplomat of Brave Collective. This is not received well by the council, specifically by a DAMN PATRIOT, of Dropbears Anonymous, Brave Collective Alliance, who proceeds to initiate a vote to kick Nonnak Severin from the council channel. After a second attempt followed through with another kick, Nonnak Severin logs into a different channel, when he is moved by draleth back to the council channel, in order to represent the Diplomatic Corps of Brave Collective, who just lost their Head and second in command.

a DAMN PATRIOT demands to know why Nonnak Severin is in the council channel after being kicked twice. Claiming to be the representative of the Diplomatic Branch of Brave Collective, Nonnak Severin demands to know why he was voted to be kicked twice. At this point, a DAMN PATRIOT reveals in the council channel logs received from Seraph IX Basarab, of Hades Effect, Surely You’re Joking Alliance. In these logs, a DAMN PATRIOT claims there is proof that Nonnak Severin is an infiltrator, working his way into Brave Collective for a third, unknown party. 

After this allegation, Nonnak Severin leaves the council channel, joining draleth and Anna niedostepny in their channel, and sharing his experience. 
  
Aftermath

The aftermath of the dispute can easily be seen on reddit, as both parties, and other individuals have taken to the Brave newbies Inc(dot) subreddit forums, posting their allegations, retorts, speculations or just trying to calm the tempers of all involved, as well as reassure the Line members, who, for the most part, seem to have been left mostly confused.


Lychton Kondur himself intervened in the dispute, removing all Director roles in the Alliance and effectively taking all power from the Leadership Council. Implementations of future plans have been put to a halt, and a new Head Diplomat has been appointed, Lquid Drisseg, of Brave Newbies Inc(dot), Brave Collective Alliance, in draleth’s stead. draleth herself and Anna niedostepny remain for the time being in Brave Collective, continuing to oversee its IT infrastructure. Nonnak Severin, to date, still serves as a Brave Collective Diplomat.
A copy of the letter sent by Lychton Kondur to Brave Collective Alliance informing them of the results of the dispute

The Two Diplomats

The main problem when approaching the subject of the accusations and counter accusations, is the fact that there is little to no proof to any of the allegations thrown around. draleth, in her resignation speech, blamed members of the Leadership Council for, effectively, being spies of entities hostile to Brave Collective and working to undermine the Alliance. On the other hand, a DAMN PATRIOT claims to have evidence of Nonnak Severin’s nefarious plans in regards to Brave Collective, however closer examination reveals them to be a rather confusing conversation that can be interpreted in a few different manners. Part of the problem is, of course, that the parties involved have their own motives and checkered pasts to be considered truthful or unbiased in their reporting.

Seraph IX Basarab - Mostly known for being a writer for EVE News 24, he is a Diplomat in Surely You’re Joking Alliance, and was the man who supplied the chat logs supposedly incriminating Nonnak Severin as a spy, though he claims those were requested and forwarded by his Executor. Surely You’re Joking is an ally of Brave Collective, so it is no surprise they’d be concerned over the possibility of an enemy infiltrator in their allies’ ranks.

At the same time, Seraph IX Basarab is a former Bomber Bar member, who was forced to leave due to a dispute, some say with Anna niedostepny, who was also part of the Bomber Bar crew. The fact that Anna niedostepny was part of draleth’s faction cannot be overlooked, nor the conversation that took place between Seraph IX Basarab and Anna niedostepny after the dispute made news.

Another interesting piece regarding Seraph IX Basarab, was the fact that a DAMN PATRIOT, when interviewed and asked who supplied the evidence, named him rather than Surely You’re Joking Executor, as well as the fact that the logs made their way not to Lychton Kondur or any other member of the Leadership Council, but to a member of Malphas Inanis’ faction.

Not to mention that Seraph IX Basarab also wrote an article on the subject, with speculation on the supposed Triumvirate’s members, naming Nonnak Severin as one of the members, something that the latter has rebuffed, and even supplied a more convincing alternative.

Nonnak Severin - Member of Brave Newbies Inc(dot) and a serving Diplomat of Brave Collective Alliance, he claims he was actually sought after several times before he finally accepted the post. Since he became a Diplomat so soon after his recruitment, this might seem plausible.

However, one must not forget he was implicated in a corporate theft, which damages his credibility somewhat. Add to it that a DAMN PATRIOT claims he has other sources besides Seraph IX Basarab who confirm him as a spy, and the fact he even put corporate espionage as one of his field of work in EVE Online, and the picture muddles again.

Do not forget that whether or not the conversation that took place between him and Seraph IX Basarab was an attempt to ridicule and humiliate the other, is not clear as well. As I said before, the conversation can be read in many ways.

Also, consider that none of draleth’s faction besides him have agreed to be interviewed, so there are few sources that can be relied upon to counter any claims he makes.

It is clear however, from the actual conversation between these two diplomats, that there is a contentious relationship between the two of them, and that Seraph IX Basarab himself has some unresolved issues with Anna niedostepny.
  
The Third Man

It is not my business to point fingers or levy blame at any person, but in an attempt to create a balanced article, I cannot overlook any side of the dispute, and the one who seems to have the most to gain from the entire affair is a DAMN PATRIOT.

a DAMN PATRIOT - CEO of Dropbear Anonymous, Brave Collective Alliance, his power base clearly lies outside of the main corporation of the Alliance, Brave Newbies Inc(dot). In fact, the proposal to expand the vote base would actually benefit him, as this decreases the actual power of Brave Newbies Inc(dot) in the council.

Add to it that the accusation of Nonnak Severin as a spy seems to come just after draleth resigns and appoints the former to be his successor, that the timing just seems to be too perfect. Not to mention the question of how he came by those logs, rather than anyone higher up, such as Lychton Kondur, or why no action was taken until that moment.

On the other hand, his actions can be easily defended as a concerned Leadership Council member, protecting the Alliance in the hour of turmoil from an apparent spy being given one of the highest positions in the Alliance, granting him a future role as a Director of the Alliance and enabling him to cause much damage there.

As for his push for the inclusion of more CEOs and elected members, this can be explained by the fact that Brave Collective, as an Alliance, is a sum of parts which create a greater whole. As such, even though Brave Newbies Inc(dot) is the main corporation of the Alliance, it is not the only corporation anymore. A part of a representative democracy is protecting the rights of the minorities against bullying by the majority, something that the “Expanders” faction may wish to create through this proposal.

The Underlying Issue

The problem that seems more and more apparent as I try to untangle this plonter of accusations, interests and motives, is the lack of transparency that seems to exist in Brave Collective’s Leadership Council. Though I did manage to interview certain members of the Leadership Council, many of the participants preferred to remain silent. Others who had a hand in the affair have given me either too little or too much material. However, beside Paste Bins and reddit posts, there seems to be little to no documentation of the events themselves.

Was draleth within her right to appoint a successor to her seat at the Council, or was she overstepping her boundaries? What were the actual plans, beside the gist that was given to me in interviews? It was said the debate raged for a good nine hours, yet it seems so little of the exchanges that must have taken place during that time period have made it out to the wider public.

Maybe there is a codified version of the Leadership Council’s rules and regulation, a list of members and roles, as well as an archive of meeting minutes and other important decisions made, and I as an outsider, and a reporter especially, just have no access to it. However, at the same time it seems that the ordinary Line members have little in that regard as well, as confusion seems rife within Brave Collective.

The lack of transparency not only hinders attempts to shed light on any of the details of the entire affair, but rather gives rise to a slew of conspiracy theories and paranoid musings, which are sure to hurt the Alliance in the long run.

Reactions

The Mittani has released a statement on TheMittani(dot)com in which he denies any involvement in the affair, and that of any of his agents.

draleth, Anna niedostepny and Malphas Inanis have refused to comment on the entire affair.

Lychton Kondur has made it clear that he does not wish to grant any interviews to the EVE Scribe, and was not reached for a comment.

Seraph IX Basarab and Nonnak Severin have both given their version of events, as well as what part they played in the affair.

Markonius Porkbutte gave the EVE Scribe the official version of events, as it was published on other EVE news sites.

a DAMN PATRIOT gave an interview, in which he explained his actions accusations, as well as the responses given to draleth’s allegations.

Conclusion

Sadly, there is no conclusion. Without a full record of all the events that transpired, as well as the heaps of material regarding both the actual proposals, the rules and regulations of the Leadership Council, and a full member and role list, I have little to go on. However, the same can be said on the other major EVE news outlet, who of course, speculated further and with far less, causing me to question some of the motives of their writers.

At the base of it, this seems to be a dispute between individuals about the face and direction the Alliance they are part of should go, something that in itself is not uncommon in New Eden, and usually serves as a defining moment for many of its organizations, impacting their future course. Only time can tell what significance was there to these events in Brave Collective’s future.

What is important to remember, is that neither side is “Right” because this would imply that there is only one correct answer, something that is quite the anathema to EVE Online. Much like real life, it teaches us that there are merits and drawbacks to any approach, and even the most noble of intentions can have the most disastrous results.

Final Words

Usually I thank in the bottom of the article to all those who contributed information, resources or their time being interviewed. However, as this article is already a break from the norm, so will its final lines be. I cannot ascertain how much of what I was told is true or false, and I cannot remove this niggling doubt that I have been lied to and manipulated by some of the participants. Thus, I request that any reading of this article be done with caution and prudence, for I, too, may have fallen victim to the disinformation and manipulations that seem to surround this delicate subject matter.