Look no further than Andrew Groen’s Empires of EVE history books to see how EVE Online sits somewhere between fiction and non-fiction. Many of the game’s best information sources and communities are as entertaining as they are informative.
Earlier this year, I had an hour-long heart-to-heart with EVE’s creative director CCP Burger about the deep value of roleplay and what makes a gamer a roleplayer. We agreed that we are all roleplaying to some extent - both in-game and out. Yet one look at the Sixth Empire or Imperium News shows that some take their roleplaying to greater degrees than others. So we asked the Just About EVE community to send us their favourite examples of committed roleplay communities - be they news channel, delivery service, or corp - as well as resources to help others follow in their footsteps (in character).
If you’re interested in adding another roleplayed resource to the mix, take a look at our new $175 bounty which challenges Just About members to create their own EVE Online documentaries.
Wingspan = Uber Eats for missiles
Short on torpedoes but the weather isn’t great and you’ve had a long day? No problem. The brave delivery agents of Wingspan and Wingspan Express promise a timely, discrete fulfilment of volatile materials. As it says on their highly professional website, “with unparalleled customer service, our pilots are certain to bring a smile to your face. That’s because at the end of the day, we're not happy until you're content.”
One person who is happy with Wingspan’s services is Wadd Enderas, though he does mention that they seem to be getting a “little big for their britches.” So watch out Wingspan, drop the ball and DoorDash will be challenging your metagalactic monopoly.
Signal Cartel = to boldly go
Wadd Enderas also commends Signal Cartel and their website EvE-Scout. Frequently - and occasionally hilariously - mistaken for pacifists, the Signal Cartel are a cartographical organisation who command galaxy-wide respect for their record-breaking explorations. If somehow you don’t yet know their tale - or even if you do - check out Lore and Peace: The Katia Sae Interview, which discusses the power of roleplay.
The Wormhole Police = righteous space fuzz
Brother Grimoire’s “hands-down” choice is the Wormhole Police (WHPD), which is both his favourite roleplaying channel and organisation in EVE.
“They patrol wormhole space looking for dirtbag criminals that may be littering, killing the local defenders, plundering important natural resources from their rightful inhabitants, or damaging culturally sensitive landmarks. When they find these dirtbags, they arrest them and impound their ships.” Original post
The WHPD are also top for Wadd Enderas who gives an extra shoutout to Vinnegar_Dooshay’s Twitch. Wadd’s praise for EVE’s self-proclaimed boys and girls in blue is all the more meaningful when one considers that Wadd has often been on the laser-covered end of the law.
“I’m starting to lose count of the number of 'tickets’ I’ve received while desecrating the ancient relics of Anoikis, not just from WHPD but Vinne specifically. But it’s hilarious every single time! Unfortunately I’m a dirtbag that never learns, and I suspect I may be on some form of ‘most wanted’ list, but it’s worth it. Fantastic content and community of roleplayers - no complaints. I hope to continue to be on the receiving end of their roleplay.”
“The WHPD thanks you for your support even in the event that you are a self-proclaimed dirtbag. If you ever want to get right with the law, MEME Fleet is hosted every Sunday at 1PM Eastern Time (US). Get your community service credits by enforcing IUS Penal Code.
Please reconsider the filthy Porch Pirates and Litterbug Cult that are Wingspan and Signal Cartel, they are a scourge on the streets of Anoikis. Little more than a criminal street gang in fact.
o7 -Heretical Coffee, Deputy, The Wormhole Police, Badge Number 666”
Of course, there are those that would question the WHPD’s loyalties. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions from Heretical Coffee’s own bounty submission. We’ll just say that it would have performed well in one of our various propaganda bounties.
“The Wormhole Police Department - ‘Protecting the universe, one wormhole at a time. Service guarantees salt.’
“As morally stout and upstanding officers of the law, it is our duty to protect and serve the mean streets of sacred wormhole space. Vinnegar Douche, Apollo Okaski, Wylo Otsada, Phyve Solette, Damoranthe Sponge, Squizz, DeltaCharlie, VyeKing Odinson, and myself are tasked with the patrol and protection of sacred wormhole space commonly referred to as J-space or Anoikis.
“For too long the empires of New Eden have attempted to besmirch the good name of the so-called ‘Pirate Factions’ such as the honourable Blood Raiders, the stout Serpentis, the moral Angel Cartel, the superior Sansha Nation, and the great Guristas. These empires instruct their newly trained bloodthirsty capsuleers to invade these innocent groups' data storage facilities and graveyards to steal whatever they can carry with a promise of profit and prestige, so long as they don’t care about the morally bankrupt actions they commit.
“Even now as I sit here in my police patrol Astero, empire-aligned capsuleers are being tasked with murdering innocent Blood Raider families! Being told to go into Blood Raider homes and steal from them! The empires never think of the effect their actions have on these poor Blood Raiders and their children.
“As a proud supporter of the Blood Raider Children’s Charity, the WHPD ensures that every Blood Raider child made orphan by these dirtbags never goes hungry. “For more information please find our website at www.whpd.space.”
EVE Universe and other useful resources for roleplayers
EVE Online’s official lore repository EVE Universe is full of detail that could otherwise easily be missed. Both Rdog and AlexGoesTheWorld recommend it as the place to go to enrich your own roleplaying backstory. Miyoshi goes on to highlight other areas of the forum that would be useful too, including the EVE Fiction Portal and this thread on getting into EVE roleplay. They also recommend player-made resources and Discord channels, but their recommendations come with a caveat:
“I would suggest taking the Fiction Portal and the player-made resources with a pinch of salt; they can be biassed. The EVE roleplay community is not all sweetness and flowers, as it can appear. Of course, there are exceptions, but being aware helps when making an informed choice, which is the best kind.”
Which other roleplayed resources and communities are worthy of acclaim? Share your recommendations below.
Some text has been amended for brevity and grammar. You can find the original submissions at the bounty post.
Image Credit: Razorien on Flickr
Created at . Page last updated at .
