The following Alliance update was released over a week ago, since it deals mostly with medium terms goals we will be posting it anyways.
In July of 2013 I was tasked with helping this alliance (EICO at the time) to convert from a bunch of carebear renters into a sov holding military organization. This was not a fast or easy process, but at every step of the way, we have done what it takes to build a solid foundation, then rise (quickly) to the next level.
In the beginning of the Halloween war we were fielding kitchen sink crap, trying to get inexperienced and low skill pilots into a respectable fleet size and comp to help the N3. We busted our asses, and did everything we could with limited intel, respect, or coordination with the coalition we were trying to support. We showed serious heart and potential from a group living in shit space, in the armpit of Eve, with almost no funding. I asked you to step up, bring everything you had, and to have faith that our efforts would be recognized and rewarded. You responded with action!
By the middle of the Halloween war, we were fielding solid numbers, in decent Tech I comps (Brutix, Maller, Caracals, etc..). At this point CUP merged with us, which was a huge boost to our numbers, as well as establishing a more solid relationship with Nulli and the N3. At this stage we showed long term commitment, loyalty, and earned a lot of respect. We had been at war for months, we had gone through a series of distant deployments (most of our group for the first time). I asked you to keep showing up, stay the course, and keep up the pace. You responded with action!
Then came the battle of B-R. Most N3 regions fell. Nulli was hell camped in O-W. I was getting mails and convos from panicked members, directors, and even FC’s. Should we evac? Should we turtle? I asked you all to have faith, cowboy up, and stick with our allies. You responded with action!
By the end of the Halloween war, we were really starting to gain momentum. We had earned full membership in the N3, we had reclaimed everything that was lost (and more). GCLUB was starting to show solid cap numbers, our doctrines were somewhat more advanced, and our fleet numbers were holding solid, even after 5 months of sustained warfare. We had been promised new space and moons, but it took (seemingly) forever for it to happen. People were starting to doubt we would be rewarded for our efforts. I asked you to be patient. You responded with patience!
After the Halloween war ended, we upgraded the quality of our space considerably, and picked up a significant increase to our funding (a few new moons, and some SRP reimbursement). I told you at the end of the Halloween war that our next challenge was to NOT let ourselves chill and become a bunch of fat, lazy carebears. We had accomplished a lot, but this was only the beginning. We needed to stay hungry, and keep a solid PVP emphasis through roams, mini deployments, etc… I also asked you to keep those training queues rolling, and continue to progress into more advanced doctrines. We also started pushing hard to build our capital and super capital fleet. You responded to all of this with action! From April to July we roamed our asses off, people kept training, and we upgraded our doctrines to MUCH more advanced doctrines.
In June, the old (so-called) CEO of EICO, along with the last remnants of the carebear renter mindset, tried to stage a coup. They removed myself and Rhaeghar (and our corps) from the alliance, recruited the mega douchebag (Kaobserver) to head their “new military”, and tried to reverse everything we worked so hard to build. They lied to everyone, told them that they had N3 backing (which they did NOT), and despite the fact that many of the corporations in this alliance believed that it involved the loss of space, and N3 backing, I got many game mails from CEO’s and directors that basically said “What’s next boss?”. Fueled by your support, Rhae and I immediately re-formed us under GCLUB. We offered membership to every corporation with the exception of the 3 involved in the “coup”. We laid out our values, approach, and goals to become a top tier PVP alliance, and to continue along the path of growth and development we had started. You responded with Loyalty! With only one exception, every corp that was invited, joined.
In September and October we did some “pre war” deployments. These were strategically necessary for what was to come. I could share very little of how and why at the time, but you were asked to fire up the war machine, and bring the patience and tenacity that is required for sustained block warfare. You responded with action!
After the Pheobe announcement, everyone was worried about the release of Pheobe, and the changes it would bring. Is this the end of the N3? Should we sell all our caps because they are useless now? Is this the end of industry as we know it? I asked you to relax, and trust the process. You responded with trust!
When Pheobe released, we were asked to step up for the coalition on an entirely new level. We were asked to deploy to Wicked Creek as the primary N3 entity with (for now) limited support, and take full responsibility for a campaign to impeded and delay Russian advancement, while doing our best to hold vital constellations. This was a HUGE step for us, and required an entirely new level of organization and military leadership. It also required a huge commitment from our members to match the relentless attacks of numerous Russian entities. To pull this off would require a very disciplined and strategic approach, and it would require a new level of raw determination and drive. For the last two months I have asked you to field in numbers, and maintain a very intense op schedule of nearly daily Strat Ops and CTA’s, long marathon fleets, and fielding as best we can even outside our peak time zone. You have responded with action and tremendous heart!
Throughout all of the above, numerically we have bounced between 1300 and 1700. We have proven the value of our quality over quantity approach. We have maintained a very successful process of weeding, trimming fat, and replacing weak corps and members with strong ones. However, we have also worked very hard to be patient, and let every corporation that has willingness and potential to survive and thrive in the GCLUB family. Despite being roughly the same size as we were a year ago, we are 10 times the fighting force! At times we even risk becoming almost relevant!
Well here we are…
New Year’s day, 2015!
Happy New Year GCLUB!
You guys have been absolutely fucking amazing! In the last couple months we have shown far more than most thought possible. We have shown that we have heart, skill, and determination to be a long term, major player in nul sec. We have shown that we have a military infrastructure, and a kick ass FC team capable of managing a multiple region campaign. We have demonstrated that we are valuable, and trustworthy allies, and have built much stronger relationships with other alliances, including core N3 alliances, as well budding alliances that we are working with locally. We have earned a reputation of integrity, formidability, and limitless potential. Our friends have come to value us, and our enemies have come to fear us.
Most important, though we should take great pride in our accomplishments, and should feel great about what we have done, we maintain class, humility, and mutual respect with ALL of our allies, regardless of size, and status. We will continue to focus on the core values that have made us who we are:
– Striving toward being elite, without being elitist.
– Striving toward improvement, while remaining new bro friendly, and maintaining a culture of encouragement and development.
-Showing patience, and the ability to work hard toward long term goals.
– Pushing toward excellence, without being arrogant douche bags in the process.
– and NEVER letting ourselves get lazy, and always striving & driving toward the next level of achievement!
I am proud to be part of the GCLUB experience, and I appreciate each and every member of the leadership team who does their part to keep us on track. I value and honor every member that brings their full dedication and commitment to everything we do! Because of you, 2013 and 2014 have been very good to us. It is also because of you that the accomplishments of 2015 will likely tower far above the preceding years!
2015 Goals:
Doctrines: There are likely some doctrine adjustments coming. Eve warfare is a dynamic environment. With the changes that have already been implemented, and those that are coming, there will require some adjustments. We will need our members to quickly adjust and fill in any skills that may be necessary when these changes are announced. We need to get to a place where even in our advanced doctrines, the VAST MAJORITY of our pilots can bring the primary ship (for example, out of an 80 man fleet we should have 60+ pilots in Ishtars, not 30 or 35).
Caps: We need to start being able to bring overwhelming numbers of standard caps. When called, we need to be able to pull 30-40 Dreads and/or Carriers (particularly Chimeras). When we can field those kinds of numbers on a consistent basis, and/or flash form them, we will be capable of absolutely dunking some of the shit that DRF and RA currently get away with. We need overwhelming force, and we need to be able to ping and pull numbers in caps. To do this we need our members pushing hard to train, purchase, and stage carriers and dreads (particularly Chimera)! When we do this, we will inspire a new level of fear for our enemies.
Supers & Titans: We need to be able to field a 20 man Wyvern fleet with another 20-30 Chimeras. We will soon have production capabilities sorted once again, and when this happens, I want to see a SERIOUS push to get more pilots into Wyverns. As for Titans, I want to see our Titan count double in the next 3 or 4 months. Increasing our titan count, and strategically positioning them (with TZ redundancy) will dramatically improve our force projection capabilities.
Pilot Skill: Since the war started we haven’t had much time to place emphasis on new training material and/or sessions (test server, etc..). There are a decent amount of resources already available, but as borders settle, and war time transitions to peace time (or quasi peace), you will see a much stronger emphasis on trying to improve the median player skill level in this alliance. We would like all pilots (regardless of skill or experience level) to embrace the concept of CONSTANT improvement. Not one pilot or FC should ever feel like they know it all, and EVERY single member of this team should be open minded to the idea of learning something new, or improving their performance in any way possible.
Industrial and Market Infrastructure: With the changes coming, I will soon be focusing a lot of energy on building this aspect of our organization (this includes both GCLUB and GSP0T). We are a military machine. PVP force projection is the output, but isk and industry is the input. Though this area has not received much attention since the war broke out (and rightly so), you will soon see much more focus and emphasis on this. This round, I will be looking to build a far more sophisticated industrial infrastructure to fuel our war machine!
Numeric Growth: Though we will continue to carefully manage our growth, and place a far greater emphasis on quality over quantity, it is definitely time to grow numerically as well. I would like to see us crest solidly above the 2k mark for GCLUB, and I would like to see our average fleet sizes (even in sustained warfare) above the 100 mark. Currently we peak at about 110, and we hold steady at about 65-70 (in sustained nearly daily combat). That is fucking excellent, but our goal should now be to peak at 150+, and hold steady with daily fleets in the 90-100 range. That will require a combination of numeric growth, while maintaining our standards for participation and quality.
Culture & Atmosphere: Finally, throughout ALL of this, we need to hold firm in the core principles that make us who we are. Let’s always be conscious to accurately assess where we are, where we are going, but ALSO where we are not (yet). We need to always guard against getting ahead of ourselves, letting ego and hubris cloud our judgment, and to continue to treat EVERYONE with a basic level of respect that anyone deserves (whether they are a new pilot, a budding alliance, or a struggling corp). We have proven that it is possible to have standards, and strive toward excellence without treating everyone else like shit. It is possible to deal with entities who are currently less developed, without being condescending, and to look past short term limitations to see someone’s true potential. So I urge you all to embrace our rise, and enjoy our success, but to continue to be a group of players who enjoy playing the game together, remember how to have fun, and never take ourselves so seriously. Remember, thou art mortal!
Well, though Russians have made some small gains, we have actually successfully defended every primary objective. Honestly, we have held more and stronger than I thought we would. Our goal was simply to delay advancement, and hold critical objectives as best we could until such time as a great deal more emphasis can be placed on this region by numerous N3 entities. What we have accomplished is amazing, but even the small gains that have been made by our enemies are likely soon to fade to dust.
That said, Russians will inhabit space near us. It isn’t our goal to remove them from sov nul sec, it is simply to control how much and where. Winter is the peak of Russian activity, and by late January to early February you will see their numbers fall. Historically you can see this time and again. They make gains mid winter (at their peak) that are quickly lost by early spring.
Ultimately we will settle a border. Russians entities are likely to inhabit Insmother and Scalding pass, and we will likely see another period of quasi peace time. As good as the last one was, the way things seem to be shaping up in Scalding Pass, Wicked Creek, Insmother, and Curse, I think we are going to be heading into a time of a ton of great, close, fun content for roams, and small incursions. So I am very much looking forward to that!
However, it is likely that we will need to continue to push hard for another few weeks. There will probably be a few more weeks of heavy ops, and this will start to involve some out of our peak, alarm clock type pushes. We won’t be alone (by any means) for this, but I want you guys to start to gear up for doing our best to field well outside our time zone.
So there are likely a few more weeks of pitched warfare ahead, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. So keep IRL first, but when possible, please continue to show the same drive and determination that you have shown me time and time again we are capable of.
Sslinky
TL;DR Keep being you GCLUB!
