Disclaimer: The opinions within this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of EN24, its staff or writers.
A player undocks his Rattlesnake for a new mission that will take him to lowsec. He sets the destination, counting the gates he needs to go through before he reaches his goal. A few minutes later, he lands, hitting the jump button. On the other side, a Vigilant quickly places its faction web on the Rattlesnake. In quick succession several other ships land on grid quickly breaking through the battleship’s shields, armor and finally the hull. To add insult to injury, the pirates skillfully land a smartbombing ship and before the victim’s pod could escape, it’s destroyed. The player dives into an anger filled tirade of insults.
Unfortunate? For the victim, sure. Most of you would probably say he was foolish for not using a scout and even more foolish for feeling entitled to a safety he was never owed. Eve is a game where people are suppose to “Harden the fuck up.” You should not assume anything is owed to you and at the end of the day the only thing you earn is what you can get yourself.
Why is it that some of the people that would agree with the above statement have such a visceral reaction when something is written as criticism towards their respective group? It is in human nature to find our identity within a group, and such criticism can be seen as an attack on that group and on the individual themselves. That is understandable. However, it is unreasonable to feel entitled to any particular favoritism or protection in the very same manner our Rattlesnake pilot friend in the first paragraph would be foolish to expect. This is a universe created for combat. Our respective wills are always at war challenging one another to excel in one way or another.
It is not to say people should not be criticized for publishing things that are untrue. There’s very little interpretation regarding actual facts of events, such as the fall of the “Old” Northern Coalition, or that CVA holds sovereignty in Providence or what ships were lost at B-R. Opinions regarding the leadership style of certain leaders, the effects of particular groups or the motivation of individuals are much more flexible. The closest one can come to absolute neutrality, and therefore a complete lack of taste, is using only numbers, and even those seem to have a painful effect in the psyche of certain readers.
As a writer I have one single obligation: To enjoy what I write. I’m not obligated to anyone else. Nobody is forcing anybody to read what I write. If you have a differing opinion you would like to share, I know for a fact that either EN24 or CZ will more than likely accept a well written piece. The owners of those sites are not tied to any particular alliance narrative and like true capitalists are interested only in the traffic of their website. It is not my job to present any alliance in any particular light, good or bad. I’m going to write based on my experience with them and my belief. When impotence and incompetence meet, they project sheer petulance. Do not be so naive.
You are entitled to nothing. The sooner you get used to that idea, the sooner you can begin to grow.
