This article is written by one of the members of Curatores Veritatis Alliance (CVA). Any opinions or ideas are not that of any Coalition, Alliance, Corporation, or Evenews24 but that of the author. Special Thanks to Aralis and Elsebeth Rhiannon for taking the time to do an interview about Not Red Don’t Shoot (NRDS) and its history.
For many in EVE, NRDS is strange and a foreign concept possibly from a bygone age. There in many cases seem to be a cultural disconnect between the adherents to the system and others that either do not understand it or loath it. While in Eve there is no code of conduct in which people are “supposed” to play. So these rules have been developed into what it is today. There are three main systems in which players today adhere to. The first of which I have spoken of is Not Red Don’t Shoot (NRDS). Others widely known are Not Blue Shoot it. (NBSI). This is the more commonly used conduct in null security that is seen across New Eden. Finally the third option is Not Purple Shoot It (NPSI). This new form has taken up the need for people to kill anything so they join roaming fleets with the direct function to murder anything that is not of their fleet.
I was able to sit down with Aralis. He is one of the founding fathers and spiritual leaders of CVA. I asked him what he could tell me about Providence and NRDS?
“First off Providence isn’t NRDS. Providence is Amarrian Loyalists bringing Amarrian civilization and culture to the untamed lands of 0.0. We claim Providence for the Amarr Empire. NRDS is just the byproduct. We are building civilization here. It is the essential ingredient for a society. We want people to come here from all over that support these civilized tenants. To appreciate the glories of Amarrian civilization.”
“It has been true since Providence has been established. Providence has been a haven for many pilots edging into null security for the first time. It has been a place where many neutral miners and industrialists have been able to travel to and live. For years this has aided to establishing one of the most heavily populated regions in all of Eve. “
The rules in the Amarrian Empire are mimicked here. Pilots are free to come into our region. They do not have to pay taxes/rents. They are not limited to mine or rat in certain systems. They are free to roam anywhere in Providence. They are also protected by the Paladin Wardens of Providence. These makeup of the holders of the region primarily CVA but there are others such as Apocalypse Now (APOC), Sev3rance (-7-), Central Omni Galactic Group (COGG), Coalition Hispania , Care Factor, OURP, Republic, and Lumio.
In ancient times pilgrims used to travel to the holy lands. During these travels some were accosted by robbers and bandits. The trail was long and treacherous. However, there was an entity that protected the weak and the innocent. Those were the Knights Templars. Men sworn to protect these people along the route and see them safely to their destination. In game there is the Paladin Wardens of the Providence Marches that continue to protect the weak and the innocent. They stand ready to deploy and engage Minmatar Terrorists, Pirates, and any Red entity that means the good pilots of Providence harm. This is what it means to be a holder in Providence. The responsibility to protect those living here.
Aralis mentioned being there during the creation of NRDS. CVA started out not to bring NRDS. It was to fight Minmatar Terrorists. These original founders were Imperial Dreams (IG) and Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris (P.I.E). Aralis started pushing to drive the pirates out of the Empire as well. As CVA focused on pushing Pirates out of Domain PIE left and turned over control of CVA alliance to IG with Aralis. PIE went on to continue to defend the Empire and focus on the Minmatar threat.
Before Providence was established there was the Confederation of the Free Stars which was in Delve. They allowed all people to come in and live and build up under NRDS. However, they were betrayed from within and those people that came in took it over. The Confederation did not care who owned Sovereignty. This was the important piece of their undoing.
Eve University changed their position from NRDS to NBSI. Their push to NBSI has been a gradual shift over many years. Finally the last bits of NRDS was finally done away with approximately two years previously.
I was able to sit down with Elsebeth Rhiannon of Electus Matari (EM). She remarked that the “real question is who do you shoot and why”. They have been NRDS for over 14 years. They have always stood for anti-piracy and protecting the tribal lands against aggressors. They do not view either that NRDS is some ideology that they must obtain. They view it as that they must shoot the people that come into the region looking to shoot people. Then not shoot the fine upstanding industrialists that do not wish anyone harm. If that is what qualifies as NRDS or not it is the Rules of Engagement that they have adopted.
It is interesting that two different groups with entirely different backgrounds have come up with a similar system in which to operate out of. CVA being a pro-Amarr group and EM being that of a pro-Minmatar group. CVA and Provi-Bloc uses a Kill On Sight checker to run names of neutrals. Unless the person’s individual Corporation or Alliance has had standings already made against them. EM uses a list of reds in which they use as their KOS checker.
So in conclusion NRDS seems to be an offshoot of other individual goals and objectives and many groups did not seek it out as an ideology. This is something that even I a member of CVA didn’t even know myself. The Eve universe is a fascinating creation and our history is what makes it amazing. Talking to some of the original people that were there during the creation of such systems is like looking into the past and understanding the views, goals, and objectives that went along with creating a system in which some fight to maintain.
While these are some of the major groups that maintain NRDS there still remains other groups in eve as well that hold true to NRDS. Each with their own history and function. Here is a video of Aralis speaking in depth about Providence and NRDS. I hope you enjoy.
Very Respectfully,
Kyle Saltz
