Eve Blog Banter #19: Two-Way Streets
Welcome to the nineteenth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by none other than me, CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!
This months topic comes to us from @evepress, who he asks: The CSM: CCP’s Meta Game? The CSM, an EVE players voice to CCP. Right? In the grand scheme of things yes, the players bring up issues and the CSM presents them to CCP. But in its current iteration the CSM was supposed to be given small authority to assign CCP assets to projects that the CSM thought needed work on. As it has come out, this was not the case. So fellow bloggers, is the CSM worth it, has the CSM improved the game in any way, or is it just a well thought out scam by CCP to give us players a false sense of input in the game? What’s your take?
To preface, I am in FULL support of the Counsel of Stellar Management and everything that they represent and uphold to the greater Eve-Online community. Also, the concept of having a customer-selected group of player-representatives with the power to confer and actively participate with CCP on game-related issues is groundbreaking and I believe it reflects very highly of CCP.
But as a few others have already stated, there’s an inherent flaw in this question’s iteration that sort of throws off the possible answers. Originally, the CSM was created to “discuss and debate the ongoing evolution of Eve” with CCP, not to “assign CCP assets”. Subtle differences perhaps, but with largely different outcomes. Declaring that the CSM has the ability to “assign” anything to CCP implies that they have actual game-development power and authority to helm direction of the game.
“Discuss and debate” obviously has slightly different connotations, with the implications being more-so to “add input” or “create dialogue” rather than “assign”, “direct” or any other upper-management-esque jargon.
The problem for CCP arose with the last CSM election, when CCP declared that they wanted to give the CSM delegates “more power” and “more voice”; clearly, a little open to interpretation that one. What exactly does more power and voice constitute? Exactly.
I think there’s been a degree of misconception, especially with the most recent CSM election, that the Council is an elected managerial body in the hierarchy of CCP rather than a body of player-representatives. We, myself included, all voted for those representatives who we felt would represent us the best; those players who wanted to take issues we felt were important and meaningful and bring them to CCP’s immediate attention. For instance Mynxee (who I have a completely unabashed eve-celebrity crush on), ran on ticket of breathing new life into low-sec as well as pressing CCP to fix lingering game-problems before moving on to future development.
So is the CSM a “scam” by CCP? Hardly. On the contrary I think its a bold move forward in the gaming world, one without precedent that might set the tone for future MMO’s in terms of player representation. But like any bold step forward, its going to take some time to figure out how it all settles in.
I salute CCP first for their brave idea of having a player-voted council to bring issues directly to them, and secondly for choosing to stick with it even though at this point it would seem scrapping the entire idea of the CSM would relieve more than a few headaches in Iceland.
To the CSM, you guys are doing a fantastic job. Remember to keep in mind that dialogue is a two-way street, so keep those ears open too. But also remember that we all have your backs, and thank you for the work you’re doing for us; keep it up.
-Sophia
List of participants:
- Growing Pains | CrazyKinux’s Musing
- CSM: Hoax or Serious Business? « Lost in New Eden
- CSM-Power to the people or puppets of CCP « A whole lot of Yarrrr!!!
- Gaming the CSM | A Mule in EvE
- A Taste Of Democracy | StarFleet Comms
- CSM: Player Power or Paper Tiger? | I Am Keith Neilson
- Governance Thrash Redux? « The Ralpha Dogs
- CCP Doesn’t Care: Blog Banter 19 « OMG! You’re a Chick?!
- The Cataclysmic Variable: It’s Crunch Time!
- The 19th EVE Blog Banter is upon us… and about the CSM and CCP | Victoria Aut Mors
- CSM: Lame Duck from the beginning?
- Blog Banter #19 << Dense Veldspar
- Be careful what you say, Roc « Roc’s Ramblings
- Exchange Fraking Phone Numbers « Scrap Metal & Faction Ammo
- Blog Banter #19: Assumptions
- EVE Blog Banter #19 | EVE on Real Life
- A Reality Check | A “CareBears” Journey
- Quit your bitching | Fly Reckless – EVE Online
- War has come to EVE | Scram Web
- CCP and the CSM | Morphisat’s Blog
- BB 19 Riding the elephant | mikeazariah
- The CSM: A well thought out scam by CCP | Nitpickin’s
- Eve Blog Banter #19: Two-Way Streets | Lovely Little Vagabond
♥ Nice post…I am a bit overwhelmed by all the CSM stuff time-wise, and haven’t really been able to comment widely on this blog banter but I enjoyed reading your post. And yeah, it IS a two way street–problem is, it seems like the CCP side is often inaccessible due to traffic barriers. I think there’s been progress since the Summit, however. After the summer holidays in Iceland are concluded, we’ll see if the momentum continues.
Fine story! I hope to read more.