When a carebear's reading comprehension fails, it's no big deal. We have plenty of time to correct their troubled minds. On the other hand, if CCP gets involved, the New Order must swing into action immediately.
I logged into EVE and noticed that the "Help" button in the side panel was flashing, the same way that the EVEmail button or Wallet button might flash when it wants to get your attention. The petition system is handled through the Help interface. Normally, EVE players are the ones who open support tickets. On this day, it was a GM who opened a support ticket with me.
I'd received a message from GM Ninjapirate, a Senior GM. For those who have not yet had the pleasure of dealing with the EVE petition system, that's what it looks like. If it were possible, I would also like to be able to send an image of a life preserver when I EVEmail people. I'm the Saviour of Highsec, after all.
GM Ninjapirate took issue with a provision in the Code. This might come as a surprise, since the Code has been around since June 2012. And the GM staff have certainly had occasion to read it. The New Order inspires more petitions than any other organization in EVE.
The revision of the Code, it seems, was a top priority for CCP. Not since Mine Teck set deadlines for joining the "resistans" have I seen such urgency. The matter needed to be handled much more quickly than, say, the CSM meeting minutes.
With the speed of an action hero, I revised the Code to CCP's satisfaction. But what exactly was the problem with the Code, in CCP's eyes? I would like to quote the GM's explanation, but I am not permitted to do so. You'll recall that last summer I posted screenshots of a year-old conversation I had with a GM who helped me come up with the idea for the Code. CCP retaliated by deleting my bio and threatening me with a permaban. GM communications must be kept absolutely secret, at least, in their original language. They can't be quoted or screenshotted directly. However, I was informed that we are allowed to summarize and paraphrase what a GM says to us.
Which is ridiculous.
However, I shall do my best. The offensive Code provision was as follows:
"To minimize the workload of our GMs, miners shall not file petitions against the Supreme Protector or his Agents. Failure to abide by this rule is an automatic Red Pen violation..."Senior GM Ninjapirate had two objections to this provision. The first objection was my use of the phrase "our GMs". He felt some miners might think that it implies the GMs belong to the New Order rather than CCP, or that they otherwise endorse the Code. As much as I love and appreciate the work that the GMs do--CCP's GMs, mind you--I must disagree with this assessment. Nevertheless, I concede that carebears can become confused easily.
The second objection, in my view, was one that I couldn't fix just by rephrasing the provision. GM Ninjapirate explained that all EVE players have a right to petition and that no one should try to "fool" anyone into thinking they don't. Based on the way the provision was written, I think it was quite clear I wasn't saying a carebear can't file a petition against an Agent, but that they would be given the Red Pen penalty for doing so. Why would the New Order need a special punishment for something that CCP won't let carebears do?
Regardless, I removed the provision to meet CCP's needs. Perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised that the Code is being studied more carefully now than it was a year and a half ago. The Code is law in highsec, where most EVE players reside. It will be treated as an increasingly important document as the compliance ratio increases.
Despite the thousands of petitions filed against us, no Agent of the New Order has been banned for even one day. And until now, no provision of the Code has ever been objected to by CCP. Now, I'm not saying that means CCP "endorses" the remainder of the Code, but I do think it's worth noting that they could have objected to other stuff in there, and haven't yet.
Returning to the subject of the removed provision, let me be clear: The removal of the provision should not be taken as a license for carebears to file frivolous petitions. Agents of the New Order have broad discretion in determining when someone has violated the Code. Even if something is not written as a provision in the Code, the spirit of the Code emanates forth from the provisions, and the Agents enforce that spirit. Bot-aspirants of highsec, tread carefully.
"Bot-aspirants of highsec, tread carefully"
ReplyDeleteSlapped right into the face and still trying to keep cool.
Griefers, tread carefully yourself. This hasnt been the first slap and won't be the last.
CCP hasn't "vindicated" the code as twaddled before, CCP is watching you crtitically.
Oh, and "thousands of petitions"....
You are realy delirious...
Next might be your "red pen".
:)
Do you understand? You are directly threatening with harrasment.
Which is funny, because harassment, now that's an actionable offense in CCP's book. The only thing you need to provide is the frivolous reason of the attacks, and I dare say "I don't like how he plays a sandbox game" qualifies...
DeleteSome anonymous poster above you claims it's harassment, clearly incorrectly, and off you go writing corollaries? Yes, that is funny. But no, it's not harassment.
Delete"The only thing you need to provide is the frivolous reason of the attacks, and I dare say "I don't like how he plays a sandbox game" qualifies..."
DeleteExcuse me Mr. Anonymous Disgruntled Carebear, but exactly just what kind of crack have you been smoking? I have been told personally by a GM that I'm allowed to kill anyone, for pretty much any reason.
Do you really believe that "frivolous" attacks are against the rules? IN EVE?!?!
Spending two years infiltrating some guy's corp, taking all his assets and blowing up his Tengu, all because you don't like his face, is what EVE was created for!
We don't need a single good reason to ctrl+click, F1 you, I mean, don't get me wrong, we have plenty of good reasons, but we don't need them.
-Galaxy Pig
please james 315 smoke some more crack and continue on with your delusional life. I enjoy that there is more flashy reds in high sec to shoot at. If I was like you and had no life and smoked crack all day i'd prolly think i was a savior of something too. All of the people that hate the hs miners are really very cowardly in fact i have come up with the perfect acronym for you and your followers
DeleteCODE = Cowardly Order of Dudes in EVE
For you to have put so much effort into this is a clear indication of how little of a life you have and and you lack in real pvp hunting skills there are plenty of targets everywhere but that would take skill and patience.
I have been ganked a total of 2 times in eve over my 4years of playing 1 time in jita and i had a laugh because the gankers wasted more with the ships they lost than what my total loss was 2nd time i was passing thru a ls system in a shuttle and was popped by a smart bomb bs. I have podded over 30 gankers and have about 300 ganker kills on my kb .Ty again for giving me targets in hs.
but you can keep the crap that spews from your mouth to your self.
This slap on the face is more like a gentle kiss, vindicating the code. Why is it, one wonders, that you can't tell the difference between a kiss and a slap?
ReplyDeleteCCP doesn't have a GM Hisecminer, so no worries here.
ReplyDelete"The matter needed to be handled much more quickly than, say, the CSM meeting minutes."
ReplyDeleteROFLMAO
Babatunde B Babatunde : Agent Bangboom, why was my client Redpenned?
ReplyDeleteBing Bangboom: For persistent AFK mining, refusal to buy a permit and using obscenities in local.
Babatunde B Babatunde: Are you sure it wasn't for filing a petition with CCP?
Bing Bangboom: Redpenning for filing petitions is against the EULA!
Babatunde B Babatunde: So, it would surprise you to hear that my client filed a petition and was soon thereafter REDPENNED?!?!!?
Bing Bangboom: Actually, it was for prejudice against minorities. He was redpenned for committing a hate crime.
Miner logic is the single most frustrating part of this job...
DeleteI'd be quite fascinated to learn just how the GMs operate on a day to day basis.
ReplyDeleteDo their rulings require authorization or review by their peers, or does each GM have authority to autonomously enforce the EULA as he or she sees fit? How much contact with they have with Internal Affairs and the CSM? What is the chain of command when escalating petitions or appealing rulings? What does it take to get a matter past the GMs and to higher-ups at CCP? How often does CCP take action against GMs for questionable or erroneous rulings?
In short, who watches these disgusting little neckbearded watchmen with names like "ninjapirate?"
I feel like the Eve GMs are a lot like the writers of Lost, just making it up as they go along.
Delete"In short, who watches these disgusting little neckbearded watchmen with names like "ninjapirate?""
DeleteLOL
What's worse is that the other GM's are somewhat obligated to back up the misguided GM's arbitrary decision out of camaraderie or some desire to seem unified and absolute. So when a bad call DOES get made, the GM staff just doubles down on it.
Delete-Oink
So if miners are frivolously, stupidly, and unnecessarily petitioning our enforcement of The Code, because it hurts their feelings... shouldn't i feel that petitioning GM's every time i see a pile of chars in an ice belt numbered 0001-0009 or when a butthurt miner threatens my life, or my family is my civic duty? How many petitions will it take for them to remove someone whos ACTUALLY violating TOS and EULA vs. someone whos creating the most emergent gameplay the game has seen in the last few years?
ReplyDeleteI can say CCP is being consistant, removing the things that the majority of us love to satiate the whiny poopie-diapered babies. If it aint broke, break it, then dont fix it.
Impressive. You actually made CCP take a look at the Code and ask you to change it.
ReplyDeleteTime to buy some more shares
Well technically it's impossible in practice to red pen people for GM reporting anyway because you only have their word that they raised a ticket. Only the GMs know if a ticket was really raised. So in essence it boils down to red penning on the basis that someone says they have or threatens to raise a ticket. Yet another example of CCP using the ostrich method of code enforcement. Its a shame that CCP isn't more like the New Order in code enforcement. At least high sec has a clear set of guidelines from James315 that let them know where they stand, how to behave, and with clear information widely publicised - whereas with CCP it seems they deal with difficult decisions by making everything secret, and we all have to abides by rules so wishy washy that even the enforcers aren't able to understand them in a consistent manner let alone the players. And of course to avoid highlighting just how unclear and inconsistent these "rules" are any correspondence regarding them is secret. It's like the American politicians wrote the Eve rule book - "makes the laws flexible enough cover anything and make the enforcement them secret, then we can just make it up as we go along".
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is if discouraging GM tickets to cut down on the CCP workload goes directly against CCPs wishes then logically one can only assume that CCP wishes to ENCOURAGE GM tickets. Every New Order code enforcement action by an agent should actively make the code violator aware not only of the New Halima Code of Conduct but all the provisions of the Eve Code of Conduct/ELUA highlighting any passages that MAY be relevant ( assuming of course that isn't secret too ). This way code violators would be informed of all their rights in a similar manner to the miranda rights read to a suspect upon arrest in the USA. CCP could would act as the "if you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided for you" part of the legal system via the GM ticket system. The CCP public attorney would unfortunately then have to advise their client to plead guilty because the New Order was correct, but at least CCP would get the ample opportunity they seems so desperate to encourage to discuss with the offenders at length and at public expense the validity of the New Halima Code of Conduct. Of course it might be wrong ( the rule, if it exists, is probably secret so I don't know on this ) to actively encourage code violators to raise GM tickets but surely there can't be any rule ( again secret so I can't possibly know ) against providing a code violator with all the information they need with potentially relevant bits highlighted about their rights to raise a GM ticket and then be better informed by the GM about how the New Halima Code of Conduct is real and enforceable. Of course they won't be able to share this with anyone because it's secret, but eventually they will all find out for themselves.
I asked my space lawyer Leonard "J" Crab to check this post for me - he said "whatever"
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
ReplyDeletePeter 2:2
anonymous poster above me. it is not nice to say such things about ccp employees.
Deleteon the forums it might get you banned.
think about it.
Agent Selina
As im sure you understand, it was in no way directed at CCP, it was directed to The New Order.
DeleteThe idea of ridding Hi-sec of botters and afk-miners is a noble one, the process of extorting and harrassing miners to fund it is however not.
Hell, i would gladly donate to the cause monthly, and alot more then 10m, if you were just more then a bunch of lazy pirates looking for a easy paycheck.
I salute James 315, the savior of hi-sec, for his cause and the war against the Botters, but i do agree with the way it is funded.
*Do not agree
DeleteTo think, say, or otherwise believe and argue that NO operations are funded by miners is ludicrous.
DeleteThe majority of funding comes from the shareholders.
If so is the case, then i will withdraw that part of my statement.
DeleteBut again, if the shareholders fund the Order, why then demand non-afk miners to aquire the permits?
I am convinced The Order would gain much more support, and therfore be better abled to enforce and patrol Hi-sec, if the piracy-aspect of the conduct was terminated.
@Anonymous 12:17 AM
DeleteWhen James 315 originally started bumping he didn't ask for any permits or isk from the miners, he just bumped them for the hell of it, to snap them out of their AFK ways.
However, he was warned by CCP that doing this for no apparent reason or gain would be considered griefing. So he had to start charging a token amount of ISK to provide the provide the appearance that he was doing this for profit, which CCP considers a valid tactic to gain advantage in-game and therefore not griefing.
As perverse as it sounds, it was CCP who forced the New Order to charge for mining permits. I am not making this up, there was a blog post by James with screenshots from GM's telling him exactly that, until CCP forced James to take down those screenshots (although you can still find them floating around, just not linked from this site).
If the New Order really wanted to profit from mining permits they would charge a much higher sum, like 100M per month, but they are only charging a token sum of 10M per year just to show CCP they are not doing it "for nothing".
The real funding for the New Order comes from shareholders who donate to show their appreciation for the emergent play and entertainment the NO provides.
As an Agent of the New Order, I have sold several permits. Not a whole bunch yet, but enough to reimburse my out-of-pocket expense for my standard issue Invincible Stabber several times over. In terms of ISK/hour, it's not very good money going around bumping and educating the mining masses about the damage to the game that bots and bot-aspirants cause. But on a good day, it's still better money than mining veldspar, and I make more friends bumping than I ever did mining.
DeleteSo if the amount asked for was reduced to say 1m isk or a gift catalyst or other item of equal value... Would that reduce the amount of 'rebels?'
DeleteLOL Jimmy lies and his dimwhits buy it!
ReplyDeleteCCP did not *ask*(request), to change the code, they demanded (ordered)it. Non compliance would lead to ban / permaban and maybe even legal steps from CCP.
Using the GM as title for griefer dimwhits is no laughing thing.
funny how his dimwhits still kiss delirious jimmies butt!
^ high pressure tear hose
Delete