Ore Buyback, Code Payback, Part 1

A couple months ago, CCP implemented a nerf to awoxing. The idea was that new players were missing out the chance to join outstanding highsec industrial corps because of the fear of awoxers. According to the advocates of the awox nerf, once awoxing was gone, highsec corps would be flooded by eager newbies who left their NPC corps. The exciting business of highsec industry would then lead to a boom in player retention, and CCP's revenues would skyrocket.

It didn't happen. Oh well.

Though the anticipated spike in subscription numbers didn't materialize, highsec industrialists are still hard at work recruiting members and building their dream corps. Take, for instance, Scoot Sollete, the CEO of The Sky Gods Fortune. They're a highsec industrial corp, and they're always on the lookout for new talent.

TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > o/
Scoot Sollete > o7
Scoot Sollete > how can i help?
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > Your corporation is recruiting?
Scoot Sollete > yes it is.

Scoot was contacted out of the blue by a potential recruit. But did TheInternet have what it takes to be a member of a highsec PvE corp? He would need to pass the interview.

TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > cool, I've got a couple of freighter toons, I've been looking for a partner to get a mining operation up and running
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > would you be interested in setting up an ore buyback? I can run all of the logistics myself
Scoot Sollete > yeah. that's one of my plans
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > awesome

TheInternet was a promising applicant. A skilled freighter pilot, TheInternet shared his ambitious dream of creating an ore buyback program. As luck would have it, Scoot was already thinking of doing the same thing! It looked like a perfect match.

Scoot Sollete > what haulers can you fly?
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > all freighters plus bowhead on two chars
Scoot Sollete > awesome. This toon can fly an orca but with t1 links atm. kinda useless having one without a good use for it.
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > yeah i dont have the foreman links trained atm, but I could definitely start training towards that if you want to make me your mining director
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > I've already got an Orca on my other freighter toon

TheInternet's qualifications were seriously impressive. His freighter skills were just what Scoot's corp needed.

Scoot Sollete > mkay.
Scoot Sollete > Can I see a full api please? all characters that you have.
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > an api?
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > why?
Scoot Sollete > because it's eve.

...There was just the simple matter of a security background check to deal with. Scoot was no fool. He was perfectly aware of the danger posed by saboteurs--even in the post-awox era.

TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > which is exactly why I'm not just going to give just anybody API with all of my mail, locations and value of assets, etc
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > especially not for my freighter pilots lol
Scoot Sollete > well just wallet and employment.
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > alright there's my wallet, feel free to take a look there
Scoot Sollete > mkay. feel free to send an app in

TheInternet wasn't willing to submit to a complete background check, but he did provide a limited API key so Scoot could check his wallet. So far, so good. Scoot was also able to check TheInternet's employment history.

TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > alrighty, I applied in
Scoot Sollete > accepted
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > alrighty, I accepted the invite
Scoot Sollete > welcome to the corp
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > thanks :)

Over the past several months, TheInternet had been a member of 10 different corporations. Now it was time to add one more to the list.

EVE System > Channel changed to Corp : The Sky Gods Fortune
Scoot Sollete > welcome
Scoot Sollete > Saisio
Scoot Sollete > like 6 jumps from jita
Scoot Sollete > our main station has all services
Scoot Sollete > we have a mining mission giver a jump away and a secruity mission giver
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > alright well I'll focus on getting the ore buyback set up
Scoot Sollete > mkay. I'm going to make you a mining director and things

Only a few minutes after joining the corp, TheInternet was well on his way up the corporate ladder.

The Sky Gods Fortune's new mining director was primarily focused on his ore buyback program. For those who are unfamiliar with ore buybacks, they're a very popular corp activity for highsec industrialists. Basically, they work like this: The corp's miners spend all day mining. Instead of taking the ore a few jumps to Jita and selling it for the full price, the miners sell it to their corp leaders for less money. Then the corp leaders can take it to Jita and sell it at the higher price. The miners do something boring and make less money; the corp leaders make a profit. Everybody wins!

TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > I'm thinking we buy ore at a pegged rate, 90% of Jita price
Scoot Sollete > that's usually the standard though
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > yeah, it works and its competitive
Scoot Sollete > it is
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > I'll also bring out a whole bunch of large containers for the guys to drop their ore into. They'll rename the cans with their names, and drop it specific corp hangars
Scoot Sollete > I still haven't figured out all the roles. I gave you division 4 wallet privledges
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > can you give me the director role so that I can screw around with the hangars and divisions and such?

The corp's plans for an ore buyback program hit a snag when the CEO realized he didn't fully understand the corp interface. TheInternet suggested that he be promoted to full director status.

Scoot Sollete > not to sound super paranoid but atm, i don't feel super comfortable with that.
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > i wont screw anything up, i've played with all the settings before
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > I ran a small corp where I did this, I just wasn't very good at recruiting so it wasn't particularly successful
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > I'll bring a load of retrievers out from Amarr on my way in if the price is good

Director status would give TheInternet full control of the corporation. But Scoot wasn't sure he was ready for that yet--TheInternet had only been a member of the corp for 20 minutes.

Scoot Sollete > i just did a little more digging. after recruiting. on your killboard, it shows that you have an orca kill. blue on blue
TheInternet TweepsOnline TheInternet > oh yeah that, lol

Scoot's suspicions were raised. Now that TheInternet was a corp member and promoted to mining director, it was time for Scoot to find out if he had a history of awoxing. He did.

Scoot learned that a few months earlier, before the awoxing nerf, TheInternet had killed a corpmate's Orca. TheInternet had some explaining to do.

The Orca in question belonged to a fellow named Adam 187. Scoot didn't know it yet, but you might recall that the destruction of Adam's corp was described in detail in a series of MinerBumping posts:

Miner Rage Industries, Part 1
Miner Rage Industries, Part 2
Miner Rage Industries, Part 3

The posts recount TheInternet's awox operation against Adam's corp. The incredible truth is that the TheInternet wasn't an innocent freighter pilot at all--he was actually an awoxer who specialized in enforcing the Code. He was secretly an Agent of the New Order the whole time!

TheInternet's Orca-killing history jeopardized his promotion to full director status. In fact, his very career at The Sky Gods Fortune was threatened. Would TheInternet even be able to implement his ore buyback program?

To be continued...