The video above was shared this morning on our Discord and I just finished watching it. I'm always interested in other player's takes on piracy in Eve Online and I enjoyed this one as well. Especially the comment section.
I've been -10 now for over a decade without a single break. Many people have called me Pirate Lord or Pirate King or other terms not worth repeating here. I recently ran for CSM on the back of my love for all things Low Sec (and we can see where that got me! Actually, I finished 16th which was pretty decent.) I've lived in Low Sec exclusively for a very long time.
Is Low Sec perfect? No, of course not. As a matter of fact I've fought a lot of battles outside of the game itself, fights intended to make Low Sec even better. And I've won a lot of those fights over the years. Many more remain to be won. I've actually had talks with Devs regarding negative sec bonus ships. Special neg status skins. Special clothing. All of the things the video commentator mentions in his video - I've talked with CCP about. Heck, within these pages, I've gone on record for many proposals over the years. Any one of which would help to make Low Sec an even better place to play.
But none of us become Pirates because of those things. In fact, the reality is most of us play how we play because it is extremely hard. Because the perks are limited. Because there is nothing else like it in all of Eve Online. Being -10, being a Pirate and surviving, is the hardest choice a character can make over the long-term in this game. And that is why we love it. It is Eve on Hard Mode. And to remain locked into that world over time is a testament to our fortitude. And that is where our pride comes from. The game gives us nothing, no breaks, no bonuses, no time-off, no hiding places, and yet we thrive.
For me personally, there is no other choice. And yet there remains plenty of choices when it comes to "how" I choose to play that role. In fact, I created Stay Frosty as a place to express those choices. Many people, including the video maker, consider gate campers to be the example when they think of Pirates in Eve. We rarely gate camp specifically, and usually only for a certain limited advantage. (Just like everyone else in the game by the way. At least PvP oriented players.) We also honor our word. We often talk with pilots after fights, often giving them advice, isk, or even their loot back - depending on the circumstances. This is how we choose to play that role. Others choose other paths.
I've lived with player hate for a long time. I hear it almost every single day in local, private convos, comments, and within the larger community. I get it. No one likes being exploded against their will. Heck, most players don't like losing even when they ask for a fight. But, believe it or not, Eve needs Pirates. Just as much, or even more so, than it needs yet another miner or station trader. We are not a numerous cast of characters. Corporations like Stay Frosty are a dying breed. But without us space would lose its terror. Industry would lose its customer base. Carebears would have no reason to bear. And the last remaining bastion against the inevitable crawl of "coalitions" would crumble.
If you'd like to challenge yourself and play Eve on Hard Mode, prove your mettle, and have a blast doing it - then consider joining Stay Frosty - the last bastion of independent pirates in all of Low Sec. There aren't many of us left, but we always have space for more.
YARRR!