Stay Frosty was born on May 6, 2013. It was born in fire. Shrouded in misunderstandings, internal conflicts, back-stabbing, and loads of useless drama. Out of which was born a steely-eyed determination to build the preeminent old-school pirate corporation in New Eden. Despite all the crap that surrounded its birth - I was determined not to lose sight of that goal from day one. Despite the wars, the station camping, the personal vendettas of those around us - and often within our own ranks - I was determined to keep it going long enough for it to thrive.
In a few short weeks we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of that day. An entire decade of YARRR! An entire decade of conflict, wars, betrayal, spies, blue doughnuts, threats, good fights, frigate menaces, laughter, fun, and a collection of some of the best pilots New Eden has ever seen. For over half of Eve Online's entire existence Stay Frosty has been the definition of piracy inside of the game.
How cool is that?
I'll be talking and writing more about our history in the weeks leading up to the anniversary - but today I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate how difficult this journey has been. And how much I appreciate the thousands of players that have taken up the mantel of Stay Frosty over the past ten years. Because no matter what credit I might try to take in the coming weeks, the truth of the matter is that none of this would have worked without them. Without pilots. Without pirates. Without friends. Sometimes for a short time and, in many cases, for a much longer time. There are still 12 players in Stay Frosty that have been with us since the beginning (unbroken) and many more from that time who have returned to us in the years since.
One of the hardest things about this for me has always been saying goodbye to players that you fly with on a daily basis. It is hard to become involved, to learn, and to share hardships and adventures and then to say goodbye. Many have left the game and vanished into the void of real life, others have become real friends and stay in touch, many have jumped in only for a brief moment, others make a lasting impact that is still felt today. There is no rhyme or reason to it all. And every player is different. All of their stories, struggles, triumphs and glories are the tapestry of what makes Stay Frosty some place special. And our history is the history of each of those players.
The best part is that someone jumping into Stay Frosty now from ten years ago would still recognize us. We still haunt the space lanes looking for good fights. We still fly the same type of ships. We still YARRR! And we still cling to our Pirate Code and strive to provide content each and every day. We still adhere to the tenets of solo excellence and small gang adventure. We still have people predicting our downfall and our demise. We still engender drama from time to time. We still live every day in the forge of fire. So much has changed in the last ten years and yet so much of what I dreamed of on that day remains forever true.
Someone from ten years ago could still jump into a frigate, undock, and feel right at home in Stay Frosty. And that is a legacy that I hope will remain for however many more years this crazy ass game manages to survive.
And to all those who predicted or planned or schemed or promised our demise - thank you. That was fun. We're still kicking it old-school a decade later.
Stay Frosty. Forever.