I have no enemies.
Oh sure, I have the guy who warned me, "I'm coming back and I'm going to kill you!" the other day. And I've certainly had my fair share of weird haters over the years. Goodness knows. From the Mittani all the way down to that one dude in Shadow Cartel who hates me for something that may or may not have happened over a decade ago. So there is always "those" people. But even those I don't consider to be my enemies. For me, labeling someone an "enemy" only serves to empower them. And give them space in my head they haven't earned.
Eve is a game after all. We're all real human beings out here in the real world, and it is important to always remember that. I'm writing this as a real human being writing these words, so it is important you remember that also. Because we are about to dive, once more, into the duality that is Eve Online. A world in which it is both possible to have no enemies and to be surrounded by them. And I know this line of thinking can be challenging for some people. Hence the long introduction and the preamble.
So, yeah. I've been at this a long time.
In the context of the game enemies are important. You need them as much as they need you. If we all got along and played together Eve Online would be boring and we'd all be blue to each other. (Which, once you think about it, would be a funny way for this game to end. But I am not recommending it.) Enemies motivate players to achieve goals, to push forward, to undock, and to have clearly defined objectives. This is critical to Faction Warfare, to Null Sec politics, to market orders, and everything else that keeps the blood pumping - both in the game and in us as well.
Within that context I create enemies. To help motivate the players I represent and help us focus on goals that we can achieve. But I have never, ever, not once in my Eve career created an enemy of anyone for personal, real world reasons. It is always, for me, about the game.
I wish I could say the same about other player's motivations. But after getting doxx'd twice, stalked, impersonated dozens of times, threatened, and everything else that has happened over the years it is quite obvious that other people have felt differently inclined towards me. And since I never once did anything to any of them out here in the real world - my only conclusion is that they are this angry about stuff that happened in the game. But, let's be real for a second, what could that be?
Stay Frosty and ABA don't own Sov. We have a few times but clearly, only for lols. We don't often gate camp, or Blops, or drop Caps on Tristans. And when we do these things it is only briefly and - let's be honest - it's us doing it. And we're terrible. We do host that big player event every year. But is that something to get angry about? Maybe, it did seem to get certain parties within the game up in arms recently.
I wish I had answers here. But I don't. I seem to anger certain people. And I don't know why.
But I do know this much - I'm not angry back. Not one of you in almost 15 years of playing this game has gotten me actually angry out here in the real world where it matters. When I stop typing, or I log off from a session, you are not on my mind. Not a single one of you. Because Eve is a game. And I play it like one.
And maybe, just maybe, that is some advice you should consider. Some of you are very angry.
All I'm going to do is turn you into a meme.