On September 21st Rixx Javix will be 15 years old. I'll be in Iceland to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Eve Online and I won't be writing blog posts until I get back, so I thought I should write something today. There are so many places I could take this post as I write these words. I could talk about my in-game journey from casual weekend Father who started out simply following his Son around in space to Pirate Lord and CEO of Stay Frosty and A Band Apart. Or I could talk about the Alliance Tournaments. Or the DeathRaces and Frigate Free For Alls that have broken records for player run events. Or the travel. Or the artwork. The challenges of working with CCP and the incredible journey that has opened up the world for other artists and creatives in our community. Goodness, there are so many things I could talk about.
But I don't want to. What I want to do is say thank you. Thank you to every single person that I have interacted with these past 15 years inside and outside of this crazy internet spaceship game. Thank you to the readers who keep coming back to these pages. Thank you to the people who say Hello in local as I pass through your system. Thank you to the haters, the thieves, the malcontents, the angry salt lickers, and the insane stalkers, the doxx'ers, the pretenders, and those that promised or prophesied my doom. Thank you to that unknown stranger in Reykjavik back in 2015 who was the first person to yell "Hey Rixx!" out-loud in public. And to those players at the Laundromat shortly afterwards who welcomed me into the community and officially became the first Eve players I ever met in real life. Thank you for the late night drinks, and the weird songs, and the stupid jokes. Thanks to the gang at EveNT and all the other groups over the years that have invited me to help and given me confidence. Thanks to Niden and Crossing Zebras. And Richie and EON Magazine. And Igor and that weird Drifter Wars game we created. Thanks to the lawyers in CCP's legal department for all the Cease and Desist letters. For Anna and the openness and support for getting my store off the ground. And for the folks at the Eve Store. And for Hilmar. And Seagull. And Fozzie. And Mastermind. And Falcon. And Guard. And Aurora. And Mimic, who once almost fell over when we first met in person. And to all the other devs over the years that I'm forgetting, but who are never forgotten. Thanks to Ian for inviting me to be a part of Clear Skies. And Andrew for letting me draw maps for his book. And for all the players who asked me to design their Alliance logos, blog banners, Twitch graphics, or whatever they needed.
Thanks to the over two thousand players who have been in and out of Stay Frosty and ABA over the past decade. Thanks to all my teachers who put up with my annoying questions during those formative years. To the Fleet Commanders who taught me how to drive the train. To the folks in Dissonance who kept letting me come back after we lost another war for providence. For Lex and Cyber and Itsme for joining Lucifer's Hammer and getting me on the path to piracy all those years ago now. And very, very special thanks for those who fly with me now. Those that traveled from around the world to visit us in our home here in rural Pennsylvania to spend time with us at one of our Steel City Eve meet-ups.
Most importantly, thank you once again for all those that helped me when I needed it most. I have never forgotten you and I still keep a list of all your names on my desktop. And I've stayed in Eve largely because of your inspiration and your example. I've supported dozens and dozens of charity events, individuals, and groups over the years from your example. And I continue to do so without question to this very day. From my own work with B4R and beyond, those moments have set the foundation for everything I've done since for this community. Thank you.
I never could have imagined what downloading Eve Online would unleash when I did it back in 2008. How far it would take me, both physically around the world, but also emotionally and mentally all these years later. But also as a person.
What an incredible journey it has been. And what more awaits us as we travel into the next decade?
No matter what the posturing, the meta, or the passion unravels next - always remember that I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for putting up with me for so long.
Onward & Upward.
And I hope I get to see you at Fanfest next week.