tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73484668315479893612024-03-19T04:06:43.904-04:00EVEOGANDARixx Javix's Eve Online MagazineRixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comBlogger2977125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-53975285842970642962024-03-18T08:38:00.004-04:002024-03-18T08:38:26.644-04:00The Avalution<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BXjP8hfwWtrfQYPsGNHUyYQguBknn2Zk6gA2WwTjkJimPJBcCfmGi_y30oiHZZruCO3H1iwyL9gHB1On0ybWSL4CIHloePZDZDFZYPHhLXKd2heFtW6INMJ50JTcDmahUyV6OXPknjNXINgeaLYfb22u-R8BrmSapqVyxvkfufP3FRh2h7nj6ZJfrWQH/s1134/Avalution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="1134" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BXjP8hfwWtrfQYPsGNHUyYQguBknn2Zk6gA2WwTjkJimPJBcCfmGi_y30oiHZZruCO3H1iwyL9gHB1On0ybWSL4CIHloePZDZDFZYPHhLXKd2heFtW6INMJ50JTcDmahUyV6OXPknjNXINgeaLYfb22u-R8BrmSapqVyxvkfufP3FRh2h7nj6ZJfrWQH/w640-h282/Avalution.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I call it "Avalution" - the transformation of my in-game avatar over the last 16 plus years. I recently realized it had been awhile since my last update and I spent some time trying to find the right jacket to update the previous version. I tried a few pieces but nothing felt right. And then I saw this "Outlaw" Guristas jacket and I thought, given the current situation in Low Sec, that it would be perfect. Irony is fun.</p><p>Why is Rixx way up in the corner? I dunno. To be honest I cannot for the life of me figure out how to move his body into the center of the frame. I can move his head and his torso from side to side and whatnot, but I can't get the whole Rixx to move at all. So that's where he is. I wanted to change things up anyway, so no big deal. </p><p>The funny part is, originally back in 2008, I literally spent zero time on his portrait. I just wanted to get into the game and start playing. Back then our options were limited anyway. But it wasn't until a few years into this journey that I really started thinking about Rixx as a character, with a story, background, and a future. Most of that came about when I started writing Eveoganda. Obviously, the more I wrote about him the more "real" he became. </p><p>I might spend some more time on it again in the coming weeks. We'll see. </p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-15108678555467168502024-03-15T10:55:00.002-04:002024-03-15T10:55:32.500-04:00No Hope, or Why Attack When You Know You'll Die<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tm4VQEt_ZFbFwbUb5qmwWkPkM-xUq1yeNZz3cx0-Hz6Qoq0mYRszvKpxDHLC3oQhVUkw3YDzr6JFyL-iMR5gvZTKTuMX5gv5jWoCHBz45IxdW-7OvJXzYQBZf8WOtJzp3kGYhhlXJS9AUsWkOpSGcTo4ops6Sr-Gp8Sz_K8is5Gqe1byv6cwt8oGXTC6/s1920/angels-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tm4VQEt_ZFbFwbUb5qmwWkPkM-xUq1yeNZz3cx0-Hz6Qoq0mYRszvKpxDHLC3oQhVUkw3YDzr6JFyL-iMR5gvZTKTuMX5gv5jWoCHBz45IxdW-7OvJXzYQBZf8WOtJzp3kGYhhlXJS9AUsWkOpSGcTo4ops6Sr-Gp8Sz_K8is5Gqe1byv6cwt8oGXTC6/w640-h360/angels-2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There are times when I attack another ship when I know the odds are stacked against me. And yet, I go ahead and do it anyway. Why is that? Am I crazy? Do I not care about winning? Am I just being reckless? There are a lot of questions and over the years I've talked about this many times here in these pages. But today I want to take a look at a few recent examples and give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of each one. What led to the decision to go forward on a path that might very well lead to my destruction.</p><p>But first, two quick points. Eve Online is a game. And I've said it before, but I prefer to play it like one. I wish more players had this mentality. I'm in it to have fun and get better at my craft. In order to do that I often enjoy taking risks. Without risk, what is the point? I could easily engineer my play-time around scoring wins and mitigating my risks to the point where they would rarely happen. But why? That sounds boring as Hell to be honest. Secondly, I do actually manage my risks somewhat. I do strive to secure more wins than losses. Over the years this has also become easier and easier to do. Doing so allows me the room I need to take risks from time to time. This is all on purpose. This month, for example, I've already secured 90 wins to just 5 losses. And we are only half-way through the month.</p><p>On my way home the other night I spotted a Thorax running a site. I was in a rail Comet. Right away I knew my odds of winning that fight were extremely low. But not impossible. The Thorax would most likely be PvE fitted, possibly with T1 drones. As always, it was entirely possible that it would also be horribly fitted. (That is always possible) In addition, up to that point, my potential engagements had been extremely limited. Trust me, boredom also plays a significant part in these decisions. Killing a Thorax with a Comet would be awesome. But sadly the Thorax was not poorly fitted and had T2 drones. And I got my ass handed to me.</p><p>Another time I was out in my Rifter. I had just fought off one ship (who ran off) when I spotted a Worm in a plex. Now, let's be honest here, a Rifter has almost no chance to win against a properly fitted and flown Worm. And yet, I wanted to try it. How often will I get another chance to fight a 1v1 in a Rifter against a Worm? Probably never. I will say that the fight was a lot closer than you might imagine. I almost broke his shield tank. I have some regrets in my positioning during that fight, but otherwise the outcome was better than I thought it might be. Lessons learned.</p><p>Sometimes it isn't about the fight itself, but the message that fight sends. Some fights have a meta value beyond the fight itself. There was a ratting ship in a system near us that had been going about his business for hours without opposition. This is because the group he belongs to is known to drop the hammer whenever they get attacked. So I made the decision to risk my ship to change that. Sure enough, while we did kill the Vexor Navy Issue - they also brought a Gnosis and a Curse along to ensure I didn't survive. But I wouldn't change anything. Now they know a crazy person lives nearby and maybe they'll think twice next time.</p><p>82% of the time this all works out just fine. And I have way more examples of it working out than I have of it not working out. Point being this - try. You never know what might happen and you might even find it fun to try. Nothing bad will happen. You can always get another ship. I've been throwing my ships at other players for a very long time now and nothing bad has happened to me. I explode sometimes and yet I always win in the end.</p><p>I love this damn game.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-29365724545033409052024-03-13T09:39:00.001-04:002024-03-13T09:39:22.732-04:00Out of the Frying Pan<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeb_DUXt2TKOSlQrmN_O5lqiWRzXcPNoWLYA-Cd9YHRsaAQ8r-ZtoFeeQd78LRb-GFHpMwD9xsJOLAUF9iqrYcfaufVDA3HKBQTCmqDdrlPyitNZX_Cg204J7T0PmavXewZsdCq5YlIUPK9bNEHhM-RCStanpbZO2UaKASyIRI92EkOXvDyh1p_CuRTqR/s2450/bb0b26a5-fb51-4c8d-ae45-4a3c49893f73.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="2450" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeb_DUXt2TKOSlQrmN_O5lqiWRzXcPNoWLYA-Cd9YHRsaAQ8r-ZtoFeeQd78LRb-GFHpMwD9xsJOLAUF9iqrYcfaufVDA3HKBQTCmqDdrlPyitNZX_Cg204J7T0PmavXewZsdCq5YlIUPK9bNEHhM-RCStanpbZO2UaKASyIRI92EkOXvDyh1p_CuRTqR/w640-h296/bb0b26a5-fb51-4c8d-ae45-4a3c49893f73.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Take a moment to visit <a href="https://justabout.com/" target="_blank">Just About</a> an incredible new community of gamers and content creators, which I highly recommend. The following post was one I wrote for the Just About community and thought I'd share here with you.</p><p>---------------------</p><p>I spotted the Condor on d-scan in a small navy plex when I entered the system. I was in my infamous rail Comet and immediately warped in at range. The system was full of ships, but I knew this wouldn’t take long. Surprisingly the Condor was outside and barely moving. I quickly pointed it and began firing. As he crept towards annihilation the Firetail that had been on scan also landed. And then the Slasher. And then the rest of the gang. I made a quick decision and my mind flicked across the controls. With only milli-seconds to spare I warped off…</p><p>Directly to another small navy plex with a Comet inside. Still stinging from having to leave the Condor in low structure - I slid into the plex to engage the Comet. As always I over-heated certain modules and decreased my d-scan to close scan only. That’s when I saw the three Imperial Navy Slicers on scan outside. In a few seconds they would slide in behind me and make quick work of my ship. I quickly webbed the Comet and burned away towards the Sun. As the Slicers landed I hit 10k and his scram dropped. I shut down my AB and entered warp under four yellow boxes. I yelled “YARRR!” in local.</p><p>And landed 50k from the Sun within 5k of a Hookbill. He was as startled as I was, as the original Slasher, Firetail gang from the first encounter landed about 40k from us. We both pulled range, and sadly the Hookbill pilot burned away at the wrong angle and was quickly caught by the gang - which gave me the chance I needed to warp off to the nearest gate. This system was too busy for a solo Comet - time for a change of scenery.</p><p>I jumped into a gate camp of four Thrasher Fleet Issues and a Keres. I held my cloak for a moment, over-heated my prop, and made the 12k dive back to the gate. As expected the Keres got me and the Thrashers all started firing. They all had aggression timers now. I hit the gate with my armor repper screaming at me and jumped back into the frying pan. Safe and sound I warped off to a safe spot to catch my breath.</p><p>Typical Sunday in Eve.</p><div><br /></div>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-66798938676210565662024-03-12T09:12:00.001-04:002024-03-12T09:12:03.331-04:00The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlM0PSmlLVSPE87gWQsg_ALipcFGNuq_jPQcLVEr8bZdoMYrUeoZqveLvaJ29zRqaRXywxWhJvL3-czhKGTFLG2PAtvdq4b5bXhjVIp2aWCfwVcwHqQ-pjskHS51rZ0gYimok7YxbDOocAGEoYnwNjfxyzojhexxuT0d7UrNlHUu7WxKedxlSvZkk8TVoo/s1280/GoodBadUgly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlM0PSmlLVSPE87gWQsg_ALipcFGNuq_jPQcLVEr8bZdoMYrUeoZqveLvaJ29zRqaRXywxWhJvL3-czhKGTFLG2PAtvdq4b5bXhjVIp2aWCfwVcwHqQ-pjskHS51rZ0gYimok7YxbDOocAGEoYnwNjfxyzojhexxuT0d7UrNlHUu7WxKedxlSvZkk8TVoo/w640-h214/GoodBadUgly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I haven't written one of these in a long time. This feature is where I talk about recent engagements and tell you the unvarnished truth about each one. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just downright ugly. Over the years of this feature the bad and ugly have gotten more and more challenging to discover. Which, after all, is a good thing. Today is the 12th of the month and I've only had two losses so far. So I'm guessing I should include those.</p><p><b>The Good </b>- <a href="https://zkillboard.com/kill/116159701/" target="_blank">Hookbill vs Daredevil</a></p><p>Pirate Frigates have truly gotten the short end of the stick over the past two years. The current kings of the landscape are Destroyers and snuggly Navy complexes that don't allow Pirate Frigates or Assault Frigates. So the opportunities for fights, should you choose one to fly, are extremely limited. But I like flying my Daredevil and my Dramiel, so I still do from time to time. But it took me ages of flying around the other day to find a situation in which I could hopefully find a single fight. And then I sat inside this small advanced plex for twenty minutes while local showed more than enough ships to remove me. Finally this courageous pilot gathered enough nerve to slid into me and start a fight. Thank you.</p><p><b>The Bad</b> - <a href="https://zkillboard.com/kill/116186199/" target="_blank">Worm vs Rifter</a></p><p>Both of my losses so far this month have been in Rifters. I've been trial running some new combinations in the venerable frigate based around sig tanking and so far it has been going extremely well. But, even so, there is only so much you can do with the little ship. Especially against a Worm. I was doomed from the beginning - in hindsight. But I will say this - it almost worked. And that is what keeps me going. The mental image of that shield tank almost breaking... so close.</p><p><b>The Ugly</b> - <a href="https://zkillboard.com/kill/116185487/" target="_blank">The Dominix</a></p><p>This was ugly. Did you know there is a gas cloud in this game that actively destroys your ship? GAS! Lolz, yep that's right. You fly into it and suddenly your shields start to vanish, your warning alarms go off, and you start to die? And then you realize there is a gate you landed 70k off of that you need to get to before you die? And inside that gate is a tackled Dominix that is killing your friend? We lost two ships grabbing this battleship inside that gate, but it was worth it. It wasn't pretty.</p><p>PS: The gas cloud destroying your ship question was rhetorical btw.</p><p><b>The Bad</b> - <a href="https://zkillboard.com/kill/116133687/" target="_blank">Mobile Cyno vs Astero</a></p><p>It takes a long time to kill a Mobile Cyno with five light drones. 29k+ damage. But the neighborhood needs to be kept clean of garbage. So it had to die. You can't just leave your stuff hanging around like that and expect nothing to happen.</p><p><b>The Good </b>- <a href="https://zkillboard.com/kill/116158597/" target="_blank">Cormorant vs Astero</a></p><p>This fight was nothing to write home about, but once again the story is the thing. This player was warping into belts at perches far above the belts and I chased him from one to another, hoping he'd find some red dots to kill. We did this over and over again in one system, until he finally just left local and vanished. I forgot about him and went on my way.</p><p>Later on, in yet another system, I saw his Corm on scan once again. On the third try, he finally found some red dots to land on and I managed to catch him. I've been seeing this tactic a lot more lately and while it makes it more challenging to catch ships, it doesn't make it impossible.</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh, the other loss was an unfortunate situation when I landed my Rifter right smack on top of a well-fit Catalyst with blasters and a web. Not gonna survive that.</p><p>Until next time.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-15470185137430043922024-03-11T13:52:00.003-04:002024-03-11T13:52:28.153-04:00New Discord Server<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNzUHoa7037CFVqhs17znFaLQnNe-oJsuWM5VUEyfV5oLHZBFSCcuH_wnKpcVvQ6r35fn3wZfmE7f1q7LNvrY5gTlpgoDVDuJHZKl5fUyPrbheAat6G0H_YqIPLQ-mK5tcVW-BJtmntru1I2vb5w35j7cTCAOuTIJg1s7-zGsE0vi0hlHejynGQ2H6KRM/s755/Discord.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="755" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNzUHoa7037CFVqhs17znFaLQnNe-oJsuWM5VUEyfV5oLHZBFSCcuH_wnKpcVvQ6r35fn3wZfmE7f1q7LNvrY5gTlpgoDVDuJHZKl5fUyPrbheAat6G0H_YqIPLQ-mK5tcVW-BJtmntru1I2vb5w35j7cTCAOuTIJg1s7-zGsE0vi0hlHejynGQ2H6KRM/w640-h360/Discord.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>I really miss having a comment section here on Eveoganda. And I'm sure it is often frustrating for my readers not having a way to comment on posts. So I went and created a new <a href="https://discord.gg/TtxpGur5" target="_blank">EVEOGANDA</a> Discord Server and you are all invited to join. This will be the place to jump in and let me know what you think about a recent post, or ask questions about the FF4A, or ask for more information about Steel City Eve - or whatever else we can come up with.</p><p>I literally just created the server like ten minutes ago, so I'm sure it will evolve and grow as time goes by - but I am really aware of how much I miss having that point of contact here in these pages. And the ABA Discord is more for in-game Alliance stuff, this Eveoganda Discord will be more about community, blog, logos, commissions, board game, whatever you want to talk about.</p><p>So feel free to join and come say hello. More to come.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-59036292320839448772024-03-08T11:13:00.005-05:002024-03-08T11:13:38.777-05:00Eve Celebrity(hood)<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1o-LvsMjDXs?si=LZbRr_N_R1CZy3uN" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Right off the bat here, I literally just discovered the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ThisisAmi-Eveonline-xi8fb" target="_blank">"This Is Ami" youtube channel</a> like five minutes ago. Also I am friends with Brisc Rubal on Facebook. I just wanted to get all of that out of the way. I do not have any other reasons for writing about this mini-drama here today. Ami didn't know who Brisc is or was, and Brisc responded in a rather ego driven way to that idea. This is the reason I'm writing a post about this today. From what I've seen I really enjoyed the video and I look forward to watching more content, I have subscribed. And I have no axes to grind with Goons or Brisc. What I'm about to say has nothing to do with that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What I want to address is this concept of "Eve Celebrity" and what it means. Eve is a twenty year old game and e-fame for many, many people has come and gone over the last two decades. Players are often famous or infamous for a wide variety of reasons and in a wide variety of ways. All of us have our own corners in this massive sandbox and who might be well known to some are completely unknown to others. This is the way it has always been. And always will be. We've had people who have strived to be famous. And we've had players who want nothing more than to be famous. We've even had famous people who famously rarely even played the game. There has always been a little something for everyone in the Eve community.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As for me I'm always shocked when I'm at a real life event and someone knows who I am. I have never had any desire for "Eve fame" and I know for some people they might find that hard to believe. I do however, fully admit and own, the fact that I do like me some appreciation from time to time. I do appreciate being acknowledged for the work I do, for a good post, or a fun video, or a great event, or a piece of artwork. Or even for starting a gigantic meta-changing war or two. Or helping to drive a bully out of the game. Or something else I've worked hard to accomplish. And who doesn't? I think we all would like to feel appreciated. That's normal.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is that dangerous dance with EGO that people often struggle with. Sometimes that stems from feelings of self-doubt, or insecurities (which we all have from time to time) or often it can come from momentarily forgetting yourself. And saying something you'll regret. That also happens. We're all human. In my case, and personal knowledge is all I have here, I was lucky that I started playing Eve much later in life than most. My identity is not tied up in how well my blog does, or how many views my videos get. Obviously I'd like for those to do well. And I have a lot of FUN doing them. I love this game and this great community of ours. But my personal identity isn't tied up in it the way I think some people's has been from time to time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sometimes in Eve when I enter local everyone will run away and dock up. And sometimes they don't. Sometimes I get a "Hey Rixx" in local chat and sometimes I get a message telling me how to better fit my ships. Often a player with a few thousand kills to their name will make fun of me in local. This is all part of the game. I never expect anyone to know me and, in fact, I'm always surprised when they actually do. I strive to keep a humble and open personal view of my own role within the larger Eve universe. On a daily basis.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do find it funny that streamers tend towards having out-sized ideas about their own popularity. I have nothing against streamers, I fully support them. And there are some truly gifted streamers in our community. More power to them. Keep up the great work. But there is a reason why I've been writing this blog for 14+ years and have NEVER shared my numbers with anyone. (Other than CCP so I could qualify for the Partnership Program obviously) I don't share those because I never wanted to feed that ego beast in these pages. I don't write for numbers, I write for readers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I even cringe a little whenever anyone makes me out to be "Eve famous". That always sounds like a trap to me. And I might get blobbed. I'd rather be well respected for what I do and sit down with you and talk about Eve at an event together. I'd much rather hear your story than tell you mine. And I don't find it weird at all when someone doesn't know who I am.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do often have fun using propaganda to push an agenda, or try to affect change, or have some fun with something. And often some people have made the mistake of thinking that those efforts are driven by ego. And I even understand that, because not everyone knows me. That is also part and parcel of putting yourself out there and having a public persona. It comes with the territory.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ultimately the mere concept of Eve celebrity is something for others to decide. I'm just going to keep doing what I've always done, keep writing, keep making art, and undocking every day looking for my next adventure.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The rest is up to someone else.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-75621645867482785762024-03-05T11:42:00.002-05:002024-03-05T11:51:03.284-05:00Steel City Eve Announced<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Y6BpYL6pK8oHAvpfcpxGFC3L5uop38Q_goYqhvNGPcdBruX8U3y37-ZE4hbqilk5uXEUpbxKK3BZj09AXVZtPrQQ64qUZ-XU-FKXu5uFEn9SW0hm4k6bf6Wv1PIOLk-CJ3t8TmtncAY724Cmxpq2LaZXj1aHYfwc5_ZSYKoPvfz-US4KVF86M_SR5HiP/s1920/SCEbanner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Y6BpYL6pK8oHAvpfcpxGFC3L5uop38Q_goYqhvNGPcdBruX8U3y37-ZE4hbqilk5uXEUpbxKK3BZj09AXVZtPrQQ64qUZ-XU-FKXu5uFEn9SW0hm4k6bf6Wv1PIOLk-CJ3t8TmtncAY724Cmxpq2LaZXj1aHYfwc5_ZSYKoPvfz-US4KVF86M_SR5HiP/w640-h360/SCEbanner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Steel City Eve will be held this summer on Saturday, July 27th.</p><p>I wanted to let everyone know the date ahead of time. We haven't made any additional plans yet, or set up a registration page, or figured anything out as far as details. But I know the year is moving along and everyone needs to start making plans for the summer. So we've set the date in stone.</p><p>For those reading this that might not know - Steel City Eve is our annual player gathering which happens at my house. For a whole day we invite any and all Eve players and their families to visit with us at our home for fellowship, friendship, and fun. Plus food, drinks, and games. This will be the sixth time we've done this and we still want to do it. Hard to believe huh?</p><p>Over the years we've had players from all over make the trip to spend the day with us. From Germany, England, and all across the United States. One year some players rode motorcycles from Texas to be here. Last time Greygal came all the way in from Oregon. Michigan. New York, California. And points in-between. So who knows who might show up this year. It is possible we might even be lucky enough to have a few CCP Devs join us. Who knows?</p><p>Obviously I'll have more information to follow in the coming weeks and months. I do plan on having an event site up and running soon, so you can register so we'll have an idea of how many nerds will be showing up. That really helps us out with planning and whatnots.</p><p>So make plans to attend and we hope to see you in person this summer.</p><p>I forgot to mention, this is Pittsburgh, PA USA. :)</p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-65116992424395627272024-03-04T10:01:00.006-05:002024-03-04T10:04:56.175-05:00Long Live Tama<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qHewO4uHs6XV6E0klAFi1KcBvolB_NOC26MPMHT1DTJK5XcV8uFY0-Enp3N8LDaBCclDYRWu1fTKiUPdtyRRdbwzqDMDdGqimjFnTIwCKMGbBDsoSdRroqnvHtM7rdLibKhxzZ_nzc5v-YmhKa82EpWSNyYlPnol1NoNIDML7wgTmWAhYhLN3sJvlOlv/s2450/LonelyComet.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="2450" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qHewO4uHs6XV6E0klAFi1KcBvolB_NOC26MPMHT1DTJK5XcV8uFY0-Enp3N8LDaBCclDYRWu1fTKiUPdtyRRdbwzqDMDdGqimjFnTIwCKMGbBDsoSdRroqnvHtM7rdLibKhxzZ_nzc5v-YmhKa82EpWSNyYlPnol1NoNIDML7wgTmWAhYhLN3sJvlOlv/w640-h296/LonelyComet.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Once upon a time there was a place called Tama. It was, for all intents and purposes, the Amamake of the north. Just a few jumps from Jita with a High Sec gate and two exits into Low Sec space, Tama was the natural and organic heart of criminal activity in the region. Oh sure it was cancer. It was full of gate campers, station games, and bait traps. Trickery. Thievery. And shenanigans galore. But it was active and thriving and full of content on a regular basis. In many ways Tama fueled the entire region. Just as Amamake does in the south.</p><p>Tama was a content engine. And for a long time this engine not only fueled the north, it also provided an income stream into the play-style of hundreds of dedicated players. And a destination for thousands more. Much of this power was built on the back of a Freeport called "Space Detroit" which provided much needed safe harbor (with tether), but also free services and trade. Sadly Space Detroit was destroyed by a powerful entity and that engine, that content, has never recovered. Tama is, for all intents and purposes, dead. Kaput. A shadow of its former self.</p><p>There is a very delicate balance to all things, but few are more delicate than the balance between being a content provider in Eve Online and the drain on your wallet. Pirates are no exception. We work hard to undock and pew pew as often as possible, but every ship loss, every module choice, every moment of danger has to be balanced with the potential of our income stream. We have to make isk to spend isk. Yes that is simplistic, but it is the root effort that essentially defines all activity in our game. We all face this weight every time we log into the game. We'd all like to make more than we spend.</p><p>The loss of Space Detroit was only the most obvious factor leading to the demise of Tama. The new Pirate Insurgency system also had a major part to play in that as well. Insurgency pulled the focus into far flung systems that change each cycle. Pulling content creators away from the idea of a hub, into various other systems without a central unifying force. The timing of these factors couldn't have been more problematic for the region had they been planned. </p><p>In other words - things have changed. And change can be rough, challenging, and often extremely disruptive. My personal goal is simple - to see Piracy in Eve thrive. And to help my fellow Stay Frosty pilots thrive in that system. I'm very fortunate in that I happen to exist outside of that income balance stream for various reasons. I don't need to rely on my activity to fuel my content because I provide other services that provide me an income stream outside of that system. In many ways, I use that fortunate status to help fuel content for my corporation and alliance. But I can only do so much. I'd like to see a system in which opportunities exist for my pilots to earn income individually to help fuel their own content missions. And, right now, that is challenging.</p><p>These challenges don't all stem back to Tama. That would be a difficult stance to take. But I do believe a significant portion of it does weave its way back to this engine being on idle. And once you add in the impact that roving insurgency has brought to low sec, the impact only magnifies. It has, without a doubt, become much more difficult for us Pirates to survive in that world. Which has played a significant role in the increasing rarity of our chosen play-style.</p><p>We need a type of isk faucet that is tied into negative sec status. Not only would this help to provide additional income streams to those that choose the Pirate play-style, but would also help to encourage more players to test the waters of that play-style choice. It doesn't have to be anything insane, perhaps a new type of mission that requires a negative sec status to participate. Perhaps a type of Abyssal content that does the same. Or something else. I've long advocated for additional content that is tied into security status and I think it is long overdue. (Things like the Anti-Marshal battleship for example)</p><p>We need to complete the arc that ties all of low sec together that was started by reviving Factional Warfare and the introduction of Insurgency. Let's not forget those that strive to create a more vibrant and engaged low sec on their own dime.</p><p>We need love too.</p><p><br /></p><p>PS: Counter-Insurgency Gate Guns need to generate a killmail to encourage people to kill them.</p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-40265452197538128122024-03-01T09:07:00.003-05:002024-03-01T09:07:31.290-05:00February Results<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXcxRBLxVFeM5LIQbqzLXxj6IzATdJxiMvMG_FZR6hWni8uFf2LwnkZS1w_FKqvPkKtmRwtuH7fQpil3PFurso1NfJhDpguAaGa_p1bYpR9MUPMBITVVULOTbsAeZbkT9wgjrdKGsR0IAdxyIh_3oYN9llFQZP9aR-VOGaI3g0_7qn9gqNxWAcdQjCUas/s1450/Feb24Results.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="1450" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXcxRBLxVFeM5LIQbqzLXxj6IzATdJxiMvMG_FZR6hWni8uFf2LwnkZS1w_FKqvPkKtmRwtuH7fQpil3PFurso1NfJhDpguAaGa_p1bYpR9MUPMBITVVULOTbsAeZbkT9wgjrdKGsR0IAdxyIh_3oYN9llFQZP9aR-VOGaI3g0_7qn9gqNxWAcdQjCUas/w640-h558/Feb24Results.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I'm going to try and get back into the habit of writing these end of the month posts more often. February is now in the books and I scored 164 kills with 13 losses for the month. In total I was responsible for 17.57b ISK blown up, while losing only 964m ISK. One of my losses was returned to me due to a server error that resulted in me losing my ship. But that doesn't impact the killboard. On the last day of the month (yesterday) I managed to catch my 13,500th kill.</p><p>February was down from January when I managed to score 339 kills with 20 losses. But February was a down month in many ways, Eve was obviously much slower in the past month across the board. And we didn't have another Pirate FoB pop up in our home system, which is one big reason why January was such a good month for me and for Stay Frosty.</p><p>If I remember February it will be for the insanely weird engagements it brought with it. While I only had 13 losses in total for the month, I can tell you that most of those were head scratchers. I managed to derp a few ships into situations I shouldn't have, which is usually a result of being bored and not finding any decent fights. Eventually I just say, "Fuck it" and fly into something horribly dangerous and stupid. I freely admit it. Sometimes that works out in my favor, but to be honest most of the time it doesn't. But who cares? I do my best to manage my exposure and leave myself room each month to screw up, make a bad decision or two, and not have it impact the overall story arc.</p><p>Stay Frosty continues to operate 2-3 organized roams each week depending on schedules. And every Saturday I run my Flying Circus fleet. This is the highlight of each week for me and lately we've been trying out some new doctrine style compositions. I must say that doing these every single week has had truly great outcomes as our pilots have become better and better at flying together and working together as a team. It is great to see that happen and I look forward to that continuing into the future.</p><p>I did only manage 17 solo kills in February and I'd like that to be more (although it was up from 12 in Jan). But to be honest right now I'm struggling a bit with the new meta that is present in Low Sec. I'm saving that conversation for another post next week. Suffice to say that Low Sec is changing and not all of those changes are good for us actual Pirates. We continue to be a dying breed and that concerns me.</p><p>Until then, it is now March and time to start all over again. My work is never done.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-73561727805211928232024-02-28T11:10:00.002-05:002024-02-28T11:10:17.404-05:00New Art Posters Released<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53556397426/in/album-72177720302436298/" title="Curses In Local"><img alt="Curses In Local" height="360" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53556397426_5345cc5707_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This week over at <a href="http://RixxJavix.com">RixxJavix.com</a> I have released two brand new posters. The one above is called "Curses In Local" (nice double meaning there!) and is only available on high-quality paper in several different sizes. The other piece is one I created based on the wallpaper I released last week as thanks to all the supporters of the Kickstarter. Everyone seemed to really like that piece and I thought it would look great as a poster. It is available in a wide variety of sizes on both paper and metal prints.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53543596458/in/album-72177720302436298/" title="Azariel Ascendancy"><img alt="Azariel Ascendancy" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53543596458_c27f626fc4_z.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As always I continue to strive to improve my skills and provide even more meaningful pieces that reflect the passion we all feel towards Eve Online. There have been many pieces that I could have released recently that I ultimately felt did not reach the high bar I've set myself. I'm struggling with a poster that presents all the spaceship card illustrations I created for the board game - I just can't seem to discover a great way to present those. I'll keep trying.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the meantime, just know that I continue to be busy working on the board game and we are all working hard to get it ready for production. So hang in there.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53556397426/in/album-72177720302436298/" title="Curses In Local"><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></a>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-35573726352375756742024-02-27T12:19:00.003-05:002024-02-27T12:19:22.363-05:00Is Dune a Super-Hero Film?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz-IW0Lirro-2yKbDlXW0TdmKJB64BvdzF3FcmF-dIqR9uIRQYrRP1ovfaz65i7d2fDLst2s3rGEHUQHgy69iDGO4VulVb0nlEjG9Cm3ZQFCBE6-w6F8WsXLz_BaoD65lZzSNtan5Mvc0QVmMC39RINqsWxlzfe5xukOVSkpazKZJtPLHpfs-gOiQzoKL/s1280/dune-parte-2-1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz-IW0Lirro-2yKbDlXW0TdmKJB64BvdzF3FcmF-dIqR9uIRQYrRP1ovfaz65i7d2fDLst2s3rGEHUQHgy69iDGO4VulVb0nlEjG9Cm3ZQFCBE6-w6F8WsXLz_BaoD65lZzSNtan5Mvc0QVmMC39RINqsWxlzfe5xukOVSkpazKZJtPLHpfs-gOiQzoKL/w640-h360/dune-parte-2-1.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Yesterday I responded to a lame Tweet from Variety that mentioned Timothée Chalamet and his reluctance to star in so-called "super-hero" films. I was being a little tongue-in-cheek when I said, "Dune is a super-hero film fyi" in response. I had no idea the fire-storm this would unleash. In a few short hours I was called "uneducated" and worse. Dozens of people felt it was important to remind me of the plot of the series and correct me. It was a weird day on Twitter to say the least.</p><p>Personally I do not like categorizing stories into genre boxes, I believe it is a fools errand. A story can be many, many things. And a great story often is much more than a simple label. I grew up devouring science-fiction and learning from the great writers of imaginative fiction. I read Dune when I was ten years old, right after I finished Foundation. And right before my first reading of Lord of the Rings. When I say I devoured books, I mean it. I read everything. And one of the most influential authors I devoured was Harlan Ellison, who was extremely opinionated about genre definitions. And how limiting they can be. He notoriously hated the "sci-fi" designation, for example.</p><p>Hero fiction goes all the way back to the beginning, to the saga of Gilgamesh. Hercules. And others. The Hero's Journey. The great arc of storytelling that has been passed down over the centuries. All fiction owes its history to these origins and super-hero fiction is no different. I'm not writing a college course here, but if you are interested there are plenty of superior works on the subject. Point being there is no way to clearly define what a "super-hero" actually is or isn't. It isn't powers, just ask Batman. It isn't science-fiction, or fantasy, or comedy, or any other genre - as works exist in all those genres that could easily be called Super-Hero works. If you doubt me just try defining what a comic book is or isn't and think of Maus, Concrete, Cerberus, Dark Knight, Heavy Metal, Moebius, or a thousand other examples that break easy definition.</p><p>Dune is in many ways a great super-hero origin story. But it is so much more. It is a fantastic work of imaginative fiction. It weaves a complex thread that includes many interpretations and welcomes debate. This is its enduring strength and why it has remained so resonant for so long. It is an amazing and incredible story. Defining it is not easy to do. And rather pointless. It is, after all, Dune. A singular work of greatness. And yes part of that greatness is that it has inspired and influenced thousands of creatives in other fields. </p><p>Saying it is a super-hero story is both correct and horribly wrong. It certainly shares much with such stories but the definition limits it. Just as saying it is something else also limits it. People lose their minds over definitions. There are people still arguing about Star Wars, is it science-fiction or science-fantasy? What exactly is it?</p><p>Some works exceed definition. That is a sign of greatness. Dune is one of those works. It contains multitudes. And Paul Atreides is in many ways a super-hero. A complicated young man who is discovering his super-powers and grappling with his role in a larger universe. Often a pawn in a larger narrative and ultimately a victim of that same narrative. A warning to us all about white saviors, prophecy, and putting too much power in the hands of one person.</p><p>Sounds like a story we all need to pay attention to.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-67273224563028232342024-02-26T18:54:00.003-05:002024-02-26T18:54:19.877-05:00Goodbye Redbubble<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWptX-3NngXqTV9fWb2t-sX6RNgvNrwj06K771SPwVpLskiCtgCU0E-seveqhDY8N9ZJScyaNKt_9ksCW7BB-jjz7gWBW3JOs3UbeCKZVMnVfEis3J2YLDnv8TYdGFVHWoXHaz75OVmxJFcbi9z-whecev8qCMfC4XPhFOqoAdGtG-htWopjlerqUGm8VP/s2400/NEWstoreBanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="2400" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWptX-3NngXqTV9fWb2t-sX6RNgvNrwj06K771SPwVpLskiCtgCU0E-seveqhDY8N9ZJScyaNKt_9ksCW7BB-jjz7gWBW3JOs3UbeCKZVMnVfEis3J2YLDnv8TYdGFVHWoXHaz75OVmxJFcbi9z-whecev8qCMfC4XPhFOqoAdGtG-htWopjlerqUGm8VP/w640-h160/NEWstoreBanner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Poof. Gone.</p><p>Today I received a notice from Redbubble that they had taken down several of my ORIGINAL creations due to the fact that they might/maybe/could be in conflict with a motorcycle club in Australia. Which seemed weird. But it is always possible that someone else somewhere created something like something I created. It does happen from time to time. So I looked into it.</p><p>Turns out we don't share anything in common and my work is obviously not a conflict. However, I then discover that Redbubble lost a lawsuit last year to this club for $78,000 in damages because some idiot was selling their logo on merch. Which is a serious issue on Redbubble and all on-line merch shops. I mean, just ask CCP. Most of the stuff available on-line is based on copyright infringement. </p><p>I started writing a complaint and then I stopped. I've been considering bringing it down anyway. I haven't really been supporting it or adding anything new to it for years. And it barely makes lunch money each month. The only real bummer is that it made it easy to share Stay Frosty gear with corpmates.</p><p>So I decided to just bring it down.</p><p>Being right isn't always the most important thing. And all skulls with wings are not the same. I created that piece of art for a friend's tattoo way back in 2012, so I know it is mine. But why take the chance someone decides to take legal action anyway? I certainly can't afford that. Nor do I want that in my life. So the store is gone and I'll figure something else out for corp merch.</p><p>Goodbye eight years of Redbubble store. You guys really need to figure out your issues.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-42367120842486916412024-02-23T11:22:00.002-05:002024-02-23T11:26:37.081-05:0010th Annual Frigate Free For All<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuMdMAG2ueSvB66TEoOShdarOhtODfjYzk22Slpnd5tSZgaWo3gzzsPnVMu9x0Rp-JBrDTL-kYR2W_JHkRdMSEYwd1gbOgR6Im8D_5IRf1Y2h7fgfk6ni_eDlUlfrGrMUMr9uoiR0MopG1IBs0rW-l1SMC89GqoNg8bxs6CW5NVjnDm4cVu3czexLr3rb/s1920/FF4AEVENT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuMdMAG2ueSvB66TEoOShdarOhtODfjYzk22Slpnd5tSZgaWo3gzzsPnVMu9x0Rp-JBrDTL-kYR2W_JHkRdMSEYwd1gbOgR6Im8D_5IRf1Y2h7fgfk6ni_eDlUlfrGrMUMr9uoiR0MopG1IBs0rW-l1SMC89GqoNg8bxs6CW5NVjnDm4cVu3czexLr3rb/w640-h360/FF4AEVENT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><b>Saturday April 20th from 16:00 to 22:00 in Ouelletta Stay Frosty & A Band Apart once again invite you to our annual Frigate Free For All public event!</b></p><p>Prepare yourself for SIX HOURS of total insanity. During the event if you dock in any NPC station in our home system you will be handed a fully-fitted Frigate which you can use to engage in combat within the system. Undock, Pew Pew, rinse and repeat. You can do this over and over and over and over again. Bring your friends, go solo, gang up, whatever you want to do. This is the day to come experience PvP inside of Eve Online in an environment created to have as much fun as we can manage given the rules. Thousands of players have enjoyed this event in years past and we've continued to set and break records every year!</p><p>My God Rixx are you insane?!? Yes. Yes I am. </p><p>The only real rule is this - we try to discourage podding during the event. Podding keeps people from re-shipping and returning to the event. Players who engage in podding will be reported in local and become easy targets for revenge. We'd also appreciate that everyone has fun and enjoys the event. We're all here to encourage players to experience how much fun PvP in Eve can be. So let's try to keep that in mind.</p><p>As always you are welcome to bring special ships or fleets of your friends along. Just know that at any time local is full of hundreds and hundreds of Frigates. And Dessies. And Bob knows what else. So be prepared to lose your ships.</p><p>Stay Frosty and ABA are open to community donations to help with the event. And if you'd like to coordinate something special just DM me over on Discord and I can help in anyway I can. We'd also like to invite all content creators, streamers, YouTubers, and anyone else that would like to participate. You are all more than welcome to come along.</p><p>I fully expect lots of CCP Devs will be in local ready to help you pad your killboard. And, as always, I will be undocking something special to be exploded by everyone. </p><p>Please help us get the word out and share the link to this article on your own Discord channels and around the community.</p><p>Thanks and I hope to see you all in space at the 10th Annual FF4A!</p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-73329641408463592802024-02-21T13:26:00.002-05:002024-02-21T13:26:08.359-05:00BOOM!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivM0wg3X1YY9-NwA2GuOmqdYk37po62m5_S3uW9y4SDKQg6ZFZTw90-_gv-ON-b-tQkqytknbX7FEBkRw9FPbaS_g_QD2c-oNgbwjLR9itvmi52qVTZjJT-3ycVA9dQ6iPY5aLufLicQCrdeOmd36bHryuB5Px7iLXmSAzccBgou-sUEhHHFrt3Tl3gUe1/s2631/BOOM!.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="2631" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivM0wg3X1YY9-NwA2GuOmqdYk37po62m5_S3uW9y4SDKQg6ZFZTw90-_gv-ON-b-tQkqytknbX7FEBkRw9FPbaS_g_QD2c-oNgbwjLR9itvmi52qVTZjJT-3ycVA9dQ6iPY5aLufLicQCrdeOmd36bHryuB5Px7iLXmSAzccBgou-sUEhHHFrt3Tl3gUe1/w640-h296/BOOM!.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The Kickstarter has ended with 3,156 backers and just shy of $700,000 in support. Now the campaign moves into the manager mode and more details about that are included in the last update, <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/titanforgeminis/eve-online-the-board-game/posts/4033968" target="_blank">so be sure to check that out if you are one of the backers</a>.</p><p>What a journey! I have learned so much about Kickstarter this past month and how it works. As always thanks to my good friends at Titan Forge for sharing their insight and knowledge with a KS Noob like me. And, of course, very special thanks to everyone at CCP Games for all your help, assistance and support during the run-up to the campaign and especially during it. You helped tremendously in getting the word out to the wider player base and that is something that is not easy to accomplish. Sincerely. This was truly a Big Team Effort on the part of everyone and it shows.</p><p>In light of the success of the project today I created a special poster called "Azariel Ascendancy" which is available over at <a href="http://RixxJavix.com">RixxJavix.com</a> in both paper and metal prints. The poster is a special creation featuring art I created for the board game combined in a unique way to celebrate our community.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53543596458/in/album-72177720302436298/" title="Azariel Ascendancy"><img alt="Azariel Ascendancy" height="640" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53543596458_c27f626fc4_z.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I may have a few more of these to release here in the coming days and weeks. Might as well freshen up the game room to make space for the new board game.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mostly though I want to thank everyone who not only backed the campaign, but helped spread the word, sent along encouragement, and helped keep the positive energy going. There will be some negative voices along the way, but I like to focus on the extremely positive energy that I've felt all along the path. We did something a lot of people would have thought impossible. Heck, not that long ago, it might have been impossible. But we did it, together.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now for the long wait. This is the hard part. As always I will try to keep you all as up to date as I can here in these pages and I know the team at TF will be working hard to do the same. We have a lot of work to finish to get this game ready for delivery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you. Sincerely.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53543596458/in/album-72177720302436298/" title="Azariel Ascendancy"><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></a>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-43688320888740112832024-02-19T11:35:00.004-05:002024-02-19T11:35:29.549-05:00Staying Frosty<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM2oCz47GD7ssdjLkWUq57FC6h66pXUgge_fNHJpqPIB6gKpv3Aqu2vH4tb9i_mqKk0QOxCLY7iDGEwxkco-RfOG9sMaLtRih4Wwm_qxQPYyuYNXRQh_BerfQ3GFHijbHyZJIMQrOobczHOvsUZz2olTDW1P4aTP-c-DoZyYPm78XLy4Sk9GEpY4W_XpQ/s1200/Top30PvPCorps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1200" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM2oCz47GD7ssdjLkWUq57FC6h66pXUgge_fNHJpqPIB6gKpv3Aqu2vH4tb9i_mqKk0QOxCLY7iDGEwxkco-RfOG9sMaLtRih4Wwm_qxQPYyuYNXRQh_BerfQ3GFHijbHyZJIMQrOobczHOvsUZz2olTDW1P4aTP-c-DoZyYPm78XLy4Sk9GEpY4W_XpQ/w640-h544/Top30PvPCorps.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Eve/comments/1at4bv2/top_30_pvp_corporations/" target="_blank">This interesting chart comes to us from a recent Reddit post.</a> The point of the data pull was to see which Corporations in Eve have been consistently active over the past two years. So the criteria here was very simple - who had at least 50 kills every week over that two year time frame? In addition, while Stay Frosty's kill totals are actually almost double what you see above and the ISK value was actually 2.76T over that timespan, these are final blows only and the data values are from CCP's MER (Monthly Economic Report). Either way, the same rules for everyone so it is still valuable information.</p><p>A few things stood out to me. For one Stay Frosty has the 3rd highest KPM (Kill Per Member) on the list while we have the 3rd lowest total number of pilots on the list. This is even more impressive when you realize we carry a 25% character load of in-active pilots - what we refer to as DNK (Do Not Kick) players who are on break and hopefully will return soon. Stay Frosty doesn't kick players who let us know they are taking a break from the game. So that is even more impressive.</p><p>Secondly there are only three Low Sec Corporations (primarily low sec based) and those are Immortalis (Shadow Cartel) and LowLife (Snuff) and Stay Frosty. I recognize a few others that often dabble in Low Sec or roam through from time to time, but those are the only other ones I know are based primarily in our space. So that is pretty amazing.</p><p>I'll blow your mind one more time - Stay Frosty has over 203k total kills and yet we still maintain a 51/49 percent ratio between solo (51%) and small gang (49%). With an average of 3.3 pilots on those small gang kills. </p><p>I know it is only numbers and numbers are not the entire story of any group in Eve. But I'm proud of our pilots and I don't often get the chance to see our work in hard numbers like this compared to other groups in the game. We've all worked very hard, especially over the past two years, to bring this level of commitment to a reality. I've consistently been running Saturday Rixx Roams for almost two years now and we usually have at least one or two additional roams up and running during the week. Not to mention our annual FF4A event or other public events and roams, or our daily fleets.</p><p>I'm a proud CEO and it's great to see the hard work of our players represented in the data.</p><p>Stay Frosty Forever.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-71336520840316160512024-02-17T12:08:00.001-05:002024-02-17T12:08:08.641-05:00Thank You<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53534951378/in/datetaken-public/" title="War For New Eden Wallpaper"><img alt="War For New Eden Wallpaper" height="360" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53534951378_4b071cde97_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/titanforgeminis/eve-online-the-board-game" target="_blank">With only four days to go and the Kickstarter ending on such a strong note</a>, I decided to make another wallpaper to thank all of our supporters, backers, and everyone who helped us spread the word. I'd like to be able to thank everyone individually, but that is impossible - so I do what I can.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tomorrow evening I'll be a guest on the Federation Front Line Report podcast and then on Monday I'll be joining CCP Convict and some of the team from Titan Forge on a very special LIVE Twitch panel to help bring this record-breaking campaign to a close. The past month has been a literal whirlwind to be honest. Every day I wake up and discover a whole new group of things that have to be taken care of, designed, created, and accomplished for the campaign. All of us have been keeping our eyes and ears open, and listening to all the comments and feedback - and have been working diligently to deliver the kinds of stretch goals and additions you've requested. It has been an incredibly exciting and pulse-pounding adventure. My head is spinning frankly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I really do need to give a very special shout-out to the team at Titan Forge. They've been amazing and they deserve so much credit and appreciation for the work they've been doing. I remember being at Fanfest and watching Roman be overwhelmed with the reaction to the 200% showcase version of the game. At first he was totally, "No way we can actually make this work!" and then, over the course of those three days he was like, "We have to find a way to make this work!" And that is the way this entire process has been. Every decision is about what is best for the game, for the supporters, and for everyone involved. And while some things remain out of reach for various reasons, overall I think it is rather epic what we have been able to commit to delivering.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All I can really say is "wow".</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway it is the weekend and that means I'll be FC'ing my weekly Saturday roam here in a few short hours. And I have to get ready for the podcast tomorrow and the BIG day on Monday. So have a great weekend and be sure to go check out the Kickstarter if you haven't done so already. And please, please, please always remember to pledge responsibly. I can't repeat that enough times.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you all for your support.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53534951378/in/datetaken-public/" title="War For New Eden Wallpaper"><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></a>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-87147237143661629852024-02-16T10:30:00.007-05:002024-02-16T10:30:53.388-05:00The Final Stretch<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2M5fK_WCe2MUJWWAj2J1AMkuMEJGiwJeX5d6b8O71xtDEfOsMWZpHs_YLEbrRTVRxtcHVaq_Yfhu7B6U4aAkZFwxHLYDnk6k0IEjyA7DCvl58pk9OoatT8rQNp8Og80t4oij6QD5lMzFn6F39-maJpZgR5RZVRC0TQyxzTGfXhIbPqYPWVcQGy5zAVIr/s1234/TheTeam.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1234" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2M5fK_WCe2MUJWWAj2J1AMkuMEJGiwJeX5d6b8O71xtDEfOsMWZpHs_YLEbrRTVRxtcHVaq_Yfhu7B6U4aAkZFwxHLYDnk6k0IEjyA7DCvl58pk9OoatT8rQNp8Og80t4oij6QD5lMzFn6F39-maJpZgR5RZVRC0TQyxzTGfXhIbPqYPWVcQGy5zAVIr/w640-h466/TheTeam.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/titanforgeminis/eve-online-the-board-game/description" target="_blank">Only five days remain on the Kickstarter, so be sure to head over</a> and secure your own copy of this epic board game. Doing so is the only way to be sure you grab all the stretch goals, expansions, and everything that you might need.</p><p>I told myself that when this month finally arrived I'd do whatever I could to help support the effort. And yet, at the same time, try not to be super annoying about it. It is not easy to do both of those things. I am obviously super invested in the success of this project for a wide variety of reasons. That's obvious. Not only have I been working on it practically non-stop since last February, but the roots of this project literally go back over a decade or more. And that doesn't even mention the long history of projects like this within the Eve community, some of which are best left un-mentioned. </p><p>Someone asked me over on Discord yesterday if I was pleased with the response so far. It would be impossible not to be. This has been an extremely positive campaign so far, the response has been nothing short of overwhelming. And while there have been a few minor negative reactions here and there, it has been nothing important. In my wildest dreams I had hoped to break the million dollar milestone of course. But that was never a realistic goal. Or one that I'd seriously allow myself to entertain. And yet, that is what dreams are for. They don't have to be realistic.</p><p>It reminds me of something that happened on my very first commercial production early in my career. We were shooting a commercial for a client and I was just a junior art director on the project. It was my first time on a real set. The budget for the commercial was somewhere around 120,000US. And the Senior Copywriter did nothing but complain about how limiting the budget was over and over again. Finally the Senior Ad Executive on the project took him aside and gave him a serious talking to and I've never forgotten his words. This is real money. This is someone's home. This is the client's hard-earned cash. Don't ever lose perspective again. I took that to heart and even when I was working on $500 dollar or on a million dollar project, I always remembered that lesson. No matter what the final results are in this campaign - this is real hard-earned money from real people. You treat it with the respect it deserves.</p><p>I still firmly believe what I said years ago in response to another community project - this community can decide for itself if something is worthy or not. And I've been more than pleased to see this project be embraced in an extremely positive way. No matter what happens next we've made history. This is, by far, the most successful crowd-funded project in the history of Eve Online. We will have an epic board game based on Eve in players hands, something I don't think many of us ever believed might happen. And I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to be an important part of making that a reality. If this project had come along at a different time in my life, I might not have been able to participate. </p><p>So for all those reasons I am incredibly grateful to this amazing community of ours. Just as I have always been. You all rock.</p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-84122417912757579162024-02-15T14:44:00.006-05:002024-02-15T14:44:48.147-05:00What to Buy?<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7QB0UMXc620?si=22b3NkCqtcs2bfMx" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Eve Board Game Kickstarter is going bonkers and more and more and more add-ons, updates, stretch goals, community events, custom skins - it can be crazy to keep up with. What should you consider getting? Well luckily for us Captain Benzie has made an excellent video guide that explains everything up until today. So take a moment and watch his video to learn more about what all is available and what makes sense for you to pledge.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is less than a week left. Fair warning.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, I have to get back to work on it. Laters.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-46267742551467896272024-02-14T14:46:00.004-05:002024-02-14T14:46:33.105-05:00The Last Week<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD34nVMiXL7PhlSMGgFNlaMg-d7_efBFHIV51TpxjTC8WpVkeTA_NKz__TgIG_w_BqZr14KK2r3DiVj4jD9pzF0ZwXWfOyx0PpOzB0PXJEn55lIZcZa3pK_AfrL3-wbmId3bLbOytMbTrMIDgrz58i6juRDI53DkH7wwvJjdsKFRofqkMX941gSb9RpbEQ/s700/LastWeek.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="700" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD34nVMiXL7PhlSMGgFNlaMg-d7_efBFHIV51TpxjTC8WpVkeTA_NKz__TgIG_w_BqZr14KK2r3DiVj4jD9pzF0ZwXWfOyx0PpOzB0PXJEn55lIZcZa3pK_AfrL3-wbmId3bLbOytMbTrMIDgrz58i6juRDI53DkH7wwvJjdsKFRofqkMX941gSb9RpbEQ/w640-h250/LastWeek.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/titanforgeminis/eve-online-the-board-game" target="_blank">There is only a week remaining on the Eve War For New Eden Kickstarter!</a></p><p>Today alone there were two major updates and another big one is scheduled for tomorrow. I have a feeling there will be even more news in the final few days to get excited about. So now is the time to jump on the bandwagon and get your pledge in before it is too late. As always, only do so if you can and be sure to properly manage your pledge level. Only you know your own situation and level of comfort. Goodness knows I do not want anyone to do something they might regret later. Trust me.</p><p>I've been busier than a one-armed paper hanger however! And I need to get back to it, I have some cool stuff that needs finished.</p><p>How much more epic can this game get?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-33935257996557472722024-02-13T12:12:00.004-05:002024-02-13T12:19:01.964-05:00In Pursuit of Art<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFvLgn_VT4_P5cEhe5viD7gbrlChI6WfiFNRx9kVSEUI1QOSsiS9ERpIh0Stw30XPnDIhlKlOH6_yQ1478F01wRqQDWFYoDPVz6Kre1pZjd4c4uADUWs0wqRcVLpCZ-DalvMSj-H-8xesahtR0t8nphbhKMwaPG_6nun6vtSUSmIC1SRfper8VkDbw_Ww/s2048/Studio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFvLgn_VT4_P5cEhe5viD7gbrlChI6WfiFNRx9kVSEUI1QOSsiS9ERpIh0Stw30XPnDIhlKlOH6_yQ1478F01wRqQDWFYoDPVz6Kre1pZjd4c4uADUWs0wqRcVLpCZ-DalvMSj-H-8xesahtR0t8nphbhKMwaPG_6nun6vtSUSmIC1SRfper8VkDbw_Ww/w640-h360/Studio.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Head's up. This is a personal post about non-Eve things and for some this could be triggering. If you only want to read posts about Eve Online - then I suggest you skip this one. While Eve might pop up here and there, this is primarily a post about a real person. The person who writes these posts and who sometimes plays a character inside of Eve Online.</p><p>I didn't grow up around artists. My Father was a coal miner for 40 years and often worked weekends as a mechanic. We had a big extended family all of whom were contractors, mechanics, train technicians, plumbers, concrete workers, strong independent blue-collar people. I'm very proud of my family, but there weren't any examples growing up to look up to when it came to making a career out of art. In fact art was never my intention. Despite always drawing and writing stories, my thoughts growing up were more along the lines of engineering, space science, or possibly baseball player. Around the age of 16-17 a few things happened that threw me into a different path. I lost my perfect eye-sight. I kept growing taller and taller. I hurt my knee. And I discovered a true aversion to advanced math. Suddenly, I needed to take a serious account of myself.</p><p>My friends helped me. They thought it was obvious that I had artistic talent and helped me persuade the art teacher to help me cram four years of art classes into one year of art classes. So I could go to Art School. It was then that I realized that I had already been doing creative work my entire life up to that point, I just didn't realize it. A whole new world opened up to me. Things started making sense finally.</p><p>But even then, I had no idea what this meant. Or if you could actually make a living out of drawing pictures. And neither did my family. This was all a mystery to them as well. My parents did what they could to help me, but I was on my own. Especially when it came to paying for schooling. My mid-term change of heart had thrown any chance I had at scholarships out the window. So I did the best I could. What I didn't know then was that all the lessons I had learned from my Father and my family, that hard work was its own reward, that determination and grit accounted for a lot - all these lessons would serve me well in my life. In fact, this underpinning would become my super power.</p><p>I wrestle with self-doubt, anxiety, imposter syndrome, all the mental demons of failure and doubt about my abilities. I wrestle with these constantly. Especially back in those early days. Over the years I have taught myself, along with tremendous mentorships and friendships along the way, to turn those mental issues into powerful weapons to help me do great things. But they are always there, living right outside my line of sight. They never really go away.</p><p>But I promised myself one thing when I started on this journey - I would go for it with everything I had. I would constantly learn, constantly challenge myself, and always take every opportunity I could. I would never quit. No matter what. And I'm proud, looking back over my career, that I have lived up to that promise. I've survived through the coming of the desktop publishing phase change, the internet phase change, the social media phase change, the AI phase change and dozens of others. I jumped at the chance to test a new program called Photoshop back in the day. I taught myself digital video editing. I've written billions of words, scripts, commercials, annual reports, and even a few songs. I've never stopped learning and trying to be better at my work.</p><p>I won't bore you with all the details of my career. That 17 year old who woke up one day and realized his entire life had changed, that person was 40 years ago. A lot has happened since then. And today I work at that desk in the photo above. I've been a lot of people over those four decades, but I've rarely been an actual artist. Oh sure designer, copywriter, production artist, editor, art director, creative director, CEO, CMO, advisor, board member, entrepreneur - I've created a lot of things. And I've been a creative my entire life. But after my last consulting position I wanted to change things and get away from the stress of saving other people's failing businesses. </p><p>Which is a very long way to say this is all why my store front at RixxJavix.com was so important to me. Why I fought so hard for other creatives to have a chance to work with CCP over the years. And why this Board Game project meant so much to me when it popped up on my radar last year. I've always enjoyed genre work, my first commission in the sixth grade was a picture of Iron Man. And the opportunity to merge all of that history and passion into a project featuring Eve Online was just too good to be true.</p><p>I still have fears and anxieties. I don't have any idea what comes next. But I know that whatever it is, I will put everything I am into it. Just like I always have. I really know no other way to be.</p><p>And to anyone out there who is starting their own creative journey, or is stuck along the path somewhere, I hope my short-version helps you somehow. Life isn't a un-broken thread, it is complicated, challenging, and often seems dark and stressful. It is in those moments where we can truly shine and find a new thread that helps us grow in new ways we might never have imagined for ourselves. Don't give up. Tomorrow is always a new day.</p><p>Keep the courage.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-5767002457480290402024-02-12T09:10:00.001-05:002024-02-12T09:10:15.905-05:00War for New Eden Wallpaper<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53521564924/in/datetaken-public/" title="War For New Eden 4k"><img alt="War For New Eden 4k" height="360" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521564924_311a03bd0c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I created this 4k Wallpaper to help promote the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/titanforgeminis/eve-online-the-board-game" target="_blank">Eve War For New Eden Board Game Kickstarter which is up and running right now at this link</a>. Only 9 DAYS remain to grab your own copy of this epic board game and all the expansions, stretch goals, and other goodies. Including some truly amazing things not even announced yet. This last week is going to be even more epic. So be sure to go over there and secure your copy with all the great content. You won't want to miss it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, I'm super busy right now and there is still a tremendous amount of work to get done. So forgive me for not posting as often as usual. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Please spread the word about the board game and I'll see you in space.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And enjoy the wallpaper.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixxjavix/53521564924/in/datetaken-public/" title="War For New Eden 4k"><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></a>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-54238962944805502182024-02-09T10:03:00.006-05:002024-02-09T10:03:50.761-05:00Random Thoughts<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68aYXmf7j07KdWk4vXqTWruJTeTgOPT8cYplhEhZ4bc8lCYD-gET_Cr-FFWy3Gqab7GCv66_cxJYq6qe8X-hPDYAMAA9VosOzCAlUkccQThAwDlkVuOL2YBFimPbe7o-dk0krq1FKx4nDP_mXHsNUZveUZQ0bdvEs9w74Kks6ZzOxnpIPQ1JVLyUe7EyW/s1400/Random.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1400" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68aYXmf7j07KdWk4vXqTWruJTeTgOPT8cYplhEhZ4bc8lCYD-gET_Cr-FFWy3Gqab7GCv66_cxJYq6qe8X-hPDYAMAA9VosOzCAlUkccQThAwDlkVuOL2YBFimPbe7o-dk0krq1FKx4nDP_mXHsNUZveUZQ0bdvEs9w74Kks6ZzOxnpIPQ1JVLyUe7EyW/w640-h346/Random.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>--- Random Thought Number One ---</b></p><p>Some people in this game of ours don't like me. If I pop up on Reddit, for example, I'll get blamed for all sorts of weird things. And sometimes some random weirdo in local will say something about something they have no clue about. I long ago learned to live with this sort of thing and it has exactly zero impact on me, my experience of the game and the community, or anything really. And the reason why is very, very simple - because none of it is true.</p><p>People can choose to believe un-truths, I can't change that. All I can do is keep being awesome. But the fact remains, these weird accusations are only weird because they aren't true. I'm in the right. If they were true that would change the entire dynamic and I'd have stopped playing Eve a long, long time ago. Period.</p><p><b>--- Random Thought Number Two ---</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-o9Az7kvuW5K4vdLrkBVBavZT2zWzPBfw5U7stkd5JkSFNxSTCnF4iuEZN_07P7g2TYsKlay8rxpVHOt7TlBj5rkUtNhdhemRnlsO-IY7sOazw27jZZABl_ZLJ10mcaj-SRq_a-R2WhR7WdYg4BlilIwFHmwmLcxoVcPB3lNv6rerz9U75iCmpz-P9Fd/s2028/Imperialoyalist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="2028" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-o9Az7kvuW5K4vdLrkBVBavZT2zWzPBfw5U7stkd5JkSFNxSTCnF4iuEZN_07P7g2TYsKlay8rxpVHOt7TlBj5rkUtNhdhemRnlsO-IY7sOazw27jZZABl_ZLJ10mcaj-SRq_a-R2WhR7WdYg4BlilIwFHmwmLcxoVcPB3lNv6rerz9U75iCmpz-P9Fd/w640-h220/Imperialoyalist.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I don't pay a lot of attention to the apparel in Eve. But yesterday I put together about twenty or so of these references for one of the artists at Titan Forge who is working on some illustrations for the Board Game. And I noticed something rather strange. If you preview clothing the male preview images zoom into the crotch. The female previews zoom in on the item. This is not 100% accurate in every preview, there are exceptions. But it is usually the case.</p><p>I just thought that was weird.</p><p><b>--- Random Thought Number Three ---</b></p><p>I don't spend a lot of time on regrets typically. I try to learn from my mistakes and strive to not repeat them. But I do wish I hadn't spent so much time in Eve believing that there was some kind of honor involved with not using implants to help my PvP. Not to mention drugs or boosters. For years and years I flew around with empty pods and refused to use enhancements to aid in my PvP. I have no idea why. That was dumb.</p><p>I still do that from time to time today. Don't get me wrong. But now it is for a reason. As is my Snake Clone, my Halo Clone, my Asklaps Clone, and my other clones. This makes so much more sense. You should do whatever you can to win. To give yourself an edge. Everyone else is.</p><p><b>--- Random Thought Number Four ---</b></p><p>I realize that not everyone can afford to pledge for the Kickstarter, or even wants to do so. But if you can afford it, <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/titanforgeminis/eve-online-the-board-game" target="_blank">I recommend doing it</a>. I wouldn't wait for the retail version. Not only does the Kickstarter give you a discount on potential retail mark-ups, but you will also have access to expansions, stretch goals and other goodies that most likely will never be included in any potential retail version.</p><p>And a retail version is not a sure thing. That is the goal, but I wouldn't pin your entire hopes on seeing that happen. Right now the only way to be sure of getting your hands on the board game is through KS.</p><p><b>--- Random Thought Number Five ---</b></p><p>OMG Almost half-a-million pledged to the KS!!! </p><p>Forgive me, I just had to get that out somewhere. How freaking cool is this??!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-16853964512720859922024-02-07T10:09:00.005-05:002024-02-07T10:09:58.544-05:00Behind the Scenes<p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GByPK6AsCNg?si=YA-g89bke-WjPRaS" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love the fact that Roman and the team at Titan Forge made this video. I had nothing to do with this, but I heartily endorse it. It's great to see them having fun and showcasing their personality like this. So check it out I think you'll enjoy it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As for the campaign, we are in the middle doldrums right now. I keep asking myself every day what I can do to help get the message out and keep the momentum going. Obviously I'm somewhat limited in what I can do, but that doesn't stop me from trying.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Recently the folks over at Just About put up a bounty asking people to give me any questions they might have about the game. <a href="https://justabout.com/eve-online/your-questions-about-the-eve-board-game-answered" target="_blank">The results are pretty awesome and I encourage you to check out the post that just went up today at this link.</a> Lots of pretty graphics and art to look at.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm probably driving everyone crazy with all these posts and talk about the board game, but I also hope that everyone appreciates how important this project is to me. Of course I'm going to keep talking about it and sharing my passion for it. I'd like to see it succeed and for everyone to be excited about getting their hands on what I believe will be an epic game to have. Heck, even if it was just for the miniatures and the awesome art - I'd be excited.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I get passionate about things I believe in. That has always been me and always will be.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-5604102198948151342024-02-06T08:57:00.003-05:002024-02-06T08:57:30.200-05:00The 10th Annual FF4A Teaser<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGFlmoUDbP6ZdW10EM1ri5ZbKsbBrNvsXMy1ifWSqsRJyXn7jH4RCEBMYKNmyEfctlsRBsZsv7O4ir4tcFqA97-X99FA6GuZ678RkLrb6PxDxJthiAi1vLDKhmkYrAqtMtr7UlalKTUOrbDuJ7fReOVezX8JOYFonnHhLBEr8oYVHmcj13sN4NNWf-rWn/s1920/FF4ATEASER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGFlmoUDbP6ZdW10EM1ri5ZbKsbBrNvsXMy1ifWSqsRJyXn7jH4RCEBMYKNmyEfctlsRBsZsv7O4ir4tcFqA97-X99FA6GuZ678RkLrb6PxDxJthiAi1vLDKhmkYrAqtMtr7UlalKTUOrbDuJ7fReOVezX8JOYFonnHhLBEr8oYVHmcj13sN4NNWf-rWn/w640-h360/FF4ATEASER.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>On Saturday April 20th A Band Apart & Stay Frosty will be hosting our tenth annual Frigate Free For All in Ouelletta. Mark your calendars and be prepared for another day of absolute insanity as thousands of fully fitted frigates are handed out to everyone who wants one.</p><p>More details regarding times and whatnot will be coming along as the event draws closer, but for now I wanted to plant the flag on a date and let everyone know about it as far in advance as possible. Our industry team is hard at work building the thousands and thousands of free fully fitted frigates and plans are afoot. As always we welcome donations and players who want to help provide additional content with special ships or activities. Streamers are also more than welcome to come along and enjoy the madness. But please, no one donate a fully officer fit Hel this year. Ok? Because even if you do and I give it back to you, some people will just not shut up about how I scammed the community.</p><p>Otherwise, if you are not familiar with the FF4A event, here is how it works. You fly into Ouelletta, dock up and get handed a free frigate. You undock and have fun. When you die you simply return to station and get yet another free frigate. You keep doing this over and over again until madness overtakes you. Pretty simple premise. The best part is how much fun you will have and the insane things you will see. It is a great way to experience the insanity that is frigate PvP without risking anything other than your standings. And those are easy to fix.</p><p>You are invited. Let's break some new records this year!!</p><p>More to come.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7348466831547989361.post-31161980423399027222024-02-03T18:46:00.001-05:002024-02-03T18:46:11.706-05:001v1 Eve Comic 119<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl_sEvjGMFLA4QDhNsMhbt-wsxEWIBIZIfctZTtU6CKNI9IqyNgqnKA3HlXcuRBxnwTfEOgY3oWQV4gwCVMu0OAxuZtL6F8PrzZN3vMR4Rc6vdylkM9CeZXVLWCWDWZaxjwVl-WFAuWl7ueGp2AnaFpcJ8TZNpJU_hRO2xuLwQc3vxYw8PypQU6VdHnVC/s3000/1v1-119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2142" data-original-width="3000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl_sEvjGMFLA4QDhNsMhbt-wsxEWIBIZIfctZTtU6CKNI9IqyNgqnKA3HlXcuRBxnwTfEOgY3oWQV4gwCVMu0OAxuZtL6F8PrzZN3vMR4Rc6vdylkM9CeZXVLWCWDWZaxjwVl-WFAuWl7ueGp2AnaFpcJ8TZNpJU_hRO2xuLwQc3vxYw8PypQU6VdHnVC/w640-h456/1v1-119.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/titanforgeminis/eve-online-the-board-game" target="_blank">Special Kickstarter Edition!</a></p><p>17 Days to Go. Over 2,000 Backers and nearly $450,000 in support. Which tbh is really much more than that given that 300+ pledges are in the Recruit Pledge, which is the $1 level where you can modify your final pledge up until the last moment. So those pledges potentially haven't been counted yet because most of those are waiting on final news regarding the 200% version and the associated expansions. Which hopefully will be coming up here soon. I know the team at TF is working on getting those answers together for everyone.</p><p>Yesterday I finished the last spaceship card in the initial offering, which was the Cynabal in case you were wondering. That wraps up all the spaceship cards from the core game and the expansions. But don't worry I still have a ton of work to get done. Including the player voted Event Cards which were suggested by the comments on the Kickstarter. Once voting is finished the top five selections will be turned into real Event Cards and added to the game. Y'know, once the illustrations are done.</p><p>I was very excited to see the Structures pop up in the last Update and I'm also excited for what might be coming up next in future updates. Just like you, I don't always know every little detail and sometimes I'm just as surprised as you are. I have to admit it is a lot of fun when that happens and I get just as excited about something new as I'm sure the other backers do.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbWdTZbffDNAKvjUc_WwxBxTbDxD0fAhz4rWTjMYkMdqHxIl9FOkpKVFzhmm4vXnOYvFUHhLqyNQCbcKkYhIf_ByDiStuKoCYd3mTSV-v7fcYOFZaKIfYtjEM7HxxLOYH8goWNcf2C2-49bINv7M2mx7jbpDGNhYiIz47FlgssBi8WGkuJu-8lBxgAStC/s900/AllTheCards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="900" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbWdTZbffDNAKvjUc_WwxBxTbDxD0fAhz4rWTjMYkMdqHxIl9FOkpKVFzhmm4vXnOYvFUHhLqyNQCbcKkYhIf_ByDiStuKoCYd3mTSV-v7fcYOFZaKIfYtjEM7HxxLOYH8goWNcf2C2-49bINv7M2mx7jbpDGNhYiIz47FlgssBi8WGkuJu-8lBxgAStC/w640-h610/AllTheCards.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Just to give you a sense of the sheer amount of cards involved in the game. And these are not even all of them. To be fair these are the main cards from the core game. And there are some duplicates in there along with some cards that got cancelled along the way, or modified into other cards, etc. But still, it gives you a good sense of the scale of this thing and why it took me almost a year to create the art for all of these. And when I say "all" I don't want to overlook the cards that were done by the talented artists at Titan Forge, many of the final cards were illustrated by them as well. It was a lot of work and I appreciated the help from time to time. Plus they are really very, very good.</p><p>I hope you will consider supporting the game. I know some people who are getting themselves two copies, one to keep as a collectors edition in the packaging. Or for friends. And others don't even really like board games but are supporting it for the miniatures and other elements. There is even a way to support the game just by donating funds to support the project, without even getting the game. I also know a lot of people who are not financially able to support the game and believe me, I totally understand that. I've been there myself.</p><p>However you help, thank you. This has been an incredible journey and I appreciate all of the support.</p><p>Onward & Upward.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Rixx Javixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05484974346562922694noreply@blogger.com