The 19th EVE Blog Banter is upon us… and about the CSM and CCP
July 20, 2010 in Blog Banter by Jerran Ragnar
For Such an Awesome Ship it Should Really Look Cooler
Welcome to the nineteenth installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!
This month’s topic comes to us from @evepress, and he asks: The CSM: CCP’s Meta Game? – The CSM, an eve players voice to CCP. Right? In the grand scheme of things yes, the players bring up issues and the CSM presents them to CCP. But in its current iteration the CSM was supposed to be given small authority to assign CCP assets to projects that the CSM thought needed work on. As it has not come out this was not the case. So fellow bloggers, is the CSM worth it, has the CSM improved the game in any way, or is it just a well thought out scamby CCP to give us players a false sense of input in the game? What’s your take?
Well, I am kind of lucky in that I was playing Eve when the idea f the CSM was first introduced. I remember thinking at the time that this would be a cool idea if CCP actually used it as advertised but, I had little faith in the fact that a Gaming Company would be willing to let players dictate how they spent their time. Since then there has been several CSM elections, meetings, announcements ect. But, I have no idea what the CSM has actually accomplished. Does CCP take it seriously? Has CCP done anything asked by the CSM or has it been just so much talk? The fact is that I can’t really answer those questions with a high degree of certainty which tells me that the answer is no. Since I began playing in 2005 I have consistently seen players wanting the same things.
-Fix lag
-Make Low Sec Worthwhile
-Flesh out the PVE environment
-Make the UI better
-Perfect the current content
-Make Factional Warfare AWESOME
These are simply the gripes I have seen and I am sure there have been others. CCP however, has continually introduced “mostly finished” new game content that may or may not meet the needs of the player base. Honestly, does anyone really care about PI? Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Eve Online. It is without a doubt the most fun game I have ever played and I have absolutely no intention of leaving. Whether CCP changes how they do things or keeps coming out with new features I will still play. The bottom line is that I like flying Internet Spaceships, I like blowing up other people flying Internet Spaceships, I like Building Stuff to fit on Internet Spaceships, and I am 100% certain I will positively love shooting Gallentians, Amarr, Minmatar, and yes even my fellow Caldari in the face with a FREAKING LASER BEAM (or personal rail gun, personal missile, or some kind of cannon type thing that I carry around).
I think that the CSM is really a waste of time and resources. Like having a $9 an hour glorified Mall Cop make me put my toothpaste in a special baggy at the airport the CSM is simply a “feel good” measure. I mean no disrespect to the CSM folks, nor to CCP. I think that the CSM are dedicated to improving the game and should be commended for their efforts I simply think that their ideas fall on deaf ears. Further, I think that this is how it should be. As players we play, CCP decides how to make the game awesome and so far they have done a pretty good job. Allowing players to control the game in any way seems a bit like allowing the inmates to run the asylum. It sounds good at first but, would denigrate to a JELLO fight without much warning. If we wan’t to put our time and effort somewhere let’s bring back the EveTV Weekly show. Now THAT was the awesomesauce!
Because it has been FAR too long without a Harpy Pic!
The reason that you can’t say with certainty what the CSM have achieved is not because they have achieved nothing, but because what they have achieved has not been effectively communicated, either by them or the CSM.
Skill Queue
Weapon grouping
Cycle time indicator
Partial Black ops re-balance
Extensive consultation on Dominion Sov Changes
The root of the problem and the reason it has come to a head now is a breakdown in communications, or there not being enough communication in the first place. CCP is pretty much a closed book when it comes down to how and why they prioritize things the way they do. It is alos totally opaque when it comes to detailing where the issues brought forward by the CSM are in the backlog.
The CSM is not about making CCP do what the players want, it is at its heart a public relations exercise. and the thing about PR is it not just about marketing. its about the relationship a company has with its customers. And as any womans magazine can tell you, a healthy relationship depends alot on communication. This is what the CSM is for, to facilitate two way communication between the players and CCP. So far the communication seems to have been only one way (Players to CCP) and little has come in the opposite direction but marketing speak. This has not been in the best interests of either party.