The High Sec Carebear has finally moved to 0.0, Adventures with TEST awaits.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

CVA, Providence and me.

I started playing EVE in 2007, I've had a few breaks here and there, but like a lot of people I've always come back. 
I've spent my career in high sec space, mining, trading, running missions and whatever else one does under CONCORD's watchful eyes.  I've been part of a few different corporations and an alliance or two, in one we decided to prepare ourselves for War decs by running low sec NRDS roams, engaging pirates and other characters of questionable moral fiber, but people lost interest.
There was the occasional plan to rent 0.0 space, and a for a while I think we had some systems out east, I at least found a jump clone out there, but I was never fond of the renting idea and never spent any time out there.
Eventually I found myself wanting something more.  That's when I decided to pack up my solo Corp and try to make a living for myself in Providence.
Now, as stated in a previous entry, the stars somewhat aligned for me and I found myself as a member of Corp 54 and CVA.  Now, call me whatever you like, but that's somewhat of a big deal for me and here's why.

Back in 2007 when I undocked from a station for the first time, I had no clue what I was getting into.  I liked spaceships, I had a friend who said I should try this game so I figured I'd give it a go.
0.0 was something I read about early on, it was BoB vs Goons vs NC back in those days, but it was to "scary" and inaccessible to me at the time, that was at least my own opinion on it.  I quickly became interested in all the stories that came out of 0.0, the wars, the MAX campaigns, the fall of BoB etc, it was fascinating even though I had no part in it myself.  It was amazing how much politics, underhanded spying, dealings and massive wars one could find inside a single computer game.
I followed the old CAOD forums, checked the Sov maps and generally tried to keep up on what happened "out there" while sitting in highsec, doing whatever I did.

There was one region, one entity that stood out from the rest.  There was place in the south, where neutrals were welcome, a place that didn't adhere to the shoot first, ask later policy of every other region.  It was Providence, and CVA was the law along with the other Holders.  Back in those days they were locked in a war over Providence with another roleplay based Alliance called Ushra'Kahn, but even so, neutrals were welcome and the Holders did what they could to protect them.

I found the concept of Providence fascinating, and I kept coming back to any news about the region as often as I could, CAOD, Podded Podcast and the likes was something I followed with regularity.  I never took the plunge though, I never moved down there, I just kept going along in High Sec.
I can't really put my finger on why I was infinitely more fascinated by Providence then the other regions, but looking back on it I'd say NRDS had a lot to do with it.  I like the concept of NRDS, I know there are no limits in EVE and it's the sandbox and all that, but I've always liked and respected a measured response rather then mindless aggression and violence.  NRDS is just a concept that suits my playing style.
There's also the fact that Provi Block basically gave the rest of EVE the finger and dared to be different.  They refused to get in line with the rest of 0.0 and follow the "standard" policy, they carved out their own space and ran it how they saw fit, not how CAOD told them it should be ran.

All these things ingrained Providence in me like a near mythic region of space, and I knew that if I ever headed out to the deep dark, it would have to be Providence.
I never did go, but I always had Providence in the back of my head.
Without ever having been there, without ever having seen Providence for myself, it had started to mean something to me.  It was a symbol of how one could turn ones back on the norm, Aura says "Dare to be bold pilot, dare to be bold".  Providence said "Dare to be different" and from a universe away, in a High sec asteroid belt,  it meant something to me.

I found myself defending Providence against the smack talkers.  NRDS sucks, Shit space, LoL RP, I argued in local against those people, not a very constructive thing to do in a high sec local by the way, but I did it.
And still, I'd never set a foot in Providence.

Now here I am, years later, knowing that I have to get out of High sec, break the mold and reinvigorate my game, what shall I do?
In the back of my head, a single word around which I've almost built a myth of it's own, Providence.

It was not without some reverence I jumped out the Dital gate and found myself, for the first time, under Providence skies.  I quickly decided that the region was probably not gonna live up to the expectations I had created for it over the years, that the Holders might not be the same, they'd probably kill me as soon as they caught me, I didn't even have a clue whether or not I could dock.  I also decided that I needed a new game and that I would tough it out no matter what, I was here, in Providence and I would make it work.

I do in no way intend to diminish the other Holders, but from day one CVA was the one I heard about, and so they held a "special" place in how I perceived Providence.  It was quite something to jump into a system and see local full of CVA pilots, fortunately still adhering to the NRDS policy.
When I was contacted by a recruiter from CVA itself after spending a little time in Providence, like I said in the opening, for me, the stars aligned.

I've come here to live, play and laugh.  I've come to defend Providence and NRDS, to defend an idea I've liked since day one.  I've come here to be different in the face of all those who fall in line, I've come home.

The point of this rather long story, Providence holds a special meaning to me and it's hard for me to explain why, seeing as I don't really know myself why Providence has grown in my mind since I started playing.
Either way, here I am, 7 years down the line, finally I'm here, I'm in Providence.
I'm home.

Fly hard, Amarr Victor.

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