ANOTHER practical example of finding your own fun - My first steps into Querious.

This is a little post I made (was planning for it a bit earlier) this past september to commemorate my 2nd anniversary in my corp Dark Centuri Inc. It's sort of a wistful, mushy thing, but at the same time, it gives a pretty accurate history of what I went through to get where I am today in EVE. It covers my first trips into CFS (Coalition of Free Stars) space and ends when I first join my current corp.

I decided to leave it unedited, just for prosterity.

Also, I think it's another good example of "finding your own fun" and my own mantra of "Take risks, make friends." Such examples I think are needed to show new players just how satisfying this game can be.

The original thread is here.

BTW...this probably will be my last "practical example" about EVE for awhile, unless something else big comes down the pipe. Personally, I think some knowledgable people posting detailed alliance histories would be a great boon to this forum.

Enjoy and reviews are appreciated.
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A little over two years ago I, a member of Solstice Systems Development Concourse first visited Querious. I was yearning for the riches of 0.0 space and hearing stories of the charity of the CFS, packed in a Vigil class fitted with every single item that though would help me survive in lawless space (my corp mates back then thought my mission was suicidal.)

The Vigil was named Defiance.

The first trip went pretty smoothly, albiet I was unexpectedly disappointed at first, I was expecting 0.0 space to have every single belt completely full of rare ores, but was only finding kernite in my travels in the 9cg pipe. Though I finally found my objective (with the helpful advice of a local, Sheppard I believe) in the system SVM. I mined a tiny bit of Bistot into Defiance's hold and left Querious, running through some CA raiders (namedly Cursed and Hellfire).

My next trip was more interesting. This time I was in a Stabber cruiser named Sanctimonia (fitted for speed, with 1 100mn and 1 or 2 10 mn ABs). I had to run past a CA A2 blockade that day, and was chased by Zealota in a Rupture.

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[ 2004.07.29 20:15:09 ] Creed Richards > I was wondering where you went
[ 2004.07.29 20:19:37 ] Creed Richards > Pity Mimmatars have to fight like this
[ 2004.07.29 20:20:00 ] Zelota > leds be friends and hug
[ 2004.07.29 20:20:21 ] Creed Richards > maybe if you came in a shuttle
[ 2004.07.29 20:20:39 ] Zelota > this is my love shuttle
[ 2004.07.29 20:20:45 ] Creed Richards > forgive, you're amarr, but your taste in ships is admirable
[ 2004.07.29 20:20:48 ] Zelota > i let aloot of perty men ride in it
[ 2004.07.29 20:21:57 ] Zelota > i kill pie members
[ 2004.07.29 20:22:02 ] Zelota > i hate pie members
[ 2004.07.29 20:22:11 ] Creed Richards > I'm unfamilar with that term

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I escaped her, and eventually found myself in H74, did something silly when I first apporached the station...

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7.29 22:14:20 ] Creed Richards > This is Creed Richards of the Sanctimonia, requesting permission to dock
[ 2004.07.29 22:15:13 ] Creed Richards > Just felt like saying that
[ 2004.07.29 22:15:40 ] Narcoz > lol
[ 2004.07.29 22:16:21 ] Creed Richards > First time here, grateful that this is here

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Once I did some exploring of the greater H74 system, this was my reaction in corp chat...

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[ 2004.07.29 22:06:16 ] Tamio Vachss > i am in the process of going to unpas to mine later and the week end
[ 2004.07.29 22:06:24 ] Creed Richards > oh
[ 2004.07.29 22:06:30 ] Creed Richards > Pyro is good stuff
[ 2004.07.29 22:07:16 ] Tamio Vachss > at the current time i need to concentrate on isk very low unpas save and comfy
[ 2004.07.29 22:07:33 ] Creed Richards > yeah
[ 2004.07.29 22:07:57 ] Creed Richards > I may do that, working too much in CFS could prbably give me an ulcer
[ 2004.07.29 22:08:16 ] Tamio Vachss > lol
[ 2004.07.29 22:08:38 ] Creed Richards > I have a inkling what those wo participated in the gold rush feel like
[ 2004.07.29 22:09:07 ] Tamio Vachss > ; )
[ 2004.07.29 22:13:50 ] Joshvader star > That is my backaryd Ceerd. I live in hte Yukon Goldrush land
[ 2004.07.29 22:14:54 ] Creed Richards > heh, still gold there?
[ 2004.07.29 22:15:41 ] Joshvader star > oh ya, still alot of placer mining happening
[ 2004.07.29 22:16:00 ] Creed Richards > placer?
[ 2004.07.29 22:17:32 ] Joshvader star > Placer mining = washing gold from gravel..
[ 2004.07.29 22:17:45 ] Joshvader star > Hard rock mining is refining it out of rock
[ 2004.07.29 22:17:53 ] Creed Richards > ah
[ 2004.07.29 22:23:43 ] Creed Richards > OH YEAH! GOT BISTOT RIGHT NEXT TO A STATION, IN VERY PROTECTED SPACE!!!
[ 2004.07.29 22:24:36 ] Tamio Vachss > nice
[ 2004.07.29 22:24:48 ] Creed Richards > woohoo!
[ 2004.07.29 22:25:47 ] Joshvader star > Call the belt Bonanza Belt

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In my first visit I met Mentelfor, who was asking in local for some help mining. I accepted (Sanctimonia was equipped for mining). We took a belt and started chatting, and became friends. It turns out I needed his friendship to clear up a little "misunderstanding."

My next passage into Querious I was in a Stabber blockade runner again, it was either the Sanctimonia or Deo Invante (still have that ship). I forget which I was in, I think it was K-L690, but once I was approaching the southern gate (didn't have instas past K7D). All of a sudden a bunch of ships decloaked around the gate and started to attack me. I turned my ship around in a hurry, fired all the afterburners and sped away to the north gate at with missiles flying around me. They managed to just nick my armor when I finally managed to get into warp. After making it to the gate (which a few pursuers) I jumped around until I came to a safe position. I had a few words with my attackers then, and though I didn't know it at the time, (I found out when I was looking for this incident in my chat logs,) it was my first contact with my future CEO.

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[ 2004.08.03 00:44:58 ] Creed Richards > Nice ambush, most impressive
[ 2004.08.03 00:45:13 ] DeBz > stfu
[ 2004.08.03 00:45:24 ] DeBz > =D
[ 2004.08.03 00:45:28 ] Droewa > you have no tags you die
[ 2004.08.03 00:45:31 ] Nikolai Reidar > thank you
[ 2004.08.03 00:45:37 ] Ginger Magician > u mwd pussy
[ 2004.08.03 00:45:51 ] Creed Richards > last time I checked this was free space
[ 2004.08.03 00:46:09 ] DeBz > haha you must have checked a LOOOOOOOOONG time ago pal
[ 2004.08.03 00:46:41 ] Nikolai Reidar > this is our house

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I have to say, that is so much like Droewa! :P

I took a look at my combat log after they left and found that a CFS member was attacking me, I convoed him and found out they everyone was on pins and needles because of a massive CA attack. I also found out Debz was in Mente's corp. I convoed Mente and everything got cleared up, and made another friend (with Debz) and we mined together a bit.

I really should convo him more. Anyway...

Things went back to normal, I was a happy neutral under the CFS charter, working with the locals (I hired protection for my mining by offering people half my ore). I even entered a scramble gang against a CA raven fleet in a pitifully refitted mining stabber (it had only 2 heavy lauchers and a couple small laser guns IIRC). Thankfully they went into Delve.

Anyway, while I was doing the "oh so exciting!" business of hauling my ore to 3bk. I ran into Droewa again, as I said before I didn't know of him at the time (nor him attacking me), but it turns out that a little detail in my bio saved me from being fired on a second time.

Thus began the first of many convos.

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[ 2004.08.12 00:35:51 ] Creed Richards > Hello?
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:01 ] Droewa > hi
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:02 ] Droewa >
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:10 ] Creed Richards > Hey, what can I do for you?
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:11 ] Droewa > you from chitown?
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:34 ] Creed Richards > Yeah, the suburbs of Chicago
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:44 ] Droewa > i live in the city
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:51 ] Droewa > north west side
[ 2004.08.12 00:36:52 ] Creed Richards > Cool
[ 2004.08.12 00:37:00 ] Creed Richards > Must be nice
[ 2004.08.12 00:37:22 ] Droewa > naw rent is a bitch and parking tickets suck to
[ 2004.08.12 00:37:32 ] Creed Richards > Oh
[ 2004.08.12 00:37:39 ] Droewa >
[ 2004.08.12 00:37:55 ] Droewa > abunch of my freinds from city play
[ 2004.08.12 00:37:59 ] Creed Richards > I would like to live there though, probably wouldn't need a car if I worked close to my home
[ 2004.08.12 00:38:05 ] Creed Richards > It's be good exercise
[ 2004.08.12 00:38:16 ] Droewa > yep
[ 2004.08.12 00:38:53 ] Creed Richards > So, what are you doing, patrolling?
[ 2004.08.12 00:38:54 ] Droewa > i would like to keep in touch with a fellow chicago native
[ 2004.08.12 00:39:19 ] Creed Richards > Sure
[ 2004.08.12 00:39:33 ] Droewa > cool putting you in adress book
[ 2004.08.12 00:39:40 ] Creed Richards > I'm afraid I don't go downtown all that much though
[ 2004.08.12 00:39:44 ] Creed Richards > same here
[ 2004.08.12 00:40:22 ] Droewa > also set your standing to good
[ 2004.08.12 00:40:45 ] Creed Richards > Thanks

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I convoed him several times in the following weeks. Our third convo was particularly noteworthy...

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[ 2004.08.14 17:41:49 ] Droewa > why dont you just jion my corp?
[ 2004.08.14 17:41:58 ] Droewa > it would be better for you
[ 2004.08.14 17:42:46 ] Creed Richards > SSDC has done nothing to warrant me leaving
[ 2004.08.14 17:43:26 ] Creed Richards > And if I joined you and SSDC (which I assume is possible), it wouldn't be fair to either
[ 2004.08.14 17:45:29 ] Droewa > well this is where the isk is at and you are from my home town
[ 2004.08.14 17:47:34 ] Droewa > and if your corp would like they could just move to ipref and then we could contrct to buy low end minns from you and sell high end minns to you
[ 2004.08.14 17:51:21 ] Creed Richards > That is an offer worth considering, but I have no power to negotiate, my CEO is intent on staying aloof of 0.0 politics and wars, I'm probably a lot more impatient than him

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Despite my rejection, his offer was EXTREMELY tempting. I just didn't want to leave SSDC on a whim. But something unexpected happened two weeks later.

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[ 2004.08.31 14:31:07 ] Creed Richards > Hey Vein
[ 2004.08.31 14:31:41 ] Veinnail > Hello creed
[ 2004.08.31 14:32:01 ] Veinnail > creed i think we have to let you go.
[ 2004.08.31 14:32:15 ] Veinnail > actually im sure.
[ 2004.08.31 14:32:26 ] Creed Richards > Why is that?
[ 2004.08.31 14:33:38 ] Veinnail > numerous times there have been situations where co-operation, and respect are crossed
[ 2004.08.31 14:34:54 ] Veinnail > u said you have contacts in CFS that want you to join them. that may be a better idea,
[ 2004.08.31 14:35:27 ] Creed Richards > Yes I have a few friends there
[ 2004.08.31 14:36:17 ] Veinnail > effective this afternoon we will be removing you from SSDC.
[ 2004.08.31 14:37:21 ] Creed Richards > Very well, I ask that the BPCs which I placed in the BPC hanger in Hak be returned to me, namely the tempest, typhoon, and rupture BPCs

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The words don't convey the emotion, I was shocked and saddened by this revelation. I vacated the empire home I came to know (Bei and Hakisalki) and moved farther south in the metropolis region. My likely guess why they let me go was probably because I was constantly talking about my experiences in Querious. I very often invited them to join me there, but they didn't want to risk it because of the hostilities going on there.

Despite SSDC's plans to join XETIC, they became thrall of the Old Pirate Syndicate, joined FOE, Union, and ultimately Forsaken Empire, as of right now I believe they are not part of an alliance.

Anyway, my next convo with Droewa turned things aroudn quite a bit.

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[ 2004.09.01 21:51:54 ] -> Droewa has joined the channel
[ 2004.09.01 21:52:08 ] Creed Richards > Hey Droewa
[ 2004.09.01 22:08:03 ] Droewa > hello
[ 2004.09.01 22:08:14 ] Droewa > in corp metting
[ 2004.09.01 22:08:21 ] Droewa > gimme a m
[ 2004.09.01 22:12:02 ] Creed Richards > ok
[ 2004.09.01 22:12:52 ] Droewa > ok im done
[ 2004.09.01 22:12:58 ] Droewa > look at my corp info
[ 2004.09.01 22:14:45 ] Creed Richards > There doesn't seem to be anything different, what am I looking for?
[ 2004.09.01 22:15:37 ] Creed Richards > Oh
[ 2004.09.01 22:15:40 ] Creed Richards > CEO
[ 2004.09.01 22:15:49 ] Creed Richards > Congrats
[ 2004.09.01 22:16:49 ] Droewa >
[ 2004.09.01 22:17:00 ] Droewa > /emote bows
[ 2004.09.01 22:18:14 ] Creed Richards > Well, since we're looking at differences in our corp info look at mine
[ 2004.09.01 22:18:40 ] Droewa > ????
[ 2004.09.01 22:18:48 ] Droewa > why didn't you come with me??
[ 2004.09.01 22:18:52 ] Droewa > oh man
[ 2004.09.01 22:19:04 ] Creed Richards > It wasn't by choice that I left
[ 2004.09.01 22:19:13 ] Droewa > join me
[ 2004.09.01 22:19:44 ] Droewa > why did you leave??
[ 2004.09.01 22:21:18 ] Creed Richards > I was let go...for creative and communication differences...it may have been for my praises for the CFS (my ex-corp wil be joining XETIC shortly), and probably due to some of my unfortunate personality quirks
[ 2004.09.01 22:21:44 ] Droewa > hmm....
[ 2004.09.01 22:21:57 ] Droewa > well you want a job or what??
[ 2004.09.01 22:22:30 ] Droewa > it pays well
[ 2004.09.01 22:22:39 ] Droewa > peopple are great
[ 2004.09.01 22:22:42 ] Creed Richards > I would, but I woudl prefer if you get to know me first, see if I meld well with your team
[ 2004.09.01 22:24:05 ] Droewa > tell me why you are being so hard on your self??
[ 2004.09.01 22:24:19 ] Creed Richards > It's a force of habit
[ 2004.09.01 22:24:41 ] Droewa > i demand that you join my corp
[ 2004.09.01 22:24:53 ] Droewa > it will do you lots of good
[ 2004.09.01 22:24:59 ] Droewa > isk freinds
[ 2004.09.01 22:26:10 ] Creed Richards > I am at your service
[ 2004.09.01 22:26:52 ] Droewa >
[ 2004.09.01 22:27:24 ] Droewa > come to ipref soldger
[ 2004.09.01 22:27:37 ] Creed Richards > Yes sir

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And the rest is history...

It's been a interesting 2 years since then. I came from a simple member of JAKD to a senior director. Been through the good times and hard times. There were periods where it seemed JAKD might fail, but we have grown much since then, our corp has never been stronger.

It has also been a great pleasure to fly with FIX. We've all been through a bunch of hard times together, though thick and thin, but I will always work for FIX as long as she lives. I firmly believe, that as long as we work in justice, we will never truly die.

Therefore, I give my fondest thanks to all FIX members, past and present, and all JAKD members, past and present. I do miss you so much Boldyn. I hope to fly with you as long as the EVE servers stay on.

Also, thanks for your patient reading of the musings of an overly emotional and wistful FIXian.

May God Bless FIX and JAKD.

Especially you Droewa, thank you for having me in your corp, God bless you.

Creed Richards

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Again, thanks for reading.