EVE Online Politics: The Return to Delve

EVE Online Politics: The Return to Delve

eve online

Word has come down through the hyperspace network regarding big changes to the political structure of EVE Online, changes that could potentially lead to all-out civil war.

It all started with a message to Boodabooda, the current head of the Reddit-based Test Alliance Please Ignore, one of the more powerful alliances of player-run corporations (guilds) in EVE. Boodabooda has only been at the head of Test Alliance for about a week, and perhaps that’s why — according to him during a State of the Alliance broadcast — Sort Dragon, the current head of the Honeybadgers Coalition (HBC), thought he could present his counterpart with an ultimatum.

He could either “get TEST in line with the other [alliances] in the coalition, doing things like moderating the forums and community, removing people that may not be liked,” or the HBC would take control of Test Alliance by force.

Test Alliance has been a member of the HBC, an unofficial assortment of in-game alliances, for quite some time. Together, the two entities were responsible for Delve 2012, one of the largest wars in EVE history. So large, in fact, that it got its own player-composed ballad [NSFW].

The conflict saw tens of thousands of players duke it out for control of the space region after Test Alliance entered the space intentionally looking for a fight. When its demands for conflict weren’t met, Test Alliance began pillaging the region — destroying everything in sight, and stealing everything not nailed to a gravity well.

That eventually got the attention of the reigning government of the region, and the lasers began to fly.

Nulli Secunda, the aforementioned reigning alliance, finally retaliated, calling in massive reinforcements. The conflict escalated when Test Alliance called in the rest of the HBC, and finally ended with the two wresting control of much of the southwestern portion of the region from the apparently-too-peaceful sovereign.

Now, about a year after their successful campaign, conflicting leadership (e.g. attempting to coerce Test Alliance into taking part in an upcoming war) and the recently appointed Sort Dragon’s braggadocio (e.g. threatening to take Test’s space and structures, as well as install a puppet government) have culminated in Test Alliance leaving the coalition altogether

The alliance has broken ties with nearly every member of HBC, and is redeploying its forces back into the Delve region. Furthermore, Short Bus, the group’s leadership council, has announced plans to slim down, asking six corporations to leave the alliance with no plans to replace them or expand. Short Bus cited the upcoming changes to EVE Online‘s moon mining system as one of the reasons for the restructuring.

Now the real question remains, hanging in the air like a derelict; will Sort Dragon and what remains of HBC try to make good on their promises? Test Alliance was the primary member of the coalition, effectively defanging the organization. If Sort Dragon and his newly formed Here Be Dragons alliance were to make a move, the odds would certainly be stacked against them.

That didn’t stop the now largely toothless leader of the coalition from issuing a final statement through Jabber, following the secession.

“Thank you Test was fun. You always hold a spot in my heart.  And Booda. Well fucking played. Never been dunked like that before. Thank you and goodnight!”

Which was followed by “Oh and any corps wanting to join me instead of the crazies message me in game I do not have services anymore :( Sort Dragon in game!”

[Source: State of the Test Alliance May 2013]