Morb on over to the polls

Before you head on over to cast your vote be sure to check out our CSM17 candidate roundtables featuring 7 very worthy candidates engaging with each other on the hot issues of this election year.

For over 10 years now DoW has put out a ballot for our listeners to highlight who we think are the top candidates worthy of your vote. Even if you don’t agree with our #1 pick, consider adding some of these worthy players to your ballot (use all 10 spots!)

#1 Stitch Kaneland: Stitch is a very unique player in that he only plays on one character. No multiboxing, no alts. With multiboxing so prevalent amongst EVE’s high level players, it can obscure what the game actually is for many players and small groups, a growing number of which can no longer afford multiple subscriptions if they ever wanted them. That along with his stellar PVP experience put him #2 on our ballot last year, but it’s his performance on candidate roundtables this year that gives Stitch the nod for our top spot. He is an experienced, well rounded small gang player and FC with the ability to engage with players and ideas from other backgrounds and interests in a thoughtful, intelligent way. This is the guy.

#2 Arsia Elkin: Competency is its own punishment, so we should make sure Arsia is condemned to a full term this year. Arsia was the major driver of the frankly very good looking FW and Arc updates which CCP wound up hanging their hopes and dreams on at FanFest was inspired, if not directly contributed, by her after being promoted from CSM alternate. At FanFest, CCP Aurora called her “the most successful CSM in history” in terms of her ability to influence devs and make tangible positive change. That’s a ringing endorsement and given the focus of development over the next 18 months Arsia is the expert we want seeing this through to a good end.

#3 Pando: Pando is a rare bird that can bridge the gap between massive fleet FCs, medium fleet FCs, and small gang FCs. And as much as we need a small gang warfare rep, we need an *FC* rep that knows not just small gang warfare but how changes to mechanics and balance will scale all the way up and down. Plus Pando is a very active streamer with not only his own engaged community but a network of contacts throughout the game he can draw on for information or use to communicate out information out to the community at large.

#4 Brisc Rubal: Make no mistake, CSM17 is going to be a “wartime” CSM as EVE enters an absolute make-or-break period for many players weighing if they will continue to subscribe and play the game. Any good wartime CSM needs its firebrand, someone who can forge the collective outrage and frustration of the community into passionate but coherent oratory. Brisc Rubal, for whatever else you may think of him or his coalition, is such a man. And I will repost from last year something that remains true to this day: “You are hard pressed to find CSM members past or present that are as engaged, articulate, hard working, and inclusive as Brisc. He consistently makes himself available to players publicly and privately while working hard to advocate for multiple playstyles and perspectives”

#5 Angry Mustache: Much CSM communication is done in writing so in addition to your verbal firebrand, it really helps the CSM to have a top tier poster. So why not elect one of the best posters on reddit who also just happens to be one of the most knowledgeable industrialists and EVE economists in the game? Angry is all that and more, just check out his campaign thread to get a taste of what he’s been doing for years.

#6 Ithica Hawk: A key member of EVE NT’s leadership and production staff, Ithica has done incredible work driving player run events and competitions in EVE. He’s created communities, organized events, raised money for charity, called some of the most exciting EVE PVP ever broadcast, and through it all has developed some excellent communication and organization skills which will serve us well if we elect him to CSM. He’s deserving, he’s worthy, and I think he’d be good at it.

#7 keacte: NPSI has evolved from a fun, novel concept to an absolute mainstay of keeping EVE interesting and fun in spite of itself. At this point a significant amount of players see NPSI PVP as their primary playstyle, and that community needs a voice because when NPSI is supported it benefits literally everyone. Keacte’s role running not just his own community but the NPSI Calendar puts him in a great position to represent those players and ways to enhance the experience for NPSI organizers, participants, and those who fight them.

#8 Gideon Zendikar: He might lack the name recognition of some on this list but if you listened to our candidate roundtables you know his name. On that episode Gideon proved that he can hang with the heaviest hitters running for CSM this year, and he did so with confidence and clear arguments. A passionate and experienced small gang warfare pilot, Gideon may never see eye to eye with those working to build space empires but his perspective and the healthy debate it can foster is invaluable to getting at the essence of what EVE is, what it could be, and what it should be.

#9 Mark Resurrectus: Wormholers need representation on the CSM. I say we make sure they get the representative they deserve ;p Seriously, Mark came so close last year and he has the broad support of the WH community. Let’s help get this lovable, bathrobe clad man into the chair.

#10 A list of honorable people who deserve a spot on your ballot but alas we only have so much voting power: Torvald Uruz (FW), Baldin Tarmain (small/med industry), Steve Ronuken (seasoned CSM vet, 3rd party developers), Redline XIII (ship balance and content drivers), Kazanir (taxation and economics), Jinx De’Caire (new players), Drake Iddon (Pochven)