A Sort of Homecoming (Blog Banter 39)

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Rhavas

Freebooted poses this question for Blog Banter 39:

“Some say a man’s home is his castle. For others it is wherever they lay their hat. The concept is just as nebulous in the New Eden sandbox. In EVE Online, what does the concept of “home” mean to you?”

There is a strange sort of romance in the nomadic life. When I started the character of Rhavas, and indeed this blog, what I really wanted him to be was a Thukker – a nomad of the spacelanes, and in the original concept (before I understood game mechanics), a smuggler. A loner. In the end, the closest I could pick in-game was a Vherokior Drifter.

It is perhaps a romantic notion to me because, as a player, I realize that I am a homebody to the core. I settle in, and I like the place where I am. I truly begin to feel a place in EVE is home, and build a connection to it.

Instead of truly feeling the way of the nomad, I have defined “home” in many ways.

Where I Grew Up: Hadaugago & Eystur, Heimatar

Hadaugago Station

Hadaugago is where I spent the tutorial. I still remember with trepidation my first jump through that gate in my shiny new Thrasher.

On the other side of that gate was Eystur, the perfect home for a small-time hauler. As an independent, this is what I did. Too bored by mining and missioning and too paranoid to join a corp, I hauled for ISK, eventually adding PI to my slate. Eystur is positioned one jump from Hek, but importantly a jump into Heimatar, so it is simple to grab prices between two regions and two trade hubs (Hek and Rens). I also attempted some small-time manufacturing in the stations there, which were less overloaded than hub stations. It is also very well positioned for easy runs to many places where corporations prefer to buy items at a reasonable upcharge … from EVE University in Aldrat to the pirate corps who occasionally stick their nose out to buy something in Emolgranlan.

The Homes of Rhavas’ Heart

T-IPZB I

T-IPZB I

As readers of this blog know, Rhavas is a student of the shattered planets, and the lore behind them. There are three places that fit this definition of a potential home – none of which worked out but all places he would wish he truly lived.

  • Eram, Metropolis: The home of the edifice-turned-myth of Arek’Jaalan – Site One (shown in the image at the top of this post). When CCP Dropbear got this launched, with the stated purpose of unearthing the Sleeper truths and with in-game objects for our various projects, I even harbored hope for a while that AJ members might be allowed to dock at one of the two outposts and truly make them home. Alas, this never came to be, and AJ never fulfilled its promise of great new story material.
  • Seyllin, Essence: The most famous Shattered Planet. I’ve referred many there, visited many times, wrote stories on it and even given tours to EVE University students there. It would be a fitting home one jump from highsec.
  • T-IPZB, Delve: If there was one place, however, that Rhavas could call home and live in study for the rest of his life, it would be T-IPZB. The home of Jamyl Sarum in hiding before her re-emergence. The place where the story of planet-shattering started. The first firing of the superweapon. I think Rhavas would feel he “won EVE” if he owned that system (I the player however could never base there – it’s too remote). Dear TEST: This would make a lovely Christmas gift.

Where I Hang My Guns

Villore

I think the most common conception of “home” for an EVE player, however, is his corporation’s base of operations, especially if that corp lives in the same place for many months. I’ve generally picked corps that stayed in one place, as befits me (the player).

  • Kehrara, Derelik. My first corporation (Lupus Vires) was based for a time out of Yuzier, also in Derelik, but came to rest in Kehrara. It was my only time living entirely out of lowsec space, and since it was on a tertiary route, was accessible from highsec but also had a fast route into the battle arenas of Curse. For PVP training of a bunch of newbies, it was a great spot.
  • Aldrat, Metropolis. My first long-term home was the operations base of EVE University, in Aldrat. The University founders chose well, and it fit my lifestyle perfectly. We traded in nearby Hek, had great PVP lowsec roam routes into the pipes of Hagilur, Resbroko and Molden Heath, and very close access to my PI systems in Nein and Erstet. To boot, Aldrat is a highly defensible system, the one entry point to a quiet back pocket. When I left EVE University behind, I also left a great deal of convenience behind.
  • Villore, Essence. While TORAH had aspirations of a more mobile life, the reality was that Villore offered us too many great lowsec PVP arenas for us to ever abandon it for long. Even when we “left” for times, I generally kept half or more of my ships at Villore, knowing we would be drawn back there. Brawls in Old Man Star, tangling with Faction Warriors in Tama and Heydieles, tackling pirates in Aeschee and Hevrice were almost always there for the asking. A quick hunt in Obalyu/Parts or Sharuveil/Decon always worth a look. We even had a “fight POS” in Ostingele for a while. It was a good life that I will miss now that TORAH has gone off to fight in the sov wars.

Next: A Home That Roams?

Entry Wormhole to J115422

As I look toward a potential return, I am again torn by the implications of the potential home I might have. The wanderer in Rhavas the character sees no threat in the station lockouts of Faction War – but as the player I see a painful level of inconvenience. I the player know too well how easy life can be stationed in highsec, but near to lowsec and nullsec pipes for income and fight opportunities.

But in the end, we are both fascinated by the potential of a home that stays in one place while the opportunities for profit and war shift, open and close – around it.

Other Banterers

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