Decisions, Decisions...Not Just Yet

I commented on Twitter that I was returning to Eve in a few weeks. Lots of nice tweets welcomed me back and many suggested corps to consider joining (as did a few private messages). I really appreciate this warm response! But the corp decision is one for the future, as I must first discover how Eve runs on my satellite internet connection and whether I will enjoy the New Eden that has evolved since I was last there.

About that internet connection... My little farm is tucked into a rugged corner on the morning side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is no cell service here and only one option for internet service: satellite. I used to play Eve on satellite but it was pretty painful for both PvP and voice comms. Eventually, the service I had throttled traffic so much due to oversubscription that I couldn't even log onto a voice server.

Since then, I've moved to a new service on a Gen4 satellite. Overall it is a great improvement but thanks to the laws of physics, the latency in a satellite connection cannot be overcome. With the old service, I had latency and traffic lag; now pretty much it's only latency affecting things. It remains to be seen how much that affects gameplay. It also remains to be seen how Eve performs these days in light of that latency; it is a vastly different game with many under-the-hood changes in the three years I've been gone. Some of those changes may not play well with latency. We'll see.

Assuming the game is playable on my connection (including voice comms latency which seems a little better than it used to be, based on some recent testing), the next consideration is game enjoyment. After I reacquaint myself with the basic mechanics of doing things, sit in a few channels interacting with folks, have flown around a bit, and see whether the old spark ignites again, I will be looking at corp options. I know from four years of previous experience what I don't enjoy in a corp, so any options I consider won't include:

• Rebooting Hellcats; it was fun in its day but I desire zero responsibility this time around
• Corps that impose too many rules, strict ship fits or fleet doctrines, or minimum activity requirements
• Corps that don't have significant pvp activity in low sec
• Corps whose members are on average too young in real life age; I'm old and prefer to hang out with groups that include a majority of older people because it simply makes for more enjoyable and relatable general conversation.

...to name a few criteria :P

This time around, my playtime will be very limited on purpose. Real life is demanding so time for gaming might at best be a very few hours a week. That's enough for me. I'm coming back to Eve because I love flying around in spaceships, I love PvP, and I miss the social interaction with that community in-game. But I don't want any responsibility in-game or out. I just want to fly around, shoot stuff and have a few laughs. Any corp I consider has to be on board with that.

Meanwhile I'm watching posts on Reddit and Twitter from corp prospects on my short list. Who those are, I'll keep to myself. Suggestions for others to consider are welcome on Twitter or in the comments.

Aside: A few people have joked with me that my timing is perfect to prep for a CSM10 campaign. Uh, nope. Not gonna do that again. I love the CSM concept and I really like keeping up with each new council's activities but running for a seat holds no interest for me.