Hello again

I have returned from my self imposed exile and am now playing EVE again - at least for a while anyway.

Much has changed in the 18 or so months since I last played actively. Providence, my former home, is no longer recognisable.

At the time that I left Providence was the most populated, exciting and unique region in EVE. Today it is little more than a deserted wasteland - similar in many respect to every other bit of 0.0 in EVE.

So what happened?

Providence had become too succesful and too populated for its own good. Pushed by various Holders interested in obtaining more space the CVA leadership went on the offensive against -A- (Against All Authorities) in order to obtain additional systems in neighbouring Catch.

Unfortunately this move coincidentally aligned with a -A- vs Goons war and, as a result, it looked to -A- (and much of the rest of the galaxy to be fair) that it was all part of a predetermined plot and that CVA had abandoned its traditional nuetrality in galactic affairs.

While CVA leaders had (under pressure from certain Holders) authorised the offensive they had no idea how badly it would backfire. Their intent had realistically been to obtain a handful of new systems - but to the rest of the Galaxy it looked like a fully fledged attempt was underway to kill -A-

As you can expect -A- weren't too happy with that and in conjunction with CVA's long time roleplay enemy UK (Ushra' Khan) and various other groups set about destroying the NRDS Providence block.

Unfortunately, the CVA and its Holder allies were not able to resist the leviathan levied against them (particularly after one seriously disastrous battle) and one by one the Holders lost their space and fled - with only CVA remaining in the Providence area and fighting on.

In the aftermath of their victory -A- installed a variety of alliances in Providence - the so called NIP. However this grouping did not last long as various internal dramas, pressure from CVA and friends and the fact that -A- had come under severe attack itself resulted in the NIPs collapse, with CVA regaining control over a group of Providence systems.

Since then a new group of NBSI alliances have moved to Providene (EVOKE, EWOKS, DICE, POLARIS, NORTHERN ASSOCIATES, NC. etc) and are once again in the process of evicting CVA and other NRDS corps and alliances.

True to its RP ideology and mission to extend the Amarrian Empire to 0.0 (basically NRDS) the CVA is fighting back - but once again finds itself hideously outnumbered and outgunned. At least in the short term no one in CVA expects much success in re-obtaining its space - although they are more optimistic about the long term picture and determined to make the new occupiers pay a heavy price.

Meanwhile Providence - once the most vibrant region in EVE - is virtually deserted. Systems like 9UY which once hummed with life under an NRDS system are now empty for much of the day. Raiders who once flocked to Providence knowing that they could find targets and 'good fights' stay away. Providence has sadly devolved into just another standard EVE 0.0 region.

While I can no longer dedicate much time to EVE and may not be back for long I will be doing what I can while here to help CVA rebuild 'Holy Amarrian Providence'.

I just hope that CCP realise that this game really isn't much fun when everyone is forced to play as a Viking or a Mongol in space - and that for Viking and Mongols to have fun they really have to have something other than other Vikings and Mongols to pillage...