History of EVE University: Difference between revisions

EVE University is one of the oldest corporations in EVE Online.  Since EVE University has a naturally high turnover of members, the collective history of the corporation is quickly dispersed.  The aim of this page is to collect some of the stories. This page is a collection of the recollections of various different past and present members, so it is of course subjective. As significant time has passed since some of these events sources are rare, so there may be some inaccuracies. Some of this information is sources from EVE University founder Morning Maniac's two-hour history lecture in March 2007:  [http://classes.eve-ivy.com/Morning%20Maniac%20-%20Past%20Present%20and%20Future.mp3 EVE University History, Past Present and Future]. It covered the history of the EVE University from its founding as a chat channel.  However, well over half the EVE University's history happened after this talk.

EVE University was founded on 15th March 2004. The founder, Morning Maniac, had been answering questions in the Help channel, and wanted to provide something that was more helpful than what 'Help' had become.  The heart of the operation was the EVE University public chat channel. Early on, the principle was established that EVE University would remain neutral, so that students can have the widest possible choice of future corporations.

EVE University was, with NAGA, the Four Horsemen, and others, one of the founding corporations of The Big Blue alliance.  The Big Blue (always with the definite article) was founded in October of 2005, and lasted until August of 2006.  During this busy year, the alliance built two outposts in Geminate: the Blue Pill in BWF-ZZ, and Masada Station in 8MG-J6.  In June of 2006, the Mercenary Coalition declared war on BLUE.  A month later, The Four Horsemen withdrew from the alliance, removing much of The Big Blue's PvP power.  Subsequently, attacks by Euphoria Unleashed and others rendered the situation untenable, and NAGA and EVE University dissolved the alliance and withdrew from the region.  An interesting historical consequence is that the EVE University's teamspeak server was hosted with NAGA until late 2009.   

The Big Blue was interesting in that it maintained [[NRDS]] and a non-aggression policy -- a rarity in 0.0 space. Subsequent to The Big Blue's withdrawal, BWF-ZZ has developed a reputation as a cursed system, which no group can hold onto for very long.  

At the time EVE University retreated from Geminate, a group of EVE University members wanted to remain in 0.0, allying with ISS, an organization which itself maintained neutrality.  EVE University as a whole felt that this would nevertheless undermine its neutrality.  Twenty-six EVE University members left to form The Graduates (TGRADS), and take over the Cassini outpost of ISS in EC-P8R.

Unfortunately, this outpost was isolated from the rest of ISS.  TGRADS was forced out of the region, and joined with EVE University in forming the Ivy League Alliance.  Subsequently, they maintained POSes in NPC 0.0, under the Ivy League flag.  The difficulty and expense of maintaining these POSes, and the disparity between EVE University's primary mission and the 0.0-ward desires of TGRADS, put strain on the relationship between the two. Subsequently TGRADS left Ivy League to join BRUCE, then an up-and-coming 0.0 alliance.  After BRUCE dissolved, TGRADS joined Morsus Mihi.  They are currently the largest corp in The Initiative., and still recruit preferentially from EVE University.  

* 18 Sept 06 -- Romble no longer in EVE University (TGRADS).   

* Privateers (corp) war 24 Oct 2006.  (Privateers founded 6 weeks previous).  TGRADS in ISS at this time.  Ivy League at ~700 members, though this includes some inactives.

The drone regions of space were added to the EVE universe in November of 2006.  At some point subsequent to leaving Geminate, until about April 2007, EVE University held space in the drone regions (S-R9J2), while remaining headquartered in Korsiki(?).  In April of 2007, Invictus attacked, and eventually forced Ivy League out of 0.0 again. Invictus won sovereignty on 28 Jun 2007, according to evemaps.dotlan.net.   

* ~18 Jan 07, TGRADS rejoined Ivy League.

During this time, TGRADS was organizing at least some 0.0 ops for EVE University members

After leaving 0.0, EVE University settled at Korsiki.  By the end of 2006, there was a precursor to the present ship replacement plan, though it only covered frigates -- and destroyers.  At the beginning of 2007, as noted above, TGRADS joined the Ivy League alliance.  And the first of the Privateers wars began.

<big>'''Formation of the Low-sec Apprenticeship Group - mid 2007'''</big><br />

In mid-2007, the Low-sec Apprenticeship group was formed -- possibly in a fit of absent-mindedness. Master Akira, who was involved in the group from early on, has written [[Low Sec Apprenticeship Group|a short personal history]] of the group's first incarnation. After Master Akira's departure from EVE University in mid-2008, the group was reorganized under Dlardrageth.  [[Division 6]] grew out of a subsequent reorg.

At the end of July 2007, Silentbrick took a poll to gauge interest in forming a professional Navy, which became the [[Ivy League Navy]].

* Murder-Death-Kill - 27 Aug 2007 - MD-K declared war on Ivy League, having first taken the trouble to set up a POS in Korsiki under an alt corporation (Vajayjay), in which they could shelter completely safe from attack -- in high-sec, shooting at the 'neutral' POS would be a CONCORD-able act.  They also used the tactic of putting neutral alts in among their drones, to prevent smartbombs attacking their drones.  Both of these were seen within EVE University as dirty tricks. MD-K was a ~60-person corp at the time, composed of veteran PvP'ers.  They had recently left the Triumvirate alliance, and had at one time advertised as mercenaries.  It is not known whether their war with EVE University was hired by a third party.  Interestingly, MD-K had apparently absorbed a corp of former EVE University members, Direct Intent, a few months previously.  This caused some internal conflict for MD-K, as a number of their members refused to fight Ivy League.

* EVE University wardecs Vajayjay - 29 Aug 2007 - EVE University made a rare wardec, in order to attack the POS in which MD-K was sheltering.

* Wardec against  Ivy League Research Foundation - 2 Sep 2007 - MD-K next wardec'd 2KNOW, suggesting strongly that their primary target in this war was the Korsiki POS. MD-K's attack was particularly significant, since EVE University had a capital ship array anchored at the POS in Korsiki.  Game changes had made it impossible to re-anchor such an array in high-sec space, so an irreplaceable asset was under attack -- a rarity in EVE.

* 2KNOW Rejoins Ivy League - 5 Sept 07 - After the removal of the highsec capital arrays, the MD-K war quickly wound down, and 2-KNOW rejoined Ivy League.

Soon after the wardec, MD-K attacked the POS in Korsiki.  The attack was beaten off, but barely, since the POS was not configured for defense.  2KNOW decided as a defensive measure to remove the corp from Ivy League immediately; that is, to remove the POS from the wardec.  Unfortunately, this caused some trouble. At this time, it was apparently common practice for players to log off at the POS, to avoid being camped in at stations.  The departure of the POS owners from Ivy League meant that some EVE University members were ejected from the POS on login, with no warning, into the waiting guns of MD-K.  Others bounced off the POS shields to similar effect.

TRAPS (The Really Awesome Players), then a corp in the Privateer alliance, war-dec'd the Legion of Lost Souls.  LOLS had history with the Uni and IVY going back to The Big Blue.  LOLS refused to pay ransom to TRAPS, and joined the Ivy League alliance for mutual support.  TRAPS later claimed that the cause of the LOLS wardec was LOLS' smack-talking.  After a week of war, TRAPS failed to renew the wardec.  However, they joined the Privateers Alliance a few days later, and the shooting started again.

At this time, EVE University was dec'd by a one-man corp.  EVE University's membership was about 1,200.  The diplomatic team contacted Ibn Sahl to see why he wanted to take us all on. The answer: '''Honor'''. (After honor was satisfied, Ibn Sahl declared war on the Privateers.)

In March of 2008, the Privateers announced on the EVE forums that they would be accepting contracts against EVE University.  It was widely believed that senior leaders in the Privateers had developed personal grudges against EVE University.  For the following two months, the Privateers maintained continuous war against EVE University.

Lack of DPS in EVE University fleets has been a recurring problem throughout the corporation's history.  After over a month of war with no break, a battleship loan program was started to get more battleship-capable pilots flying the big boats in war fleets.

The Tribute to Sabre A [http://go-dl1.eve-files.com/media/corp/CUrzonDax/Tribute_to_Sabre_A.mp3]

<big>'''Castle Greyskull and the Disappearing POS - November 2008'''</big>

<big>'''Formation of Division Six - around March 2009'''</big><br />

[[Division 6]]There is no six.

<big>'''Destruction of the EVE University POS - 4 May 2009'''</big><br />

Seppuku Warriors had declared war on EVE University simultaneously with Dynaverse, a larger corporation with no previous interaction with the Uni.  The war opened with SW suicide-ganking a hauler before the formal onset of hostilities, which should have been a hint.  SW assured EVE University management that they wanted a clean war, and that they weren't interested in the EVE University POS.  So it was a bit of a surprise when 50+ battleships arrived to assault the POS. The war had been timed to fall during the final exam period of many real-life universities, which limited EVE University's forces available.  EVE University leadership present at the time decided that they couldn't contest the Dynaverse-SW fleet, and ordered a total lockdown to prevent losses.  The POS was put into reinforced mode, and the battleship fleet left.  SW insisted that of course they wouldn't blow up the POS -- they just wanted to teach EVE University a lesson.  They also expressed regret that EVE University hadn't come out (in a largely frigate-and-cruiser fleet) to fight.  (Remember that at this time, EVE University had very few battleship-capable pilots).

EVE University leadership kept its plans quiet, but the student body was spoiling for a fight.  Independently, many students started planning either to repair the POS shields & modules, or to fight a fleet if there was a subsequent attack. When the POS came out of reinforced mode on 9th May 2009, a large Dynaverse fleet again showed up to attack it. EVE University fleets responded, and a battle royal ensued.  Dynaverse/SW, in addition to their superior firepower, had parked neutral alts in shuttles in the middle of their drone swarms.  This led to perhaps the lightest moment of the day -- Dierdra Vaal, who had used smart-bombs to clear the enemy drone swarm, running away from Concord at high speed, toward low-sec, in a series of vehicles. Dierdra's security status had dropped instantly from +5 to -6 as the "neutral" shuttles and pods got destroyed.  DV then discovered in order that (a) You can't successfully tank Concord and station/gate guns in a battleship, and (b) you can't cloak your covops in high-sec if Concord is after you.  Unfortunately, the POS was destroyed in the end.  A replacement POS was donated to EVE University by the members of Division 6, so the material loss was mitigated -- but the emotional impact on EVE University membership was enormous.

Another mercenary group that wardec'd EVE University hot on the heels of the POS takedown, FRICK was very, very good at small-group combat.  Fighting them was educational -- they camped several stations at Korsiki with elegant teamwork and well-chosen bookmarks.  It had become apparent to many by this point that someone with a lot of spare cash was upset at EVE University.  We were getting wardecs every week, and from mercenaries every time.

Subsequent to the SW/Dynaverse war, the number of 'real' wars decreased.  However, a huge number of 'faildec' wars were declared in this time period -- 7-10 member corps who'd show up for a day of fighting, lose a ship or two, and then hide for the rest of the week, causing EVE University membership to spin in station.  EVE University leaders suspected that a large part of this problem was being a very large corporation located in the highest-population region of space.  A number of solutions were considered, and it was decided to move EVE University to a quieter region of space.  They looked around and decided on Aldrat -- a quiet region near Hek, but not so near as to cause trouble.  Aldrat is also near the infamous pirate system Rancer, which has greatly increased PvP learning opportunities for students.  It's also at the head of a cul-de-sac in space, which has certain practical advantages. The move to Aldrat (temporarily) decreased the number of wardecs EVE University had, though cleaning the low-grade pirates and can-flippers out of the region occupied people for quite a while at the start of the move.

{{Quote|John Haldane writes: One day in November of '09, Reese Walker scanned down a POS in a wormhole. Her voice came over the Teamspeak channel: "Hey, guys -- guess what I found!"  That turned into a week or so of frantic activity, since what she had found was a wormhole system where some members of Dynaverse were maintaining POSes.  We quickly arranged to get some scanning alts into their wormhole, and got hold of Silentbrick.  Soon, Silent had called for a fleet to... take care of the problem, and D6 was trying to provide logistic support, scanning services, and wormhole management and training for a Uni siege fleet, on short notice and with little practice (or sleep).  The siege was successful -- the POS owners sued for terms, and the ILN carried home the Dynaverse POS tower as part of the surrender terms.  A lot of Unistas got a real education in WH operations over the weekend.  But to this day, we all flinch when Reese says "Hey, guys!"}}

Because Aldrat is also near NPC 0.0 space, EVE University leadership took the experimental step of opening NPC 0.0 to students.  This seems to have worked out pretty well so far -- students can dip a toe into 0.0 without the political repercussions of entering sovereign 0.0.

At the start of 2010, Morning Maniac announced that he was stepping down as CEO of EVE University, after almost 6 years at the helm.  Kelduum Revaan, the former Director of Operations, replaced Morning Maniac as CEO.  Morning Maniac remains an EVE University member and Director Emeritus.

PIRAT had once again declared war on Eve University. Herc Stormsailor then found POCOs belonging to Tactical Pixies Incoming, a member PIRAT. These POCOS were then destroyed in an EVE University operation. Then it was found that Lizaveta Corporation was an alt corp of PIRAT and that it had 50+ POCOS near Amarr. On March 18th theses findings were revealed when EVE University declared war on Lizaveta Corporation. For week after war declaration EVE University was deployed in Amarr space and destroyed over hundred POCOs.