A TALE OF TWO CORPS BY TRIGET

I present to you the stories of two TRIBE corps whose names I'm sure you are familiar with. I hope this will be educational, first about how I approach corps in our alliance, and second about how corps leadership should function in a nulsec alliance.

Our first corp joined TRIBE during the merger of TASHA and 99. An old corp, with many inactives and a well-known but maligned CEO, this corp, and its CEO was faced with an adapt or die situation. The CEO, ties to many in nulsec, decided to focus all of his energies into completely rebuilding his corp from the inside using a recurring infusion of new players by borrowing an innovative technique developed by one of the alliance leaders. Combining informative guides, pyramidical mentoring and a skill plan that fed both monetary needs and provided fast pvp, the corp quickly grew to one of the largest in the alliance. Its players are perhaps the most active in using their access to our Teamspeak server, and the leadership of the corp would regularly take their members on fun, fast-paced roams to give their very new players a taste of pvp in eve. Their salvage buy-back program provided a ready income source for the new players in their coercers, and helped fund corp projects, with the goal being of procuring JF support for the corp. Thus, new players were brought in and developed and have learned to love this terrible game we all play.

This corp, and its CEO, also made some crucial mistakes. Being so inwardly focused, it left their public image to be created beyond their control. The search for content for their members found the corp flying with neutrals who enjoyed the same sort of noobish pvp that was necessary for the corp to flourish. The attitude that everyone should not take the game seriously led to the acceptance of people who caused drama for its own sake. Thus, the corp became very internalized and isolated from the rest of the alliance while not recognizing the harm that their inaction did to how many in the alliance perceived them. Because the leaders of this corp chose to focus internally instead of putting their efforts into the alliance leadership their efforts remain unsung, their voice muted. The CEO of this corp contacted me early, and often. Kept me informed of their corps methods and development. Because of this, I allowed them much latitude in action, had to repetitively defend their actions when they proved too naive to defend themselves. Without an alliance such as our own, presenting the opportunity I gave them, they would not have been able to develop as they had in nulsec. This corp is still with us, has a growing and very active member base, and will soon be setting of on their own temporarily to explore parts of eve gameplay that TRIBE cannot currently offer. I commend their efforts, wish them the best when they leave and will accept them back in a heartbeat when they have sown their wild oats.

The second corp is, as I'm sure you hoped, a different story. This corp joined TRIBE not long after the merger and had much promise. Having been in been in two alliances before, they thought TRIBE would be a good fit. They talked of their pvp skills, laughed at my jokes, and were a fairly social lot in their main timezone. Some good friends of theirs merged into them after that corp found that all their members were doing was logging in to rat in S-6 in Delve. This "pvp" corp talked of their merits, and pointed fingers at others. While they talked of pvp and hotdropping and the like, they ratted. While our best pilots were on deployment, they ratted. While our FCs lead fleets, they posted about how spais and awoxers were ruining their ability to rat. This from a pvp corp. Our diplos and leaders were flooded with accusations of spais, with reports of asteroid stealing. For months they did this, their leaders would go afk and noone would notice because their leaders didn't lead. They would return with promises to "whip things into action" and promptly lead their heroic fleets against Arkonor and Blood Popes.

The lesson one can gain from this are numerous. They would pvp, and come back with one kill. They would say they are pvpers. They would look at their shiny ships and do gods know what with their hands. They would look at the alliance fits, remark about how what they thought was better, then never show up for a fleet. This corp, in this entire month has sent precisely one member on one fleet when there were 20 fleets run with around 100 members in each. I allowed them to be terrible. I brought them under our roof, hoping, gambling that they would make good on their promises, that they would live up to their potential, that my trust would be repaid. Instead, I got mining drama, military ratings V, and only one person, one time working to contribute to alliance goals. I have this weakness, that I see the potential instead of the real. And in this corp I couldn't get past a friendly chat and to the truth that this corp was simply riding on the coattails of alliance efforts and showing nothing for it. It is a failing in me, and it was a failing in the leadership of that corp. Instead of focusing on leading his members, the CEO of that corp wanted alliance power, wanted the alliance title. Leading a corp takes complete focus if it is to grow and a cadre of good leaders if it is to be a contribution to the alliance. Instead, this corp was listless, and left alliance giving the finger out the door as they knew their internal failings would come to light. If they reapply, I will not accept them. I am currently working on having them barred from the coalition because they deserve nothing more than renter status.

I hope these stories illustrate the pitfalls of being a leader in an alliance like ours. I'm sure some will take umbridge with the accounts I told. Nonetheless, the story shows what I want it to show. Being in the alliance means being part of something more than the corp. At the same time, the alliance is intended to be a place where a corp can grow, mature and develop into its potential. I'm sure you can tell by this point that the first corp is Concordiat and the second Lacking in Diplomacy, the CEOs Securitas and KAOS Maximus. One corp took full advantage of the opportunity alliance presented, while the other was a renter that forgot to pay. I would urge all of the alliance to carefully consider your assessment of people and corps. Step back, give them the benefit of the doubt. Talk with them, extend a hand. Let us work to make our alliance a welcoming place for those who want to improve and explore the possibilities of the game, in particular the newbros. And on the other hand, condemn those who take and give nothing back, they are the true killers of us and our blues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5BppCSJZl_o