Kevall Longstride
DUST University
Ivy League
238
   |
Posted - 2013.05.25 19:31:00 -
[1] - Quote
There does seem an inherent lack of understanding of what the role of the CPM is and why CCP feel it necessary to have one.
Some of the previous posters have already pointed to Eve's CSM as an example of why this is a good idea. And they are correct to do so. To say that the CSM have been successful would be something of an understatement.
However there still seems a belief that the CSM and by extension the CPM are somehow stooges of CCP, under their thrall and unwilling to go toe to toe with the Dev's over important matters. If you read the minutes of the CSM summits and spoken to a few members of previous CSM's and more importantly the dev's, you'll soon find that particular view has no bearing to the actual truth.
But first you have to understand what the CSM/CPM aren't. They're not there to come up with ideas, features and whatever else they think might be cool in the game. CCP have people for that and they do it very well. They are not there for the personal gain of themselves or the corp they are in. If any of them were, they'd soon be ignored by not only their fellow members but by CCP as well.
Nor is their role to collect a list of items they have read on the forums or sent to them by their constituents (you) and present them as a list of demands to CCP. Again CCP do that already and act on it. Sometimes quickly, more often than not at a glacial pace.
What they are is a focusing lens for CCP to look at things from a players perspective. We have a different view of the game than CCP do. They spend their time working on the game, not playing it. Consequently, we find problems with the game that they might never notice or consequences of an action that they never thought of. The CPM play the game. They know how sneaky we can be when it come to finding ways that can break the game.
And as the CEO of the first corp to get Awoxed can I say again that I've no problem with the infiltration of a corp to do mischief. That is part of the game and always has been. What I have a problem with is that the current way to do it is too easy to do for one thing. It should take time, skill and patience to do such a move, and the second problem I have with the current way to do it is that its clearly a broken game mechanic. A consequence that CCP hadn't foreseen as a problem because they always forget how sneaky we are. Technically an exploit but I'll let it go because a stop gap measure is coming to plug it.
And if I maybe so bold to suggest this, if we had a CPM earlier than we did such a broken mechanic wouldn't have made it in the game in the first place. That in itself should alert players as to the need of a CPM.
Another thing that should also be made clear to the detractors of the CPM. They don't get paid. And it's a lot of time and effort that goes into being a member of the CSM/CPM. When the proposal of the CPM was first floated and that fact that it would be a beta version, charged with writing the white paper for it and figuring out the voting method for the first elected one, quite a few people asked me if I'd be interested in that.
My answer was no. I know just how much work is involved having spoken to Kelduum Revann about his time on CSM 7. I have a full time job and run one of the largest corps in the game. I currently don't have the time to give the CPM the attention it warrants. Once the roles come in and I can get D-UNI running smoothly with minimal input from me (delegation folks is the key), I may consider running for the elected CPM. But for the time being I felt and still feel that I could do more for the community by helping create a place for the new citizens of New Eden to go to first before they get thrown into the meat grinder.
So to sum up, to say that that the CPM is a waste of time is so far removed from the reality that were are in, that it barely registers as a valid point of view. And I'd urge anyone thinking it to seriously re-evaluate their position. |