CSM7 - Messaging

There's little denying that three CSM7 representatives try very hard to communicate often with the playerbase. Seleene, Hans Jagerblitzen, and Alekseyev Karrde. You'll see Trebor and Two Step to lesser extent on the forums. And Elise prefers to communicate via Kugutsumen.

Seleene and Hans are often on the forums, answering many player questions, or just trying to put out fires started by other CSM members. They're often on the various EVE podcasts. They have their own blogs (which they don't update as often as they should, but which aren't inactive.) They've both had Reddit AMA ("Ask Me Anything") threads. As for Alekseyev, he has his own podcast, and he's frequently seen posting on the forums (for better and worse.)

In a recent podcast, Ripard Teg pointed out that's it's all well and good that they're out there communicating, but that their communications are so dispersed that they are difficult to find for the average player. Most of the playerbase couldn't name a single EVE podcast much less find the five or so that the CSM tend to frequent. Thus, there needs to be a single well that players can come to, a single location that serves as a gateway to all of these other sources of information.

Seleene was, in fact, doing this early on. But since he's not the Secretary, he eventually left the job to Two Step. Unfortunately, Two Step is secretary of the CSM in name only (likely a concession, since he didn't get the chair as he had wanted), and he's spent little time actually doing the job of the secretary. Hans is a workhorse, and as vice-secretary, he's taken up all of Two Step's responsibilities. Hans has recently backlogged all of the CSM's recent communications into one easily digestible post. I would suspect that he'll be continuing this on a semi-regular basis.

I think there are a few simple ways that the CSM could improve their messaging, and ways in which CCP could help further this goal. Also some added transparency, allowing the player-base greater insight into the CCP/CSM communications process.

Bi-Weekly CSM Blog

The CSM should release a devblog-style update on a bi-weekly (or monthly) schedule. This "blog" should first detail what the CSM, as a whole, has been up to the last couple weeks. What have been the hot topics of conversation (generalized where NDA issues are in effect), as well as links to recent and important pieces of CSM communication (podcasts, blog posts, forum posts, etc.)

Further, each CSM representative should write a short section detailing their own recent activities. This would not be a requirement, and as such would certainly help players gauge what CSM reps are active and which are not.

This CSM blog should be given the same exposure by CCP as their devblogs, via a sticky on the forums, in the launcher and on the character-selection screen (right-hand side) in the client. This would give greater exposure to the CSM and would help to educate players on its importance (which could translate to more voters during the election cycles.)

CCP/CSM Communication

Quite of few of the current CSM representatives ran on platforms that expressed a desire for greater transparency in their dealings with CCP. The last CSM Summit Report was a strong step in this direction. I am particularly interested in the process of communication between CCP and the CSM. I would love to get some deeper insight into how these communications proceed. I would love to see some concrete examples of this communication in action.

I would propose that private CSM/CCP discussion/topic threads, as they come out of NDA, be made publicly available for perusal by the player-base. Given that these communications are likely not conducted on some hidden EVE Gate forum (due to security concerns), they are not easily transferred to the EVE Gate forums. Instead, images of these threads could be supplied. (There is a very good webpage image capturing plugin available for Google Chrome, for example.)

While allowing players a peek into the communications process, it also allows players to see representative activity, as well as seeing what ideas representatives are actually espousing. This would be an excellent level of transparency, even if the topics themselves are weeks or a couple months out-of-date.

Media Column

I would agree with the CSM that they are not a marketing tool for CCP. Their job is not to rah-rah all of CCP's changes, updates and new directions. The CSM is meant to be a conduit between CCP and the player-base  They are meant to criticize where necessary, support where appropriate.

That said, though, the CSM could play a role in giving greater exposure to EVE Online. This is not a bad thing at all. I would encourage members of the CSMs to contact the major gaming websites (Massively, Kotaku, IGN, Gamespy, Gamespot, MMORPG, MMOSite, MMOGames, etc.) to see if they would be interested in a monthly column.

The column could (maybe should?) be an extension of the CSM blogs. Any news on EVE Online is good news. More eyes reading about EVE Online gives greater exposure to EVE Online. The column doesn't even necessarily have to be CSM-related. But since the column is coming from an EVE Online community leader, it gives it a greater degree of weight (so to speak.)

The column could also be used to subtly pressure CCP in areas the CSM feels they should be pressured. There's little wrong with that as a tactic for change. And if done correctly, doesn't have to lead to friction between CCP and the CSM. (Hell, I get the impression the current CSM spends a good deal of their time trying not to annoy CCP, which then leads to questions of how that affects their effectiveness.)

We should strive to always increase EVE Online's subscriber numbers, CCP, CSM and playes alike, while educating those potentially new subscribers on the fun, exciting and dangerous world they could be stepping into.

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Three areas, that would be simple enough to implement, that would lead to greater effective communication and transparency with the player-base. The last suggestion would lead to greater exposure for the game as a whole, which is always a good thing.