Despite its sci-fi trappings, Eve Online is in many ways analogous of the real world. Alliances fight over resources, territory, and influence in an endless ballet of creation and destruction. And, while military might is certainly necessary, the real war is still fought primarily at the bargaining table. Making friends and influencing people has always been where the true power lies. So, why is it that so many groups have a hard time negotiating with the HMA?
The core of the HMA’s identity is that we run public NPSI mining fleets and consider all forms of game-play to be valid. However, almost without exception, the first item on anyone’s agenda when approaching the HMA is our use of ganking and griefing against those who don’t join our fleets. This is completely non-negotiable on our part as asking us to prohibit ganking and griefing is the equivalent of asking us to stop existing. As the “friendly neighborhood cartel” our primary desire is to have people join us of their own free will. However, as an NPSI (Not Purple Shoot It) mining fleet we retain the right to use force on those who fail to comply with our “regulations”. That’s just who we are.
What these groups fail to grasp is that what they desire is already theirs for the taking. The HMA offers the same arrangement for everyone. Participate or don’t. This applies as much to individual pilots as it does to corporations and alliances. So, if you don’t want HMA fleets to gank or grief, run them yourselves. While our organization is pro-ganking, each bosmang is encouraged to run their fleets how they would like. As long as your fleet meets the Fleet Standards -as defined in our Rules and Regulations– it is an official HMA fleet. While I consider our Fleet Standards to be fairly clear, if you ever have any doubt about what is acceptable, feel free to stop in the Discord and ask. However, I’ll take a moment to address a few of the more common questions.
Can I advertise my corporation/alliance/recruitment channel/Discord/YouTube/Twitch/MySpace/OnlyFans?
Yes… 100%, this is okay and encouraged. Enabling these kinds of connections is one of our primary motivations.
Can I advertise my own public group?
Nope. All HMA fleets need to be clearly identified as HMA fleets and need to point back to our Hek Mining Association channel. Although this may seem a matter of pure semantics, it is not. Consistent branding and a centralized platform ensures maximum participation and subsequent engagement.
Can I only run mining fleets?
Absolutely not. Although NPSI mining fleets form the backbone of our community, that is more a matter of circumstance than anything else. Mining fleets are just easier to run and more appealing to new players. If you or your corporation have a particular type of content you want to promote, either for recruitment or to take advantage of our participant pool, you are strongly encouraged to do so.
Does my fleet need to be public?
No. Although we encourage our bosmangs to make as many of their fleets public as possible, there are certainly times when doing so is simply not prudent. In those cases, feel free to make your fleets Private. You are welcome to make use of our Discord and Hek Mining Association channel as needed to find participants.
Can I run my own buyback program?
Yes. Pilots are more than welcome to run their own buyback programs. However, should you choose not to you are encouraged to provide a link to the HMA Buyback channel. As an aside, if you would like access to purchase HMA buyback contracts contact Amity Lane or Winston Enderas/The Rogue to discussion joining -H-M-A- with a market alt.
Can I charge pilots for running an HMA fleet?
Generally, no. Although bosmangs are welcome to request donations, they should not be charging a fee to participate in an HMA fleet. Any exceptions to this should be run by HMA leadership and should indeed be exceptional. The one standard exception is that owners of a moon structure may ask for a reasonable fee to cover the cost of providing the moon ore.
What do I do if someone breaks the rules?
As the bosmang, it is your responsibility to maintain order and security within your fleet. In general, our recommendation is to remove them from the fleet and request that the pilot be sanctioned. Assuming, of course, that you allow ganking in your fleet.
Do I need to authenticate in HMASeAT to run fleets?
While we strongly encourage everyone who participates in HMA Fleets to authenticate in HMASeAT for security and convenience (mostly ours) it is not required.
