Candidate: Zatara Rought

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Campaign statement

Hello! My name is Zatara and I am running for CPM1. An avid member of the Dust514 community I am pleased at the possibility of representing the community and relaying our feedback to CCP.

I have extensive experience playing Dust and can be quite helpful across the spectrum. Actually, I believe I contend for having the most experience playing Dust than any other candidate, being in the top 250 all time for kills/wp's not to mention alts! I love playing dust and spend a lot of time pew pewing nerds.

But Dust has quite a laundry list of issues I want to address. Many issues I've had players express to me as I've played with them. From matchmaking to 3 game modes, to balance issues, to bug/glitches/errors/lag and much much more.

I hope to press CCP with make solutions happen to as many problems as we can tackle.

The most pressing roadblock is a clear understanding between us all of what our expectations should be. We know Dust514 is slowing down development wise. Fewer people are working on it. So what exactly does this mean for new content? Or bug fixes? or events?

My main priority is reflecting your opinions in a responsible manner to CCP. I know it can be quite frustrating at times playing Dust, and sometimes people get become upset. I wish to be someone you can approach and discuss issues about Dust with.

I promise you if you vote for me, not only will I bring the experience I have playing Dust514 to the table, but I will be genuinely interested in making sure I understand your hopes/dreams/frustrations/suggestions/epiphanies you want considered and relayed. My fulfillment comes from making others happy, and I hope I can accomplish this in serving you to the best of my abilities.

On a personal note, my dreams for Dust are dependent upon immersion.

If you'd like to contact me please feel free to find me on Skype (Zatara.Rought), on twitter @ZataraRought, in game, on reddit: _Zatara_ or through my email Zatara.Forever@gmail.com

Thank you for your consideration. I will need every last bit of support.

Experience in Dust

I discovered Dust14 speaking with a co-worker about a front page Reddit.com post about the Battle of Asakai in Eve Online.

I began my time playing dust in Subdreddit! I loved every minute of it, and was quite glad to not be alone anymore. Moved to Pink Fluffy Bounty Hunterz until they disbanded. Was recruited into TeamPlayers. Remained in Teamplayers for a long time eventually becoming a director/diplomat/salesman. Moved to MHPD for 2 weeks before breaking from TP permanently due to inactivity inciting an exit from PC. Bounced around until Regnyum invited me to help him rebuild Imperfects. Regnyum quit when PS4 dropped and I opted to explore potential landing spots until I ultimately decided to create Fatal Absolution. After Fanfest provided the catalyst for a dramatic exodus we decided to merge with what was left of our long time rival Ancient Exiles. into LoD until it was decided to return to FA, where I remain today.

I have been in every major conflict, having personally incited a few wars directly.

I am in the top 250 all time for kills having about 64k which averages out to about 110 kills everyday for the last 18 months.

I am an alliance leader Dust side of General Tso's Alliance.

I have also participated in every event on Dust aside from the event that occurred while I was at FanFest.

I fight for the Amarr in FW and am an Amarr loyalist.

I have over 50 million sp and am specced into Amarr Logistics, Caldari Scout, Gallente Heavy, Minmatar Commando, Gallente Scout, and a bit into Gallente Logistics and Gallente Assault. I have almost every weapon to proficiency 3 in dust aside from the scrambler rifle and laser rifle and a few sidearms. I also have all dropsuit core upgrades maxed aside from cloak, and some shield skills and melee mods. This is all on my main. I previously played Assault and Logi during chrome, Caldari Logistics until the respec when I opted out of it into the Gal Logistics, and played primarily Gal Logistics/Gal Assault/Cal Logistics/Cal Assault until 1.8.

Real life experience

I'm only 24! >.< I'm still pursuing higher education.

I worked along the coast of California from San Simeon down to Malibu, mostly in the Ventura/Thousand Oaks/Agorra Hills/Camrillo area and the Cayucas/Cambria/Los Oso's/and San Louis Obispo areas. Much of my working experience is in advertising/sales/door to door stuff. I also worked at a tree and landscape company for 3 1/2 years.

I have been playing video games for a very long time from a young age. I prefer FPS and RPG's but I love MMO's as well. Some of my favorite games include Kingdom Hearts, Halo, Monster Hunter, Pokemon, Final Fantasy (VII and X/X-2 especially) Red Dead, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Ragnarok Online, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Civilization, Total War, Advance Wars, and my special love The Legend of Dragoon. and that's just off the top of my head.

I also enjoy games like Diplomacy, Risk, Axis and Allies, and many more like Settlers of Catan.

I have 2 border collie puppies named Echo and Sirius, and I am studying finance.

Questions

What are the top three issues currently facing Dust 514 and why?

Expectations. We need CCP to be honest and open about what the scope of future development entails, and where we can still push the envelope if it's important enough. So many issues players would love to see fixed are unknowns until this disclosure is made. We want to know if they can redraw redline's. We want to know if they can fix team chat. We want to know if they could deliver us team deploy. We want to know what new content is within the realm of possibility. For us to make informed decisions, this is a huge issue.

Nurture the Playerbase. Finding creative ways to keep dust fresh and foster new players is a huge issue. Players get bored playing the same modes on the same maps. How many times have I listened to peers say "Uuuuuuuuuuooup, here we go again" having discovered we are playing the research lab for the 4th time in a row? We need to find ways to make sure dust thrives despite the decreased development. Finding creative ways to accomplish this will remain a large priority for me.

Envelop Dust514 into New Eden. This is highly dependent upon what is in the realm of possibility. I don't know. But I feel in the grand scheme of things this is a huge issue and is tied to the other aforementioned. I have heard over and over how players want to feel like Dust is connected to Eve. Be it POS bonuses still missing from PC, to OB dropping being quite boring and feeling like a passive exercise, to Public Contracts not having context, to FW participants wishing they could influence where they are fighting. Immersion is a large factor on what can keep players around, and I aim to do as much as I can to make sure CCP hears and earful from me every chance I get no matter how small or large the idea.

Why will you be an effective CPM member?

Because of my extensive experience playing dust (most kills and wp's I believe of all candidates running) along with great role diversity (I have extensive experience with all suits and roles aside from lav's and only moderate experience with tanks) I have an overwhelming amount of time invested in the competitive circuit and high end balancing. I possess a long list of people I've met and played with in game, including many corp leaders from dust having worked with many of them for a long time. I achieve. I am the CEO of Fatal Absolution. Many people doubted when I began to build FA that a small new corp could rise from nothing and prove there was still talent to be found in Dust514 and compete with the oft recycled small playerbase of already existent PC corps. After one month of hard work scouring I had put together one of the fiercest corporations in PC, and despite having slightly over 100 members we consistently rank in the top 5 for kills/wp's of all corps in Dust. I'm very proud of what I and others were able to accomplish together. Being in PC has taught me a lot about how to be professional/tactful while remaining unrelenting in my ambitions. My ambition is to help Dust become the game the community wishes it to be. My satisfaction will come as I humbly confer the communities sentiments in the same unrelenting and yet professional/tactful manner. I don't pretend to be perfect, I have many flaws, but I promise you I want nothing more than to succeed in being a worthy member of the counsel.

I am extremely approachable. I love speaking with people, I am quite extroverted. I enjoy listening to others perspectives and learning what thoughts they wish to contribute. I also am deeply aware of the need for humility on all our parts, but especially mine. If I am to represent the community I must be humble and open minded. I don't have all the answers, and even if I've heard a suggestion I think is bad a 1000x I want to approach each time with the intent that I may yet learn something and be changed. And this is nothing new to me. I have been engaging players and corp leaders and CCP for over a year.

Because I want to help, I assume as little as possible, respect others intelligence, talk out my problems with others, am obsessed with the facts, am not afriad to fail yet desires immensely to succeed, take nothing personally, have a desire to serve I will be an effective CPM.

In what way do you think the CPM can be improved?

Transparency and Accountability. We need to have S.M.A.R.T. goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, & Timely. If we can do these things the CPM will be greatly improved.

If a player wants to get in touch with you, the best way to contact you is:

Skype (Zatara.Rought) and Twitter (@ZataraRought). I can be reached on dust and elsewhere, but I prefer skype and twitter. <3

What is your opinion on Project Legion?

I hope it's greenlighted. I pray it is eventually developed for PS4. I hope it succeeds where dust has struggled. My feelings could be described as cautious hope.