Editing EVE Online (section)

==Character Archetypes==

EVE is a completely classless, skills based RPG.  However, because of the enormous training time to become completely proficient at a task, and the significant real skills and traits needed to fill a role, there are several discernable character archetypes in EVE.

* '''Alliance Leaders''': Leadership in EVE is essentially about cult of personality.  It's not actually necessary to have much competency at the game to be a leader in EVE, what really matters is having the personality for it.  Alliance leaders inspire their members, set a goal, and oversee the middle management layer that makes an alliance actually tick.  In most alliances, the leader has some competency as an FC or logistician, although in the largest alliances management, propaganda, and diplomacy becomes their primary job.

* '''Fleet Commanders (FCs)''': FCs lead the alliance members on the field.  To be a successful FC requires several key traits.  First, personality; a fleet commander has to have an entertaining persona that can keep a group of dozens or hundreds of players engaged and wanting to participate.  Second, extensive knowledge of EVE's combat mechanics and a stable of alts with the necessary skills to fill the roles needed to support a fleet on the field.  This typically means a titan or black ops alt and several fast or cloaky recon and cyno-beacon alts, possibly with spy alts as well.  These give the FC the tools to find a fight and make the fight happen.  Lastly, they need to be self-motivating; FCs spend as much of their time doing solo recon and basic spy work as they do leading fleets.  

* '''Logisticians''': The money-makers.  The HOW of making money in EVE has varied over time, but the role has changed little.  Logisticians are the trusted few with the keys.  They build and fuel outposts, manage capital ship production, and coordinate the movement of assets.  The key qualities of a logistician are trustworthiness and long term ambition.  Logistics work in EVE tends to be agonizingly boring but is absolutely vital for the largest alliances, many of which pay logisticians a stipend for their efforts (usually paying for their account subscription via plex).

* '''IT''': A 100% meta skill.  The largest alliances in EVE have genuine IT departments running web servers, forums, and streaming apps.  Like logisticians, these players are often compensated with plex.  

* '''Spies''': Another completely meta activity.  Spies in EVE function much like spies in real life, infiltrating a target to monitor their activities, rob them of assets, or even dismantle them from the inside.  And just like in real life, the principal skill is meticulous attention to detail in covering their tracks and telling convincing lies that never disagree with observable facts.  The largest alliances have counterintelligence operations, and lazy spies who don't do enough to obfuscate their digital identity can and do get identified.  Most spy players maintain a conveyor belt of alts in development, with no attachment to any single identity.

* '''Line Members:''' The rank and file boyz.  Active line members are what every alliance wants to attract, players who will log in and team up to do things for the alliance.  Player attention is an abstract form of wealth in EVE, one which alliances go to great lengths to acquire.