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The Curatores Veritatis Alliance is the most successful roleplaying-focused organization in EVE Online. During the past month, this storied alliance has become involved in a conflict with the Against All Authorities alliance, a well-established null-sec alliance that is also the leader of the powerful Southern Coalition. This has resulted in a steady series of defeats and a major loss of military/political power for CVA, which now seems destined for destruction.

This article explores the significance and details of this fracas, and the unique role that CVA has played in the political history of EVE Online. It also explains ways to monitor and explore the situation from a third party perspective, as events continue to develop.

This article is an experimental foray into describing an ongoing political development in EVE Online. Please let me know what you think about this article and this kind of content, on the Ten Ton Hammer forums. Note that I have no investments or ties with any of the alliances involved, and have made every attempt to be factually accurate. Please accept my apologies in advance for any errors or unflattering portrayals.

The Curatores Veritatis Alliance

Originally a pro-Amarr, anti-pirate alliance based in high-security Amarr space, CVA consolidated their control of the null-sec region of Providence in 2007, where it has since remained entrenched. Aside from its longevity, the alliance is noteworthy for being composed largely of roleplayers (not the best PvPers in many players' minds) and for its "not red don't shoot" policy, in which neutral ships are not automatically assumed to be hostile, and are given full access to CVA's stations and space.

Though other large alliances have tried to maintain a "NRDS" policy over the years, each has eventually failed or been destroyed, in favor of alliances that aggresively defend their territory against all trespassers. CVA is the sole remaining holdout. They maintain an open region, attracting those that wish to use their territory, as well as a sizable pirate presence. Indeed, Providence is regarded as something of a hunting sanctuary for dedicated PvPers because of its high population.

This open-door policy, coupled with Providence's lack inherent value as conquerable space during much of its history (see below), has created a uniquely stable socio-political bubble. A bubble that will shortly pop.

The Current Conflict

The current conflict between CVA and -A- may be traced to four key events:

1) CCP has incentivized control of stations and territory in the Dominion patch. Before this patch, Providence was a wasteland of shoddy moons, and asteroid belts full of lousy ore and lousier NPCs. Since Dominion, Providence station systems can be improved with infrastructure hubs, and are potential cash cows if rented out.

2) The CVA bloc of alliances have outgrown Providence. Prior to the current conflict, Providence was the most densely inhabited region of conquerable space. They were stuffed to the gills, with fifty out of eighty-three systems containing a player built station. This great population burdened the CVA leadership with a false sense of confidence, which they have since come to regret.

3) When -A- became enmeshed in a protracted with the now-defunct Goonswarm alliance, in Querious, CVA's leaders saw an opportunity to invade northern Catch, especially the strategically critical HED-GP system. Though the CVA bloc would never, in my opinion, work with the Goonswarm alliance, they thought they would be able to attack an already beleaguered foe. Unfortunately for CVA, Goonswarm went the way of the dodo, and CVA is faced with -A-'s full attention.

4) Finally, the -A- alliance has a strategic need to pacify their neighbors so that they can go on road trips to attack other alliances. If they want to be involved in the incipient "South Versus North" conflict that seems to be brewing, they need to remove the expansionist CVA bloc and install client alliances, as a buffer.