Who's a carebear?

I'm a carebear? I get accused of it. Not quite sure why. I suppose when it comes to EVE specifically, I have a different definition of carebear than other people. Hell, I think I have the better definition.

On the face of it, the way I've been playing up until now, you might mistake me as a carebear. I kinda suck at PvP. I mission. I incursion. I haul and do industry. I pretty much mind my own business and do my own thing in the game. If that is someone's definition of carebear, then it is far too broad. That could apply to a majority of the people playing EVE Online.

I see carebears as dangerous entities to this game. Thus, I get a tad more specific in my definition.

To me a carebear is ultra-risk averse. A carebear will rarely, usually only under duress, leave highsec. A carebear may engage in activities similar to mine, the difference is that the carebear feels entitled to do those things and to never be bothered while doing them. A carebear loses a ship in highsec to a gank or a wardec, the fault does not lie with the carebear for being inattentive or naive. No, it's the fault of low-life psychotics, which the game should be actively trying to curb. A carebear loses ISK in a scam? Not the carebear's fault, the game should protect people from the unscrupulous. A carebear's bottom line is affected in any way, they are bitching to anyone who will listen that the game needs to change, that their choice of playstyle needs to be accommodated. The game mechanics should allow them the choice to engage in conflict at their whim, not at someone else's whim. When a carebear seeks out conflict, it's because of a desire to achieve a perfectly reasoned goal. When a carebear is forced into conflict, it's due to purposeless unmotivated aggression from players with anti-social disorders.

That's not me at all.

I love risk. It is why I play this game. It reminds me of the glory days of Ultima Online (the first two years), when it was the only wild-west anything-goes environment available. They tried to create a sandbox. It had an economy. It was dangerous -- you died in UO, you got looted and lost all your stuff, "Ooo ooo oooooooooooo!" Those days of UO are long gone. We have EVE as our replacement. A better replacement. Ultima Online was the pinnacle of MMO play until CCP developed their little flying in space game.

So yeah, I go about my business in game. People might mistake me as a carebear. Except. I'm well aware that anyone at anytime could come along and try to ruin my day. And I accept that. Happily. I've lost ships. I've lost billions in ISK. I would never complain about losing stuff. It sucks when it happens, but afterwards it is really why I love this game.

I'm fucking passionate about this game. EVE is conflict. I don't want that conflict to ever go away. It needs to permeate every iota, every segment, every nook and cranny of this game. And I will fucking scream and shout and point fingers at anyone who says it should be otherwise. Carebears ruined Ultima Online with their incessant whining and screaming and demands to curb non-consensual conflict. I do not want to see that happen to EVE Online. It's the only sandbox on the block. Where the fuck am I going to play if the carebears take this sandbox too?