Well, don't know about any quotes attributed to me (not one I recall posting) but leaving that aside, I think I will say a few words.
First, Merdaneth's suggestion that years of IC pressure have induced the Star Fraction to build an outpost.
Can be dealt with both IC and OOC.
IC, I don't believe the characters that are the Freecaptains of the Star Fraction feel themselves in any way pressurized into building TAZ Norlonto. For them, it is simply a project that is enabled by the circumstances. They have many times contemplated such a project and even gone so far as to plan similar. It is simply that the opportune moment came now and not before.
OOC, I can honestly say that while it is true that people have many times said 'What have you ever built?' or words to that effect, it was not really a consideration in the minds of those planning this effort as an act of players in the game of EVE. It really mirrors what I think the IC reasons are: circumstance and opportunity. The main OOC factors are two-fold: 1) The game state in Providence region. 2) Sov 2.
In my view, the second is the more important factor. Ultimately, who knows when, who knows how, we may lose this outpost. But looking around the game it is quite clear that the opportunities for outfits like SF to have an outpost are quite wide. The amount of unclaimed systems in EVE is the highest I have seen it since Sov 1 reached its, so to say, maturity.
The reasons for this are not obscure and this is the wisdom of the Sov 2 design: it costs to needlessly and thoughtlessly gobble up every system in sight.
Sov 2 is not perfect by any means though and I look forward to future developments. Treaties or leases are something that I think would be useful and beneficial. If we could let others access the 25% POS fuel bonus for some reasonable fee (let us say... 5% fuel equivalent making for a still highly desirable 20% saving for the POS operator?) then we would surely do so.
But I want to briefly and without heat refer to Grr's remarks:
The deployment of the outpost as I commented on chatsubo was one of the first real tangible achievements the alliance has made in the past 6 years. I for one congratulate them for it.
I won't be a surprise to anyone that I rather differ with this claim. I also, if I may say so, think it is a problematic claim to make in the context of roleplay organisations.
The fact is that most self-described roleplay corps and alliances have not built outposts to date. To be sure some of the bigger ones have but let's be honest it hasn't happened a lot. (Though I think it could well increasingly happen in future.) The problem with the remark is not difficult to see: it seems to imply that building an outpost is when a corp or alliance achieves something real and tangible in EVE.
I don't even agree with that for non-RP corps/alliances in EVE. I think it is... well, I won't say what I think it is for RP corps/alliances: you get the idea.
EVE is a game where there are many achievements, real and tangible, to be made throughout the history of a corporation or alliance. You don't need to build outposts (or Titans) to have made real and tangible achievements in EVE.
I don't think Grr meant any real disrespect but I think the claim is, well, not in accordance with my vision of the great game of EVE and the many and various ways in which it may be played.
Cosmo