The Barmy STARmy | EVE Online

The Barmy STARmy

2009-01-13 - CCP Ginger

Hi, I'm CCP Ginger and as is my way I like to let others do the work for me, so carrying on that tradition I would like to introduce you to one of our volunteers, AeolusWind, who would like to tell you a bit about one of our volunteer teams.


Hey folks, I'm AeolusWind from the volunteer team called STAR and I'd like to tell you a little bit about our team, what we do and how you can join.

The STAR Team

STAR stands for Support, Training and Resources and we are part of CCP's volunteer program.  We are the team that specializes in supporting both new and old players in EVE.  We currently have a team of around 40, taken from a wide range of EVE skill sets, from all walks of life and from all over the world.

STAR has two main duties that it performs, Meet & Greets and Help Channel oversight.  We'll take a look at each one:

Meet & Greets:

Meet and Greets are where we contact players who are new to EVE to see if they need any help.  We generally have a chat and try to help them with any problems they might be having.  As we all know, EVE is huge and contains a wealth of information that can be difficult for new players to get their heads around.  It's our job to ease that process and help guide their way through the first stages of playing and enjoying EVE.

It is our goal to greet every single new EVE player, but with hundreds of new accounts being created everyday we only manage a percentage of that number.  It doesn't stop us from trying, though!

Help Channel Oversight

The other primary function of STAR is to keep an active eye on the Official Rookie Help and Help channels. This oversight is probably where most people know STAR from; we are the guys in teal text.

We find that it is a nice contrast to the one-on-one interaction of a Meet and Greet.  By talking to large groups of people at once and answering general questions posed in the channels we are able to spread the knowledge to a wider range of players, but it lacks the personal touch and depth of a Meet and Greet.   The two programs complement each other which is why, of course, we run them both.

In addition to providing help and assistance in these channels, we also occasionally have to act to keep them clean by removing spammers and people who make it unusable for those seeking help.  Happily such instances are relatively rare, as we much prefer to concentrate on providing assistance.

STAR Needs YOU

We are always looking for new recruits to join our team, and being a member of STAR is a highly rewarding experience.  So if you are the kind of person who likes helping others out and sharing your knowledge then please read on, or apply now.

What hours do you work?

STAR is a volunteer team so there are no set "hours" of the day when a member is required to be logged in.  There is a minimum requirement which volunteers should achieve, but it is not strenuous and STAR members generally cover it with ease.   There are also no set times for logging on, just as and when you can.

What is it like?

STAR is a group of like-minded people who have made the decision to take time out of their days to give back to the EVE community.   We spend our time giving guidance and advice to players and we work toward being one of the most trusted resources in EVE.  Volunteer teams, however, are much more than that, as is the case when you get any group of like minded people together, especially those who want to help others out.  It creates a really good team atmosphere and a great sense of community.   I have personally made many good friends in my time in STAR. 

Some of our team have moved on to be employed by CCP as well as onto other careers within the game industry, as experience in the volunteer program is valued in the field.

How do I join the team.

This is the easy part.  The volunteer page on the website is located here.

This provides information on all the teams within the volunteer program (commonly known as ISD).  After a flick through these, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "Apply now" link.

Members must be 18 years of age or over.   STAR currently has a fairly large backlog so you may have to wait a while to get a reply, but we're working on reducing that, rest assured however, we will get to you.  There is some more discussion and information on the application process for STAR on this forum thread.  Best of luck to all those that apply and we hope to see you in space soon.