Many who were online during this last Saturday had the distinct privilege of attending a guest class given by Vonqueesha Shenaynay and Akay Quinn. The premise of the class was both simple and complex – balancing a healthy amount of profanity with some very enlightening looks at the darker side of the EVE Universe.
Today we get a chance to speak to Vonqueesha Shenaynay, up close and personal, to find out a little bit more about him and the distinct role he plays in game.
Zeroniss: So how long have you been playing EVE? And what did you hope to accomplish when you were fresh and new?
Vonqueesha Shenaynay: I started around Christmas 2009. I immediately knew I wanted to be a spy – to destroy agroups will to play.
Z: And once you knew that, how did you proceed?
Vonqueesha Shenaynay
VS: I found out some information that I thought Akay Quinn would be interested in. He was, and in exchange for my spying on SniggWaffe on an Alt, I was granted a ticket into the Goons. Distinctly, intel I proviced ended up saving a Goon Titan from a Pandemic Legion bomber run.
Z: So where to from there?
VS: Well once I was in Goons, I ran recruitment scams. That’s where I first realised I had the knack for this kind of thing – I made around 25 Billion ISK in about 5 days. (Vonqueesha linked us a picture here, demonstrating the work in action). I was sometimes referred to by other Corp members as George Clooney because my demeanor in talking to these guys, sometimes over voicecomms, was so trust inspiring. (Another picture, this time of his thus inspired forum signature).
Z: So how do these recruitment scams work?
VS: Without giving too much away, you basically offer to vouch for someone to get into GoonWaffe, and they give you all of their stuff. Scamming and stealing, to be honest, are very different. In scamming, people are WILLINGLY giving their things to you in the hope of finding a shortcut to whatever.
Z: So you’ve had a fairly successful career to date I take it?
VS: I have so far stolen and ‘procured’ close to 100 Billion ISK in funds and assets. I have additionally flown with some of the big names out there, such a Goons, TEST, SniggWaffe/Pandemic Legion, and ofcourse, the Guiding Hand Social Club.
Z: I see. So in the greater scheme of things, do you feel subterfuge and such plays a critical aspect of the game? Or do you feel it is something more on the side?
VS: Hmmm, there are two kinds of people in the greater aspect of the game as it applies to a major organization. There are the people who use espionage and subterfuge as an asset, and there are people who think it’s bad and don’t. Normally the ones who don’t like it, don’t like it because they get f*****d by it. Counter-intelligence and counter-espionage fall into that realm. The only way to defend yourself from it is to participate in it. You need spies to catch spies – period.
Z: From a gameplay aspect do you reckon it will continue to play such a critical role?
VS: Oh absolutely, in a game like this, it’s one of the few things you can genuinely do and still enjoy because of all the broken mechanics in a lot of the other activities. This stuff relies heavily on the metagame, which pits you more against the intellect of your target rather than the game mechanics.
Z: So where would one start on the career path to becoming a scam artist?
VS: To be honest most of my skills come from an understanding of the human condition. A lot of these scams are pure psychology – playing with the target’s mind and getting him to bend to your will. If you want to learn about spying, however, Akay Quinn would be the person to talk to.
Z: Why so unsuccessful as a spy?
VS: As a personality, I stand out very easily. There are those who are con artists, and there are those who are spies. Mittens always said a person was one or the other, though this is not necessarily true in every case.
Z: I imagine you burn through a lot of characters?
VS: Once you start building a reputation, it can become very hard to find homes for your characters. Sometimes I burn through a handful of characters a month, but really, it depends on the contracts that come my way – that is, if I’m hired to infiltrate an organization and proceed accordingly.
Z: What kinds of contracts do you get, and on average, how many?
VS: The purposes of the contracts vary; some are to infiltrate and gather information. Others are to steal things, or offline POS towers. As such they vary in quantity and profitability. I usually have several I am working at any time.
Z: So have you got anything big planned for the near future?
VS: Well, without giving too many details away, there are a couple of really big contracts in the works – in the tune of 300 Billion ISK. There is additionally the theft of a supercapital in the works also.
Z: Thanks very much for taking the time to talk to us Vonqueesha!
Coming Soon: An Interview with Akay Quinn, GIA Spymaster for GoonSwam Federation!
The recording of the guest class on Scamming and Black Ops can be found in the EVE University class recordings library here (Warning: Contains frequent strong language that some listeners may find offensive).