f13.net

For anyone not currently following along:

Vile Rat was a good guy. May He rest in peace.

He did so much day to day for so many years, helping thousands of people have fun in a terrible spaceship game by forging bonds between groups of nerds, often through of language barriers (sometimes by shooting through them), and making Eve more unique.

It's hard to find a person not working for the video game industry directly that will be missed by gamers as much as Vile Rat will. Dozens of outposts being renamed in game (http://evemaps.dotlan.net/outposts/changes), even by rival alliances, to express this sorrow.

I saw the rumors something might've happened before I went to bed, thinking it was just another one of those jokes. Woke up to the broadcast and themittani.com article telling us he was, indeed, no longer with us. A sad day indeed, especially considering the cause of it.

Of course, we did the one thing which I can think of to pay our respect to the man: we (http://eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=14599997) shot (http://eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=14599908) blues (http://eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=14599390). I'm just saddened I missed out on paying my respects to the man in this fashion.

May he be told of our deeds, wherever he is. :heartbreak:

I knew him. Not well, but we used to chat online and of course in EVE years ago. It was a horrible waste. I feel for his family and anyone who knew him better than I.

Well shit.


Thats's the thing - he's one of a group of people that made EVE the most interesting thing there has ever been in gaming.

I met him and his wife in Iceland earlier this year. He was a very nice guy, friendly and easy to get on with. I'm stunned by all of this and my thoughts are with his family.

(http://i.imgur.com/NrZns.jpg)

That's... amazing.

In unrelated news I seem to have something in my eyes.

I'm not going to get detailed and soppy, my interactions with Vile Rat were always indirect, "shadow games", and long past.  But he was a formidable opponent regardless of the terms, and he certainly "Won Eve".  Condolences to his friends, and especially his family.

--Dave

A TV eulogy:
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-ed-show/49012247#49012247

(http://i.imgur.com/19BBn.jpg)

https://twitter.com/RixxJavix/status/246031747861577728

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/7981026461_8091e1679b_h.jpg)

Taken outside of UMI station, our current staging system in Tribute.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2qHsB9CcAAB3Ir.png:large)

(http://i.imgur.com/lhFv8.jpg)

Rest In Peace VR. Take care whereever you are.

This has gotten a bit of mainstream news coverage.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/09/us-official-killed-in-libya-mourned-in-eve-online-game.html

Shamelessly ripped from http://disqus.com/guest/fae1f49cd55349322f57d30ae39b8cda/

I'd like to thank all of you for the kind comments about Sean. I worked with him and we both have the same job for the Dept. of State. I thought that you may like to know why he was there till the end and didn't leave with everyone else. One of the requirements of our job is that we control all of the Secret and cryptology equipment at Embassy's and Consulate's. While the non-essential staff were allowed to get out, he had to stick it out until everything was destroyed to keep it from falling into hostile hands which could put more lives at risk. He was a great Communicator and friend and he will be missed in our small community as he will be missed in yours.
Thanks again,
Norm

Vile Rat memorial cyno - viewed from the global map.
(http://i.imgur.com/TyNDi.jpg)

It's really cool that the reporter played it straight, as a human interest story about mourning in a different culture, instead of going with the usual "haha, geeks" approach.

--Dave

SomethingAwful has put up a eulogy:

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/sean-smith-vilerat.php

In the abysmally short time I played internet spaceships, even I knew of VR.  This is telling of just how well know, liked, and respected her was.

RIP brother.

The Mittani'a SOTG and eulogy to Vile Rat (http://soundcloud.com/eddicted/state-of-the-goonion-sep-2012).

A tribute to Vile Rat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzBGHNzGi8M

Another video in memoriam Sean Smith/Vile Rat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btEJVWVWNkc

Another video in memoriam Seah Smith/Vile Rat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWMNlEdRCw8&hd=1

Here's the link to the official fundraiser. (http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=9332&url=benefitforseansmithsfamily)

 :heartbreak:

So sorry... my thoughts and wishes for his family.

This is, quite literally, one of the saddest threads I've read on the Internet.  Bringem home, Vile Rat, where ever your soul may be. 

Glenn Beck suggests that Vile Rat was a CIA agent. (http://themittani.com/media/glenn-beck-goonswarm-cia-front)

The first comment is pretty on-point, too.

Not to turn this into a comedy thread but some of the comments on Beck's site are gold:

"Wow Glenn, you just figured us out. God forbid you learn all you need to infiltrate our undercover operation is installing Eve Online in your computer and then send me 2 bil ISK (the virtual currency on the game) for the application fee to join Goonswarm"

"Have your sources learned any more about whether the ambassador was sodomized? Until we have confirmation and corroborating photographic evidence, we cannot close the file on Operation: GOATSE."

http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/09/17/is-the-obama-administration-covering-up-scandalous-details-in-libya-attack/

Civilians attack militia. (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/22/world/africa/pro-american-libyans-besiege-militant-group-in-benghazi.html?hp)