As reported by CCP and written about at TAGN, despite Goons being ‘defeated’ during WWB, we are by far the most active alliance/region in terms of both mining and ratting, and it’s not even close. Delve alone is more active than the next 5 regions combined, while if you combine Delve and Querious (another region we basically own), those two are more active than the next 8 regions combined.
This is especially important because unlike basically every other MMO, where making money is trivial because most people don’t care about money after a certain point, in EVE since day one having more ISK is always beneficial, both individually and at the Corp/Alliance level. Our leadership knows this, and in part thanks to WWB, has increased the focus on that area. The results are pretty clear to see.
Related to this, CCP identified an issue with the overall money supply, in that carrier and super carrier ratting was too efficient (it was/is). This was nerfed, along with another round of nerfs to Rorq mining. Many saw this as a Goon-focused nerf, since we are kings of those areas, but they were wrong. Sure, the nerfs hurt us, but they hurt everyone else more. Why? Because Goons are better at adapting to change than just about anyone else thanks to our leadership.
As the old saying goes, the scoreboard doesn’t lie, and right now Goons are winning EVE. We recruit a lot of people, we retain those people, and those people becoming productive little bees faster than other pilots in other alliances. As I said at TAGN, right now I don’t think another WWB event is even possible in Delve. Between all of the citadels, and our now massive super/titan fleet, I don’t think the rest of EVE would be up to entering the meat grinder that is current-day Delve. The old issues with the alliance prior to WWB have been fixed (thanks Lenny), and we are stronger/better off today.
And when CCP fixes the balance issues around attacking/defending space, our war machine will be ready. Good times ahead!
Hardcore Casual 
Not to take anything from Goons or criticise them, but defining your strength as an alliance based on all the care-bearing you’re doing seems like an odd metric for a top alliance in EVE. Why not talk about kills/losses, conquests, tributaries, wars, or even membership numbers?
Because I don’t have an easy graph to link for that stuff…?
More seriously, labeling making ISK and producing ships as ‘care-bear’ kinda doesn’t work in EVE. I mean yes, that is what those activities are, but they are the foundation to strong PvP. You can’t field a full fleet of titans/supers if you don’t have the ISK to buy them in the first place, right? And you won’t have 3+ full support fleets if you don’t have the membership count to do it either.
And as my last line in the post stated, soon as CCP fixes the current problem of attacking/defending, the fruits of all this labor will be clearer to see (or before that, if anyone is legit dumb enough to try and invade Delve).
In before Dinsdale’s “Goons run CCP and are killing the game” comment.
We’re also in a funny time. There is no real war currently and the null sec alliances seem disinclined to start one. Another run into the teeth of Fozzie Sov, with citadels everywhere, would be a long slog. The last conflict down in the south, with TEST and CO2 taking on Stainwagon, ended up with a negotiated handing over of space just to avoid the grind.
And then there is PL, often a driver of conflict. Not only do they not seem up to another war, but they are now occupied by the alliance tournament. Without them driving, NCDot and the rest of the PanFam tens to go quiet as well.
So we build up fortress Delve and go on expeditions, but otherwise null sec is pretty quiet.
You left out the part where your leaders cash out in car payments, mortgage payments, and of course, payoffs to key members at CCP to maintain your hegemony,
Nice, Din’s is going to explain how the RMT empire works. Here we go!
You and Gevlon keep working that corrupt developer angle without a shred of proof. Just because you keep saying it doesn’t make it true.
My new favorite nutjob move is when they link to what they said previously as if that’s some sort of evidence. Linking to a foolish post from 3 months ago doesn’t change that post being as foolish then as it is now, though bonus points if the link is actually now MORE foolish.
Great entertainment of course, but that’s 100% all it is.
You have, unconsciously, written EVE’s epitaph. Enjoy.
MMOs die when they create an environment where an organization of 40k or so real people can be entertained together as one group… interesting analysis, tell us more.
Do you think that it’s worth to pay for playing EVE unless you’re a Goon? Would you recommend it?
Goons are not the only large group that has their stuff together. I’d not recommend the game without a good Corp/Alliance (solo works for very few people in EVE), but if Goons don’t fit for you, there are others like Brave or TEST or PHorde. Each is a little different, but all the big ones do similar things in a way.
As someone who retired from EVE years ago, EVE is definitely the coolest game I’ve ever played and I’d highly recommend trying it. As SynCaine said, there are other enormous nullsec Alliances in EVE. Goons might be the largest, but recently had their nose bloodied fairly badly – they’re hardly uncontested.
That said, there is an entire galaxy to EVE outside of sov nullsec. The scale at which nullsec events happen tends to make them dominate the conversation, but something like 80% don’t directly involve themselves in sov null. I played for something like 5 years and, outside of occasional roams to kill nullsec miners/ratters or killing the odd nullsec member wandering their way into lowsec or a wormhole, I had very little direct interaction with them.
I can vouch for the great new ember experience in KF/GSF. I have tinkered with Eve off & on (mostly off) since 06 and it is the best time I have ever had in the game. The rules and participation requirements are clearly laid out and easily attainable. As long as you stay within those very generous and common sense boundaries you have the freedom to try just about anything you want in the game.