To veiw CODE as any form of EVE law enforcement is in my opinioin a total miss. They are just another pirate gang

, feeding on defenceless HS career pilots.

*snip*

James 315's Code is the law of highsec, and we decommission those breaking the law. Pirates just ransom/shoot for their own gain. We serve highsec, not ourselves. I don't know of any better definition of law enforcement.


All pilots and ships are capable of adequate defense, regardless of a pilot's shirking in that regard. Plus, permit tank best tank. Everyone knows or should know if you have a permit and are following the Code, you are un-gankable.

Yes. For example, nearly five years ago James 315 was democratically elected as Savior of Highsec. He successfully enacted the law of the New Halaima Code of Conduct. To this day, this law is enforced and Highsec is better for it.

It is a fully mature legal system. The legislature is James 315. The executive are His Agents. The judicial consists of forums for judging reimbursements or Agents' use of force.

Can you share some more data about CODE? I never encountered it, but some people seem to fear you. And is that in fact pure roleplay, like Keno says, or you are really well organized group?



That's exactly what's most fascinating. In most MMOs (as far as I know), these rules created by players are rarely exceeding game mechanics. Here we have limited, but well planned framework that makes it possible for people to organize their game in their own way. And writing "Law" I don't mean "only law created by the devs", but every aspect of institutionalized organization. Your observation about civil law and transformation from tribal system touches one of the most mysterious and interesting aspects of legal theory- the genesis of law. Concepts of tribal law were presented even in 17th Century by Hobbes or Locke (so-called nature state) and later in 20th Century by Friedrich von Hayek, but they are always speculations. Observing something like tribes transforming into civilised societies in EVE of course won't give us sure answers how law was created and from which point we have something to do with law. Is there any source I could read something about it?



The question was strictly about existence of in-game law. Sole rules are not necesarily law. And EVE is incredibly complex system, which offers more opportunities for people organisation. Of course question: when rules begin to be legal rules? definitely isn't easy. When you are a member of, let's say, a golf club, it also has it's own rules, but you won't call them law. And this thread was created partially to indirectly answer the question about real law- basing on the experiences of EVE.

Shortly question is: From all these rules in EVE- are there some rules that resemble real-life legal rules?

Law in Eve implies lawyers in Eve.

To imply we need that then it's as if we wanted something worse than CODE.

The notion of law is not really feasible in game, IMO. As others have noted there are cultural norms and rules, but they do not rise to the level of law in the sense of courts, contracts, and so forth. The reason for this that there is virtually no way to enforce say, a contract in EVE outside of what CCP has given us. One could try to go after the party that breaks the contract in game, but that in itself is costly and really becomes something like thowing good ISK after bad.

"Do what thou wilt