Star Citizen INFLOPS Case Study: 2951 Ship Showdown and the Argo MPUV
This case study serves as free supporting material for The Doctrine’s upcoming collaborative article, “Star Citizen INFLOPS Guide: Influence Operations 101”. It’s intended to be the first article in a subscriber-only series that will share deep intel into Star Citizen influence operations. Through it, The Doctrine hopes to provide a comprehensive set of reference documents for orgs who are interested in conducting their own game-focused influence operations, or “INFLOPS”, as well as spotlighting orgs that have a track record for conducting some of the best.
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2951 Ship Showdown and the Argo MPUV
Origins and nomination
In 2021, the Argo MPUV gained significant attention during the annual “Ship Showdown” event, where players vote for their favorite ships. Despite being a small and relatively unremarkable utility ship, the MPUV garnered a surprising amount of support. Fans of the MPUV created memes, videos, and other content to promote the ship, celebrating its underdog status and practical utility.
The idea to nominate the Argo MPUV, affectionately known as the “Argo Cargo,” began as a humorous and somewhat ironic campaign within the Star Citizen community. The MPUV is a small, utilitarian ship primarily used for sublight cargo and personnel transport, and it wasn’t initially seen as a contender against more glamorous and powerful ships.
Pushing the message
The campaign gained momentum on platforms like Reddit and the official Star Citizen forums. Key users and influencers within the community, such as content creators and active forum members, started promoting the Argo MPUV with memes, parody commercials, and enthusiastic posts. The humor and irony of supporting such an unassuming ship resonated with many players, creating a viral effect.
One of the most notable contributions was the creation of “fauxmercials”—parody commercials that humorously showcased the Argo MPUV’s features and versatility. These videos were shared widely, further boosting the ship’s popularity.
The showdown
During the Ship Showdown event, the Argo MPUV faced off against much larger and more popular ships. Despite the odds, it continued to advance through the rounds, thanks to the dedicated support of its fans. The final showdown saw the Argo MPUV narrowly defeating the Mercury Star Runner, a fan-favorite ship, with a vote count of 18,211 to 18,037.
Why you were influenced
The success of the Argo MPUV campaign can be attributed to several factors. First, the campaign effectively engaged the community through humor and irony, making it a fun and inclusive movement. Second, memes and fauxmercials created a viral effect, spreading the message quickly and widely. Third, the Argo MPUV’s status as an underdog resonated with many players, who enjoyed supporting a less conventional choice. Lastly, the campaign combined negative and positive messaging effectively, starting with humorous critiques of other ships and ending with positive endorsements of the MPUV’s unique qualities.
This campaign is a prime example of how a well-executed influence operation can turn the tide in favor of an unlikely candidate, leveraging community spirit and creative content to achieve a surprising victory.