Mynxee, CEO of all-female pirate corporation Hellcats, blogs about Capsuleer 2.0 in "Big Hits, Near Misses and Windfalls." The iPhone app, which I'd downloaded on my reinauguration-into-EVE day about one week ago, is personally invaluable, not to mention sensually faithful in positing the EVE Online aesthetic into your palm. "Long story short," Mynxee says,"me likes!" And I would echo her sentiments completely.

Developed by the prolific Roc Wieler and partner in crime PyjamaSam, it's entirely possible that these two individuals have been ordained from on high to preemptively save my marriage and my day job. Familiar to anyone with an EVE account, keeping a frighteningly close eye on the tick-tock of your character's skills is an exercise (and revelation) in obsessive behavior. As we speak I'm sliding my iPhone open, thumbing the Capsuleer icon, tapping the refresh button in the lower right-hand corner, and noting that -- taking BattleClinic's New Player Guide to heart -- I'm currently training Learning 4, with fifteen hours, two minutes, and twenty-two seconds to go.

I stare at Capsuleer's silent, soothing countdown. Untouched, the iPhone gradually fades to black. Without second thought, I'll check again in ten minutes.

My previous stint in EVE, during Exodus (circa 2004), was short-lived by many standards, but it was the longest I'd ever handcuffed myself to any one MMO. I believe I stayed aboard for merely three months. You don't know me, but if you did, you'd know that's too long a time in any one game for my tastes. And you still don't know me (I'm of course working to remedy that), but if you did, you'd know that constitutes a minor addiction by my own set of demarcations and parameters.

During my time in Exodus, I'd diligently set buzzing alarms on my phone, waking me up at the witching hour, to queue up my character's next skill. My lovely wife was duly unimpressed with my dedication. I also began packing my home laptop to work in order to have EVE at hand for the same purpose. My diligent manager was likewise unimpressed with my divided attention. One man's multitasking is another man's lack of focus.

But now, with Capsuleer, I have an even more discreet solution for monitoring Billy Blame's skill progression -- aside from the option of having EVEMon sit studiously on my Start bar. But, more importantly, the Apocrypha expansion has introduced the Skill Training Queue. This is truly the life-saving device I required. CCP has gained insurmountable respect from this returning player for making this singular concession to their otherwise brilliant skill training mechanic. With it, I may indeed go out on a limb and keep Billy Blame active for longer than my previous earth-shattering three-month record.

You don't know me, but if you did, you'd know that those unlikely words make for an ironically strong promise, coming from me.