From a roleplaying / game lore point of view, how does a normal pilot become a capsuleer?Obviously, you need a capsule, and a clone, so that you take on the trappings of "immortality". Are these things bought? Inherited? Given to the best pilots by the faction navies, corporations or other interested parties?
When thinking of an RP character's back story, how is this bit of story dealt with?
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misan pal'taek
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The basic answer is that an individual needs to have a certain genetic trait which allows them to avoid 'Mind Lock' (Short story on it http://www.eveonline.com/races/wetgrave/?pp=background,stories). The story does mention that mind lock can be avoided through intense training as well, but I'm not clear on whether that excludes the need for the genetic trait or not. The general view seems to be that any individual who is tested and turns out to be capable of avoiding mindlock can or is put into the capsuleer training programs. There are of course drop outs and failures in the programs, but obviously we aren't any of those. ;)
So getting selected isn't a matter of money or influence, though you'll find different players attribute having either money or influence as something that helped them become one. It just isn't necessary.
There is plenty of room for explaining how one ended up as a capsuleer, there is tons of variety in the explanations between different role players. So just be creative, create a plausible backstory that you like and go with it. If you wanted to make sure it was consistent to the Prime Fiction, stop by http://backstage.eve-inspiracy.com or the 'OOC' channel in-game, lots of people to answer questions there.
Flashfresh
Good question, in terms of RP - I would assume that most Capsuleers are a classed as an elite, being effectively mortal they don't really need to rely on recruitment to replace lost pilots only to increase numbers. Initially, they were a closed shop with rigorous selection to keep the group an elite.
I would hypothesis that the technology, though controlled and expensive to make, is available to anyone with the right price. The ability of an individual to become a capsuleer is probably dependent on a combination of genetic compatibility, mental fortitude and some luck. So having money isn't a guarantee of capsuleer suitability.
confusedbutshooting
Through the lore, cloning is most effective and explicitly tied to the Pod - cloning apparently was most effective with the "burn scan" method, to create the most up-to-date clone as possible, but causes massive mental trauma to whomever it was applied to. Pods had a 97% or higher success rate (Transmission of clone scan data on a planet had high failure rates and other problems) and greatly simplified the queuing of conducting the burn scan: the scan is conducted when the pod is breached, which spells death for the pod inhabitant anyway, negating the cons of the burn scan.
What does all this mean? I believe it paints the picture that becoming a capsuleer is largely a matter of money - can you afford to become certified as a pod pilot, and then afford the necessary pod and clone (Additionally, Concord has mandated all pod pilots MUST have a clone). The secondary requirement is the issue of mental fortitude or will - joining the insane, effectively immortal ranks of capsuleers who live on a wholly different world and plane than the people around/beneath them.