The following article was submitted by The Deacon.
We see a lot of articles, blogs and post about what is wrong with EVE. From SOV mechanics, ship/drone balances, power projections, and everything else. PvPers think everyone not in PvP is playing wrong, most of the posters on various sites hate care/null-bears, while most miners and haulers think gankers are ruining the game.
The real problem in all these cases is the players. Yes, I said it, YOU ARE the problem. It’s not the ability to jump 1500 ships across the galaxy, it’s the 1500 characters!(remember, it may not be 1500 actual players, just 300 people without lives)It’s not that CONCORD takes to long to do anything, it’s the people that have decided this is the way they are going to play. Especially if it makes you mad, or even better, cry. It’s the sandbox. It’s the ability to do about anything. And while game mechanics can be improved(depending on your point of view), there will ALWAYS be people that find a way to game the system. And guess what, that’s part of EVE.
You know what’s right with EVE….the people. Well, maybe not YOU, but in general I think you know what I mean. You know what else is right with EVE…it’s a sandbox, and you can do about anything. It’s a freaking space game that is huge, has a lot to try and do, and isn’t as easy as…well, I’ll let you figure that out. Yes, F1 monkeys and AFK miners have procreated in mass, but that is really a small part of what EVE is. If you don’t know that I feel sorry that you have missed out.
I was really inspired by WiNGSPANTT. Watching his videos and seeing the excitement a NEW player has when playing EVE, not the way others tell them to, but SANDBOX style, doing it on his own and having fun. He makes plenty of mistakes, get’s killed, doesn’t know how to tell friend from foe(oh wait…right, this is EVE), but has a blast. It’s great to help new players, to remember what it was like when you first started, but not to tell them “This is how we play this game.” Not enough new players get to try new things, because we don’t let them. We rush them into alliances where they are “trained” on how to make their isk, fit their ships, and when to be online. We scam them, shoot them, and ridicule them, because they are a “noob.” We distrust them because…well, this is EVE so can’t really change that can we. It is hard to spot the real New player vs the sneaky alt.
So many scream that EVE is dying because of the lack of new blood. But why do we need new blood? Is it so we have someone new to kill? So we can have another soldier in the ranks to fight the “big battles”? Granted, there are a lot of people that join just to do these things. But how many get bored with this and move on? Never really experiencing what EVE has to offer. I know a lot of players that joined EVE for the same reason I did, to play a space game that looked cool. But what keeps them playing, or more importantly, what drives them away? People factor in to both greatly. If you meet the right people early on, you may find you have new friends that last for years or more. You may even meet these people in RL. Run across the wrong people, and you will hate this game forever. That is the social aspect of this game, and it is powerful.
So what about the people already here? Bitter vets, people “invested” in the game, and so many alts. They have their reasons for being here to, and sometimes it’s the same reason….people. Friends, enemies, people to step on. Sometimes you just want to be a part of something bigger…and maybe this is it. TIDI battles are soooo boring…and sooo exciting! You ever listen to some FCs and wonder if they
are going to have a heart-attack? But they are driven to WIN. Being a part of that, or being that FC, is a real thrill. You can lose something of value, and not just respawn back into the fight. Battles can take hours, taking space days, wars months. Where else does a 12 year old command hundreds into battles.
(some will get this, some will not)
We explore and live in WH space, taking an aspect of the game somewhere the developers didn’t plan. We run logistics for thousands of members, across long distances, every day. Management in and out of the game in scales bigger than many companies. There is an endless cycle of mining, building and destroying. And for what? What is the end game? I don’t know about you, but I really rather it didn’t end. Why can’t I just enjoy playing a (space)game I enjoy?
Yeah, there’s a lot of repetition in the game, but guess what, there is in life too. The game is not centered around you(sorry mittens) and therefore not everything in the game is going to be to your liking. If that means you don’t like it and want to leave, then leave, and do us all a favor and delete your toons on the way out. Freaking so many dead toons polluting the clone bays. But I got news for you. I think the majority of us like this game. Despite the complaint trolls in comment sections, forums, and everywhere else, I think the majority like playing. I might be wrong, but the fact that this game is still going after this much time…I kinda think I’m right. Yes, we would like improvement, new stuff, and balance play. You may not believe it but I think people even like the avatar changes. Vanity is such a simple thing to sell. And surprise, CCP needs to make money to pay the bills and make improvements. And this is THEIR product. And while we are the customer and our opinion can affect bottom line, it is NOT our game. If they make bad decisions(and they have made their share) they suffer a loss. Just ask the people that lost their jobs. But they make efforts to attract new players and keep the ones they have. And we help too! We make videos, blogs, run alliances, contest, and so much more! Most of us don’t get paid for this, but we do it anyway. Why? I’ll let you answer that for yourself.
But guess what…we also are the cause for failure. We drive off players, we sell isk for money, we make areas of the game stagnate. Blame CCP all you want, people are the real root of the problem. Who made the “blue doughnut”? Who created rental space? Who ganks? Who scams? Yes, this is a sandbox, and we can be as bad as we would never be in RL. We can be foul, racist, greedy, lie and cheat, all of it and more, because there is no consequence. No one knows you, where you live, who you are, what you are really like. Here you can do what you would never dare try in RL. CCP for the most part won’t stop you, though there are some rules. But who do we blame for all these things? Easier to blame CCP for such a crappy game then to look in the mirror. There has to be sides for conflict, and conflict drives change(some call that content). But I always remember “gfs in local” being a standard after battle with our “enemies”. In EVE your enemy is often your friend too. So stop being part of the problem, be part of the solution. If all you want to do is complain, go somewhere else. And if your enjoyment in this game is just making other people miserable, I almost feel sad for you and the little imaginary “friend” that tells you how great you are. Almost, because you’re still pathetic.
Go out there and help a NOOB! Give them a ship and some pointers, a little advice, or take them somewhere new. But let them play and experience EVE in their way. And lay off(bad choice of words) CCP, they made a great game! But if they ever shut us down I’ll meet you in Iceland with the torches and pitchforks.
