The following article is an opinion piece and is not necessarily reflective of Eve News24 and its other staff.
Character names have been changed to protect in-game identities.
Vitriol abounds in Eve.
Comments that reflect bitterness and deep-seated ill will (aka vitriol) such as Eve is dying, Eve is dead or Eve is broken, are slung about in social media posts by players who’ve devoted years to the game. Fueled by jealousy over changes in the game that, according to many observers, have made it easier and faster to gain experience for the new player, bitter vets sprinkle their negativity across the Interwebz. They feel that their years in the game gives them license to berate, belittle and scare off newcomers with overused and tired lines like “Eve is dying” and endless rants about how skill injectors are cheating, or how Alpha players represent the death of all that’s holy.
“It’s a shame because these comments are usually what is posted on social media (where potential new players learn about the game),” says Jeff, who’s played Eve on and off since 2013. He adds that the comments put off new players. “I worry that this has an adverse effect on Eve. If a new guy was looking at the post thinking Eve looked like a cool game and was ready to give it a go (but) then reads the comments” and changes their mind.
But is it really that bad? Many don’t buy into the anti-hype. Rather than Eve dying, “I think the bitter vets are dying,” says Tiger from his POS in null sec. He joined the game in 2014, wandered high sec for a while, then checked out low sec and factional warfare before settling in null sec with a large alliance. Tiger’s advice for the embittered vet? “I think they need to get into a fleet and just shoot something.” He adds that experienced players are “used to doing things in some way, but forget that Eve is ever changing and they need to adapt.”
Eve’s history bears out Tiger’s view. From the 2003 introduction of T2 components in the Castor release to last month’s Lifeblood release, Eve has undergone 37 major upgrades. Each one has brought changes to the game, and each one has upset or excited a percentage of the player base. Adapting to those changes has challenged the player who’s grown accustomed to playing in a certain style, but the new player has the advantage of not having any knowledge of “the way it used to be” and can focus on the way it is rather than bemoan the changes.
Why such angry players keep playing is a question not easily answered. One vet with over 10 years in the game sits in 4×4 in Jita bewailing the death of Eve and telling anyone willing to listen that “he hates the game.” Asked why he logs in, his response is a mumbled “I don’t know.” A typical comm session between bitter vet corp-mates can be an endless tirade about “the good old days” and why Eve now “sucks.” Others login and go about their business but if asked will wail over the loss of something they can’t quite put into words. Some believe that even the bitter vets who claim to hate the game still love it.
Four-year vets Honey and Rosie ask, “I mean most of the people that post negative comments are playing something else anyway and say they no longer care about Eve, so why are they still attached to the social media pages?” They believe Eve is so immersive that the embittered players “still care … and that’s how immersive this game is.”
The answer may lie in how one approaches the game. The two most common descriptions of Eve is that it’s a “PVP game” and that it’s a “social game.” The social side appears to be a real attraction. “I think the reason people play an MMO is to achieve something that’s not fulfilled in their real life,” says Jeff. “Some people want to be rich, some want to have power, some want to be nasty and rude and ruin other’s fun.” He says Eve is an “awesome game as long as you find the right people to play it with. Find a group that plays in your timezone and who are willing to teach you the basics.”
Then there’s the pew pew. Tiger suggests a new player “get into a T1 destroyer and gank a mining barge in high sec. There’s nothing like it.”
“Don’t be afraid to get blown up,” says Rosie. “There’s no right or wrong way to play Eve.
