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Why I play Eve
x_rast_x
Member Posts: 745
in EVE Online
After a year in Eve, I figued I'd reflect on why I'm still playing this game even thogh no WoW character could ever hold my attention longer than a few months. I know a lot of the questions and gripes on this forum have more to do with what people don't like, or what they can't figure out, or whatever. Figured I'd post something more positive...
- My character is unique. Nobody has exactly the same skill setup that I do, nobody plays exactly the same way I do. One of my bigger gripes with WoW was that everyone with the same class and build was pretty much carbon copies of each other at various stages of progression.
- Offline skill progression. I don't have time to play every day, sometimes my job takes me away for long periods. Keeping those skills rolling gives me a sense of still accomplishing something for my sub fee even when I can't play.
- No 'dead' or obsolete content or areas. Unlike every other MMO I've played there's no place in Eve that's been abandoned by the players because it's too low-level, the rewards aren't worth it anymore, or whatever.
- Lateral-style progression. You can only go so far in any given line of specialization (usually attainable within a few months). This causes the feeling of 'progression' to be exactly the opposite of most MMOs - where you start off with a wide array of things you can do to choose from and over time get narrowed down to just a few. Instead, you start off being able to do a few basic things, and as you become more 'generalized' you can do more and more things. it's also rookie-friendly since there's no huge gap they have to overcome to be competative. It also means that when new things are added to the game, everyone generally starts off at the same level - vets are at advantage from the actually player skills they've gained while playing, not anything directly to do with their characters.
- The bad guys aren't NPCs in caves waiting to get murdered for their clothes. Bad guys are real people, and they'll happily come to do bad guy things to you if you let them. While this can be annoying, especially for newer pilots, it adds a dimension to the game I've never really experienced in other games. Especially in deep (0.0) space where the 'storyline' as such is totally player-driven.
- Combat is much more thought-out and strategic. People don't zerg headlong into a slaughter because dying hurts, as it should. So people pay attention to how they're playing, how they fit their ships, and who they fly with. I'm almost 30 years old now and my reflexes aren't what they used to be - I like taking the time to properly set up my ship, get together with my friends to do whatever we're doing. The real fight is before anyone starts shooting when you figure out your strategy, get your forces together, and work as a team.
- Rookies can work alongside vets and contribute meaninfully at any stage. Just because your friend has 20mil SP and you just started yesterday and have barely 900K doesn't automatically exclude you.
- There's no set goals. You can be whatever you want in Eve, even if doesn't make much sense to someone else or be something they like. And if you don't like what you're doing, you can always train for something else, move somewhere else, or whatever.
- And of course all the player politics. Your reputation in Eve actually matters.
Anyway, just some random thoughts. Fly safe everyone!
Comments
HEAR, HEAR!!
A well, thought out, and explained reason to play Eve. and its on the nose in most of the hard points for reasons to play.
If you were to look up Baxslash in game, you'd see me as a 4 1/2 year player(no way am I saying vet.
)
and I've love this game, but, for the last 6 months, I finally had to break away and actually play something else. I really like the game, though, I do miss one major thing that I found in SWG that was a real hoot, and that was the open raids. Would love to see Eve implement them, because, as you all know, borders are never the same from day to day, and it would be fun to see a raid by some upstart faction trying to steal a .5 system from one of the major 4 empires
Excellent post !
Brings a bit of fresh air on these forums. You're right they shouldn't just be for whiners
Fly safe o/
After playing EvE for 3 weeks I can say that this is the reason I started EvE. What you posted is everything I want in a game. Yea twitch flying would be fun from time to time. I have not even been to 0.0 yet but I was in .03 the other day with some friends and it was a blast.
Everytime you warpped though a gate you stop to think about whats on the other side, what am I going to do, what is our plan if we get jumped. I had about a million things going though my head the first jump in to lowsec. After getting my first kill and then going pop to a ship at 150k. I am hooked.... I cant wait to go exploring more of lowsec, even more I cant wait to find the group of friends to hunt with.
EvE Online is everything a MMO should be. Its not perfect but its a great start and everyone has a place to have fun
Twulf Caldari pilot.
Sooner or Later
Outstanding post!!!!
I almost quit this game a week ago!!! Im glad i didnt!!!
Your post is a reflection of my feelings exactly!!!
Played : WOW, LOTRO, COH/COV, EQ2, SWG, and WAR.
Playing EVE Online and AOC.
Wtg for SW:TOR and WOD
Great post Rast
I quoted it on my station forum as a lot of my listeners play EvE too andwantedthem to read it too... it's here if you want to take a look at what some of them said
Very good post on the good things in EVE. I have only been in the EVE universe for 2 and half year and I absolutely love it, never yet become bored with the game and hopefully never will.
Thank you for stating most of the points that I like in EVE and just to mention one more then there is the Exploring thing that I have recently fallen in love with. To be able to learn to scan for and find hidden complexes, asteroid belts and combat sites is very interesting.
One other good thing in EVE is that most of the economy is player driven, they build ships, produce modules, mine the ore in the asteroid belts or from mission sites or from hidden complexes and refine it and sell it on the market for other players to buy and use for building things.
Well there are lot other things in there but in general, ty for good article on the good things in EVE, keep up the good work
Exellent post Rast.
That are the best features for sandbox gameplay. Too sad that theres no such fantasy MMO
Where themepark games try to hide that they are copying WOW, games like Mortal Online and Darkfall make no attempt to hide their inspiration
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LordOfDarkDesire
I'm in my first week of playing this game and everything in the OP is what drew me to it. It has all the complexity and detail in an online game that I want and no other game comes even vaguely close to it. I just love the fact that I can do whatever I like and interact with thousands of other players properly. I also like the fact that I am never truly safe - another player could choose to attack me if they wished and vice versa. Its what an online game should to be all about, unlike all the other themepark crap that just plays like a single player game in which you have to grind through daft quests and kill mindless npc monsters forever. In EVE the players decide what happens unlike other mmos where the game tells you what to do and where to go. So far I have found it very amusing when I see players asking everyone what they are supposed to do. They just cant think for themselves after having their brains turned to themepark-centric mush! I think most players that find this game boring do so because they try and play it like any other mmo.
I am really looking forward to getting involved in some factional warfare and fighting for the Gallente Federation. I must admit that I feel totally unconfident about it at the moment though. There is so much to figure out! Thats a good thing though of course. I'm still being a wussy and doing agent missions. I'm just enjoying the fact at the moment that I have something to look forward to in this game. I cant wait until I get the crap blown out of me by another player
I don't understand how the veterans/newbies can work together. When I quit playing I had around 3 million sp and I still couldn't get into any decent corporations(with more than 5-10 members). Almost every corporation I saw recruiting had a requirement of atleast 12 million sp.
If ambulation comes out soon I may return to Eve though, or maybe not.
Must have been crappy corps then. Almost all successful corps i know recruit people who fit into their corp and don't care for the sp. A good newbie in a rifter who listens to instructions is much more useful than a multi million sp vet who only cares for himself and his wallet and thinks he already knows everything.
The only thing I don't like about EVE is the gates. but in a space setting there really isn't much else you can do about it. give me EVE.. exactly EVE, but not in space, on the ground. I don't care what setting, high fantasy, sci-fi, steam punk (i'd love that one)
But if they could somehow give us a semi-seamless world, without gates I'd be in love... more love.
Everything creates huge amounts of negativity on the internet, that's what the internet is for: Negativity, porn and lolcats.
I played EVE for 2 years and never got bored with it. It was the worst enemy of my wife and my best friend.
I left to play AoC and have had an empty feeling that won't go away until I'm back in Auvergne mission running and taking trips through 0.0.
Oh why did i ever leave?
I can see it now!
I have tried to get into EVE two or three times before but I've always ended up thinking that it is just a big vast lonely space with some planets and asteroids for mining. I mean how hard can it be to make a game like that?
But after all discussions on these boards about sandbox this, sandbox that and after hearing from all of those that were playing EVE and enjoyed it very much I thought I should give it another try.
I don't know if i have developed something or if I have changed my point of view in some way but now I feel that I can see the beauty of this game.
Your post pretty much sums it all up for me as well.
However I must add another thing that I find positive in this game.
Anyway, to all those hestitating to try EVE or have tried it before and wonder how it is today.
Give it a shot!
Out
If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. - Carl Sagan
I'll be honest. It took me several attempts to get into to EvE but once I got into it I got hooked. Once you begin to see the beauty of it's design and what it holds for a player it's hard to not like this game.
I love that we the players can set the world on fire and let the galaxy burn in EVE. You don't get that type of feeling or gameplay in WoW or any other MMO today.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
Actually there is one thing I have found a bit annoying about EVE and thats to do with collision detection. When you warp it just chucks you straight through planets or any other structure that is in your way. I can live with that of course but it is a lot more glaring when I encounter things that look fantastic and then find that they are not actually solid objects at all. One example was when I had warped to an encounter and there was this magnificent giant broken structure......and yet I could fire through it to hit other ships and even fly right through its geometry. It basicly wasnt really there at all and was in fact just a graphic. Its a shame because in all other respects EVE is very good and looks great.
Good list!
Exactly the reasons why I came back recently (yesterday). There's just no other MMO I've played that has the depth EVE has.
And it was a good timing on my return too; apparently my corp joined Morsus Mihi just two weeks or so ago. Seems great so far. Just hope they have plenty of roaming ops. Got burnt out from my last alliance since all they did was tremendously long, tremendously boring, tremendously unsuccessful fleet ops.
Must have been crappy corps then. Almost all successful corps i know recruit people who fit into their corp and don't care for the sp. A good newbie in a rifter who listens to instructions is much more useful than a multi million sp vet who only cares for himself and his wallet and thinks he already knows everything.
so true, this is why i refrain from joining corps with SP req, i do enjoy newbies (cannon fodder, seriously what kind of player did you think i was again) (j/k)
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We are the borg!
You will be assimilated.
We will add you biological and technological distinctiviness to our own.
Your culture will adapt to serve us.
Resistance is futile
the servers would pretty much burn to the ground, also a session change is required for a lot of things
_____________________________________
We are the borg!
You will be assimilated.
We will add you biological and technological distinctiviness to our own.
Your culture will adapt to serve us.
Resistance is futile