Alpha restrictions. It's time to let go, CCP

[Rail_J_kar]

@Luthien_Thiann_Ar

Alphas already get lots of free participation and they won’t ever stop demanding more.

Of course, it’s human nature to.

The legitimate reasons for alphas to get more aren’t so alphas can get more. The real reason is so CCP can maximize profit in a way that isn’t harmful to the longevity to the product.

@Arthur_Aihaken

let’s remove all navy ships from eligible ships as well. We should be talking about nerfing alpha characters - not expanding them into Omega “lite”.

Why stop there, just delete alphas all together amirite? Your responses seem to be based off of emotion rather than logic.

You see that 20k spike right there? That’s the introduction of alpha players. If you get rid of alphas, or try to drive them out of the game by nerfing them to hard, you’ll likely be losing half your players. Maybe you’re fine with that, but I know a lot of people would hate it.

So no, CCP wont be nerfing alphas.

[Arthur_Aihaken]

Never said CCP should get rid of Alpha accounts; I just think they need to wield the nerf bat and give it a few swings.

[Rail_J_kar]

For what intended purpose?

Just trolling? Understandable. It is a time honored EVE tradition after all.

[Syzygium]

@Rail_J_kar

You see that 20k spike right there? That’s the introduction of alpha players. If you get rid of alphas, or try to drive them out of the game by nerfing them to hard, you’ll likely be losing half your players.

Sure, if I advertise my party to have “free beer for everyone!” I will have a lot more visitors. It will also greatly lower the quality of my party. Thats why most (good) partys aren’t free access, in fact you have to pay quite a bit for the really good ones. Free stuff attracts dumbasses, trolls, troublemakers and leechers like a pile of **** the flies. And yes, from my experience the quality of conversation ingame and the niveau of interaction has suffered since the introduction of free Alpha Accounts.
On the ohter hand, I am someone who usually only plays games you have to pay for, with a selected circle of friends, blocking all other “socal networking function” like “friend invites” “buddy lists” and “public chats”. And avoiding all those “free to play” games like a rotten corpse, wouldn’t touch that crap with a 10foot pole.

In my opinion EVE was the better game with no Alphas, but unfortunately EVE is the more profitable game with Alphas, so we won’t see it changed back. Doesn’t change the fact that there is no reason to feed the leechers any more free stuff.

[Rail_J_kar]

@Syzygium

In my opinion EVE was the better game with no Alphas

Entirely disagree. EVE is a way better game now than it was years ago. (I started in 2009, so I know a thing or two about this.)

@Syzygium

from my experience the quality of conversation ingame and the niveau of interaction has suffered since the introduction of free Alpha Accounts.

imo, this has more to do with a cultural shift in the climate outside the game than anything to do with Alphas, but you are correct in that f2p means the bad actors you’re referring to can just waltz in without having to buy in first.

Then again, I don’t come to a video game to get intellectual stimulation, I have other outlets for that, I come here to escape the drudgery of life.

@Syzygium

Thats why most (good) partys aren’t free access, in fact you have to pay quite a bit for the really good ones.

The best I’ve been to were invite only (ie: not something you can pay to get into,) but that’s not a good business model for a video game company.

@Syzygium

unfortunately EVE is the more profitable game with Alphas,

@Syzygium

Doesn’t change the fact that there is no reason to feed the leechers any more free stuff.

If EVE is more profitable with alphas, then they’re not really leachers are they?

Once again, it seems like your reasoning for “not giving them stuff” if based on emotion, not sound reasoning.

This isn’t a zero sum game, letting alphas feel good about playing the game means there will be more of them in space, which is content for omegas. That doesn’t mean we need to break the subscription model by giving alphas too much, but I believe there is a potential sweet spot (which I’ve outlined in a previous post up above.)

[Arthur_Aihaken]

No one’s saying Alphas shouldn’t be in the game (or at least most of us, anyway). But the constant requests for “more free stuff” is really tiresome.

[Rail_J_kar]

You could make the same argument for anything posted in this section of the forum. Even if you pay a sub, it’s not like you own the game. CCP isn’t required to develop it at all. The only reason they do, is because it’s in CCP’s best interest to.

Likewise, if Alphas get “more free stuff” it should be because it’s in their best interest. Whether or not you’re annoyed about it shouldn’t factor in.

[Syzygium]

@Rail_J_kar

Entirely disagree. EVE is a way better game now than it was years ago. (I started in 2009, so I know a thing or two about this.)

I started in 2009 too, so I know a thing or two about it as well. I don’t doubt EVE has made progress on many fields and is better now for many parts. Free Alphas didn’t contribute anything to it.

@Rail_J_kar

If EVE is more profitable with alphas, then they’re not really leachers are they?

To be more profitable doesn’t mean to be a better product. Some of the most profitable products are actually pretty crappy products, but they are cheap, thus sale in masses and create large overall profits. Doesn’t mean they are good. I value quality over quantity and if Alphas are to be accepted in the game because the company wants to make more profits, I still think they lower the quality of interaction and I am only willing to accept that to the absolute minimum degree. Give them whatever is needed to have them log in and have their “content effect” or whatever CCP thinks is their “contribution” in the monetization process. I can see no justification to grant them more. In fact, I see lots of reasons why now-paying Omegas at some point simply decide not to pay any more because whatever a “buffed” alpha state offers is simply enough to do whatever most people like to do in the game.

[Ax_l_Thorne]

@Syzygium

Free Alphas didn’t contribute anything to it.

I say, remove the alpha accounts entirely and go back to a 100% paid subscription plan.

That way, there is no more whining about EvE being p2w between the freeloader accounts and those that pay into the system.

[Mr_Raven_101]

@Moko_Musana

PI is not a high profit activity.

I’ve plexed 3 accounts only from PI for about a half year or so, spending 1 hour/day to re-set extractors and 3 hours/2 week to move PI from planets to station.

Ok, maybe today it’s not so profitable, i really dunno since i dont play actively, but anyway it’s serious income.

[Mr_Raven_101]

@Moko_Musana

Abyss is a high profit activity

And also high risk and high investements required.

[Wadiest_Yong]

@Mr_Raven_101

I currently sit in t2 ship which i trained, bought and fit so why i cant even undock?

You bought temporary access to a game, not permanent use of a skill, ship or w/e.

That’s right, that’s like the fuel in the car. Show us on the contract where it says that the car came with a lifelong fuel stock.

[Xiangkunwan]

@Mr_Raven_101

Think that’s all… remind me if I forgot something.

Also, Omegas only allowed to attack Omegas should be added, or else it is not a fair fight

[Sentenced_1989]

@Vokan_Narkar

Anytime my omega drops to alpha it makes contracting PLEX to my other accounts very annoying.

Yet still doable. All you need is to have a corp, put it into corp office or have it in corp delivery hangar (ie. contract it to yourself beforehand and accept as corp) and then you can contract it, in fact you can have 10 contracts this way as alpha. Another obvious solution is to transfer that item via corp office or even safespot in space to another toon or the toon you want to contract it to it. Or you can just make reverse contract from the toon you want to give it, ie. request item for 0 isk.

Why all this dance around when you can just gift sub from NES store to any character?

[Vokan_Narkar]

That way I would give CCP money which I don’t want to because in my opinion they don’t deserve it.

Sure by buying PLEX from market I am still giving them money, but still…

[Geo_Eclipse_Oksaras]

Cant tell who is who. Alphas can spot omegas if they fly anything an alpha cant, but other than that, you cant tell who is or isnt alpha

[Rail_J_kar]

@Syzygium

@Rail_J_kar

If EVE is more profitable with alphas, then they’re not really leachers are they?

To be more profitable doesn’t mean to be a better product.

You avoided the question. EVE being more profitable now (with Alphas) is entirely independent on whether or not it is a good product, but it does mean Alphas aren’t leachers. It’s like you’re trying to answer the previous question with this response.

However, when pressed on whether or not EVE was a better production now than before…

@Syzygium

I don’t doubt EVE has made progress on many fields and is better now for many parts.

You basically admitted it was.

@Syzygium

Free Alphas didn’t contribute anything to it.

So…

1. EVE is more profitable now than it was before.
2. EVE is a better game now than it was in the past.

The reason why #2 is true, is because CCP used development resources to make the game better. If the game is more profitable with alphas, then that means CCP can do more of that development.

In other words, Alphas helped contribute to the game being better.

@Syzygium

they lower the quality of interaction and I am only willing to accept that to the absolute minimum degree

I assume the “interaction” you’re talking about, is referencing the poor quality of conversation you talked about before.

I suppose it’s fair for you to value that, it does get frustrating when I’m talking to people who seem to lack a basic understanding in logic, but I’d rather see more people in space to shoot, than care about people not being able to understand some esoteric concept I’m talking about.

If you’re actually talking about in space interaction, then raising the skill restrictions on some skills, would mitigate the issues you have here.

@Syzygium

Give them whatever is needed to have them log in and have their “content effect” or whatever CCP thinks is their “contribution” in the monetization process. I can see no justification to grant them more.

@Syzygium

EVE is the more profitable game with Alphas

That’s plenty of justification right there. CCP is a business, I wont say it’s all they care about, but making money is their primary (or at least secondary - a lot of game developers want to make a really great product) cause for existence.

@Syzygium

I see lots of reasons why now-paying Omegas at some point simply decide not to pay any more because whatever a “buffed” alpha state offers is simply enough to do whatever most people like to do in the game.

This is why I proposed a test using expert systems. Once CCP has the hard data they can make informed decisions on the path they wish to follow. Maybe even only apply their effect in certain anomalies or signatures so CCP can get more accurate data.

I agree with you that t2 is too much, and even the op said caps were too much. The op also agreed that cloaks, cynos and portals (boosh) were too much.

All I’m suggesting is, the ships that alphas can fly, let them fly to the full extent of their ability. And I’m ok with removing battleships (and potentially even battlecruisers) from that list of ships they can fly.

Certainly there would be some that see that improved capability, realize all they fly is t1 ships, have no ambition for more, and say, “I’ll go alpha.” But I also believe it would also draw in more players in general, many of whom would upgrade to omega, because they have greater ambitions for t2 ships, or caps, or w/e the myriad play styles omega offers.

The faster training que would be worth it alone for many people if the sub wasn’t as high as it is.

[Rail_J_kar]

@Xiangkunwan

Omegas only allowed to attack Omegas should be added, or else it is not a fair fight

@Geo_Eclipse_Oksaras

Cant tell who is who. Alphas can spot omegas if they fly anything an alpha cant, but other than that, you cant tell who is or isnt alpha

It’s also a terrible idea. EVE is not a place where you restrict the ability to attack people. The only reason why alphas can’t go safety red anymore, is because of abuse. And even then, it was a decision made recently.

[Ax_l_Thorne]

@Xiangkunwan

Also, Omegas only allowed to attack Omegas should be added, or else it is not a fair fight

See, with my plan, (removing the freeloading alpha accounts) it would literally only be omegas attacking omegas!

And now, everything is equal, and established equality of outcome!

[Sentenced_1989]

@Vokan_Narkar

That way I would give CCP money which I don’t want to because in my opinion they don’t deserve it.

Sure by buying PLEX from market I am still giving them money, but still…

What?

You open market, you buy plex, it goes into your plex vault

You open NES store, you choose Omega time, you choose gift and put any name.