- I am satisfied with how the story is presented
- I am not satisfied with how the story is presented
Hello one and all,
as a creative kind of person, I have a very vivid imagination that easily inspires me. Stories of all kinds often get me thinking about certain characters, their motivations, the story at large, the lesson that can be taken from it, the drama, action, glory and so on. You will be hard pressed to find a story where I will say that it is perfect as it is. I’m incredibly, massively conceited in that regard, but I do accept that no one can write narratives the way I want, so I put aside my high standards and enjoy the stories and games as they are.
Having said that, and you already know what’s coming, I’m NOT happy with the way I experience the story in this game. I’m not happy, because I know of the incredible potential that is buried within the game.
You have four different factions vying for control of the universe, all the while various subfactions and pirates aim to take advantage of the chaos. You have the players in the middle of it all, who in turn want to build and create their own empires. This, my friends, can be a genuine epic, on top of having players, similar to Helldivers, be directly responsible for how the story unfolds. There is gigantic drama waiting to be experienced, massive battles that decide the fate of the entire universe, not in some faraway hole in null sec or WH space, but right in the middle of the universe, I’m talking about the very systems and planets that define the factions.
Yes, this is a bit of a tangent, but I want you to understand, and this is just a glimpse, what you could do with the game as it is. I want you to understand, that a few more cinematics or voiced over lines are not going to do it any justice.
And I want you to understand, how pitiful the bits are we have instead. The entire lore and story of this game exists solely in text descriptions. And to my dear critics, I know in the back of your head you are already screaming “DARK SOULS! DARK SOULS DID IT TOO!”. Save it. We are not roaming a mystical land where history itself has been lost to time and the countless apocalypses that have devastated the world. No, this is a living and breathing universe, and it needs a different approach.
And I will argue, that this approach has to be more immersive. It has to include direct, visible consequences and tangible benefits. The story has to be ongoing, with or without player intervention. There has to be a clear understanding of the story and the present day situation, and it has to impact and shape your understanding of the EVE universe.
Before saying my regards, I want to address an important point that my critics are certain to raise:
“Eve’s story is shaped by the players and nobody else!”
To this I want to retort with one thing. When EVE is an actual living and breathing universe, the impact and stories that the players will leave behind, will be even greater than before. The player empires will still be there. The stories that are exclusive to the players, will still be had.
And here is a daring thought, what if these player corporations and empires will also be embroiled in the affairs of the factions and become CANON to the story? Do you see where we can go with this? It is as I told you before, a potential epic, pieced together by the writers and the players in an interactive universe.
With storied regards
-James Fuchs
