Nope.
There’s nothing there whatsoever for the players they’re trying to attract.
Again.
CCP pays far too much attention to Utoobers and ex-players. Just because some ran corps and such does not, and will never make them game developers so why they hire them is beyond me.
I think there may be a lack of understanding from Developers when expecting a constant growth considering the current Industry’s situation.
Maybe it should be more focused on retention, at least more than EVE is.
The population is definitely declining for it being adamantly, almost obsessed with client acquisition. So, what we are getting currently, are “dolphins” that pop up from time to time in the myriad of market offers, even without considering other distractions from social media.
This directive, this tunnel vision is what makes one take the decline as fact, because its the lack of retention what makes you feel lonely in the crowd of EVE.
It percolates to the roots in the form of “new” features that destroy retention in favor of dolphins.
So, IMO, the reason is as usual, the perspective from which one stands. It may not be 100% true that there is a decline in numbers but there is no doubt that we are running out of old friends.
Your post is ironically an example of what you quoted and claimed is nonsense. A player (you) deciding what the point of an open world sandbox game is without regard to what other players think the point of that same game is.
If Kezrai claimed in the topic somewhere that PvP should only be consensual, then you might want to quote that instead since that’s what you’re on about in your rebuttal. Near as I can tell from going backwards up the reply chain, Kezrai’s only saying that PvP doesn’t have to be in every EvE player’s list of preferred activities.
And just to head off the ‘everything in EvE is PvP’ avenue, I’m using the narrow definition of PvP that means flying one or more ships with guns and shooting at one or more other ships. I never wanted to do that, but I did participate indirectly in PvP as a scout, spy, manufacturer, bait, mercenary employer, or courier and I found satisfaction in those pursuits. Ship to ship PvP was not an objective of mine, but still a catalyst that opened doors to do the things I did want to do. A lack of interest in doing a thing myself is not the same as a belief that it shouldn’t be possible for anyone to do it.
I would be willing to walk away in the middle of some fleet battle if my cat requests attention.
First things first: you don’t quit EVE; you just take long or short breaks. For example, I first logged into the EVE metaverse in 2014, stayed until 2017, and then took a break. I relogged in 2019, took another break in 2021, and logged in again a week ago. Each of my breaks had its own reasons unrelated to the EVE metaverse. Sometimes I thought another project was better, and sometimes I felt there was no meaning in living and surviving in a metaverse because it is not real. Nowadays, science suggests that what we consider real life might not be real due to quantum mechanics. So, I hope this will be my last relog, and I will stay and survive in the EVE universe as much as possible.
One last thing I have to add: EVE is the only true metaverse where you won’t lose any progress you’ve made over the years. There are no wipeouts or anything like that. This is important. Another important aspect is the community. EVE has the most professional community managers in the world. Believe me, I’m old and experienced enough to compare the quality of online communities.
I would be willing to walk away in the middle of some fleet battle if I had to go squeeze one out.
I don’t care what other players ‘think’ when I play a game of chess. All that matters is the actual rules and content…which people don’t get to change merely by not liking them.
And I’m saying I don’t care what people ‘prefer’. If they undock they are fair game. The fact that they might ‘prefer’ to mine or haul in safety is irrelevant. This is Eve…not TellytubbyLaLaLand. I thus DO get to impose my playstyle on others, whether they ‘like’ it or not. That is how Eve works and has always worked.
Can I have all your stuff ?
So many people here want to scream ‘game is pvp 24/7’.
Person A “Boy I sure do enjoy exploring”
Person B foaming at the mouth “raggh this game is pvp i want to kill you everyone”
Chill people. If EVERYTHING is pvp in eve then no one could possibly be playing the game wrong. Gonna get myself on those Project Discovery leadboards and win Eve Online. Then make some sick custom skins and totally wreck those noob designes in that pvp. Then troll local chat and try and win that pvp. Even now we are pvping on the forums.
There are no wrong ways to play.
The ONLY time the 'Population is ‘increasing’ is when another multiboxing account is created…but that does NOT increase the ‘player’ count…it’s just another multiboxed account of the same player…and THIS is a real problem…
I don’t see where there’s a claim contradicting your statements so I don’t know why you’re acting like there’s an argument at all.
Well, alas I can’t help what you see. Try a visit to Specsavers.
Doubt.
Doubting Aiko 
He desperately has to act like there’s an argument otherwise he can’t post tough-sounding posts and be like “Aaargh, shiver-me-timber, pew-PvP-pew-AFK this and that aaargh-too-bad-for-them, Carebear-Aaargh!!”
Meh…forum pew pew on the back of someone else’s forum pew pew is the lowest form of trying to be relevant. Sort of reminds me of the dormouse popping its head out of the tea pot every now and then at the Mad Hatter’s tea party.
Did you actually have a point to make…other than ‘here I am again’ ?
It would seem that the point flew right over your head.
Not surprising for someone who calls others “Comrade” out of the blue.
So you didn’t have one.
Your powers of comprehension are astounding.
So there is an end to your nonsense!
Incredible!