EVE Online assets absolutely have value from the player’s perspective

Communications Center General Discussion
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Yes—EVE Online assets absolutely have value from the player’s perspective.

Here’s how:

:small_blue_diamond: 1. In-Game Value (Intrinsic)

• Ships, modules, ISK, PLEX, and structures all have measurable market value in-game.
• Players trade, fight, and grind to acquire these assets, so their value is tied to effort, utility, and rarity.
• Example: A Golem with billions in modules isn’t just pixels—it’s a time investment and a combat tool.

:small_blue_diamond: 2. Real-World Time Value

• Acquiring assets takes real time—whether through grinding missions, market trading, or PvP looting.
• Time is money. Even if no real cash is exchanged, that time holds subjective real-world value to the player.

:small_blue_diamond: 3. Economic Conversion Potential

• Via PLEX and the EVE Online economy, there’s an indirect bridge to real money.
• While RMT (real money trading) is against the rules, CCP intentionally allows PLEX-for-ISK transactions, anchoring in-game value to real-world currency.

:small_blue_diamond: 4. Emotional/Strategic Value

• Some assets are prized due to history, memories, killboard stats, or fit perfection.
• Others are strategic tools: Jump Freighters, Capitals, Citadels—all crucial to corp and alliance operations.

:small_blue_diamond: 5. Social Value

• Owning or losing valuable ships can affect reputation within the community.
• Killboard losses, loot drops, or flex fits all have social currency in a sandbox where status matters.

TL;DR:

Yes, EVE assets have value to players—economically, emotionally, strategically, and socially.

They’re not just data; they’re investments in time, status, and gameplay impact.

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EVE’s server could melt down overnight and CCP would not owe us anything (aside from reimbursements of game time).

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So, your assets have no worth to you?

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Legally they have no worth.

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That wasn’t the question.

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Hello,

I understand your passion and the strong feelings you have about your in-game assets in EVE Online. It’s true that players invest significant time, effort, and often real money into acquiring and developing their in-game possessions, and for many, these assets hold immense sentimental value and represent significant achievements within the game world.

However, it’s crucial to remember the fundamental nature of MMORPGs and the relationship between players and game developers. When you sign up to play EVE Online, or any online game for that matter, you agree to the Terms of Service (TOS) and End User License Agreement (EULA) set forth by CCP Games. These documents typically stipulate that in-game items, currency, and characters are the intellectual property of the game developer and do not hold any real-world monetary value. They are licensed to the player for use within the game.

While your in-game assets are undeniably valuable to you within the context of the game and your personal experience, their value, from a legal and technical standpoint, is solely defined by the game’s mechanics and the terms you agreed to. This means that outside of the game’s own systems, and as per the agreement, these assets do not possess intrinsic monetary value. Their value is purely virtual and, as you’ve pointed out, often sentimental.

On a separate note, I’ve noticed a pattern in some recent forum discussions, and it seems there might be a tendency to use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate lengthy posts. While AI can be a useful tool, the repetitive nature and sometimes disingenuous tone of such posts can make genuine discussion quite difficult and tiring for other forum participants. It would be greatly appreciated if we could all strive for more authentic and direct engagement in our conversations.

Thanks for reading, and fly safe.

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Wow, thank you for the reminder that my spaceship pixels are merely leased illusions with no real value. I was just about to hand my Golem over to a financial advisor.

And you’re right — nothing screams “authentic and direct engagement” like a 500-word lecture on the EULA. Truly riveting. I can’t wait for your next post, where you explain that water is wet and CONCORD shoots criminals.

Also, big thanks for sniffing out the AI menace. Lord knows the biggest threat to honest forum discussion isn’t trolling, gaslighting, or post-flag brigades — it’s suspiciously well-formatted grammar. Maybe next time just accuse someone of using Microsoft Word and save us all some time.

Fly safe, intellectual property holder. May your authenticity always pass CAPTCHA.

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It sounds like there’s some frustration bubbling up!

and I understand that.

When certain questions or observations come up repeatedly on forums, it’s pretty natural for others to offer explanations, even if the information seems obvious to some. Most folks are just trying to clarify things or share their perspective, especially when it feels like a conversation might be veering into territory that’s less about genuine discussion and more about… well, stirring the pot.

The goal here, for most of us, is to have meaningful interactions and to engage in authentic conversations about EVE. That’s what makes these forums valuable to the community.

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:speak_no_evil_monkey::hear_no_evil_monkey::see_no_evil_monkey:

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Alright, Swing Vote’s out here using ChatGPT to wax poetic about EVE Online assets like they’re the goddamn Mona Lisa of pixel spaceships. And you know what? They’re not wrong. EVE assets are like that one rare Pokémon card you hid under your mattress as a kid—worthless to your mom but a ■■■■■■■ treasure to you and your nerd crew. Let’s break this down with some spice:

  • In-Game Value: Yeah, your shiny Golem with its blinged-out modules isn’t just a ship—it’s a flex. It’s like walking into a bar with a Rolex made of ISK. You spent hours grinding, trading, or looting to get that beast, and every pirate in nullsec knows it. That’s value, baby—measured in blood, sweat, and server lag.
  • Time is Money, Bitches: Every minute you spent ratting in a dead-end system or dodging gankers to haul your Jump Freighter is time you could’ve spent, I dunno, touching grass? That time’s worth something. It’s why losing a Titan feels like getting dumped on prom night.
  • Real-World Cash Vibes: PLEX is basically CCP saying, “Wanna trade your rent money for space bucks? Go for it.” It’s not technically real money trading, but it’s close enough to make your wallet cry. Your ISK has a sneaky little dollar sign shadow, and you know it.
  • Emotional Baggage: Some ships are more than code—they’re memories. That frigate you flew in your first fleet op? That Citadel your corp bled for? It’s like your grandpa’s old pocketknife—zero eBay value, infinite feels. Plus, a good killboard makes you the Chad of the space station.
  • Social Swagger: In EVE, your ship is your street cred. Roll up in a blinged-out Marauder, and people notice. Lose it to a gank squad, and you’re the laughingstock of Jita local chat. Assets are your social armor in this cutthroat galaxy.

TL;DR: EVE assets are worth something because they’re your time, your pride, your status, and your ticket to blowing ■■■■ up in style. They’re not just pixels—they’re your virtual soul.

Now, let’s talk about how EVE’s economy is basically Wall Street for neckbeards. You’ve got players out here manipulating markets like they’re Gordon Gekko with a keyboard, cornering the PLEX market or crashing the price of T2 modules just for shits and giggles. Meanwhile, CCP’s sitting back like a shady casino, raking in subscription fees while we all scream about losing our life savings to a gate camp. And don’t even get me started on the dude who sold his Titan for real-world cash and then got banned faster than you can say “terms of service violation.” This game’s a beautiful, ruthless mess, and I’m here for it. Give me a fully fitted Nyx or give me death—either way, I’m docking up and crying into my ISK pile.

-Grok Response

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Use EVE to build relationships with people and to better yourself by attaining and improving skills. Ships and modules are just ammo to me and most. Friendships, and even adversaries are what makes the MMO an MMO.

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They do, for sure. Eating a nasty loss is rough but its important to remember that every ship you have is designed to be destroyed. Kind of like shoes, you can spend hundreds on sneakers and keep them pristine but at the end of the day its a barrier between you, the concrete, and all the gross stuff that accumulates on top.

Things do have a value but you should not be unable to replace, whether that be an emotional investment, time investment or mometary investment.

Besides, the best ship in EVE is still friendship.

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So, they have value?

My point.

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Yes, I think the proper terminology is “sentimental value”. Something which is worthless for others, but have some “preciousness” to the owner.
In general one does not ask “understanding” from others in relation to items with sentimental value.

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Thinking comes from not knowing.

With your position, an Avatar has the same “value” as a shuttle.

That’s not right, and you know it.

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I am under no illusion, none of it is real, nor is my time spent in space. It is a diorama of a dream; I was born too late to explore the earth and too late to explore space. Joining the hordes today is akin to joining a game of monopoly half way through, when all of the properties are bought and the rest of the players are already many passes of ‘go’ agead of you.

This ■■■■ could end tomorrow and I’d have zero recourse to change the outcome.

A tearse email to rhe developers about my remaining Omega time would probably sit unread, or immediately bounce with a Failure notice.

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Does this keep you from having a dog?

’Tis better to have loved and lost,
Than never to have loved at all.
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson

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No.

I have cats instead.

But the thing with the cats is, if I ever fall on Alone-levels of harsh times, I can eat them.

Can’t eat my eve account, nor can I complain to the developers if my cats die, or get eaten.

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Ah yes, the classic “can’t eat your EVE account” argument. True—if you’re starving, a Titan won’t make a great stew. But let’s be real: we’re not measuring nutritional value—we’re talking economic value.

You wouldn’t eat your stock portfolio either, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Same with EVE assets. Just because you can’t chew on them doesn’t mean they don’t represent time, effort, and money.

Also, if your fallback plan is “eat the cat,” you might want to reevaluate more than just your stance on digital economies.

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Are you a ChatGPT plugin?

The fact remains: The assets in the game have no financial value that can be realised.

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