If a player logs in even briefly, something else (on average, across the player base) might happen. This is INTENTIONALLY a minimal activity. “Well, I logged in, may as well do XYZ.” We are rats in the maze, and a little cheese has just been provided.
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CCP tried this last in 2016, and perhaps enough time has passed that it’s worth gathering new data. Will more players log in because of this event, or - not bother, if they hadn’t planned to log in for some other important reason. In 2016, the event was even more minimal - the first NPC shot would reward 10,000 sp each day. So, props for the enhancement, but as I wrote in reply above, its intentionally minimal. But I still feel “manipulated”, a rat in the maze. I don’t LIKE feeling manipulated. CCP has created complex limited-time events with a variety of tasks and rewards. Those are far more interesting and engaging - bring back “real” Events!
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That was one complaint about the last experiment, when it was only 10k SP … “CCP is requiring me to log in every day, or fall behind.”
You’re right of course that players don’t lose any SP by not logging in. If they were to actually subtract SP from players for not logging in - oh my, I can hear the screaming in my head. The forum server would melt down.
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Authored events with varied activities and varied rewards, with a story basis using game lore - Seasonal events such as the Crimson Harvest - are far more engaging for me personally than “log in, shoot 1 NPC for 10,000 sp.” But it’s hard to maintain the energy to complain bitterly, when I realize “daily quests” are common to other MMOs. But at the same time CCP likes to point out that “EVE players are different” - they are a smart, devious bunch. Some them practice persuasion and psychology on a high level, to build up or take down Corporations and Alliances: “I manipulate others - don’t you try to manipulate me!”
I will spare CCP Falcon from replying with irritation at some of our irritation, by quoting him from a related subject on Reddit :
Whether you like it or not, the games industry is changing and EVE needs to change with it. That’s just the reality of things.
The intention isn’t to break down the core pillars of what make EVE the game it is, but at the same time if we can ease the path for new players to get into the game and have fun, then we’ll look at doing so - even at the risk of rustling the jimmies of some of our existing players along the way.
I’ll be direct and say that this is of course my own opinion and not the opinion of CCP, but personally I’m getting tired of people freaking out every time we try something that might help with new player retention or give them an easier path to get into the game and stay.
There are of course some valid concerns, and my job is to listen to what people are talking about, but once I’m done listening, it’s getting to the point where I just roll my eyes at a lot of the REEEEEE that happens when we talk about changes and the same groups of people start screeching about “pay to win” and “muh sandbox”.
I’ll hold my hands up and say I’m guilty of that myself - I try to do as much as I can to make sure that EVE stays true to its roots, but we’ve been super direct with our new player retention numbers, with our second logon numbers, our 30 day retention numbers too - we even showed these off at EVE North and a few other events to talk about the unique issues that EVE faces with retaining rookies.