I see a lot of people here making claims along their own agenda or ideas of how to play the game. Basically boiling down to “there are less players because they don’t play the way I said they should but CCP nerfed me”.
Sad and honest truth here, and I’ve been at this since 2006, is that things have changed outside of the game, and the game itself is simply less engaging. Sorry. No blaming the bad guys. No blaming the good guys. Honestly, there is no way to blame anybody directly. Are there more quick gratification types clamoring for more easy play? Yes. But that’s the case in everything now. Are there more a$$holes? Yes. But society is falling apart so even if you log off there is no escaping them. Until some purge or some other pure idiotic fantasy come along.
The first thing was that other games with more access to PVP started to do some of the things that Eve had as huge selling points: customization of gear and skills. In those other games you can be fighting in a half an hour, against other players, and in doing so, you earned skills and money to some extent. And you could progress along certain skill trees, and buy stuff for whatever your fighting vehicle of choice was.
There was no grinding. No getting messed with while trying to grind. Not being told “not enough skill points” when looking for other people to fight alongside, and basically no “litterbox” play, because there were no avenues for it. This not only presented a better option for players who don’t have time for that, but made Eve an even bigger haven for that kind of person who just has to mess with other people.
You can’t compete with that.
The other thing is important: Eve itself was more than just a game. Remember the chronicles? Remember the novels? Remember the REAL live events? I do. So does Peppridge Farm. Eve was more than just a game, it was a product. It was like being a Star Trek fan, but instead of just watching episodes on a TV, you were IN those episodes. You didn’t have to act. You… didn’t… have… to be… William… Shatner.
And the social aspect meant something too. Yes the decline of the quality of players also made it harder to simply deal with people. No no 'hurr durr gankers". It seemed like good people found something better to do and we’re left with people who need to be babysat. That’s not gaming, that’s a second job you don’t get paid for.
So now? It seems like the game is becoming a “Browser Game”. The kind of game you see banner ads for, but don’t care. And then you wonder “who the hell plays that?” But notice the scaling back of the game? Notice it was sold? The games art team actually does a splendid job. I find myself hoping that the “engine” behind Eve Online does not get lost to this browser game that Eve has become, that someone picks it up down the line and does something great with it.
Well that’s my bittervet rant for the day. I was there, and enjoyed it while it lasted.
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