I’ve played Eve Online off-and-on since 2007. Last time was around 10 years ago and I had a lot of fun back then. I started playing again a month and a half ago and I’m sad to say I’m already done. The thing that resulted in me quitting the game this time (and I suspect that it’s the same for a lot more casual players) is multiboxing. It’s absolutely out of hand now - not uncommon to see one person controlling 10+ ships and most systems will now have people very obviously on multiple accounts.
I don’t want to have to PvP against people who are playing the game solo, but have the advantage of controlling multiple ships; I don’t want to have to avoid the gate camps that wouldn’t be possible without a solo player controlling additional ships; I don’t want to have to compete with the inflated economy as a result of people earning billions of ISK per day with multiple ships; I don’t want to have to have players instantly run and hide in wormhole space, because they have cloaked ships scouting while they farm billions of ISK.
This is primarily intended to be a social game and you’ve got a mechanic that lets people pay-to-win their way out of playing in a group with others.
As I was paying for Omega the second time, I had this nagging feeling of being robbed, because I’m constantly seeing people paying for additional accounts and getting a huge advantage from it. While it may prop up the revenue stream for now, I suspect multiboxing will eventually result in a slow death for this game. Eve will continue struggle to build up a strong, casual playerbase that is willing to pay for the game with the way things are now. So, until something is done about this pay-to-win mechanic, have fun and best of luck to you all!
I totally get where you’re coming from. Multiboxing has grown into something that shapes the game in ways a lot of returning or casual players never really signed up for. It’s frustrating when the thing that’s supposed to feel like a shared, social universe ends up looking like a handful of players piloting their own private fleets.
But I’ll say this: EVE is still capable of being fun, in spite of all that. There are corps out there that actively avoid multibox-heavy playstyles and focus on actual teamwork, shared fleets, and making the game feel like EVE used to feel. And plenty of players—new and old—want that same experience you’re describing: one pilot, one ship, and actual interaction rather than a wall of alts.
Multiboxing isn’t going away overnight, but CCP has shown in the past that they’ll adjust things when enough of the community pushes for it. If anything, voices like yours matter. And honestly, I hope you take a break, recharge, and maybe come back later—because New Eden is better when players who care about it stick around.
Whatever you decide, fly safe, and I genuinely wish you the best. You’re not alone in feeling this way
Multi-boxing has always been a staple of EVE and was one of the things that made EVE great in the early years. You can do it to, but there is no coercion to do it mandatorily.
This is the argument I always hear for multiboxing, but for me it really doesn’t stand up.
The reality is that other players can pay-to-win to outcompete other solo players in every part of the game. We are all playing in the same economy; we are all competing for the same content; we are all PvPing on the same server.
So, yes there is no “coercion” to do it, but if you don’t you won’t be able to compete. It’s one of the more insidious pay-to-win mechanisms I’ve seen in any game. It’s already one of the most expensive monthly subscriptions and I still feel cheated when I pay for Omega because I’m not on a level playing field with all of the multiboxers.
This is good to hear. I’d love to come back to this game one day as it’s totally unique, but this is a mechanism that just taints it too much and makes it unplayable for me.
That is an expectation issue. I also use multiple accounts but only 2-3 at the same time at most (can’t handle more, tbf). I like gas mining and gas reactions. Despite me only using this low number of accounts, I can keep up with other people who use way more accounts simultaneously.
With all respect, you’re just proving the point that it requires multiboxing to keep up The point isn’t really that the 10 player multiboxing spoils this game for a lot of people, it’s that multiboxing in general does.
I understand completely and I used to feel that way until I realized I’m not really competing with anyone but myself and unless I want to pledge thousands of dollars, it’s kind of a silly notion.
I like to compete in RL sports and have received enough recognition to feel good about myself.
I play games for entertainment so multiboxing doesn’t bother me anymore. I enjoy the beauty and savagery of New Eden and the mechanics make it all possible, whether I like them or not. Multiboxers are also good for the Market and, frankly, if you’re targeted for ganking and don’t know it, all there’s left is enjoy the free ride to Home Station, regardless if the gankers were many or one player.
AS said, as matter of expectations. For me, low level multiboxing allows me to engage in a number of activities that I could otherwise not do or only do in ways that are utterly annoying and frustrating. The whole gameplay loop of EVE revolves around using several chars to a degree and has always done so. This is not a new thing, it’s been inherent in EVE since its inception.
Why don’t people ever complain about CCP multiboxing a dozen NPCs against them ? After all, that’s what a horde of NPCs are…just automated multiboxing.
But no…the real reason people endlessly whine about multiboxing is the horror that someone out there has more money than them. After all….what does it really matter whether you are playing vs 10 people with 10 accounts or 1 person with 10 accounts ? In what conceivable sense are you being ‘robbed’ ??
Lets call it what it really is. Jealousy. Let’s have everyone driving a Trabant…because that guy in a Porsche is clearly a bourgeois capitalist who has more money.
This way for five year pig iron plans, communal Farmville, and My Little State Authorised Pony —>
no the reason is people using multiboxing when i can only just use one account when i watch some loser use 20 accounts when i have a better system than him……
they suck up all the content….and clowns like you enable it.
The point isn’t really that the 10 player multiboxing spoils this game for a lot of people, it’s that multiboxing in general does.
