Why Eve is not a PvP game

Communications Center General Discussion
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Yeah, that’s what we keep telling each other: Eve is a harsh PvP game, and leaving the station equals consent to be killed. Sorry, no. That’s just fireplace tales to impress the youth. It’s just us roleplaying a life in danger. In space. As heroes.

Eve, in fact, is an RTS, a realtime strategy game with a huge economic management part. People are forming groups to control parts of the virtual space (some call this “meta”, but it’s the game, really). The PvP is there to keep demand for goods up, for ships, modules, minerals, ore.

Yes, mining is at the core of all eve activity, and all looking down on miners is juvenile at best (Nothing wrong with that, people have a right to be juvenile, and should act this out in virtual space rather than in RL). And PvE, of course. Just take a look at the monthly economic report: Most of the ISK to buy ships, weapons, modules ingame is from bounties, peacefully farmed from helpless NPCs. By a huge margin.

So, let’s face it: Eve is not a PvP game. It’s not Fortnite Battle Royale in space. It’s an MMO with a PvP part, where people compete in various ways, as well as a community part, where people work together as collectives. Yes, there’s other games focusing on either aspect of Eve, some are more shooty, others more build-uppy, while this beloved MMO of ours has it all. And again, each and everyone here has the right to act juvenile, insisting that their playstyle would be the only one that counts. Fine. But please don’t mind being laughed at. Especially at all mentions of “salt”, which isn’t even juvenile, but, how to put it… puerile.

Face the facts, fellow capsuleers. We’re playing a game together. We’re a community. And shooting at each other is a part of this, while being overly proud of having shot at each other is… not perfectly adult. Yes, you’re welcome.

Also: This is an excellent blog post on the subject.

On second thought: No, i’m not going to apply for CSM. I’m just here to play this game together with you.

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PvP doesn’t just mean pew-pew though and it’s pretty hard to name an activity in Eve that’s not PvP to some degree…

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We need a ship spinning leader board.

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You mad bro?
Your opinion has been noted. And discarded.

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The only activity in EVE that is not a form of PVP is Project Discovery…

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I"m really concerned for Eve because I feel left to their own ways, in lieu of any backlash, a battleroyal fortnite is exactly what we’re going to get.

Eve is not a pvp game.

You have to keep in mind many many playing AND developing this game werent even around for the inception of the vision.

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Name one activity (other than Project Discovery) where you don’t have to interact with other players, or risk unwanted interaction with other players?

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sitting in station chatting with m8s on coms who have had a hard day.

Stop trying to understand social eve as a fortnite pew fest…watch the subs climb.

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How do you figure that? We used to have one called the Alliance Tournament. We regularly have something similar called “wars”.
So… your point?

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CCP if you’re reading this — once upon a time we really looked at AT as a quality e-sport. Now your fans can’t even tell the difference between what used to be really detailed pvp and battle royale.

Can we do better ?

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I agree that if people are looking for a PvP game, EVE would not be my first recommendation.

EVE is a universe, a sandbox that gives us tools and fellow players to set goals and work for them, to get creative and overcome challenges that this universe throws at you. And all of that in a PvP setting where you have a choice of working together, but also against fellow players.

However, some people join this universe with it’s community, all it’s tools and goals, and expect to live undisturbed by other players. To those players we really need to be clear:

EVE is a PvP game.

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Well said sir

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Nobody looks down on miners.

People look down on people who needlessly get their ludicrously over-blinged ships popped and then complain that it wasn’t fair.

You, and your linked article fail to grasp that the fundamental mechanics of Eve are competitive. Say I as a miner wanna sell my ore for a higher price than you, and make more money? Then I blow up your ships. Fewer competing m3 on the market. Winner winner chicken dinner.

The ‘Building’ part of Eve is competitive. I wanna sell my stuff, and that means I want my stuff to be purchased and not your stuff. So I can compete on price, or, in Eve, I just eliminate the competition.

Eve is a PvP game. The failure to understand the game is yours (and whomever wrote that blog). Not mine.

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who did? did you do a vote? did you get a consensus between every player at the time and make a formal declaration?
what are you even trying to say?

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Eve is, at it’s core, a pvp sandbox. The ultimate goal is to destroy eachother and all other elements of the game are leading to that goal.

Skill learning and wealth gathering are a means to be more powerful to compete against other players.

I’ll find my reply on the subject from else where:

Pvp is competition, in any form. And in eve you are always competing because of the market. Any attempt at wealth generation in eve is pvp. You are trying to become richer than you’re competition (every other player in the game) so you have better spending power. And you use that spending power to fight against your enemies. When goons started churning out so many titans, what were those titans for? To, one way or another, make goons stronger.

CCP hint towards this in the New Player FAQ when they say pvp has many forms (or words to that effect).

The ‘end-game’ isnt to train every skill or to be the wealthiest person in the game. Those are means to an end. The ‘end-game’ is being the most powerful player/group in the game and/or crushing all competition.

Ironbank did not win EVE and as far as I’m aware never felt he had. But Goons on the other hand, declared they had won EVE when they crushed their last competitor just before fozzie sov was introduced.

Anything toward that; mining, ratting, skill training, trading and pew pew is all pvp. And that is EVE.

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  • your ultimate goal, not mine…not the entire player base.
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Your individual goal might not be, but the collective goal of the game is.

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Literally I’ve interviewed in the thousands for folks looking for corps over the years…most of them dont tell me thats their goal…most want to log on with some mates and do some stuff for a few hours.

Lets be pragmatic instead of head in the clouds with arrogance — universal domination at empire level is a full time ti-di job.

Most players want to connect with a group and have some experiences. Some nights its yolo’ing frieghters some nights its PI and some nights I WILL take your dam constellation. So dont confuse my well rounded perspective of the eve player with someone who doesnt shoot

just like i wont take someone who decloaks in a bomber ganking covetors day in and day out as a pvp wizard [ no one in particular referenced in that last sentence.]

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Says who? I know of many, MANY people who would and will tell you you’re not speaking for them. Remember Goons little catch-phrase?
We aren’t here to ruin THE game. We are here to ruin YOUR game.
So speak for yourself, not the rest of the game at large. You should have left the statement at that.

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Yet another hypothetical forum post trying to attach a label to something more complex than one word. What are we hoping to accomplish this time? That people can have differing views of what makes the experience enjoyable to them is a good thing i.e. broad appeal - why not celebrate that and not try and undermine it.

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