EVE General Discussion

You're both right. Time is being exchange for cash indirectly through the mediums of isk and PLEX respectively.

You can also add on things like taxes and deficit spending as well.

To have influence over a commodity like oil, diamonds or copper one would need to either have some degree of monopoly power for form a cartel...which is not easy. After all, with a cartel the problem of chiseling is always a problem.

For example, with OPEC each country has a considerable incentive to produce more than what it has been allocated under the cartel agreement. Further monitoring is not very easy, and even if you can monitor oil production since we are talking nation states, enforcing a penalty is rather difficult (is Saudi Arabia going to invade Venezuela, don't make me laugh). So Saudi Arabia acts/acted as an "enforcer" by threatening to over produce substantially and drive the oil price down very low. However, this is costly and it cuts deeply into the supposed profits.

A country doing something dubious with its own currency? Far, far easier thing to accomplish.

Anyone else ever dream of what they could do in/to EVE if they won a large multimillion jackpot in a lottery?

Indeed...

I buy a ticket every week.
If EVE goes insane overnight, it may or may not be me.

Status quo:
PLEX and PCU have now stabilised. Regardless of speculations as to who/why/how, this is our current status quo till Spring (particularly as in EVE, unlike many other games, we dont play during summer).

PLEX:
If you cant afford the new PLEX rate, adapt and diversify. Accept it as a positive challenge and an incentive to go and do things you have not done before. Either that, or focus on making more RLM or saving on uneccessary expenses.

Market:
It is to be expected that commodities prices across a wide spectrum will gradually drop as this settles in, as individual players dump their stockpiles inorder to facilitate PLEX purchase ingame for the foreseeable future. Its a buyers market (even though reduced PCU implies less supply). Up to you how you define your thresholds, but I think even lowish buy orders have a good chance of being filled still, though the optimum for larger profits may have already passed 1-2 months ago.

Emmigration:
Rising PLEX costs, means a need for higher profits.
HS activity is "safe", yes, but increasingly less sufficient to meet PLEX costs (barring station/system trading, which is "safe" in a different way, but not nearly as easy as many claim it as).

I would anticipate more non-HS activity in the next months, and less HS activity, as HS players or HS alts look outwards for the profit potentials (especially inorder to PLEX) that are now more rational, against the sustained level of risk.

I also expect an increase in recruitment candidates, particularly for large NS alliances and their consitutuent corps, as HS entities attempt to to find a "safe" place to continue and grow their isk efforts, to match their increased PLEX costs. Unfortunately LS and WH space cant provide that, due to many factors which may need heuristic consideration from CCP somewhere down the line. NPC null carries some incentive, but not the "safety" that these HS emmigrants want.

This is a fantastic opportunity for those NS entities to exploit these HS immigrants, both as to rob them blind cos they are too stupid and coddled to have understood game mechanics and so trusting as to give all their assets away for "gratis transport", but also, more importantly and significantly, to source players who will grind activity levels/indexes nonstop in select systems, that other players find tedious. HS PvE carebears farm HARD. They are ideal for this when provided the defence they require to feel "safe". Sure, they are not much help in a CTA, but they will handle the rest. They probably ***** and whine a lot too, but who cares as long as they bring in the isk/material/index.

LS has created its own problems. PvP matters here more than anywhere else. If you want that, go here. But if you want profit, not so much.

WH is insular and basic survival is complicated and involved. Profits work, but this is, quite frankly, the hardest sector of all. Organisational complications in NS may trump this, but really its a very harsh and unforgiving environment, in all ways.

As I have tried to be recently, I focus on the positive.
Rising PLEX price increases isk requirements, and makes HS increasingly insufficient for purposes of PLEXing.
This is GOOD, because it forces players out of HS, into the rest of what EVE has to offer.

Adapt. Evolve.
Go where the isk is

Or find a new game.....much closer to reality.

Dammit! You beat me too it.

Rising plex increases isk requirements?

Nope, my isk needs are the same as when I started playing. I understand that some people, it is tough to have spare cash, but if isk is tight now, some can afford it. So how do they? Can a person not get a cut of that? It can be harder so put more time to it. Combine eve fun with plex. Fewer shinies, but still enjoying if it isnt a hard farm?

Higher PLEX price prompts players to move out of HS (barring a few specialised activities), as profits are higher elsewhere.

Refusal to adapt, such as by moving out of HS for greater profits against increased PLEX price, has resulted in any number of whine posts veiled as "CCP plz improve PvE", which actually means they just want better HS PvE payout.

I dont doubt many of these players would rather leave EVE, than leave HS.
Everyone can conclude for themselves whether that is a rational or conducive choice.
Imo, it isnt. Its weak and pathetic.

Yes, many HS activities some people are used to, are now hard pressed to match PLEX.
Too bad. Too sad.

If you want greater profits, adapt your activities and/or, move to another sector where profits are greater.

Yes, you are correct.

However no new content would fix anything in regards to these lazy players expecting spoonfeeding.
Yes, dumping more safe HS PvE isk down their throats would make them happy, but then what.

Huge amounts of Isk are possible, if you use your brain, and especially if you get out of HS, where the systemic values/hr of various activities are categorically higher than in HS.

When PLEX was lower, HS seemed a sweet place to be "safe" and farm.
That time had now passed.

If they want to survive on PLEX, they are going to have to adapt/diversify/move.
If they would rather leave the game than even attempt that, its sad, but there isnt much that can be done about it.

(Notice also, btw, how its almost entirely only HS players (alongside "improve pve plz") who are the ones complaining about PLEX prices. This is not coincidental. Its because, in many ways, HS is the hardest hit, as HS in many ways has systemically less profit than elsewhere, as well ad, unfortunately, these same types who are most resistant to changes to their routine.)

I cant sympathise with a player who would rather leave EVE, than step outside of HS inorder to earn isk to remain in EVE, especially in the current circumstances.