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Results of motivational survey!
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Davis Malahov
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#1 - 2016-05-29 07:49:45 UTC
Hello!

I submitted my bachelor paper succesfully! So it's time to give back.

I uploaded tables in Imgur (all units is in Percentage):
1. Age
2. Education
3. Occupation
4. Time that you dedicate to paid or not-paid work.
5. Household status - with or without children (I grouped all the results in these two groups, because that is where "statistically significant" results showed)
6. Time spent playing EVE
7. Mastery motivation
8. Creativity motivation
9. Social motivation

Link: http://imgur.com/QmDOHeb&3aG26HD&6I4mMOx&0yVTFUv&bNeZZyM&WR1dDKL&MZO3dgE&I25pVvr&dAgXZci


Simple analysis.
1. EVE Online players are motivated by Mastery, Creativity and Social aspects of game. For me Creativity was surprise, because I thought that it will be Achievement, not Creativity. Of course, if you dig deeper you can understand that EVE Online goes hand in hand with creative decisions - wormhole mining, jet can mining, creative fleet tactics, scaning&exploring, finding 101 way to get ISK (all the pyramid schemes, all the crazy-ass logistical solutions, in-game entrepreneurship (Red&Black Frog logistics, Industries, etc.))
I presumed that it will be Achievement, because I thought that all many EVE Players care about is - killboards, ISK, cool ships and that's end of a story. I was very, very wrong.

2. Most disappointing news for developers - activity (blowing **** up) is little to no importance to players. On the outside EVE can look like Total War in space, but on the inside Social motivation is more, more explaining. Not "spaceships is serious business", but more like "doing things together in spaceships is serious business". For developers, that means that "This is EVE" trailer (2014) was more spot on, in general, than "The Citadel" trailer (2016).
From interviews I found out that adrenaline rush, in general doesn't come from space fights as such, but from loosing valuable ship in fight or from risk in doing so (going in wormholes, hauling valuable cargo, etc.) or from miscarried plan that fails, because of a player.
So the in-game ship replacement, in some ways, is de-motivation. People just drone by in null-sec fleets not risking their personal assets.

3. Mean age is 36. Most players spend 20 hours or less in EVE Online, in week. 70% have full-time job. Those who have children in their household spend less time in EVE (logically, I guess) than others. People with strong Mastery motivation tend to spend more time in EVE Online.

Would be happy to see your thoughts on a subject.

All in all it was very interesting research for me. I was very happy that many people participated. :)
Thank You, all!
Drago Shouna
Doomheim
#2 - 2016-05-29 07:54:39 UTC
Good job, well done and good luck with the Degree.

Solecist Project...." They refuse to play by the rules and laws of the game and use it as excuse ..." " They don't care about how you play as long as they get to play how they want."

Welcome to EVE.
Yourmoney Mywallet
Doomheim
#3 - 2016-05-29 08:39:56 UTC
Drago Shouna wrote:
Good job, well done and good luck with the Degree.
Yochi Miyatsuda
Doomheim
#4 - 2016-05-29 10:18:55 UTC
Such a simple post, but giving such a wealth of insight! This is the magic that happens when the forums are used properly, instead of ego-boosting.

If only CCP conducted such insightful player-base research instead of catering to the loud minority!
Gimme Sake
State War Academy
Caldari State
#5 - 2016-05-29 11:25:05 UTC
Being an economy based game, of course the game revolves around social motivation. And, as in real environment, creativity is an expresion of identity within the game setting.

"Never not blob!" ~ Plato
Shae Tadaruwa
Science and Trade Institute
Caldari State
#6 - 2016-05-29 11:52:42 UTC  |  Edited by: Shae Tadaruwa
Davis Malahov wrote:
2. Most disappointing news for developers - activity (blowing **** up) is little to no importance to players. On the outside EVE can look like Total War in space, but on the inside Social motivation is more, more explaining. Not "spaceships is serious business", but more like "doing things together in spaceships is serious business".

I know it was only a simple analysis, however I don't see how your conclusion here is disappointing for developers.

Over 2 years ago, CCP officially stated that their view is that players taking part in 'meaningful experiences' are the things that appear to lead to longer retention in the game.

They identified meaningful experiences as very much involving different social elements - talking in chat channels, voice chat, fleet activities, being in a player corp (not that a player Corp is a direct meaningful experience compared to an NPC Corp, but the social aspect is more likely to be found in a player Corp compared to most NPC Corps, so that is just a correlation), player interaction.

So it would seem from a simple analysis that far from your survey being disappointing for developers, it adds further evidence to the conclusions they had already drawn through their own analysis.

That's a good thing, surely. That's how good investigation and research works, so why would it be a disappointment?

Dracvlad - "...Your intel is free intel, all you do is pay for it..." && "...If you warp on the same path as a cloaked ship, you'll make a bookmark at exactly the same spot as the cloaky camper..."
Ka Plaa
Doomheim
#7 - 2016-05-29 15:26:50 UTC
Zirashi
Cyclical Destruction
#8 - 2016-05-29 17:01:27 UTC
I must be an outlier because I am mostly solo and my sole reason for playing EVE is the explosions. And for me, the more people involved in those explosions, the less exciting it becomes. I guess I just like going against the odds or the feeling of being self-sufficient in combat (not that those things are exclusive to solo).
Mara Pahrdi
The Order of Anoyia
#9 - 2016-05-29 19:03:22 UTC
Thanks for the concise feedback. Most appreciated!

And good luck with whatever you plan to do in the future.

Remove standings and insurance.
Sustrai Aditua
Intandofisa
#10 - 2016-05-29 19:07:19 UTC  |  Edited by: Sustrai Aditua
Heh heh heh. I somehow knew the two-dimensional, midget-minded gankfest pogues were lightyears from being the majority around here, and are just a loudmouthed bunch of annoyances heaving about New Eden like unwashed
hippos in the bodega.

Thanks for posting the results. Most people just have us do the thing then forget about us. Maybe these results will bolster some who've begun to feel like lone rangers, and take the wind out of the sails of some (ahem) windbags who claim to be the Be-All-End-All of EVE.

What's THAT CODE for?

If we get chased by zombies, I'm tripping you.
Shae Tadaruwa
Science and Trade Institute
Caldari State
#11 - 2016-05-29 19:14:03 UTC
Sustrai Aditua wrote:
Heh heh heh. I somehow knew the two-dimensional, midget-minded gankfest pogues were lightyears from being the majority around here, and are just a loudmouthed bunch of annoyances heaving about New Eden like unwashed
hippos in the bodega.

Thanks for posting the results. Most people just have us do the thing then forget about us. Maybe these results will bolster some who've begun to feel like lone rangers, and take the wind out of the sails of some (ahem) windbags who claim to be the Be-All-End-All of EVE.

What's THAT CODE for?

You taking selfies? (and I'm not referring to the guys backside, more the other one in the image)

NSFW for anyone that clicks on the image.

Dracvlad - "...Your intel is free intel, all you do is pay for it..." && "...If you warp on the same path as a cloaked ship, you'll make a bookmark at exactly the same spot as the cloaky camper..."
Jeremiah Saken
The Fall of Leviathan
#12 - 2016-05-30 07:16:41 UTC
How many players participate?

Results are interesting. I didn't expect such responses (motivation ones).

"I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas..." - Herman Melville
Shallanna Yassavi
qwertz corp
#13 - 2016-05-30 07:22:05 UTC
Question: What results would you get if you linked a duplicate of the survey on Reddit?

And what would results would you get if you put the link in Jita local (besides a huge list of people who ignore you)?

A signature :o
Shiloh Templeton
Cheyenne HET Co
#14 - 2016-06-01 01:31:19 UTC
Nice job on the analysis.

Too many surveys just report the results without trying to figure out what it means.
Pandora Carrollon
Provi Rapid Response
#15 - 2016-06-01 19:33:22 UTC
Good work.

Your results are going to be slightly skewed by the fact that you advertised the survey in the forums and that would make for a more 'social' bunch to begin with... along with a few other skewing quirks, but it looks solid enough. Certainly better than some other surveys that have made headlines using very dubious data.

I think the disappointment you are referring to is the frequent claims of the ship to ship PvP crowd that keeps telling us the game is for that purpose alone. So your stats seem to bear out what I've been finding out to be more 'true' is that the game majority is creators, not destroyers... or maybe creators with an appetite to destroy as well.

I think CCP will pay attention to your results but they likely won't net much change in the game. Spending time on the economic/industry/resource gathering side is not nearly as sexy as 'blowing stuff up', even if it's the majority activity.

If it gets them to look at things like PI, mining, and building things to make it more efficient, competitive, and fun, then your survey will have done some serious good. More likely they will replicate your survey on a larger scale with some in-game reward to find out how the player base actually feels, so if that happens, then you will have created a great catalyst for a good feel of what the players actually have in mind rather than trying to derive it from what activities they do (like CCP currently does).

So, awesome stuff, hope you get that diploma!

8 Golden Rules of EVE • EVE is entirely PvP
Davis Malahov
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#16 - 2016-06-03 09:40:19 UTC
Thank You all, for responses.

Quote:
Your results are going to be slightly skewed by the fact that you advertised the survey in the forums and that would make for a more 'social' bunch to begin with... along with a few other skewing quirks

I advertised survey in Forum, Reddit, sent it to in-game alliances, corporations (all kinds - industrial, mining, pirates, etc.). I also sent it to 300 random names (through in-game evemail), that I chose by picking alphabet latters. So yeah. I tried to do all things not to skew data to one side.

About respondance.
Respondent count was 238, not much. (for random snowball type survey it would be 95% representative to get at least 328, 99% representative to get 800-1000 ) I predict that 80 - 90 people that completed survey are from Forum+Reddit. One year ago I tried a pilot survey only advertising it in Forum and Reddit. The results was 89 valid answers in the same time span.

Quote:
Over 2 years ago, CCP officially stated that their view is that players taking part in 'meaningful experiences' are the things that appear to lead to longer retention in the game.

They identified meaningful experiences as very much involving different social elements - talking in chat channels, voice chat, fleet activities, being in a player corp (not that a player Corp is a direct meaningful experience compared to an NPC Corp, but the social aspect is more likely to be found in a player Corp compared to most NPC Corps, so that is just a correlation), player interaction.


I searched for some data, at least graphs (not just statements) that CCP published to cite, but didn't find it (only age, gender, potential workplace, EVEFest 2013). It would be cool if CCP could make annual survey about player demographics, motivations, real life values, workplace, hobbies, etc. and would share the results with community, as they do with EVE Economy reports. :) They have more access to player-base then any outside researcher can ever get.

Quote:
Heh heh heh. I somehow knew the two-dimensional, midget-minded gankfest pogues were lightyears from being the majority around here, and are just a loudmouthed bunch of annoyances heaving about New Eden like unwashed
hippos in the bodega.

Thanks for posting the results. Most people just have us do the thing then forget about us. Maybe these results will bolster some who've begun to feel like lone rangers, and take the wind out of the sails of some (ahem) windbags who claim to be the Be-All-End-All of EVE.


The majority of players have Full-time jobs n'stuff, so it shows, that they spend 20 hours or less on EVE Online. I guess it goes like this - 1-3 hours every evening plus 10-12 hours in weekend. But that's just a guess.
Of course there is exceptions. For example, if you work as a lone guard someplace in night shifts, you potentially can mine all night long and it will count as playing clocking 70+ hours in a week.

And yes, many people come here to hone they're in-game mastery, but that just doesn't mean only pew-pew in null-sec, but also industry, trade, hauling, wormhole mining, etc.

Quote:
Question: What results would you get if you linked a duplicate of the survey on Reddit?

And what would results would you get if you put the link in Jita local (besides a huge list of people who ignore you)?


Isolated survey in Jita local could get more mastery and action, I guess. Mastery - as trading, hauling. Action as ganking, blowing up things and such. I'm not very familiar with Jita. Been there only once.
Isolated survey on Reddit or EVE Online forums, could get more social motivation, i guess.
All in all, I wanted to add a question - "Where do you seen advertisment to fill in this survey?", but it was too late for that.

Thank You for taking interest in survey. :)
Shayla Etherodyne
Delta Laroth Industries
#17 - 2016-06-03 11:10:11 UTC
thanks for sharing the results, they are interesting. I share Pandora opinion that they aren't perfectly representative of the EVE population. People that reply to this kind of survey generally aren't the the adrenaline rush and instant gratification guys.
But those guys probably are the transient population of the game, leaving after a few months.
I think it it a reasonably precise image of the long term players.
Sustrai Aditua
Intandofisa
#18 - 2016-06-05 13:45:55 UTC
Verrrrrrrrrry interestink.

If we get chased by zombies, I'm tripping you.