EVE General Discussion

Hi guys and girls,

This thread isn't a flame or an attack against EVE but a genuine Q and A about the game and areas I feel like I've missed. So if you can help out thanks, if not, try not to be insulted.

So, I should probably start by saying I've cancelled my subscription (again - like 4th time now). I keep giving EVE a chance and it keeps disappointing me. But so many people seem to enjoy it I'm asking myself "am I playing it wrong?".

It seems like a game I should really enjoy. I prefer sandbox games, I prefer open-ended, open-world adventures -- but still EVE kills me of boredom after just 10-15 minutes of a play session.

For instance, right now I'm flying back from Jita to my home system in my cargo ship, 12 jumps away. This process is going to take me 20-30 minutes. I'm asking myself, why am I paying a monthly subscription, dedicating 30 minutes of my evening - to watching a spaceship fly through endless space for 30 minutes on end. It's like the most boring movie ever. There isn't even anything to do along the way. It's right click > Warp > right click > Warp.

And then when I get back to my home system, what am I supposed to do? Everyone in this game always answers "anything you want", but even in real life you know what you can and can't do at a time. If I wanted to go Hacking, where do I begin? What equipment do I need? Who offers missions? Where is the nearest system? -- To even begin to start something, I need to go read for 30 minutes on what the options are, then read for another 30 minutes how to best do that option. So there's another hour out of my evening. 1.5 hours in, and all I've managed to do is navigate my ship through 12 jumps, and read how to play the game.

So then I start with a Level 3 mission from my home system - because I couldn't be bothered - nor do I have the time tonight - to go and start something new like Hacking.

I load up my Drake, and fly out to the location. After 30 minutes of just point and click auto-fighting (I mean really you can fall asleep and still fight in this game, you might as well add a "Auto-Fight" button next to the Auto-Pilot) -- everything is dead and I have 50 wrecks to loot. So I again, spend 5 minutes flying back, docking and undocking in my Noctis, before flying back out and spending the next 30 minutes cleaning up the room -- yep, 1 hour to do 1 Level 3 mission + clean.

So its been 2.5 hours now, and I've managed to just 1 level 3 -- and what reward to I get? Less than 1 mill ISK and abotu 1000 LP, which I still don't fully understand is the point for? I mean I think I can get a new ship when I have 330,000 of them? 330,000!? i'm only getting 1000 an hour!

By this point, I've either had enough or its literally midnight so I'm going to bed, and I ask myself what did I achieve? What the hell did I even earn in those 2.5 hours of gameplay? What did I progress towards? Even in real life, 2.5 hours spent doing anything else leads towards some form of goal/objective.

...

Anyway, my point being is that I feel like I'm missing something. I feel like I've skipped the quest line that tells you what the point of it all is - or what the ultimate goal is. I work to progress my career, I work out to become fitter, I play games for enjoyment, I read to get more culture. I play EVE to ...? because right now it seems like a whole lot of pointless flying around hitting 1 button to launch missiles and thats about all.

Have I missed story arcs? have I missed some chain quest that ties all this to a purpose? What is the purpose of this game? To exist?

Anyway, if I haven't missed something, and that is the point of this game, then it probably isn't for me -- I just wanted to check before I leave that there wasn't some really important part of the game that I've skipped because I went straight from Sisters of EVE to a guild system 15 jumps away.

Thanks,
Blaine.

The fun of it is in the strategy and planning and executing your plan.
And becoming filthy space rich and get to wear monocles.

Stop doing PvE in EVE...its pretty boring.

The long and short is... the game doesnt tell you what to do.

What do you like about sci fi?

If you lived in a universe like this, what would your dreams be of?

Holding up freighter captains at gun point?

Leading a rebellion against an empire?

Controlling the means of production?

Freeing the slaves?

Owning an orbital oil refinery like Lando Calrissian, with a bit of gambling and treachery on the side?

Really, if you can think of it, there is a way.

You need to work out what you want to grow up to be.

Once you figure that out, there's plenty of people willing to help.

Join the New Order and you'll never want to quit EVE again.

For a short answer - yes, you're probably doing something wrong.
EVE at its core is a Player Vs Player game. Whether it's market competition, mining competition, production slots, scamming, or any of the many, many different ways to engage directly in ship-on-ship love, they all have one thing in common: Player interaction. Some MMOs you can play without having to interact a lot with other players. In EVE, that's almost certainly the way to boredom. As you have experienced yourself, doing PvE in EVE is likely dull. Check for example the current CCP CEO explain it here and the next few minutes.
I'd suggest trying out either the competitive aspect (PvP goals one way or another), or the social aspects.

I think there are a number of questions that, if you got them distilled, asked and then answered, you'd enjoy the game more, but for me, the really short version will be that the problem originates in trying to get a good singleplayer experience in a multiplayer game. Like playing chess with yourself, you can potentially have fun, it's just unlikely to succeed.

Best of luck.

If you want to get started in PvP go to Eve University or Red vs. Blue. Join fleets. Participate.

Join the New Order and you'll never want to play EVE again.

Join one of the corps in "Red vs Blue".


Try some noob pvp and advance from there.


Don't listen to any other advice.

5 minute gratification isn't necessary -- but I've been playing on/off for 4 years and I've had no gratification :) So a game with *some* gratification for my time/money is probably better suited for me :)

Thanks everyone for their input/advice.

I realise that what I've missed out on is the PvP side of EVE, which is part intentional and part circumstance.

I do enjoy PvE more than PvP, and was never told - or see it advertised - that EVE was a PvP focused game.

I started playing about 4 years ago and fell into the traps of Mining as a primary focus, then Rep grinding, and now Missions/LP grinding. Each time resulting in me cancelling my sub because I was looking for something "more".

So I think I will be moving on for good this time - thanks for helping me clarify that. I wish EVE was a game that better fostered a PVE experience outside of PVP, or at least pushed players towards PVP during the very beginning.

I honestly have gone 4 years without even witnessing PVP. I read about these grandios battles but have not had 1 pilot ever try to attack me.

The EVE system told me about all the things in PVE I could do -- gave me tutorials on all the different types of skills/professions, but not once introduced me to PvP -- so I play in complete ignorance of it.

If there is one constructive thing I hope CCP / anyone else could gain by reading this thread is that if the excitement/enjoyment of this game is focused around the PVP element then advertise that more prominently and introduce people to PVP mechanics early on. I wouldn't have minded losing a starter ship in a PVP battle straight out of Sisters of EVE because then that would have given me that goal/target of what to work for etc.

Instead I was left in space floating aimlessly jumping from PvE skill to PvE skill :)

Thanks again everyone.

If anyone wants to come and try kill me, I'll be somewhere in The Forge doing Security Missions until the 28th March, come find me and show me the PvP I've been missing :P I'll be in a Drake :) You have 5 days haha :D