EVE New Citizens Q&A

Hello!

Im new to EVE. I've been playing now for about two months. I have a 3 month PLEX subscription which runs out some time May i think. While i love playing EVE, i also have a lot of other games that i love playing, so sometimes i don't feel like sitting in EVE just because i bought game time.

My question is thus: if my PLEX runs out while im not playing, how long can my character / account stay dormant in hibernation untill i pick it up again? How long can an account stay unused before it's removed? And obviously, does my character and all my inventory remain the same when i come back to the game?

I believe there is something in the EULA that states they can delete a character that has been inactive for a few months. However, this seems to be more of a CYA than actual policy. As far as anyone has determined, players/assets have never been deleted for inactivity.

However, you don't just have to sit in game. If the possibility is available to you, you can keep your account active and keep training so that when you come back, you'll have access to more ships, modules, and abilities. Otherwise your training will go inactive while your account is not paid. You can come and go as you please.

EDIT: I fail at using words

They're around forever! I have personally seen people who haven't played since 2005-2006 return to Eve to pick up right from where they left off. If I recall correctly, there have been a couple issues in the past with a very limited number of peoples' accounts, but CCP resolved those manually to everyone's satisfaction (the data was there, just not in the right place).

Biomassed: when you actively deleted a character. If you don't do that, and just let the account expire, you can renew it when you want.

Technically, CCP holds the right to delete your character if it's on an account that is inactive to make room on the server.

Practically, it has never happened in the last 10 years. So a very very good chance that your character will be there like you left him when you return. That is, unless CCP changes stuff to the game (for instance remove certain skills - as they did before with the learning skills and some connection skills - they will take them from your skills but likely reimburse the SP invested in said skill to be allocated somewhere else).

considering even biomassed characters if i recall, just get moved to Doomheim, not actually deleted.

If the OP is wonderign why, it ahs to do with database entries.

So suppose there is this elite PvP'er named Bobby McDuddly, hes known for absolutely destroying 4-5 guys in a fight solo (totally not with boosts, okay maybe only a couple and a full set of 3bil implants, but its still solo if no one else is on the killmail!). If i killed Bobby McDuddly in 2004, and he deleted his character in 2007, then 2008 comes along and someone wants to look up stories about this Bobby guy, and I say "hey, i beat him once", where would my proof be? as kills would just say Citizen# instead of Bobby.


So even deleted Bobby sits in the database for his legacy to forever remain like some sort of digital tombstone.

but as others have said, CCP have never deleted a character, heck, some have been around for almost 110 years!
https://gate.eveonline.com/Profile/Sansha%20Kuvakei (actual player character, as in you cna set standings, bounties, watchlist, the works. look at his birthdate, new players always love that)

(edit* link broke however you can look him ingame still i believe)

I would recommend to you that even if you don't actually feel like "playing EVE" that you continue to sub your account and train skills if you can afford the spare change. Many a time have I unsubbed for a 9 month deployment or some other life event only to realize I could have logged in to set my training and been flying around much fancier ships or maxed some other support skills to level V.

It really does suck to realize you missed a few months of training that you now have to still pay a sub to catch up on when you could have paid the sub before and been done by now.

I was out the game for 5.5 years.. all assets were still here.