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Team Avatar and the future of our prototype

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Author
Lors Dornick
Kallisti Industries
#3141 - 2013-12-07 23:04:45 UTC
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:

I am not advocating a new game built into the client for a new playerbase the incarna client and CQ is already there.

Except that it's not useful for anything more than a barely mobile avatar in a single room.

Now, instead of the regular Sims in space or that stuff can you present any valid addition to game play that could be added using the current state of code or a minor tweak?

All this time post incarna and one single solid idea has been posted, and it was shot down by CCP.

CCP Greyscale: As to starbases, we agree it's pretty terrible, but we don't want to delay the entire release just for this one factor.

Lors Dornick
Kallisti Industries
#3142 - 2013-12-07 23:06:01 UTC
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:


CCP would rather it not be a niche game though. That's why they are looking for mass market appeal with shooters and consoles.

CCP =/= EVE

Which is why they have those other games.

CCP Greyscale: As to starbases, we agree it's pretty terrible, but we don't want to delay the entire release just for this one factor.

Little Dragon Khamez
Guardians of the Underworld
#3143 - 2013-12-07 23:11:06 UTC
Lors Dornick wrote:
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:

I am not advocating a new game built into the client for a new playerbase the incarna client and CQ is already there.

Except that it's not useful for anything more than a barely mobile avatar in a single room.

Now, instead of the regular Sims in space or that stuff can you present any valid addition to game play that could be added using the current state of code or a minor tweak?

All this time post incarna and one single solid idea has been posted, and it was shot down by CCP.


Station D-scan, visit CQ click D-scan on your big screen and you get to see what is outside the station up to the 14au maximum without having to undock using the station's sensors as clearly your ship is in the hanger. Not everyone has got an alt outside and not everyone flies in small gangs with scouts, plus this is really easy to implement within the existing code and is easily supported by the existing lore.

Dumbing down of Eve Online will result in it's destruction...

Little Dragon Khamez
Guardians of the Underworld
#3144 - 2013-12-07 23:15:35 UTC
Lors Dornick wrote:
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:


CCP would rather it not be a niche game though. That's why they are looking for mass market appeal with shooters and consoles.

CCP =/= EVE

Which is why they have those other games.


That is not even a sensible answer. At no time did I suggest that CCP = EVE.

Dumbing down of Eve Online will result in it's destruction...

Lors Dornick
Kallisti Industries
#3145 - 2013-12-07 23:18:37 UTC
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:
Lors Dornick wrote:
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:

I am not advocating a new game built into the client for a new playerbase the incarna client and CQ is already there.

Except that it's not useful for anything more than a barely mobile avatar in a single room.

Now, instead of the regular Sims in space or that stuff can you present any valid addition to game play that could be added using the current state of code or a minor tweak?

All this time post incarna and one single solid idea has been posted, and it was shot down by CCP.


Station D-scan, visit CQ click D-scan on your big screen and you get to see what is outside the station up to the 14au maximum without having to undock using the station's sensors as clearly your ship is in the hanger. Not everyone has got an alt outside and not everyone flies in small gangs with scouts, plus this is really easy to implement within the existing code and is easily supported by the existing lore.

And that would need any Avatar based gameplay how?
It would be much easier just to allow us to open Dscan while docked,

CCP Greyscale: As to starbases, we agree it's pretty terrible, but we don't want to delay the entire release just for this one factor.

Lors Dornick
Kallisti Industries
#3146 - 2013-12-07 23:20:02 UTC
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:
Lors Dornick wrote:
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:


CCP would rather it not be a niche game though. That's why they are looking for mass market appeal with shooters and consoles.

CCP =/= EVE

Which is why they have those other games.


That is not even a sensible answer. At no time did I suggest that CCP = EVE.

EvE is a niche game, it doesn't mean that any other game from CCP will be, or in the same niche.

CCP Greyscale: As to starbases, we agree it's pretty terrible, but we don't want to delay the entire release just for this one factor.

Ishtanchuk Fazmarai
#3147 - 2013-12-07 23:21:21 UTC
Lors Dornick wrote:
Ishtanchuk Fazmarai wrote:


Just look at PCU versus marketing expense

I wasn't aware that you had access to data on their marketing expense ;)


Of course I have it, their financial statements are publicly available on their website.

Here's a summary I made some months ago:

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=3679134#post3679134

Quote:
CCP game revenue 2008: 41,668,893
CCP game revenue 2009: 51,782,424
CCP game revenue 2010: 57,428,530
CCP game revenue 2011: 63,323,357
CCP game revenue 2012: 64,436,996

CCP marketing expense 2008: (8,524,124)
CCP marketing expense 2009: (9,410,916)
CCP marketing expense 2010: (9,769,965)
CCP marketing expense 2010: (9,769,965)
CCP marketing expense 2011: (9,912,335)
CCP marketing expense 2012: (12,567,302)

CCP research and development expense 2008: (7,868,828)
CCP research and development expense 2009: (9,342,375)
CCP research and development expense 2010: (11,127,383)
CCP research and development expense 2011: (12,972,482)
CCP research and development expense 2012: (16,513,666)

CCP total comprehensive income for the period 2008: 5,532,343
CCP total comprehensive income for the period 2009: 6,020,872
CCP total comprehensive income for the period 2010: 5,482,264
CCP total comprehensive income for the period 2011: 8,817,262
CCP total comprehensive income for the period 2012: 4,597,556

2013 january-june trends vs 2012 january-june:

Game revenue UP by 4.3 million USD
Marketing expense UP by 1.9 million USD
Research and development UP by 4.4 million USD


Quote:
But look back on you data, Eve is a very successful niche game.

So far no other game has come close and it doesn't look like any of the upcoming games are even trying.



Well, currently SC haves 325,490 supporters, which are more unique customers than EVE haves. And SC aims straight at the core of the following EVE demographics:

- "Casual" players
- Solo players
- PvE players
- Hisec players
- aspiring avatar PvP players
- aspiring avatar PvE players

That's about 60 to 80% of the subscriber base. They simply are too many as to disregard the chances that a fraction of them actually unsub to never come back.

And, of course, there's Elite: Dangerous too.

Roses are red / Violets are blue / I am an Alpha / And so it's you

Little Dragon Khamez
Guardians of the Underworld
#3148 - 2013-12-07 23:25:03 UTC
Lors Dornick wrote:
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:
Lors Dornick wrote:
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:


CCP would rather it not be a niche game though. That's why they are looking for mass market appeal with shooters and consoles.

CCP =/= EVE

Which is why they have those other games.


That is not even a sensible answer. At no time did I suggest that CCP = EVE.

EvE is a niche game, it doesn't mean that any other game from CCP will be, or in the same niche.


I hope you are right, that Dust really takes off and that aur store pays the bills, I hope Valkyrie is a blast too and really popular because CCP are talented and clever and really deserve some good press, they deserve another big hit, something that makes them so much money that they can afford to develop eve plus their other games into the awesome vision that they've demonstrated to us all. It's richly deserved but honestly I think CCP are shooting themsleves in the foot by developing new games on a shoestring. It's like trying to feed a family of 5 with just enough food for 2. Everyone eats a little but no-one feels satisfied.

Dumbing down of Eve Online will result in it's destruction...

Crumplecorn
Eve Cluster Explorations
#3149 - 2013-12-07 23:29:57 UTC
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:
I am not advocating a new game built into the client for a new playerbase the incarna client and CQ is already there. I am just advocating that its gets some development time just like SOV, POS and starbase structures and ship rebalancing.
Well then we are in agreement, as I have always supported WiS as long as it is aimed at EVE players and not at non-EVE players (and not as some half-baked response to a vapourware non-competitor, but that's another story).

I like the side projects though, as long they don't fail so hard that they drag EVE down. Only so much of the Sci-Fi Simulator vision can be achieved within one client.

Witty Image - Stream

Not Liking this post hurts my RL feelings and will be considered harassment

Lors Dornick
Kallisti Industries
#3150 - 2013-12-07 23:31:23 UTC  |  Edited by: Lors Dornick
Ishtanchuk Fazmarai wrote:
Lors Dornick wrote:
Ishtanchuk Fazmarai wrote:


Just look at PCU versus marketing expense

I wasn't aware that you had access to data on their marketing expense ;)


Of course I have it, their financial statements are publicly available on their website.

I stand corrected ;)

Ishtanchuk Fazmarai wrote:

Well, currently SC haves 325,490 supporters, which are more unique customers than EVE haves. And SC aims straight at the core of the following EVE demographics:

- "Casual" players
- Solo players
- PvE players
- Hisec players
- aspiring avatar PvP players
- aspiring avatar PvE players

That's about 60 to 80% of the subscriber base. They simply are too many as to disregard the chances that a fraction of them actually unsub to never come back.

And, of course, there's Elite: Dangerous too.

Ah, that's where we differ.

I regard myself as a laid back indy style eve player, and I've looked at both and I haven't seen anything that would challenge EvE.

And when it comes to SC, it's still a big wager if it's going to happen, or if it's an Eve-style heist in RL ;)

CCP Greyscale: As to starbases, we agree it's pretty terrible, but we don't want to delay the entire release just for this one factor.

Thetabetalpha
Republic Military School
Minmatar Republic
#3151 - 2013-12-07 23:51:31 UTC
Crumplecorn wrote:
Thetabetalpha wrote:
It doesn't take much to put words in somebody's mouth, does it? If you see WiS in a completely separate way from FiS, if you see it somehow splitting community in two, no matter how anyone tries to lay it out for you, you are going to see it that way.
I'm not the one talking about designing WiS to bring in a new set of players who aren't interested in the spaceship game.
You are the one twisting the words though. Because I was talking about designing WiS that makes new player interested in Eve as a whole (no, not just in WiS part.)

The way it is designed now - new player w/o guidance gets to run horrendous pve content, gets bored to death in a couple weeks and leaves. If they do not get into pvp by themselves in time, they end up staying carebears or leave the game. Many simply contribute it to the famous learning curve, personally I blame it on poor/outdated interaction design(lacks wis and/or better UI design) & lack of well-developed pve content, which could keep the player interested long enough to get into the core of the game.


Another example: the current system of starting NPC corps - newbies are separated from corporation chat - for the obvious reasons. But in WiS environment recruitment of new players could be done much easier. New player training sessions started by CCP could be enhanced by that also.

p.s. Before someone plugs in "eve is all about PvP" I am going to ask - why add meaningless isk grind then?
Crumplecorn
Eve Cluster Explorations
#3152 - 2013-12-07 23:56:38 UTC
Thetabetalpha wrote:
The way it is designed now - new player w/o guidance gets to run horrendous pve content, gets bored to death in a couple weeks and leaves. If they do not get into pvp by themselves in time, they end up staying carebears or leave the game
I agree that this happens, but it happens because, as you say, they are only presented crappy PvE content. If, instead, they are present WiS and not even shown the spaceships initally, how can that make things anything but worse?

Witty Image - Stream

Not Liking this post hurts my RL feelings and will be considered harassment

Cpt Tirel
Institute For Continuous Glory
#3153 - 2013-12-08 00:19:58 UTC
Crumplecorn wrote:
Thetabetalpha wrote:
The way it is designed now - new player w/o guidance gets to run horrendous pve content, gets bored to death in a couple weeks and leaves. If they do not get into pvp by themselves in time, they end up staying carebears or leave the game
I agree that this happens, but it happens because, as you say, they are only presented crappy PvE content. If, instead, they are present WiS and not even shown the spaceships initally, how can that make things anything but worse?


The OP of this tread speaks of WIS PvE like extravehicular activity and exploration, if it was done well the PvE of this game would keep new players here much longer. It is also a type of WiS that is not limited to stations, so it would probably work nicely with the sandbox.
Crumplecorn
Eve Cluster Explorations
#3154 - 2013-12-08 00:24:22 UTC
Cpt Tirel wrote:
The OP of this tread speaks of WIS PvE like extravehicular activity and exploration, if it was done well the PvE of this game would keep new players here much longer. It is also a type of WiS that is not limited to stations, so it would probably work nicely with the sandbox.
Good point, non-station WiS had slipped my mind. Would love to see that sort of thing in the game.

Witty Image - Stream

Not Liking this post hurts my RL feelings and will be considered harassment

Rain6636
GoonWaffe
Goonswarm Federation
#3155 - 2013-12-08 02:34:29 UTC
you guys are so mean for calling EVE a cult or niche game
Flamespar
WarRavens
#3156 - 2013-12-08 03:06:44 UTC
Rain6636 wrote:
you guys are so mean for calling EVE a cult or niche game


Kill the unbeliever!!!
Rain6636
GoonWaffe
Goonswarm Federation
#3157 - 2013-12-08 07:21:10 UTC
I see what you're saying, but I think it's hurtful to say because it's more false than it is true.
Flamespar
WarRavens
#3158 - 2013-12-08 09:34:24 UTC
Ishtanchuk Fazmarai
#3159 - 2013-12-08 09:35:55 UTC
Lors Dornick wrote:
Ishtanchuk Fazmarai wrote:
Lors Dornick wrote:
Ishtanchuk Fazmarai wrote:


Just look at PCU versus marketing expense

I wasn't aware that you had access to data on their marketing expense ;)


Of course I have it, their financial statements are publicly available on their website.

I stand corrected ;)

Ishtanchuk Fazmarai wrote:

Well, currently SC haves 325,490 supporters, which are more unique customers than EVE haves. And SC aims straight at the core of the following EVE demographics:

- "Casual" players
- Solo players
- PvE players
- Hisec players
- aspiring avatar PvP players
- aspiring avatar PvE players

That's about 60 to 80% of the subscriber base. They simply are too many as to disregard the chances that a fraction of them actually unsub to never come back.

And, of course, there's Elite: Dangerous too.

Ah, that's where we differ.

I regard myself as a laid back indy style eve player, and I've looked at both and I haven't seen anything that would challenge EvE.

And when it comes to SC, it's still a big wager if it's going to happen, or if it's an Eve-style heist in RL ;)


So, according to you, people like you are not interested with other games. Good for you and for CCP. But people like you are a minority.

I am the only person i knew 5 years ago who still is playing the game. I've seen many people leave, usually in their second to third year, once they mastered something that was not PvP and found themselves locked in a dead end.

EVE, as most products, haves a lot of wrong customers. WoW haves them too, BTW. The question is, should CCP try to provide the wrong customers with content suit to them? If people are in EVE for something that's not PvP, should they get such content?

The answer is not simple.

IF the game thrives, the answer is "probably not".
IF the game stagnates, the answer is "probably yes".
IF the game shrinks, the answer is "it's too late to question".

And the game is stagnating. It has burned out every non-PvP that could be interested with EVE and now is burning the pool of former customers that could return if they had new toys.

"I played Elite, played Privateer, played Freelancer, played the X-series, what comes next?"

Currently, the only thing it's EVE Online, a game that's unlike those because it's built on ruthless PvP. Either you develop a taste for ruthless PvP or you're toast in a couple of years once you master whatever non-PvP you picked when you decided that PvP was not your piece of cake (not a unusual occurence, since only 27% of players stated that PvP was a reason to join EVE).

People who don't like PvP and avoid it by any means are a majority in EVE. They are CCP's "wrong customers", and what should CCP do about them?

According to a vocal minority, f*** them. Make them quit, let them quit, they don't need non-believers in their little cult game.

According to CCP's stakeholders, keep them paying, their monies are necesary.

According to a few EVE lovers, they should get better non-PvP FiS content, for the good of the game.

According to a few EVE lovers, they should get non-FiS content, for the long term good of the game.

According to CCP, they must provide them more PvP so they "discover" that they like it after all.

Roses are red / Violets are blue / I am an Alpha / And so it's you

Ishtanchuk Fazmarai
#3160 - 2013-12-08 09:47:00 UTC
Thetabetalpha wrote:
Crumplecorn wrote:
Thetabetalpha wrote:
It doesn't take much to put words in somebody's mouth, does it? If you see WiS in a completely separate way from FiS, if you see it somehow splitting community in two, no matter how anyone tries to lay it out for you, you are going to see it that way.
I'm not the one talking about designing WiS to bring in a new set of players who aren't interested in the spaceship game.
You are the one twisting the words though. Because I was talking about designing WiS that makes new player interested in Eve as a whole (no, not just in WiS part.)

The way it is designed now - new player w/o guidance gets to run horrendous pve content, gets bored to death in a couple weeks and leaves. If they do not get into pvp by themselves in time, they end up staying carebears or leave the game. Many simply contribute it to the famous learning curve, personally I blame it on poor/outdated interaction design(lacks wis and/or better UI design) & lack of well-developed pve content, which could keep the player interested long enough to get into the core of the game.


Another example: the current system of starting NPC corps - newbies are separated from corporation chat - for the obvious reasons. But in WiS environment recruitment of new players could be done much easier. New player training sessions started by CCP could be enhanced by that also.

p.s. Before someone plugs in "eve is all about PvP" I am going to ask - why add meaningless isk grind then?


I have a better plan: If they like the game but don't like PvP, provide non-PvP endgame before other games do the trick and take your wrong customers.

Also, becoming a long term player should not be an accident, but something that happened naturally. If what happens naturally is that noobs become PvErs, being a PvEr should be a viable way to stay in the game.

Expecting that people become good customers only if they pick a good sovereignty holding nullsec PvP corporation (after no less than 4 uninformed random decissions) doesn't leads to having a lot of good customers.

"Many are the called, few the chosen" is good for feeling snub about how damn good are your good customers, but makes for awful poor paying of the bills.

Roses are red / Violets are blue / I am an Alpha / And so it's you