EVE General Discussion

the game seems to suffer from a lack of class, shall we say. it's not universal and many players and corps are really down on smack talk which is commendable, because that's the only thing that infuriates me about this game. the loss you can take, and you often feel it. it's the asshattery that breaks the spell and brings the realisation that I'm volunteering to share the internet with a bunch of sadacts.

and there's no answer to that. log off and take a walk. remember the good people who encouraged you after ruthlessly killing you.

I like that victim loop! Perhaps I should word it to 'experienced' rather than 'fallen victim'?

Edit: now fixed!

I'm tempted to go on a long rant about player retention. But this time I'll just be brief and tell you that in my time as CEO, which just as your case has been an investment in retention, I have not been bored with Eve or felt other players had an unfair advantage over me using the same toolset. Sure, some of the population is immature and childish. Some of them will try and pull your leg. I've taught my guys the best response to smacktalk is to set up an ambush while their attention is on local, in word and by example. What did you learn yours? How to fit a Mach?

CCP puts out lore that actively promotes the notion of a dark, dystopian universe. There's even stories dedicated to exploring the different methods of torture of the four main factions.

Player interaction is frequently presented as being equally cutthroat by external gaming media, whether they discuss the scams, the wars, or the awoxing.

It boggles the mind, then, how many people still come into the game and expect it to change to suit their version of what a "good" game looks like.

Ever play Dwarf Fortress? You don't "win" by having an easy mode that allows you to build without grief. You "win" by having fun despite the castle getting knocked down and blown up in one of the dozens of ways. Because the process was fun. Because the process was a challenge. Because the threat of epic failure was always present, it makes it that much more satisfying when you reach a milestone you set for yourself. Run into adversity? Find your own way to overcome it. The difficulty cliff you're forced to scale is one of the defining factors that set the game apart from your typical SimCity clone. Now translate that to EVE Online.

"I don't want the stress", "Games should be fun not tedious", etc, etc - Realize that what is fun for you may not be fun for others. What is "good" for you may be trash for someone else. All those "scammers/griefers/awoxers" that you dislike so? I mainly play industry and the market, and I'm still glad they're around. The game would be boring and the markets stagnant otherwise. I joined EVE in the first place because of this reputation. Personally - Without challenge, there is no fun.

If your opinion of what constitutes fun differs from someone else, that's more than fair. There's such a variety of games. If you find that you really can't get into one, move on. No one game is going to be catering to every single player's tastes anytime soon. But getting into a game as notorious as EVE then complaining about the foundation it's built on - Everyone versus Everyone - just reeks of "Didn't know that hot coffee is hot, still going to complain when it spills on me". New player or "old" alike.

fair enough but i submit jita local as a rebuttal

I'm pretty sure that EVE Uni actually has some standards about who they recruit as teachers. Somehow I don't think the OP would make the cut.

I really question where people get this line of thinking from.

Are you (in the plural form encompassing people who hold such beliefs) such a badass in real life you can't fathom someone possibly screwing with you?

Little lady / 12 year old kid:
Most of the people who choose to be dicks are grown men (and there's probably a woman or two out there). In fact, they are mature far and beyond the typical "i'd kick your ass in real life" roidrage tears that come in response to losing some pixels. The "little ladies" won't usually pull it off, because they can't hold their hormones in check and blow it early.

Anonymous:
I play pen and paper Dungeons and Dragons. You know, little nerds sitting around a table. And when I say little nerds I mean 30-40 year old men, most of whom would straight up kick my ass with a hand tied behind their back.
I've player killed characters in my gaming group from time to time. And I don't mean "oh they lost a boat they have to replace" or "respawn in station lost implants worth some money". I mean I KILLED their character. Hand over your inventory sheet and go make a new level 1. While sitting across the table from them, drinking beers and looking them straight in the face.

Anonymous has little to do with a it. Unless you make a habit of beating the crap out of people that beat you at Risk or Monopoly. Then maybe you have a case. Otherwise, they would probably do the same to your face given an appropriate setting.

Insecurity:
lack of confidence or assurance; self-doubt:
From what I've seen it actually takes self confidence to engage in griefing. To start with, you have to overcome your own reservations and the social stigma of it. An insecure AWOXER is not going to get into a worthwhile corp, or will blow it before he can actually pull anything off. Or worse yet, end up the victim himself. An insecure ganker will never actually man up to do his research on what it takes, fit a ship, undock, find the target, etc. He will doubt his chance of success and fear the consequences.

As far as "Acting out wishes they are unable to in real life"... Isn't that what games are FOR? Particularly the ROLE PLAYING kind? Cause here I was, thinking I'm playing internet spaceships, because... you know... I can't real life spaceships.

The OP's problem is the OP. Don't like your corp coms? Get a new corp! Teach people how to grind missions? Try some things and move on?

The OP is floundering about trying to figure out why he stays in Eve. Without goal, purpose, or plan he runs into all kinds of trouble. And then wonders what makes this game so damned interesting!?

I'm stumped to. But I'll tell you one thing; Eve would be a less frustrating, challenging, satisfying place without all these asshats running around. Lets disempower the aggressive, cunning, challenging, asshats while the OP figures out why he is so interested in Eve.

just so we can retain him and those like him.

According to what he said he did.

Which is a barrier to retention, which was the ops point. And he tried different things to try and find it, but did so unsuccessfully.

One thing that can be said is that for lack of all else individuals of one persuasion can and do have a heavy influence on others, and for some people that does ruin the game. It's likely not the open pvp even so much as how some use it for purely destructive and non beneficial ends. I'm not going to say that tear mining shouldn't be allowed but it should be clear that it has an affect on players who are on the receiving end.

Some people quit because of it. Others become better players as a result.

I personally don't see it any different to someone who tries WoW, fails at it and get repeatedly kicked out of dungeon groups for consistently standing in the fire. They learn to not stand in the fire, or quit.