EVE General Discussion

Because they will be doing their due diligence checking the evidence to try and prevent knee-jerk incorrect responses.

Whilst the ships convey a combat advantage that is not unreasonable (I feel they would be of the order 3 billion ISK if they were able to be produced without limit but had appropriate costs for their power level), the market value of an AT ship is pretty constant at around 0.08 trillion

Sure, but that is just on paper because they are in limited supply. As you say, objectively they are not worth nearly that much, something like 95% of the value comes from them being rare and/or having cachet.

Certainly at that price, coupled with the fact they are even less useful for normal sandbox play because they are just an expensive killmail waiting to happen, they have little utility for affecting the greater sandbox. They are just a useless trophy item that does not influence the real Eve game in any significant way (other than part some status-seekers from their ISK) so their on paper price doesn't matter. That market price value does not reflect the impact those items have on the game and it is way better for the sandbox that CCP awards "trillions" in useless ships than if they generated trillions in ISK, PLEX or other useful items as prizes that would in fact affect the greater economy.

Because they're too busy on Reddit...

Of course. Just like a PLEX is unquestionably worth ~0.0012T ISK today. And yet just like a PLEX, AT ships can be traded amongst players to allow them to exchange value yet has (nearly) no influence on the greater economy or direct gameplay of Eve.

Sure, you picked an example of something equally as useless (at least currently) as the AT ships given as prizes. I agree that would have little to no effect on the greater Eve economy and therefore would not be as bad a choice as awarding straight up ISK.

I am not sure we disagree on anything of substance. I was only taking issue of your phrasing of "giving out over a hundred titans" in prizes. The awarding of useless, yet desirable ships has much less of an effect on the economy of New Eden and balance of power in the game than if CCP actually spawned and a gave out a hundred Titans to the tournament winners. Most of the "value" being awarded is not real value based on utility, but comes from the more ephemeral scarcity of the ships because they are rare. I have no doubt that if the winners tried to immediately convert all their prize ships into Titans, the market would crash.

I'm enjoying this hole thing, to be honest.

Is OP trying to sound like a commercial? Because OP sounds like a commercial.

Nobody likes people from marketing, you stop that right now.

I don't mind the drama, although it's a shame DHB is being so personally attacked in such a public way. Really hard to judge as an outsider, because he's kicked things off, but if he was such a prat during practices they shouldn't have had him involved.

I used to watch these because I know a few core groups who are really interested in the AT. Did practice matches last year, and a couple of live matches (not on this alt) and they were really exciting and it was an awesome thing to take part in. But after watching that final a few years ago where they threw it, I find it massively flawed and rarely bother watching the finals anymore. Fair play to Hydra and PL for absolutely dominating it (and SC, who are creeping up the ranks) because they have worked for it. But once you win, it's massively rigged in your favour because you'll attract the best players and have AT ships to use in the finals going forward. Plus they have dedicated cores of players who only continue to play EvE for the AT, where for people trying to break in it actually interrupts their ingame activities. It feels like premiership football to me (i.e. something I just glance at occasionally to ogle the players, then ignore). Tennis is the only ballsport I can tolerate.

Maybe that's an option going forward. Split the AT into a premiership/first division. I'd rather watch matches where ISK is irrelevant, anyone can join, and player skill and innovation is rewarded. Plus a first division would be where all the upsets and drama would be.


Agreed. Not sure on an alternative though. Changing it would really enrage the top tier players involved, and rightly so considering how much effort they put into winning. Alternatives actually need to come from them.


That's a little harsh. I know a few people who have bought and use their AT ships, and tbh it's really fun to see and they are ballsy as hell for doing it. I know one guy who does pvp a lot, isn't an elitist knob or anything and just wants an AT ship (to use) as a personal goal. He'd prefer to win it but might buy it at some point. If he wanted it just to station spin and epeenflex at his mates, I still wouldn't be overly critical, because it's his little hobby and it's funny v0v.

As much as I believe the AT should have "typically EvE metaplay", and throwing games, taking bribes, spies, sabateurs, and awoxing should all be perfectly legit, this is one issue that makes me want to see this particular brand of metaplay cracked down on.

The AT has limited spots. Obviously this can't be helped, otherwise we would need several hundred rounds. Therefore, every spot that is taken up by a "B-team" is a slot that another Alliance could have taken. And it is the Alliance Tournament, therefore should be about the day-to-day EvE Alliances, not fake groupings of players who only log on for the Tournement. I want to see Nulli Secunda, Marmite, TnT, Circle-of-Two, Pandemic Legion, AAA, Kadeshi, Out of Sight, Triumvirate, Red v Blue, Shadow Cartel, CAStabouts. These are the Alliances we see, talk to, and fight day-to-day, I want to watch to see if a fellow Imperium Alliance pulls an upset over one of our regular enemies, or see one of those enemies faceplant against a underrated highsec Alliance, I can care about these match-ups. That's why so many people were upset that initially the earlier rounds weren't going to be shown; because it would be the only chance to see a lot of these real Alliances playing, since they would be knocked out by the later rounds.

I couldn't give two ***** about the "never play the game, just log on once a year for the AT" teams, there isn't anything to cheer for between two teams of players I'm never going to meet on Tranquility. We had the NEO for them, and guess what, nobody apart from the tournament competitors themselves cared about it. Ok, so the rules don't and can't prohibit these "fake Alliance" teams, so we have to suffer losing a number of slots each year that a real Alliance could have taken, but its doubly galling to see these teams padding out the competition with extra fake Alliances, shoving more genuine Alliances out of the Tournament.

I watched every match in the AT this year and I thoroughly enjoyed the ones that were not streamed from the studio, because of the reasons you mention. They were generally unpredictable and fun.

However, I also thoroughly enjoy watching the "premiership" matches that come with the studio weekends.

Personally, I'd like to see the studio coverage and full broadcast extending to the qualifiers, because I think those matches are interesting and give us the opportunity to see and learn about more teams. Following some of the underdog teams through from the qualifiers to the later matches was very good for both my viewing pleasure and my betting performance.