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The scary thing is that the dev blog refers to "current avatar-related gameplay". I've certainly got an avatar, but I don't think there's anything I can currently do with it that counts as game play.

Yeah...you are quite ugly tbh...

[tl;dr]Most activities either do not affect the sandbox (being purely cosmetic) or can be performed without having an avatar, be it accessing the market or a board game. The only gameplay reason to have any physical body in the sanbox game of EVE is for this avatar to be affected by the other players in the sandbox.[/tl;dr]

First I'd like to explain, that I really want to have avatars in EVE. Srsly.
Second - no matter what is said, there will be avatars in EVE - CCP already put them in and they're not going away. So "No WiS" is not an option.

In EVE we can already do multiple things without avatars. Buying things, selling them, researching, producing, refining, getting missions, fitting ships - all that stuff and more is done without an avatar. All that stuff allows us to affect all other players in the sandbox.

So now the question should be, what would you need an avatar for? What can an avatar actually do?

There are two groups of activities that open when avatars are introduced in a game. One of those are quasi-gameplay, where you don't really play a game, but actually watch your avatar do things (animations) and interact with objects and other avatars. Problem with these is that most of these interactions can be done via a computer terminal, and that actually means these can be done wothout you watching them being done, so without avatars. In this group I pu all the /dance /showfinger animations, the corp hall meetings when you watch everyone sitting in the chairs instead of simply using teamspeak or walking up to a bar to play boardgames, gamble and watch NPC dancers. All of these are possible without an Avatar and are ONLY called for, if there are other activities that bring in actual gameplay, and not just eye candy cover up for gameplay. All of these are simply watch-only things that do not affect another player. They only affect your own avatar or the neutral environment at best, but do not affect another player or his possessions directly, like the game of poker would.

The other group are the activities that allow actual gameplay. Having an Avatar allows you to move it, so racing other players becomes an addition to gameplay. So is kayaking. But it actually also means, that you now have a hand i can break.

Melee combat is impossible without Avatars. If we both have avatars, I can hit you in the face with my fist, and, given a gun, shoot you in the head. This is certainly affecting another player in the sandbox. If I can use a paralyzer, or hold you in a cell, it's certainly affects you. If I can get to the evil robot before you and prevent you from killing and looting it, you'll fail mission, and that will also affect you. Note, that I will directly use my Avatar to do it, and not an avatar+a board game.

My point is, that I can't figure out a reason for CCP to have Avatars in EVE other then combat. Every other way presented is a cosmetic (watch only) addition, be it watching the Avatar dance or watch him ake part in a Corp meeting or play a board game I could easily play in an interface that does not involve avatars.

My idea is for CCP to implement combat that would not require FPS shooting. We fight in space all the time. Why not implement combat that is controlled in a similiar way, requires more strategic planning and preparation?

The means to do it are twofild - for once, the character models should have a resource costly Level Of Detail algorithm when within combat - that would allow more models to get displayed. The other thing is getting those dogs, slaves, Sansha's Cyborgs, CONCORD guards and other enemies modeled and animated as well as many medium-detail space interior blocks to rearrange them randomly.

My bet is, that seeing a trailer of running, shooting and avatar based combat in cloning bays, ship cargoholds, space platforms and running refineries will pretty soon get CCP all the subscriptions they need.

Personally I would like to see some station based missions. As in exploring old derelict stations, recovering junk from said station. I know there are plenty of missions involving stations so just have part of the mission in the station. implement some combat into the avatar system and BAM! you have a valid reason for using your avatar other than wandering your captains quarters pointlessly.

Really my hope is that there is some thing more than just eye candy to watch. That I can do without. I would like something meaningful to do in station or as an avatar.

Team Avatar, are you working to bring corporation quarters to EVE?

I ask because i don't know if this is a reasonable expectation or not, so if you could shed some light on the topic, that would be great.

I think what Wrangler meant to say was not that EVE was a 'cold, harsh place', it was more of a 'pointless, lonely place'. Oh wait sorry, Wrangler was talking about FiS, my words is more suitable for Team Avatar I guess.

I just feel that the current state of CQ – is a porcelain doll in a class case. Nice to look at but I can't really play with it. I would like to be able to play with my “Action Figure”.
I would like to see a halt to the character creation items IE. Pants, Tattoos. Moved the effort to multiplayer interaction ie Small corp meeting rooms or invite fiends to our CQ from a Pull down menu.
Establishments is a dream, something “I” Can create and show off to others.
A Peacock has to show of its colours to get a mate

First area of focus should be back to the ideas about corporate office functionality. I remember talk about the 3d viewable maps. Especially for vets and warring sov people, this would be extremely useful. Ideas this has.

1. Asset jump routes. Group directors or other people can joint look and plot on map (or 3 second TTP) to plan where assets can deploy, see jumps of simul jump routes.

2. Real time deployments. An alliance head etc, can see real time locations of fleets. This would allow for more exact co-ordination of attacks, etc.

3. Midnight and my brain suddenly derped and forgot my train of ideas, pretty much though, anything the individual star maps, fittings etc that can be used would be able to be viewed by multiple people simultaneous, also what about if was usable for dust player interaction?

Anyways, yeah. First needs to be function of stuff that is usable but does not exist. Fancy item hangars or markets really wouldn't add to games. Ways for FC's to interact and plan live would be a huge use.

There is a voice modulator built into eve voice.

Not just role players but people who do formal meetings or socialize in game, who do anything but roleplay.

alliance or corp meeting, if it were possible wouldn't it be held in a station?


my suggestion to those working on it is to scale up over time, we got the solo quarters game currently, allow people to travel to each-others quarters (dozen), then, people going in each-others quarters or common area. Then maybe scale it up for communal locations in a station that can host hundreds.

It would add a huge bit of usefulness to allow groups of people to meet, the current incarna needs to break into the multiplayer to bring interest. We don't need 100% historical accurate recreation of the inside of a titanic station thats the size of the deathstar to explore, just a few loincations at a time with multiplayer.

Also interaction with the environment, the massive screen could be used by the player for browsing or showing up information that is chosen by a player and not just a news station for noobs. The in game tv would not be so bad if you could have different channels, maybe things you would find on the eve website. Eve news 24, other eve news. roleplaying game news about each of the empires.

A dream I have is to shitpost in coad while in captains quarters. With that, mini-games could add allot too, namely ones eve related and gambling related.

interaction with players, and the environment would add wonders to avatar, or incarna. More interest, new players and old players, more ability to push fore more with more staff.