There are a plethora of reasons why EVE-Online is interesting. But I want to talk about why you should care regardless of whether you may ever play the game. Or at least give you an idea about what you may be missing.
EVE-Online is a model for what games in general can become. Now, I’m not refering to the way EVE plays to a newcomer or recent newbie, but rather the universe and how it is directly affected by the players imaginations and decisions every day. I’m talking about the involvement the game designers have with the community they’ve created, how they’re making new games that have direct interaction and direct consequences within the EVE Universe, and more importantly, I’m talking about how truly interesting events can take place in that universe that seem like the plot to its own science fiction.
Now is the time to tell you that I do not play EVE-Online. I used to, if you can call what I did “playing” it; maybe I will return to it someday, with a renewed sence of purpose. However, despite not being a part of that universe, I find myself on the edge of my seat always excited to hear about the new events that take place in “New Eden”, the universe of EVE, to hear the stories that triggered alliances being created and destroyed through epic fleet battles, and from within through years-long espionage. About how an accidental click caused the battle of Asakai, culminating in the destruction of virtual ships totalling an estimated loss of $24,000 US Dollars (or 470 Billion ISK). Why did I start with the USD equivalent? Because the company that makes EVE officially supports a method by which you can “buy” in-game currency (ISK) and, although indirectly, it has in-turn given their virtual currency real-world value. If all of the ships and equipment were purchased with ISK aquired in this fashion, then it is safe to say Twenty-Four Thousand Dollars simply went up in smoke, gone.
But those aren’t the only stories coming out of New Eden. I recently posted on our Facebook page hinting about a story that is definitely worth retelling, and explaining to the non-EVE initiate, but from lack of nibbles I find myself here now wanting to describe to you why stories such as these are relevant.
Back again, we are, at the subject matter. Why should you care about EVE? What part of its game design is so fascinating? Well here it is. EVE-Online is so player-centric that in essence players actually run the game. From suggestions on EVE’s Forums, which are frequented by game devs, to groups of players that are elected to represent the pilots of New Eden in talks with EVE-Online developers. If there is something big enough in the EVE Player Community that they want in the game, or want to see removed from the game, the players and developers will actually find a way to make everyone happy – directly. It becomes the bottom-line, and they make it happen. EVE-Online was the first player community I have ever seen where the actual developers took interest in their players, participating in forum discussions, and it didn’t take long before everyone began to see why.
EVE developers Play EVE-Online.
Now this does not seem so amazing at first, but consider this: Everything in EVE can and will be affected by the players in EVE, and there is only one EVE-Universe. To say there is only one server is hogwash as it has many servers, but comparing it to the “Realms” of other MMO’s is quite silly, even despite Blizzard’s cross-realm play in World of Warcraft. If you log into EVE, anyone else who is logged into EVE and sees the same Solar System you see is actually in the same Solar System, not some identical copy on a server in some other geographical location (forgiving the possibility that some will play on the test-bed server, which doesn’t really count). And when you’re in that Solar System, we’ll say Dodixie, any of the ships undocking at the same time you are could very well be the person who designed the ship you’re flying. Or the person who made that awesome warp effect, or the guy who made the guns go “pew pew”.
Did I trail off there? No, I’m still talking about how essentially revolutionary this game is, even after all the years it has been out; and I’m not done yet. Every expansion to EVE-Online has been Free.
I just wanted to let that sink in for a second. There was no expansion that first cost forty dollars, and then dropped in price to ten dollars a few years after you’ve finished it and, even worse, after they made it all easier to accomplish. This doesn’t happen with EVE. As EVE expands, every New Eden pilot benefits, and all they ever pay is their subscription fee. Or do they?
Many EVE-Online pilots don’t even pay for the game. In fact, that is how CCP gave ISK (that virtual currency again) real-world value. They created an in-game item and named it “PLEX” which does not benefit your stats, or your ship, or your standings; but you can sell it on the Market for various-but-always-large amounts of ISK. And the reason it’s worth so much is because it is the only item in the game that you can add a month of game-time to your account, it is also the only item you can purchase with real-world money directly from the EVE-Online website. You purchase two PLEX for slightly more than two months-worth of game time, sell it on the in-game Market, and voila: you can afford to buy and fit your first five or more ships. Or alternatively, if you can consistently make enough ISK, never spend a penny of your real-world cash to play the game again.
PLEX was born because EVE Developers saw their players looking for a solution to a problem, and instead of chastising them, gave them a real, viable, and safe solution. And if you dive deeper, you will find that mostly all of the games current state has been vastly determined by the people who love playing it. If you’ve enjoyed my article, let me know in the comments below, and while I do suggest your try EVE, know this: it is best to take some friends with you. Then go grab some 14-Day Free Trials.
This article has already been run too long, but I would encourage anyone who owns a PlayStation 3 console to try out Dust 514. Join a corperation if that option becomes available to you. If you do, the battles you fight could be reshaping the ownership EVE Players have of star systems. The games directly affect each-other; and can change the game experience of others. Just like the stories that come from New Eden change my perspective of what’s possible in a video game.
MFn Gaming 