EVE Online has been suffering the same fate for more than 10 years that WildStar is currently experiencing: “It’s dying“. True to the motto “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” EVE has always evolved and, to the surprise of many, remains the prime example of a sandbox RPG: Unlimited freedom instead of dull “Kill 10 monsters here and there” quests. But there are also other reasons to dive into the EVE universe.
Freedom – A Double-Edged Sword
As already mentioned: In EVE Online, there are no quests per se and there is no linear story. After the start, you choose between different directions, but you can abandon or pause them at any time. Career missions give you a small insight into what is possible: Miner, mission runner, producer, trader. You can also join an alliance and engage in PvP or gank unsuspecting beginners in seemingly safe areas, or be a miner and mine minerals in space, or…
Anyone starting EVE Online should say goodbye to terms like role or class. Anyone can do everything as long as they have the right skills. The skill system in EVE Online operates in real time. You reach level 2 of a skill in a few minutes, but some skills may take up to 30 days to master. You can always add or remove new skills from the queue. This and the endless possibilities that arise in the sandbox are also the reason why EVE is often considered not beginner-friendly. In fact, seasoned MMO veterans have difficulties with the options at the beginning. But once you come to terms with the freedom of EVE Online, it is more of a blessing than a curse.
CCP – The Developer with Humor
Blizzard, Carbine, NCSoft: These developers and publishers dominate the MMO world. However, EVE Online comes from the Icelandic company CCP Games. For a long time, this science fiction MMO was the sole project of the Icelanders. Accordingly, a lot of love goes into how they engage with the community. Once a year, the EVE Online Fanfest takes place in Reykjavik. Here, fans and game creators meet to exchange ideas about the current status or simply to celebrate a wild party. At the Fanfest, new content is presented and workshops are held. For example, the professional trader learns how prices for Titans have developed or how much inflation has risen in the EVE universe. The Fanfest is just one example of the customer proximity that CCP demonstrates. The developers and game masters also don’t shy away from rapping for the community.
A statue that CCP has placed in Reykjavik has caused quite a stir. The monument is engraved with all player names! So, if you expect more than just the weekly Blue Post, EVE Online is the right place for you.
EVE Tutorials – Now Also for Beginners!
I already mentioned it: EVE Online is not very beginner-friendly. However, this reputation is no longer entirely justified. In recent years, CCP has done everything to ensure that newcomers can quickly integrate into the universe. The tutorial at the beginning and the career missions are just part of it. EVE has its own wiki where almost everything about the game is documented. There are also dedicated chat channels that are suitable only for beginners in EVE Online. Here, you can ask any question without being judged. MOBA players will believe they have landed in community heaven.
It is also advisable to join a beginner corporation. There, you will be assisted and every question will be answered. If you ask nicely, the members will even fly missions with you or invite you to the dangerous 0.0 area. The German-speaking contact point is the EveGer Forum: Here you will find numerous threads, posts, and corporation requests.
EVE Online – It’s Worth it!
A sandbox where you can’t distinguish between good and evil, a deep connection of the developer to the players, and a helpful community that probably doesn’t exist anywhere else – all of this and much more is EVE Online. Not everyone likes the science fiction setting or unlimited freedom, but if you even just like a little bit of Star Wars and don’t want to kill wild boars anymore, you should at least try the 21-day trial!
