CCP Games wants to introduce a new feature in EVE Online to better cope with the grief over the loss of the first ship. Ultimately, this is supposed to help more new players stay longer in the MMORPG.
What is the situation with new players in EVE Online? According to CCP Games, about 600,000 new players joined the MMORPG in 2018. However, only about 10 percent of them stayed longer than seven days.
The journey usually ends when the new player loses their first ship. Then, they seem to lose motivation and give up.
For CCP Games, this is a difficult situation. The MMORPG needs new players. However, if most of them drop out within seven days, something is wrong.
New players need to persevere longer
What is the problem? EVE Online is a complex game. It takes relatively long to get accustomed to it. The many systems and depth reveal themselves to players only after a while. Those who endure this learning phase can experience one of the most interesting MMORPGs, which offers enormous possibilities.
However, many do not last that long. Once the first spaceship is gone, most newcomers turn their backs on EVE Online.
What does CCP Games plan now? In EVE Online, there are many player-run assistance organizations that take care of newcomers to help them find their way into the MMORPG more easily.
This idea is the basis for the “Grief Counseling” system. A tool is to be introduced in the game that informs moderators at CCP Games as soon as a newcomer loses their first spaceship. The moderator will then reach out to the player.
They explain what went wrong, that the situation isn’t as bad as might be feared, and what the player can do now. There may even be compensation for the lost ship.
This is intended to encourage the player to try again and to do better this time instead of simply giving up in frustration.
In the future, there will be automatic grief management
This is how the system will be expanded: While the first version of the “Grief Counseling” system operates manually and the player speaks with a moderator, it will later operate automatically. An automated process will then “comfort” the player and help them.
What does CCP Games hope to achieve with this? According to the developers, it is a “magical moment” for many players when they understand why they lost their ship. Then they start to understand for the first time what makes EVE so special. Those who recognize this usually stay and find their place in the EVE universe. Those who do not understand it typically leave the MMORPG.
The “Grief Counseling” system is meant to help players experience this magical moment more easily. Ultimately, the developers hope that more newcomers will stay with EVE Online longer and more easily overcome the loss of their first ship.
