EVE Online is known for the fact that you cannot trust anyone in the game; otherwise, you risk losing all your possessions. We spoke with the player Chribba, who has been given the title “Most Honest Player of EVE” by the community.
This is the reputation of the EVE community: The MMORPG EVE Online is considered one of the most ruthless games in the genre. In the PvP sandbox game, piracy, crime, and ganking thrive, often carried out with great enjoyment by the community.
Players make fun of each other, rob each other, and destroy long-saved ships and freights. Large factions form that fiercely fight each other and hold massive battles with thousands of participants. Small or new players are hunted and annihilated by pirate groups.
Accordingly, EVE Online quickly gained a reputation for being extremely toxic and very frustrating for newcomers. Some say the community is truly despicable, especially for those who had everything taken away from them right at the start. But is that really the case?
The community manager of MeinMMO, Irina Moritz, spoke with a long-time EVE player about the MMORPG’s community, and here is what he had to say.
Chribba, the Most Honest Player of EVE Online
MeinMMO: Hello Chribba! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers? Who are you and what do you do in EVE Online and outside of the game?
Chribba: Hello, I am the Lord of the Veldspar, Carebear Extraordinaire! Please note that the titles are self-given! (laughs)
I play the character named Chribba in EVE, I have been a solo player since 2004, doing a bit of everything. But nowadays, you can most often find me mining minerals and chatting with my fellow players. Although I am not as active as I used to be, I simply love the non-violent and positive side of the game, as it is a great escape from my daily life as an IT consultant.
MeinMMO: How did you first come across EVE? And what has kept you in the game for so many years?
Chribba: I landed in New Eden purely by luck. I was a big fan of David Braben’s Elite II and First Encounters and saw an article about EVE in 2003. I thought it looked very similar to those games, so I decided to give it a try and instantly became addicted.
The main reason I have kept playing all these years is the community and that I didn’t feel pressured to do anything I didn’t want to do through solo play. This created a good balance between real life and the game.
MeinMMO: Why are you known as “the most honest player” in EVE?
Chribba: Over the years, I helped facilitate high-value transactions in the game, so people have trusted me in an otherwise fraud-friendly universe. If you wanted to buy or sell a titan or super carrier safely, I was the person who could help you – for a fee, of course.
Later, I started helping friends with some high-profile transactions as a broker. Motherships and titans could not be traded in stations back then and had to change ownership out in open space.
As my name became known in the community as a helpful person thanks to my websites like EVE-Files (File Hosting Service) or EVE-Offline (Player monitoring), I had already made a small name for myself as “a nice guy”, and this developed into a full-fledged brokerage business. My reputation grew as more and more pilots entrusted me with their broker services to avoid being scammed or falling into traps.
As my brokering grew, it became a sort of feedback loop where I made more money by being honest than I could have ever made by scamming. So, there would be no point in scamming someone, as that would immediately end all transactions. Honesty also ensured that the money kept flowing.
The Community of EVE and Its Reputation
MeinMMO: For many gamers, the EVE community has a reputation for being cunning, toxic, and generally unfriendly toward new players. What of this do you think is true and what is false?
Chribba: In my opinion, most of that is true, but only for outsiders. The community may appear toxic and unwelcoming from the outside, but in reality, it is not. The threshold to get in is just a bit higher than in other games.
The community betrays, mocks, and destroys almost anything a pilot can have. But I also think that’s what sets EVE apart and makes it interesting. I see much worse toxicity daily in other games than in EVE.
I also feel that what happens in the game stays in the game, and everyone knows it is part of EVE. At player meetups in real life, I’ve seen sworn enemies hug and laugh over drinks about past disputes in the game while they plot together how to destroy the next victim in the game.
So you were scammed and are now upset? But you can always make elaborate revenge schemes and go down in history. That’s the beauty of it, which many outsiders may not see or understand.
MeinMMO: As someone who has given a lot to the EVE community, have you also received something back as a thank you?
Chribba: The love of the community is enough for me, so I receive something back every time I log in.
I don’t particularly enjoy being the center of attention, but it honors me. I am very happy about all the nice people out there, from the small thank yous in the game to those who want selfies in real life.
It is all thanks to the community that I have been able to create my legacy. I am satisfied with what I have done, and that is enough for me. Also, the monument that CCP erected for me in the game is really something I could only have dreamed of, and I believe it would not have been possible without the community (and of course the great developers at CCP).
MeinMMO: What is your favorite story or the best deal you facilitated in EVE that was particularly exciting?
Chribba: I am sure that there are many more stories locked in my memory that I cannot recall, but I am particularly fond of a “fake” supercarrier trade that was requested by Pandemic Legion. It ended with me being killed and thrown into space.
The fact that they took the time and effort to trick me and then hearing the excitement of their fleet members when the trap snapped shut makes for a great experience, despite the loss of my ship and clone.
I see that as a great example of player ingenuity and their ability to create their own story. Furthermore, they were kind enough to ask me if I would be willing to facilitate the trade with my own corpse, after they had graciously given me the option to buy them if I wanted to.
MeinMMO: You have played EVE for many years. How have the game and the players changed during that time? What has stayed the same as before?
Chribba: I feel that the general mindset in the community has largely remained the same. I am very grateful for that, as I think at its core that is also what makes EVE so appealing. It is a ruthless game, but the rewards a player can achieve are simply on a completely different level.
I do think (and this is probably a general thing in life) that newer players today are not as patient as veterans. And unfortunately, this is also reflected in the business model that CCP has had to introduce over time (especially through the purchase of skill points and skins).
But I cannot say that I miss setting an alarm for 3 am to switch skills, just because we didn’t have a skill queue back then.
“Trust no one – Except me!”
MeinMMO: In an earlier interview with PCGamer, you mentioned that your broker business was rendered obsolete by an update from the developers. How has it affected your gaming career in EVE?
Chribba: In a positive way. Depending on how you look at it, the introduction of citadels basically killed the entire brokering business overnight. Due to my real-life circumstances, my investment in playing was already affected, so the introduction of citadels relieved some pressure from me, which is a good thing.
There are still a few brokerages, but they are minimal and primarily relate to trading citadels themselves. They are basically almost nonexistent now, so I now mostly mine materials to relax and have some good conversations with other players.
I feel that I am now fully dedicated to pure “Ship Spinning.” As a solo player, I also don’t have as many goals in mind, so I can take each tiny bit at my own pace. Plus, it’s always nice to reminisce and share stories with new players who may not know me.
MeinMMO: What tips would you give to people who are generally interested in EVE but are hesitant to start (like me for example)?
Chribba: I think the best advice I can give to newcomers is to take your time and be ready to invest time. Casual gameplay is certainly possible, but the rewards are low. A greater time investment will open up a truly unique experience that distinguishes EVE from most other games.
Be prepared to lose your ships and items. It’s a part of shaping your gaming experience. But just because you’ve lost everything doesn’t mean you can’t get back at someone and plunder all their high-end modules. So fly nothing you can’t afford to lose.
For newcomers who feel overwhelmed (due to the sheer complexity you can experience), EVE also has one of the best communities out there to help you. For instance, you can join the player-run EVE University (which just celebrated its 17th birthday). The players there will teach you everything you need to know until you decide to venture out on your own or perhaps even become a teacher yourself.
And last but not least, and most importantly, trust no one except me, of course!
We sincerely thank Chribba for the interview. It was a pleasure to talk with him about EVE and its community.
Although things can get intense there and players engage in massive wars against each other, the head of the MMORPG believes that EVE has a positive impact on its players:
Head of an MMORPG says: “EVE changes the players’ lives for the better”
