Eve Online....

Day to day an MMO is a lot like a supermarket. A place with a purpose, profit. Players enter with a lot of other people and everyone gets something they want. Granted in that metaphor you'd pay for entry and not pay for 90% of the shop 'content', but then again players pay more for whatever micro-transaction items you decide on, by choice. Obvious choices. Just because it's a players choice doesn't mean it's good for the game or the gamers. MMO's and profit are not as simple a process once you get passed the face value.
As an MMO a lot of people get what they want/need short-term; Others linger, loiter think long-term; Others do it to socialize with the tools available. A mix of all, noting or some. It's all very subjective. The players are as much the content as the game for all those varied reasons(Chat isles, PvP frozen food, PvE drapery, mining home goods); An experience that can be solo and communal at the same time. Be done as often as you like(most of the time). You can have and get as little or as much interaction as you like in whatever area you like for any reason you want. So subjective its hard to generalize. But it's the opposing sides of the business profit coin, enjoying a game that can never be meet at the same time and be on equal footing. It's not in this game, not with CCP. Profits. Profits. Profits. Profits always win out because you can't have the game without the reason for it's creation(this game from this company), profit. An eternal tug of war between players on one end and a bulldozer on the other. Yea players get the 'experience' CCP get the cash. CCP just does not do good faith. #mysterycode! Yep I'm still bitter. CCP coul dbe so much more 'good faith' and generous. If they were they would enter the good will feedback loop from players; But it's like they 'don't get it'. But now the supermarket wants you to pay 30% more for entry(because they redecorated and changed the shelves around but the increase is just to get more profit ). The new normal in the same space. 

I've been getting less and less from the game over time. I've an Eve Online habit, that brings me back. Back for the friends. Back for the potential for shenanigans with them; And an ever increasing distain for CCP and their business practices. They say they have free will but given they were always prifit driven the evidence since the Pearl Abyss takeover is like ignoring the sun at midday.

I'm waffling because there's no happy status quo and I need to offload this waffle constantly. CCP has a cash cow in Eve Online and they milk it via players. Business is business and they act like it. But they also act like it's not. Go out of their way to be all 'populist' about it. They market the fun and frolics and good times but its insidious as they shove more sales with in game items that aren't worth it. There is no good faith.... Not that I've seen. A sale is only a sale if you wanted the items in the first place so maybe they are giving the majority what they want. Maybe I'm just too bitter.

Imagine CCP running No Mans Sky's with it's years of free 'good faith' expansions/patches.... They'd be more Star Citizen than Star Citizen is.... I bet CCP is jealous about that game. All profit and all potential, all R&D and no 'real' MMO to manage on a daily basis.

I can't promote the game(Eve Online) without the caveat that CCP will sponge as much money from you as you are willing to part with. All aspects of the game are tainted. As for that being good value for money.... Players perspective. When I see CCP pushing sales and price rises and micro-transactions and this and that, one phrase comes to mind; A fool and their money are easily parted. I am one such fool. For all the good the game is and brings. For all the justifications I can say about playing the game, CCP really do know how to never miss the opportunity to miss an opportunity for player good faith and trust. 

If I was to recommend a space MMO for PvE I'd wholeheartedly suggest Star Trek Online. As much as it's reputation is as a Free to play pay to win game; It's a game that can 100% be played and played well without spending a penny. A game I've waffled about a lot on this blog; And a game I play on both PC and Xbox! You can 'pay to win' but winning is more than paying(the number of shiny ships I see that can't be used properly is hilarious). STO's policies seem the opposite of Eve Online's; They are generous, giving of free items that are actually worth a lot.....I'm waffling way to much now but you get the drift! 

Perhaps I've too many Eve Online posts on this blog to be subjective. My love of the game and disdain for the over zealous profiteering of the company are long standing. They(hard not to paint all employees with the one brush) do not do good will well and fail at trying to even do so when more money is involved(and I'm not talking about the new MCT discount shenanigans).

And I'm waffling too much already again(plenty of that this year already, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here). Maybe I'm really banging my head against a wall; But it's good to 'get it off my chest'.

In watching some WoW news from Taliesin & Evitel's live stream clips(Taliesin & Evitel TV) I was struck by the commonality that can be drawn between the latest Diablo immortal monetization comments and how they can be applied to CCP with regard to Eve Online monetization and pricing in general(clip below). So yea, substitute Diablo immortal for Eve Online(and Blizzard for CCP) for the majority of his video:

Taliesin & Evitel TV

Eve Echoes is way worse a product but I'm an Eve player so my perspective is my perspective.

Anyway.

With my Eve subs ending soon I've found myself wrapping up characters/activities. Leaving the characters in their 'main' station just in a pod. The number of characters 'just in a pod' has increased noticeably. I didn't do it all on purpose but I guess my subconscious has been pushing me that way. Marking the end of the subs as a form of cleaned up detachment from the game, no loose ends. I've done it before and I'll probably do it again. But next time will be a long time away form the game(with luck). I'm an Eve Online addict and I want to go clean.

The news that Eve anywhere is expanded and available has hit. So you get access to it no matter if your Omega or Alpha.... Omega included as part of your sub, but Alpha's need to pay 30 plex per day for access to Anywhere. That's pretty shít but no surprise there, of course it was going to cost someone. Where do I start with this. Part of me does not care. Great for any Omega sub but for me regardless of sub I'd not play remotely. I take Eve too seriously to put an expensive ship or even an inexpensive ship, on the line and loose it due to a 'blip' or lag in my WiFi/mobile coverage. If you trust open Wifi then good on you, I don't. VPN through an open wifi on the go.... No thanks. I'm not that desperate to play the game outside of my PC and home. Outside of that, when I do travel I have a laptop and my own mobile hotspot. Why pay for alpha access when I play it for free on the PC/laptop client.... I think the more Anywhere is developed the more it will cost the player and Alpha accounts in general will be more in the firing line. etc.... etc... 

The new info animations for combat mechanics are a plus. I really like them. The aesthetic and visual information just 'do it for me'. It's a pity they are not seen in the game itself. The updates and information of Eve Academy in general are really good. As is the new(new, new, new new, new, current nú new) player experience.

Yesterday A few day's ago saw the voting for the next Council of Stellar Management take place. I was very meh about it all. One quick look at the forums and candidate info; None really struck me as 'my way of life'. In reading a players blog, one whom I'd voted for previously had promoted/endorsed two players as good choices(for PvE). One of those was also one I'd been more keen on(the latter). So that's how I'd decided on who to vote for. Dutch Gunner and Kshal Aideron.

Why was I so meh..... It doesn't seem like the CSM chases issues I want. CCP seems to not listen or take the CSM seriously; And the last time CSM minutes were posted was back in 2014. All very meh.

CCP business decisions override all else; It feels like the CSM don't have sway when it really matters most(like a certain price increase). 

Funny that years ago I specifically extended my subscription to be able to vote.... This year I'm already nearing the end of my subs, can vote and was 90% sure I wasn't going to do so(like héll will I be paying more for further subs).  

With one thing and another I ended up with another new character(created an account as a placeholder, a complicated story for a future character transfer to me). I really do like the 'current' NPE. 

It looks good and so is the handheld story as a tutorial. I also like having a second character on accounts to do some hauling/trading/scouting.... So new account and a new alt. 

The game in general has always looked good and the ongoing work to make it better literally shows. Quality of life for the most part is the one area I can't complain about regardless of CCP's implementing motives.

I've had an alpha alt spend some time in the Low sec pocket leading to the New Eden system(with the help of one of my mains). While I may have disturbed a lot of locals and made them uneasy; I've not been able to settle there. A solo quiet grey man is too much of a risk to chance it seems. No niche Alpha for me there. So I'm not sure it's worth perusing an Alpha life there. I guess I just really like that there are two landmarks(that I like) in the region. The New Eden Wormhole is purdy.

A Casual Carebear Gamer

Enough waffle from me.... My subscription will be ending in a few days.... I've not worked out how many yet as CCP has removed that handy number from the account info page. Like the way they stick the billing auto renew on by default... Scummy practices, maybe even sly and deceitful, no wonder I have no faith in them the company.

Time to look at the pretty pictures.