Eve Online....

With the patch yesterday, the stars returned to prominence in the view of space. It now looks a lot clearer and like actual space... Rather than a sea of dust clouds. Maybe it was a small change to up the star brightness.... Maybe it was 'just' the DirectX change; But it' looks a lot better.

That said, with the good you get the bad. I know nothing of the internal CCP Q&A team but it's not a good look when you latest patch FK's up the game. The game as is, is borked 50% of the time for me, with glitched graphics or invisible icons/text ui in general(like local) of one degree or another. So much for seeing/testing the new content....

I've not played it today so I've no idea if it's been patched..... I'm in no rush to find out.

The latest update also introduces a form of achievement system. One good thing about it is that it has introductory video's as a 'motivational'(I guess.) driver; The kind of over the top, hopes and dreams enthusiastic cráp that is a far cry from reality. The same as saying "you can go anywhere and do anything in Eve"..... *^{See below.} 

But it's a new thing to the Eve client that makes me 'hope' that the Eve academy video's or preferably the explanation animations will enter the game. Anyway long story short the new system is as pointless as the previous version 'activity tracker'; Granted this time it's got rewards for completing it's 'goals' or landmarks....

But then again I'm not the newb target audience. Which is a pity. CCP never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Why do I say it's pointless.... As pointless as the previous activity tracker.... Because with all Eve Online's massive data hording it does not give credit for previous activity. So my oldest character that has been and done 'a lot' needs to start from scratch to get anywhere in it. Even with the rewards there's no motivation for my decade+ of skill points and activities, to chase after a few hundred more by going out of my way to do what the system needs.

 The same goes for the 'career points' and it's rewards which are seem as useless as the logon rewards. My characters, even the new ones do not need the basic skill books. The rewards are not even racial.... If you are a Caldari the reward skillbooks tend to be Gallente. Plus I've noticed previously on a new character rewards there were not character based... Male character gets female clothing reward. Q&A... eh?

A rewards grind that does not seem worth it having been there and done that already. Yea I'm not the target audience. Had there been some sort of credit for what a character did previously then maybe, but CCP is CCP and does not do good will (player rewards) well and definitely does not do good faith(company profits overrules all). Again CCP never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

This new system is a grind for the sake of it. If it wasn't they would have been all up front about the rewards rather than the glory of a new system and gotten veterans crowing for it.

True that I'm bitter and the only way CCP can make that better for me is by fully 'making up' for the Mystery code. 14 times bitten twice shy sand I've waggled on the blog enough about that.

* 

Go anywhere and do anything is technically true just not practicable straight off the bat.

A new player joins the game and goes to do their 'thing' (usually PvP or some sort of combat) and usually gets fúcked six ways from Sunday. Of course there are other 'interactions' that go with it. Like those that blow you up get talking to you and share why they blew you up etc etc etc.... But there's not that many players that get such sweetheart advice; Nine times out of 10 it's only for the benefit of the player who blew them up... There are plenty of groups that do the same thing for recruitment(take you under their wing). It's as much a cannon fodder recruitment tactic as anything else. More cheap new cannon fodder joined under the moniker of 'fun'. Either your used or abused even if you don't know it. You need to keep your wits about you. The longer players are in Eve ; Almost everything they do is tinged with a side hustle, an alternative motive, subterfuge, smoke and mirrors. The deeper they're in the more it happens; More on the PvP side than PvE. I'm a PvE carebear first so what do I know. 

Yea there are good players in the game from a moral perspective; But there's only one player that goes out of his way in any big way with freebies and advice for new players Mike Azariah; For no other reason than to be 'nice'. I've been in a few systems as he's done his thing and for the most part I'd say he gets 50% ignored, 30% dubious questions and 20% actual new new players who are still hesitant. There are others with other (new player friendly) activities but that's for their own reasons and gratification(newb help/fun is secondary(as in learn the hard way), at least from what I've see); And they are the 'better ones'...

Eve is Eve but CCP sure doesn't make it easy to play any part of their game(like cutting off their PvE nose to spite their face).

I've waffled enough..... o7