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Honestly, how is EVE?
I've heard a lot about it over the past years, both good and bad. I tried out the trial a while back and cried a little when my first quest was to mine some ore. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy gathering resources and crafting, but it just didn't seem like the first thing I wanted to do when I floated out into space. I uninstalled it after that quest, deciding that the quest had personally insulted me. Anyways, here I am again thinking about trying it out and actually giving it a decent shot this time. Before I do, I've come to he forums to ask if its worth starting at this point. A few things I'd like to ask:
At this point in the game, is it possible to catch up to other players in terms of upgrade and level(do they even have levels)?
How does the PvP work...turn based, twitch, a mix?
I've heard a lot about being able to train abilities offline, how does that work?
Once I reach the max level, or the peak of my upgrading, what is there to do?
How long will I have to play before I can start contributing to the community through PvP or crafting?
Is it true that the GMs are corrupt and favor certain guilds?
That's all I can really think of at the moment; I'd appreciate any input from honest players. I'd rather not have a fanboi come into the thread and tell me that god himself created the game 
.
Comments
I just want to say if you play it for about a month with patient ,you will like this game,
I've tried EVE twice, and just didn't have the patience for it. Also, the interface made me feel like I was going to have to take a course or two on it to understand it... Wasn't interested in that. My cousins played eve for a while, and I'm pretty sure they both had several accounts going at once, so they could do interesting stuff on one account while doing boring stuff on the other
But from what I can tell it really is great, but it can be slow. Combat is not turn-based, but I wouldn't call it twitch either. To me it felt like an rts.
I played EVE for about 2 1/2 years. It was fun overall. I'm definitely not a fanboi of the game. One thing that I disliked over time was flying a ship 24/7, without any Avatar. CCP is addressing that, so I may return to check it out.
To your specific concerns:
1). EVE has a lot of breadth as well as depth. As a new player, you can typically catch up and compete if you focus on one ship type for about three to six months. What Veteran players will have over you is a breadth of ship choices.
2). The PvP is a well-disguised turn-based system. The only twitch would be that experienced in other MMOs, namely targeting and identifying threats. Having said that, I never PvP'd in my 2 1/2 years. Still had fun though. The rumors of EVE's hardcore PvP are greatly exagerated.
3). Training offline is a feature I really liked. You simply select the skill you want to train, and the game tells you how long until the training is completed in real time. If you have to log, make note somewhere of how long the skill takes to train (either by memory or I've heard people using alarm clocks), and then return to the game at that time to switch to a different skill. If you don't care to be hyper-effecient, simply check your skill training the next time you log in.
4). There is no 'reaching max level'. You can always train skills for another ship type, or train skills for crafting, or train skills for mining, or train skills to be a galactic trader...and you can always try exploring the vast systems.
5). Corrupt GMs? Yes there have been. Has CCP solved the problem? Maybe. We won't know until the next one is caught.
_____________________________
Currently Playing: LOTRO; DDO
Played: AC2, AO, Auto Assault, CoX, DAoC, DDO, Earth&Beyond, EQ1, EQ2, EVE, Fallen Earth, Jumpgate, Roma Victor, Second Life, SWG, V:SoH, WoW, World War II Online.
Games I'm watching: Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Force of Arms.
Find the Truth: http://www.factcheck.org/
I played for a while, never really got into it though. It didn't take long before I was bored out of my skull.
PvP: I detest PvP with a passion so that's probably why I hated the game. The system ratings seem to be pretty randomly laid out, if you're going a long way, you have no way to decide to fly only through 0.5+ systems if you don't want to get shot at, in fact the navigation system really sucks. You hit that 0.0 system and get blown up by the PvP losers who are just waiting for the next person to come along they can gank. The entire economy is based around you dying regularly and having to rebuy a ship.
Things to do: Well, you can mine. Or mine. Or mine. Or occasionally shoot at a few pirates. And then mine some more. Boring as hell. Plus the fact that the systems are really shallow and generic. They look beautiful until you realize they're all screensavers and have no substance. Planets? Not really, you can't ever go to any. Moons? Same. Endless asteroid fields, a couple of generic bases and that's all you've got.
It just never impressed me that I'd be able to do anything I wanted to do in time. It's just mining more ore so I can buy bigger ships so I can shoot more stupid pirates so I can die when the PvP losers decide I'm a convenient target.
Screw that.
Actually, training is one of the features I really hated about EvE as well. If you're going to train, it should have something to do with what you're actually doing. You can spend 30 hours flying around asteroids and be training in something completely unrelated. What the hell? Why waste the time "training" when it makes no sense?
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
There is an attractive science fiction element about it that really can suck you in sometimes, but after a few tries in it I really became bored. It needs more content. If they allowed landing on various planets where you have a separate shooter game or space stations with a separate quest game engine with bars/casinos/clubs, etc, this game could really cook. But flying around all the time doing the same 3 or 4 type of missions... yaawwwn
Briefly I'll try to add a few things without being too big of a fanboi, while leaving out some things that others have already touched on.
First, the idea that you can't catch up with older players is false. As someone else pointed out, what veterans have over you is breadth of ship choice. Given about a year or training one specific racial type you can compete with any vet out there. Additionally its not possible to reach "max level." I've read (and beleve) that it would take someone over 50 years to get all the skills in eve to 5.
The game is very sandboxy. There is only one server, with 30,00 or more people logged onto it at once. That said, the universe is huge. Over 5000 systems.
The game is very sandboxy. Everyone's end game is different. By in large most of the older players hang out in 0.0 space (lawlass areas) in alliances of corps (guilds) putting up player owned stations and outposts and fighting over resources.
The problem, however, is that those 5,000 systems are all essentially the same. It's a screensaver with a few asteroid belts and a couple of generic stations. That's it. There's really nothing that differentiates one system from another.
The endgame that you suggest is boring, why would anyone look forward to that? If there are really thousands of systems and potentially many, many more, why wouldn't everyone want to take over their own system? Heck, if EvE was really thinking, why not have everyone be able to BUILD their own system when they get to that level?
Oh wait, it would just be another screensaver, wouldn't it?
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
I've tried Eve at least 6 times. I've always failed to feel immersed though. Though it's nice an all, it just felt a little empty. Yes duh, it's space, but it feels like there's a lack of substance. You warp from jumpgate to jumpgate and everything inbetween is empty space really. Stations all tend to look the same too.
The pretty colours get a little old after a while. I don't know...I guess it just isn't for me.
Others have already answered most of your questions, but here's my opinion, take it or leave it.
I've tried EVE about 4 or 5 times in the last couple of years. Each time I've been really excited about the potential at first, and have done lots of research, planning, etc. and then after a week or two I'm bored again. For me, that stems mostly from:
The only achievement I was able to recognize (given my play style) was ISK earned (that's the in-game money, like "gold"). Then when I stepped back and realized that if I spent the same time researching the real life stock market as I was researching in-game prices, markets, trade routes, etc., I could actually make a bunch of real life money instead of virtual (worthless) money!
Anyway, those are just my own personal experiences. It seems like those who like EVE really love it, and everybody should give it a try. They do offer a free 14-day trial, so depending upon your approach to gaming, you may get a fair opinion of it in that amount of time.
I'll try it again when they add "ambulation" into the game (avatars), but until then I have too many other MMO choices that give me more satisfaction at the moment.
Good luck.
You can call EVE wallpapery all you like. That's fine. In my opinion the game is stunning in presentation, even before the graphics update.
And not all systems are built alike. Each system is importantly different. What's the security status of the system? What are the value of the NPCs in that system? Different systems in different regions have different astroids in their belts, some worth far far more than others. Importantly, what moons are flying around the planents in those systems? Moons need to have player owned stations put up on them to extract moon alloys essential for tech 2 production. Even strategic location is important. Is the system a choke point into a given consetellation or region?
There is also an exploration system in the game. Systems have hidden belts, complexes, and encounters. Being proficient at finding these can make you very very rich.
The first set of things I listed are what drive the "end game" I was talking about. You may think, "geese how boring, everyone goes out to 0.0 and claims their own system." That's not entirely how it works. You see there is a robust sovereignty system in eve. This requires huge organizations of players. Many corps (eve's version of guilds) band together and form alliances, thousands of players strong. These alliances need to put up player owned staions and outposts (a very expensive station like the NPC stations) linked together over whole constelations and regions to "claim" the space. Claiming the space has signficant advantages, but guess what? Other alliances want your space, your systems, your moons, and your outposts. This leads to titanic wars between alliances thousands of people strong. Wars that require high levels of coordination both militarialy and logistically. These wars last months, not few days, or a few hours.
Logistics is also incredibly complex. How the hell do you get the stuff to keep your alliance running to deep 0.0 space? The "crafting" system is also incredibly complex and deep. While you cannot create the unique sort of items you could in the begining of SWG, production requires incredible coordination between miners, producers, sellers and blueprint holders. Building the largest vessels in the game (Titans) takes weeks in well protect player owned stations and over 80 billion isk in minerals. This is litterally months of man hours. EVE online also happens to be the only MMO that has an economist who has been hired by CCP to help regulate and observe the in-game economy.
Having said all that, the game is very sandboxy (have I said that already). One persons end game is 0.0 alliance warfare, another is low-sec piracy and domination, and anothers is building an hi-sec trade empire. Personally, after two years I don't touch the 0.0 thing.... I go on lighting raids into 0.0 alliance space trying to pick off juicy targets without getting involved in the politics. Though, I have to say, sorry but participating in alliance warfare (if I ever do) sounds a lot fracking better than running the same raids over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again like I did in EQ2 or WoW just hoping that sometime in the next 6 months a tiny bit of new content will be thrown my way with the expansion I've got to buy for $30.
That's the other thing about eve. All the expansions are free. In fact, you NEVER have to pay for the software. Never. You download it and go straight into the 14 day trial... that doesn't even require you to give credit card information. That, and did I mention I play for free? Why? Because CCP allows me to use IN-GAME currency to buy playing time. ;-) So three accounts at $0 a month is entirely possible.
The other thing I love about eve, and that I think represents the future of MMOs is the utter lack of sharding. There is one server. We all play the same game, together... so at any given time, I can run into ANYONE who plays eve. And after two years I can confidently tell you, I've never run out of things to do, I doubt I've even had a chance to visit 50% of the total systems.
Certainly though, the game isn't for everyone. While there are so restrictions on pvp (like if someone shoots you in hi-sec empire the police come kill them) you are never absolutely safe. And when you do lose a ship, you don't spawn somewhere else with that ship and a "repair fee." You lose the ship, and probably everything that was on it.
Point-by-point.
The next major eve expansion is going to be ambulation. This is due sometime in the next 6 months (yes this means an avatar outside of the ship). See here:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=abMEVENz1jQ
Or here:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IJF5d7iaTGc
Your second point is a fair critique. My best suggestion to you is do the tutorial, and as soon as possible involve yourself with other players. It is entirely possible to play eve "solo," but the experience is really at its best within the player corp system.
Achievements in eve are mostly self made. You set your own goals, and let me tell you, the first time you and three of your buddies take down a pirate who's been playing since 2003, there is no better feeling. You could also have corp goals, or personal goals. Getting into X ship, starting up a capital ship production busines, etc, etc, etc...
Having said that there ARE things to work towards. Better agents for your missions, better standings, rank for faction warfare. Control of systems for your faction. There is a lot to this game.
Eve kind of disappointed me...it was fun, but once you start upgrading your skills it gets into a world of bullshit. they expect you to pay for their monthly fees, yet wait LITERALLY days/weeks/months to learn skills, not to mention the fact that you can only learn skills on one character at a time. oh and the hours and hours i spent having to mine shit was ridiculous. it was a great game other than that i loved it >.<
This is both the blessing and curse of eve-online. While its true that you learn skills "in real time" this has some advantages. You don't need to play to skill up. You can take a week off, and still be advancing. You can train really long and boring skills while you are at sleep at night.
It also allows for there to be no classes in eve. You can literaly train for whatever you like. The downside is, no you can't play 10 hours a day for a month and reach a level cap. You also don't get money by doing nothing. So in other games, since you grind content equal to the xp you're getting, you have the money (usually) to afford the things you need for your "level" and "class." In eve you can be able to fly a Command Ship, but if you aren't doing anything in-game and not making any money, you might be "able" to fly a commandship, but not able to buy one.
Please see http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/187372/page/1 to comment on this thread - locking this thread to avoid confusion over the duplicates
Laura "Taera" Genender
Community Manager
MMORPG.com