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EVE Online: Survivor Guy: Returning to Eve Online Part 2
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
EVE Incarna is fast approaching with developers spending a lot of time touting new features including the captain's quarters and much more. In his latest Survivor Guy series, MMORPG.com's Adam Tingle heads back into EVE to see how he does after a year's respite from the game. Check out Survivor Guy: Returning to EVE Part 2 and then let us know what you think
Before throwing caution to the wind I decide to do the Eve Online equivalent of asking for fatherly advice; I head into the “Rookie” chat channel and inquire as to reliability of the vehicle I plan on buying; after one or two “LOLS” and a hearty “LMAO EPIC FAIL” I receive a viable message “It’s OK but not brilliant” if there was ever more of a ringing endorsement, the aforementioned was all I needed. Heading back to the opened market panel I purchase the ship named “Merlin” - even the name fills me with pre-teen glee, I will be like the intergalactic version of the Arthurian wizard; I can see the Eve chicks piling up already as I cruise to the space-mall in this bad boy. I click into the menu which holds my space ships and there it is. I opt to assemble and make it active; it finally appears in front of my eyes, floating in mid-air: a 3 engine wonder that looks awesomely like Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter. Oh my god I am in love.
Read more of Adam Tingle's Survivor Guy: Returning to Eve Online Part 2.
;)
Comments
I've been thinking about starting up again since the latest announcment from CCP about DUST 514 being PS3 exclusive.
Just join EVE University already...
Nice story and altough I share your interest in sandbox games, Eve is no worthy successor to UO. Eve is built in such a way to reward people who stay subscribed for very long times, as that is the only way to build skills.
UO on the other hand let you raise skills by using them and deaths were not that harsch as whatever you used was pretty easily replacable where as in Eve you cannot afford using the best that the game has to offer (T2/T3 ships) as that would set you back tens of hours of ISK grinding if you just die once.
No, UO promoted being active and doing PvP where as Eve promotes being subscribed for long times and take no risks. Asherons Call was the true successor to UO, and no other game has come after to be worthy of the title of best sandbox PvP MMORPG.
My gaming blog
A good read. I like your style:)
But one concern i cant let go of when i read about this interesting title is: How left behind are you in a game that have been running for soo many years with that many core players that have been there from the start? I meen, it has no lvls but how long would it take to be competitive with the elite of this game?
(Somehow i feel like i missed the point of this game by asking that, but im a very competitive player and feel a urge to know :P )
https://www.ticketsolutions.com/blogs/intentional-foul/images/keyboardsmash.gif
Except that skills really aren't intended to be the deciding factor for progression.
There's basicallytypes of progression in this game: ISK, ships, and control. ISK is self-explanatory, and probably the one people aim for the most. Ships are closest to your proclamation of skills, but most ships can be piloted with little skill. I think the most time I've spent going after a single ship has been three months - most require far less than that. The final type of progression is the most sandboxy, and the one that makes EVE really shine: control. Control over markets (trading/hauling), control over people (corp/squad leadership), and control over territory.
I find UO and Eve comparisons to be exceptionally annoying. You're comparing apples to elephants. They're two completely different classes of game.
EVE doesnt need to be successor of UO since its miles above UO in every aspect, as a game, as sandbox, as a living universe
Hah. Tarting it up in the Recruitment channel. Hilarious.
I'm enjoying your series thus far, as I too have returned to EVE within the past few weeks. I can relate to your experiences quite well.
And spend half his time docked up due to war decs?
I really enjoy this series. I find it quite entertaining and informative. Also you give it a touch of narrative that I enjoy. Keep up.
I know this is a great game, but I have found it hard to get into as I have tried a few times, but always end up back in EQ2 which is still my fav mmo.
[Mod Edit]
I have played almost every game fro UO to the present. maex EQ characters, maxed EQ2 chatacters, Maxed Anarchy online characters, Horizons "while it laster" Tabula Rasa "while it lasted" I could go on and one about all the MMO games I've experianced. But as I played all the other games, I was always, will allways, play EVE too.
EVE Online is the best, most fulfilling game I have played, out of all of them. From UO and on. Nothing yet has come even close to the scope, the depth, and the richness of the game as a whole.
"We the non-talkative bunch squirm in our bedrooms/basements, lamenting those with virtual friends and at the same time wishing to be a part of their fun and games."
Classic!
Your articles are my favorite Adam. I've tried Eve three times. Each time, I desperately wanted to enjoy the game. Each time I thought I could. Each time I failed. So, I'll leave Eve alone, sad that "I don't get it", but happy that others do. I love reading about Eve, unfortunately I won't be one of those that helps to evolve the Eve experience.
Be honest - how much time have you spent in this game? You don't seem to know the basics of your race (missiles, not lasers) and you seem bound and determined to ignore (o resist) the game's sandbox nature. At least you seem to finally be getting it toward the end of your post.
If you don't want to be in a corp, make one and have a goal for its future. Look at some of the amazing player-driven content and corporations (Somer Blink, BIG, Rothbard's, Red Frog Freight and others) and really get a feel for the possibilities of this game.
What I've found is there is no "role playing" in EVE. You become what you are (at the moment I'm a down-on-his-luck Wormhole explorer and salesman with a gambling problem which I indulge quite often in one of the aforementioned player-run sites). The "role-playing" in EVE just naturally happens based on what you plan to do in EVE. Not only that, but there is no "meta-game." The Eve-universe absorbs things like player-run lotteries, scams, etc.
It is amazing. I recommend you give time. You won't find a golden question-mark over a space-station to guide you to your next goal. The universe is yours. Get out there.
I tried Eve out one time. I kept hearing about how great and how deep it was so I finally just decided it was time to see for myself. Once I started though, I realized I really didn't have much to compare it to. It seemed nothing like other MMOs that I have played and unfortunately, I just didn't get it.
I spent a bunch of time in the starting dock reading things and trying to figure out what I was supposed to do and how I should proceed and it began to feel like I was studying for a college class. After a while I ended up logging out and then logging back in periodically to read some more stuff and then logging off again, depressed that I was so lost that I couldn't do anything.
After a bunch of log ins, I just gave up. While I find this game very interesting, I just don't think it is for me.
Currently playing:
Rift
Played:
SWToR, Aion,EQ, Dark Age of Camelot
World of Warcraft, AoC
Maybe I am just nit picking here but you thought you were Gallente, bought a Caldari ship that has gun bonuses for a race that specializes in missiles, checked the stats but decided to use Amarr weapons with Hybrid ammo....
Even if you do not join EvE University, I would spend a few hours reading through the wiki on their website. It may clear up some of the problems you are having with combat.
If i assume for arguments sake that you are Caldari, chose the gun ship, fitted with hybrid turrets and hybrid ammo, I would still spend some time reading the wiki just to clear up the terminology and get a better understanding of each racial ship flavor.
Adam, enjoyed the article. Cracking me up!
Adam, if you are Caldari then use the http://www.eve-wiki.net/index.php?title=Kestrel with kinetic missiles.
If you are Gallente, I recommend the Tristan if you have missile skills and the Incursus if you do not.
--------
"Chemistry: 'We do stuff in lab that would be a felony in your garage.'"
The most awesomest after school special T-shirt:
Front: UNO Chemistry Club
Back: /\OH --> Bad Decisions
Counterpoint: The Mittani, arguably one of the most powerful players in game, started playing in late 06 or early 07, over 4 years after the game launched.
Give me liberty or give me lasers
lol it's quite amusing to read your articles mate but I am indeed glad to see that you finally "understood" Eve Online. In my opinion, the best thing about EVE Online is the community. If you decide to be a loner in EVE Online you will get bored, if you want to succeed than choose a corp that fits your needs and your goals.
You are going to love this game more and more. There will be a lot of dull moments but the highlights are so good that you are willing to put up with the dullness just to experience that rush of adrenaline all over again.
Fly safe o/
I made the mistake of Selling Tivian.
And I returned to the game with 2 alts. 1 was my old Prod Alt. the other was just a toon I made off the cuff. Both were under 10 mill skill points.
My main now is Zahn Marco. Flying Gallente now at 13 mill skills and growing.
My return to the game has been awesome...except for a minor set back in Isk. Getting ready to do faction missions getting a little pvp and mission running at the same time.
I don't think that no matter what I do now...will ever compaire to my time in Black Omega Security and the Old CURSE ALLIANCE! That was my best gaming exp ever!!
i think its certainly true that the WoW effect.. seems to create a hurdle of understanding for players who try out Eve... understanding that the game is not about SP.. where skills are just things you need to operate different types of machinery.. or increase your efficiency with them.. at least to a point - ease of access in itself is something imo that makes it stand out in that it doesnt force you to 'max level' everything before you can do something well.. i thought the question.. about asking how long before you can compete with the elites was very relevant.. because in Eve there arent any, though there are people that are very good at things.. its usually a measure of their own ability rather than a game mechanic, perhaps thats why Eve is so challenging.. and why for those who do 'get it' its so rewarding.. PVP itself isnt determined by SP.. by rights i should be an 'awesome' PVP'er.. i've got over 70m SP and a lot of them are related to equipment/ships that are combat specific... but.. in solo PVP.. i don't do well.. even in 1 on 1... once i accepted this.. i did better.. but in team based fleet PVP... or roams at least.. i don't seem to have the mentality for gatecamping (though i've got a lot better at blockade running!!) .. Eve really is all that you make of it.. and more.. but you have to drop preconceptions inherited from other games.. they don't work in Eve.. never have.
That depends on what you want, different fields have different time requirements to max out. For example core combat take about two months. Core industry manufacturing 16 days with optimal remap. If you want the big stuff it takes way longer but for the big toys money will hinder you more than the required skills
Pi*1337/100 = 42
Counterpoint: So it only took him 4+ years to be one of the most powerful players in the game?
(just playing Devils Advocate)
Dunno how you feel about your friends over at Massively, but I gotta say they run a nice corp in-game. You should check them out, it is led by one of the Associate Editors who has a long history in game. Good bunch of people to hang out with, they basically leave you to play how you want when you want, hae frequent sig-ups for fun events, missions, pvp, incursions, etc.
Massively Mob [MSVLY]
The point being that when he started, every other player had more skills, assets and experience than him. There were players with many tens of millions of skillpoints, T2 ships, supercapitals, etc etc etc. while he started with a rookie ship and 800k SP.
Most of the things that mittens did to become one of the "superleague" aren't based on skillpoints at all (His love of flying Sabres, a T2 Destroyer, is notorious, but he's not famous and powerful because he's a great Interdictor pilot. To him, skillpoints are utterly irrelevant to 99% of what he does in game. He has leveraged his personal skills to gain his position in game. He is a classic demonstration of the simple fact that although skillpoints are very nice to have, they're not the be-all and end-all that many people seem to have been brainwashed into believing. You advance in EVE by achieving goals not by increasing numbers on your character sheet.
If all you want to do is "win EVE" by having the most SP, then pony up for a 100M SP titan character, log in, take a screenshot, and since you now have nothing left to achieve, sell him again and quit.
Give me liberty or give me lasers