CCP should have done a TV ad with Samuel L. Jackson. Something to do with snakes on a Crane maybe.

CCP should have done a TV ad with Samuel L. Jackson. Something to do with snakes on a Crane maybe.

I'm noob, < 2 mil SP.

This game takes work to understand how everything works, like hours of reading third party websites and can feel like a job when your supposed to be playing a game that's supposed to distract you from IRL for a few hours. I personally like that the game is deep like that, but I feel most prospective new players won't.

this is the problem with many gamers: They are trying to escape something.

Well, people who have trouble dealing with real life are going to suck at EVE (a thinking gamer's game) as well. Most of the people I play EVE with are professionals in their fields who actually like their lives and see EVE as an enhancement of their lives/time.

So right there we see a major reason why EVE just isn't ever going to be real popular, it forces thinking rather than giving a player some rote/automatic reflex based thing to do. Lots of games are distractions and outlets for pent up rage (which is why I think 1st person shooter games are so popular).

EVE is more like a hobby, like this activity is (it's fun as hell, but it's just like EVE, pour man-hour after man-hour into something that has a combat life span measured in seconds lol).

Just because something is a 'game', that doesn't mean it's like other games.

I'm noob, < 2 mil SP.

This game takes work to understand how everything works, like hours of reading third party websites and can feel like a job when your supposed to be playing a game that's supposed to distract you from IRL for a few hours. I personally like that the game is deep like that, but I feel most prospective new players won't.

Add in that so many ppl are out to cheat you/ scam you and it makes the community seem off putting. The whole community seems hostile at times as well, like i'm playing LoL.

Another thing that has turned my friends off from playing is that it takes so long to accomplish what you want to do because of the whole SP thing. For instance in WoW, I can lvl from 1 - 90 in a a week, chug some mountain dew and grind. In a few weeks and w/ some moderate luck I'd be geared enough to do entry level raids. In eve there isn't really a way around the SP mountain, at least I haven't found one. For example: when I started playing I thought "wow covert ops looks fun I want to try that," so I set up a skill plan and then noticed the time: I wouldn't even be able to enter the ship for another month, and add on another few weeks to fly it at a decent level. I'm about halfway there now, but sometimes when I get home from work, I don't really have a desire to log in, not because I'm bored but rather because right now at my skill levels and wallet amount, I gain just as much from NOT logging on as I do from logging in. I'm not saying the SP system is bad, its just off putting to new players. Only noobs with tons of patience or noobs who keep there subs active only to train skills will be sticking around, and I personally feel that's not a high percentage.


Sorry for rambling, just my 2c

Another thing that has turned my friends off from playing is that it takes so long to accomplish what you want to do because of the whole SP thing. For instance in WoW, I can lvl from 1 - 90 in a a week, chug some mountain dew and grind. In a few weeks and w/ some moderate luck I'd be geared enough to do entry level raids. In eve there isn't really a way around the SP mountain, at least I haven't found one.

I'm bored but rather because right now at my skill levels and wallet amount, I gain just as much from NOT logging on as I do from logging in.

To be fair, I have always seen Eve more as a hobby than a game.

Edit: Also HOLY HELL! I just watched your video. DO WANT!

Got A Weak Willie
Passive sp is one of the finer points that makes eve Much better than most games out there,
the glorious positive of this is that i prevents Smelly basement dwelling teens from power-grinding sp for 48 hour stretches.
this is good because adults (which is most of us) tend to have Jobs and Kids and other obligations .
be patient with the skill cue and learn how to eve before you complain about how it is.

I wasn't complaining, I don't mind the system at all. I was saying most new players won't have the patience, which explains the woes of new player retention.

I began my post by saying that most people that compare both games do so without looking at the big picture. The responses I got strengthen that position.

My points is not to say WOW is better than EVE, or that EVE needs to copy everything WOW has.

The point is that WOW retention is high and EVE's isn't. Why is that?

In my opinion:
1) EVE is portrayed as X on you tube when someone logs is you realize X is no where to be found.
2) Information on how to improve is unavailable in game and one needs to look for it outside game.
3) UI is ugly and there's very little customization options.

None of these suggestions are detrimental to veterans.

What is the top 3 things, in your opinion, that need improvement to retain players in general?

Is it the same in other MMOs? This notion of players having absurd illusions of being responsible for somebody's business, I mean.

I think this is one of those "psycho" aspects of our community: we propose ideas of new features, we propose solutions to existing problems, we propose solutions to possible problems that out ideas could cause, we spend hours writing feedback to devs, we spend hours testing new features and fixes, we discuss financial problems of CCP, we discuss their HR tactics and recruitment and who leaves and who stays, we discuss why new players leave, we discuss why vets leave, we discuss how to prevent those both groups from clashing in some kind of class war but at the same time how to cater to both of them and nurture them and let them grow and...

Is it the same in other MMOs?

Only button is ugly and hard to click and cookie is stale and bitter.

I personally enjoy the stability that EVE offers because of the amount of player created content, and administration "outside the box", and personal problem solving skills one has to learn, versus a candyland type MMO, WOW offers.

Ironically , this is what most people hate about EVE.

I began my post by saying that most people that compare both games do so without looking at the big picture. The responses I got strengthen that position.

My points is not to say WOW is better than EVE, or that EVE needs to copy everything WOW has.

The point is that WOW retention is high and EVE's isn't. Why is that?

In my opinion:
1) EVE is portrayed as X on you tube when someone logs is you realize X is no where to be found.
2) Information on how to improve is unavailable in game and one needs to look for it outside game.
3) UI is ugly and there's very little customization options.

None of these suggestions are detrimental to veterans.

What is the top 3 things, in your opinion, that need improvement to retain players in general?

Tried that a while ago, was super boring. People just either disband their corp, logged off or just sat in station all day.

Wouldn't mind but at most there were only 5 of us and we were targeting corps/alliances of 50+ hoping to get a few fights.

This is another EVE vs WOW.

You guys give way too much credit to the NPE shaping people.

You guys give way too much credit to the NPE shaping people.

I often sit and ponder the thought of how to make this a more user friendly, popular MMO. I came to quite a few conclusions.

1: Sci fi is not for everyone.
2: ItGÇÖs near impossible to please everyone.
3: Looking at numbers FPSGÇÖs are number one however, how smart are they?
4: EVE ONLINE is a dark place with dark forces that taint the heart so quickly.
5: This game is not easy therefore, if it is not mind numbingly Farmville esc some will not play.
6: Nothing is quick in EVE. Everything is earned (yes even if you stole it)
7: The game needs depth: GÇ£You make the history RAIN!GÇ¥ I understand that however, this game needs to addendum the lack of plot.
8: EVE is directly focused on the grinding violent and omnipotent groups.
9: CinematicGÇÖs- GÇ£SOMEGÇ¥ mmo players love to watch cinematics. This game needs cinematics to draw you in and make the depth deeper. PVE instances of course. Reading a dialog is quite slog.
10: Emersion: This is needed as much as depth.

So ingredients

2 parts depth
2 parts emersion
1 part FPS- DUST 514 or whatever
3 parts Cinematics

Now before we go on a tangent, realize what it is that keeps WOW players going. Yes a lot of things are given to them however, as a FORMER wow player, I can tell you that I love a fantastic plot line.

A huge PVE overhaul, it be that simple

A huge PVE overhaul, it be that simple