They already trashed it when people started making allowed alt accounts, and then selling ISK for GameTimeCards. The more people can pump RL money into a game to be self sufficient, the worse and more facile it is to actually play the game on a single account, selling or trading, pvping, etc. It's essentially pay2win, especially when CCP then played WITH the people trading GTC for ISK and created PLEX, as well as allowing character trading. It cheapens the entire game. It's like running with cheat codes. It won't help player retention to make the game so easy, but they decided to do all that because they were very hungry for the extra money even though it breaks the entire immersive experience and such of the game.

If they made an Eve Offline as a Single Player game, that was based on the 2004-2006 version of Eve Online, I'd go play that instead. Then things stop getting easier and more dumbed down and more pay2win, because me being the only one playing it, I have to accept the game and the progression "as is" rather than shove RL money at my perceived problems.



They started "doing it wrong" from a gameplay enjoyment perspective when they started "doing it right" from a business perspective by going into allowing alts and alt accounts and then GTC>ISK and finally to PLEX>ISK>Characters.

Imagine, if you will, an Eve Online where everything that happens in game stays in game, and nothing out of game affects it. Where a larger alliance can be taken down by a smaller alliance because they don't have a rich moneybags type paying RL money for Titans. Where you can go solo if you want, but teamwork increases both your own and your corp's profits, because everyone has different skills they bring to the table, instead of just hopping on your alt. Basically, imagine an actual MMO that feels like a single player game immersively, yet is grown and run by real breathing people. And then imagine that things CANT stagnate in nullsec or anywhere else, because the limitations for players allow individuals and groups to have huge effects in game, which legions of expensive alt accounts and throwing RL money into PLEX for power ships can't ruin.

They based these flawed methods of player retention on the idea that once you have a customer, you should try to entice them back as often as possible. I still have an inbox filled with Eve-O junkmail proclaiming all sorts of gifts or rewards if I re-up. Instead of saying "okay, we know that people play a game, and when they find themselves feeling satisfied and content with their goals in game, they quit, just like a single player game" they continually try to produce carrots to keep people interested just lazily enough to churn out another 15$ through PLEX trade or actually buying game time or whatever. Every time I've seen games do this model, the game goes in a downward spiral direction of things getting "easier", people getting "stronger" (e.g. able to do more on their own without interacting with others) and so on. The game gets qualitatively worse while it appears to be getting better to appease the "want it all and right now" crowd that actually isn't interested in playing an MMO (See: carebear tears over freighter ganks).

This permadeath super character shenanigans is another nail in the coffin.



To keep playing if the changes occur is tacit agreement with said changes. Because it's a silent vote for yes with money. Silence is consent, especially if you hand someone money. That's how most businesses and governments work already.