Destination SkillQueue
Are We There Yet
2002
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Posted - 2012.03.16 10:27:00 -
[1] - Quote
Stetson Eagle wrote:IMHO griefing is a topic that has been discussed a lot, but it's been mostly rhetoric from both sides. Here's a bit more of the same.
Problem: Eve is dying since it doesn't attract new players, would it be better off without griefing
Hypothesis: Eve without griefing would grow bigger, "without griefing" means some highsec security (not punishment) mechanics in place
snipped the rest
Here's the thing. EVE isn't dying and is still attracting new players, so your initial problem doesn't even exist, but let's be generous here. Let's assume that EVE is losing players it could keep, because it allows "griefing". That seems like a reasonable thing to suggest and that way we can avoid being bogged down by arguing about every detail and semantics.
Would EVE grow bigger, if it allowed safety in highsec instead of increased security? Maybe, but maybe not. Your hypothesis wrongly assumes, that the gains would be higher than the losses without justifying it in any way. We also don't know how it would impact the game long term.
The thing to remember is, that EVE has done as well as it has because it provides an experience you don't get from other MMOs and it has done very well indeed. While games providing those secure "griefing" free areas have been much more popular, most of them have actually been less popular games or have dropped below EVE after a period of popularity. Even WoW lost a few million subs recently and new highly celebrated games like SWTOR has been leaking about 10% of their subs each month while relative newcomer RIFT has dropped far below EVE within a year after it's release. The playerbase EVE has gathered is well aware what kind of game EVE is and likes it that way. Any change in that nature and some of them will rebel and leave, because CCP has betrayed that vision and is changing the game to something it was never meant to be, while there is no guarantee the new policy will bring new player or keep them in any significant numbers.
So we are at a situation where such change would guarantee the loss of subs, but might make up for it with new ones. Would it? The PvE content in those secure areas is simply not good compared to almost every other MMO on the market. The PvP and player interactions are the whole game that is worth paying for. Since this is a sandbox game, you would also have to severely limit what those player can do. If they get immunity from the rest of use, why should we have to compete against them or allow alts to hide behind that protection? You would practically create two classes of players who likely hate each other with a passion and might as well play separate games entirely.
You argue using stagnation as a reason to implement such changes, but I'd argue your changes would lead to increased stagnation and to the loss of what has kept EVE alive and kicking all these years. I do agree that the game needs to evolve and improve to keep running, but you're not talking about that. You're talking about saving a sandbox game focused almost entirely on player interaction by removing and/or reducing that interaction in order to cater to player who don't like that type of game to begin with.
You're seeing a greener grass over the fence and thinking you can keep what you have and get the other stuff too, if you just cater to both sides. It doesn't work that way. You're just taking a dump in the sandbox, while providing a very lacking game for the players who choose to opt out of the sandbox. It leaves everyone unhappy and disapointed. If you came to the game for the harsh sandbox, safe areas partly negate the whole design. If you came to play in the safe areas, your gameplay options are very limited and if you want to access additional content, you're told to play an entirely different type of game. It might seem harsh, but I think it's simply a better option to tell people wanting such safery to GTFO and play a game that caters to them. It's better for us and for them in the long run and if it bothers CCP that much, they can make a new game to cater specifically to the needs of those players. |