First two days in EVE

If I remember correctly, it was through a Newsweek article dating back a few years that I first got a glimpse of EVE online. At the time my initial impression of EVE was a thoroughly nerdy world of space crafts and a rather cumbersome UI covering two thirds of the screen. Incidentally, I was playing a different game in another world wielding axes and basically hanging out in wooden huts, which seemed a whole lot more entertaining as a game. I mean why would 30,000 people gather in a single server to form corporations and cartels when what we really want from an MMO is an escape? So I figured this wasn’t my piece of cake. But what kept EVE in my memory was a simple rule CCP, the developer, had set up; it’s run entirely by the players.

2010 is an awkward year for the MMO scene because all the big contenders are at their maturity and major blockbusters aren’t due until next year. Dominion is the twelfth expansion which gives a sense of how long this game has been in service. Since I had run out of better options and no intention of going back to Azeroth, I visited the EVE website for the second time in a few months. On this particular occasion, I signed up for a trial period of 14 days. Couldn’t hurt, can it?

Honestly I was daunted at the thought of having to learn everything from scratch. EVE just seemed so much more complicated compared to any other game I’ve played. Despite my fears, I have found that CCP has gone to great lengths to court new players, or capsuleers, by providing detailed tutorials for key functions and yet manages to keep things interesting. The learning curve is steep and this is perhaps a factor in EVE’s success, as gamers find it more rewarding over time and willingly continue playing.

During the first hours I blew up a frigate in PvE and panicked when I wasn’t able to recover the ship. Luckily I had it insured, at the gentle behest of tutorial guides, and with the compensation I bought a slightly bigger frigate and moved forward. Two days into the game I am running all the level 1 missions, and given my disposition to mission grinding I seem to be settling in just fine. I’ve even got hold of enough petty ships for a rainy day.
As of today I have subscribed to a three month plan. If you happen to read this and you know me, please drop a line.