I had played EVE a couple of years ago for a couple of months and thought I'd take advantage of the 2 week free trial again. I hadn't remembered alot about the game except that I had liked the real time based advancement system and all of the ship building options.

So, as I entered the EVE galaxy for the second time I did some research on the game and decided to focus on discovery and manufacturing. I learned salvage quickly and set my advancement goals up toward manufacturing first. I also decided that I would try to increase my reputation with agents by doing lots of missions. This is where my experience fell apart.

I chose an agent to focus most of my efforts on, thinking it would be cool to reach a 10 total rep with one agent. Wrong! After a dozen or so missions, the agent began repeating missions. Not similar missions, the EXACT same missions...again...and again. Within a 7 mission series I was sent to recover the same bird feathers 4 times! Bird feathers! 4 times. And, each time, amazingly, I was only able to recover one feather.

Now, to me, immersion in an MMO is a key element. A lack of distinct playable missions just ruins the experience. Not only that, this agent, after my rep with them was already 5+ would greet me with, "who are you?", or "nice to meet you" (para)phrases as though I'd never had a mission from them.

Look, I have to be very careful how I spend my gaming money these days. With our cruel economic situation and one son in college and another headed there in 2 years I can't waste a dime of my small gaming budget. I'm thankful that I got the 2 free weeks, but I'm not spending $15-20 a month on this game.

EVE isn't about PVE (although it's getting better), focussing fully on PVE will (probably) get you burnt out rather fast.

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Originally posted by Soraellion
EVE isn't about PVE (although it's getting better), focussing fully on PVE will (probably) get you burnt out rather fast.

---

Sure, clearly EVE is primarily a PvP MMO. BUT...if you're going to allow a max rep with an agent of 10, and it takes dozens of missions to achieve this max, then for god sakes, vary the missions. Even if the missions are of the same type...go kill rebels, or go rescue diplomats, or go destroy enemy assets...at least change the names of the missions and the types/quantities of the objectives. It's a huge galaxy...how can there be so few unique missions? Just makes no sense to me. Either increase the variety of missions or reduce the max rep with an agent to that rep which can be achieved by fulfilling all of that agent's unique missions.

Thanks!

There was a dev post or report or something about CCP hiring guys to make new story arcs and such.  They put out some new ones not to long ago.  If they keep on the track they're going more stories will come out.  It is rather annoying to get the 'lost the bet' or any other mission 3, 4 or more times in a row.  I don't mind the repeats so much as long as they're more spread out with different missions in between.

Edit:  spelling

Sadly, the industry and trade missions have been lacking some attention for some time.

Security missions seem to vary much more as I guess most people prefer combat.

I have the same problem with EVE. I really like this game, it's truly different from other MMO's. The bad thing is, if you want to PVP you need a regular income. As my character is quite newbish, I find doing missions the easiest way to grind ISK thus in the same time it's very boring and I loose interest quickly. I'm sure there are other options how to get to ISK, but, for a freshman (4mil SP), mission grind is the only way and that saddens me.

Originally posted by methodd

 I'm sure there are other options how to get to ISK, but, for a freshman (4mil SP), mission grind is the only way and that saddens me.

Mission grind is not the only way. You can mine,trade, belt rat (0.0 is very good for this), join a corp which has corp insured ship program, exploration and pirate to name a few.

Originally posted by Jhughesy

Originally posted by methodd

 I'm sure there are other options how to get to ISK, but, for a freshman (4mil SP), mission grind is the only way and that saddens me.

 

Mission grind is not the only way. You can mine,trade, belt rat (0.0 is very good for this), join a corp which has corp insured ship program, exploration and pirate to name a few.

Problem with all these is they're very repetitive and boring and what makes it worse is space is boring, just a picture background with the same stations and astroid belts over and over again. They need to start putting nique structures into the game like when ambulation comes in there could put PVP stations in with avatar based combat as a sort of battleground. They could have like a abandoned ship where you can go on board and work out what happened and fight the aliens that took over or something. Don't just make it a generic mission that is done over and over again but make it a unique spot in the galaxy to give you a reason to go there and have fun.

People complain about isntances but all of EVE is instanced lol, each time you go through a gate or enter into a station it's instanced and when ambulation comes in stations will be instanced and not seemless. So adding these things that I said shouldn't be a problem and maybe they'll give me a reason to want to play.

However until then like Yahtzee said CCP has made space boring.

---

People complain about isntances but all of EVE is instanced lol, each time you go through a gate or enter into a station it's instanced and when ambulation comes in stations will be instanced and not seemless. So adding these things that I said shouldn't be a problem and maybe they'll give me a reason to want to play.

---

People also confuse zoning with instancing a lot...

Originally posted by batolemaeus

 

---

 

People complain about isntances but all of EVE is instanced lol, each time you go through a gate or enter into a station it's instanced and when ambulation comes in stations will be instanced and not seemless. So adding these things that I said shouldn't be a problem and maybe they'll give me a reason to want to play.

---

 

People also confuse zoning with instancing a lot...

Indeed, the only instancing (if you want to call it that way) is being docked.

Originally posted by Ipcryss

I had played EVE a couple of years ago for a couple of months and thought I'd take advantage of the 2 week free trial again. I hadn't remembered alot about the game except that I had liked the real time based advancement system and all of the ship building options.

So, as I entered the EVE galaxy for the second time I did some research on the game and decided to focus on discovery and manufacturing. I learned salvage quickly and set my advancement goals up toward manufacturing first. I also decided that I would try to increase my reputation with agents by doing lots of missions. This is where my experience fell apart.

I chose an agent to focus most of my efforts on, thinking it would be cool to reach a 10 total rep with one agent. Wrong! After a dozen or so missions, the agent began repeating missions. Not similar missions, the EXACT same missions...again...and again. Within a 7 mission series I was sent to recover the same bird feathers 4 times! Bird feathers! 4 times. And, each time, amazingly, I was only able to recover one feather.

Now, to me, immersion in an MMO is a key element. A lack of distinct playable missions just ruins the experience. Not only that, this agent, after my rep with them was already 5+ would greet me with, "who are you?", or "nice to meet you" (para)phrases as though I'd never had a mission from them.

Look, I have to be very careful how I spend my gaming money these days. With our cruel economic situation and one son in college and another headed there in 2 years I can't waste a dime of my small gaming budget. I'm thankful that I got the 2 free weeks, but I'm not spending $15-20 a month on this game.

When it comes to PVE I think almost every MMO fails. Although EVE may fail in this area more then most.

The PVE that is fun in EVE is the trading, research, and manufacturing. Beyond that, its probably the business aspects. But the direct methods to acquire ISK are all pretty much fail. I've complained bout this too.

I do think at some point the agents at least recognize you. I dont recall them treating me like a stranger after I did some missions with them.

Man a rep of 10 has gotta be a serious grind. I'm around 7+ myself with my current L4 agent. But then again, I try not to run very many missions. I try to avoid the grind as much as possible. Trying to get my trading business going again

Originally posted by John.A.Zoid

Originally posted by Jhughesy

Originally posted by methodd

 I'm sure there are other options how to get to ISK, but, for a freshman (4mil SP), mission grind is the only way and that saddens me.

 

Mission grind is not the only way. You can mine,trade, belt rat (0.0 is very good for this), join a corp which has corp insured ship program, exploration and pirate to name a few.

 

.....

People complain about isntances but all of EVE is instanced lol, each time you go through a gate or enter into a station it's instanced and when ambulation comes in stations will be instanced and not seemless. So adding these things that I said shouldn't be a problem and maybe they'll give me a reason to want to play.

However until then like Yahtzee said CCP has made space boring.

Why are you quoting Yahtzee that is meant as 'humor'. For a serious review of an MMORPG, any mmorpg, I'd like to the community for that.

Also like others said, EVE doesnt have any instancing....

Originally posted by methodd

I have the same problem with EVE. I really like this game, it's truly different from other MMO's. The bad thing is, if you want to PVP you need a regular income. As my character is quite newbish, I find doing missions the easiest way to grind ISK thus in the same time it's very boring and I loose interest quickly. I'm sure there are other options how to get to ISK, but, for a freshman (4mil SP), mission grind is the only way and that saddens me.

I found trading and manufacturing quite lucrative, but they work best for people with more ISK and industrial skills.

For the first months, mission running is indeed the most lucrative activity. You can improve things a bit if you learn salvaging, destroyers and tractor beams (prerequisite Science 4).

Then you go through the enemies with your combat ship, make bookmarks in each pocket and collect the wreckage with your salvage destroyer - that's the most convenient way.

Originally posted by Ipcryss

 

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Originally posted by Soraellion
EVE isn't about PVE (although it's getting better), focussing fully on PVE will (probably) get you burnt out rather fast.

---

 

Sure, clearly EVE is primarily a PvP MMO. BUT...if you're going to allow a max rep with an agent of 10, and it takes dozens of missions to achieve this max, then for god sakes, vary the missions. Even if the missions are of the same type...go kill rebels, or go rescue diplomats, or go destroy enemy assets...at least change the names of the missions and the types/quantities of the objectives. It's a huge galaxy...how can there be so few unique missions? Just makes no sense to me. Either increase the variety of missions or reduce the max rep with an agent to that rep which can be achieved by fulfilling all of that agent's unique missions.

Thanks!

i'm not sure that there is a purpose served in getting a lvl 1-3 agent standing up to 10.   lvl 4 or 5, i can see you making a living from those guys, but not lvl 1-3...

Originally posted by PatchDay

Originally posted by Ipcryss

I had played EVE a couple of years ago for a couple of months and thought I'd take advantage of the 2 week free trial again. I hadn't remembered alot about the game except that I had liked the real time based advancement system and all of the ship building options.

So, as I entered the EVE galaxy for the second time I did some research on the game and decided to focus on discovery and manufacturing. I learned salvage quickly and set my advancement goals up toward manufacturing first. I also decided that I would try to increase my reputation with agents by doing lots of missions. This is where my experience fell apart.

I chose an agent to focus most of my efforts on, thinking it would be cool to reach a 10 total rep with one agent. Wrong! After a dozen or so missions, the agent began repeating missions. Not similar missions, the EXACT same missions...again...and again. Within a 7 mission series I was sent to recover the same bird feathers 4 times! Bird feathers! 4 times. And, each time, amazingly, I was only able to recover one feather.

Now, to me, immersion in an MMO is a key element. A lack of distinct playable missions just ruins the experience. Not only that, this agent, after my rep with them was already 5+ would greet me with, "who are you?", or "nice to meet you" (para)phrases as though I'd never had a mission from them.

Look, I have to be very careful how I spend my gaming money these days. With our cruel economic situation and one son in college and another headed there in 2 years I can't waste a dime of my small gaming budget. I'm thankful that I got the 2 free weeks, but I'm not spending $15-20 a month on this game.

When it comes to PVE I think almost every MMO fails. Although EVE may fail in this area more then most.

 

The PVE that is fun in EVE is the trading, research, and manufacturing. Beyond that, its probably the business aspects. But the direct methods to acquire ISK are all pretty much fail. I've complained bout this too.

 

I do think at some point the agents at least recognize you. I dont recall them treating me like a stranger after I did some missions with them.

 

Man a rep of 10 has gotta be a serious grind. I'm around 7+ myself with my current L4 agent. But then again, I try not to run very many missions. I try to avoid the grind as much as possible. Trying to get my trading business going again

out of curiousity... what EXACTLY, in eve, qualifies as pve?

serious question.

dealing with research agents?

mining?

refining?

production? 

sellling the ores and items you've researched, mined, refined, and/or produced?

trading? as in, buying stuff, filling a hauler and selling it someplace else...

trading? as in, buying stuff, never leaving the station, and putting your goods back up for sale at a profit?
 

running courier missions?

running combat missions?

exploration?   taking advantage of the things you find while exploring?

hauling goods to/from high-, low-, &/or null-sec and back and forth between them all?

salvaging?

out of curiousity... what EXACTLY, in eve, qualifies as pve?

Very little, imo.

serious question.

Forum first!  :p

dealing with research agents?

Can't comment as I've never done this.

mining?

PvP.  At no time are you safe from a suicide gankx0r or a can flipper.  Not to mention that roids do not have an infinite amount of ore so if someone else beats you to the spot and strips it out, well, you lose.

refining?

Strictly PvE - until you go to sell it.

production?

Never done it.  IMO, since everything in Eve is created by players and Eve is a primarily PvP game then it could be argued that Production is a PvP task.

sellling the ores and items you've researched, mined, refined, and/or produced?

No question PvP.  You have no choice but to compete with other players pricing.

trading? as in, buying stuff, filling a hauler and selling it someplace else...

Same as above for the same reason.

trading? as in, buying stuff, never leaving the station, and putting your goods back up for sale at a profit?

Please see previous two answers.

running courier missions?

75/25?  50/50?  Why are you running the courier missions?  For ISK to better fit your ship for more courier missions?  Do you have to risk lowsec?  Do you still risk suicide gankx0rz?  IMO Courier's are probably the closest you can get to being pure PvE in Eve.

running combat missions?

Again, missioning period is a mostly PvE aspect -- cept when you run missions in lowsec, get scanned down and blown the f**k up.  Or when you are missioning in highsec and someone scans you down and steals all your salvage.  Course, there's the whole reason to run missions, ISK, which is mainly used to purchase more PvP designed stuff.

exploration? taking advantage of the things you find while exploring?

TBH, I know nothing of this aspect of Eve either though I would hazard to say it's a PvE task but i'd also imagine you have to compete with other players who could possibly be goign for the same site and or simply going for you.

 hauling goods to/from high-, low-, &/or null-sec and back and forth between them all?

What for?  Not that it matters, you always stand the chance of being a PvP target to suicidal folks in highsec and anything that moves in low-nullsec.

salvaging?

Primarily a PvE task cept, as mentioned above, when someone scans you down and steals your salvage...

K, that help/make any sense?

@ OP.  I, personally, like the fact that CCP doesn't try to sugar coat their missions and attempt to add "story" or something like that.  I have yet to play a MMO, and i've got a few under my belt, that has any sort of original PvE system.  Go here and kill x of y.  Take x over to y.  Go to y and bring back x.  Go talk to x and get y and take it to z and then go back and kill x with y at z etc etc and so on.  It's all the same all the time, Eve just throws that in your face.  I run missions solely as an ISK making thing and I make good ISK doing so.  I won't argue that some folks find Eve boring, that is clearly evidenced by my attempting to recruit many of my rl friends to Eve only to have them quit before their first month is up.  It should come as no surprise to anyone that everyone doesn't like the same thing.

o7

Yeah, you're right, EVE's PVE/missions are not the game's long suite, and if you came to EVE for that reason, understandable that you decided not to continue.

I run them, and while not quite as repetitive as you hit, I definitely hit 2 and 3 in a row sometimes and have run most combat missions hundreds, if not thousands of times.

But I'm not looking for "immersion", its just a video game to me, and my real immersion comes when the fleet I'm in is swooping towards a target, then I'm so focused I might as well be in the EVE universe.

Over the many MMO's I've played, each one had a grind to it, and I've grown to accept it as part of the game mechanics that you need to do to reach your greater goals.

I agree. Sometimes the repetative missions suck, but change up things a little.  PVE isnt the greatest but at least they're working on it.

I hate the high amout of LP cost of some items. Wish they'd tone that down a few. Ive asked corpsmates to take me on lvl 4 missions to get my lp and standing up. They were more than willing to help me.

Try something different if you need to.

Originally posted by Ipcryss

 

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Originally posted by Soraellion
EVE isn't about PVE (although it's getting better), focussing fully on PVE will (probably) get you burnt out rather fast.

---

 

Sure, clearly EVE is primarily a PvP MMO. BUT...if you're going to allow a max rep with an agent of 10, and it takes dozens of missions to achieve this max, then for god sakes, vary the missions. Even if the missions are of the same type...go kill rebels, or go rescue diplomats, or go destroy enemy assets...at least change the names of the missions and the types/quantities of the objectives. It's a huge galaxy...how can there be so few unique missions? Just makes no sense to me. Either increase the variety of missions or reduce the max rep with an agent to that rep which can be achieved by fulfilling all of that agent's unique missions.

Thanks!

 I have been playing EvE on and off for abour a year now and I have come to understand something.  The PvE in eve only exists to make isk to use for PvP.  It's not primarialy a PvP mmo, it's totally a PvP MMO.  Sure, there are people that can play it simply for the PvE but honestly I think they are crazy.  The PvE elements are SOOO boring it would be likc playing tic tac toe with yourself for a year.  The only thing that keeps me going on missions is I know that it's making me money for PvP.

It is my opinion that if you really want to get the best bang for your buck, you play Eve like this.

1.  Create a main character  for PvP.  Find a PvP corp that is willing to train you ( there are lots out there).  PvP in Eve is like no other; every time you engage and you feel your heart rate go up, palms sweat and start breathing heavy,  you will know that you are playing an awesome game.

2.  Create an alt for doing your manufacturing or what ever else you want.  Early on you will probably have to do some missions and sure they are repetitive but you're doing them to increase your standing so you can refer to the mission site  out there to help you blow through them real quick to get you where you need to be standings wise. 

At first look, repetitive missions suck, on the other hand if you are doing them only to advance standing so you can grow your character in another area such as manufacturing or trading, then you will want to get them done and over with for this not so you can enjoy them.

Couple these two together and you will have a great MMO experience.  Try it!