I think my biggest beef with EVE, other than the use of alts to circumvent game mechanics, is that there isn't really anything done that isn't part of someone's war machine or otherwise meant for combat and destruction. I mean, combat is fine and all but it's not like your doing it for the survival of anyone or any sort of prosperity that is outside having an even more uber ship of doom. It would be nice, for example, to be able to create colonies and run supplies to and from a colony and that is a purpose you can have: aiding the survival and prosperity of colonies. So whatever you do, whether it's a war or playing the market or going into null sec, or mining asteroids, etc. you do with a valid purpose: I'm insuring the survival of my colonies.

Anyways, just an idea. I mean sure we have factions and corporations and regions dominated but they are all military strong holds for no apparent purpose beyond itself. War for the sake of war, because if you are immortal what else you gonna do?

Now I didn't play Eve for much more then a month so dont nail me to any crosses if my memory isn't crystal clear. But I was in the same boat you where in, so it seems. Everyone in Eve just wants to kill everyone else becuase they can. My corp helped run security for mining operations and I personally helped run cargo from one port to another. It was very fun running materials to others alliance docks with a vanguard of battleships at my back.

Eventually I did see that the game gives played the ability to cause chaos and good chances are that you'll be trampled underneath of another players bigger ship. The game certainly has a harsher dog-eat-dog ethos, but you can always find a way to be the good guy and help or even craft ships. Heck i always loved the idea of selling weapons in wars, lol if everyone wants to kill each other, why not sell them ships =)

At one point I found the most peaceful constructive thing to do in EVE: I transported medical supplies to areas in need (by NPCs). Even traveled through low sec to transport them getting a nice sense/thrill of danger. However,  it doesn't actually matter ingame if those supplies get delivered or not. The players are immortal, NPCs are self sufficient, so really there is nothing to do other than build more uber ships and just kill each other over and over again.

Now, and it would be simple to implement, if they actual gave more positive reason  for actions in EVE then players could get a sense of purpose above that of just running in circles going 'pew-pew'. How about an industry centered around building items for constructive purposes, even if only for NPCs. How about players fight for the lives of their people, even if NPCs, at least battles would have meaning, controlling regions would have meaning.

Originally posted by CasualGamer

I think my biggest beef with EVE, other than the use of alts to circumvent game mechanics, is that there isn't really anything done that isn't part of someone's war machine or otherwise meant for combat and destruction.

You mean it's an MMO? ;)

Originally posted by CasualGamer

I think my biggest beef with EVE, other than the use of alts to circumvent game mechanics, is that there isn't really anything done that isn't part of someone's war machine or otherwise meant for combat and destruction. I mean, combat is fine and all but it's not like your doing it for the survival of anyone or any sort of prosperity that is outside having an even more uber ship of doom. It would be nice, for example, to be able to create colonies and run supplies to and from a colony and that is a purpose you can have: aiding the survival and prosperity of colonies. So whatever you do, whether it's a war or playing the market or going into null sec, or mining asteroids, etc. you do with a valid purpose: I'm insuring the survival of my colonies.

Put up a POS in deep wormhole space, and I assure you, you will be doing exactly what you're wanting to do.

Forget about nullsec and the politics and drama. Wormhole space is the wild west. 

Yeah well I guess that is the basic crux of al MMOs. It's all about having the best armor, weapons, spells. Having the most gold, what level you are at, who you can or have p0wned etc. It would be interesting if perhaps NPCs were not so self sufficient and that players had to actually take responsibility for NPC survival and prosperity. I'm merely suggesting that in addition to destructive motivation there should be constructive ones. Like securing a planet, terraforming and colonizing to insure the survival of your people as they expand into the universe.

You can do that for your corp/alliance, no? It seems that doing those actions for NPCs would be far more meaningless than helping to build and grow a real life community of actual players, where your postive contributions improve another player's skills, knowledge, assets or rank.

Well actually there did use to be regions that were player run, protected  and administered all in the name of one of the NPC factions, i.e. Providence. Problem is as soon as they got into a war with the big bioys they lost due to having a more casual playerbase and a lack of supercapitals. Over the years they built over 51 outposts there and it used to have the highest conentration of 0.0 players in Eve.

I'm wondering if, once the link to Dust is established, we'll get more on planets.

All members of a Corp/Alliance are capsuleers and immortal. There is no need for food, clothing, shelter or even a vaction at a health spa or after-work drinks at a bar. Looking out for the interests of your Corp and/or Alliance you are basically aiding the ability to defend property/space (which is used solely for combat/war) or aiding in the conquering of property/space (which again is solely used for combat/war). There are no attributes that are not military attributes. No goals that are not military goals. You fight not for peace or any constructive attribute but merely to continue warring, the only hope being warring more effectively, though how effective can that be when everyone is immortal?

Of course you can get some meaningful purpose by RPing but I believe non RPers outnumber RPers and that the game mechanics actually make it difficult to maintain RP in a universe that supports both RPers and non. I can only think to allow NPCs to be dependent on the ventures of immortal capsuleers. As an option for those who seek something more profound than just blowing up ships for kicks n giggles.

I remember at one stage that I had a program (maybe it was EFT, can't quite recall) back when I played EVE that had stats on ships that included crew numbers. I know it seems like it will never happen but I found it a major let down for me that our ships - no matter what size they are - don't contain any crew. What are all the little windows for? lol

These massive ships that don't require a single crewmember beyond the capsuleer, even for Carriers. It just doesn't make sense to me. Then again it's just a game. It doesn't make sense that you can ram asteroids or other ships at full speed without taking any damage at all either, and it's not like it's just EVE. Fantasy based MMO's have similar immersion breaking aspects, like carrying limits for example.

I do agree with the original poster, that in EVE it does seem like you lack a connection to anything in the Universe outside WAR. It's all very disembodied, even with Incarna, which to me was just a very very good technology demonstration. Until you can do something more then use that system to make a pretty picture it hasn't really added anything to the game in my opinion.

I'd like to go back to EVE someday, but I don't think it will be until I can feel more connected to my avatar and have more social options, and maybe this is a direction that both CCP and the vast majority of EVE players don't care about.

Good idea actually. I'd like to see this.

ships have crews. you just dont see them.

do you really think you can reload 8 missile launchers by yourself at same time in 10 seconds?

Originally posted by Robokapp

ships have crews. you just dont see them.

 

do you really think you can reload 8 missile launchers by yourself at same time in 10 seconds?

ships have autoloaders. you just don't see them. do you really think people are lifting 1400mm shells?

whether ships have crews or no, is up in the air. there is lore that says ships have crew, and also lore that says capsuleer ships can perform maneuvers that would kill classic crew.

as for OP: EVE started as internet spaceship game. it's only natural that most activities revolve around ship combat. however, CCP is showing signs to expand into "sci-fi simulation", which hopefully will allow more diverse activities for non-combatants. planetary interaction holds potential for urban management. Incarana has potential for social interaction. market and industry allow for non-combat gameplay.

that being said, i doubt EVE will ever stray far from ruthlessness (not cruelty) and exploitation of the masses. it's simply theme of the game and makes sense from economic point. capsuleers are far above common NPCs in abilities, which naturally leads to treating these NPCs little better than animals, to be farmed for profit and/or hunted for sport.

Originally posted by spinner_vis

whether ships have crews or no, is up in the air. there is lore that says ships have crew, and also lore that says capsuleer ships can perform maneuvers that would kill classic crew.

Frigate and smaller ships don't have crews, the big ships all do and its the smaller ships that are able to perform the really crazy maneuvers in the fluff. So the lore is correct in both cases.

Besides that as much as positive things are great what would be the purpose in the long term? basically why would you do run a colony?  In the end those entities would need to provide a bonus of somesort to the player putting on the effort to do it. That bonus will end up becoming something to fight over. So in the end everything that is positive becomes a valid war target.

If you want to do mindless repetitve providing for other people's survival and feel like you matter, move out of your parents' basement, buy a house, get married, and father some children.  I guarantee you'll get that sense of fulfillment running medical supplies for NPCs in video games couldn't provide.

In all seriousness, there's all sorts of stuff to do in EVE if you don't like the violence (which is by far the most popular activity with the vast majority of players).  You can trade, manufacture, research, mine, haul, salvage, set up a POS, run missions, run courier contracts... and if being part of a corp or alliance that is claiming territory (or just wrecking everyone else's) doesn't make you feel like you are contributing something meaningful, it might be time to rethink your hobbies altogether.