Koz and Effect

Open Letter to CCP

CCP,

EVE Online has been through 8 (or more) successful years.  It has endured well through a changing market due in no small part to its gameplay and dedicated subscribers and developers. It is under threat.

EVE’s appeal relies on more or less one aspect of its gameplay: It’s cutthroat PvP sandbox, which we refer to as null and low sec. It’s at the forefront of every story, article, marketing campaign, etc. It’s what EVE is known for, even legendary for.

EVE’s problem is that this gameplay only appeals to a relative few. Throughout the years, you have tried hard to open these areas to more of the game’s playerbase, yet the distribution of players remains more or less the same. The vast majority still reside in high sec, while a relative few engage in the high profile battles of 0.0. Yet it’s these engagements and the circumstances surrounding them that are expected to provide the basis of EVE’s engaging content, at least if the commercials are to be believed.

There’s a number of reasons for why these are either inaccessible or undesirable to most. EVE is a game of risk management and cost vs. reward. Players are surprisingly good assessors of these. As a former 0.0 player myself, I know well the time commitment, costs, rewards, and not to mention overall feeling that EVE’s endgame requires. Simply put, while the PvP sandbox is exciting and without parallel, it is also steep in its toll, and therefor only enjoyed by few. The rest, as we know, reside elsewhere.

It’s here that despite the cries of pandering to “carebears” and the lamentations of the “hardcore”, that EVE’s health and wellbeing resides. It goes without saying that if the majority of its players reside in high-sec, then the majority of its subscriptions come from there as well. And yet this is the most stale, unappealing, and one might say neglected area of the game.

It is true that these areas have been the focus of many features over the past few years: exploration, epic arcs, expeditions, incursions, planetary interaction, etc. There have been a slew of fantastic tools created to paint the world. And yet most of these go untouched, lost, forgotten, or in some cases, even broken. (COSMOS)

A new player coming into EVE and fresh out of their tutorial has no reason or motivation to become immersed in the world because there simply isn’t one. His interaction with the universe beyond that of his fellow pilots will be a simple agent offering the same 2-3 missions, over, and over, and over again.

The tools exist, the demand exists, but not much is done. CCP has boxed themselves into a corner with the 6 month release cycle, and there’s little time for polish. Features that cannot be completed in time are scaled back and then forgotten as a new gimmick or feature needs to be pushed for the next expansion. The previous tool sits unbroken, unused, and the flurry of new subscriptions it prompted fade away as its unfinished state is realized.

 

CCP needs to break this cycle. If EVE is to compete for a larger subscriber base and have broader appeal, then it needs to take lessons from other games not just in what doesn’t work, but also in what does. The game needs content. Stories, missions, campaigns, All of the challenges and engagements that provide fulfillment and a sense of immersion for all pilots, and not just ones in an established alliance. And far from the cries of “WoW is over there!”, this can be done using the existing tools and framework. The core game mechanics need not change. EVE can have both, if the attention is given.

 

The recent expansions and “Features” have disillusioned me and many others regarding EVE’s seemly lack of direction. Development seems to want to go in every direction at once, appeal to as many people at once, and yet, it has never been communicated as to what that long term strategy is. The recient introduction of micro transactions I feel did not detract from the game, but rather created more questions as to what the purpose of it all is. Incarna was, again, a half-finished expansion, scaled back in its scope and size.

I recognize that CCP is a business, first and foremost. They exist to make a profit and keep their staff employed. I see no problem with this. For that to continue to occur, EVE needs not just to continue to be successful, but also to grow. To do this, I believe the following needs to occur:

• Develop and then communicate a long term plan for the development path of EVE. This should be firmly grounded on features and structures that will augment the enjoyment of the game to the majority of its players and potential ones.
• Abandon the 6 month release schedule in favor of a longer term expansion schedule. Completion should be decided based on the finishing of the intended feature or content. This will ensure those who were anticipating the release will be lured in to stay.
• Re-focus on adding to and refreshing the game’s core content. Missions, arcs, expeditions, etc. Be they multiple linear paths or branching ones, these should fill dozens of hours of gametime. Rewards can be based on the receipt of vanity items (Incarna, badges/awards, hanger items and loot, unlocked aesthetic options, etc.) in-game loot or weapons, and last but not least, unlocking and reveal of plot points, information, and addition to the overall world build and progressing story.

This last point I believe is absolutely key to expanding EVE’s appeal beyond its current player base. Far from being another mission-grinding MMO, EVE’s tools allow for missions and story to be presented in a much more dynamic and interactive sense, all while taking place within the current sandbox. Instead of EVE’s missions being compared to other MMO’s, other MMO mission progression and immersion should compare unfavorably to EVE’s.

I hope you’ll take the time to read and consider the points I have raised. Over 6 years I have watched EVE grow and expand. There is no doubt something special here. But it’s time both the developers and the players started thinking beyond what we’ve been coasting on and start really addressing the long neglected but traditional-MMO area of gameplay and it’s Achilles heel. I think only then will we see the huge influx of subscribers we’ve been waiting for, the grand universe we’ve been hoping for. Then we’ll truly be the envy of the rest of the gaming world.