With Incursion giving us glimpses of what Incarna will have to offer (the the Character Creator), this month's topic, by @Minerpewpew, comes just at the right time. He asks
"What are your thoughts on how Incarna will effect the current EVE Online social dynamic?" I'd like to see this questioning go a bit further. How will this affect EVE's player base? Who will Incarna attract? New players to the genre? Seduce old players back into the game? Will we see new players come in that will never leave their station? Please explore to the best of your abilities!"
Forgive my lateness in writing this blog banter.
This topic is one that has generated many opinions on both ends of the spectrum. There are those that are exceedingly opposed and those that have waited quite a few years for this to come around. Myself, I haven't been in the game long enough to really be on either side of the fence. I hope this helps me be a bit more objective.
What is Eve? Well of course it is different things to different people, but essentially it is a space simulator. Or is a submarine simulator...sometimes it can get fuzzy :P The game allows its players to train up and fly any ship they want, choose any path they want be it good or evil. It has grown and developed over the course of nearly a decade, quite a lifetime as far as games go. There may not be millions of players, but the single shard universe does support tens of thousands. So is there room for ambulation?
Frankly, I do not see why not. Some are worried about how any crossover between ambulation and operations in space will negatively impact the experience, but really you don't know until it's been done. Such an installment, as long as it is polished and integrated smoothly, can be an asset to our New Eden home rather than a detriment.
Why? New blood. It can be something of a "portal drug" or ease one into our universe. I am not sure it will really appeal to anyone looking for hardcore avatar gaming like an FPS or the like, but if they come for that and then decide they want to fly and see what else there is, all the better. I think it also rounds out what Eve can offer.
-It may give a different twist for station traders. Hopefully it won't turn into something like a WoW city where people just stand around shouting their goods. But then, Jita local already is that.
-Perhaps it could give a bit of fun with in-station errands/missions.
-Although lacking Pvp to begin, a different realm for it could be quite interesting.
-The RP element can hardly be ignored, one that I have experienced more in Eve than most MMOs.
I'm not too sure it would entice older players back, but maybe it is the fresh breath that older players need to still be in game, but not necessarily out in space doing the same old same old. I am too new to really know how they might feel, or if they're too bitter for it to matter.
I, for one, await Incarna with optimism. I would love to take Memoo out of his ship and just walk around. I like having an avatar I can actually use for something besides a mug shot. By the way, I'll be putting up screenshots of Memoo's new look since SiSi now has the Character Creator back up. Incarna is simply a natural progression for the constantly evolving universe of New Eden. Why not flesh it out with things like this? If players are afraid or hate change, they should choose a different genre. Eve isn't what it was 7 years ago and it won't be the same in another 7.
I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I’m not sure how the dynamic could be changed. It's one of those nebulous ideas that won't be too certain until it actually happens. Stupid post for a blog banter maybe, but my brain is fried since it's 5 a.m...I may edit it later :P
I did get my first carrier kill today, pretty sweet. But anyways, I'm gonna pass out and hope to review this when I am a bit more sane.
-Mem
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