This close.
I was this close to quitting Eve a few weeks ago. Frustation boiled and drama roiled and I had about enough of it. I seriously considered if it was worth the effort.
Motto #1 - People Are Stupid
Like everyone else, I was angry in the week after Incarna was released but my reasons were different. I was mad at how easily smart people could be manipulated into rage and protests with some timely leaked releases of internal newsletters and corporate emails taken completely out of context. I say manipulated but I mean herded like dumb sheep. "Oh look, dollars for gold ammo! They don't care what we think! They're going ahead with complete game breaking microtransactions no matter what we say! PROTEST!" Whipped into a frothing frenzy by demagogues and forum martyrs it was quite disheartening and a microcosm look into everything wrong with the 5 minute sound bite world we live in.
CCP of course didn't help themselves with super defensive and angry blog posts and absolutely no telegraphing of the logic behind the crazy prices in the Noble Exchange.
Motto #2 - Caring is the Path to Madness
So I hit that point where I didn't want to care anymore. I don't like drama in my life, least of all in my games. I did drama as a hobby when I ran the Warhammer 40K club in Ottawa years ago, I'm too old for that shit.
None of this was helped by the fact that my corp was suffering from the advanced stages of mass Bitter Vet Syndrome and actually was spending time playing Perpetuum Online instead of Eve. We left FCON alliance not because the alliance was not working but because we were not working: not logging in, not x'ing up, not pulling our weight. Pretty sad, and I could not do much to help reverse it with my one night a week schedule.
Motto #3 - Its Easier to beg Forgiveness than Permission
(This motto has nothing to do with the post, its just my third motto.)
Fortunately for you, my dear readers, I didn't quit. Things over the Fearless newsletter have calmed down, cooler heads have prevailed, and we're getting back to talking about internet spaceships, thankfully.
And I still have things I want to do and try in Eve, although that might require some changes in my game to accomplish. As for the corp, its trying to recapture its glory days once more in a less stressful PvP terrorist role and less about alliance politics and sov in null sec.
My week off from work and Eve helped too, give me some time to distance from the heated passion and get back to wondering how I was going to spend my next night rather than why I would bother. I'm looking forward my next night online again.
See you in space.
Posts
I'd actually prefer if you quit. ;) More time for real games!
ReplyDeleteYou should come and work with wormholes. Makes for less drama and fits the family mentality that is easy for us that are already running one in real life. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you didn't quit. :-)
I did unsubscribe during the whole storm, but not due to the storm, really. I'd been thinking of quitting for a few months anyway and it seemed as good a time as any.
ReplyDeleteThen I looked at my EVEMon plan and realized I was within 2 weeks of finally being in a capital ship and. . . I want to fly one enough that I resubbed. Down to about 2 days to go now. . . .
Trying to pass off people's anger and frustration as being a symptom of "the sound item generation" is a gross misrepresentation. Whatever the Marie of the leak, the document in question raised very real and legitimate concerns. You are being unfair in dismissing those concerns as effectively media controlled rage on demand. The only the "media" controlled in this was the timing.
ReplyDeleteConfirming that Essence and Verge Vendor are great places for shooting noobs. You also get people looking for a fight!
ReplyDeleteHaving lived through most of EverQuest 2's descent into micro-transactions, I have to say that a player protest like this at the beginning of a cash shop, especially when the prices are macro instead of micro, is probably a good thing. Have you read Darrin's take on this?
ReplyDeletehttp://catholicgamer.com/2011/ccp-beats-the-horse/
Great post! The world is full of sheep; I'm glad to see you aren't one of them. :D
ReplyDeleteYou stated my thoughts exactly. So many people quitting for no good reason. I chose to see the good in this. The massive protests remind CCP that there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. In future meetings where "everything is on the table," gamebreaking microtransactions will be the first thing knocked off.
ReplyDelete@BelAmarr: more than the timing was suspicious of this "leaked" release. :)
ReplyDelete@Noise et al: I'm not opposed to protest and I disagree with the macro prices as well in the Noble Exchange. I just find the rabble rousing and histrionics over the top especially when fueled by outrage by a naked attempt to do so with the leaked newsletter and emails without appropriate context and critical thinking.