Lately, I've been writing a bit of EvE inspired poetry. I don't know who it was in my Alliance that really started it all, but I'm blaming Soro for having such an awesome parody of a Robert Burns poem.
During a rare moment of respite at work, I jotted down a few lines of another poem-a very rough draft-that won't be shown until after my Poetry Contest has finished up. While working on it, I had a thought. Does EvE really matter? Now, hold on, don't go all crazy on me! I know there are differing sides, the whole tongue-in-cheek (though sometimes seriously taken) 'EvE is Real', right along side the 'EvE is just a game everyone!'. I actually agree with both, to a certain degree.
As a part-time PvPer, I realize that KillBoards are used by many people to judge 'how good we are' at playing. Don't get me wrong, I like seeing my KB in the green, but that's not really why I play. At the end of the day, I don't really care if it's positive or negative, because it doesn't really matter. I play to have fun. That might seem overly simple, but it really is that basic for me. If I didn't have fun playing EvE, guess what? I wouldn't play! Mind-blowing, ain't it?
The way I look at it, if I get to the point where I obsess over my KB, get angry and dwell on my losses, take things out of game, or think that someone is 'bad at EvE' or that I'm 'better than they are' because their KillBoard is better than mine, then I need to take a deep breath, step back, and honestly take a break from playing. Why should I let a game effect the way I view myself (be it self-esteem/self-worth or anything else), get me so angry I lose my temper, or say/do things I regret? Basically, if I let something I do in-game negatively effect me in the real world, then there is a problem!
So, is EvE 'Real' then? YES! Why do I say that if I just wrote that it's just a game, and I shouldn't let it effect me in the Real World? Simple. The game, even though I love playing and intend to do so for months, years and maybe more, isn't real. The people behind the screens ARE. I've met some amazing people both in-game and at Player Meets. Many of them I consider to be real-life friends, even if we've never met in real-life. Many times we talk about what's going on IRL with us, the birth of a child, the problems at work. Sometimes we confide in each other. We ask for advice. Much of what we get out of EvE, it seems, isn't about EvE at all. It's about living, and life. EvE brings people together, and that is what makes EvE 'Real'. Without it, most of us would never have gotten to know one another. We'd never have had MeetUps, FanFest, or any of these great an wonderful Events that get us out of our houses, into the Real World, and interacting with genuine, wonderful people.
So Eve doesn't really matter... but we have plenty of reasons to Love EvE.
A.G.
Excellent post, Argos, my friend.
ReplyDeleteEve is very real to me. It is a hobby that I'm just as passionate about as, say, my friend the birder. Like birding, Eve is complicated, interesting, and consuming. I often think about Eve when I'm going about my out-of-Eve day, so it is a big part of my real life.
I've discovered in the last six months that the people are indeed the best part. You all are what make Eve real, and so much more than a game. My non-Eve friends, including birders, just don't get it.
Thanks! I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks about EvE stuff while not actually playing. I'd imagine it's a common occurrence for us as players.
DeleteAs for we Players, I do believe that they are what makes EvE real, nothing that is 'in-game'-and I'm glad to have gotten to know you and many other wonderful people during my time in EvE.
Quick story for you(bear with me, it's relevant)
ReplyDeleteMy corp(K-A-O-S Theory) started its life in Dust 514. And for awhile we were content with living out our immortal lives on the ground, shooting face and cursing the Skydevils as they unleashed unholy fire from the heavens at us. But then something happened. A few of my comrades felt the call of the stars and ascended to the great beyond as new born Skydevils to rain down fire of our own. and for a time, all was well.
Recently our great leader was on a survey mission and stumbled across a wormhole. Curious, he guided his ship into the unknown and found vast riches and untouched resources waiting to be plucked. He returned to our Star Base for his best Miner, and warped back into the worm hole. He went straight to work, and after he stripped the belt bare, he sat back not believing his luck. After all said and done, just under 800 million isk in raw materials. But unbeknownst to him, someone was watching the whole time.
You see, as it turned out that particular WH space was the territory of another corp and had spotted him when he first arrived. The corp had fought long and hard to gain their home, and don't like intruders. So they sat, watched, and waited with a small but mighty fleet for Sol to make a move. Just before Sol was about to warp out, they jammed him and reviled themselves. Their weapons primed and locked, Sol waited for the inevitable attack. But then something unexpected happened. A message on the local chat popped up asking who he was with, and how did he find the location of the WH. Thinking quick, Sol told the truth and then offered to give up the loot in exchange for leaving his ship intact. He explained that we were a Merc corp that just had taken to the stars, and as such, could not afford the loss of yet another ship. Intruiged that we came from Dust, they went on conversing for almost 3 hours. Oddly enough, the reason they never mined out the resources themselves was they couldn't. they didn't have a miner, nor the POS infrastructure to refine it.
Sol, quick on his feet, brokered a deal which gave us exclusive rights to the raw mats. In exchange, we(having the shipyards) would build them Tech 3 ships using the refined ores , and BPO's they had just laying around. This relationship is getting stronger every day, as the leadership in both corps now chat and fly out together in EVE, and our mercs chat with their pilots in our diplo chat room.
After all is said and done, this is what New Eden is for me.