Fortuente

Why EVE is the Coolest MMORPG

August 24th, 2007

I just got done reading EVE Online: Spy Game by Nick Breckon at Shack News and must say that this story completely reaffirms why I play EVE. That you play not within the confines of a “game” but in an alternate reality. And you can do anything within that reality you wish.

That players of large corporations and alliances such as Goonswarm use proven espionage tactics IRL to gain an advantage within EVE should come as no surprise. Given the most realistic aspect of the game is its cut-throat competition (piracy is not only allowed - it’s encouraged) it seems only natural.

And as this article attests, sometimes the boundaries between EVE and IRL can blur to the point where you do not even require a game client to play the game. I find it interesting that The Mittani did not even need to log into Tranquility to “play.”

OK, so you’re not encased in a capsule full of amniotic fluid and coated with thousands of tons of death-dealing and mineral-extracting machinery; in fact you’re in your mom’s basement, and you are not actually floating in goo but that nickel bag you just bought has you feeling like it. Almost the same thing? Perhaps. I wonder if space pirates get carpel tunnel too?

Also, I find the ability to not just power-game, but to play above the game in the form of evolving meta-games to be the most intriguing aspect of any MMORPG. So far I’ve found EVE presents far more opportunities to do that than any other game out there perhaps with the exception of Second Life. And though it is far more limited, World of Warcraft presents it’s own opportunities for meta-gaming, mainly in the form auction house speculation and running cons on unsuspecting players.

“Though The Mittani may miss out on the fun of participating in a fleet action, quietly shuffling pieces across the starlit board brings its own reward. “If you’re even mildly sadistic, or at least enjoy seeing the lamentations of people you dislike, this job is amazing fun,” he explains while showing me a copy of [rival alliance] Lotka Volterra’s private forums, pointing out a few particularly amusing deceptions. He refers to his “job” as a “meta-game,” a game-within-a-game. Like the Men in Black, he is above the system–beyond the system. “

Ah, IRL hacking and social engineering - the stakes of the game have been raised. I wonder if there will be IRL wars in 20 years fought completely through the Internet?