Eve's greatest strength lies in uncertainty. The sheer amount of variables involved, which only seem to increase as the game goes on, make knowing anything for certain extremely unlikely. That next jump could be your last. The new ship you are so proud of could be gone in an instant. Your pod is not safe. Your destiny is unknown and largely unknowable. Darkness is everywhere you turn. Can this ship defeat that ship? Who knows for sure. It is a game of odds stacked against a wall of unknown heights. At the core of Eve lies a black heart.
And, for many of us, that uncertainty is what makes Eve unlike anything else. It drives us, challenges us, and makes us strive for mastery. This is fundamentally why Eve can never be for everyone. Why it should never be for everyone. It cannot lose that darkness.
My role inside this darkness is as an agent of chaos. I am the wolf that lurks outside the warm glow of the campfire. I, and others like me, serve as the danger that keeps uncertainty in the minds of other players. When someone needs more firewood, they may never come back again. This keeps everyone around the fire watchful, wary, and in touch with the realistic nature of their existence. The world is a dangerous place. You could get eaten by a wolf.
In the context of Eve I, and others like me, serve as a measure of other players success. A tangible measure against which they can achieve greatness. Lose your ship? Well then you need to learn, work harder, train more, seek revenge, come back someday and try to do better. When I lose a ship I don't get angry at the wolf, I get angry at myself for falling to the wolf. Why didn't I bring a gun? What can I do to get better at killing wolves? (Metaphorically speaking, not the actual Wolf Assault Frigate)
I added this to my in-game bio today in response to the many players that continue to question me about my activities inside of Eve:
Why Did You Lose Your Ship?
The core of Eve's gameplay is based on uncertainty. Your next jump could be your last, you could lose your ship, your pod, at any given moment. Your fate is unknown. I am the Wolf outside the glow of the campfire, the danger, risk, the agent of chaos. Without me there is no uncertainty, no risk, no unknown danger. I represent the darkness so that you can measure your successes against something tangible. Losing your ship means you have much yet to learn and more skills yet to master. Escaping or defeating me represents an achievement in that journey. If you lost your ship then I have done you a favor. A favor that is done to me from time to time. Learn from it, seek revenge, train hard, and someday return that favor. I look forward to it. And so should you. - Rixx Javix
This is the role that I play inside of Eve. I find it infinitely fascinating, challenging, difficult, and highly rewarding. It is a personal test each and every time I undock to face the darkness, the unknown, the uncertainty. Because I have wolves, just like everyone else. I never know what might be outside the glow of my own campfire. And that is what keeps me coming back to this insane, stupid, crazy game.
As players we must understand that uncertainty needs to be treasured, protected, and actively engaged with regularly. For Eve to succeed we must embrace that uncertainty and help to spread it to all corners of New Eden. Build your campfires, but don't forget to venture out beyond the warm glow of safety from time to time. It is only there that you will face the darkness and find your own destiny.