We all love adventure stories. Tales of exciting combat against the odds. They excite us and demand to be shared. But only sharing tales of exciting space battles and wonderful instances of combat do a slight disservice to the reality of Eve Online. There are long stretches of time in which very little seems to happen. Fights missed. Opportunities lost. Traps gone to waste. The fact is that Eve can often be a lonely, boring, fruitless adventure. And, I believe, those tales also need to be told.
I played Eve for 2.5 hours yesterday and didn't score a single fight. No wins. No losses. Nothing. From that perspective it was boring. But in reality it was anything but. As time went on I began to spot a trend that continued the entire evening. Let's call it the "Close Call Syndrome". In all I probably had a few dozen opportunities for fights during my solo roam and even later when I joined up with a few Stay Frosty pilots. At first I didn't pay much attention to it. Sometimes you just land in the wrong spot. But as the day went on, it became increasingly apparent that Bob was having his fun with me.
I had chosen my cloaky Astero for the days solo roam. This meant that any ship I landed next to outside of point range would have to be approached. That Epithal picking up PI at the custom office? Warped off as I slow boated into him. Five times. That Catalyst ratting in the belt? At 45k? Warped just as I got within a few seconds of point range. The two Comets outside the Plex in Tama? Same thing. Even later on we just missed a Proteus. I just missed a Daredevil. The list goes on.
When I tell stories here in these pages it can sound like the life of the Pirate Lord is an exciting one. And it certainly can be. But it is important to know that it is often a frustrating one as well. For every great kill, for every loss, there are the unseen and untold stories of near-misses, warp aways, failed attempts, and lost chances. And those far outweigh the wins and losses. But days like yesterday are what make the wins and losses matter so much more when they do come along. The hundreds of near-misses make the final catch that much sweeter. Without the failures, victory rings hollow.
So the next time you are bored in Eve. Or having a bad day. Remember that it will get better. Even those of us who seem to have nothing but adventures have those moments as well. I may not write about the 2hrs I spent hauling minerals with my alt, or the Athanor I had to plant, fuel, and fit. Or the Astra that needs broken down and moved to another system. Or the dozens of fights I barely missed out on. But they happen. All the time.
If we got everything we wanted every time we undocked - well, we'd be playing a console game wouldn't we?
But this is Eve. And sometimes Eve can be downright boring. And that is one of its greatest features.