Thanks to everyone who reached out to me yesterday in-game and on Discord regarding my last post. I'm glad it meant something to you and helped in some way to contextualize the game. Yesterday's post was a continuation of the post before it and this one today is another in that series. This post is not about how complicated combat in Eve has become, or about bad luck however. Today's post is intended to properly place you into that context in a way that perhaps you haven't considered before. And hopefully, by introducing a new concept into your brain - get you to better understand what it is you are doing inside of Eve Online.
Thing is - you are the most important player in all of Eve Online.
This goes against everything you have been taught and bombarded with over the years when it comes to our perception of how Eve Online works. Immediately you probably thought of a few names, an FC, or a CSM member, or an infamous Pirate Lord who writes a blog and does artwork, or some famous Null Sec Alliance leader type. And while those players might be famous, or infamous, that is not the same thing at all. Because I'm talking about something else, I'm talking about "importance". And of course you are the most important player in the game. You have to be.
Ok, so let's back up a second and talk about reality. In real life you are the only person that truly matters. You might not think this and that is understandable. Sadly we aren't taught this much. But without you, reality, for all intents and purposes, ceases to exist. And nothing else matters anymore. When you blink out of existence someday (hopefully far into the future) the whole of reality essentially goes with you. The universe may or may not continue, but as far as you are concerned it doesn't matter. When other people blink out of existence the universe seems to continue but that is only because you are still around to experience it. Their reality is gone. And that is enough philosophy for today. This train of thought could go on and on, but we're talking about a video game here. So let's get back to it.
But, for a moment, think about Eve in that context. You are the center of the universe. Inside of New Eden it is your experience, it is your game. Everyone else, at least inside of the game, are simply players in the reality that circles around you. I really love this train of thought because, especially in Eve Online, it truly centers everything that happens where it needs to be - around you as the player of your own game. When you log into Eve you log into your own personal mythic quest. Pretty cool, huh?
Thing is though, and here is the tricky mind-bending bit, everyone else is doing the exact same thing. Everyone else playing Eve is on their own mythic quest. Thousands of us out in space, docked up in station, cloaked in a safe, scanning for missions, mining ore, moving assets, planning fleets, smart-bombing pods, camping gates, declaring war, learning to fly a frigate, training skills, injecting boosters - every single player is currently involved in their own grand, epic, and adventurous mythic quest. And for each of them, they are the center of the universe. Every player, from their perspective, is the most important player in all of Eve Online.
Now the cool part is what kind of epic mythic quest do you want to be a part of? Do you want to pursue your quest alone against the universe? Or would you prefer to align with other players and try to achieve that quest together? At least for a time. I personally believe that it is better to align with other players of similar goals and mind-sets, working together to achieve some goals. Or at least to have someone to talk to. Quests are better together. And this gets us all the way back around to 'friendship machines' and other topics, but those are not the focus of this post.
Because my challenge today isn't about Corporations and Alliances, or how important a few famous players may or may not be, or any of those things. My challenge today was to lay the ground work for changing your perception about how you fit into the universe and, by understanding how important you are, to help you realize that everyone in the game is experiencing it the same way as you. And that, for them and for you, that perception is actually their own reality. And that reality is equally as important as your own.
I strongly believe that mindset - that you are the most important player in all of Eve Online (maybe not the most famous, or best FC, or most skilled combat pilot, or greatest miner, or whatever), but the center of your own universe. The main player in a book being written about your own mythic quest. That mindset is one you should own and remember as you log into the game. And consider when you encounter other players busily at work on their own mythic quests. I think it helps to add context and frame your interactions. And your expectations.
When you log out Eve does continue. But it only truly comes alive when you are logged in.
The only remaining question then is this, what kind of mythic quest are you on?