September approaches. And with it comes my 17th anniversary of playing Eve Online. And with that knowledge looming in my brain comes the question - why am I still playing this insane game? I didn't set out to play a single video game for almost two decades. So, what happened? And why do I still log in almost every single day?
The second question and the first question share some of the same answers. But, like most things in life, those answers range from easy to complicated. Let's start with the easy ones first and work our way up the ladder. First of all, I continue to play because of my friends in Stay Frosty and A Band Apart. It really is that easy. And CCP isn't wrong when they point directly at stats that play this out, I'm as driven by friendships as anyone else. I miss playing with my friends when I miss playing Eve and I'm happy to see them when I do play. The driving force behind this has been my Saturday Fleets. Over three years ago I started running regular, predictable, Saturday fleets every single weekend. And those have become something that I look forward to every week. And, from what I've been told, so do a lot of other people in our group. This was yesterday's fleet.
We have a lot of fun. And that keeps me engaged and anxious to log in. So that is a huge part of why I continue to play.
As far as hobbies go Eve Online is amazing. We have a large and engaged community full of talented, interesting, and always surprising people. The game itself is insanely hard to play and you can never, truly, ever feel like you have mastered it. (Let's be honest) And, if you want it, there are limitless ways to become engaged outside of the game as well. For me that has meant providing creative services, writing this blog (for 15+ years now), working with CCP on projects, and delivering an insanely huge board game that raised almost a million dollars. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.
I haven't even talked about travel. And player meets. And becoming friends with people I never flew with from all over the world. Any one of which could be the subject of a post. This is some powerful stuff.
This game has also expanded my own talents and abilities. And given me outlets that I would never have dreamed of. And that is a major reason I soldier on. Who knows what might happen next?
But deep down the root lies the greatest challenge of them all, deep down in the corner of the basement next to that old furnace. That's where the personal challenge of playing one of the world's most difficult, complex, and often frustrating games lives. The largest science fiction universe, the game that is actively trying to kill you, the game where enemies can dox you on Reddit, call you names, threaten you, lie about you, and try to drive you from the universe. Oh yeah. Let's be adults and admit that Eve has a dark side, because it damn well does. And some of us have experienced that dark, stalkerish, mean-spirited side more than others. And to take all of that on, to not only face it, but to overcome it and succeed anyway. Well goddamn that is incredible.
So I come out the other side of 17 years smarter, more experienced, and more determined than ever to keep fighting. To keep undocking. To keep rattling the cage. To stand up to bullies and to smile and laugh my way to chaos.
Here's to another 17 years. Why not. Just try and stop me.