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I can't say I'm an expert on EVE overall, but I am constantly learning, listening to others, and finding new things within the game. Over the last 11 years I've spent a fair amount of time in New Eden. Since EVE first rolled out I've played off and on with a number of accounts, always being drawn back to it's strangely compelling difficulty and mix of sci-fi and conflict.
Between times in New Eden I tested many mmo's, from alpha to release, helping find and fix bugs, balance issues, and exploits. This experience would help as a CSM in pointing out issues that may not be obvious, or easily found.
I hope to bring fresh ideas to the Devs, as well as continue to listen and help players in EVE.
Name: Janwa Resh
Corporation: Center for Advanced Studies
Primary Focus(es): Exploration, mining/industry, pve (highsec) & pvp (nullsec)
Greetings fellow capsuleers. Some of you may have talked with me in CAS chat, fleet chat with the CAS crew in nullsec, or even in local space in highsec. I'd like to give you a bit of background on myself, and what I feel are areas I may be able to bring some focus to as a CSM.
I as a player have off and on been playing (through various accounts) EVE Online for 10 years and nearly 11 months. I've seen many of the changes that have swept through EVE over the years, both good and bad. Janwa was a character I started a bit over 4 1/2 years ago, but had to leave after a while due to RL issues that couldn't be avoided, which I returned to in December of 2014. Since the return I've spent many hours relearning the controls, play styles, and idiosyncrasies of EVE Online gameplay. I've spent nearly as many hours rereading lore, watching players videos and live streams, and perusing blogs and websites dealing with EVE gameplay.
Over the last 20 years I've been involved in game testing, quality assurance, and in a few instances development change planning for various MMO's and RPG's that have hit the market. From Ultima Online to Star Wars The Old Republic, from Earth & Beyond to Dragon Age: Inquisitor. I've spent large periods of time finding bugs and helping fix them, finding serious imbalances and helping adjust them into balance, all with the goal of making game play more fun for the players who will partake of the effort of development. These are skills that took years to develop, and I see EVE Online as the perfect place to set them to work again.
Quite often I hear people complain about how hard it is to learn to play EVE. How the learning curve isn't a curve, it's a slippery wall. While others are turned off by ganking, griefing, and a perceived sociopathic player base. And still others yet that complain that EVE is boring, it's grindy, it's all the same stuff over and over again. I'd like to put my experience into play helping to resolve those things, change those things, and help find ways to bridge the gaps that hold back players from going past their trials to a subscription or PLEXing game time.
Platform keypoints: (Each point will be covered in additional posts)
#1) Working to undo years of bad word of mouth publicity
#2) Addition of new modular/mobile structures (Ties into #3)
#3) Revamping of POS mechanics (Ties into #2)
#4) Addressing the New Player Experience
#5) Developing events in which players help shape the lore of New Eden, and are not just bystanders.
Other areas I feel need attention.
#1) Sov mechanics
#2) Wormhole space
#3) Inclusivity of New Eden lore
#4) Bringing in functionality from 3rd party programs such as EFT into the main client (as well as fixing some bugs in the fitting window)
#5) Skill training/attributes, overhaul or revamp
Platform Keypoint 1
Working to undo years of bad word of mouth advertising.
This, in my opinion, will be the hardest thing to do when it comes to EVE Online. With years of people leaving due to so many reasons. From horrible tutorials making learning to play a job in and of itself, to people who have been ganked, griefed, or left feeling that EVE is a place the psychopaths go to play. Those experiences shape the way people look at EVE, whether they decide to try the game through a trail account, or simply refuse to play at all.
EVE has many avenues of play available, to many to list quickly, and a great many people of all walks of life and outlooks playing it. But take a quick look on YouTube or other video sharing sites for EVE videos and what do you find the majority to be? Solo gank pvp, small gang pvp, blob fleet pvp, and a mix of 'tutorial videos' which are in large part outdated, and a few of CCP's own trailer videos and some podcasts. Basically a small fragment of what EVE is, but narrowed to a sliver of pvp, ganking, and commentary.
Admittedly, a large number of players love PVP. Admittedly, commentary and tutorials are a good thing. But, commentary without context is just words. Tutorials that are outdated are of limited use. And for players that aren't interested in blob fleet pvp, it's a turn off to see video after video with purple blob vs orange/red blob.
What we need is more 'advertising' which shows the full range of things that can be done in EVE. From exploration, to industry, to Faction Warfare, to pve missioning. We need more self policing to help remove the stigma of 'Eve is all about ganking and griefing'. We need more positive publicity to show how great EVE is, to bring about the change in image that EVE has built up over years of word of mouth advertising.
I believe it is possible to reverse this bad image in the general mindset of EVE by those not playing, and those who are playing trials and thinking of leaving. But it won't be easy, it won't be quick, and it won't happen without the CSM's, Devs, and Players working to remake the image of EVE.
Platform Keypoint 2
Addition of new modular/mobile structures.
The introduction of the Mobile Depots and Mobile Tractor Units changed gameplay in fun and interesting ways. They gave players a 'home away from home' with functionality that helped expand gameplay. They allowed for making missioning easier through the automated collection of loot/wrecks. All of this makes for impressive increases in playability of EVE Online.
But it could be expanded, it probably should be expanded.
My thoughts comprise this. Why stop with the Mobile Depot? Why not expand on the concept and bring in another Tier of Mobile structures that can be added to in order to increase their use beyond refit/loot horde/temporary base?
I want to work on developing the next tier of mobile structures. Structures which allow for addition of expansion modules to give further functionality to the mobile structure. Shield Modules, repair modules, refining modules, lab modules, the list goes on. These mobile structures and their modules would be a middle step between living out of an NPC starbase structure and a POS. Giving adaptive functionality, without having to deal with sovereignty, massive fuel requirements (though I would like these proposed structures to use some fuel), while letting POS's shine as the 'top tier' for player owned structures.
I've seen many wanting changes to POS mechanics, and I agree that POS management is clunky, convoluted, and seriously in need of revamp. A new tier of mobile structures would be a good place to start those changes, giving new options to players, as well as allowing development of new code and systems for player owned structures overall.
Platform Keypoint 3
Revamping of POS mechanics.
Over the years I've heard a lot of complaints about POS management. How it's unwieldy, clunky, and at times very buggy to deal with. I've personally had 2 POS's over the time(s) I've played EVE, and can say that much like corporation management POS management is a major pain in the butt.
With the outdated interface/menu structures, non-intuitive setup, and other things being a detractor for some to even think of working with a POS. I agree, POS mechanics need worked on badly. And as I stated in keypoint 2, one way to work on that would be to make an intermediate tier of structures that fall between the Mobile Depot and the POS.
While making an intermediate tier of structures wouldn't immediately fix POS issues, it would allow for development on new systems to replace the legacy systems POS's use. In the long run that could be a better way to work on it than trying to do a bottom up or top down revamp of the POS systems. A parallel system of management that could be eventually adapted to replace existing POS management systems.
Platform Keypoint 4
Addressing the New Player Experience.
I'm pretty sure at this point that no one would say that EVE has a tutorial that is engaging, fun, and exciting.
I'm also pretty sure at this point that most people would call EVE's tutorial a word wall.
I remember a time in which Aura 'read' the lines of the tutorial text to you. It was great to hear, fun even. Made the whole thing less bland and remote.
EVE needs a much more engaging and fun tutorial experience, that covers more than the pure basics. The tutorial needs clarification, simplification, and expansion to areas not currently covered.
The career agents need expanded to further advanced areas covering those unexplained skills and mechanics. A few examples of things needed to be covered include: nanite paste, overheating, use of POS (setting up, management, etc.), R&D, overview setup.
EVE is one of the worse games I've played when it comes to the New Player Experience. With massive text wall blocks from Aura that after a bit many just turn off, causing them to rely on other players to help them learn. Which in turn brings about confusion as a new player doesn't necessarily understand where you are attempting to tell them to click on something, or do something.
I'd like to help get the New Player Experience out of the word wall it is, and into a place where it is engaging, fun, and teaches without feeling like a massive cliff climb learning curve.
Platform Keypoint 5.
Developing events in which players help shape the lore of New Eden, and are not just bystanders.
EVE Online has quite a bit of lore, and events which have shaped New Eden. Sadly the capsuleers have been on the sidelines for most of those things. Mentioned, alluded too, even treated as feared enemies... but how many capsuleer players have really had an effect on the shape and course of New Eden? Not many.
I'd like to bring players events which can and do shape the course of New Eden. Which drive the story forward towards whatever is ahead. Wherein players can feel they really are shaping New Eden with their contributions.
EVE's players deserve to feel that what they do really can shake the foundations of the Empires, that they really are the demi-gods moving through the aether of New Eden.
There are many areas that could use work in EVE. Every player has something they would like changed, fixed, revamped, overhauled, adjusted. That's normal in any game, but in a sandbox like EVE even small changes can take a lot of time.
As a CSM I feel I could bring the keypoints I lined out into focus, as well as other areas in which players feel things could be done better. I'd like to be able to help bring about those positive changes which will make EVE even better. I can't promise anything more than that I will give my absolute best effort to help bring about the changes that can make EVE the best possible gaming experience for it's players.
Thank you, feel free to ask any questions and I'll definitely answer them if I can.
Janwa Resh