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Why Faction Warfare is the best thing to happen to EVE

Published on 04. Jul, 2008 ... written by ShardowRhino, Tags: Articles

Anyone reading this may have had the chance of reading some of pro-FW posts or threads before and after its release. I encountered many negative players who thought it was the end of Eve. There was no shortage of chest thumping pirates declaring victory prematurely, threatening all who would dare participate in this “silly expansion”. Most of all, there were the skeptics who took the pirates serious and buying into the doomsday prophecies of the nay Sayers. The end of the Universe was at hand … or so they thought.

The question is no longer, “Will FW succeed?”. It is now “How big of a success is it?”. FW was a bloody success but where does one begin to explain as to how much so! It is nearly impossible to imagine a player that has not seen the effects, the changes, which FW has brought about. From the Trial players looking to emulate their favorite BattleStar Galactica players to the inner circle of leadership of 0.0 alliances FW has in some way altered the game forever.

There are some that questioned if Eve would still be “EVE”, the game that has become the sanctuary and MMO of choice for Sci-Fi fans. While it’s now clear that FW has left the “sandbox” approach to the game intact, it has in fact boosted the various aspects of the sandbox. It has done this all while introducing something new, it has brought the storyline of EVE to life. I don’t know how any TRUE fan of EVE could hate such a thing!

The word “Empire” has lost its stigma. No longer is it just the safe haven of macro miners, mission farmers and carebear hulk pilots, it has become the staging ground for fleets of full time and part time PVPers. Not comprised purely of T1 frigs and destroyers as many believed prior to FW launch, even though it’s how I roll in FW. Militia FCs, on a mission, have to state and enforce the use of specific ships because many FW pilots are looking to field their finest ships and fittings. Ships any 0.0 FC would love to have in their fleet as well as the eagerness and daring of its pilot! Of course the squads of ships that are comprised of T1 ships are setting out on a specific mission where it is a must. However its still far from uncommon to see fully decked out Recon, HACs and Command ships flying escort duty regardless. FW hotspots normally resemble 0.0 with an infusion of T1 ships piloted by eager players to “GET SOME!!!!!!”. Empire HAS without a doubt changed.

Things have changed for the “noob” or “FNG”s, whatever you like to call the players fresh out of the clone vat. I’m talking about those players looking to become the next star of their chosen profession even though they have yet to hit the 2mil SP mark. Eve itself is the most difficult MMO to get into and I’m just referring to learning the basics of traveling, using the market and equipping a ship. This fact has made more then a few players smile with a feeling of superiority over traditional MMO players. Once a player has survived the basics of Eve they are left with the burning question of,”now what do I do?”. FW helps answer that question, directly and indirectly.

The sandbox idea doesn’t stick with all gamers, even if they would enjoy the game in the long run. The reason for that is the fact that the “sandbox” is in fact alien to gaming. Not many games in the past have given the player the goal of simply doing what they like to do, something that requires time and experimentation. I myself have had the goal of blowing up every possible enemy I could find in past games where the goal was to reach the boss at the end of the level, kill him and repeat till I get the ending screen and credits rolling. That is clearly not CCP’s style.

This “alien” game style might go over well with more female gamers that are into the likes of “The Sims” and other games geared towards what the industry believes females that play games want to do. Of course there were other games in the Sim series that didn’t involve dressing characters to go dance at a nightclub, Sim Earth, Sim Ant, Sim City1-50billion as well as games as well as Theme Park, one of my personal favorites. But most gamers ignored such games in the past. Most gamers are used to having defined objectives which some eve snobs may view as below them, for Gods knows what for. FW has given new EVE players a choice to play in the sandbox how they chose by giving them the chance to have defined objectives. It is inevitable that rookies that go right into FW will eventually want to explore the rest of the game over time. FW will hold their interest until that happens and this is a good thing. Why it is might be out of the grasp of many, need I point at the blob of, “FW WILL FAIL!” threads?

I have to say that I had a good laugh when I read the ranting and ravings of the pirates and wannabes declaring FW DOA, because they were going to slaughter the FW “noobs” wholesale. Apparently being alone in low sec for a number of years has gotten to the pirates and wannabes. They all assumed that everyone that would be in FW would be players still on their 2 week trial backed up by carebears coming after them in covetors, badgers and Mission running BSes complete with a tractor beam and salvager. It seemed as though everyone and their mother decided to side with the ignorant hooting and hollering of these crystal ball viewing pirates. Clearly their crystal balls weren’t so crystal clear (maybe its sabotage?).

Even though the pirates haven’t make good on their promise to destroy FW, they, like everyone else, has benefited from FW’s release. Not all militia pilots will be traveling in a large fleet. Someone has to move goods to the front lines. Some players will still afk through low sec due to inexperience or sloppy setting of waypoints. The number of ships going through low sec has irreversibly skyrocketed. This brings an almost unheard of number of possible kills for all the opportunistic pirates out there. Should they be mad about FW? Hell no, they should embrace it. For every 10 or 20 T1 fitted ships there is bound to be a high price, e-peen boosting t2 ship for their Killboard or at least some nice t2 gear.

Even though FW fleets might have numbers on their side, as well as some ships of equal strength, the pirates still have the experience on their side. However that is bound to change as FW progresses. What was yesterday’s rookie in an overpriced ship is tomorrow’s seasoned pvp vet. Things will change and change quickly. Such will provide 3 things that will benefit the pirates.

First is a tougher challenge, lets face it a pirate that runs from a challenge is never going to be feared, famous or successful. 2nd as FW players become more confident they will most likely make some bad moves due to clouded judgment, with such comes the possibility of fat profits for the pirate at the right spot at the right time. 3rd is the possibility of new recruits, recruits with experience thanks to FW. FW will without a doubt have its share of internal strife, causing bitter rivalries which may lead players to the path of the pirate to extract revenge on militia mates of the past. How can any pirate dare to say that FW has not changed EVE and done so in a positive way with a freighter load of kills to be had and future allies?

Let’s not forget the Industrialist, the miners and manufactures, as well as the Margin Traders working the trade hubs. Without a doubt they had been given a double serving of the positive of FW’s sweeping changes to EVE. Gone are the days where Frigates and destroyers were the tools of the newest pilots only to be discarded as soon as they can pilot a Cruiser and work the Level 2 agents of their selected NPC corp. The days of frigates being merely a glorified shuttle for those of us with 3+ mil SP are fading away. So to is the loathing of the Caracal, apparently becoming the mainstay in the Caldari Militia, taking part in daring raids into the heart of Gallente space. Ships that have long been unused are now being considered and flown into the thick of combat. These ship need weapons, defenses, drones and ammo before entering the battlezone. But before this can happen the majority of Pod Pilots will need to purchase their tools of the trade.

It is the Industrialist and Margin Traders that will make things happen on the battlefields that is the Economy of EVE. Without such players the Militias of the 4 Empires would grind to a halt. Trade Hubs would wither and die. Systems will turn without the defenders able to mount a resistance. Though some view these players as greedy and selfish it is through them that goods are available in large quantities, always ready for purchase. It is through the fierce competition to make an Isk that the Pod Pilot is bound to get what he needs at a discount price at a Trade Hub. In distant systems the profit margins go from razor thin to one that resembles real life retail markup. But when you need something on the spot and immediately you can thank one of the Economic minded players for stocking the markets closer to the front line with much needed gear.

Without a doubt the Economic movers and shakers of EVE have benefited from the hellacious fighting burning 23/7 thanks to FW. It is no doubt thanks to these players that FW’s constant battles can be had thanks to their dedication to their craft. So if you see a mining barge farming a roid , the jet can next to him might be going into building your next ship that nets you your next kill or helping you score victory points for your Empire. With such a thought in mind you may want to reconsider “sampling” their ore.

While Industrial corps may be raking in the profits they may soon find themselves under fire. As the war continues to evolve and as players start to figure out the role Industrialist have to play when it comes to victory in FW, Mercenaries may find new contracts waiting to be filled. You may soon find your corp counter dec’ing those looking to besiege Industrial corporations of your Empire. Economic warfare will eventually spill out into the various systems instead of being confined to the market place.

How does FW effect 0.0 Alliances? Right now FW has nothing to do with entering 0.0, who knows what CCP has in store though. Also members of an alliance are barred from participating in FW directly. Unless alliances continuously make mistakes that lead to the destruction of their Carriers or the siege of their low sec POSes, FW’s effects are not so straight forward. Even though they are not so obvious as the benefits to the other aspects of EVE, they do exist.

It is without a doubt FW is a dream come true, albeit a bitter one, for RP alliances CVA and U’K. I have seen several CVA patrolling the battle zone, flying along side Amarr Militia fleets. I myself have received help from a CVA Nighthawk pilot when a pack of Mimtar and U’K pilots were attempting to destroy a ship of mine as I undocked in low sec. I have grinded my teeth in anger as I notice U’K pilots acting as scouts for the Mimtard militia, knowing full well my ship wouldn’t be able to tank the sentry guns as well as the slave’s ship.

While FW allows RP alliances to take part in the now living story of EVE, those that want nothing to do with Empire are still receiving benefits from FW. Some benefits such as the increased demand for all types of ships and gear which leads to t2 components flying off the shelves, fattening the wallets of alliances as they sell their rare moon minerals to the Industrialist and Traders. The other benefits have yet to emerge. Give it some time.

As time goes on and new players and reformed carebears participate in FW and get a taste for PVP, they may turn towards 0.0 alliances to further their careers. These new recruits will be more then the greedy punk looking for 0.0 ratting access, instead they will be looking for more pvp or at least a different pace of pvp. While I myself found alliance warfare to be rather slow moving (chasing 100 members of Tri back to their home will make you think that way), those that have yet to join an alliance will want to give it a shot.

These pilots will have worked as part of many fleets in FW and will know the drill. They will respond quicker then recruits of the past with higher morale and a greater appetite for destruction. They will have the drive for pvp that most recruits didn’t have before and significantly less training required. They will have learned how to build an effective ship long before joining the alliance as well. It is this experience and desire for pvp that will change how recruiting is viewed by alliances. The new guy will already have a long list of kills as well as a FW rank that will help show if they will work as part of a fleet before you accept their application.

New recruits with experience and motivation as well as some light FC experience may in fact change 0.0warfare. Where we see multiple, small, groups of ships moving through FW instead of relying purely on blob tactics, we can expect the same if they were to join an alliance. More recruits will have the initiative to create squads to drive deep into hostile territory for skirmish battles, eroding the feeling of safety some hostile alliance members have in their own space. Others will be quick to rally a defense of alliance owned systems before a long established FC tells them to.

Without a doubt these players will have a higher tolerance of risk. Where some long time alliance members might need to be shoved out of the hangar to defend, these new guys will be the first ones out and looking to make the hostiles regret even thinking of entering their space. FW may in fact alter the way 0.0 alliances fight in the future. At the very least it will create a new breed of recruits. In fact I don’t doubt that any intelligent alliance leader already has members acting as “talent scouts” within the various militias. If not then they are truly blind to what is in front of them. However the pace of POS warfare may not sit well with FW pilots but there is always a trade-off.

As you can see Faction Warfare has had an impact on EVE on all levels. Some may be negative but they are clearly offset by a greater number of benefits. These benefits will be permanent. This article hasn’t even touched on the changes that FW has had on the social fabric of EVE but perhaps at a later date. Nor has it gone in depth on the various aspects in which FW has changed the game. CCP has clearly increased all aspects of the game both directly and indirectly through the addition of Faction Warfare. This faster paced, easily accessible version of “traditional” pvp has added to the “sandbox” without destroying it. It has created that bridge from traditional ,pre-determined objective based games to the “alien” sandbox that EVE has been. With the release of FW and CCP advertising during a Sci-Fi epic, as well as the alteration to the social aspect of EVE, we will all likely see more new faces. It’s these new faces that will stick around long past their 2 week trial and eventually become the next experts in their chosen EVE profession.