Why I fell in love with EvE online... the ramblings of an EvE romantic.

An article written for CrazyKinux's Why We Love Eve Contest.

From Normandy's EvE Online Musings

Of all the reasons a person could love EvE Online, one stands head and shoulders over all others for me. EvE, unlike many other MMOs, gives me an opportunity to fulfill my spirit of of adventure. It's a game that gives players an unprecedented free range of choice in crafting their own stories. You can forge an empire out of fellow players, and and lead them conquer territory to claim as your own... or you can be a rich industrialist that uses his vast amounts of wealth to influence the player driven market to further your own profits.

In EvE, drive is rewarded. It's a game where one player can acquire power over others... becoming a powerful elite that rules over a virtual middle class. A socially intricate puzzle, allowing a player to advance in strength by cunning and charisma rather than skill...and each action a player takes can effect others in ways that he or she is not even aware. Even when a player completes a mission and sells his loot, it influences the market that other players depend on. It's a virtual universe where consequences matters, and each action is either punished or rewarded... and since all players play on one server, the player's actions can have wide reaching effects.

EvE isn't a straight forward, logical progression. There is no "best" way to reach a goal or "best" ship...but each approach can have its own advantage, and logistical problems arise when you seek to accomplish larger tasks. Capital ships and Player Owned Starbases need fuel to be gathered for operation, ships and modules need raw materials to be acquired for manufacture, enemy movements need to be monitored to protect an Alliance's territory...  and all of this needs to be managed by players working together in an intricate web of symbiosis while they also further their own personal goals. It can require teamwork, inspires camaraderie, and sometimes leads to stories that can be considered virtual epics of our time.

Over all, it's a place where tales can be created that not only spark the interest of other players but also of people that aren't even interested in playing the game. These tales are what drive my passion, that inspire my visions, and lead me to call this place my virtual home. It's an experience where I can cherish teammates as friends while I experience a living, breathing world with them during countless adventures.