Post-Bittervetism

With the news that Jester's Trek is shutting down, I guess I have the topic for my first "content" post.  Wish I had a different source of inspiration; have been a reader of Jester for the past several years and no updates from him will leave a hole in my daily routine.

Compounding that, of course, is the news of CCP's layoffs, the Guardian article talking about WoD shenanigans, and a renewal of the cries of "EVE is dying."

My viewpoint is a little different.  I've been floating around MMOs for the better part of 14 years, and played text-based RPGs (MUSHes) for the 10 years before that.

In 2008, I left the game out of anger and frustration.  I did the whole ragequit thing - ranty post on the Alliance forum, stomping around, and making a fuss.  I did the whole checklist except giving away my stuff  and biomassing my main.  I was maybe ahead of the bow wave of bittervets, before that was even a term.  I was burnt out, frustrated with the devs' direction, and found better things to do with my time and capture my imagination.

In mid-2014, I can say that EVE is the only game on my radar and will be for quite some time.  What happened?  I got over it. I got over myself.  I accepted EVE for what it is and not what should have been.

I call myself a post-bittervet because it's taken me a long while to go through the stages of loss.  For those of you who don't work in the world of corporate buzzwords, here they are:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

I wouldn't call myself optimistic, and I think CCP flirts with disaster far too regularly.  But the game, in it's current nonperfect state, is still home, warts and all.  Part of me writing this blog is a desire to give back to the community, to continue to build, to foster the conversation that will maybe help CCP find their way.

I just pushed my main account over for a 12mo subscription.  I intend to be here awhile; this is the first time since launch I could make such a commitment.  I'm at #5.  Some of you aren't; that's okay.  Some of you will never be; that's okay too.