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I’m an old Eve player.

I remember when it took two years of the entire community constantly debating with CCP that Minmatar ships, and projectile weapons in general, were simply not competitive against other weapon systems.

I remember hearing groans every time a new update came out because first, it was guaranteed not to install right and Eve would be down, sometimes for a week.  Then more groans has changes made broke other mechanics and CCP didn’t seem to either notice or care.

I remember interceptors and Vagabonds being so fast it would break game mechanics.

I remember being in systems with thousands of players.. totally locked up, and seeing my lossmail long before I could see myself appear in space.

I have seen a lot and have remembered a lot.  So, it is with this knowledge that I can say, we’re seeing a new “Big Deal” CCP:

Ship Tiercide – Big Deal because it made every ship useful, which completely upended the typical progression of both pilots and industrialists.

Ice Belts – In an effort to both add some challenge to a boring task, while at the same time taking a swipe at bots, Ice Belts now how to be found first.

Crius – Re-invention of the industrial interface, along with changes to industry in general has opened up the way for new and old players to try their hand at being producers.

New UI/New HUD/New Overview – On-going changes in this area have made operating with the interface much, much easier.

Jump Drive/Jump Fatigue – Changes to Jump Drive Mechanics and addition of Jump Fatigue utterly disrupt the hold of all the major Sov empires.

Removal of Clone Costs/Update Levels – Now, older players aren’t going to be penalized for risking their pods.  Plus, opens up the way for old indy characters to maybe branch out into PVP.

All of those listed above are big, huge deals.  Changes that have, and will, make the game much more enjoyable, while still retaining the hard risk and challenge.  But while these changes are important.  There is one change, one critical, vital, Eve revolutionizing change, that I haven’t mentioned.

And its only a few sentences long:

It’s time to get over Incarna and start taking risks again, educated and calculated risks of course, but we need to make sure that we deliver solid content to veteran players. We have trained players to be afraid of us doing big things. It meant we put something big out that was half done and it never got touched again. Us doing something big, such as industry, means CCP is going to mess it up again and we will have to pick up the mess. We, internally, have become scared in a sense of making bolder changes to the game so that we know we can control the outcome. Because we do not want to be perceived as messing up again. We can predict what is going on. That predictability is boring everyone to death now. We need to challenge and move forward with solid plans owned by teams that are building the vision in their hands. We need to turn up the volume.
Those words from Executive Producer CCP Seagull are, to me, what truly is the “Big Deal” that is happening from CCP.  True, the rest of the stuff I mentioned made the game fun, easier to learn and play, etc.  But this statement.. this statement opens the game back up to the possibility of adventure, excitement, and wonder.  And it does it in a way that says, “Yes, there will be bumps in the road, game balls dropped.. but CCP is no longer just going to move on.”  It has now committed itself, and has done so in several ways so far, to focusing on FULLY developing what they bring in game.
And that.. that IS a big deal in the eyes of this old Eve Player.