EVE_NT

For those that don’t know, EVE Online is a player-driven, persistent-world multiplayer online role-playing game that, as of February 2013, had over 500,000 subscribers worldwide.  It is set within a science-fiction space setting, in which characters are able to pilot customized ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems.  The game has received praise in the past for its focus on community, which is apparent in the number of highly attended events that are held across the world every year. The latest of which, EVE_NT, took place at Antenna last Saturday. 

As the first event of its kind to be held in the UK outside of London, EVE_NT can boast of an incredibly well run and highly attended event that only further strengthened EVE’s reputation as a community-focussed MMORPG.  As the events organizer, Lau Wensink, the Bar and Restaurant Manager at Antenna, co-ordinated a day of talks from well known figures within the world of EVE, gaming tournaments and the chance to win PLEX (Pilot License Extension – tokens used for renewing your game subscription that can be exchanged for in game currency).

Wensink, better known by his gamer tag Nashh Kadavr said, “Luckily everything has gone really well today, it has all come together.  We ended up with 177 people signed up to come, so in terms of turnout its been really, really good.” 

Events such as EVE_NT are integral to keeping the community-side of EVE Online at the forefront, with Wensink adding, “EVE is a unique kind of game; all of the content is created by players.  This is a part of the reason that people play it for so long, and know all the players in the game, with most people playing the game for three or four hours a day.  For some of these people, you end up speaking to people online more than you do with people in real life.  Events like this are a great opportunity to meet each other in person.”

One of the events guest speakers was Marc Rosenburg, a.k.a Kane Rizzel, one of Eve’s the most well-known gamers.  As a Solo Pirate in the game, he said,” The community itself is what makes the game. When there’s a player-run event like this it means a lot – people start to put faces to the name of people they’ve been playing with for years, but have never actually met before.  Events like this help bring these people together from all around the world; it forms closer bonds.  What starts as being friends online then turns into being friends in real-life.”

One of the events attendees, Gav Davies was at his first ever Eve meet-up, “There’s cheap beer, lots of people – it’s great being able to put faces to names. It’s been a really great day.” 

As well as helping support the social aspect of Eve Online specifically, a lot of the focus of these meet-ups has been on breaking the stereotype of the ‘gamer’ as a figure of isolation.  EVE_NT organizer Wesnik said, “I think for years EVE would have been the geeks of the gaming community. It requires a lot of time to understand and did have a stigma attached to it for some time.  The game has expanded now, and the world of EVE has been getting a lot more positive attention recently.”

As for the best way for new players to get involved, he added, “The game is better geared up for new players then it was a few years ago.  The new player experience is more engaging and easier to understand now, and much more advice and information available more easily.” 

Kane Rizzel agreed, adding, “The best way is to try the 14 day free trial.  Just get involved and start talking to players.  It is a social game, and the easiest way for players to get involved is to be social.  You’re not going to pick up the game trying to plow through on your own like many other MMOs out there.  You have to get stuck in and get social, which is a lot easier for a lot of people online than it is in real-life!”

The success of EVE_NT has ensured that a follow up Eve Online players meet-up will happen in Nottingham in February 2015. 

The EVE website