Empty Words of ISK

ISK makes Eve go round. It may be the force moving a null sec empire or it may be a new player struggling to finance that cruiser he saw undock from the rookie station. It covers every extreme and few, if any, are exempt from its call.

Financial solvency has to happen. It may be in the form of a corporation or alliance or it may fall upon the shoulders of individual members. Someone, somewhere, has to be able to afford the things that are needed.

It is a very true thing that later in the game, once a player has settled in, ISK making becomes more of a chore or a task than a frantic moment to moment way of life. But even then, each player will have their own skill set when it comes to making ISK.

Similar to real life, some people forget where they came from (when they were poor newbies) and other's remember it and use it as an example of what they do not wish to go back to. I was listening to a conversation, early in the morning before work, where a player who used to struggle every month to earn their account subs PLEX had finally discovered incursions and become comfortably liquid. Comfortable enough that they were discussing creating an incursion fitted Sin and what a hilarious loss mail it would be.

I stand on the other spectrum. I remember how hard it was to earn ISK. I may casually fly more expensive ships but I appreciate the ISK that my ships cost me. I have never been able to understand the 'hilarious' loss mail where a ship is fit in an extremely expensive manner and placed in a situation where it is going to die. I remember seeing a certain null sec alliance celebrate their vast wealth like that when I first started playing. Now, not so well off, I sometimes wonder if echos of their own wastefulness haunt them. But in this situation, I try to accept that fun is defined in many ways. For me, financially comfortable decisions are fun. For others, wasting massive amounts of ISK as a sign of their space wealth is fun.

Of course, the newer players wish to venture into these realms of wealth. No matter what side they will stand on in the future, in the now they stand on the side of poor newbie. So, as they lament their current state and ask for tips, tricks, and ideas on improving wealth the next party enters the scene. 

He That Doth Save Us All > bah, anything can be done to plex the accounts, 5 mins a day is more than enough to plex 2 accounts a month

I will admit I have little time and much eye rolling here. The 'it only takes a few minutes a day to make billions of ISK' is often heard and rarely seen. Many of the people who make this much ISK already have a large amount of ISK. When people discuss TCS with me I explain that I entered with a large investment. I spent ISK to make ISK. None of that ISK appeared magically (unless you want to add in robbing the wormhole corporation).

Me > not everyone is going to be capable of actually doing the 'five minute a day pelxes your accounts a month' activities

I am reminded of a scam or an infomercial. Just contact this number and you will make thousands of dollars part time while asleep in the bathtub! Outside of my mild sarcastic reaction there is a simple aspect of economics where everyone cannot do the same activity and continue to make that profit. In another game where ISK was dictated by NPCs, perhaps. In Eve where that type of ISK is coming from some type of player on player interaction, no. No matter how shiny the module, enormous the margin, or thirsty the market, if every single person joins into that activity it will quickly lose its profitability.

 He That Doth Save Us All > that's quite false, literally everyone is going to be capable of that if they just decide that they want to quit the endless circle of playing just to grind

Now, I've commented before that I cannot get into some money making areas of Eve for trying. I cannot do PI. I try and I try and I try and I fail and I fail and I fail. I have never made one ISK off of PI. Likewise, station trading is beyond me. I can run an entire market but I cannot station trade to save myself. I fail at it in such a pathetic way.

 A Member of the Crowd > When I started playing I had a thought that it would be paying it self in a while. Then I discovered that was boring, so now I do what I think is fun instead :-)

One Who Wishes Conversion > kk, tell me how to do it and i give it a shot

People want to make ISK. They desperately want to make ISK. Tell us how. I settled back and waited (actually I watched the clock because I had to go to work). I was expecting to be told of the greatness of station trading or something along those lines.

 He That Doth Save Us All > exactly what I meant stop thinking about isk and think more about what's actually fun in the game. When  it's nothing but a grind every day, you'll get bored of it in no time

Oh, I could not help but think in amusement, you never told us what that thing was. Suddenly, it is not about five minutes to wealth but 'just have fun!'. Ten minutes later, with no other answers forthcoming, I logged out and went to work. Did he back out of the conversation? Did he have no great knowledge to give out? Did he want to hide his niche in life?

I cannot help but feel cynical. The great reward was not revealed and I wonder if there even was. Eve is full of bragging. I have this much ISK. I have this ship. I have that thing. There are so many tangibles such as kill mails, corporation history, and a past that often tends to follow that people soak themselves in the things that they can expound upon.

Basically, people lie. Some people can make a PLEX in five minutes. I know them. Is that the majority of the game? No. Is that something new players are going to achieve with a few simple insights? Probably, not.

Internet spaceship wealth is obtainable. Some will achieve this faster than others. Some will fall upon wealth and others will earn it. Some will squander it and others hoard it. Some will find happiness without wealth and others only inside of it. But one thing they will each do is find their own path to their income. No magical spells.

Often, just hard work, knowledge, opportunity, experience, and chance will combine into income. I know both fabulously wealthy players and fabulously poor ones that are happy. I also know ones that are miserable. Wealth in game is important but for most, it will not buy happiness. For some, it certainly will. But even then, as one casts a covetous eye of greed upon the wallet of another, look at them. Are they happy? Are they miserable and bitter? Are they wasting money to prove to themselves or you that they can waste it?

Before one succumbs to ISK obsession, just remember what it actually brings to the table. And before one sips from the cup of knowledge of another player: make sure that cup isn't empty.