EVE Online Geniuses Blow Up Six Years of Game Time

[Andy Chalk]

EVE Online Geniuses Blow Up Six Years of Game Time

From the Department of Not Too Smooth comes news that a couple of trigger-happy EVE [http://www.amazon.com/Eve-Online-Pc/dp/B001PBUN3M/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1281540039&sr=1-1] jocks have managed to blow up almost $1300 worth of real-world game time.

There are two ways CCP [http://www.eveonline.com] came up with PLEX as a way to combat sleazy ISK sellers by giving those with deep pockets the option to buy time codes, convert them to PLEX and then sell them to people with an excess of in-game money. It's a win for everyone; people who want to drop cash to buy ISK can do so, hardcore players can use their hard-earned ISK to effectively play for free and CCP gets to clamp down on external sellers without adversely affecting its player base.

But last month the company made some changes to PLEX, making it an actual in-game item that can be transported as cargo. As a result, PLEX can not only be bought and sold, but can now also be stolen by the less-than-scrupulous, or destroyed forever by the less-than-bright. This being EVE, it didn't take long for shenanigans to erupt.

Unfortunately for the shenaniganizers, an apparent plan to swipe a ton of PLEX didn't exactly work out to an optimal state. To make a long story short, two players from the Method of Destruction corporation came upon a lone ship (a "Kestrel in Jita," whatever that means) carrying 74 PLEX. They attacked. And they blew it all up.

Losing in-game items is always frustrating, but never more so than when it has a real-world value of $1295. That's right, Massively [http://www.massively.com/2010/08/08/eve-player-destroys-over-1000-worth-of-game-time/] did the math and 74 PLEX is worth more than 22 billion ISK, or about $1295 in meatspace moolah. Looking at it from another perspective, it was enough PLEX to fund a subscription for a little over six years.

Nice shooting, guys. You're lucky you're not Klingons.


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[chstens]

Holy shit! That is crazy! Nuts, even! Over 1200$ worth of real money... Space piracy just got real!

 

[WanderingFool]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

That just made my day, and it was a rpoetty good day to start out with, so now it even better!

 

[Jared]

Oh god...I would be soooo angry!

...But, thats such a bad way to do things, developer side...why would they put something like that at risk so easilly...I...I would be talking to some GM about it, but, I bet it will be a less than Luke warm reception

 

[Arachon]

Just wanted to point out that You've used "PLEX" and "FLEX" interchangeably in the article, the correct term is "PLEX".

And a "Kestrel" is a type of ship, "Jita" is the trade hub in EVE, the most densely populated system in the game.

Also, the guy who was blown up was an idiot, not only did he carry 22 billion in his cargo hold, he did it in a densely populated system (Jita), whilst at war with an enemy alliance, who'd previously blown up two of his comrades in the same spot. He probably invested his entire alliance's money in this... So essentially, he's destroyed his alliance.


Too bad the guys who killed him didn't get the PLEX, they were destroyed with the ship... all 74.

 

[Kajt]

Adamantium rage! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBUISgnYpTQ]

But seriously, that's just crazy.

 

[Woodsey]

Haha, hilarious!

I love the stories that come out of EVE: I remember reading about a corporation that spent 6 months infiltrating another, getting people in place at every tier in the corp, before finally getting the chance to attack the head of it who had a one-of-a-kind ship and a lot of money. An attack which they launched using a single word or phrase throughout every member of their corporation.

Some people just have too much time on their hands.

 

[Ldude893]

This is why I don't play EVE Online, it's for trigger happy accountants.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Just wanted to point out that You've used "PLEX" and "FLEX" interchangeably in the article, the correct term is "PLEX".

Thanks for the heads-up, I was admiring myself in the mirror when I posted this.

And fixed.

 

[Reveras]

I smell ....fail ...massive roleplaying space donkey fail.

 

[righthanded]

Actually, I think it's brilliant that things like this can happen.

If the pirates were able to successfully steal all that PLEX, it would have been an awesome victory for them. They weren't and now their treasure is gone plus they probably have a handful of folks pretty pissed at them. Giving players that sort of freedom creates dynamic narrative and drama. No scripted game will ever come close to providing this kind of immersion. Having real rewards and consequences just makes this game seem all that much better.

 

[Delusibeta]

And the developers have earned about $1,300 for doing diddly squat. That's the kind of business deal I like.

A bit of digging suggests that the "geniuses" was at war with the faction the person carrying the loot was in. So essentually, they blew up 22 million ISK from their enemies' account. So, it wasn't that bad for the attackers, either.

 

[ShadowKirby]

-Sir, pirates blew up one of our ship. A ship with 74 crates of PLEX on board.
-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.


Ha, the ravage of (cyber)space piracy.

 

[PxDn Ninja]

Oh god...I would be soooo angry!

...But, thats such a bad way to do things, developer side...why would they put something like that at risk so easilly...I...I would be talking to some GM about it, but, I bet it will be a less than Luke warm reception

For a while the item couldn't leave a station, but it required the item being marked special in several ways. CCP prefers all items in game to truly be items with all the risks and advantages.

You have no need to undock with a PLEX. You can use them outside of the station, so the need to undock with it just isn't there, much less with 6 years worth of them.

Also, the victim (if you can call him that) here was in a war with the opposing corp, meaning even in high sec they are free to open fire on him, and Jita isn't a safe environment especially if you are at war. IF he needed to move that much value, he should have had corp support and a tanked up ship, not a paper plane like the Kestrel (side note: Kestrel in Jita means just that, he was flying a Kestral in the Jita system).

As for contacting a GM about it, that is the nature of the game. Nothing against the spirit, rules, or system was commited here. Eve is a game where you learn from each loss, and take pride in each victory (even in PVE or Industry), so this guy has learned possibly the most expensive lesson I have ever seen.

 

[Baron Khaine]

Oh god...I would be soooo angry!

...But, thats such a bad way to do things, developer side...why would they put something like that at risk so easilly...I...I would be talking to some GM about it, but, I bet it will be a less than Luke warm reception

Its EVE, if they tried to report that to a GM they'd be laughed off the server.

Sandbox ftw, even if it is too hardcore for me, I still love me some EVE.

 

[YonderTunic]

All that can be said: "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude that sucks!!!!"

 

[PxDn Ninja]

Oh god...I would be soooo angry!

...But, thats such a bad way to do things, developer side...why would they put something like that at risk so easilly...I...I would be talking to some GM about it, but, I bet it will be a less than Luke warm reception

Originally you could not move it outside the station it was redeemed in.

Very recently (within the past 2 weeks) changes were made to make it the same as any other item.

Same ease of purchase. Same ease of transport. Same ease of dumbassery.

CCP has no problem letting people hang themselves if they just spent the equivalent of $1300 for the privilege.


@ Andy Chalk

As fun as it may be to say "oh look at what great shots you are, blowing up 6 years of game time!" it might be better next time to do a quick Google search for loot drop rules in EVE. It is entirely random change whether or not an item drops, and the chance is calculated by the stack. So either they were all going to drop, or none of them were. No chance for only 'some' to be lootable.

Don't make fun of the pirates for blowing up 74 PLEX. Make fun of the dumbass who put it in one of the weakest ships in the game and sat outside the busiest station in the game, where suicide-ganking is known by literally everyone to occur regularly.

It wasn't a suicide-gank. The victim was at war with the attackers, so they were free to attack him at any time. The fact that they were in system was visible to the victim from within the station, so there wasn't even a surprise that they were there. This is pure idiocy on the victims part.