EVE player destroys over $1000 worth of game time

Long story short: EVE Online has an in-game item called PLEX which, when used, applies 30 days of time to a player's account. Players can use in-game money to buy these PLEX to pay for their account and keep playing the game, or money strapped players can purchase game time, insert the code into the game, and make PLEX which can be sold on the game's market for in-game cash.

An unfortunate player put 74 of these 30 day PLEX items into his cargo hold to transport them across the game. He was shot down and destroyed in an attack. All 74 PLEX were destroyed in the resulting blast, which has been confirmed by server logs. That virtual explosion cost well over $1,200 dollars, or over 6 years of game time for EVE.

[Darkstorn]

From what I've heard, Eve is practically an anarchist state these days. Interesting tidbit, to say the least.

[ATi_Elite]

EVE and Planet Calypso are the two most HARDCORE GAMES out there right now.

EVE is mostly all player generated from the bases to the ships and weapons. The wars are REAL and gamers "Pirates" will rick-roll you in the game for your goods or PLEX or whatever you got.

It takes a long time to get started but once you got your stuff together, mining, manufacturing, exploration etc.. you got to protect it and that's when EVE gets dangerous and really FUN.

Your base gets captured or your ship gets blowed up, you just lost not only game resources but real MONEY and time that your not getting back. There's no reset button here. Extortion and Pirating from mercenaries makes EVE dangerous. You have a bad chat with a gamer he may send a hit squad kill you and take your money.

PLANET CALYPSO: OMG you have to use REAL MONEY to play this game. I'm NOT talking monthly subscription here either. some guy bought the Crystal Palace Space Station” for $330,000 USD. Mind you this is just a place in the game and not something you can touch in real life. He built houses on it and now charges people to visit or live there. Thus making his money back plus profit in a Video Game. SICK

You can play Planet Calypso for free but you will be look at as basically a bum or a beggar an you won't have any weapons to fight off the monsters.

People play this game all day and night and make REAL money off of it like it's their job.

These two games are really HARDCORE. Almost like video gaming for Gangsters and Pirates because REAL money is involved and you can cash out and go to the mall.

[SeanRL]

Can someone tell me why it's possible to take somebody's game time that they paid for?

Edit: Thanks for explaining that, seems like this just ended up being a mix of bad choices made by the game designers and the player.

[octalblack]

In short, it's not.

Players can buy game time cards and insert the card's code into the game to generate PLEX, which can then be sold on the market for in-game money. The person who buys the PLEX can then use the license to add 30 days to their subscription.

It's an exchange of goods. The person paying the money for the time card gets in-game cash to use for whatever they want, and the person buying the PLEX gets to use in-game cash to purchase play time. If someone would overload the market with time cards, their value would drop and people would stop inserting them, as they'd no longer be worth it to sell. Yay economics. The person buying the time isn't getting screwed, it's the person who's purchasing the time with in-game cash that's getting screwed out of their in-game earnings. (Unless, of course, you made all of that PLEX by purchasing time cards, in which case you're an idiot.)

Now, if you're still following me, the game's developer just made it possible for players to carry PLEX in a ship's cargo hold, letting them transport the items around the galaxy as they please. (Why'd you transport it is beyond me, but, moving on.) When a ship is blown up, either through PvE or PvP, the system randomly determines which parts of the ship are completely destroyed and which parts are awarded as salvage. The PLEX didn't make it.

Motto: Don't carry PLEX in your cargo hold. And NEVER carry 74 of them AT ONCE in your cargo hold.

[Forbidden_Darkness]

Would have never had a clue what this story was talking about, until i read this. Thanks for taking the time to explain this. Holy shit that sucks though.

Bubbles +

[Proxy]

"Oh noes, I lost my in-game PLEX codes. Fortunately there backed up in a text file on my desktop." Would this be possible?

Also, this kind of breaks the games immersion doesn't it? Kind of like watching a drama on television as the hero says "Don't worry, everyone will be OK because we all have 6 more episodes in our contracts." As we watch we all know it's true, but we don't want it to actually be said in the show.

[RockmanII7]

No, the plex is gone. There is no way to get it back.

[octalblack]

@Proxy:

Once a EVE Online game time code is converted into PLEX, that's it. It's like using the card. The code has now become two in-game items called Pilot's License Extensions.

There are no codes on the PLEX themselves in-game. You simply right click them and "use" them, like you would with any potion or consumable item. You use it, it awards 30 days to your account, and then it's gone.

So, nope, no backup.

[zagibu]

Normally, you have to transport goods in EVE, because sellers can only sell at stations which are in a certain range from their current location. The same applies for buyers, IIRC, and both ranges can be extended by skills.
What I don't get is why the dude didn't fly to the desired location and THEN converted the codes into PLEX. Maybe the PLEX were gathered in-game (so we're talking about a reseller of sorts here)?

[poindat]

I'm pretty sure there was no back up. It's all disappeared into oblivion forever, or so I presume from reading the comments in the article (I don't play EVE myself).

[BannedForNineYears]

Doh! D:

I remember trying out the trial for Eve.
It's such a weird game.
Takes some time to get into.

[TheIneffableBob]

Takes a looooooooong time to get into. But you ever do get into it, it can be a very rewarding game. It's certainly one of the most unique games out there.

[CrzyFooL]

EvE is a brilliant MMO. For just the fact that things like this CAN and WILL happen if you do not take it seriously.

[Bolts]

True that. EVE is probably the only true MMO left on the market, the rest of the landscape is populated by theme park MMOs. Stuff like this just illustrate how awesome and how terrible things in EVE can be.

[StarScream4Ever]

On the EVE Universe. :D

[Alos88]

What a waste of time.

[big_silky]

Now THAT is a hardcore game. damn.

[ProgidalSon]

I play EVE, definitely the steepest learning curve but this is the sole true MMO. An actual player-driven economy, about 5% of items are actually NPC created. Everything else - ships, mods, stations, etc are player-made and the resources required to create them depend heavily on the players.

Wars are realistic. I saw the report on this guy losing all that PLEX in chat yesterday. It's a harsh world. The EVE devs can't really do anything to help the guy.

To people who don't play the game, it seems unfair. But for people who play EVE, there is no denying that the guy made a serious mistake carrying that many PLEX at the same time through dangerous space.

Life is unfair. EVE is unfair as hell. That's what makes EVE the most realistic MMO on the market.

[r sizle]

Now can you explain to me what a "Realistic MMO" is? I can't grasp that concept...

[mrv321]

In most MMO's you the character inhabit the world and do questst which have little or relevance.
In EVE you are the world, your actions have consequences... wars and economy are two major parts to EVE.

[CaulkSlap]

Awesome. The reason Eve is the most ruthless and realistic mmo out there.

[distorted_reality]

That is absolutely hilarious. Can just imagine what the dude who owned the game said when it happened. Epic lols.

[INehalemEXI]

I'm waiting for http://blackprophecy.com/in... something like eve but f2p, used to play eve a lot of griefers but great game.

[YoungKingDoran]

and i thought losing 500,000 souls was heartbreaking...

[bobcostus]

You know right when you die you can just shut off your ps3 right? You won't be dead when you come back online. I thought pretty much everyone knew this.

[bjornbear]

?

then again I agree, if I was about to loose 500,000 souls I'd switch off my PS3 (haven't gotten that far yet xD)

[N4OGs]

could just at anytime monitor who has a lot of stuff like the plex 30 day game cards and then jump in and destroy it if they want? Dang thats messed up. I bet the mods of eve did it so they can make more money.

[SnipingPenguin]

Yeah, and Obama is Hitler in disguise! It's a possibility, but they wouldn't. And just to ensure you, MasterCard isn't going to clear your credit card and take the money.

[TABSF]

This is one of the problems with the game for me
It is how the game is play and in no way it was wrong

I played Eve for 2 months and did around 100 hours which is by no means is hardcore but after that I stopped, I can't see myself playing it again at all.

The game is fun and some times taxing but what really pissed me off was the griefers, one time after mining for like 3 hours with my friend, I was in my mammoth and I had to haul it back, we got rapped :(

But other times I would leave the space station and there would be this epic battle between 2 corps or little fights where corp member would test each others hit points. At first your like I want to watch but at the same time they could turn on anyone

Fun game, recommend anybody try it, on Steam you can get 1 month free but that is the same off CCP site. I stopped playing it because I'm a cheapskate but Team Fortress 2 it just way to addictive and its one time purchase :)

[SnipingPenguin]

Who will be getting it? I most definately will. Does anybody know if you have to pay for online play there?

[bjornbear]

don't trade real money for virtual money....never works.

[zagibu]

Soooo...you always pay cash?

[il-mouzer]

used to play EVE continuously when I lived in the UK, I just lost interest after I moved - mostly because I lost most of the contact with the PCG community.

Shame really, I loved the PVP side, the thrill of loosing most of your cargo was an amazing experience.

[writersblock]

What the flying fuck are they talking about?
I read it over twice and still cant make sense of it

[Kamikaze8]

PLEX are basically 30 day cards that allow you to expand the amount of time you're subscribed. You can buy them in or out of game, this guy happened to be transporting 74 of them and was killed, causing him to lose all $1,300 worth.

[writersblock]

So the cards are IN GAME?

[Spartan DL]

Eve is the epitome of MMO's. Anything can happen and you can't trust anyone. It might have the steepest learning curve, but its fun to learn new things everyday. I like the challenge as do many others. This guy is unlucky, but he knew the risk of taking that many Plex cards at once and he must of told someone, otherwise it would have not happened.

[lynch]

is this on pc or what?