Do you NEED a Corp. in EVE?

I started this article as a response to a post over at We Fly Spitfires’  blog, where in the comments many folks were implying that one really needs to be in a Corp. to have fun, or fully appreciate the EVE Online experience.  Which, of course, I don’t fully agree. 

I guess it could be true if you’re really into constant PvP, watching your back, and political intrigue.  I love occasional PvP, or what I call PvP on MY terms, like DAoC and WAR RvR.  And to a certain extent, EVE’s  semi-open PvP with consequences, where firing on neutral targets in Empire space has definite worldly consequences – like Concord Aggression and faction standings.  You certainly do not need to be in a corp. if you’re looking to PvP once in awhile.  However, if you are in a low-sec/zero-zero corp. you will persistently be in PvP mode simply due to war declarations. Me? I don’t need that kind of stress.  I’ve got enough of that IRL.

I haven’t been in an active corp/alliance since Frege (2-3 years ago, about the same time StateCorp was in Frege). And when it fell apart, it basically cured me of any long term desires to be in a corp/alliance.   Plus all of the guys I played with basically “futility quit” after the dismemberment of Frege.

For me, it’s just too much like real-life work to participate/manage a corp. with my preferred “casual/care-bear” gaming mechanic.  Of which I can partake of aplenty in Concord Space, making tons of ISK and taking out the occasional “red flashy” guy with my tri-box posse. And the occasional foray out to low-sec just to blast someone on my grudge list, as long as they’re not too far out of the way.

If there were a way to do casual 0.0 (which there isn’t, honestly) I’d probably find myself back in a Corp.

But truly, you only need a corp. if you’re interested in continual PvP and politics, just two facets of an extraordinary game. You don’t need a corp to mine, play the market, craft, run missions, offer services (like hauling, protection, etc), occasionally PvP, etc. 

However, I’ve always approached the social side of MMO’s as optional, with a take it or leave it attitude – and usually it’s been a “leave it” choice for me.  But for others it’s an absolute “must have,” so if one finds that aspect important, then they’ll probably need to be in a corp. as well. Personally, as an INTP personality, I usually find other people to be more of a liability than an asset 😀


Comments

Do you NEED a Corp. in EVE? — 5 Comments

  1. I’ve been playing EvE since 2006 and have been in and out of corps. Lately (past 3 months) I’ve been the CEO of a corp that only has me in it and I’m loving it. I’m free to do whatever I please and at whatever pace I like. Sometimes I miss the social interactivity of a corp though and I think that is what will pull me back eventually.

    Fly safe!

  2. I haven’t gotten around to joining a Corp yet but it’s on my list. I’m not in a huge rush though because I’m quite happy just mining and salvaging and saving some cash. EVE is quite casual friendly and I guess I’m just worried that I don’t have the time to commit to a full on Corp.

  3. I’ve been *offered* corps to join, but it’s never seemed worth it, to a 100% carebear.
    I have friends who have their own corp & I’ve watched them try to round up members for once-a-week mishing/mining sessions. Sometimes they get plenty, other times (if I’m free and have the right ship available) I join in, and round the numbers up.
    But that’s the problem — having to have a ship at a time and place, rather then being able to select where and when I’ll be.

    The other advantage, for me, of the NPC corp, is that you don’t get war-decced. Living in Hi-Sec I can generally go about my business with only minor quibbles and no really intense looking-over-shoulder. But to know that, at any time, anyone who wants can decc you and then shoot you down (and they’re not going to make the decc until they’re sure they can blow you away, are they ?) — not pleasant prospect.

  4. Being a multi-boxer (which is probably another detriment to corp. membership), I have two accts that are still in their beginner NPC corps, while my “main” (and oldest) acct is still parked in my old player corp as the “sole survivor” of the corporation. I’m not too keen on leaving since the corp name fits in with my character’s name, so that’s kind of cool. I just don’t have any privs in the corp. That is a huge oversight on CCP’s part, not to auto-magically waterfall corp. management to the active players – like every other MMO I’ve been in. It’s pretty easy to get “stranded” in a corp. in EVE.

    What I really like on my two NPC Corp. ‘toons, who happen to be in different NPC “newbie” corps – is the social aspect. As an experienced EVE pilot, I can offer my assistance to newer players, and there are other experienced pilots there that I can ask questions concerning parts of the game I haven’t really explored yet (like manufacturing or exploring/probing, etc) – or if I just have a brain freeze about something, I know I can get a quick answer there. When I was in an active Player Corp, I got the feeling that such questions were just annoying to the membership, or that I should just Google the answers, etc.

  5. Corp membership can be a lot of fun.

    My main character is a mission runner. I don’t want him in a corp since most high sec corps get routinely wardecced and it adds an element of risk to a grinding character for no return.

    A secondary character is a pvp character on an account payed for by isk the first one generates. He’s in Eve Uni at the moment. Tonight we had a goon fleet commander come along as guest speaker and give a really interesting talk to Teamspeak. Then we did an op and I managed to tackle a Tempest which we killed. Hearing the command “warp to Zeebo” and having 50 people warp to you to kill your target was awesome.

    I think the wardec mechanic is something you need to work around but one pvp character in a corp and one pve character immune to wardecs is a system that works for me.

    And if I feel antisocial I can just log on my mission runner and solo.

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