It's a difference in experience and attitude that makes me think EVE has a 'problem'. It makes me a carebear I suppose.

The thing about WoW is that if you want to you can hammer away at it and get to be good (or even top rated) within a few months, whereas EVE has a constant rate of improvement for all players so the only thing that matters is how long you've been playing. It's not impossible to catch up as Redbeard points out but it will take you a long time!

It's down to an ethos, I want games to be fair for all players so that everyone can enjoy them, but a lot of MMOs have a design that allows a limited subset to have fun at the expense of others.

I come from a pen and paper RPG background and when you're sitting around a table with 4-5 friends it's important that everyone gets to enjoy the game, when one player dominates the game the others suffer. It's one of the major causes of gaming groups breaking up. The way to prevent it is called Most Game Fun, meaning that you take a path where you maximise the activites that are fun for all the players at once and hinder activites that emphasise one player at the expense of others.

This principle isn't applied much to MMOs, probably because the developers/designers came from other backgrounds and never had to experience the MGF solution. In my opinion one of the reasons WoW is so succesful is because it uses a Most Game Fun approach. Whereas the slew of recent 'WoW-killers' (Age of Conan, Warhammer) didn't, and 'failed' because of that. I can't help but think that if a new MMO came out that used an MGF principle it would suceed where so many others have failed, and I can't help but think that if EVE applied that principle then they would have a much wider audience, many more players, and make more money. MMOs that make money are good for the players, more money means more content to play.

EVE seems to be as far away from MGF as it is possible to get and thats the reason why I gave it up last time, and probably will again. I love a good sci-fi game but I just wish the developers would make the non PVP aspects more fun and well rounded. I can think of dozens of things that would make it a 'better' game without killing the PVP.

Oh well, if wishes were horses we'd all ride.

p.s. Saw Star Tek last night! woo hoo!