Hoest review r those considering the game

Stupid sticky keys... forgot to edit the title...bah really i'm not an idiot.

I've been playing for over 3 years now, so obviously i'm favorably disposed towards the game.  The one thing that i find interesting though is the strong reaction that the game incites from those that "love it" and those that "hate it".  I love it, but many of the complaints of those that hate it aren't completely crazy.  So, here's my take on the game and what it offers.

1) the game is best thought of as a hybrid rpg and strategy game.  If you think you like the idea of putting long term strategic and diplomatic plans into action slowly and with the help of your comrades in a game with a population of 100k plus other people all on one server (where diplomatic military and economic relations can get very complicated) then you'll probably lke at least much of what eve has to offer. 

2) the economy is astounding, really there is nothing else out there that even half way compares.  Everything is player controlled and the markets exhibit regional and local supply and demand pressures.  The economic aspects of the game are the core of the strategic gameplay.  It is basically capitalism gone amok which though not pleasant for living in in RL certainly makes for a great game. 

3) The PvP system is the best and most complicated i've ever seen.  The mix of different weapon systems (ranging from turrets to missiles to drones) 7 different types of electronic warfare, and ships designed around specific roles makes for a PvP system that requires tremendous ammounts of planning and is nearly impossible to master.  If you like PvP that requires lots of thought prior to and during the fighting, then you'll probably like eve.

4) the advancement system is also the best i've ever seen for casual gamers.  basically everyone advances at a fixed rate based upon their attributes, and though this will mean that someone who has been around 5 months will have roughly 5 times as many skill points as someone who has been around ony 1 month, in effect this doesn't limit the ability of the person who has only been around a short time to be effective in fighting their older enemy.  Skills exhibit exponential diminishing returns through each of 5 levels, so for instance if i train a skill to the 5th level i'll be about 5% more effective with that skill than someone who only has it at the 4th level but it will take me 5 times as long to get that 5th level as the previous 4.  Add in the fact that most combat requires role specialization and new players can actually be very effective against 2 plus year old players within a couple months of joining the game.  this is unprecedented in any other game with PvP to my knowledge.  The fact that much of the ecnonmy and the training happens offline means that people can really have an enjoyable time playing even if they only play for a few hours a week, and if they have a decent corp for financial backing, they won't feel at all left behind their fellows who have more time to play.

5) the game is slow.  this doesn't bug me at all, actually it's one of the things i like about it.  If you like games with constant on screen action, then you probably won't like eve.  As is said above it's best to think of it as a hybrid rpg strategy game and as such much of the "action"comes off screen in planning your various projects.  i can see how the game would very quickly become frustrating for someone who wasn't in a decent corp.  playing alone it would bore me to tears, but in a corp it takes on a whole new life.  If you like solo play definitely don't play eve you will very likely find it boring after a couple months. 

6) the game has some of the smartest devs i've seen.  they don't go for the most low impact solutions they go for the most clever and cool ones that are still balanced, and this is what has made the game improve constatnly over it's long life.