CCP Games' EVE Online Development Team recently published a lengthy blog post discussing The EVE Online Ecosystem Outlook for its player base. The post reviews the year that was 2020, noting both positives and negatives the devs team encountered. The post also looks forward to plans in the works for 2021, which include a thorough Ecosystem health check-up, as well as battling bots and RMT (real money trading).
The post launches with the devs listing some of the accomplishments made in EVE Online despite the tumultuous year that was 2020. Chief among them was “reining in capital proliferation," with mineral distribution and capital umbrella powers receiving necessary changes. RMT ISK supplies were addressed, with Incursions and Faction Warfare mission loopholes getting attention. The capital ecosystem received numerous changes that “improved diversity, promoted escalation, and increased destruction.” The Encounter Surveillance System and Dynamic Bounty System were initiated, and have greatly helped to reduce “excessive system outputs, support PvP income streams, and increase risk to low-attention ratting.”
A large portion of the post was devoted to discussing the Council of Stellar Management (CSM), particularly CSMs 14 and 15. The post states that the devs have “a lot of trust for the CSM," and that daily interaction and communication “with all members of the CSM are highly valued." This helped the devs make the tough but necessary decision to not “put them in a position where other players could claim they had forewarning of major economic changes to the game” in regards to the launch of the Scarcity Phase. Additionally, CSM involvement and feedback has been crucial this year for helping the devs quickly follow up “on key changes such as the reverting of the “Aggressive” setting on drone behavior," as well as “rapid iteration on the ESS, DBS, and the Activity Defense Multiplier (ADM).”
Botting and RMT issues continue to be a hefty problem, however, and the post emphasizes the many problems they create in-game, and warn Capsuleer to refrain from buying ISK via RMT, and encouraging your friends not to, as well. The devs affirm their commitment “to rooting out all forms of botting and RMT in EVE," and lay down the stat that 42,000 bans have been issued so far this year.
The post of course has much more detail, including a look at the prognosis of the EVE Ecosystem, and if you’re an avid EVE Online Capsuleer, it’s worth your time to read to be aware of the past and future changes.
Source: CCP Games