Skip to main content

Continual Partial Attention

Yesterday I wrote about my short history with EVE and how that led me to my particular play style. Essentially, my approach to EVE is what Linda Stone, a former Microsoft researcher, called continuous partial attention. Ms. Stone described a work style familiar to many people in the technology industry; while working on a top-level item while also receiving inputs from a variety of other sources - sources one does not want to miss out on. Indeed, this continuous partial attention phenomenon is based in a desire to become “a node on the network” in order “not to miss anything”.

That pretty accurately describes my interest in EVE; something I can keep tabs on pretty constantly, but that I don't really have time to be completely focused on. That has led me to investigating parts of the game that I feel don't get the hype that combat does, or in some cases (like mining) gets an overwhelmingly bad rap from forum and social media posters.

The reality though, is that most of the activities in this sandbox are actually perfectly acceptable for solo players, and many of them are more profitable or enjoyable when undertaken solo:
Gas Huffing
It's not EVE if you're not shooting someone?

  • Mining and Gas Huffing
  • Planetary Production
  • Manufacturing
  • Station Trading
  • Hauling
  • Exploration
  • Poco bashing / building
  • Mission Running
  • Ratting
Obviously, none of these activities take place in a vacuum, and they influence other players and are influenced by those other players in turn. The point is not how to play EVE as if it were a single player game. The point is that for a player like me that finds themselves in a situation where they can't commit to activities that require 100% attention, there is still a ton of stuff to do in EVE, and much of it is very gratifying.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shared Resources & Alt Corps

As the NosyGamer said: ... what makes EVE unique is the nearly unlimited inventory space for each character . Of course, EVE wouldn't be EVE if players didn't push the mechanics to the limit, and one way that happens is by running industry at any scale above "a little sideline for some pocket money". Very quickly the problem becomes not so much storing all those minerals, components, and other inputs, but in moving them around between characters. Since I don't want to spend some significant portion of my play time doing trades between characters in citadels, I have spent some time thinking about how to make the industrialists' experience better. The standard solution to this issue is the alt corp , essentially a corporation set up to park ones characters in in order to share resources in a less cancerous way. This is not what CCP had in mind for corporations when they were developed, so they are not an optimal solution. A more optimal solution would be t
Post a Comment
Read more

Fully Automated Luxury Space Communism

So, why did I call this blog Fully Automated Luxury Space Communism ? Because I find it hilarious, that's why. ...and because cooperative play in EVE is designed around shared access to resources, pooled in warehouse hangars in space, and a lot of what I do in EVE is really hard without corporation mechanics to make sharing the means of production less of a chore. ( more on this in the near future ) ...and because my mid-term goal really is something that is well described by the phrase. I am aiming at a set of tools that automates the tedious out-of-game tasks inherent in playing EVE with an industrial focus as much as possible. Once achieved, my stable of pilots (and if I build the tools right, whole corporations or alliances) will be able to share in the wealth created by automating the paper pushing and go out and do other things in EVE. ...and because it's a sandbox and I can do what I want, and that's why I love the game.
Post a Comment
Read more

This is an unofficial EVE online Fan Site. The material within is used with the limited permission of CCP Games hf. No official affiliation or endorsement by CCP Games hf is stated or implied.

EVE Online and the EVE logo are the registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights are reserved worldwide. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EVE Online, the EVE logo, EVE and all associated logos and designs are the intellectual property of CCP hf. All artwork, screenshots, characters, vehicles, storylines, world facts or other recognizable features of the intellectual property relating to these trademarks are likewise the intellectual property of CCP hf. CCP hf. has granted permission to EVE Travel to use EVE Online and all associated logos and designs for promotional and information purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not in any way affiliated with, EVE Travel. CCP is in no way responsible for the content on or functioning of this website, nor can it be liable for any damage arising from the use of this website.