In behavioral studies and psychology, a Skinner box is a constructed environment in which researchers can observe behavior and reactions to stimuli under controlled conditions. The most basic example of a Skinner box is that of a mouse pressing a lever in order to obtain food or water as a reward. The majority of mainstream MMOs can be seen as Skinner boxes with progression treadmills under them; players are conditioned to follow a set of specific and intuitive paths all leading to reinforcement of the desired behaviors. You slay the dragon and the dragon drops loot that will eventually enable you to slay an even bigger stronger dragon and so on. This basic and widely standardized concept of MMO progression means that almost any player from a different MMO will be able to figure out what they need to do in order to be successful.
BREAKING THE MOLD
If most MMOs are about training a mouse to pull levers for dank loot, then EVE Online is about giving that mouse a spaceship to escape the box and make its own decisions. A problem occurs when the new mouse has no earthly idea what a “Derptron” is or how to filter something called an “API Key”. As a result, this departure from the familiar confines of the box can act as more of a deterrent, instead of an enticement. Some players are drawn to games like EVE because of how difficult they are in comparison to mainstream MMOs and these same players thrive in environments with shifting rulesets and variable outcomes. Other players are frightened or simply turned off by the idea of doing what they perceive as extra work or excessive effort to understand something they expected to find familiar. According to CCP Rise at Fanfest, 50% of new players that try EVE give up and quit.
NEW PLAYER FRIENDLY
Many new player friendly organizations exist within EVE, such as EVE University, Pandemic Horde, Brave Newbies, Karmafleet, and many others. Each provides a different experience that can appeal to different types of new players.
Brave Newbies is new player friendly with a side of David and Goliath. Born in the aftermath of the Battle of Asakai, Brave has risen to become one of the largest alliances in EVE. Unfortunately Brave Newbies have become a periodic font of drama as coups and coup attempts might give an appearance of instability to new players hoping to join. Occasional drama aside Brave still holds nullsec sovereignty and generates plenty of conflict for its members to enjoy. In order to join Brave you must pass an API check and not have affiliations with known spies or troublemakers.
EVE University has a more academic flavor, players complete courses and attend lectures. Players who demonstrate competency in their coursework are awarded in-game medals and eventually they graduate, ideally to pursue professional ventures in New Eden.
Karmafleet, part of Goonswarm Federation, is designed to help new players but requires that new recruits fill out a web based forum and write a small paragraph in order to gain entry. The humor inherent in such a requirement might be lost on some players and instead invoke a perception of tedium. A full API key is also required in order to attain membership.
Pandemic Horde is somewhat smaller than Karmafleet and the other alliances geared towards new players but what they lack in numbers they make up for in charisma. The Infamous Grath Telkin regularly leads fleets of new players on explosive and exciting excursions. Pandemic Horde stands out as one of the easiest organizations for a new player to join, not requiring anything but an application to be accepted.
Red vs Blue is probably one of the most user friendly new player organizations, members can use an in-game web interface to select the ships and fits they want and have those ships delivered to a preferred station. Regular fleets provide structured content while members are also given full autonomy to embark on their own adventures. No API key or special criteria needed to apply for membership.
Each of these groups, and others, exists with the intention of welcoming new players and helping them to find the spark that keeps so many others interested in EVE. However, merely existing with intent is not a guarantee of effectiveness.
THE HIDDEN COST OF ADMISSION
As mentioned above each new player organization has very different membership requirements and some of these criteria can turn off a new player. Even after a new player has successfully joined a corporation they can find themselves bombarded with mails and elaborate tutorials on how to set up and configure mumble, jabber, teamspeak and so on. This can either be overwhelming or if factored properly can be exciting, the difference is in the delivery. Mumble, for example, can create links that allow a person to click and instantly get signed in under the proper user name and credentials. This allows the end user to side step all the convoluted authentication and form filling. Creating a simple auth system is easier said than done, of course, due to any number of security and practicality concerns on part of the administration. Ultimately, by trimming the fat you also shave off some security.
API Keys are problematic in their own way, a new player is expected in many cases to provide a full key in order to even be considered for membership. This is an unfair power dynamic and could even be seen as exploitative being that a new player has no idea how much information they are providing by giving somebody their full api.
HELP: A FOUR LETTER WORD
Some players have no problem managing on their own when it comes to configuring coms platforms and getting authed to services however this same demographic runs into trouble when they are uncertain about something but unwilling to ask for help. The concept of asking for help is so simple and integral to success and yet so many intelligent people have difficulty enacting it. In some cases, this is due to a desire to feel self-reliant. Others may simply fear looking foolish or ignorant. MMOs are ultimately social adventures and EVE is especially so, this means we as players have to take the initiative. Something as simple as having members on staff whose sole responsibility is to help new players can make a huge difference. Regularly asking “anybody need some help?” and enforcing a culture where “there are no stupid questions” allows new players to flourish and grow.
EVE is unique among current MMOs in encouraging its players to break free of the box, rather than trying to condition them to predictable stimulus-response patterns. As more games in the sandbox mold are released, such as Star Citizen, the lessons learned in EVE’s community will likely prove invaluable, not just to player retention, but for organizations looking to grow and thrive in a game world without the hamster wheel.
