EU can be played many different ways. There are some players that play EU like a casino (
Well since no one ever says what to do right... like ever no matter how many times it's ask.
Maybe you're the problem.
How about you give me an exact detail report on what i'm doing wrong and the step by step instructions on what to specifically do and we'll go from there.
Otherwise all you're saying is, "Fuck you. Leave my money alone".
"What to do right" is going to be what you decide is right.
Is that making PED? Is that joining a soc and going on team hunts? Is that Gearing up for PVP and one day hoping to get into a Land Grab Soc? Is that trading at Twin Peaks or the auction house? Is that finding high MU% ores and enmat spots and capitalizing on their respawns? Is that investing into CP Shares or CLDs and making some passive income? Is it sweating and fruit walking and avoiding the deposit so you can prove to yourself you can "make it" in EU for free? Is that owning a Privateer or Mothership and offering a taxi service? Is it focusing on shared loot mobs at all the different shared loot spawns? Is that building your avatars skills and HP to be able to compete in Mayhems and other player made events for awesome prizes? Is that owning a Land Area in the game? Is that becoming a Twitch streamer, a YouTuber for the game, or some other type of commentary... We even have ex players who spend all their time running tabloid forums obsessed over the current players and avatars still in the game. For them, for you, for anyone, you need to figure out what you want Entropia to be for you.
This game isn't meant to be played one way. The "right way" is going to be something you figure out as you play.
When you figure that out, look for the top players in those areas of the game and approach them with kindness and curiosity. Not all will share, maybe even none of them will if you approach them with how you've approached the players here. But some will.
I've gleaned more useful information about EU inside the game, having private chats with my friends than I ever got from watching some video or reading some post on here. I also have had a lot of valuable lessons learned from my own experience. I've mined, hunted, crafted, traded, invested, and for me I love the sandbox feel of this game. Sure, I have my own biases as a Land Owner. Of course I want to see EU continue to do well, why wouldn't I? But, I've always been positive about the game since day one. I've enjoyed the challenge of learning the "ins" and "outs" of each of the professions. I've always been up for a challenge, in life, and in here, EU is no different.
On the flipside, you're going to run into ex-players and players that have failed to play the game in a way that allowed them to continue playing. They're going to be biased and toxic and use hasty generalizations. They'll paint the game as a big "casino" where only "luck" matters. They'll tell you that MA has favorites and their avatar is "cursed". They'll tell you that no matter what they did they lost PED, it didn't matter. They'll be quick to play the victim, and denounce others success. There are people like this in life, as well. You meet them every day. They blame all of their problems on their circumstances and surroundings. Don't let them get you down.
Hear out both sides, don't just discount one from the start. Make your own judgments. You can learn things from a salty "ex-player", and you can learn things from MindArk "fanboy". The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
I'm not saying EU is perfect, far from it. This game has plenty of issues, and in my opinion the devs don't take full advantage of its potential. We've had lots of broken promises and features never brought to life. Anyone saying the opposite is flat out lying. Rather than focus on the negative, I focus on the positive. I've seen the new MA team put more patches, small fixes, implement features and listen to the community more than any other team has in 10+ years. I like the direction the game is headed, and I'd rather "build" than "destroy" with my efforts and words.
This game is different now in 2020 than it was when I started in 2010, and knowing that I have to stay on my toes and adapt with it, is something else that continues to keep my interest.
The servers cost money, the upkeep and payroll costs money, so there's bound to be rules in place that keep MindArk from losing. Sort of the "duh" observation, but it needs to be stated nonetheless. MindArk has to win. I want MindArk to win, if they don't they whole game goes down. This is the same for any other game company or company at all for that matter. Instead of getting angry at this setup, realize that there are small advantages in the game to be discovered. Realize that there are many people content spending $ for pure enjoyment. Not everyone's goal is to make PED playing the game, many people log in to relax and enjoy some activity with their friends. A lot of people treat EU like a monthly subscription to any other MMO, they deposit $20 or $40 a month, and they get hours and hours of enjoyment out of it. I see nothing inherently wrong with this.
In regards to the thread title:
I think what Simmonds said was fine. He's correct, EU isn't a gambling game. EU is a skill based game. I know he's right because I've seen it with my own eyes and my own numbers. I've kept my own spreadsheets and tracked returns, and yes skills do play a
MAJOR role in returns. There's a direct correlation to higher skills and higher tt % return, the game creators haven't hidden this from you
it's literally called a "Looter Profession". They've also told you it has an impact on your returns, and they're not kidding.
Is it possible to participate in some aspects of EU that are similar to a "casino" and try and gamble? Yes, I think EP IV is pretty good evidence of players going for that big ATH. But EP IV is not EU. EP IV is one activity inside the game, and the vast majority of the players playing the game don't even touch the blueprint. This game is deep, and there's so many different ways to play it. If you come in here trying to play EU like a gambling game just crafting EP IV, chances are you're going to leave pretty unhappy with your results.
Figure out what you want EU to be for you, and then realize that you'll likely have to put in a good amount of effort learning all of its nuances, because there are many. The rabbit hole goes deep...
GL