Today's topic comes Diaries of a Space Noob blog and other sources:
Do classic heroes exist in EVE? Is such heroism even possible in EVE? How would you go about being one without opening yourself wide open to scams? Is the nature of the game so dark that heroes can't exist? How do you deal with that irony? What effect does this have on us and the psyche of new players coming in from other MMOs? Is it something special that we don't have classic heroes, or should we? Are our non classic heroes more genuine?- - -
So, heroism, in Eve. Hmm. I'm of a split mind on this. On one hand, I don't think we have any heroes, not in the sense the word deserves. One the other, I do think player characters occasionally do take actions that approach the heroic, but are still prevented from ever attaining the merit of the name. The main problem with being heroic in any game is that we are always insulated from ultimate failure, and are very restricted in our ability to partake in any sort of meaningful spiritual struggle. Without these, one can be admirable, brave, exemplary, even remarkable, in-game - but not heroic. Heroes should have to face some real opposition, risking the possibility of failure - they are heroes because they overcome these challenges that non-heroes fail at. The onus is then to say more what is a 'real' challenge, in order to define a 'real' hero.
Is it heroic to take one's first risk, to cross into Low-sec for the first time, or to enter a wormhole when you have no idea what is on the other side? Overcoming the fear one might have for those places could be a significant struggle for some, but is it a heroic struggle? Could it ever be? No one has to visit Low or WH space, or take up with a new corp, or take risks of any kind. There is no imperative to overcome the barrier, just a recognition that a path remains closed if it not overcome. It is not a critical matter for the soul whether or not such an action is taken or pursued.
Classical heroes are driven by something. Can one be a hero without a cause? The paladin is on a crusade for justice, the liberator cannot rest while his chosen people are in chains. Oedipus must save his kingdom, Ajax defends the ships, Frodo must resist the temptation of the Ring, Anastasia Kerensky seeks to re-forge her clan. There are countless examples in both high and low literature, where the hero has their obvious burden.
So what makes those 'real' heroes, especially considering they are fictional characters? I think the key is that while they may be works of fiction, and substantially imaginary, we, the experiencers, be it through book, movie or other mediums, are asked, and agree to consider them according to the standard we hold living people to. That is, we accord these fictional characters the same respect in considering their motivations and resultant actions, as we would our friends, or leaders, or historical figures. Do we extend the same grace to another player's avatar, or do we consider the player themselves in that way?
I do not think we do, or can, or should. Most of us do not engage with games seriously enough for us to grant this sort of integrity and complexity to our in-game actions. Indeed, part of what makes a game a game is this lighter heft, the escape from the burden and stress of such weighty decisions as the ones we are expected to deal with in life. Eve itself encourages us to take things more lightly - there is such ease of loss and acquisition, we leave morals pertaining to theft and vengeance and backstabbing at the door, admittedly to various extents. It may be argued that games may or should allow for the same level of investment, but I would take a stand against this - we should always put our lives first, and our amusements are only part of that life.
Eve doesn't play into the power fantasy as much as other MMOs. As anyone who's seen a battleship taken down by frigates, or a bling fit successfully ganked knows, higher stats do not protect you in Eve. Even high numbers of allies does not make you safe. Our sandbox is partially defined by the notion 'you are not safe anywhere.' What is out there to be overcome? There is no great enemy in Eve, only a thousand small dangers. And no matter what we do, they aren't going anywhere. If one wanted to be a hero here, the only thing only could really oppose is that invincible hydra. Frankly, I don't see that ever being done successfully, and to do so would end the game as we know it anyway.
So if we aren't playing to feel heroic, why are we playing? I think it must be because there is some struggle in attaining success, whether that be a certain amount of isk, kills, territory, skillpoints, exploration or what have you. Eve does not gift you with success, you have to earn it, but there is never only one way to achieve something. For me at least, that's one of the reasons why I still like Eve - while I may lose a ship, I learn something about flying it, while I might buy a module off the market instead of hunting rats for it, that isk had to come from somewhere. At some point, I have to participate in the inter-connectivity of the Eve universe. It's more interesting to be part of a large world than live in your own little one. That is Eve's greatest strength, and I think why the established community tends to be so scathing of people who come in and expect to buy their way to success.
In the end Eve is only a game. Despite the way Eve mirrors the environment heroes would occupy more closely than many of its brethren, it still can't have proper heroes itself. Games don't have heroes, life has heroes. However, games can be an opportunity to practice what we will use in life. Jumping into low for the fist time is not literally life-or-death, but it can take some real courage. Teamwork, organization, commanding, all of these skills can be elevated to heroic stature when something that really counts is on the line. And they can be practiced in Eve, but doing so doesn't make us heroes.
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