Weird simulation. You own a starship, have shown to be willing to use it in battle, and somehow lose it to the police once you are behind one payment, even if, presumably, you are guarding it at that moment?
Do these things come with a kill switch that the government can operate? Even if it does, how does the government take control of the ship? Remote control?
Also, if this game has one faction controlling half the universe, isn't the game effectively over, just like Monopoly often is long over before the last losing player gets eliminated?
I am not currently playing EVE and never played it much, so I may be wrong, but:
- The bill that went unpaid wasn't for a spaceship, it was for the right to control the area (B-R5RB). There's no particular explanation in the game, but the fee is relatively small and serves to make "open" the default system state. It's even sillier as this took place in 'null sec,' where the central government is supposed to be powerless. However, a game with the opportunity for mistakes is more interesting than the alternative, so you have sov payments.
- There have been several large alliances that nominally controlled most of the game's territory (the first was BoB, or band of brothers). The day-to-day mechanics are much more complex than a map shows (as in real life). The fact that your alliance "owns" a system does not mean _that_ much, and managing a large empire quickly becomes a command & control nightmare. Alliances have to repeatedly choose how to respond to various threats, thieves and internal power struggles, all while keeping the players with the keys to the kingdom happy. Large alliances have been brought down by high ranking members stealing large sums of money and abandoning systems for more money or our of boredom. Eventually, the large alliance makes a big mistake (like this case) and the balance of power shifts.
To clear up your points: the missed payment in question was not for a single starship but for the structure that designates control over a system. Simplified, the mechanics are such that so long as this structure exists taking the system is a difficult affair that favors the defender (structures have huge amounts of hp and then a invulnerability timer that gives defenders hours to realize they are being attacked and mount a retaliation). However, fail to put the resources into it and the time consuming step of removing sovereignty from a system is removed and the battle is more equal for both parties.
The way EvE is structured lends itself to shifts in the balance of power. Just because one faction is on top today doesn't mean they will hold their position indefinitely. The victors here, for example, come from much humbler roots and, when they entered the game, played a crucial part is annihilating the current ruling power.
All thanks for the replies. Makes more sense, but I would have put it in as "this defense system needs X amounts of this rare fuel Y each Z" (or, maybe, bring a statistical aspect into it: "the Foo in your bar are wearing out faster than usual. Please make sure you have spare parts"), not as "yes, you have a zillion extremely powerful guns, but if you don't pay rent in time, we, will take your guns away from you.". This, to me, makes this universe feel like some toy system with some all-powerful entity who really is in control (a bit like Q, but less disinterested).
Also, what would an all-powerful entity need that money for? It would have to be some accountant-deity to enjoy such regular payments. Or was that apparent glitch that showed the bill as paid to some part of the fun?
The article said that the payment was for a star system, not a starship.
I'm not an EVE player and don't know much about how it works, but I'm guessing that it's something like a starship is your personal property, but a star system is considered "community" property. Hence, you have to pay tax for "sovereignty", or exclusive rights, to a system.
Do these things come with a kill switch that the government can operate? Even if it does, how does the government take control of the ship? Remote control?
Also, if this game has one faction controlling half the universe, isn't the game effectively over, just like Monopoly often is long over before the last losing player gets eliminated?