You Know You're An Eve Addict When...

...you spend the first part of your 45th birthday on a 60-jump excursion to Khanid Kingdom to set a jump clone. Yep, that's exactly what I did earlier, and it gave me reason to pause, reflect, and maybe, just maybe, evolve a bit as a player.

It occurred to me as I was flying my way out across Gallente, Caldari, and, for the first time, Amarr space to set this jump clone that in just the last week I've reached a few milestones in this game:

1. I've now been to every major empire at least once, as well as Khanid Kingdom.

2. I've been on my first fleet op, which was also my first time playing EVE in concert with other players.

3. I've set my first jump clone.

4. I finally beat that goddam "Blockade" mission for the first time.

5. I've been within two jumps of 0.0 space.

On the way back to Gallente space, I did something that's been pretty out of character for me thus far in this game. Checking my map, I realized that I could save myself nine jumps if I went through five low-sec systems near the end of my trip. Three of these systems I'd already visited on missions, but two I hadn't...and the map indicated that one of those new systems had had five ships destroyed in it during the previous hour. I had to make a decision on which route to take before I started the trip. I decided to go for it.

I knew that even if I did get my Thorax destroyed and/or myself podded, I could afford to replace it. Therefore, I figured that with reasonable precautions and a cargo hold filled with plenty of ammo it was a risk worth taking. Funny thing is, I needn't have worried.

When I reached the gate to the first low-sec system, one of the ones I'd never been to, I set my chat window to Local and jumped into...nothing. There was only one other pilot in the system, one who was apparently neutral to me. I flew to the next gate, jumped into the other low-sec system I'd never been to...and again, nothing. I was the only one there. Jump, jump, jump, and I was back in Gallente high-sec. Big fucking deal.

Of course, it certainly could have been different, but it wasn't. I took a risk and it paid off. Chances are, I'll probably take more in the future. The truth is, though, I took the risk because I knew I could afford the worst possible result. I was, in fact, flying something I could afford to lose, so I took the risk. Would I have done it had I been flying a Myrmidon or Brutix instead of a Thorax? In all honesty, I don't know. Would I do it now? Maybe, maybe not, but I'd probably consider it a lot more seriously that I would have before this morning's excursion.

So, while it may be at a slower pace than some, I'm definitely making progress in EVE, in assets, in experience, in skills, and in courage. My perception of this game and my place in it is changing rapidly, seemingly almost every time I log in. The AU PvP class on Saturday will be another milestone, one I suspect will lead to even more changes in how I play this game.

All of this points up to me, yet again, how different this game is from any other I've ever played, and why I enjoy it as much as I do. It's been called a "sandbox" in terms of the way it's structured. I suppose that's accurate in some ways, but it's also so much more. Never in my gaming career have the risks been so high, the rewards so great, the learning curve so high, the content so engrossing, or the experience so satisfying. It's for all these reasons and more that I celebrate my own birthday, just days after the game's own, by playing EVE.

Damn, I just love this game.