Eve is the greatest game to read about that I have almost no interest in ever playing. I'm glad it exists.
But...the gameplay is just boring as hell. This video sums it up: https://youtu.be/4c6jafaiPh8?t=65
You can decide what level to play at and grow as you like, as you get better.
It's with this approach that I'll probably always return to Eve, play it for a bit, stop and repeat.
It's never zero, though. Which is a far better situation compared to many MMO games where they really have zero risk areas (or the whole game is zero risk).
Or if not pod you at least destroy your ship and steal all your stuff.
Depends on what you are doing. The first time you manage to escape with your ship intact after an incursion in low security or (specially) Null sec space, you get hooked. Or when you do the same, but in wormhole space.
If you are doing missions or participating in alliance shenanigans... yeah. Lots of mindless button pushing. At that point, trading in the market is more fun.
Sneaking into another halls at uni to cover a BoB guy’s door with bees I’d cut out and printed (we became friends over this!)
Also fun:
- Running training exercises for new players. We'd train them how to fly in formation, how to align ships, how to scan. The final training exercise for the corp was a "Snipe Hunt" where I was the snipe. They had to catch me, but if they managed, they were allowed to blow up my ship.
- Hauling for a mining gang. Fifteen people in mining barges and me in a large transport moving rocks back to our Player-Owned Station. Posting nonsense and memes in chat, while having the craziest discussions. Every once in a while, we'd get jumped by raiders and call in the cavalry.
At least three of the corps I was part of got flipped and shredded from the inside. Players worked to earn trust, become officers in the corp, gain security clearances, only to steal everything. They had fun, I guess.
But the time investment became way too heavy to keep playing once I became a father.