Some EVE Online players are dealing with a heavy amount of frustration as DDoS attacks have left them helpless to defend their territories. In EVE Online, players band together and “claim” areas of the game - the natural result of a space exploration and exploitation game with big guns and even bigger ships. However, these attacks have left players unable to log in, and with no one around, there is no one to defend claimed territories.
DDoS attacks are far too common in online gaming, and they have a very negative impact on everyone. WoW Classic, for instance, was heavily hit with DDoS attacks shortly after launch, leaving players unable to accomplish much of anything for days. In the early part of last decade, sustained DDoS attacks left Sony’s PSN network in shambles for weeks. Companies often find themselves struggling to deal with these attacks, with some like Ubisoft fighting DDoS attacks with lawsuits in order to solve the issue. Unfortunately, the threat of legal issues isn’t enough to stop many malicious trolls from doing their worst, and EVE Online is currently dealing with “the worst.”
GameRant reports that EVE Online has been facing sustained DDoS attacks for more than a week, although developer CCP says that significant progress has been made. The company has patched the client and instructed players to use a VPN to log internationally, as the attacks seem to be focused on the United States servers. Since EVE Online currency directly translates to real-world money, this represents massive revenue losses for those who treat the game like a job. In-game items can be very valuable, with one ship recently selling for $33,000 to benefit Australian wildfire relief. CCP has announced via Twitter that fewer players are having trouble logging in:
CCP is continuing to work on the situation, but players are understandably frustrated as they are forced to wait, powerless to maintain their now tenuous control over their territories. Players who are able to log in are having issues with communication in EVE Online, as well as other problems. Many still report login errors, although a number of players who have taken CCP’s VPN suggestion say their issues are minimal.
Some may tell players to get over the issues with the game and play something else until it’s fixed, but EVE Online is a highly-competitive atmosphere where something like this can undo weeks, months, or even years of collective player efforts - and it can help others become rich while robbing those who actually did the work of bringing everything together. Although the efforts to fix EVE Online from the developers are admirable, players are right in saying that it needs to be fixed soon.
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Source: GameRant, Twitter