It seemed like a good idea at the time. As is so often the case, only time can tell how the EVE Online community and player base will respond to news or changes initiated by CCP. This one seemed straightforward: Reduce the duration of the daily downtime.



CEO Hilmar Veigar’s twitter pic seemed a little extra smug as he posted gleefully to celebrate a downtime lasting “less that [sic] 4 minutes.”

How could he have possibly anticipated the outrage that would come boiling over?



“CCP has acted with blatant disregard for my playstyle,” bemoaned a well-known cloaky camper. “As a result of the shortened downtime, I lost a full 11 minutes, during which I estimate some 3.1 billion ISK were earned by the denizens of my host system. If I do not receive firm assurances this will never occur again and if this continues, I may have to unsub my 310 accounts. This is clearly illegal under Texas law, and unacceptable if we want to Make New Eden Great Again.”



Super ratters were equally incensed. “I count on an approximately 15 minute downtime each day, during which I grab my day’s stash of HotPockets, a bottle of Tito’s, and three pairs of tube socks: one for my feet, and two for… well, the HotPockets, you know. This unprecedented curtailment of downtime puts my health and well-being in serious jeopardy. I am not a well they, as you know, and I can’t help but wonder if this is a targeted attack. I wonder if CCP has abandoned their progressive Icelandic roots, and embraced the antiquated so-called morality of their new Korean overlords. Pride month is only a few days gone, and…I can’t even.”



As pressure mounted from all sides, with cloaky campers and super ratters in unprecedented alignment, the CCP Community Team is rumored to have engaged in a heated debate on next steps. The two members struggled to find an acceptable response. Rumors suggest CCP Kitteh volunteered that players should HTFU, while CCP Falcon kept muttering something about “stranger and Stranger Things…”



It is unknown how it came to be that CCP Kitteh, for the first time in recorded history, apparently lost the argument, but one thing is certain: CCP Kitteh looked none too pleased at having to initiate a redundant reboot to extend downtime.