Yesterday CCP announced a week-long sale on various "starter" packages. I put the word starter in quotes because in my view three of the four packages are also useful for veterans. I have looked at a lot of video game sales lately and some, to be honest, are ridiculous. So I decided when I received an email promoting the sale to look at the sale and try to judge whether the sale is good or bad. Or maybe bad and not so bad are better terms, depending on where the reader falls on the selling of skill points debate.
First, I'd like to copy down the advertising language.
The time to act is now! For a very limited time, new and veteran pilots alike have the opportunity to get their hands on the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Starter Packs for up to 50% off.
- Bronze Starter pack – 50% off
- Silver Starter pack - 50% off
- Gold Starter pack - 40% off
- Platinum Starter Pack - 40% off
Each pack can only be purchased once per account.
While the current sale runs from 10-16 January, I expect to see the same sale offered at least once per fiscal quarter. So think of this article as an evergreen review until CCP's marketing department changes up the offers. But I expect the basic contents of the packs to remain basically the same.
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| All 4 metal starter packs on sale |
Before evaluating each of the packs, I want to elaborate up front what I look for in a sale. Quite frankly, I mainly look at one thing: play time. How much does play time do I get with each package, and what does it cost? Any package where the game time for the package is between $10-$11 per month is something I can seriously think about buying. If I get a lot of extra perks in addition to the game time, I'm more likely to pull out my credit card.
I also want to make a point to those who don't like CCP selling skill points directly to players. CCP crossed the bridge of selling skill points years before with the introduction of the skill extractor/skill injector system. To my mind, CCP has sold skill points, through ways convoluted and simple, since 2016. Those who want to read my views at the time on the selling of skill points directly from the cash shop can follow this link.
With those explanations out of the way, on to the analysis.
Bronze Starter Pack: $4.99 (regular price of $9.99)
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| The true starter pack |
Contents:
14 days game time: Normally a $9.33 value when converting the value from the basic price of a full month's game time. The sale price comes in at or below the target price of $10-$11 per month.
Standard 'Boost' Cerebral Accelerator: A temporary implant that adds +4 to all learning attributes and lasts 4 days. If the character has the Biology skill trained to level 5, the length of the accelerator extends to 8 days. Yes, skills can affect cash shop purchases.
100,000 skill points: A nice little amount of skill points to start with.
Five SKINs (decorations for ships)
- Heron Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Imicus Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Probe Issue Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Magnate Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Venture Lodestrike SKIN
The first four ships listed above are basic tech 1 exploration frigates with the last ship the tech 1 dedicated mining frigate. At least, I'm assuming so. The ad copy for the "Probe Issue" needs fixing, as no such ship as a "Probe Issue" exists. The Probe is the Minmatar racial tech 1 exploration frigate while the Probe Fleet Issue is the Minmatar navy faction version. I'm assuming the sale includes the basic Probe and not the much more expensive Probe Fleet Issue.
My take: In the past CCP has put out some starter packs that were little more than efforts to steal the money of new players. I can thankfully say that at the 50% off price of $4.99, the Bronze Starter Pack is good value if a player has finished at least the tutorial (and preferably the career agents) and wants to try the paid version of EVE for a couple of weeks. Usually by the end of the two weeks a player knows if the game is one they'll want to keep playing for months into the future.
Silver Starter Pack: $9.99 (regular price of $19.99)
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| Value for those who just want to take a peek |
Contents:
30 days game time: Normally a $19.99 value. The sale price comes in at or below the target price of $10-$11 per month.
Advanced 'Boost' Cerebral Accelerator: A temporary implant that adds +6 to all learning attributes and lasts 6 days. If the character has the Biology skill trained to level 5, the length of the accelerator extends to 12 days. Did I mention that unlike other implants, accelerators do not expire upon clone death?
250,000 skill points: A useful amount, especially for new players.
Nine SKINs (decorations for ships)
- Heron Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Imicus Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Probe Issue Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Magnate Semiotique Superluminal SKIN
- Catalyst Semiotique SKIN
- Cormorant Semiotique SKIN
- Coercer Semiotique SKIN
- Thrasher Semiotique SKIN
- Covetor Morphite SKIN
Gold Starter Pack: $29.99 (regular price of $49.99)
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| A solid choice for a returning player |
Contents:
60 days game time: Normally a $31.99 value if prorated at the 90 day Omega time package rate. The sale price comes in at $16/month, which is above the target rate of $10-$11 per month.
500 PLEX: Normally sold for $24.99. Good for 1 month of game time or approximately 2.4 billion ISK at the average price of PLEX in The Forge the day the sale began. Also good for items in the New Eden Store, which uses PLEX as its currency.
Specialist 'Boost' Cerebral Accelerator: A temporary implant that adds +8 to all learning attributes and lasts 8 days. If the character has the Biology skill trained to level 5, the length of the accelerator extends to 16 days. Unlike other implants, accelerators do not expire upon clone death.
500,000 skill points: The amount of skill points in a skill injector, with the added bonus of no skill point loss depending on how many skill points the clone already possesses.
Hephaestus & Eternity Apparel: A set of clothing for one male clone and one female clone. Not really useful in the game's current state. If walking in stations becomes possible with the launch of EVE: Vanguard, the value goes way up.
Nine SKINs (decorations for ships)
- Omen Semiotique SKIN
- Caracal Semiotique SKIN
- Thorax Semiotique SKIN
- Rupture Semiotique SKIN
- Stabber Fleet Issue Snowline Bladeracer SKIN
- Augoror Navy Issue Sarum SKIN
- Vexor Navy Issue Glittering Dream SKIN
- Caracal Navy Issue Ghostbird SKIN
- Prospect Rockbreaker Pioneers SKIN
The first four SKINs are paint schemes for the four classic tech 1 NPC empire cruisers. The next four are for the faction navy versions of cruisers. The last SKIN is for the Prospect expedition frigate which is specialized for mining.
My take: If one uses the 500 PLEX in this package to pay for game time, then the buyer picks up 3 months of game time at or below the $10-$11 per month target price for these game packages. I am hesitant at recommending this package because while the skill point gain and SKINs are a nice value, I'm a bit wary of using the PLEX for other purposes. Plus, the avatar clothing is kind of a gamble on whether CCP eventually ports spaceship characters into Unreal 5 along with the Vanguard characters. Still, while I personally would hesitate at the $29.99 price tag, buying this package makes sense during a 40% off sale. I certainly wouldn't pay full price.
Platinum Starter Pack: $59.99 (regular price of $99.99)
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| You could start a skill point farm with this |
Contents:
90 days game time: Normally a $47.98 value if purchased separately. The sale price comes in at $20/month, which is above the target rate of $10-$11 per month.
1500 PLEX: Normally sold for $64.99. Good for 3 months of game time or approximately 7.2 billion ISK at the average price of PLEX in The Forge the day the sale began. Also good for items in the New Eden Store, which uses PLEX as its currency.
2 Multiple Character Training Certificates: Normally a $24.98 value, Multiple Character Training (MCT) Certificates allow training of a second (or even third) character on an account for 30 days.
Expert Cerebral Accelerator: I really, really hope this is another editing mistake and the marketing team meant the Expert 'Boost' Cerebral Accelerator. The boost version is a temporary implant that adds +10 to all learning attributes and lasts 10 days. If the character has the Biology skill trained to level 5, the length of the accelerator extends to 20 days. Unlike other implants, accelerators do not expire upon clone death.
I do have to call this out because I have a personal bad experience using Expert Cerebral Accelerators. In addition to only granting a +8 boost to all learning attributes, the Expert Cerebral Accelerator is only usable on accounts newer than 35 days. Maybe we no longer have to worry about the older version, but a lot of EVE players, myself included, have long memories.
650,000 skill points: The amount of skill points earnable in the latest seasonable event, Winter Nexus.
Radioactives Reclamation Apparel: Two sets of clothing, one for a male clone and another for a female clone. Not really useful in the game's current state. If walking in stations becomes possible with the launch of EVE: Vanguard, the value goes way up.
Five SKINs (decorations for ships)
- Prophecy Navy Issue Crown and Swords SKIN
- Myrmidon Navy Issue Inner Zone Vanguard SKIN
- Ferox Navy Issue Steel Cardinal SKIN
- Cyclone Fleet Issue Snowline Bladeracer SKIN
- Hulk Radioactives Reclamation SKIN
The first four SKINs are paint schemes for the four factional navy battlecruisers. The last SKIN is for the Hulk exhumer, the pinnacle sub-capital mining ship in EVE Online.
My take: If one uses the 1500 PLEX in this package to pay for game time, then the buyer picks up 6 months of game time at or below the $10-$11 per month target price for these game packages.
I really hate this package because of the FOMO (fear of mission out) feeling I get. I would not buy this package at $99.99. At $59.99? It's almost too good to pass up.
I would recommend that new players stay away from this package, despite the valuation. By new players, I mean those who have played less than a year. If the desire to purchase a package is too strong, purchase the Silver or Gold Starter Packs. The only exception would be those players looking at the Platinum Starter Pack as a pure purchase of Omega game time and will spend the PLEX on game time.
Final Thoughts
I have not really taken a close look at an EVE Online sale like the one running this week. I've written articles in the past, but those were a lot more superficial than I'd like. One of the ideas I had running through my head coming into 2024 was to take a closer look at the cash shops in various games.
Running through the four starter packs, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, I was reminded once again of how expensive the EVE Online cash shop truly is. I've wondered why, with the increased player counts over the last 14 months, why CCP is not doing better financially.
I think I know the reason why. Players have come to the conclusion with which I am about to conclude this post. Only buy from the EVE Online cash shop if something is on sale. Only suckers buy full price.
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