Those of us that play Entropia Universe often run into the cliche questions from new players and nay-sayers to the platform: is Entropia Universe a Losing Game? Is it pay to win? Can you really make money like MindArk purports? This isn’t the easiest question to answer because there are a number of factors to consider. First, what is your purpose in playing Entropia Universe? Why did you decide to join the platform?
Your purpose in playing is largely the deciding factor on whether or not EU is a losing game; even more so than whether or not you succeed in your attempt. If you play EU to entertain yourself, kill some mobs, unwind after a hard day at the office, then it’s never a losing game. If you put in the same amount the typical gamer puts into their subscription-based MMO (call it $20 a month on average, to account for EU not having a purchase price or expansion packs every two years), then you break even. Keeping in mind that you have to set your level of play to your budget, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to play at Uber level to enjoy yourself on the platform. Then, when the big loots do come in the form of Globals, you can re-direct those profits back into more play time!
If you come to EU strictly to make money, I have some bad news for you: you’re either going to have to invest money, or a lot of time. MindArk isn’t in the business of giving away money; in fact, if they were, in all likelihood we wouldn’t have the platform to play on. Thus, you have to put the effort and time in to provide goods or services to other players in order to make money. You can do any number of things, from running a taxi to face sculpting to sweating mobs, but it comes down to one of two things: are you going to dump a bunch of money in to grind the skills out quicker (or buy them and chip in), or are you going to sweat the mobs and grind out the PED the F2P way? How you decide to do it is up to you.
In the end, if you achieve what goal you set for yourself in EU, it isn’t a losing game. Using myself as an example, I put in a significant amount of my disposable income every month because EU is the basis for my YouTube Channel (you can find it here). Therefore I measure my results in EU more on the success of the videos I make rather than the strict PED made or lost, even though I meticulously track every PED earned and lost. Why do I do this, if I am more focused on the views and watchtime? Just because I said it isn’t the measure of my success doesn’t mean I don’t want to be mindful of my profits and losses!
In fact, I strongly recommend you do the same. Although for some time, it may even look depressing, keeping track of your PED-flows will tell you when you might want to take a break, or move on to another hunting or mining location. If you track exactly where you were mining, or what you were hunting, you can even figure out what your go-to mobs should be for maximum profitability. That said, you must also remember that your Looter and Prospecting skills play a major role in your loot, and making sure you’re hunting mobs in your loot capability, or digging to the depth you should be, is crucial to successful ventures.
And for crafters? That’s a whole article on its own, since crafting is more involved than hunting or mining. You have to read the market, know what to make, know you can make it and profit from the mark-up, and that’s after you grind the skills out. I have research to do on this, but if I can, I’ll do an article on it soon!
McBain Manor 