Comments on: Addressing the EVE learning curve

By: John

John — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:32:18 +0000

Not necessarily misuse. Firstly natural languages are vague. Secondly there are often several “correct” common usages of a phrase that are different from the technical definition, but since natural language is an imprecise and evolving thing the common usage *is* “correct”, even if it is factually wrong, e.g. the common and colloquial uses of words like cool, hot, bad, wicked etc. Thirdly any graph that has learning or a learning related thing on an axis is by definition a learning curve.

As noted in the below wikipedia excerpt the common term “steep learning curve has two opposite meanings:
“The familiar expression “steep learning curve” may refer alternately to rapid learning that is easy, or especially hard, or to steady progress that is increasingly difficult. Which is referred to needs to be clarified by context. The difference is specifically whether one is referring to the rate of learning or the rate of investment needed to learn.”

By: Casiella Truza

Casiella Truza — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:14:02 +0000

The fact that people misuse the term — which has an actual definition and application in cognitive science — doesn't make it relative. If you use other things for the axes, it's no longer a “learning curve”, anyway.

But yeah, the labels in this graph are totally off, indeed, under any interpretation.

By: Kirith Kodachu

Kirith Kodachu — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:59:51 +0000

I think your interpretation is wrong. The reason a steep learning curve is considered a bad thing is because it represents the amount of knowledge a player _has_ to learn quickly or be left behind. Thus why the graph is funny.

By: rixxjavix

rixxjavix — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:26:40 +0000

Nope, that's pretty much large scale fleet mechanics in a nutshell. lol, sorta. At least since Dominion.

By: Jaxley

Jaxley — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:11:47 +0000

EVE has a steep learning curve in terms of the required knowledge you need from the start and how you have to increase your knowledge to develop your gaming experience further.

EVE has a shallow learning curve in terms of how the game imparts knowledge.

It's all relative and a matter of how you name the axes of the graph displaying the learning curve.

Speaking of which, the axes' names of the graph above are more or less rubbish (not that the thing is based on serious research but whatever): I play EVE a month and learn nothing. Suddenly my gaming skill (or knowledge of the game) takes a leap within a couple of days before slowing down to a halt again. Then I forget some stuff, after which I know everything instantly.

Or how about WoW: it teaches me nothing in the first week before I learn everything in the second and third.

Be that as it may, fortunately I don't see any need to kill any kittens.

By: Casiella Truza

Casiella Truza — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:09:01 +0000

The new “advanced military” tutorial does just that, actually

By: Xeross

Xeross — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:50:26 +0000

Hmm, EVE's getting better and better at introducing the game. EVE is one of those things that's easy to learn but hard to master.

A pretty cool thing we came up with (Me and my corp mates) was a suicide bombing new player tutorial to get familiar with dying.