In a recent devblog, CCP announced the addition of popular “emotes” to EVE Online and EVE Echoes chats which were added this past patch; the effects are already generating concern. Since the implementation of unicode shortcuts that automatically display associated images (“emotes”) there has been a notable decrease in dialogue between pilots. This is not to say the chat isn’t used, but that it’s being used almost strictly for emote spamming.
Initially, players expressed excitement on the forums and elsewhere regarding the news. The CSM even unanimously applauded the news as “not harmful”. Wild speculation about which emotes would be added started to circulate among the usual media, with many hoping to see the popular “pepehands” and “pog” make the cut. Surprisingly, nobody was disappointed, as even alliance logos made it into the new code along with many classic berachs and popular EVE Streamer emotes.
It wasn’t long, however, before people started to notice problems. At first everyone was amused when an Intel chat would fill with pogs after an elite home defense Nyx pilot posted a “dank Rifter frag”, or a roaming gang would spam their logo in local to send Ishtars scrambling for tether.
However, a troubling trend quickly settled in. Rather than usual trash talk, chiding, or friendly banter players began simply posting emotes in local. Alliance and corp chats became back-and-forths of :smith: and :unsmith: when fleets would ping, then stand down. Streams of :pogchomp: :spod: would echo through standing fleet chats. Soon enough nobody was saying much of anything else.
There’s been debate on Reddit and many pings to devs regarding this, though the question remains unanswered: Do emotes constitute a substitute for actual conversation? While many complex ideas can be relayed through appropriate emotes, some complain that communication has broken down and the game suffers from it. Others dismiss these concerned Eden citizens as boomers. CCP is not actually expected to follow up and address these concerns, so we must simply watch as local scrolls by with “MMDs” and ”FatBees” at breakneck speed.
