Some of you might find this Sunday’s blog post a bit dull and serious compared to my usual tales of Lootius, events, and lighthearted fun. But that’s just how it is – sometimes, even I have opinions I want to express on a personal level, which don’t feel right for a forum discussion. Not because I can’t join forum threads with my views, but because they often drown in unserious remarks and mudslinging.
First, let me emphasize my love for Entropia. I absolutely adore this game and always have since I first set my little, novice gamer feet on Calypso’s soil.
It’s in Entropia that I found lifelong friendships – and even love, nearly 20 years ago. That love led to a real-life marriage, a child, and more. In many ways, the line between the real world and the virtual one became paper-thin. The role of TheNun was a huge part of my identity, not just in Entropia but beyond.
When I first read about Entropia in a science magazine, it wasn’t the idea of making real money that attracted me, as it did for so many others. Instead, it was the role-playing aspect and the idea of interacting with “real people” across the globe via a digital platform – a concept that felt groundbreaking at the time. Gaming had always been a big part of my life, but I had never ventured into a virtual multiplayer world. Entropia became my first experience in this type of gameplay.
It wasn’t long before TheNun and the Church of Lootius was formed. This opened up an entirely new world for me – friendships, fun, creativity on a new level, and the joy of shared activities beyond the real world made Entropia my second home for many years.
Thanks to our crazy events, the EntropiaTimes magazine, and my professional work in forum design with my ex-husband, I was eventually hired part-time as a Community Manager for Planet Cyrene. At that point, I had to make a choice: retire TheNun permanently or let MindArk freeze her until I could return one day. I sold most of my items and skills and laid TheNun to rest, believing I wouldn’t come back. But I did come back again on a serious level 4 months ago.
In 2014, after leaving my job at Cyrene (which was great fun with great people <3 ), MindArk revived TheNun, but nothing was the same. That same year, I went through a personal crisis due to my divorce. The years that followed made it hard to rediscover myself as TheNun because a part of my identity felt lost, and the memories in the game were overwhelming. On top of that, for years, I had to hear daily complaints about how terrible the game supposedly was and about all the issues with the game developers. I won’t bore you with those details – but it’s exhausting and demotivating to hear constantly.
Enough about the past – let’s talk about the present. I’m back now, stronger than ever, and as always, it’s not for the money but for the friends and to create fun both in game and elsewhere.
So, what’s the current state of Entropia?
It looks much the same as it did back then. Almost nothing has changed. But I say “almost” because, in some ways, a lot has changed. I could go into detail about all the issues discussed regarding the game – its balancing system, loot mechanics, MM, and more – but I won’t. Instead I want to focus on the community, the player base, and those who are still working to keep the game alive. Planet partners have been bought out, legendary players have disappeared, and while some remain, there’s a growing undercurrent of discontent on various platforms, with more negativity in posts than I’ve ever seen before.
Many of these posts don’t even reach you – they are promptly removed on forums as they appear. The same goes for the people who dare to raise even the slightest criticism of how things are managed – or they simply leave. To me, this is deeply wrong and sends the wrong signals. It makes players feel more insecure and even angrier when their concerns are ignored.
Instead of pushing people away, game developers should embrace criticism, listen and eventual debate. A healthy discussion about things are needed. Afterall, without players there would never be a game. Entropia is full of highly experienced players with diverse skills in IT, game design, coding, 3D modeling, AI specialization, writing, and more. These are resources that could greatly benefit the game if the developers chose to collaborate with them instead of alienating them. And this could become the greatest strength a game has ever seen.
Instead, there seems to be more and more scammers and those who exploit the system in the game. Mafia-like tactics happen in- and even outside the game – people are being mean, cruel, and engaging in different level of bullying – and those who notice are cast out from the community rather than heard. It’s absurd that more effort isn’t put into cleaning up and collaborating with the right people.
Unreal Engine 5: Hope or Hype?
I understand why many are skeptical about whether UE5 will ever happen. We hear comments and whispers like; weren’t we promised video updates of the new engine? Why haven’t we seen images or heard more from the developers? And why does it feel like more energy is being spent on AI NPCs than on actual updates?
Having worked with other games – professionally, even – I know how vital it is to keep your player base updated and in the loop on future projects. When people have invested their money, time, and energy, and even tied their lives to a game, it’s absolutely crucial to maintain their interest and positivity. Otherwise, you lose them – and along with them, your income. A steady income from a current player base is way more valuable than little bits of newbie transactions. Lot of them just joining to leave again without even depositing.
Both individuals and companies can only fake things for so long. Transparency and visibility are key – not just for the player base but also for investors. Without them, the opposite effect takes hold, and it all backfires in the end. And no matter what people say or how they voice their concerns, no Entropian wants that.
We want the game to continue.
We want it to succeed.
We want to help, if we’re heard.
We want a healthy balance in the game.
We want trustworthy players who don’t exploit the system to the detriment of others.
We want new players so the world can grow.
We want to invest our blood, sweat, and tears if we can see that it makes a difference.
Players just don’t want to be stepped on. And they want those working on the game to do so professionally and take the player base seriously. That’s all.
As I’ve said, I don’t play for profit, but I still invest because I want to have fun and create unique experiences for my fellow players and society members in a game I absolutely love.
But just because I want to create fun experiences for players doesn’t mean I’m blind to what’s happening – I see it, I hear it, feel it and it leaves me uneasy and genuinely concerned.
I want honesty from the game developers, even if that honesty isn’t what we want to hear. I want transparency because it’s the only way forward if survival is the goal. And I want to contribute to building a positive and enjoyable future for the game, because right now, the entire player base is drowning in negativity and uncertainty.
I also hope the game developers takes a hard look at whether they’ve alienated the wrong players – those who genuinely care and have contributed significantly to the community over the past 20+ years – while allowing others, who perhaps shouldn’t remain, to stay and thereby rewarding the wrong behavior. Because right now it’s the Wild West out there …
Even though this post may come across as negative, understand that it’s written from the heart because I want Entropia to thrive for many years to come. I want to see Unreal Engine 5, new planets, exciting places, and new players. Most of all, I want to keep seeing my virtual family and friends inside the Universe, we all love.
And as seen on the forums many times lately:
#MakeEntropiaGreatAgain
Please & Peace,
TheNun
The above represents my personal opinion, and neither the Church of Lootius nor its members or my friends are responsible for my views or this blog post.
Sand by Dove Cameron’s lyrics
Dear Lootius is 85% Danish content translated to English via Google Translate and 15% refined by ChatGPT.
ai android b.a.b.e. Build A Better Entropia calypso churchoflootius club neverdie CoL events desert Dune entropia entropians entropiauniverse events faith fashion film film review freedom of speech fuck song game play harvesting hell howling mine inner demons loot lootius love loyal friends make entropia great again movie music newbeginning new members personal view pvp rubber duck secret dreams superhero sweat syntetic worlds thank you thenun troxes unreal engine 5
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