When comparing Star Trek Online vs EVE Online, the Slant community recommends EVE Online for most people. In the question“What are the best MMORPGs on Steam?” EVE Online is ranked 4th while Star Trek Online is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose EVE Online is:
You can do anything. literally anything. You can become a massive entrepreneur and deal with billions of ISK, set up a pirate base in wormhole space, explore anomalies, build massive ships, become CEO of a player-run industrial corporation. There's tons and tons and tons of stuff. This is likely the most sandboxy of MMO sandboxes.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Fun ship combat
Command your own ship and crew. Customize everything and upgrade as you explore the galaxy as part of several different factions.
Pro Free to play
Star Trek Online was one of the first to go free to play, and has continued to put out great content; including characters from various shows making appearances.
Pro Realistic Star Trek universe
Set in the Star Trek Universe, command your own ship and crew, rising in ranks and gaining new ships, while facing perils on away missions and boarding actions alike.
Pro Real freedom
You can do anything. literally anything. You can become a massive entrepreneur and deal with billions of ISK, set up a pirate base in wormhole space, explore anomalies, build massive ships, become CEO of a player-run industrial corporation. There's tons and tons and tons of stuff. This is likely the most sandboxy of MMO sandboxes.
Pro 360' freedom of movement
Up, down, left and right simply stop having a meaning when it comes to space. Making for a true space simulator in that the controls mimic how objects would behave in a real space environment.
Cons
Con Subscription gives advantage
The Developers have been careful to avoid pay-to-win, but being a subscriber or paying some real money for in game quality of life perks can be a big bonus, and offer monthly rewards.
Con Spreadsheets in space
At the very core, that's what it is. You'll be looking at tons of stats, calculating % resistances and DPS. It's a paradise for math savants and economics geeks, but not so much if you just want to blow things up quickly.
The graphics are there, but combat takes place at a few kilometers at least, so you won't be ever seeing your ship and the enemys' at the same time (unless as tiny silhouettes). Which only enhances the feeling that combat is a set of dynamic spreadsheets rather than a real visceral thing.
Con On the decline
The player number is about half of what it used to be and continues to decline. The game has been around for 10 years so it's hardly a surprise.
Con Requires lots of time invested
Because of the open market thing even going out on a quick mission may require you to gear up your ship first, which takes ages as you jump across multiple stations to get the two dozen different modules required to outfit your ship.
EVE feels a lot like a second job sometimes.