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Lumin's avatar
Lumin

Ahhh, greetings fellow citizens of this space! I am Lurm the Slurm and I am here to tell you that your communication windows should be sized to at least half your HUD space at a minimum. The real game is, after all, played in local chat!

Seriously, though, local chat and player run chat channels are in my mind the lifeblood of the game and one of the main reasons the game feels as live as it does. This includes the local chat box itself, and then the players in the chat and their names and portraits. It truly is at the heart of all things in EVE. The feeling of jumping into a system on your way to rob its ESS and seeing no one. The quickening of the pulse when you see a name pop up in wormhole space or Pochven. The pride and joy that comes from the 'gf' given to you by someone you've just managed to defeat in honorable, or dishonorable combat. The deal or deed you've been hunting for being requested or posted in Jita 4-4. That private communication or mail from an old friend inviting you to join them on their glorious adventure once more.

There's nothing else like it and there's no way anyone would be able to convince me it is merely a 'tool for gathering intelligence'. While I believe that is true, I also believe it is just so much more to so many people. I was SHOCKED to hear that some people have local chat minimized, or have portraits hidden, or have it so small that they can't even see a single sentence in it...

...I just cannot believe it.

The real game is played in local chat!

JHenckes's avatar
JHenckes

Local chat can be used as both an information-gathering tool and a social space. It's clear to anyone who plays that the local chat goes both ways all the time, depending on the player!

However, in my opinion, local chat was designed and is mostly used for interactions. Speaking for myself, I use the chat to talk to other players, make jokes and even pass on tips or information to newbies, while at the same time embracing them in guilds that will help their progress in the game!

It's always good to know which player is using chat: newbies tend to use it to ask for information, experienced players tend to vary between chatting and assessing the danger of certain activities in the system in question, as well as using it for conflict communications, where gathering information can be essential for defining a possible battle or psychological pressure through the local chat itself.

In addition to the player's style, the location they are in can greatly change the style of the local chat. High-sec is a place where local chat is used almost entirely for communication, while places like null-sec and low-sec are used for gathering information for survival (due to the dangers of these places).

It's clear to see how local chat is a simple system with a number of complexities involved that make it very much a part of the game!

O
Osckx

I believe it serves as both, it mostly depends on each person's use case, for example, When you're out exploring in lowsec or nullsec Local chat can be used to know who's relatively close to you, if they are a criminal, and therefore if the could pose a threat to your character.

But in my personal use case Local chat serves as a way to ask for guidance and to make new friends around New Eden, The first Corp I joined over 5 years ago, people of the saiya, was a corp I met because there were recruiters in my local chat sending invitations and whatnot, and when I sent a message asking what a corp even was, I was met with very friendly fellows who helped me start my journey in EVE. I even joined their discord and chatted with them about career paths in EVE.

So in conclusion I believe it can function as both, mostly dependant on the region you're on and who's close to you

FUN INC's avatar
FUN INC

Local is a chat channel, but it is used as an intelligence tool.

It was never meant to be used in this way (pretty sure it was menat to be used to say hi to people and collab), however in this sandbox that we call eve, players use what tools they have to them, to enrichen their experience - if that is using locla as an intel tool, then crack on!

All that said, like it or not, it is used predominantly as an intel channel and tool.. regardless as to what people say and / or think, it is not really used as a chat channel per se - for those of you that play eve, you probably have your own personal corp and alliance channels established, and rarely talk in local, aside from GF, or o7

Schadsquatch's avatar
Schadsquatch

100% it is more of an intelligence tool than a place to talk.
With access to zkill, when I go into null-sec space I am scouting out what they are typically flying, what modules they have installed, and what they have destroyed recently. There have been too many times where we land an interceptor on what was supposed to be easy prey and it turns out to be a 'bait-ship'.

For my care bear friends in high-sec, they use it to 'scout' potential gankers or awoxers who might destroy their mining ships, haulers or mission runners. There are entire data bases that can be pulled by copy-pasting their names into an app or list to alert you of nefarious capsuleers.

This isn't to say that the local channel isn't a useful tool for making friends or for throwing shade, but its usefulness for determining if you are about to be two ships sailing past each other in the night or someone's next meal cannot be understated.

orik Kado's avatar
orik Kado

Local chat is definitely one of the biggest love/hate aspects of New Eden, and it basically divides players into two camps: those who support it and those who don’t want it.

Expecting it to work the same across all regions of the game is, in my opinion, a mistake. It’s actually a great way to differentiate zones. For example, in wormhole space (WH), we can use it to chat, but it doesn’t function as an intel tool like it does in other regions. This also ties into the game’s lore.

Yes, local chat is a valuable tool for null-sec alliances, but in my experience, it’s not used as much for chatting among alliance/corporation members. That role has definitely been taken over by third-party apps like Discord or TS3.

Maintaining the balance that has existed for years seems like the right approach. After all, no one is forced to use this feature in any particular way.

CelestialFlea's avatar
CelestialFlea

I think it can be interchangeable, depending on where and who you are. As someone who's lived in Nullsec a few times before, it's definitely used as intel more often than not, chat tends to happen more in corp, some in alliance but fc's tend to get shouty if chat is going on in alliance. Or at least they used to.

But as for local in Null you look at who is and isn't blue and you report it in actual intel channels along with what ship you see them in, most of the time people are just passing through but for when they're not, any little piece of information you can gather from just local chat could be crucial to taking care of problems quickly.

As for low-sec I don't think it's as prevalent, perhaps with the exception of care-bear corps it's more a "How many targets are around" and, uh definitely NOT a trolling opportunity for roaming hunters like myself, innocent whistling ensues. Like I said, it's interchangeable on a "who and where" basis.

E
ErsecondPL

For the first thing, i have to say that Eve online has very specific community and playerbase. That is because ingame there's so many ways to scam other people. This makes local chat for example like in jita place where people are sending scam contract, offer some kind of help in which you have to buy expensive ship and fly it to the low sec. Other thing that I'd connect to the type of people that play this game is I asked in Caldari militia chat if it is worth to use FW lp by myself by buying things and selling them for isk. They told me it is not and they would be happy to buy them from me for 800isk/lp. I went into first site from internet and I found the deal with wasps, I managed to make it 1100isk/lp. So they are opportunists and it makes local chat in hotspots unussable for casual talks but in those spots, I wouldn't call it intelligence, those just aren't made for talks. Other thing is the way that low secs are made, there like in the title is said, chat is intelligence channel that serves the role of knowing if you have any company in the system. It also in FW can tell you how likelly you will be engaded in pvp in current system.

CommanderA9's avatar
CommanderA9

Over the years, I’ve seen Local Chat serve as both an intelligence-gathering tool and a place to converse with fellow pilots.

In my view, it serves the dual-purpose, but of course depends on where you are.

In a wormhole, it is clearly an intelligence-gathering tool, as anyone who speaks reveals themselves. For a time, the great Blackout experiment of 2020 of turning null-sec Local Chat into a wormhole-styled chat was tested, but lasted for merely a few months. In null-sec especially, Local Chat serves as an intelligence-gathering tool, as most null-sec alliance communications are confined to Corps and Alliance chat.

In high-sec, however, especially in trade hubs, Local Chat is used (or hijacked) for advertisement of products. It’s mostly chat bots seemingly…

During events, Local Chat is utilized by developer actors to engage with the player base.

In training systems, however, Local Chat serves as a critical component for brand-new pilots to reach out for help. We need Local Chat especially for our new pilots, and for our pilots in general, to provide them a space to converse with their fellow capsuleers, especially when they have no other options or are desperate for help.

It’s saved me in a pinch – it can save you.

S
ShoMenao

From all of my interactions, local is strictly an intel tool with some use for chat almost entirely relegated to the two letters G and F. It's use as an intel tool has shaped most of the entirety of the existence of EVE particularly around PVE and changing the mechanic ala Blackout had some knockon effects that were painful.


I personally would love to see the power of instant local nerfed to at least allow hunters time to get their bearings in a new system before appearing, showing up after either the timer or action has removed the gate cloak timer.

S
Sumfin7

BOTH

But more of an intel channel. It tells you who is in system with you, informing decisions about what you do. Especially during holiday events, I use the local member list to decide if a system is too busy to run sites in or if it is quiet enough to be able to run sites with minimal competition. In nullsec and lowsec, local is used to determine if I need to dock to hide from hostiles, if there are potential targets, or if I will be safe to mine, explore, or do PI. In highsec, I use local to see if there are war targets, known gankers, etc.

Hunter's avatar
Hunter

The Local Chat in EVE Online is a big tool for and against the players.
It shapes most of the first interactions between players the moment they get in a new system, Player's presence for most of the career possible in the game, where low and no security the player's awareness is 90 % of the survivability.
Also the Community interaction in high security systems is also important, in local chat you can find ads for contracts and corporations recruitments and also spams fraud and just people asking for help ( It can be a fraud or a true new player interaction ), and there is also the ISK Gold diggers leaches and crooks, and all of them are part of the experience in EVE, and just like the real world Its the Jungle.
Yes many say that this chat removes the " fog of war " from EVE and a successful stealth is rarely achieve, and the imbalance gameplay between null sec and other parts of the verse make safer places in such volatile areas.
Local Chat is integral to EVE's unique ecosystem, its intel-providing nature might be too generous, particularly in areas meant to be more dangerous.

Limal's avatar
Limal

I'm pretty simple when it comes to local chat—I primarily see it as just that, a chat channel. Sure, I’ve marked all the major gank corps with negative standings to get a heads-up if they suddenly pop in, signaling it might be time to overheat the hardeners and brace for combat. But for me, the real value lies in chatting with random people, trying to make new friends, or picking up on the latest gossip.

Years ago, there used to be a dedicated channel called "Rumor Mill," but since it’s gone, I’ve started using local chat as a way to spread funny tidbits or learn something new. It’s all about keeping the conversation alive!

Sturmer's avatar
Sturmer

Local chat in EVE Online is an invaluable intelligence tool, and I use it creatively to deceive and create chaos, buying myself precious seconds or even minutes while the enemy is left confused.

If the directional scanner is like a rear-view mirror in a car, then local chat is akin to side mirrors—it often provides additional context or even obscures crucial information.

For example, if you know someone is docked in a station, you can rename your ship to their name to sow confusion. Imagine an opponent sees "Sankao" in local and then spots "Sankao's Loki" on D-scan—they might hesitate or misinterpret the situation, giving you an edge.

Another clever tactic is sending fake "oops" messages meant to look like fleet chat slip-ups, such as: "Tackler on a Vigil arrived! What’s the order?" Meanwhile, you're cloaked in a Falcon, ready to execute a Black Ops drop.

Local chat isn’t just a tool for spotting enemies; it’s a stage for psychological warfare and misdirection, rewarding players who think outside the box.

I never use local for chitchat, GGs, GFs etc, only to stall, deceive, and pretend. But maybe because I'm 100% of the time in a hostile space, mistakes are too expensive for me.

K
Kurai

Local is the most important PvP intel channel you have . They say you dont miss something until its gone, so hop into a wormhole and see how it fundamentally changes all aspects of game-play, and approach to content if you are not yet convinced.

In nullsec, if you are the only person in local, for that transitory time, you are safer than you are in high sec . In high-sec a system like Jita , with its multiple thousands of players in local allows the wolves to hide among the sheep. Or in this case the carebears! So easy to miss a war-target or suicide ganker sitting in a catalyst or tornado on the undock who notices you are carrying way more in value than your ships EHP should be carrying.

Back in an empty nullsec , the only thing that can kill you is NPC pirates. Yes , things can change quickly, if you leave an "unrolled" active Wormhole (WH) in your system, someone can pop up , you not notice them and suddenly you come back from your quite autonomous ratting session to a malediction or cloaky Tech III cruiser pointing you. But , there needs to be several points of failure for that to happen. You need to leave that hole , unrolled. You need to not be watching your other intel channels that can tell you of threats approaching your ratting system and finally you need to miss watching LOCAL and seeing that neutral player pop up.

Now go live in a WH for a month and see how much you miss the safety of the warm, loving blanket that is : local.

K
Kraken

I would say it is abit of both, in the first place local in high space especially in Jita is great as a one stop shop for advise, fun chats, team ups, and business. It is great for getting to know other players and allows for the first step of making friends and building alliances.

However when one starts travelling to low and more importantly nulsec/wh space. As this provides situational awareness on what the battlefield and territory looks like. This comes more important when doing business runs that requires you through. It show immediatley yhe how many people are in the current system, how active chats are (which indicates how much monitoring is going on) the status of those players (especially if they have done recent criminal activiy in low sec. This can also help if you safe doing any covert ops like double agents and stuff.

Rixx Javix's avatar
Rixx Javix

When I started playing Eve back in 2008-2009 I was in Providence in the LFA Alliance, which was part of the CVA umbrella. We were taught never to speak in local except to say "Amarr Victor" once a fight was over. I was taught early on that local chat was 100% an intelligence gathering tool, not to be trusted, and to be exploited in every situation. Breaking those rules back then meant being kicked from fleet.

Since those early days my opinion about local chat has evolved and changed. At its fundamental level it remains an important intelligence gathering tool for myself and other pirates in Stay Frosty. A lot can be gleaned from loose-lipped local chat participants. And a lot of mystery can be created by being silent, or ignoring calls to chat, or hellos given in local. For me, if someone calls me out in local it can often mean my cover is broken. Although I will respond if I can. Or if I see it.

Local chat is totally situational. We're using it to our advantage. Others are also using it to their advantage. Most are unaware of this and talk freely, or express anger, or give away intelligence freely. We will often use this knowledge to our advantage and egg on those in local who like to pontificate - to give up even more information. This is all part of the fun. In our business every advantage is one we need. And worth often playing the idiot in local to achieve.

After the fight we always try to give a "gf" in local and may even join in to the conversation. Over the years we've had some truly amazing conversations in local. It can help to build a greater sense of community and good will. It can also, quite often, be a place for those who have an axe to grind to express themselves. Which can be quite entertaining.

I try to teach my pilots master level local manipulation. Be the one to say less, not more. Use local like you use any other module or tactic to gain an important advantage over your enemies. Remember that your words reveal more about you than they do anyone else.

Luka Zaharin's avatar
Luka Zaharin

I would say it is not only both an intelligence tool and a chat channel, but also a space of psychological warfare. With tools like localtreat.xyz and ZKill, local chat can be a valuable intel channel, but the simple social aspect of having a good talk and meeting new people is a very important too. From my point of view, Firestorm nicely explains the differences between security areas, so I want to focus on the tactical usage of local chat.

In my area, it is also often used to arrange fights and manipulate others. A very fun bluff my corp and I pull off every now and then, is one fleetmate typing about his burned AB in local chat, followed by a "oups, wrong chat". Misdirection about the tactical situation inside factional warfare sites is not uncommon in local chat. The same goes for some Pochven and WH situations as well as suspect baiting in highsec.

FirestormGamingTeam's avatar
FirestormGamingTeam

My take on this:

High Sec Space - For the average high sec player it is simply to see who in local channels, occasionally chat with people and some of the good eve friends I have I have made simply by asking questions or asking for a little help on missions. So more social aspect.

Low/Null - Whilst they can be used for intel channels i.e "so and so spotted in this system, ship type, heading this direction" etc, they are often used as local and friendly banter between enemies, I've seen people chat for hours whilst trying to murder each other.

WH - There is no local channel in terms of being able to see who is there so, it's kinda more to stay very quiet like a rabbit when in wormholes and you never quite know which cloaked player is going to say "hello" and then start hunting on you.

So to sum up the above rambling.

Local channels are not used for intel specifically but more social aspect and simply to chat with others or insult people should the mood take you.

Y0EMINENCE's avatar
Y0EMINENCE

In EVE Online, the local chat channel serves both as an intelligence gathering tool and a place for social interaction. It lists all players in the system, providing intel on who is present, which is crucial for PvP activities. However, it's also used for casual conversation among players in the same system. Exploitation of intelligence and social tools is part of the game's design. EVE encourages players to use all means at their disposal for strategy, including espionage, misinformation, and social manipulation. This reflects the game's philosophy of "play how you want to play," where the only rule is that there are no rules. It's part of what makes EVE unique and challenging. While in-game exploitation is part of the gameplay, actions that involve real-world harassment or crossing ethical lines outside the game are generally frowned upon and can lead to bans or legal issues. Overuse or particularly aggressive exploitation can lead to a hostile community environment, which might not be conducive to long-term player retention or enjoyment for everyone. CCP Games, the developers, occasionally adjust mechanics to prevent any single strategy from becoming too dominant or to maintain game balance. Players implicitly agree to this environment by playing EVE. New players are often warned about the cutthroat nature of the game, including the fact that trust is a commodity, and betrayal can be around every corner.

In summary, within the context of EVE Online's gameplay, exploiting intelligence and social interactions for strategic gain is not only permitted but is an integral part of the game's culture and mechanics. However, this should be done within the boundaries of the game's rules and the broader ethical considerations of respecting players as real people outside of the game's universe.

Banned user
Y0EMINENCE
DU
Deleted user

In my opinion, local chat should remain hybrid. It would be better to have some information limited in certain areas, for example requiring the use of forms to see who is in the system. The ability to communicate should be preserved because it is fundamental to the EVE community. It is not just interaction but strategy.

Moy1's avatar
Moy1

Intel channel. Definitely. Only talk that should be done in local is smack talk.

S
Sammy

Video Script: Local Chat – Intel Tool or Social Hub?

[Opening Scene]

Background music plays softly. Show an active local chat window with pilots entering and leaving the system.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“Ah, local chat. It’s one of the most iconic—and controversial—features of EVE Online. Is it a vital intelligence tool or a place to connect with fellow pilots? Today, we’re diving into this hot topic to explore both sides of the debate and why local chat might just be the perfect blend of both. Let’s get into it.”

[Scene 1: The Case for Local as an Intelligence Tool]

Visual: A null-sec system with a large fleet appearing in local chat, followed by a player reporting intel in a dedicated channel.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“For many players, especially in null-sec, local chat is a critical tool for gathering intel. It provides real-time awareness of who’s in the system—friend or foe—and lets you react accordingly. Whether you’re ratting, mining, or just traveling, seeing a name pop up in local can be the difference between safety and destruction.”

On-Screen Text: Local as Intel: Real-time awareness of system activity.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“In our alliance, local chat is tightly integrated into our intel channels. Spot a neutral or hostile? You report it in local and relay it to our intel networks. This system works because local offers instant visibility and immediate alerts.”

Visual: Highlight a pilot typing into local chat: “Neutral in system – X-QXZ gate!”

Narrator (Voiceover):

“The case for local as an intel tool is clear: it encourages vigilance and teamwork, providing a safety net in the often-chaotic world of EVE.”

[Scene 2: The Case for Local as a Social Hub]

Visual: A friendly conversation in local chat during a quiet high-sec mining session.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“But let’s not forget the other side of local: it’s also a place to chat. From casual banter to trash talk after a fight, local connects pilots in a unique way. It’s the closest thing EVE has to a shared social space, allowing for everything from diplomacy to smack talk.”

On-Screen Text: Local as Social: Conversations, connections, and rivalries.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“Some of my most memorable moments in EVE have come from local chat. Like that time I chatted with a roaming gang after narrowly escaping their tackle—or when a miner shared tips on rare ore locations. These interactions remind us that behind every ship is a real person, and local is where those connections happen.”

Visual: A humorous exchange in local: “Nice warp, next time try staying still!” – “Gotta catch me first!”

Narrator (Voiceover):

“For high-sec and wormhole space, where intel is less critical, local thrives as a social hub. It’s where stories are told, rivalries are born, and EVE’s community comes to life.”

[Scene 3: The Problem with Local Chat]**

Visual: A local chat window flooded with spam, making it hard to track important messages.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“Of course, local chat isn’t without its problems. As an intel tool, it’s imperfect—players can cloak or stay off-grid to avoid detection. And as a social space, it can sometimes devolve into spam, harassment, or worse.”

On-Screen Text: The Downsides: Cloaked ships, spam, and toxicity.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“Players in wormhole space argue that the absence of local makes combat more thrilling, forcing you to rely on d-scan and your wits. Meanwhile, some null-sec alliances feel that local makes it too easy to avoid PvP by warping off as soon as a hostile appears.”

[Scene 4: A Balanced Perspective – Why Not Both?]

Visual: A player managing local chat alongside a dedicated intel channel while chatting casually in local.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“So, is local an intel tool or a social hub? The truth is, it’s both—and that’s what makes it so valuable. It’s a feature that serves different purposes depending on where you are in New Eden.”

On-Screen Text: The Dual Role of Local: Adaptive to the needs of the system.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“In high-sec, it’s a space for friendly chatter and making connections. In null-sec, it’s a lifeline for alliances to maintain control and safety. And in low-sec? It’s often a mix of smack talk and intel, adding to the region’s unique flavor.”

Visual: A montage of players chatting, reporting intel, and setting traps based on local.

[Scene 5: My Opinion on Local]**

Visual: A Caldari shuttle jumping into null-sec, with the player checking local for hostiles.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“Personally, I believe local chat is one of the features that makes EVE unique. It’s an ever-present reminder that New Eden is a living, breathing universe. Sure, it’s not perfect—but that’s part of its charm. The tension of seeing a neutral enter local while you’re ratting, the joy of chatting with a rival after a close fight, or even the frustration of dealing with spam—it all adds to the experience.”

On-Screen Text: Local: Imperfect, but iconic.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“Rather than taking a hard stance for one use or the other, I think we should embrace its dual nature. Use it for intel when you need to, and don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation when things are quiet. After all, EVE is a game about interaction—and local is where it all begins.”

[Scene 6: Tips for Using Local Effectively]

Visual: A list of tips appears on-screen, with clips of players checking local and relaying intel.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“If you’re looking to make the most of local chat, here are a few tips:

1. In null-sec: Treat local as your early warning system. If a neutral or hostile enters, report it immediately.

2. In high-sec: Don’t be afraid to chat. Share tips, trade goods, or just say hi.

3. In wormholes: Remember, there is no local intel—so rely on d-scan and situational awareness.

4. Everywhere: Stay civil. Whether you’re reporting intel or chatting, remember that local reflects the best—and worst—of EVE’s community.”

[Closing Scene]

Background music swells. Show a bustling null-sec system with active local chat.

Narrator (Voiceover):

“Local chat is more than just a tool or a space—it’s a core part of what makes EVE Online unique. Whether you’re using it to stay safe, make friends, or trash talk your rivals, local reminds us that every encounter in New Eden is part of a larger story. Fly safe, and I’ll see you in local!”

Text on Screen:* “What’s your take on local chat? Let me know in the comments!”

[End Screen]

Show the EVE Online logo, your character name, and a call to action: “Join the conversation in New Eden today!”

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