EVE Online - Misconceptions @ IGN

 CCP talk to IGN on the misconceptions percieved about EVE Online.

You can't enjoy the game if you aren't in a major alliance

The players who receive the most recognition from the community are usually those players who work without an alliance and still manage to create reputations by and for themselves. There were several well known, feared PVPers who fought against gangs with great success, always solo. They didn't rely on friends or alliances to help them, but instead dealt with whoever came their way, alone. Whenever they won, they didn't have to share the glory with anybody else. The community respected that, and still does to this day.

Aside from combat, you can also enjoy other aspects of the game without the help of an alliance. One method might be to enjoy the profits from supplying a low security system with common goods. If you do it right, you will pretty much establish a little economy and monopoly there and nearby. People will often pay a little more for something so they don't have to travel 10 jumps. You would still interact with other players, but not directly because you play the economy, which is controlled by everyone as a whole, so anything that happens will affect your game as well. The fluctuations of the overall market would affect your system, and keeping on top of this can be very intense and rewarding.