JonnyPew broached a question in a recent YouTube Video on how do you define what playing Solo is. (The video has since been removed.)
He remarked that he tried to be objective, but his strong opinion was evident. He came down on the side that playing EVE Solo was when one person used only one Character to achieve their goals.
I – with my two accounts and 4 Characters, would not be playing solo.
Funny enough, in my recent malaise over EVE I’ve considered dropping down to one account and one character. I went through the impact – such as Capitals probably never being an option again, how I’d be stuck in Trading hubs if I was selling lots of stuff off, if I focused on manufacturing or PI again how it would limit my game play options, how I would have to play blind in Null Sec and so on. I would be playing a more inconvenient and restricted game of EVE. I would likely be playing a less enjoyable game.
JonnyPew suggested the community would decide on the definition of Solo through the praise they give. If they praise a single player using multiple accounts for their solo work, then that will have to be the definition of solo. If they instead criticised such players, then his definition would be right.
I’m not sure that works given the community rarely agrees on anything.
It is an interesting question. I defend how I play EVE in this blog, and I reflect on changes and updates to the game and how they relate to my style of play. At the same time, I don’t personally care if I am praised or condemned. I view my success in EVE by if I am having fun or not. I think I will stick to calling myself a Hermit / solo player, and JonnyPew can take the Hardcore solo player mantle.
Evehermit 
I am in the position of playing solo. From time to time I re-sub my alts. Particular during periods of vacation when I know I have more time to dedicate to Eve. But by Friday, I will be solo again. Reducing the PI output and planet coverage. It will significantly scale back my freighter production. Neither will I have backup for ninja WH mining. I willingly accept these limitations.
When multiple accounts are active I feel compelled to play, otherwise I am wasting money. I will be glad to be back to a relaxed pace of occasionally mining or missioning. Selling my industrial output without 0.01 concerns. It is a game after all fun should also be sedate.
I like JPew, for the most part but here he is being a fool. Yes a Solo player who had multiple alts benefits from multiple ships etc. but he leaves out the most important part… those 2, 3, 4, 5 ships are ALL being controlled BY ONE PLAYER. I have run 2 toons at once and it is NOT “easy”… it doubles the thought and work and effort you put into playing the game and DOUBLES your RISK. He left THAT untidy little fact out totally…
Then there is the social aspect. EVE favors, in many ways, social players. I play socially… I am in a small Anoikis gang and vastly prefer to play WITH other live players. One other untidy fact JP left out was this… no matter how many alts you have or fly, YOU, the PLAYER are ALONE when playing SOLO. You Hermit my good friend, are a SOLO player.
Oh and one last thing Johnny, if you read this… a SOLO player running 7 smart bombers is potentially a very powerful PVP PLAYER… “player”… singular. Period. No matter how many alts you have or fly if you are playing all by yourself… you are a solo “player”.
Boy is running two or more characters in space at the same time not easy and more dangerous!
Well I see solo as being mostly by yourself, no matter how many alts or accounts you hold. So as a fan of your blog, you are a solo player. I do however wonder, would you have able to play as you play, with a single account? Or is that simply impossible. I ask as I find myself wanting to try your play style out. But I have little funds atm, so can’t afford more than one account. Thx for some great reading and inspiration.
Hmm pretty sure I left a comment yesterday, but somehow I can’t find it anywhere today?
Anyway, in my humble opinion you are a solo player. No matter how many alts or account you play, you play solo. I do however wonder, if your adventure would have been possible with only one account. I ask because I am tempted to try it out myself. But atm my funds are very limited. So can’t pay for 2 account right now.
Hi Jolei – I was away for the last few days, so your posts sat in the moderation queue longer than normal.
I could have done most things with a single account, but I doubt I would have done as much. I would not have got into Capitals – because as a single account solo player you won’t have anyone to light a Cyno for you. The same for fleet / link skills, which are useless for a solo character. There are also skills I found easier to train on an Alt while my main concentrated on more interesting things – such as Empire Control V which I used to create my Alliance. I have also appreciated being able to use an Alt for things like trading, hauling and PI on the side, which I might not have wanted my Main to run. I also would simply not have enjoyed the game as much with out my Alt to scout for me in dangerous space.
But to clarify somewhat – I could have found years worth of game play on a single account if I had too, but having two or more accounts has given me almost 10 years of game play now.
Makes sense. You would have been limited to smaller ships, and spendt a lot of time hauling goods to a station, instead of storing them in the Orca. Since, I guess, no one would be comfortable leaving an Orca in space, while flying the smaller ones.
I have played for about 2-3 years in total I think, mostly as a solo player, and found lots of stuff to do. Never really did get around to exploring, oddly enough, since that was my intend from day one.