Conclusions. The basic character of eta Car's spectroscopic events has changed in the past two to three cycles. The ionizing UV radiation dramatically weakened during each pre-2014 event but not in 2014. The strengthening of He I and N II emission and the weakening of the lower-excitation H alpha and Fe II wind features in our direct line of sight implies a substantial change in the physical parameters of the emitting regions. The polar spectrum at FOS4 shows fewer changes in the broad wind emission lines, which may be explained by the latitude-dependent wind structure of eta Car. The quick and strong recovery of the He II emission in 2014 supports a scenario, in which the wind-wind shock may not have completely collapsed as was proposed for previous events. As a result, the companion did not accrete as much material as in previous events. All this may be the consequence of just one elementary change, namely a strong decrease in the primary's mass-loss rate. This would mark the beginning of a new phase, in which the spectroscopic events can be described as an occultation by the primary's wind.