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EVE executive producer Nathan Richardsson on the Apocrypha expansion
Develop, a publication focused on the European games industry, recently interviewed EVE Online executive producer Nathan 'Oveur' Richardsson about the coming Apocrypha expansion. Nathan emphasizes the CCP Games stance on charging for expansions: they don't. All EVE expansions to date have been free, as will Apocrypha. The March expansion will also mark the first time EVE has been available as a boxed release since the game's initial launch, which Nathan reiterates is CCP's attempt to reach a broader audience. On the subject of making EVE accessible to more gamers, he discusses CCP's choices made with the New Player Experience which will be one of the changes Apocrypha brings to the title. He addresses the game's learning curve and says, "Massively multiplayer gaming is constantly reaching new audiences that haven't tried it before, which results in a challenging start when coupled with [the] complexity of EVE. We strive to expose the gameplay in a simpler manner, easing players into the different areas of gameplay rather than 'dumbing down' EVE. We're working on everything from usability to re-implementing existing features more intuitively."
CCP Games dev Oveur on how EVE is going to change
Longtime players of EVE Online have often commented on the disappearance of one of CCP Games' most-liked devs, Executive Producer Nathan "Oveur" Richardsson. He's been noticeably absent from developer-player interaction for a while, which he addressed in his latest dev blog: "Unfortunately for you, the rumors of my death have been highly exaggerated. I've seen the occasional post inquiring about my demise. While flattering, I think most people have forgotten all about the old nerfs and more vividly remember some random jokes while I was flaming some poor soul on the forums." Despite his light-hearted way of breaking the silence, his dev blog "I can resist anything but temptation" is packed with info about the future of EVE Online, which he kicks off by invoking Wilde. Read on to learn about some of the substantial changes coming to EVE.
Inside the War Room: video interviews with key EVE Online developers
The devs at EVE Online have been busy of late. They rolled out a new expansion, released a CG video for Empyrean Age, organized EVE Fanfest 2008 and now they've put up video interviews with four of their key developers. CCP Games gives these highlights of the clips: Tony Gonzales, EVE Online's Lead Writer, explains that tensions built within the Empyrean Age novel were developed to entice both veteran and EVE players and the 'uninitiated' science fiction fan. Gonzales also toys with the idea of writing a sequel to the book. Noah Ward, EVE's Lead Designer, discusses the new features in Trinity 1.1: Boost Patch. Learn all about the new improvements, deadlier ships and interface renovations now available. Matthew Woodward, Game Designer for Empyrean Age, tells us,"These new missions give players the strength of narrative." New missions within Factional Warfare alter the focus from isolated PvE, taking these objectives and tying them into the sweeping story found in the Empyrean Age novel. Nathan Richardsson, Executive Producer, discusses the origins of EVE Online while providing an overview of Empyrean Age's features. All out war was the most brutal and obvious choice for this new expansion. Was this war inevitable? Yes. Richardsson also offers his view on what makes PvP exciting and worthwhile. The video footage of the devs at EVE Online's dedicated Empyrean Age site is found in the interviews section. Check out all four to gain a little more perspective on what's led up to the factional warfare expansion, and what is yet to come.
