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EVE Evolved: End of an EON
This week we heard the disappointing news that EON, the official print magazine for MMO EVE Online, has officially closed down. The quarterly magazine first launched back in 2005 and may have been the first official magazine dedicated to a single MMO. The first edition was packed full of current news, sneak peeks, coverage on major events, fan-written fiction, features, and guides. The experimental magazine was produced by MMM Publishing under official license from CCP Games and proved to be a big hit, going on to publish 30 editions over the next seven and a half years. Though EON has had a much longer run than most official MMO print magazines (the World of Warcraft magazine lasted all of five issues), it's still disappointing to see it go. The closure has a special significance for me because it was at EON that I and many other players started out as writers and editors. It's thanks to the work of the mag's editor Richie "Zapatero" Shoemaker that I went on to get this job at Massively, where I've written the weekly EVE Evolved column for almost five years now. EON Magazine was a real gem that will be sorely missed by dedicated fans, but the biggest shame is that those who might support the mag didn't know it was having financial difficulties until it was too late. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at what made EON great, ask why it failed, and interview editor Richie Shoemaker on his thoughts behind the closure.
EVE Online's answer to GPS
EVE Online is a vast setting where all players interact in one galaxy. While other MMOs are sharded across different servers, some with different locales, EVE places all of its players together. Its implementation ensures that many servers seem to be just one from the perspective of any pilot flying in New Eden. However, given the daunting size of EVE's explorable environment, there have been some players who took it upon themselves to map the known universe and release their findings as a resource for other pilots. Shayne Smart, aka Serenity Steele, is one such player. He's been getting some media attention in recent months as Vice-Chairman of the Council of Stellar Management (CSM). Beyond his duties on the CSM, Smart is also well-known to many players as the creator of EVE Strategic Maps, a spiral bound collection of star charts which some fans of the game find indispensable. You would think Smart would find mapping out 5000 solar systems (each with its own myriad planets, moons, stations, and other resources) a feat hard to top. But what Smart's done is found a way to use the in-game browser in the EVE client to act as a sort of GPS, tracking your position as you jump from one solar system to the next, and allowing you to better see your relative position in the galaxy as part of your overview. The cartographer's latest 'minimap' effort is presently 2-D only and in beta, though is well worth a look and quite simple to use. Click the gallery below for Shayne Smart's instructions on how to use the free 2D minimap within your in-game browser. Add GPS to your overview >> %Gallery-31177%
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EVE strategic maps warping your way
EVE is a big place, a really big place. Going from one end of the galaxy to the other not only takes an incredible amount of time, but it is also filled with numerous dangers. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself lost, surrounded, and a frozen testament to the power of missiles. Sure, there is that little in game map that you have to zoom into, plan your route, and then hope all is peachy along the way. However, it is confusing trying to navigate an escape route in three dimensions when it's you, your ore, and some angry rebel outlaws who just decided to say hello.Though we are no where near a soothing voice telling us to "Warp to KLY-CO gate, avoid war zone, destination on right," we will soon have a booklet of useful maps to navigate by. What is so massively awesome about this? The maps are strategic maps. Want to put a mechanical parrot on your shoulder and pirate? They can tell you where useful choke points are. Want to PvP? Head down to a certain system and let loose the dogs of war. Want to mine peacefully while listening to Mozart? Go ahead and check out a few ice fields in empire. The maps should help get you to your destination easily and safely. If not, we still have clone vats and insurance to fall back on.
