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EVE dev diary crunches the numbers on New Eden violence
Despite the fact that EVE Online has one of the most advanced virtual economies in the world (not to mention pretty graphics, interesting lore, and a great soundtrack), CCP's sandbox game is primarily about one thing and one thing only: blowing up spaceships. Sure you can become a captain of industry, a respected (feared?) trader, or a profit-seeking miner, but at the end of the day, many EVE fans care little for the gameplay that exists outside of spaceship on spaceship violence. CCP's latest dev blog reflects this obsession, and CCP Diagoras presents a load of statistics culled from the end of 2007 to the present. Among the interesting (if esoteric) factoids: Something blows up in New Eden once every six seconds. Head to the game's official website for more numbers.
EVE Online CSM explains its power and the limits thereof
EVE Online boasts a wide variety of players, many of whom happily go their own way in the vastness of New Eden with nary a thought as to the power struggles, machinations, and celebrated conflicts that garner headlines for CCP's space-based MMORPG on a regular basis. So when hardcore EVE players debate the pros and cons of the newly elected Council of Stellar Management (CSM), newer or more casual denizens of EVE could be forgiven if they were to say, in effect, the pros and cons of whom? A new letter from the CSM aims to demystify its purpose (and the limits of its power). CCP Diagoras recently posted the letter on the official EVE website, and the piece shares the collective opinion of all nine council members on everything from time dilation and lag issues to developer communication and two "ugly truths" about the council. First up is the fact that "CCP is under no obligation to interact with the CSM outside of the strict confines of the CCP/CSM summits." Also noteworthy is the council's take on its power relative to actual game implementations. "There is no explicit power behind any player-initiated legislation approved by the CSM." Why assemble the group at all, then? Read the rest of the dev blog to find out.
CCP Games conquers Mount Kilimanjaro, one step closer to world domination
CCP Games is a company with a singular lofty goal: World Domination. From their humble beginnings in a small office in Reykjavik, Iceland, they released an experimental sci-fi MMO into an untested market. Almost seven years down the line, EVE Online has been a consistent success and CCP as a company has expanded at an incredible rate. Now with additional offices in China, North America and the UK and two exciting new games on the way, they're well on their way to meeting that gargantuan goal. Last month, CCP took their plans to dominate the earth literally as they conquered Africa's highest peak. On March 1st 2010 at approximately 6:30AM, CCP developers "CCP Solomon", "CCP Diagoras" and "CCP Punkturis" from the company's Reykjavik office arrived at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Along with a fourth friend named Sveinn Sveinsson, they completed an impressive 6 day trek to the peak through harsh conditions. On arrival, they literally planted the CCP flag at Uhuru peak, an incredible 5895 metres above sea level. [Via MMORPG.com]
CCP Games releases findings on EVE starbase exploit investigation
The EVE Online starbase exploit revealed in December has had a far-reaching impact on the game. Certain player-owned starbases in EVE were producing valuable, high-end materials that they shouldn't have been. Once a group of players picked up on this, they exploited the game on a massive scale, resulting in trillions of ISK (Interstellar Kredits, the game's virtual currency) that never should have existed being injected into the game. To date, this is the largest economic manipulation (via an exploit) ever revealed in EVE Online. The starbase exploit was the first of several player-triggered drama bombs that hit the game in recent weeks, and resulted in a substantial amount of (in-game) market turmoil and player outcry over the issue. The game's subscribers wanted openness on the matter from EVE's developer, CCP Games, and they've certainly got that as of today. CCP Games posted the results of the exploit investigation, and the caveat "be careful what you wish for" may apply here, given the depth and complexity of the findings conveyed to the playerbase in today's dev blog, "War Makes Thieves and Peace Hangs Them."
EVE's second Council of Stellar Management applicants announced
EVE Online differs from other MMOs in a number of ways. Differences in game mechanics and setting aside, even the dynamics among the players is different than with your standard sharded MMO. The single server approach puts all of the players in one world, sometimes creating a tense social dynamic between the players, and especially between CCP Games and the EVE subscribers. The player-elected Council of Stellar Management (CSM) is an attempt to have a group of players bridge this gap, and represent the interests of the playerbase as a whole by advising CCP on how to keep the game in step with what the players want. Although the first CSM is still in office, the next election process is well underway. EVE dev CCP Diagoras posted a breakdown of the applications for the second Council of Stellar Management, listing statistics and information about those who have their eyes set on a place among the CSM, and plenty to read about each of the individuals in the running.
