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Massively takes on EVE Online's learning curve
EVE Online is a complex game. There's no doubt about that. That complexity is a large part of the draw, but that doesn't mean learning about the game has to be a daunting experience. With that in mind, Massively has EVE Online in its sights. We've brought solid writers on staff who are quite knowledgeable about the game and are here to give some in-depth info on how EVE is played. CrazyKinux and Crovan of The Drone Bay podcast joined us in April, and since then have provided Massively's readers with some helpful columns. CrazyKinux, aka David Perry, writes the Have Clone, Will Travel column. David's most recent piece, 3 Essential Tools for Capsuleers, provides a great overview of some of the third-party programs and resources available to help you plan your skill progression and your ship fittings. But we're also running two more EVE-centric columns at Massively. Read on after the jump to see what else we're bringing to the EVE community, and how we're easing that learning curve.
EVE Online exploration video tutorial
EVE Online blogger Morphisat recently unearthed a good video tutorial on the profession of exploration, by a player called SRRAE. In a vast, open galaxy like EVE Online's setting of New Eden, the option of becoming an explorer is an appealing one. However, despite the name 'exploration,' players cannot actually discover new solar systems. They can, however, find hidden content throughout space, both in highsec and lowsec. This can include hidden asteroid belts (presumably with rarer ores to mine), hacking and archaeology sites, harvestable gas clouds used in drug production, and numerous combat encounters. Admittedly, exploration is not an easy profession to pick up for beginners, but with enough skills related to scanning and covert ops, paired with a decent understanding of game mechanics and the value of a cloaking device, exploration can be lucrative -- particularly in 0.0 space. Of course, there will inevitably be times where an explorer is simply burning off scan probes in the futile hope of finding something new. Perhaps SRRAE has become a victim of his own success, as he recently lamented the downside of exploration's growing popularity among New Eden's capsuleers.[Via CrazyKinux]
The good and the bad of EVE Online
MMO blogger Ardwulf has been running a series of posts on what he views as the best MMOs on the market, recently covering EverQuest II and now EVE Online. His piece is a basic overview of EVE, but one that looks at the concepts behind the game, rather than how they're executed through game mechanics.To that end, Ardwulf views the title as something that captures the essence of 'space' -- cold, vast, and often hostile. Perhaps even intimidating. He notes that EVE's PvP isn't limited to breaching the hulls of your opponents in space. PvP is alive and well in terms of market warfare and propaganda, two avenues a character may take in their career that might not seem readily apparent. Still, despite Ardwulf's praise for the unique aspects of the game, he also cites some of the negative aspects of the title: "There are no classes, no levels, no bosses, no avatars, no aggro, no pets, no text dumps telling you where to go next... someone coming in from a few years of WoW and nothing else has every right to be caught flatfooted." So while EVE Online certainly isn't a game for everyone, it does appeal to players seeking something different from the standard fantasy MMO fare which dominates the industry. If you're interested in reading more about the game from the perspective of someone who's acutely aware of the good as well as the bad in EVE Online, check out Ardwulf's piece on what he views as one of 'the best MMOs on the market.'
Empyrean Age warfare takes its toll on new recruits
It's hard to be a noob, or at least a noob character, and simply drop into EVE Online's factional warfare. But that's just what Van Hemlock has been doing. Although he's learning by trial-and-error, he does have significantly more experience than someone who's new to the game and impulsively enlists in a factional militia. Van Hemlock's latest dispatch from the front lines imparts his readers with some more lessons, building on what he's already relayed to fledgling capsuleers in recent weeks. Despite what he's learned, Van Hemlock also faces what most combat pilots in EVE Online have at some point -- knowing what you should do, but then (in panic) doing something entirely different that gets you killed. Also knowing the Tech II variants of standard ships will allow you to avoid fighting against hopeless odds, as Van Hemlock encountered the much-feared Ishtar and Sacrilege heavy assault cruisers, which quickly reduced he and his wingman to flaming escape pods. Check out Van Hemlock's 'The Skirmishes of Space' to read about the exploits of a new pilot up against sometimes overwhelming odds.
EVE Online: Using neutral characters in militia activities is an exploit
Oh you kids! When are you going to learn that you can't cheat at intergalactic war? Following up on the recent exploit of circumventing ship class restrictions in combat zones, EVE Online's GM Grimmi just decreed the following activity to be an exploit as well: "Using neutral characters to tank Faction Navy NPCs to stop them from attacking players involved in Factional Warfare with that faction is considered an exploit. Action will be taken against users found engaging in this activity." So it's official; using draft dodgers as a way to draw fire away from enlisted militia characters is evil, and will presumably get you thrown into a Concord cell with no windows. Be advised. Hippies.
The tyranny of skill training
One of the nicest features of EVE Online is the fact that skill progression doesn't go hand-in-hand with a monotonous grind. Rather, the game uses a time-based system of advancement. But this seemingly casual aspect of the game is a double-edged sword; in the earlier stages of skill training, a newer player needs to log in very frequently to switch up low level skills. Some EVE players set their alarms and drag themselves out of bed in the early morning hours to switch their skill training, so as not to lose hours of time where progression halts. PC gaming blog 'Life is a Mind Bending Puzzle' has a post about how EVE's system "creates significant pressure to log on and pop a new skill on every time one finishes." Logically, a new player would assume that it's possible to queue skill training in advance. That assumption, however, would be wrong. Thus the early career of an EVE pilot is one of setting alarms, calendar reminders, and sticky notes... all to avoid that guilt over losing hours of advancement because of something trivial like sleep or a job. But as time goes on, skill training intervals lengthen at higher levels and thus require far less maintenance. Implementing a skill queue was one of the issues brought to CCP Games by the player-elected Council of Stellar Management (CSM), as it's one of the complaints most players have when getting to know the game. How do you feel about skill queues? Is it a necessary feature that CCP should implement, or should the developers be focusing on more pressing matters? [Via]
EVE Online dev blog details new player resource
Massively touched on the CCP Games announcement back in April of having a 'Wikipedia' of EVE Online, definitive and accessible from within the EVE client. We also mentioned that a new volunteer Interstellar Services Department (ISD) branch, known as YARR, would be responsible for setting up and maintaining the player-driven wiki, which bears the unwieldy moniker "EVElopedia." EVE Online developer CCP Fear has updated the community on EVElopedia's status and the phases it went through on the way to becoming a useful resource. While EVElopedia isn't quite ready to be rolled out for general use, it's very near completion and will feature an updated item database. CCP Fear states that the database will automatically be updated with each new patch, ensuring that players have up-to-the-minute information at their fingertips upon logging in on patch days. Lastly, it's been confirmed that EVElopedia will be compatible with the in-game browser (IGB) for viewing text and images within the wiki. However, CCP Fear says that editing the wiki will need to be done in a browser out-of-game. Check out this latest dev blog for the full rundown on the EVElopedia project, which is already being discussed on the EVE Online forums.
Initial impressions of EVE Online
Cody Bye over at Ten Ton Hammer is a man of his word. He recently announced that he'd be exploring EVE Online and writing about the experience. Well only a few days later, he's posted a follow-up editorial: "EVE Online Impressions - Riding the Unicycle." Sorry but there are no actual unicycles in EVE, it's just his reference to how the game takes some adjusting to before one can really feel comfortable flying in New Eden. The piece is geared towards players who are already well-versed in more standard MMORPG game mechanics and UI, and explains some of the differences between EVE and most other titles in terms of character creation. Bye also touches on advancement in EVE, and the importance of patience and slow deliberation in planning your career (as well as succeeding in the game). It's a nice, easy introduction to the title, so if EVE Online is a game you've been interested in but haven't quite found the motivation to start a trial, you might want to check out Ten Ton Hammer's recurring editorial on the sci-fi MMO.
Results of the Council of Stellar Management meeting with CCP Games
CCP Wrangler has just erected quite a wall of text at the EVE Online forums, but this one is definitely worth a read as it concerns the direction of the game. Wrangler's post is essentially the minutes from the first meeting between the player-elected Council of Stellar Management and CCP Games in Reykjavik last month. CCP Wrangler's post lists the issues that the CSM brought to CCP Games, summarizes delegate views on the issues and CCP's responses to their concerns. The minutes represent three days worth of meetings; highlights include skill queues, Black Ops improvements, alliances and factional warfare, and 0.0 sovereignty issues. Beyond these issues, there's much more listed that covers a wide range of player concerns. Of course there won't be any immediate changes to the game, but the minutes give a fair estimation of how EVE Online may evolve in the months to come.
Lessons learned in Empyrean Age's factional warfare
Podcasting hero Van Hemlock has been blogging about EVE Online quite a bit of late. His recent post 'The Lessons of War' chronicles his experience of learning the factional warfare rules of engagement in the Empyrean Age expansion. He writes about being a solo pilot for the Minmatar Tribal Liberation Force, when the entire militias of the Amarr and Caldari races have kill rights on him anytime and anywhere. It's even harder to do well when you're running with an alt fresh out of the academy but, win or lose, he seems to be having a good time. Van Hemlock's approach is to spend very little on any individual ship (it's likely to be blown apart anyway) and learn what he can from the experience of trying to survive. As he explains a bit about the mechanics of factional warfare, and its objectives, Van Hemlock imparts three key bits of wisdom in "The Lessons of War...": there are ways of preventing a (single) rival from engaging you, flying fast and nimble can trump much greater firepower, and as fast as you may be -- there can always be someone faster who will try and take you out. Although he openly states that he doesn't know a great deal about PvP in EVE yet, it's clear that he's learning very quickly from his mistakes, and doing so with minimal emo rage. See Van Hemlock's "The Lessons of War" to learn a few things from his successes and failures in EVE Online, it's certainly a good read.
EVE Chronicle puts players at the center of factional warfare
The latest EVE Chronicle is called "The Dark End of Space." This installment connects the events seen in the full Empyrean Age trailer (namely, Jamyl Sarum's utter obliteration of a greater Minmatar fleet) with the lowsec militia conflicts and missions that have embroiled EVE Online's players in factional warfare. Indeed, "The Dark End of Space" focuses on how each of the four races -- despite having conflicting goals and ideologies -- view the capsuleers... the actual players in EVE Online: "A group of people so powerful they're practically a faction unto themselves. Immortal, fearless and wealthy beyond imagining. Born of all four empires but beholden, in truth, to no one but themselves. And utterly untapped, in this little skirmish of ours.""The Dark End of Space" shows how each of the races face similar difficulties, and how the players of EVE are thought by each faction to be the solution to their problems. EVE dev CCP Abraxas says of the newest Chronicle: "... this one breaks rank and instead focuses on the capsuleers. It explains how we went from the end of the novel to the onset of factional warfare, and how you guys got pulled into it." This could get very interesting if factional propaganda enters into the game, with each race's militia trying to further sway the capsuleers to their cause and tip the balance of power in the Empyrean Age. But for the time being, the Empyrean Age novel, the trailer, and the Chronicles are intertwined, and it seems that EVE's players are firmly at the center of what is to come.
Ten Ton Hammer takes a closer look at EVE Online
Ten Ton Hammer's Managing Editor, Cody 'Micajah' Bye writes about EVE Online in his latest editorial, 'The Temptations of a Unique MMOG.' The piece -- the first of many to come -- is an exploration of a game where that standard MMO skillset, employed in virtually all of the industry's dominant fantasy titles, no longer applies. Bye cites a few aspects of EVE that drew him to the game: depth, no level caps, no class restrictions, skills not determined by grinding time, and open gameplay. He also notes that EVE is becoming a game where players can (slowly) begin to change the rules and systems of the world. In these respects, EVE is largely free of many of the limitations found in other MMOs. However, he notes what many people on the outside looking in lament: EVE can be a very complex game.
Latest EVE Chronicle a look into Gallente moral erosion
EVE Online is running a series of Chronicles focusing on the leadership of the four races in the Empyrean Age, now locked into war in a galaxy divided. The latest EVE Chronicle, "The Paths They Chose," focuses on the Gallente race and is set in a blend of futuristic crystalline cityscape and natural scenery. The story shows the measures taken by leaders of the Gallente Federation to ensure their way of life continues. Holographic technology, advanced eavesdropping countermeasures, and an artificially cultivated environment merge in several acres of selectively grown flora and woodland; serenity and privacy for Federation officials and visiting diplomats is assured in the sanctum beneath a vast transparent dome. But the beauty of this place is juxtaposed with the inhuman actions taken within. A traitor to the Gallente people is grotesquely crucified upon a metallic 'dead man's needle,' which suspends the captive by his vertebrae while pumping him full of sedatives. The captive is abused like this by order of the President of the Gallente Federation, Souro Foiritan. Like the illusion of transparency of the eco-dome surrounding the characters, the moral high ground of the Gallente Federation is shown to be equally ephemeral, as President Foiritan reveals a new -- and dark -- direction that the Gallente will take in New Eden. Read "The Paths They Chose" to see Foiritan's descent into becoming "a leader cruel enough to do what needed to be done, and compassionate enough to understand why it needed doing." The story has struck a chord with some of EVE's players, who are discussing the sudden change and what this might do for the game's backstory.
Empyrean Age factional warfare exploit identified
Factional warfare in EVE Online, by design, ensures that ships of a much greater ship class cannot engage smaller ships in certain deadspace mission pockets. If you and your fellow militia pilots are in a zone designated for nothing larger than frigates, for instance, you shouldn't find yourself getting locked by battleships fighting for your rival militia. Apparently this has started to occur; some players have found that the jump gates to these zones don't actually prevent them from warping in ships of a magnitude not allowed in such areas. GM Grimmi had this to say at the EVE Online site: "Flying bigger class ships than allowed by the jump gates to Factional Warfare complexes has been classed as an exploit. If you are found doing this we will be forced to take in-game actions as abusing game mechanics is not allowed." So there you go. You might still be able to get in there with something obscenely overpowered and pop frigates like balloons, but you'll say goodbye to your account over it.
Winterblink: asset control and consolidation in EVE Online
Warp Drive Active podcaster Winterblink is a man who's got everything, apparently. And too much of it, scattered throughout his hangars in New Eden. It's a common problem in EVE Online, particularly for players who roam a lot throughout the galaxy. Mission runners, ratters, and adherents of most any trade or livelihood in the game accumulate a lot of random assets, individually of low worth but which can hold substantial value when seen as a whole. Unfortunately, what Winterblink describes in his blog gets even worse when a player uses containers to organize their possessions by category across multiple stations. The contents of those containers cannot be viewed remotely; one has to be docked in that particular station to see what's inside. Winterblink decided he couldn't handle the clutter anymore and shared the most efficient way he's found to deal with it all, step-by-step. He also had a good idea about having a container that only has the modules for his preferred ship fittings. Slowboating all over New Eden to consolidate his assets worked out for Winterblink. But this writer found that the negligible value of his junk and the time lost consolidating it wouldn't be worth the effort, and opted to ruthlessly destroy a fair amount of it, rather than collect and reprocess or resell the odds and ends. The slash-and-burn approach works for Tech I modules, but once ships and Tech II of anything enter into the picture, Winterblink's way is best. Especially in that he opted to reprocess the materials rather than trying to sell them all on the market.
Empyrean Age factional warfare map included with newest E-ON issue
EVE Online's latest dev blog comes from Zapatero, one of the staff at E-ON, the quarterly magazine all about EVE. Our own Massively columnist Brendan Drain, aka Nyphur, has been a past contributor to E-ON, which should give you an idea of how in-depth some of the articles are. The magazine is a useful resource for any serious player of the game and the fiction is pretty solid as well, it's just a shame that there's a few-month gap between each issue's release. Maybe it was that wait that pushed him over the edge, but rumor has it one of the Massively writers snapped and bought every back issue of E-ON, but we think that he's unhealthily obsessed anyway. Zapatero writes that E-ON is about to celebrate its third year in operation with the release of issue 12, which will ship on July 4th. As a bonus to readers, it will include a free poster of the Empyrean Age New Eden star cluster, to aid players who have enlisted in factional warfare. The map was created by Council of Stellar Management (CSM) delegate Serenity Steele, who also brought EVE Strategic Maps (a book of star charts) to fans of the game. The free poster map will include region names and outposts. Faction warfare-enabled regions will be highlighted and the security status of each system will be color-coded. For those who actually have EVE Strategic Maps, the poster is cross-referenced with the book, although Zapatero states that the map will be useful on its own. He outlines what will be in issue 12 in his dev blog; if the content matches up to what the E-ON staff has put out in past issues, it should be worth checking out.
EVE Online API improvements to track the Empyrean Age
EVEMon, EVE Fitting Tool, and other essential programs that benefit from the EVE API platform were offline yesterday while EVE Online's Tranquility server transited over to the new Empyrean Age 1.0.1 build. With more pilots than ever participating in Empyrean Age's factional warfare, CCP has also enhanced the EVE API so players have more functionality to help track and report on the state of the war.The factional warfare data is only calculated on the Tranquility server once a day during downtime, but will cache every hour to make sure that new data is available in the API. Official API documentation isn't included for the new stat-tracking improvements but the regular documentation is online. CCP is also planning long term development and support for the API including a test server with reduced cache times. The EVE Online developers have given players quite the toolbox to work with, and some tools are already benefiting from these changes like EVEAI.Live. The full list of API improvements and changes are listed after the click through below.
EVE Online: Empyrean Age 1.0.1 patch live
Attention Capsuleers, the 1.0.1 Empyrean Age update has been deployed and is available for immediate download. The patch log has all the details and the update mainly addresses EVE Voice, mail & chat with various improvements to optimization and memory leak eradication to make your flight a more pleasurable experience. The other recent EVE Online optional patches are also included in case you want dust off your second EVE account and rat with two pilots on the same machine. If you are flying what you can't afford you may want to check out our factional warfare category before logging into Tranquility.
EVE Online writing contest at BattleClinic
BattleClinic is running an EVE Online contest, as a tie-in to go along with their exclusive Faction Warfare Enlistment Debrief, written by 'Sergeant-Major Illivia of the Federal Defense Union.' But, as BattleClinic notes, "no one seems to really know who the hell Sergeant-Major Illivia is." And that, all of you aspiring fiction writers, is the basis of the contest. Sergeant-Major Illivia needs a biography, no longer than four paragraphs, completely original, and set within the EVE universe. If your writing makes the cut, the prizes offered include The Art of EVE, a 60-day EVE Time Card, and a 1GB EVE USB FlashDrive. Check out the rest of the rules and conditions over at BattleClinic, but remember the deadline for your bio submissions will be Friday, July 11. And for the love of the Amarrian God, don't begin with "It was a dark and stormy night..." Via EVE Online
BattleClinic's exclusive Factional Warfare guide by CCP Games
BattleClinic, a popular EVE Online web resource run by players, now has another thing going in its favor. Matthew Woodward, a Game Designer from CCP Games, has put together an in-character factional warfare guide, which is exclusive to the site. Woodward writes under the guise of one 'Sergeant-Major Illivia', and tries to whip the reader into shape as if they were a new recruit in Boot Camp. Sergeant-Major Illivia's ranting introduction to factional warfare in the Empyrean Age walks you through militia enlistment, battlefield intelligence, your objectives in the war, and most importantly -- how to stay alive in EVE. It's a clever way of conveying what's involved in factional conflict to a prospective recruit, although Woodward/Illivia does make you feel like a whelp at times. Check out the "Faction Warfare Enlistment Debrief" at BattleClinic for fiction with practical applications.
