empyrean-age
Latest
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.
.jpg.cf.jpg)
EVE Online patches rolling out July 1
Some new changes in EVE Online will be deployed on Tuesday, July 1, Community Manager CCP Wrangler announced today. Empyrean Age patch 1.0.1 will reportedly bring fixes to EVE Voice and will also include the previous two optional patches. Further details on what Empyrean Age patch 1.0.1 will include are not currently available, but will be noted at EVE's Patch Notes site, with updated information highlighted in green text. The patch will add roughly 30 minutes to the regularly scheduled downtime, meaning Tranquility will be down from 11:00 to 12:30 GMT.EVE Online's website -- in its entirety, including the EVE API -- will also be down on July 1, from 12:00 to 16:00 GMT, as CCP Games upgrades its website database server. CCP Wrangler began a discussion thread on the patch at the EVE Information Portal.
WarCry interviews EVE Lead Designer Noah Ward about the CSM
EVE Online's Council of Stellar Management (CSM) is the title's first attempt at having elected representatives work with CCP Games on improving the game as well as the company's relations with its player base. The initial idea behind the CSM was that it would act as an oversight committee on behalf of the players, in the wake of the 'T20 incident' when a CCP developer unfairly provided a player corporation with certain resources. But this first CSM is largely tasked with improving the transparency of CCP's inner workings, while shaping the game to better fit the play styles of their constituency. The CSM has met online in recent weeks, and with mixed results, but they've now met in-person in Reykjavik, where they also had face-to-face time with the creators of EVE Online.Jordan Deam from WarCry interviewed EVE Online dev Noah Ward (aka CCP Hammerhead) about what this experiment in 'democratic community management' has yielded thus far, and what it may yet become. The interview focuses heavily on the dynamic between players wanting features added to the game and the undertaking necessary on CCP's part to make these changes a reality. Factional warfare has only just been realized in the game and was four years in the making. Ambulation, or 'Walking in Stations', is slated for a launch in the coming months, after three years of being in the pipeline, Ward said. Have a look at the WarCry interview, and decide for yourself if the CSM is living up to its potential, and if CCP is recapturing the transparency of a small, independent game company as it grows into a much larger entity.
CCP chronicles lives of Empyrean Age's warlike leaders
CCP has announced a weekly series of chronicles -- short lore stories -- related to the EVE Online's Empyrean Age expansion. The first four will tell stories about the motivations of the heads of the four factions in this new time of war. The final chronicle will focus on regular ol' capsuleers.The first chronicle -- titled "Silent Furies" -- is available now. It's a talky story starring Sanmatar Maleatu Shakor, the head honcho of the Minmatar faction. Check it out if you're really into EVE lore. Needless to say, though, you don't need to know any of this stuff to just log in and blow people up.In the event that you do read it, CCP has provided an official forum thread for chronicle-related discussions.
Rogue Signal: The Basics of PVP Fitting
PvP, though pervasive in EVE Online, can be a frightening prospect at first, be it as a fresh-faced cadet, or a deep-space miner taking up arms for the first time. The continued discussion of The Empyrean Age no doubt has even more new and old pilots seeking advice for that first PvP encounter. For the newcomer to EVE's PvP, one of the most daunting challenges comes long before undocking. You have your shiny new war ship, and you know you are going to fight with it...now what? While ships in EVE, like flat-pack furniture, come easy to assemble, they are also missing key components (also like most flat-pack furniture). This week's Rogue Signal will deal with filling in those bits needed for combat, and getting you ready to contribute to fighting the good fight.
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.
New Empyrean Age trailer!
EVE Online's latest expansion, Empyrean Age, went live yesterday, and with it came a new movie, which we've seen bits and pieces of in the teaser trailers we've been watching for the past several weeks. Enjoy!
EVE Online's 'Empyrean Age' a first step towards something greater
EVE Online's latest expansion, The Empyrean Age. has largely been a success, both from the standpoint of a number of EVE's players and what it will allow the game to evolve into from the perspective of CCP Games. EVE developer CCP RyanD's recent dev blog confirms that CCP is excited about the directions the game will now be able to take in the future. He writes that throughout EVE Online's five year history, there was a rift between developer-created storytelling and player-driven roleplaying. There were a few prominent storyline events run in tandem by the devs and volunteers in ISD, but while such events succeeded in some respects, they failed in others. The mixed response to the events made them a rarity in the game. But those initial faltering steps have given way to greater storyline interaction in Empyrean Age, as player created content and efforts begin to mesh with the developing story of EVE. CCP RyanD writes, "The path we are on now is really unprecedented."
Van Hemlock: The distrust of recruits and the path of acceptance
Podcaster and PlanetSide-fragger extraordinaire Van Hemlock recently had a look at EVE Online's Empyrean Age expansion, and gave his take on what's needed to get the most from factional warfare. He tackled The Empyrean Age in two parts: The Distrust of Recruits... and The Path of Acceptance. In The Distrust of Recruits, Van Hemlock was surprised that factional warfare isn't quite as accessible as he envisioned. He wasn't daunted though, and prepared to move his main character into the battlefield. Except, there were one or two issues. Perhaps the main one, which is a core mantra in EVE, is that you "don't fly what you can't afford to lose." By joining up with any of the militia, you become a war target for two other factions, who will attempt to kill you on sight -- no matter where they see you. No matter what you've done. That's the price you pay for access to this level of PvP, a first in the game, but for some that price tag is too steep.
EVE Evolved: Faction warfare unleashed
When talk of how Faction Warfare was going to work began, the goals it hoped to achieve were laid bare for all to see. EVE Online developers CCP wanted to encourage small-scale PvP combat and make the experience easy for even new players to get involved in. Now that Faction Warfare has been live for several days, the dust is beginning to settle and the question of whether or not those goals have been achieved can be examined. In this article, I will examine faction warfare based on my experiences of it since launch. The early days:The first two days of the Empyrean Age saw a flood of news posts and some in-game events, carrying on with the momentum generated by the trailers and build-up news stories. Early reports showed that the Caldari militia organised itself well to begin with, leading fleets of over 100 ships. Since then, comparable fleets have been organised by the Gallente and Minmatar militias, with multiple gangs of over 80 ships being a daily occurrence. The Caldari faction retains its size advantage for now but statistics show that the Gallente militia is the most deadly, having over twice the number of confirmed kills per pilot. Epic fleet battles and tactical manoeuvres that were once the sole domain of 0.0 alliance warfare now rage across EVE in the border zones between faction territories. Read on as I discuss the state of faction warfare and examine whether or not the goals announced earlier have been met.
EVE Online dev blog: new missions galore
EVE Online developer CCP Molock writes in his dev blog that CCP Games has big plans for PvE content in the game, especially for mission-runners. Eight devs are currently working full-time on mission and deadspace creation. In addition, there are a number of freelancers working on new mission text. The freelance opportunities were announced in EVE's EON magazine, so it seems they found the people they needed -- particularly in light of just how much PvE content is on the way. Molock describes the process of getting everything in order for The Empyrean Age and Factional Warfare as 'dizzying', particularly in light of the 160 new Factional Warfare missions that were part of the expansion's launch. Molock states that more content is to come in subsequent Empyrean Age releases, and explains what we can expect from EVE's PvE experience in the future.
EVE Online creates guide to factional warfare
Factional warfare is the center of attention in most EVE Online news, given the changes affecting players in The Empyrean Age expansion. While these changes are new to everyone, they may not be terribly complex to seasoned players. However it's definitely a lot to grasp at once for newer players of the game -- much less those who are giving EVE a shot for the first time. CCP Games is trying to dispel some of the complexities surrounding the factional warfare game mechanics. In other words, they're answering the question: Where do I start? They've added a new section to the online player guide, which explains the main aspects of participating in factional warfare. The guide walks a player through enlisting in a factional militia, the consequences of being a combatant, territorial control, ranks, and everything in-between. They've also added new knowledge base articles related to factional warfare, such as explanations of ship restrictions in militia missions and battlefield intelligence. If you're interested in giving The Empyrean Age a go, but your head is spinning trying to figure it all out, these new sites are what you need to get a handle on it all.
The Empyrean Age Q&A with author Tony Gonzales
TenTonHammer has done a well-timed interview with Tony Gonzales, Lead Writer for EVE Online, who as of next week will be the published author of a sci-fi novel titled The Empyrean Age. The novel ties in with the namesake game expansion that CCP rolled out just days ago; both the novel and the game deal with the strife of all-out galactic warfare between the four races of New Eden. Gonzales talks about how he began as a volunteer writer for CCP Games, churning out fan fiction a cut above the rest and catching CCP's eye in the process. He discusses the challenges of making The Empyrean Age novel accessible to any fan of sci-fi, particularly those who are not familiar with the setting of EVE Online and the serendipity of 'being at the right place at the right time.' Have a look at the TenTonHammer interview and get an idea of the universal conflict Tony Gonzales brings to readers and gamers alike in The Empyrean Age. If you're interested in a sneak peak before the June 19 release date, TenTonHammer also has an excerpt from the novel at their site. Via EVE Online
The Daily Grind: Empyrean Age opinions
Tranquility came up earlier than originally projected, and many EVE Online players got to jump out and enjoy some good old fashioned (new fashioned?) factional warfare. For some others, it was business as usual, forming up fleets for mining ops, ratting, or running things all over the place. But for those of you who got a chance to get out there and get your hands dirty in EVE's new factional warfare, we thought we'd ask this morning -- how are you enjoying the Empyrean Age? Is this the next best thing to sliced bread, or what? Or do you really not care so much, and are perhaps waiting instead for something totally new like the upcoming addition of ambulation? Tell us your front-line stories and observations!
Empyrean Age designed to make PvP more accessible
Ten Ton Hammer spoke with EVE Online developer Matt Woodward about the features of and the design philosophy behind the Empyrean Age expansion, which is set to go live in just a few hours.Naturally, the entire conversation focused on the new factional warfare system. Woodward explained that CCP hopes factional warfare will lower the barrier for entry into the PvP side of the EVE experience. Up till now, the transition from low sec mission running and mining to high sec PvP conflict has been intimidating to many players, in part because they might face opponents whose skills and ships far outclass their own. Factional warfare, which for the most part matches participants up against opponents at a similar level of advancement, will make it easier to transition between the two gameplay modes.Woodward also noted that regardless of what you do in factional warfare, you'll still be able to dock at any faction's station (in cases where you would otherwise), although the NPC navy ships of opposing factions will engage you in high sec space. Fighting back will have no impact on your security rating, though.
EVE Online blazes into The Empyrean Age
Massively has been beating the war drums as EVE Online enters a new era in PvP: The Empyrean Age expansion. This time of factional warfare will sweep players of all four races in New Eden into a whirl of conflict never seen before in the game. PvP will no longer be limited to low sec ganks, 0.0 alliance warfare, or Empire war decs. For the first time, it will be integrated with the storyline on a massive scale. And all the while, embedded reporters loyal to their respective factions will be conveying news and swaying the masses of New Eden to their cause. With all of this build-up to the expansion's release, there's a great deal of information to absorb. So we've written about what exactly The Empyrean Age is, and what it is not. Our columnists at Massively have written on the background of the conflict between EVE's races, and torn through some of the complexities of EVE's factional warfare for you as well. Although factional warfare has been tested extensively, these radical changes to the universe of EVE Online require a hefty amount of downtime to deploy. But after the full day's downtime, the shardless galaxy of New Eden will be set ablaze at 02:00 GMT on June 11. While you're rocking back and forth in your chair waiting for the server reboot, check out Massively's ramped up coverage of the sci-fi MMO and get yourself into the mood for tearing into the hulls of your rival faction. We suspect that a number of EVE vets are going through booster-level withdrawal symptoms today; so for the truly hardcore, CCP posted the full patch notes in all its 18-page glory on their provisional 'downtime site'. And of course, there's always time to watch Clear Skies a few more times while you wait for New Eden to ignite once again. %Gallery-24797%
67,000 plus dead in Jita, cause unknown
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened... -- Obi Wan Something 'terrible' indeed has transpired recently in EVE Online, but the event brought more amusement than horror to fans of the brutal sci-fi game. Over 67,000 ships were destroyed in the bustling trading hub of Jita yesterday, and the pilots of EVE's galaxy of New Eden are still trying to figure out what really happened. All of the obliterated ships were shuttles, which is unusual given the nearly endless procession of freighters and industrial ships clogging the system's star gates. The Jita system is notorious for being overcrowded and is often blamed for the lag that affects the rest of New Eden. Not a day goes by without an EVE pilot, somewhere, cursing Jita and calling for the system to be nuked. It seems those rage-fueled wishes were finally granted, just not quite how most would want that retribution to play out. Theories about the event can be found in multiple forum threads, ranging from the plausible to the absurd. A few players expressed the view that multiple convoys of freighters offloaded their cargo of ships into space at one location, and somehow ignited the mass in a doomsday-level conflagration. Some feel that it was all orchestrated by EVE Online's developers to help set the tone for factional warfare between the races, which is about to consume EVE's pilots in the Empyrean Age expansion. Others point out the most likely cause of the mayhem: it was simply a bug... a map glitch. No official explanation from CCP Games has been given for the occurrence, nor has EVE's Interstellar Correspondents covered news of the event. Glitch or not, it's a novel way to kick off the wave of destruction about to sweep over New Eden mere days from now. Thanks Hortinstein
