empyrean-age
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EVE Online sale on Steam, this weekend only
Steam is having a weekend sale which includes the sci-fi MMO EVE Online, now offered for $9.99. The Steam sale pricing ends on Monday, June 9th. If you're interested in giving EVE Online a go, then grab it on Steam now. That's not a bad way to burn $10 and 6 gigs of hard disk space, take it from a convert to the game. And of course you'll get the free Empyrean Age expansion that CCP Games is rolling out on June 11th. Check out Steam's EVE page -- where they're also offering a free 21-day trial -- and who knows, maybe we'll see you in the galaxy of New Eden soon. Just don't get too attached to that ship... Via Gaming Today
Empyrean Age launch schedule: 24-hour downtime for deployment
CCP has announced that EVE Online's Empyrean Age expansion will be playable on Wednesday, the 11th of June, at 2:00 AM GMT. Tranquility will be brought down the preceding day (Tuesday the 10th) at 2:00 AM GMT and will be offline for 24 hours as CCP readies the new content.That's a very long long downtime, to be sure, but it's arguably worth it, given all the additions Empyrean Age makes to the game. The specifics are outlined in the patch notes and the expansion's features page at the official site, but most of the changes are related to the factional warfare system that we've heard so much about. Admittedly, it's not an expansion for the carebears. Their day will come when Ambulation arrives.Those of us here at Massively who play EVE are looking forward to podkilling your sorry asses in all the battles to come! Just kidding; we're not that mean! Or are we?
Empyrean Age details revealed in EVE developer chat
MMORPG.com invited a few of the EVE Online staff from CCP Games to participate in a live developer chat this past Sunday. MMORPG.com was kind enough to provide a complete log of the chat, which was hosted by their own Community Manager, Laura 'Taera' Genender. Among the EVE Online devs present were CCP Greyscale (game designer/factional warfare), CCP Ginger (ISD manager/storyline), t0nyG (lead writer), and CCP Wrangler (community manager). The developer chat was primarily focused on the changes that The Empyrean Age and its factional warfare will bring, but the CCP staff addressed a number of other issues and concerns as well:
EVE Online: play test factional warfare, June 4-6
CCP Games announced a new series of factional warfare playtests for EVE Online's imminent Empyrean Age expansion, and are seeking help from all available pilots in New Eden. EVE dev CCP Tanis stated that the first release candidate for the Empyrean Age is being put on the Singularity test server, and that CCP is now focusing its attention on the gameplay mechanics of the long-anticipated factional warfare system. The playtest will focus on the offense and defense of capture points and the conquering of solar systems. Players will be divided into either Caldari or Gallente factions; each faction will have an offensive and defensive team. The ultimate goal is to capture as many systems as possible while preventing the opposing faction from gaining any territorial control. CCP developers and ISD will be on hand to answer questions and guide players. When: June 4 to 6 (Wed., Thurs., Fri.) from 11:00 to 14:00 EVE time (GMT).Where: Singularity test serverWhy: "We really cannot stress how important your feedback is to us." Another Why: Each day the players on the winning side will be given a stock of officer modules !! ... *dramatic pause*... on the test server only. (Sorry.) Also the player who submits the best bug report will be given maxed out skills on the test server. How: Join the in-game channel "Faction Testing" for instructions.CCP Tanis also reminds players that the latest Singularity test server patch is required to participate in the playtest. The patch should ONLY be applied to a second copy of the EVE client, and NOT the main client used for everyday play on the Tranquility server. That is, unless you'd prefer to call the test server "home" from now on. Further details can be found in the official announcement; EVE Online account login is required to access this information.
EVE Evolved: Preparing for the Empyrean Age
With EVE Online's Empyrean Age patch just over a week away, it's time for those getting involved to start preparing for the patch. Aside from following the patch day mantra of "set a long skill training" and getting a nice book to read while the server is down, there are always things you can do beforehand to get ready for the post-patch festivities. Whether you're a veteran corp CEO forming a PvP militia or a new player starting out on a 14 day trial to take part in the action, there are important preparations to make by June 10th. In this guide, I will cover the main points on what you can do in the coming week to make the most of the patch.Getting in on the action:Once the Empyrean Age patch goes live on June 10th, you'll undoubtedly want to get stuck right in to the action. Details on the game mechanics that allow individuals and corps to sign up to factional warfare are plenty but advice on what to do after signing up is surprisingly scarce. Although fighting between warring factions can occur anywhere in EVE, most of the fighting and faction warfare missions will be concentrated into stretches of low security space around the borders between warring factions. According to CCP developer Greyscale, the Caldari will be defending the new Black Rise region and a few constellations in The Citadel against the Gallente. The Gallente will be initially poised in Placid region and some low security systems in Essence. The Amarr are defending The Bleak Lands region and the upper parts of Devoid while the Minmatar defend Metropolis and areas of Heimatar. Read on for information on how to set up an effective player militia, where to set up your base of operations and how to profit off the coming war.
Devs give lowdown on new reasons to kill folks in Empyrean Age
The previous EVE Online developer blog entry was about the faction ranks that will be introduced when Empyrean Age goes live next month. That was interesting, but it couldn't hold a candle to the latest one. This time, CCP's Greyscale describes in detail all the new applications of combat in factional warfare.Empyrean Age will add combat zones, militia missions, and combat sites (which are distinct from combat zones). The term "combat zones" refers to the two stretches of contested space lodged inbetween the Caldari and Gallente, and Minmatar and Amarr civilizations. Militia missions are like regular missions, but they'll send you into enemy space, where you'll have to do battle with hostile players. Combat sites are exploration points which will show up on your sensors as cosmic anomalies. These are territorial capture points. If you capture enough of them, your faction will be able to attack the system's control bunker. If the attack is successful, then the system will change hands during the next downtime.
June 10th marks the dawn of EVE's Empyrean Age
CCP announced today that EVE Online's Empyrean Age expansion will go live on the 10th of June. The expansion will be free for all EVE players. Features added include factional warfare with a ranking system, new agents, a new region of space, details on hidden deadspace complexes, and new system occupancy rules.EVE's in-game news sources have been filled with reports of one violent diplomatic disaster after another, setting the stage for the all out war to come. In addition to those reports, CCP commissioned writer Tony Gonzales to write a novel (also titled Empyrean Age) that reveals in detail the back-story of the conflict.Empyrean Age is already live on EVE's test server, Singularity. User reactions have been positive so far, and we suspect this update will offer plenty of satisfactory content to tide users over until the Ambulation update downloads later this year.
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The Empyrean Age blasts onto Singularity
Fighting for your empire of choice? Of course. Complexes full of militia fighters hacking away away at each other? That is there too. A few bugs that result in the beloved EVE Online police, Concord, blasting you for fighting the good fight in high-sec? Well, it just would not be a war without Concord and a test without flaws! The good, the bad, and the ugly parts of factional warfare in the EVE Online expansion Empyrean Age are at every pilot's fingertips. The details are conveyed in a blog, hosted on Nuyan's Hangout, that presents an in depth look at the concepts currently floating around the test server.Factional warfare is not going to be a big ship destroys little ship game of domination. Newer players are encouraged to participate since some zones restrict ship class and eliminate the chance for a Titan to destroy your little frigate. In these zones, players attack and defend systems in an attempt to control outposts for a certain amount of time. This factional warfare feature sounds similar to the timed capture methods World of Warcraft employs. Nuyan is quick to point out that the design does have a slight hint of tauren and orc, but that EVE maintains a unique flavor that separates it from the open PvP zones in World of Warcraft. We remain hopeful that EVE will retain it's unique style and eagerly await this long awaited expansion to go live.[via Crazy Kinux]
Full Empyrean Age rank list exhibited in dev blog
Soon, EVE Online's entire galaxy will be sucked into the black hole of war. This is good news for pilots; wartime is the best time to make a name for yourself. EVE's Empyrean Age expansion adds the framework for catastrophic, galactic factional warfare. And for players looking for recognition for their victories, a ranking system will be deployed as well.The latest post at EVE's dev blog describes the ranking system in detail, and lists every single rank (and each rank's associated insignia) for all four factions. From Amarr's Paladin Crusader to Caldari's First Lieutenant and Gallente's Shield Commander, all the way up to the Minmatar rank of Valklear General, they're all there for your examination.CCP's Ginger also noted that the team is exploring ideas ("these are not promises") like "tying [ranks] into dungeons in space and adding additional equipment and ships to the loyalty store that will only be available at certain ranks."
Have Clone, Will Travel: An EVE Online Wish List
With Empyrean Age and and Ambulation just around the corner, CCP is about to make a lot of its EVE Online subscribers very happy, including yours truly. The idea of walking around in a space station has been a wish of mine for quite some time, ever since I got word that CCP was looking at doing something like it. Of course my EVE Online wish list is much longer and probably won't get fulfilled for some time. Indeed it would keep the Icelandic developer busy for a number of years! Instead, let's narrow the list to the 5 top items and see what we've got.
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New Empyrean Age devlog explains the lack of alliance support in factional warfare
There is a mothership crashing into an enemy station, a distraught news caster, and a frightened mob in a video that marks the beginning of factional warfare for Empyrean Age. Fans of EVE Online have been waiting years for the release of factional warfare. However, something is missing from the conflict that is causing a few outbursts and even some rather large explosions. Players were informed that alliances are not allowed to participate in the factional warfare.EVE Online has many alliances, and some of them shifted their fire towards CCP when word reached players that their alliance had to sit this one out. The hail of rocket fire caused Greyscale to hop onto the forums and post a response to some of the concerns. Within the post were a few key notes: Alliances will not dominate factional warfare and their exclusion encourages players not in an alliance to participate Alliances, mechanically speaking, cannot receive standings from factions Role playing guidelines dictate that the major factions do not want alliance politics meddling in their affairs The alliance and factional warfare devlog by Greyscale is still causing ammo to ping off the sides of the CCP flagship, but at least there is an explanation. Capsuleers, especially some of the veterans and alliance members, remain a bit uneasy about the rule. Pilots are encouraged and welcomed by Greyscale to offer their suggestions on the EVE forums, so feel free to toss in your two isk!
Rogue Signal: EVE's Empyrean Age and factional warfare
For the first time in a long time, EVE Online managed to send chills up my spine. It wasn't a fleet battle, or the disbanding of the Mercenary Coalition, my former alliance that made me stare in slack-jawed wonder at the screen. The thing that made me look at EVE with new eyes after 30 months of playing was the simple trailer, not even a minute long, for the Empyrean Age expansion, due this summer.On the Drone Bay, I have made no secret of the fact that factional warfare was my single most anticipated feature for EVE Online, including the ambulation project. The idea of the four major factions going toe-to-toe with players deciding which way the balance tips gives the feeling of being inside a novel. This week's news has me more excited about my favorite game than I have been in a long time.
The Empyrean Age is born in fire
CCP Games have put together a new site for EVE Online's upcoming Empyrean Age expansion. Recent months have given EVE's players hints as to what is on the horizon, largely through news reports seen at login and viewable through the billboards found in space. CCP has raised the bar with video footage of a crisis in the making, as reported 'live' by The Scope, New Eden's galactic news network. The reporter relays a situation tense with panic and chaos, as a peace summit between the Gallente and Caldari races is disrupted. A Nyx mothership pilot, the Gallente Federation escort, sets a deliberate collision course with the Caldari Ishukone space station. Thousands of people force their way to evacuation vessels in vain; the 'FNS Wandering Saint' explodes against the Ishukone megacorporation's headquarters, claiming thousands of lives and igniting war between the Caldari and Gallente. The attack quite literally obliterates all hopes for peace between the races. The news broadcast cuts off abruptly and is replaced with the words "War is Coming," a harbinger of the strife which is set to engulf New Eden in the Empyrean Age.
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EVE Online: Five years and counting
In case you were lost in space, mining some rare mineral, today marks five years since a world of adventure, darkness, war, and spectacular beauty dove headfirst into the hands of gamers around the world. CCP created a game where rails were an unfamiliar term and players were encouraged to find new ways of conquering the galaxy or the market that supported it all. Wars were waged, empires rose and fell, and evolution continued to shape the world on all fronts. EVE Online has reached five years and what an amazing journey the game has taken.EVE has grown to include over 250,000 players from around the world, all happily mining, pirating, or planning world domination. The game has come a long way since that first glorious day. We have seen numerous expansions, a graphics overhaul, wars, scams, and scandals. Countless pods have been destroyed and even more asteroid belts have been strip mined to dust. The future looks just as exciting with ambulation and the Empyrean Age, which will finally place the four empires in an all out war, looming through the next stargate. On this 5th anniversary of the creation of this world, we bring you back to take a look at the moments that made EVE a unique and exciting world in which to live.%Gallery-21864%
Matt Woodward interview gives us a glimpse at Empyrean Age
Over at EVE Online's pavilion at New York Comic Con, one man would add to the hopes and dreams of thousands. Matt Woodward took a few moments of his time to talk to TenTonHammer on a subject close to the heart of many capsuleers. The subject? EVE of course, but most importantly, the expansion Empyrean Age. Take a few moments to put aside those evil schemes, dock, grab a Quafe, and tune in because the interview is packed with exciting hints at what is to come. Matt explains in the interview that Empyrean Age will have fighting, glory, new missions and reputation, and plenty of fleet battles. One of the points made by Matt is that "the big fight that is coming" will allow everyone to be involved in one way or another. Rewards will be given, the front will shift, and the design is being hashed out to bring empire, lowsec, and 0.0 players together to duke it out. The expansion is going to pack one hell of a punch and is long overdue in the minds of many EVE pilots. When the expansion finally does arrive, players will rejoice as new ways to destroy one another are introduced. To us, that smells like victory.
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EVE Online braces for total war in the expansion Empyrean Age
For years the war waged between the empires of EVE Online has been a cold war. Well, now it is time to break out the Clausewitz ladies and gentlemen. The long awaited clash of the titans is coming and there is nowhere to hide. Corporation warfare has nothing on what is about to occur. Systems will change hands, empires will fall, and the galaxy as we know it will change forever. To hell with putting blasters on stun, this will be a fight to the finish. With the launch of EVE's expansion Empyrean Age sometime in the future, the entire universe, players and NPCs, will be duking it out in the name of their empire in an epic struggle for galactic domination. The war is not going to be easy and players may participate alone, running missions for their empire of choice, or they may bring their entire corporation into the fray. You thought piracy was a problem, imagine finding yourself in the middle of an Amarr fleet bent on your merciless destruction! Kick in the afterburners and train up those tanking skills, there is going to be a torrent of destruction hellbent on finding your ship.So what about you carebears? All is not lost for the industrialist at heart! In addition to an EVE proximity alert to keep you safe, all of the fighting will provide plenty of scrap metal. The empires and players need resources for the larger conflict and the usual struggles between corporations. Someone needs to make sure everyone in EVE is supplied with guns and ammunition. This means plenty of trading and market watching for players eager to make a few isk as gun runners. Stock up on Quafe and void ammo while you are browsing the market, you are going to need it!
