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EVE Evolved: Exploring New Eden
A common theme in popular MMOs today is the idea of exploration. For a surprisingly large number of players, their reason for playing an MMO is to experience new content and explore new lands. Each new MMO or expansion becomes a new country to explore with its own set of features and game mechanics. Limits such as levels, raid progression and quest chains are used to ensure we don't burn through all the game's content too quickly. New Eden:EVE Online is set in the expansive universe of New Eden. This nebular stellar nursery contains thousands of stars, of which approximately 5000 have been explored and added to the game's stargate network. Even though EVE doesn't have level limits, it does have a familiar approach to exploring content. Some content such as difficult complexes (space dungeons) will not be completable solo and other content like level 4 missions will be so difficult as to require large ships with a lot of skills behind them. The majority of the universe, however, is free to explore from day one and there's a lot to explore.In this visual article, I explore some of the stunning content of EVE Online and take a brief look at what the future holds for explorers in New Eden.%Gallery-38200%
One Shots: Angel at war
The ships in EVE Online may be varied in look, size, and function - but all of them are extremely well modeled and lovely to look at. As many only get a chance to see other ships in battle, we're glad to present this ship today as part of One Shots. This particular screenshot comes to us from our very own Brendan "Nyphur" Drain, who writes the entertainingly informative column for us, EVE Evolved. Brendan tells us a bit about this ship today: This is an NPC Angel battleship. The Guardian Angels are a pirate faction that use primarily Minmatar weaponry such as auto-cannons and artillery. The ship seen here is called a Machariel and a version of it is available for players, with limited run blueprints dropped as rare loot at the end of hard-to-find complexes (dungeons).If you've got screenshots, we need them! One Shots is best when it has community input, so we're reaching out to you. We're looking for any and all screenshots that you think are cool. Have something to show off that you're proud of? Want to tell everyone how cool your group of MMO friends are? Or maybe you just found some area, npc, or the like that you think is pretty awesome and should be shown off. Whatever your reasons, we want to hear from you. Grab a screenshot (or a bunch) and send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, game and any other information you'd like to add. We'll post your screen and share your tale with all the Massively readers worldwide! %Gallery-9798%
EVE Evolved: Where's the grind?
Everyone who plays MMOs will be familiar with the concept of "grind", possibly one of the most debated topics in the MMO industry. Grind is essentially where users are forced to repeat something over and over again to get what they want. An example would be killing a certain type of monster repeatedly to get a certain piece of rare loot they can drop. Some people, such as World of Warcraft's Jeff Kaplan, suggest that grind and progression are essentially the same thing. Jeff asserts that we call progression a "grind" when it's not a fun experience and that grinding can be properly tuned. Whether you love it or hate it, repetitive elements exist in all MMOs and are necessary to maintaining long-term playability.No grind in EVE Online?:EVE Online is a game that's often lauded by players as having eliminated the grind present in other MMOs. However, it's clear that EVE still has a large amount of repetitive gameplay that can be considered grind. While nothing is forcing you to run missions over and over again or mine for hours on end, those areas of gameplay where heavy grind exists are very heavily used. When given a universe in which they don't have to grind, why then do so many players actively seek out something repetitive to grind on?Join me as I take a look at the industry obsession with grind and identify where the grind is (and isn't) in EVE Online.
EVE Evolved: Beating the learning curve of EVE Online
It's no secret that EVE Online has one of the steepest learning curves in the MMO industry. The open sandbox-style world and unfamiliar sci-fi context leave most new players feeling overwhelmed and unsure what to do. Additionally, while the real-time skill training system is appreciated by player with little free time, it doesn't encourage players to log in and play the game. The result is that a lot of new players don't do a lot and quickly get bored of the game. These are some of the big hurdles that new players face in their free trial and are responsible for turning many players away from a game that they would otherwise like.In this article, I give my top five tips for beating the learning curve in EVE Online and link to some invaluable resources for new players.
Massively's EVE Online PvP masterclass
Over the last few weeks the EVE Evolved column has gone through a series of informational articles, exploring the world of PvP in EVE Online. As shown in our introductions to all forms of combat in New Eden, explaining fleet combat, piracy, and even corporate espionage, PvP in EVE is one of the most visceral experiences you can have in an MMO environment. Read the full article series below to understand this compelling style of gameplay. PvP masterclass - IntroductionIn this new series of articles, I will explain PvP from the bottom up, with a particular focus on helping anyone that has always wanted to give EVE's high quality PvP a try but wasn't sure what to do. In this first article, I examine the different types of PvP available in EVE Online. PvP masterclass - Gang warfareIn this second part, I explore how small gang warfare fits into the PvP landscape of EVE and help you decide what avenues you should pursue if small gang warfare is your cup of tea. PvP masterclass - Fleet warfareFleet warfare in EVE Online is a big step up from the small, casual PvP gangs discussed in last week's PvP Masterclass article. In this guide, I explore the day to day activities of EVE's largest combat machinations, from 30-man faction warfare gangs to 300-man territorial fleets. PvP masterclass - The dark sideIn this final part, I explore EVE's evil side as I talk about piracy and corporate infiltration.
EVE Evolved: PvP masterclass - The dark side
One of the big lures to EVE Online is the fact that its PvP isn't just shoehorned into consensual duels and battlegrounds. Instead, EVE PvP can occur anywhere whether you like it or not and punishments are levied after-the-fact for engaging in unsanctioned combat in designated safe areas. In the previous three parts of this exhaustive guide on where you can take your PvP career, I described the different types of PvP EVE has to offer from small gang warfare to massive territorial fleets. In this final part, I explore EVE's evil side as I talk about piracy and corporate infiltration.Griefing?:In most MMOs, stealing from other players or indiscriminately killing them for fun or profit can be considered griefing and may be against the rules or worse. In the cold, harsh universe of New Eden, however, piracy and theft are just another facet of the complex player-based gameplay. From the common gatecamping pirate to the criminal masterminds behind the Guiding Hand Social Club heist, players of all kinds are drawn into the criminal underworld of EVE Online.If piracy, theft and corporate infiltration sounds like your cup of tea, continue reading as I delve into the dark side of EVE Online.
EVE Evolved: PvP masterclass - Fleet warfare
Fleet warfare in EVE Online is a big step up from the small, casual PvP gangs discussed in last week's PvP Masterclass article. In this guide, I explore the day to day activities of EVE's largest combat machinations, from 30-man faction warfare gangs to 300-man territorial fleets. In stark contrast to a small and highly mobile gang, a large fleet is a lumbering hulk that favours combined firepower and good co-ordination over all else. Massive fleets of hundreds of pilots routinely clash in the outskirts of EVE's lawless 0.0 space. But when they move at the speed of their slowest member and are really only as good as their fleet commander, what can you do to make sure your fleet is a success?Fight-by-numbers:The essence of fleet warfare is that using more ships is usually better. By focusing all attacks on one enemy at a time, a larger fleet has a very high damage potential. It also allows a more diverse range of ship types to take part in the fight such as an electronic warfare wing or sniper squadron. Forming a large fleet usually requires some planning and co-ordination, making them less suited to casual PvP and more suited to organised assaults on specific targets like POS.Read on as I tackle the question of how to make a fleet effective from the perspective of both the fleet's individual members and the fleet commander.
EVE Evolved: PvP masterclass - Gang warfare
PvP Masterclass is a series of articles explaining PvP from the bottom up and showing you how to get involved even if you're a new player. In part 1 of this series, I examined the main types of PvP a player can choose in EVE Online and showed the directions players can take their PvP careers. In this second part, I explore how small gang warfare fits into the PvP landscape of EVE and help you decide what avenues you should pursue if small gang warfare is your cup of tea.Numbers game:A complaint I hear all too often today is that small gang warfare in EVE is dead, that PvP is a numbers game and competing on the battlefield means having the biggest blob. It almost always transpires that these people are trying to shoehorn small gang warfare into places it's not suited for like major 0.0 territorial conflicts or that they're neglecting the importance of intel-gathering scouts. Small gang warfare isn't about your gang of five ships trying to take on a blob of two hundred. It's about putting together a small, tight unit of pilots and picking your fights carefully.Whether you're planning to pirate, fight for the Gallente Federation or declare war on your neighbours, small gang warfare is for you. Read on as I examine the small roaming gang, one of EVE's oldest and most fun avenues of PvP.
EVE Evolved: PvP masterclass - Introduction, part 2
Corps and alliances compete over the valuable resources in deep space and launch massive PvP efforts against each other. Effective use of intel-gathering scouts, fast tacklers, electronic warfare ships and good damage dealers are critical to the outcome of an engagement. The addition of 0.0-only combat mechanics like warp disrupt probes, anchorable warp disruption bubbles, bombs and titan doomsdays makes 0.0 fleet warfare a unique experience.
EVE Evolved: PvP masterclass - Introduction
One of the most perplexing things about EVE Online has to be the fact that although the game is essentially designed around PvP, a lot of players avoid it entirely. In this new series of articles, I will explain PvP from the bottom up, with a particular focus on helping anyone that has always wanted to give EVE's high quality PvP a try but wasn't sure what to do. In this first article, I examine the different types of PvP available in EVE Online and suggest ways to get involved in them even if you're just finishing the 14-day trial.Types of PvP:In most MMOs, PvP means organised battleground matches or one versus one player duels. For those games lucky enough to have open world PvP, the options are a lot more varied. In EVE Online, the exact right combination of factors come together to create what on a good day I can only describe as the best PvP experience I have ever had in a computer game. Rather than just being something fun to do, PvP in EVE arises as a natural consequence of normal play, used by players to push forward their own agenda in a harsh, dismal space-borne society.Continue reading as I help you choose which type of PvP suits you the best and suggest ways to get involved in it.
EVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online
EVE Online's development path from concept to release has followed a very different path to the MMO norm. Starting from its humble beginnings as one man's dream to build an online space game, EVE has developed into the massively popular game it is today. Rather than designing and developing the game all in one go, the CCP crew opted for a staged delivery approach. The game was re-made 11 times, each stage being progressively closer to the final goal. By launch, EVE had been through 5 total recodes where almost the entire game was scrapped and rebuilt from scratch and at least 6 partial recodes.Join me as I take a look at the course EVE's development has taken from concept all the way to the current Empyrean Age expansion.
EVE Evolved: EVE Online's server model
Almost any time a discussion about EVE Online comes up, one way or another we end up talking about the server. EVE Online is unique among today's most popular MMOs for its single-server approach. While most MMOs deal with large number of users by starting up large numbers of separate servers with identical game universes, EVE maintains only a single copy of its game universe on a massive cluster of servers. CCP's decision to go with a server model that doesn't use any sharding or instancing whatsoever has had a major impact on in-game activities and how the game has developed.Server woes:Unfortunately for CCP, maintaining their vision of a single game universe has proven a lot more difficult and costly than anyone anticipated. Working with IBM, the EVE server cluster is maintained in London and is currently the largest supercomputer employed in the gaming industry. Even with this massive power behind the EVE universe, there are still problems as CCP tries to keep the server upgraded ahead of its ever-expanding playerbase.In this article, I discuss the unique gameplay that is possible thanks to EVE's server model, the problems the server currently faces and what CCP is planning to do about it.
EVE Evolved: Electronic Warfare, part 3
In the first two parts of this three part guide, I explained the basics of electronic warfare in EVE Online and examined the skills and equipment you'll need as an electronic warfare specialist. In this final section, I tackle the tricky issues of battlefield operations and survival.Survival:An unfortunate fact about being part of a fleet's electronic warfare crew is that you'll almost certainly be a high priority target for your enemies. To make matters worse, specialist electronic warfare ships tend to have very poor defensive capabilities. Fitting any kind of tank on an electronic warfare ship can waste vital module slots and severely impact the performance of your ship. This is particularly true in the case of ECM jamming ships where the low slots should be used for signal distortion amplifiers.What can you do to keep your ship safe on the battlefield and what should you do to help your fleet be victorious? Join me as I answer these questions in a thorough tactical overview of electronic warfare in EVE Online.
EVE Evolved: Electronic warfare, part 2
In part 1 of this guide, I delved into the world of electronic warfare in EVE Online. In this second segment, I examine the skills and equipment you'll need to be an electronic warfare specialist with special regard to ECM jammers, remote sensor dampeners and tracking disruptors. Contrary to popular belief, new pilots with few skillpoints can still be extremely useful in this area of PvP. The entry-level skills and equipment for electronic warfare specialists can be obtained within days of starting the game.Entry-level ships:Although electronic warfare modules can be fitted to any ship, each race has its own set of specialised ships that get bonuses to them. Ranging from cheap expendable frigates up to expensive force recon ships, there are specialist ships for players of all skill levels and in all price ranges. The Caldari race have ships that specialise in ECM jammers, the Gallente specialise in remote sensor dampeners and the Amarr make good use of tracking disruptors and energy neutralisers.Read on as I examine the skills and equipment you'll need to be one of the most effective electronic warfare specialists in EVE.
EVE Evolved: Electronic warfare, part 1
Whether you're taking part in faction warfare, pirating, fighting a dirty corporate war or defending your homeland in 0.0, chances are you'll be engaging in a lot of fleet warfare. Although a lot of newer fleet commanders prefer all fleet members to be in ships that deal a lot of damage, the optimum setup makes better use of a variety of ship types. A strong fleet in EVE Online is typically composed of three main groups. First you have the tacklers who intercept and warp-scramble enemies, then the damage dealers who kill the enemy and finally you have the electronic warfare crew.What is electronic warfare?:Electronic warfare involves the use of modules that debilitate the enemy indirectly rather than attacking them head-on. This includes using target jammers to cause the enemy to lose his active target locks, sensor dampeners to decrease his lock range and energy neutralisers to deplete his capacitor. A good electronic warfare ship has the potential to remove several enemy ships from the battle, cutting the effectiveness of the enemy fleet down significantly. For this reason, a good electronic warfare wing in your fleet can be seen as a force multiplier, allowing your fleet to engage much larger forces and succeed.In the first part of this guide, I cover the basics of electronic warfare in EVE and show just how important this often underused portion of a fleet is.
EVE Evolved: Money for nothing
In most MMOs, making currency without actually playing usually involves rule-breaking macro-farming which risks getting your account banned. In EVE Online, however, a number of viable options exist for making ISK with absolutely no effort. From hiring research and development agents to public investment schemes and even a player-run bank, there are plenty of ways to make ISK in EVE without even logging in.Investment Schemes:In the market discussion forums, players can sell shares in their company and present a business plan to potential investors. The corporation receives ISK in exchange for its shares and agrees to make regular dividend payments to all shareholders. Buyers have to trust that the company owner won't just run off with their ISK, so only the most trustworthy players have managed to successfully start very large investment schemes.In this article, I look at the different ways you can make ISK with virtually no effort, in some cases even if your account is inactive.
EVE Evolved: Is EVE Online going soft?
EVE Online has always been regarded as one of the harshest MMOs on the market, with solid death penalties and a steep learning curve to its PvP. After five successful years, many players now fear that EVE's development has shifted in the opposite direction. It all started when the minutes of CCP's recent meetings with the Council of Stellar Management (CSM) were published on the official EVE forums. These notes showed CCP's position on the 27 separate issues the CSM brought to their attention. Discussion on the issues, ranging from Black Ops battleships to PvP aggression timers, was opened to the public exactly one month ago and CCP's position on them has been a topic of hot debate ever since.Controversy:Among the most controversy-laden issues on the table are two recent devblogs covering important balance changes slated for EVE's near future. The first major announcement was the infamous "nano nerf" that sparked off over 130 pages of highly charged debate. This was followed later by another devblog announcing major nerfs to suicide ganking. Combined with CCP Noah's recent comment suggesting that war declarations amount to griefing, many players are beginning to question the direction EVE's development is headed in.Is EVE Online starting to go soft? In this article, I ask whether the development direction of EVE has changed and examine what it means for the game's future.
EVE Evolved: Suicide ganking investigated
EVE Online is a game where you're vulnerable to PvP in the safest of places. Even in high security systems where CONCORD will destroy any ship that attacks you, you're still vulnerable in the few seconds before the police arrive. Because of this, swarms of players in cheap ships are able to kill larger targets by synchronising their initial volleys. In recent years, suicide attacks have turned into a viable profession, with the primary targets being industrial ships and freighters carrying a high value of items.Safety versus consequences:A common misconception among newer players is that CONCORD are there to provide safety for players in high security space. Rather than provide direct safety to the player being attacked, they instead provide consequences for the attacker. While many other MMOs physically limit when and where you can attack someone, EVE starts with the assumption that PvP is possible everywhere and then adds punishments for engaging in safe areas. The attacking ships are destroyed and the security status of their pilots is lowered. If they lose too much security status, they won't be able to safely enter high security systems any more.Suicide attacks are on the rise in New Eden and cries for CCP to step in and resolve the situation have reached new highs. So what's the problem and how can it be avoided? Read on as I delve into the world of suicide ganking.
EVE Evolved: Freeform professions
EVE Online is a game often lauded for its sandbox style open-ended gameplay. Some of the best parts of the game have been entirely developed by the players and this trend continues in the field of professions. At launch, CCP advertised the professions miner, trader, bounty hunter and pirate. Little did they know that players would add double-agent, stock broker, artist and many others to that list.What makes a profession freeform?:Put simply, a freeform profession is any job a person can fill that wasn't explicitly created by the game's developers. While mining and mission-running were deliberately created by CCP, there are plenty of professions that the players themselves came up with. In EVE's hyper-capitalistic world, everything and everyone has a price and if there's a demand for something, you can make a career out of it.In my early days in EVE, I noticed a shortage of research labs in the game and decided to capitalise on it. I flew around the fringes of empire space renting all the available labs and then sold them on to players for a huge profit. Going from a run-of-the-mill miner to a self-made real estate agent made me realise that EVE was something really special.Find out what innovative professions the players of EVE Online have come up with over the years.
EVE Evolved: Mining, the forgotten profession
Five years since launch, space-faring MMO EVE Online is still going strong. Over the years, the game has evolved from its simple roots into a complex game packed full of content. Virtually every element of the game has drastically changed since launch to keep it new and interesting. Every free expansion brings new ships, modules and missions for all players. Some expansions have even brought us impressive new gameplay elements like the faction warfare system. One thing that unfortunately hasn't changed significantly over the years is the Mining profession. But why hasn't it been updated?Nostalgia:Back in 2004, EVE was a very different place. The universe was sparsely populated and the cost of new ships meant most players avoided war like the plague. Mining was the primary moneymaking profession and dedicated mining corps were commonplace. While mining was just as boring then as it is today, it was the easiest and fastest way of gathering minerals for production. Today, mining is one of the least profitable professions and isn't even close to being the best way of gathering minerals for production.What happened over the years that has ruined the mining profession? I'll tell you what happened...
