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Rossignol's free ebook offers a deeper look at EVE
When it comes to games journalists covering the wilds of EVE Online, as well as other MMOs, Jim Rossignol's name certainly stands out to many gamers. From writing intelligently on games across many different sites, to his home on Rock, Paper, Shotgun, his work spawns interesting discussions. That's why we were thrilled to hear that his book, This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities, is now available for everyone to enjoy online through the University of Michigan's DigitalCultureBooks online portal -- free! Originally published in 2008, This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities, offers a reasoned look at the culture of games and their impact on daily life. However, as we're all about the MMOs here, we must mention the meaty section about EVE Online in the book. It's chock full of his own lengthy personal relationship with the game, insights on his trouble picking the game up initially, as well as time spent visiting CCP. New Eden's pilots who may be unfamiliar with Rossignol will likely appreciate the inside look (albeit dated) into CCP from a fellow pilot's point of view. If you're in the mood for a solid gaming read, you can head over to the DigitalCultureBooks site and check it out for yourself. Alternately, if you'd prefer a Kindle or (gasp) hardbound edition to have on the go, copies are still available for purchase through the usual online channels.
Prognosticating the future of MMOs
Barring Ouija boards, magical leprechauns and time-traveling DeLoreans, it's pretty much impossible to predict the future -- but that doesn't stop people from trying, no sir. In a recent "The State of the MMO in 2010" over at Eurogamer, Jim Rossignol chats with Paul Barnett (EA Mythic), Colin Dwan (Fallen Earth) and Torfi Frans Olafsson (EVE Online) in an attempt to pin down where MMOs stand as of now, and where they're likely to go. The article begins by stating that the defining line surrounding what is and is not a MMO has become blurred, and will only become more so in the future. Whether we like it or not, different payment models, server types and even genres (such as sports MMOs) have broadened the definition of the genre. Many folks are worried that F2P titles and "quasi-MMOs" like FarmVille may trigger the end of traditional subscription-based MMOs.
Black Prophecy community manager Christian Schuett on premise of the game
There are new massively multiplayer online games on the way which aim to change how we play ship-based sci-fi MMOs, bringing a more dynamic system of combat in space. One of those titles is Black Prophecy from Reakktor Media. 'Fast-paced real-time combat' is something that Reakktor Media emphasizes as one of Black Prophecy's strengths, which should be good news for gamers looking forward to having dogfights with other ships in space. Massively caught up with one of the key individuals behind Black Prophecy this past week, development director Simon Bachmann, who told us about some of the game's specifics. Jim Rossignol from Rock, Paper, Shotgun also got some details about Black Prophecy when he spoke with Reakktor Media community manager Christian Schuett, which is definitely worth a read if you're interested in the title.
EVE Online's official magazine E-ON releases latest quarterly issue
E-ON is the official magazine of EVE Online, released quarterly and one of the most focused sources of EVE content out there. We've spoken with E-ON in the past and a few of us on the Massively staff are regular readers -- our EVE columnist Brendan Drain has been an E-ON contributor himself. The Spring issue of E-ON is now shipping and although it doesn't have the instant gratification of clicking on a hyperlink, there's some excellent content there that we really want to mention to our readers and in general point out that E-ON has a lot to offer EVE Online players.This issue's cover story is "The End of New Eden" by Jim Rossignol and is an inquiry into the dreaded question of when the game will finally run out of steam. Sad as it is, all MMOs end eventually. Or do they have to?The E-ON cover story looks at how different EVE is from the other MMOs running. Since EVE is really all about what happens in New Eden, an open sprawling galaxy where players do what they choose, the game isn't necessarily tied into expansion zones, new classes, certain quests or raid bosses. In other words, EVE doesn't suffer from the pitfall many MMOs do in that players quickly progress through the new content and then have nowhere else to go. EVE is unique in that it's a setting -- sometimes a harsh setting -- where PvP and PvE exist side-by-side and players determine their own path. Perhaps it's that freedom that's been a draw for many players so far and "The End of New Eden" looks at the prospects for this attraction continuing in future years. As there will be no EVE Online 2, it's all about one continually evolving setting and the possibilities this brings, and Rossignol's article is well worth a read.
Varying perspectives on EVE Online's new player experience
The sci-fi massively multiplayer online game EVE Online has long been known for its harsh setting but also for its (almost) equally unforgiving learning curve. That is, until the Apocrypha expansion launched, bringing EVE's New Player Experience (NPE) with it. CCP Games aims to slowly ease new players into what is a rather complex game, giving them a feel for what they can already do and what they want to do in New Eden over time. So how well does the New Player Experience for EVE Online tackle the difficulties of learning how to play one of the most complex MMOs on the market? Writing for Eurogamer, both Jim Rossignol and Oli Welsh write about the New Player Experience. Rossignol, from the viewpoint of a veteran player, and Welsh from the fresh perspective of a rookie. The end result is an overview of how EVE has changed, including a revamped tutorial and Neural Remapping (attribute respecs), as well as Epic Mission Arcs that allow players to make choices in how EVE's mission storylines progress.
An insider's account of galactic warfare in EVE Online
Prolific games journalist Jim Rossignol is an avid EVE Online player, who has made regular contributions to Eurogamer focused on this particular sci-fi MMO. His latest piece, "EVE Online: Battle Reports", is a brief account of how his PvP-focused corp (EVE's version of a guild) fared in a conflict against some steep odds. His aim is to explain a bit about how the game works while telling his story, hopefully holding appeal for those who don't play the game as well as those who do. "Because of the open structure of the game world, player-versus-player battles happen in all kinds of contexts and situations, and the sheer number of variables means they can make for a great story," Rossignol writes.
NetDevil producer discusses the Jumpgate Evolution experience
Space-based massively multiplayer games are few and far between, in an industry dominated by dragons, monsters, swords, and all the other mainstays of the fantasy genre. Of course there are a few prominent examples of sci-fi MMOs on the market, most notably EVE Online which seems to be holding its own in a fantasy-fixated industry. But EVE is a particular type of game that doesn't quite meet the needs of those sci-fi fans who want a more visceral combat experience. Jumpgate Evolution, which is in development at NetDevil, may well be a title that provides that style of play gamers want in a sci-fi MMO. Indeed, Jumpgate Evolution is introducing an old favorite to the sci-fi MMO genre -- the joystick.But there's certainly a lot more to Jumpgate Evolution than its dogfighting. Jim Rossignol from Eurogamer caught up with Hermann Peterscheck, the Producer of Jumpgate Evolution, and spoke with him about some of the core concepts of the title, its mission (quest) system, and objective-based PvP. Peterscheck also walks the reader through what the new player experience will be like when beginning Jumpgate Evolution. If you're interested in hearing more about Jumpgate Evolution and how its gameplay is going to differ from a title like EVE Online, head on over to Rossignol's Eurogamer interview with Hermann Peterscheck.
Eskil Steenberg interviewed about his one-man MMO project "Love"
Have you ever wondered what it would take for a single person to create an MMO? Is a task this monumental even possible? Apparently it is, given what we've seen and read of Love, an MMO being developed by a single man -- Eskil Steenberg. Love isn't being created by a team of devs, nor does it have a multi-million dollar development and marketing budget. It's just one man with a vision, building the best game he can and showing it off on his laptop. Rock, Paper, Shotgun recently got an exclusive first look at the Love trailer and Jim Rossignol from RPS followed that up with an interview with Eskil Steenberg. They discuss how Love's unique visual style evolved into what we see today and talk about the game's trinity of activities -- exploration, combat, and building -- namely the system of city building. It's a very interesting talk with Steenberg, and really is a must-read if you're enthusiastic about Love and the ambition of its creator.
A brief overview of EVE Online's trade and industry
Every time a player in EVE Online loses a ship in a fiery explosion, along with its modules and cargo, they turn to the market or look through contracts to replace what they've lost and stock up for the next time. EVE Online's sandbox and the inevitable PvP conflict that results when players can do what they choose in that sandbox provides economic opportunities for some. Combat burns up ships, and players heavily into the manufacturing side of the game are happy to supply the endless demand for new equipment, be it an unassuming frigate or a massive dreadnaught. In EVE, items aren't supplied by NPCs, they're created by other players (or bought in quantity and resold at a markup by traders). Aside from certain items like skillbooks and blueprint originals, most of the items a player can possess in the game have been produced by other players. Thus, EVE's setting of New Eden has a true economy, providing a great amount of depth for those who are willing to learn its complexities.
EVE's alliance warfare the largest virtual conflict ever waged
Alliance warfare is an aspect of EVE Online that sets it apart from virtually any other MMO on the market. It commands a devoted following of players who continually exert their collective strength to conquer new regions of space while subjugating their numerous opponents.Although it's been said that only a minority of EVE Online's entire playerbase are entrenched in alliance warfare over 0.0 (lawless) space, this is where much of the action in the game takes place. 0.0 is where the most valuable resources in the game are found, and where the authorities do nothing to hinder player activities. The wealth, freedom and potential for power turn EVE's vast swaths of 0.0 space into hotly contested regions... the battlefield of "the largest virtual conflict ever waged," in the words of games journalist Jim Rossignol.
The political machinations of EVE Online
Game journalist and EVE Online player Jim Rossignol has been coming to grips with the idea of conflict in EVE, in a series of articles written for Eurogamer. Rossignol began by looking at "the basic principles of killing people" and progressing to the large scale conflicts between alliances. This week, Rossignol goes a step further by looking at the politics at the heart of much of the large-scale conflict in EVE Online, and how despite all the freedom the developers give players, it was inevitable that power blocs of players would be at each other's throats. "Players plus resources, plus more players, equals conflict. That's the basic mathematics that powers EVE Online. And it's been working for over five years now," Rossignol says.
A look at EVE Online's sweeping alliance warfare
A few weeks ago, Jim Rossignol kicked off a series of EVE Online focused articles with his look at the basics of combat in the game. But small-scale PvP doesn't suit all players in EVE. Some get hungry for more power. They join up with like-minded pilots and form corporations. Those corporations band together in alliances and wage war with one another over territories and the riches the others hold. Rossignol's "Alliance War" is a look at the large scale fleet battles characteristic of the constant struggle between 0.0 alliances, as well as the struggle itself. Rossignol states what he views as the impetus for alliance warfare and how it's evolved over the years he's played. In the beginning, holding choice regions of space was important to players because of the high-bounty NPCs and choicest ores to be mined from the asteroid belts in claimed territories. Then, conquerable stations and outposts were the goals driving alliance machinations. Now, Rossignol says, it's mostly about controlling moons and the vast streams of revenue they represent.
Player and developer interaction in EVE Online
MMOs are constantly evolving games, from their earliest days as they're conceptualized to their final days when the servers shut down, forever. They evolve throughout their lifespan because they must. Players naturally pick up on ways to use the ever-changing game mechanics to best suit them, prompting the devs to either brand these tactics as an exploit or targeting them for rebalancing in a future patch. A case in point is the impending speed nerf in EVE Online, which is one of the biggest issues currently debated by EVE pilots. But do players have the right to be this angry when the developers change the game? Jim Rossignol argues this point in "EVE Online and the Big Nerf": "EVE is basically a ongoing symbiotic process... perhaps this means the developer has to make some unpopular decisions for the good of the process as a whole. The relationship between player and developer is not one of equals, nor is it always at its best when it is entirely amiable." Do you agree with Rossignol on this -- and does paying that $15 a month entitle MMO players to pressure devs to change the game to fit their playstyle, or should MMO developers keep the game balanced as they see fit?
A look at EVE Online's combat basics
Jim Rossignol has become well-known in the game journalism scene, more recently as a regular contributor at RockPaperShotgun and the author of This Gaming Life. Along the way, he's become a veteran EVE Online player, and he's passing along some of that combat know-how to readers in a series of articles at Eurogamer. Rossignol is starting out slow with the first installment, easing readers into "the basic principles of killing people," but he'll progress to more advanced aspects of combat and conflict in EVE. Ultimately, he hopes to introduce players to the ambitions and tactics of New Eden's alliances, which can number well into the thousands of players.In 'combat basics', Rossignol relates the basic principles of combat in EVE Online to the standard groupings of damage, tank, crowd-control, and healer that most MMO gamers are familiar with from other titles. He notes that these combat roles are quite different in EVE, as a given ship's module fittings give players a great deal of flexibility, but of course makes for a more complex PvP system. Rossignol touches on the idea that speed is king in EVE, and he's correct. Just keep in mind that the nano-era's days are numbered, a fact which Rossignol stresses as well. Have a look at Rossignol's combat basics, and his take on the ever-changing state of PvP in EVE Online. [Via CrazyKinux]
Real-time strategy getting more massive
Despite the best efforts of various MMOFPS titles, MMORPGs continue to be the genre du jour within the massively multiplayer sphere. Whether it's because other variants are less viable or simply because the conventional designs make for an easier pitch when searching for seed funding or publishing deals remains to be seen.One auspiciously under-explored genre so far has been the MMORTS, the fusion of old-school real-time strategy and the massively multiplayer. Part of the reason this genre hasn't seen more action, we think, is because the technical and design challenges inherent are somewhat daunting. In a recent post, Rock Paper Shotgun's Jim Rossignol takes a look at some upcoming MMORTS titles, including the ambitious Dreamlords releasing this week, and reports on what he finds. This blogger still doesn't totally buy the concept, but the proof will likely be in the pudding.
