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Mission One electric motorcycle surpasses 150 MPH, heading to Snake River Canyon
It was no idle boast when Mission Motors claimed that its Mission One all-electric motorcycle could reach 150 MPH speeds. In fact, the company's showing in the 2009 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah has proved all this and more, with the bike hitting single pass speeds as high as 161 MPH, and a two-pass average of 150.059 MPH, setting the Land Speed Record for Electric Motorcycles in the process. And this isn't a vehicle that taunts you, forever unavailable, like Evel Knievel's rocket-powered cycle. No, this is a production prototype featuring the same powertrain that customers can look forward to shelling out close to $70,000 for when it becomes available sometime next year. But don't take our word for it, peep the video for yourself after the break. [Via AutoBlog]
Redefining MMOs: Player developers!
A few weeks ago, we at Massively started the weekly "Redefining MMOs" series, a collection of articles examining how the MMO genre has been redefined during the current generation of games and where it's headed in the next. So far, we've looked at the terminology we use to refer to MMOs, how the art of storytelling has changed over the years, and the rise of the "massively singleplayer" online game. In this week's article, I examine what happens when players are given the reigns of an MMO or have a hand in part of its development. If you have something important to say on the topic, feel free to post a comment on page 3 or even write your own "Redefining MMOs" blog post and leave a comment with the URL. Traditionally, all content for an MMO is designed by the game's development studio and players have no direct influence on its creation. The idea of handing the reigns of an MMO to its players is considered heresy and we shudder to think of what horrible quests and areas players would construct if given a chance. But is our aversion justified or is it something developers should strive to overcome? Certainly Second Life has successfully capitalised on letting players develop almost every aspect of its virtual world but could successful mainstream MMOs make use of it too? City of Heroes, EVE Online and even World of Warcraft are prime examples which suggest they can. All three of these games have handed at least some part of the game's development over to players, with incredibly promising results. In this article, I look at these three successful examples of players being allowed to develop aspects of an MMO. I then go on to explain why this works and how the next generation of MMOs could learn from these pioneering feats.
EVE Evolved: Mission-running top five tips
In the first two parts of this guide on mission-running in EVE Online, I explained the basics of mission-running and went on to give a race-by-race breakdown of the most popular mission-running ships. In this final instalment of the EVE Evolved mission-running guide, I dig up my top five tips and tricks for improving your standings, mission-running speed and general mission income in EVE. Tip #1 - Gaining faction standing As high faction standing unlocks the agents of every corp in an entire faction rather than just from one corp, faction standing gains are very desirable and often the ultimate goal of early mission-running. In addition to a few other methods discussed later in this article, faction standing gains can be had from COSMOS missions. These are special once-only missions, like quests in the standard MMO paradigm. They are given out by special agents-in-space located within EVE's COSMOS constellations, some at designated agent sites and some hidden away at moons or sites only able to be found with probes. Each of these missions counts as an important mission for the purposes of faction standing gains and their rewards can be extremely good. Using COSMOS missions, it's possible to boost your faction standings from around 4 to up to 6 or 8 in some of these areas. Read on as I give my top five mission-running tips to maximise your income from mission-running.
EVE Evolved: Mission-running ship design
In last week's first instalment of this guide, I explained the basics of mission-running in EVE Online and how to find your best agent. In this second part of the guide, I get into the nitty gritty details of essential ship designs for mission-runners. Choosing an appropriate ship and fitting it adequately are arguably the two most important factors in mission-running. While having a weak mission strategy and poor support skills can cause a lot of bother, a poorly designed ship is almost guaranteed death on some of the tougher missions. With the advice in this guide, a little research and a good deal of practice, you'll be well on your way to becoming a mission guru. Read after the cut for a race-by-race break-down of EVE's most popular and effective mission-running ships, complete with links to some further reading and popular mission fittings.
EVE Evolved: Mission-running - the basics
Agent missions are one of EVE Online's most popular pastimes. While EVE is most often lauded for its open-ended gameplay, player-determined markets and PvP action, a significant portion of the game's players use missions as their primary income source. There is something comforting about missions that seems to draw players in. For many, running missions and upgrading their ship with the ISK becomes the focus of their achievements and their primary measure of progress. The ability of mission-running to provide a direct translation of effort into a stable ISK income offers us a reassuringly linear work-to-reward scheme in a relatively risk-free environment. Missions and exploration are EVE's primary PvE experiences and new missions are released with each major expansion to help keep the game fresh for casual players. There are even several epic mission arcs planned for the future, long sequences of storyboarded missions much like the quest chains you might find in other MMOs. In this multi-part guide, I will thoroughly examine the profession of mission-running, from the basics to ship fittings and finally some tips and tricks for maximising your performance. In this first part of the guide, I look at the basics of mission-running from mission types and rewards to agent standings and how to find the best agent for you.
EVE mission runners and their tormentors rejoice! New Level 4 agents added
Mission running in EVE Online is one of the more lucrative activities players can spend their time doing, at least while in the safety of high security space. The cumulative rewards from NPC bounties, loyalty points, salvage, and loot -- in addition to the mission rewards from NPC agents -- make Level 4 missions a decent ISK/hour income for many of EVE Online's pilots. Level 4 missions are the most popular, due to their relative ease and multiple battleship (high bounty) NPC spawns which yield better loot drops and more salvage components, as well as optimal loyalty point gain. However, the grouping of agents that give the best missions leads to 'mission hubs' where hundreds of players operate in the same solar systems. The latest dev blog by EVE's lead content creator CCP Molock is simply titled "New Level 4 Agents", and deals with dispersing the crowds (and clutter) from some of the high sec mission hubs in New Eden. CCP Games has added twenty-three new level 4 agents to the game in locations a bit removed from the heavily populated mission hubs, hopefully encourage more mission runners to fill quieter solar systems in the galaxy. Molock lists the new agents, along with their corporation and quality, as well as system security ratings for each location.
Mission One electric motorcycle boasts 150 MPH top speed, extreme price tag
The Mission One EV electric sports bike got a proper unveiling at this week's Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference, and boy does this baby exude power. Mission Motors says the motorcycle's got an 150 MPH top speed and 100 foot-pounds of torque at any point between 0 and 6,500 RPM. That's a good deal faster than the Electric Motorsport GPR-S, which tops out at a now-paltry 100 MPH. The lithium-ion battery keeps it running for 150 miles, and charge time is targeted for under 2 Hours at 240V (8 Hours at 120V). Its stylish form factor comes from famed industrial designer Yves Behar. Yeah, we're excited, too, but here's the part where you flinch: the deathly silent super-scooter will first show up in 2010 with a 50-unit limited edition run costing $68,995 apiece. A more affordable model will be announced sometime this summer. If you've got a need for this much muted speed, be prepared to mortgage a house or two. [Via Autoblog Green]
EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Shield tanking
In part 1 of this series on the world of tanking in EVE Online, I introduced the concept of tanking as it applies to EVE and explained how to select which type of tank to use with your ship. I then went on to give a complete overview of armour tanking, including the equipment and skills you'll need to succeed. In this second part of the guide, I explore the art of shield tanking. Shield tanking: In addition to the differences mentioned in the previous article, shield tanking differs significantly from armour tanking. Shield boosters can repair damage a lot faster than armour repairers due to their faster cycle time but are less efficient and will use up a lot more capacitor. An active shield tank is characterised by the use of hardeners to resist damage and a shield booster to repair damage that makes it through. However, since shield naturally recharges over time, it's possible to make a completely passive shield tank that relies on a high recharge rate rather than a shield booster. Different sets of equipment are used for these two different types of shield tank. Read on and find out all you ever wanted to know about shield tanking, including what modules and skills you can use to boost your combat performance.
EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Armour tanking
Back in 2005, I became obsessed with the art of tanking in EVE Online. Before writing the definitive tanking guide for EON issue 2 (for which the EVE community dubbed me "the tanking guy"), I spent a lot of time working out the mathematics behind the art. At a time when people preferred a trial and error approach to combat, I went as far as to create a spreadsheet to automate calculations on the strength of your tank. Over the years, more advanced tools like EFT (EVE Fitting Tool) have been released which have this functionality and more. In this short series of articles, I aim to cover tanking from start to finish in a concise and informative manner. In this first part, I begin with an introduction to tanking and follow up with a brief guide on how to select which type of tank to use and a complete overview of armour tanking. What is tanking?: Any MMO player will know the role of the "Tank" but the word's usage in EVE Online is a little different. Broadly speaking, a tank is whatever you use to keep yourself alive and it's something every ship can do. The MMO holy trinity of tank, healer and damage-dealer are combined into every ship in EVE. Because of this ability to self-heal, the word "tank" in EVE generally refers to the combination of both resisting damage and healing it. Fitting your ship then becomes a matter of balancing between tank and damage. Read on to find out how to select what type of tank to use and learn all about armour tanking.
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%
ASTRO's Roadie / Mission fake instrument gig bags are way too serious
ASTRO Gaming, the same outfit responsible for the A40 gaming headset, is dishing out a new pair of gig bags that'll go perfectly with your Rock Band drum bag. Up first is the Roadie, which is designed to hold a pair of Rock Band / Guitar Hero axes with enough room for a slim PlayStation 2 or a few of your musical video game titles. The Mission complete system gear bag is built to carry any current-generation game console (though we don't see any reason why an Atari Jaguar wouldn't fit in as well) along with most every accessory you can think of -- spare Wiimote straps and Salt & Vinegar chips included. Both pieces are available for pre-order right now, though we can't imagine too many of you buying in with the absolutely ludicrous $99.95 / $129.95 prices. Seriously, can you not buy a real Fender hardshell for less than that? Full release is after the break.%Gallery-37889%
EverQuest II designers on The Shadow Odyssey expansion
The latest EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey, will launch this week on November 18th. In advance of the launch, Stephanie Morrow of Beckett Massive Online Gamer recently interviewed some members of the EverQuest II design team -- Noel Walling (Design Supervisor), Paul Molina (Game Designer), Adam Stevens (Game Designer) and Carlos Mora (Associate Game Designer). The Beckett Massive Online Gamer interview focuses on the lore of EverQuest II (with an emphasis on background for readers who've never played), but also gets down into some specifics regarding The Shadow Odyssey dungeons, the challenges of designing around the 80 level cap, and some of the new features that players can expect from this week's launch of the fifth EverQuest II expansion. If you're an EQ II fan, the interview is worth a read, and of course we also hope you're enjoying our ongoing coverage of The Shadow Odyssey.
Mars Phoenix lander goes silent, NASA ends mission
The inevitable has happened. Our friend, the loved and loving Mars Phoenix lander has gone quietly into that long, good night once and for all. Even though we joyfully joined the lander on its adventures as it Tweeted from beyond the stratosphere, and thrilled at its explorations, pitfalls, and pratfalls, try not to feel the familiar sting of humanity at the thought of our little robotic buddy facing that call to interminable sleep we all must answer one day. Let's rest easy knowing that the NASA-spawned craft served dutifully and fearlessly right up to the end, when it was overpowered by a horde of space zombies and turned into an undead killing machine. We'll miss you, pal.
EVE Online interview discusses players determining storyline
Split Infinity Radio, a gamer-run internet radio station (with a noticeable sci-fi MMO bent) recently interviewed Scott Holden, Lead Content Creator of EVE Online at Gen Con 2008. Holden has been integral in building up all the mission content that's about to drop in the upcoming Empyrean Age expansions over the next few months. Split Infinity asks Holden a question that's been on the minds of a number of EVE players: Can player actions really influence the storyline? Holden's answer is 'yes'... to a point. He discusses the initiative at CCP to create a system where events are announced in contested parts of space, prompting players to get involved. Their actions would be reported on through the in-game news, and in this way affects (or creates aspects of) the storyline. Participants in factional warfare, or anyone who reads the Interstellar Correspondents news pieces, know that this already exists to some extent in EVE, but Holden states that CCP would like to take the idea further as time goes on.
EVE Evolved: Setting up your overview, part 2
In part 1 of this guide, I examined the usefulness of the overview system in EVE Online and explained the various customisation options available to players. In this final part of the guide, I look at the best ways to set up your overview for PvP, mission-running and a few other tasks. No matter what you do in EVE, this guide should offer some helpful hints and tips on getting the most out of this useful tool.Default settings:The default overview settings that exist when you first log in are less than optimal. They can fill your overview with extraneous information that make it difficult to find what you want. No matter what activity you're undertaking, you'll benefit from creating a new default settings list. With the overview settings menu open, click the "select all" button on the states tab. This will enable everything that can possibly appear on your overview, allowing you to manually deselect those things that are useless in your everyday life in space.Read on for detailed instructions on setting up your overview for everything from mining to PvP.
EVE Visual Guide: Before you undock
There are a few essential things any pilot in EVE Online should do before they undock from a station and get themselves into a potentially hostile situation. Come to think of it, anytime you undock there's at least some chance of hostility. Keeping that in mind, think of this as a visual checklist you should go through before entering space, as you're not only risking your ship, but your skillpoints if you bite off more than you can chew. This happens all too often, to novice and veteran pilots alike in EVE. So to help you avoid this fate... Head to the guide >> %Gallery-30109%
EVE Evolved: Setting up your overview, part 1
Since it can often be hard to find or click on something in three dimensional space, EVE Online provides a useful tool called the "overview" to make life easier. The overview window lists objects and ships in your general vicinity and is one of EVE's most important tools for providing situational awareness. Whether you're mining, running missions, pirating or engaging an enemy fleet, almost every activity in space relies heavily on using the overview. In this two-part guide, I break down the overview settings and examine the best way to set up your overview for activities ranging from fleet warfare to mission-running.Why is the overview so important?:In addition to the convenience of clicking on items in a list rather than having to locate them in space, the overview has some essential functions. Information such as a ship's speed, name and distance from you can be displayed on the overview. Items on the overview can also be differently coloured or filtered out based on a wide range of factors from security status to whether they're in your alliance or not.With all of these options, setting up your overview can be a confusing affair. In part 1 of this guide, I explore the various overview options and what they all do.
EVE Lead Content Creator discusses new missions
The Empyrean Age expansion has been a significant content update to EVE Online for players interested in factional warfare. Of course, many players aren't willing to enlist in a militia and be under a constant wardec by their factional enemies, and simply prefer to mission run for their agents. CCP Games announced that new content was in the works, back in June, but the latest EVE Online Newsletter has an updated announcement on this from Lead Content Creator, Scott Holden. CCP is getting closer to releasing new PvE mission content, Holden says, with Content Creation now based in Atlanta. This will be sped up by new staff on the Content Creation team in addition to the existing freelance writers already turning out EVE mission content. Holden says that new types of missions are coming to New Eden, and hints at 'epic mission arcs'.
Morality and legality in EVE Online
One of the strengths of EVE Online is that the game's professions can be freeform. Many players take the standard route of being a miner or a mission runner. However, new and deviant professions have arisen in a kind of symbiosis with the more established trades in the game. This is the focus of an article called 'Morality and Legality', written by ISD Magnus Balteus of CCP Games. 'Morality and Legality' looks at two of the sketchier professions that sprang from EVE's more standard career paths. Mining has given rise to ore theft, which boils down to theft that has the side benefit of potentially baiting the victim into combat, even in high security space. If the ore thief or 'can flipper' is successful, he or she can make off with the ore that someone else mined plus the modules looted from the miner's ship wreck. The morality of this type of career doesn't even enter into the equation... this is EVE. CCP's unwillingness to change the game mechanics involved in can flipping means that this is not an exploit, it's a valid profession, albeit not in the mind of the miner victim.
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.
