Solidifying the design of DUST 514
by Eliot Lefebvre 
Oct 15th 2009 at 10:00AM
Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Previews, MMOFPS, DUST 514
Everyone was more than a little surprised by the announcement and sudden appearance of DUST 514, the console-based shooter cousin of CCP's EVE Online. Information about the game has been coming at a steady and yet almost agonizingly teasing pace, but MMORPG.com has brought out more information regarding the design and playstyle of DUST 514's battlegrounds and matches. The game's integration with EVE has been a consistent point of explanation, but we're beginning to see more of the points of difference between the two games.
Certainly many parts of the gameplay will feel familiar -- in particular, there will be no preset "classes" as found in other MMOFPS games, but rather there will be several outfitting options that force players to select as they feel best for a given role. Advancement will happen via in-game accomplishments unlocking more powerful options in what's being called an "achievement matrix", as well as increasing the power and available equipment in a given match by capturing strategic points on the map. The article also discusses the role of the battle commander, who remains inside the main command center and relays order and information with a wider range of intel than the troops on the ground -- but no real ability to offensively affect the battle. Read the article for more details and points, and to get even more of a sense of how the game will tie into the extant CCP universe.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jason said on 10:53AM 10-15-2009
The more I hear, the more I want to play.
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Brawler said on 11:10AM 10-15-2009
This sounds awesome. I always get bored with shooters, playing the multiplayer is fun and all but at some point, I long for that feeling of advancement that I get in an mmo. So, sure, this might have a lot of Battlefield 2142, but it's not like you are just sitting down in your chair, looking at a list full of queues to join, and after the battle is over, packing up and logging into another battle queue. After the battle has won or lost, you still aren't done, there's a larger sense of conflict overall.
My only concern is having a FC yelling in my ear for an hour that I didn't see that sniper that just got me. Also, I'm confused about why this has to be console exclusive. To my understanding, porting games to a pc is a much simpler, then say, porting a game to the PS3.
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Kalex said on 1:55PM 10-15-2009
You would definitely be right about it being harder to port to PS3 than PC, particularly since this is alleged to be the unreal engine.
However, they're not going to announce a PC version til months after it ships on the consoles. They want to sell in as much as possible, and announcing the PC version will incline the built in playerbase of EVE to hold off on the console for its release to PC. It would undermine the sales potential of CCP's first console game, and thats not something they want to do given that the goal here is to win out on that market.
Rest assure though, the potential of this game can only be really realized on the PC, as pushing patches through Microsoft (more particularly than Sony but both really) on a regular enough basis to support the ambitions of such a title are expected to be met with many many limitations.
Mr Angry said on 2:16PM 10-15-2009
I don't want to be a complete turd here, but all I see is a first person shooter, using the EVE universe and a few nice features which will probably get back out during the development cycle.
Sure it's got higher player limits, bigger maps and a level of 'persistence' which isn't really clear to me right now, but I was hoping it would be a bit different to that.
I was shocked that the demo looked like Halo to me, but I'm not really a first person shooter junkie, maybe this one might get me playing, I dunno. I would think that they would want to get 100% of EVE players on this, so not having it as a PC game is a bit of a gamble for them.
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SgtBaker said on 2:26PM 10-15-2009
The kicker (at least for me) is in the interactions. The EVE universe you mention, is not some detached version of the EVE universe that lives it's own life on the console, while the MMO EVE goes its own way - it's actually the very same physical EVE universe where I fly my spaceship - where my Alliance lives etc.
But sure - for uninitiated casual console player it will look like a normal shooter with bigger everything. And you can certainly play it like that as well, that's part of the plan - EVE is not very accessible, DUST will be extremely accessible
However, look close enough and the rabbithole goes so much deeper than that...
Jackdonkey said on 11:38PM 10-15-2009
Battlegrounds? Did I see the word battlegrounds, I have that did I leave the oven on look on my face right now. Also console shooters are better because it is more about strategy then it is targeting prowess.
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ian.75 said on 6:15AM 10-16-2009
I wonder if we will be able to see the planetary battles from our internet spaceships? If we orbit a planet and look closely, will we see the occasional explosion?
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