ccp posts

New EVE Online trailer shows the glory of Dominion

by Krystalle Voecks Nov 25th 2009 at 2:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Expansions

In just a matter of days -- December 1st to be exact -- Dominion will be launching, bringing an early holiday gift for EVE Online players around the world. For those not familiar, Dominion, the 12th free expansion in CCP's ever-evolving interstellar game of life, will bring enormous changes to the sovereignty system and ship re-balancing -- aspects of what many consider EVE Online's "endgame." Along with the change to sov, pilots in New Eden can look forward to Pirate faction epic story-arcs, a fleet finder, refinement to the new player experience, and even long-needed but less obvious tweaks like an improved mail system and in-game browser.

Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that CCP are also increasing the beauty of New Eden once again by introducing new procedurally-generated planet textures -- a welcome addition for those who may not spend all their time in 0.0. After all, while the huge battles are awesome to watch, empires can be toppled by one person quietly flying around, minding their own business -- and yours. Be sure to check out the full Dominion site for all the juicy details of what's to come on the first. Alternately, if you just like enormous space battles made of 100% unadulterated ass-kicking awesome, then check behind the break for the new Dominion trailer. You won't be disappointed!

Tags: breaking, ccp, ccp-games, dominion, epic-story-arcs, eve, eve-online, expansion, pirate-faction, sov, sovereign-space, video

Contest lets EVE Online players get their name in print in E-ON magazine

by James Egan Nov 24th 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests

While Massively's own EVE Online contest is off to a great start this week, we also want to point out something of interest happening on our friend CrazyKinux's site. Have you ever wanted to see your name in print in E-ON, the official EVE Online magazine? Well now is your chance. CrazyKinux is running a contest where EVE players can make their predictions about how the game will change in 2010 or what will happen in New Eden in the next year. If your prediction lands in the top 10 entries, your submission will make it into print in E-ON magazine in January -- plus you'll also receive a free contributor copy of that issue.

The contest is called "The Oracle of EVE" and will run through November 30th. It'll be judged by CrazyKinux and E-ON editor Richie Shoemaker (aka Zapatero). Check out the announcement post over at CrazyKinux's Musing which explains in greater detail how you can take part. Obviously they're looking for submissions that are well-written and entertaining, but also concise. Entering is quite simple -- just write your 2010 prediction on your own blog and link to it in the comments below "The Oracle of EVE" announcement post. Good luck to any Massively readers that decide to take a shot at this.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, contests, crazykinux, crazykinuxs-musing, e-on, eve, eve-online, predictions, richie-shoemaker, sci-fi, zapatero

EVE Morning Report provides news-style daily snapshot of game's economy

by James Egan Nov 23rd 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Podcasts, EVE Online, Economy

EVE Online is a game that can be different things to different people. While some players are intent on the destruction of their fellow capsuleers, others prefer to focus on other aspects of the game like trading and mass production. After all, EVE's setting of New Eden is one largely dominated by megacorporations. For those involved in the complexities of the game's economic side, having frequent snapshots of New Eden's virtual economy would be a boon. The game's would-be tycoons now have this, thanks to EVE Online player Utemetsu and the EVE Morning Report -- short, 5-minute audio recordings released daily that convey information about major commodities traded on the open market in New Eden.

EVE Morning Report with Erik Mumm is presented in the style of NPR or the Marketplace Morning Report. It also provides players with the graphed price history of major commodities, captured from the in-game tools. The sponsors of the EVE Morning Report are other players whose various services are mentioned each day in exchange for their patronage. Although Utemetsu's program has only been running for a few days, EVE Morning Report is already expanding to include interviews with New Eden's marketeers. Individual EVE players, corporations, or alliances interested in sponsoring EVE Morning Report can contact Erik (Utemetsu) via email or let him know in the program's thread on the official EVE forums.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, economy, erik-mumm, eve, eve-morning-report, eve-online, interstellar-kredit, isk, new-eden, podcasts, sci-fi, utemetsu, virtual-currency, virtual-economy

Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest: "Enemy at the Gate"

by James Egan Nov 23rd 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Giveaways

We let you know earlier this week that Massively is running a contest where you can win up to 15 months of EVE Online game time! We're kicking this off today, and the contest will run over two weeks leading up to the Dominion expansion launch. This week's contest is called "Enemy at the Gate," so-named for the major changes coming to EVE Online and its Sovereignty game mechanics, where stargates will be at the center of conflicts between alliances.

This will essentially be a writing contest, where we pose a question to you about the Dominion expansion. Your entry (limited to 200 words or less, details below) will be judged by the Massively staff on the merits of creativity and presentation. You'll have one full week to enter, by answering our question in the comments below this post. Two prizes will be awarded. The grand prize will be 15 Pilot License Extensions (PLEX), which is 15 months of EVE game time. First prize will be 10 PLEX, so 10 months of EVE game time. Got all that? Great. So here we go -- to enter Massively's PLEX contest, answer this question in the comments below, limiting your response to 200 words or less:

With EVE's new focus on developing infrastructure in 0.0 space in the Dominion expansion and beyond, how will the changes to Sovereignty impact your corporation or alliance?

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, ccp-plex-contest, contests, dominion, eve, eve-online, giveaways, plex, sci-fi, sovereignty

EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading

by Brendan Drain Nov 22nd 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Forums, Game mechanics, Guides, Professions, PvP, Making money, Tips and tricks, PvE, Hands-on, Academic, Education, EVE Evolved

In the first part of this guide I covered the basics of trading in EVE Online and some of the jobs best suited to newer players. There's a lot more to trading than buying low and selling high and in this week's installment, I'll cover some of the more advanced trading and marketeering tactics that have proven themselves effective in EVE. From margin trading on the market to making a living off the contracts page, anyone with enough dedication can learn to rake in hundreds of millions of ISK per day without even leaving the station. For the gamblers and risk-takers among you, market speculation and price manipulation can produce incredible short-term profit but with significant risks attached.

In this second part of my concise guide on trading, I look at margin trading on the market, playing the contract pages, market speculation around patches and the dirty art of market manipulation.

Tags: buying, ccp, ccp-games, contracts, Dominion, eve, eve-evolved, eve-online, expansion, featured, guide, hauling, isk, manipulation, margin, market, professions, profit, pve, pvp, selling, speculation, tips, tips-and-tricks, trading

EVE Evolved: Trading: Advanced trading, part 2

by Brendan Drain Nov 22nd 2009 at 6:00PM

Massively to hold EVE Online contest this week, win copious amounts of game time

by James Egan Nov 21st 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Giveaways

In the time our columnist Brendan Drain and I have spent covering EVE Online for Massively, it's grown into one of the site's most popular game categories. With that in mind, we've decided to run a contest that's really a thank you to our readers who've been following along with our EVE coverage. CCP Games was kind enough to provide Massively's readers with 50 Pilot License Extensions (PLEX) as contest prizes which we'll give away over the next two weeks.

As most every EVE Online player knows, one PLEX = one month of game time, but is also a virtual item that can be bought and sold on the market in-game. Massively's EVE Online PLEX contest will actually give our readers two chances at winning -- once this week, and once next week, too. The first thing we must note is this contest will only be open to North American residents (U.S. and Canada, excluding Quebec). Sorry to our other readers abroad, but it's a legal thing. For everyone else who is eligible to enter, read on for more info:

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, ccp-plex-contest, contests, eve, eve-online, giveaways, pilot-license-extension, plex

CCP Games alters plans for EVE's capital ships in Dominion expansion

by James Egan Nov 20th 2009 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP

The EVE Online developers have announced that some of their proposed changes to capital ships will not deploy with the Dominion expansion as originally planned. This may come as good news to some of EVE's supercarrier (formerly "mothership") pilots who've expressed no small amount of dissatisfaction at how their ships were slated to be changed. With the supercarrier changes not going through, this also means that the fighter bombers -- anti-capital ship drones intended to bathe EVE's largest ships in waves of torpedo explosions -- will not arrive on December 1 with Dominion.

Changes to other capital ship weapons systems like XL Turrets, however, are another matter entirely. They're discussed at length in a dev blog from CCP Nozh titled "Capital Ships in Dominion" as are the new Citadel Cruise Missile Launchers intended to be a long range weapon system.

Tags: capital-ships, ccp, ccp-games, ccp-nozh, dev-blog, dominion, eve, eve-online, expansions, fighter-bombers, fighters, game-mechanics, motherships, pvp, sci-fi, supercarriers, titan, titans

The challenges and rewards of espionage in EVE Online

by James Egan Nov 20th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Interviews

Goonswarm spymaster The Mittani took a different approach with his latest EVE Online column at Ten Ton Hammer, and conducted an interview with a corporate saboteur titled "The Most Dangerous Agent". While it should be stated that most players in EVE do not engage in espionage, it's a career path of sorts that any player could potentially engage in, provided they have the combination of intelligence, social skills, and dedication needed to succeed. It's that aspect of dedication which often goes unmentioned -- the challenge of maintaining long-term duplicity.

The Mittani's interview with a player anonymously referred to as "Darwin's Accelerator" explains how a player with destructive aims greater than simply engaging a few enemy ships at a time can use intel to devastating effect, wiping out entire fleets. Maintaining a persona that fits in with the target organization and thus won't arouse suspicion, however, can be difficult if the infiltrator genuinely dislikes the members that comprise the corporation or alliance.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, corporate-espionage, darwins-accelerator, deception, espionage, eve, eve-online, goonfleet, goonswarm, interviews, sandbox, sci-fi, sins-of-a-solar-spymaster, spies, spy, the-mittani

One Shots: Waxing poetic

by Krystalle Voecks Nov 17th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, EVE Online, One Shots

One of the things that EVE Online has managed to do since its early days is inspire an incredibly loyal, devoted fanbase. They travel around the world to attend the Fan Fest in Iceland, they write fiction about the game, and of course - they send in crazy excellent EVE Online One Shots for us to enjoy! Today's great screen comes to us from Hetler R. who opted to add his note in a more poetic form. He writes in:

The grid is clean.
The dust will settle.
To infinity as they might seem,
Echoes in the distance rattle.
Beware of smite;
Beware of terror;
For wrecks in the sundance gleam.
Beware!
Because in space...
No one can hear you scream.

Do you have a game that inspires you to write poems, haiku, or even the occasional (very short) story? Would you like to share it with the world? If so, grab a great screenshot that supports what you've written and then send it our way at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, and the name of the game. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit!

Gallery: One Shots

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, eve, eve-online, hetler-r, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots

CCP discusses NPE in EVE Online expansion

by Rubi Bayer Nov 16th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Interviews

With only a few weeks to go until the launch of Dominion, the EVE Online team has got to be pretty busy. CrazyKinux was lucky enough to get a bit of time with Game Designer Eris Discordia to talk about the details of the NPE - New Player Experience.

The discussion covered some interesting ground, such as how CCP is working to keep the NPE easy for players to use and understand, how far it's come since 2003 ("You started in space and you had to shoot a drone and that was pretty much it."), and how they would like to see it improve from here on out. They also talked about the reasoning behind the way the NPE is set up, as a crash course designed to get you through the basics and into the game, rather than a more scattered, drawn-out approach.

It's an interesting read for any veteran EVE Online player, and a valuable one for anyone new to the game. The full interview can be read here, and a big thanks to CrazyKinux and Eris Discordia for taking the time for it!

Tags: ccp, crazykinux, dominion, eris-discordia, eve-online, new-player-experience, npe

EVE Evolved: Trading: The basics

by Brendan Drain Nov 15th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, Guides, Professions, Making money, Tips and tricks, PvE, Hands-on, Academic, Education, EVE Evolved

Of all the moneymaking endeavours you can take in EVE Online, trading is perhaps the one with the highest potential for profit. While mission-running profit tops out at a few tens of millions per hour and the profit margin from production isn't that big, trading is limited only by the amount of effort you're willing to put in and is much improved by inherent business talent. At the low end of the trading spectrum, beginners can make a healthy income ferrying items from A to B. At the other extreme, a market-savvy individual can pull billions per week out of the players in EVE's great conglomerated marketplaces.

In this first guide in a short series on trading, I look at the different types of trading options available to newer EVE players.

Tags: buying, ccp, ccp-games, contracts, courier, eve, eve-evolved, eve-online, featured, guide, hauling, isk, market, professions, profit, pve, refining, selling, tips, tips-and-tricks, trading

EVE Evolved: Trading: The basics, page 2

by Brendan Drain Nov 15th 2009 at 6:00PM

Tags: buying, ccp, ccp-games, contracts, courier, eve, eve-evolved, eve-online, featured, guide, hauling, isk, market, professions, profit, pve, refining, selling, tips, tips-and-tricks, trading

EVE's CSM elections begin, site matches your views with those of candidates

by James Egan Nov 14th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Politics

Massively recently pointed out that the candidates have been announced for EVE Online's fourth Council of Stellar Management (CSM) -- the player-elected body that represents subscriber interests as the game is developed. (Also, if you missed it the first time around, you can listen to the recordings of CSM debates hosted by the Planet Risk radio show.)

There are a number of candidates in the running this election: 49 at last count. These prospective CSM delegates have put forth some wildly differing views on how EVE Online should evolve and there's a fair amount of info to sift through on the forums and the individual sites that candidates maintain. Not that this is really a substitute for actually, y'know, reading up on who you're voting for, but there's now a site that can help you zero in on the candidates who share your views on the game. Vote Match will match your views on issues as a player with the election platforms the various CSM candidates are running on. The site was coded by the current CSM Chairman Dierdra Vaal and is definitely worth a look for EVE Online players trying to decide on which candidate to back.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, council-of-stellar-management, csm, culture, dierdra-vaal, elections, eve, eve-online, planet-risk, politics, sci-fi, voting

CCP Games elaborates on conquest in EVE's Dominion expansion

by James Egan Nov 12th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Guilds, PvP

"-- Smash the control images -- Smash the control machine --"

William S. Burroughs, The Soft Machine

The Dominion expansion for EVE Online is so-named for its heavy focus on the game mechanics of "Sovereignty" or control of territory in the New Eden galaxy. There's been no small amount of controversy surrounding CCP's proposed system, however, particularly as it's slated to go live on December 1st with the Dominion release. While some of the core game mechanics of control are still undergoing revision, CCP Games recently explained how ownership of solar systems will change hands in a dev blog titled "Storming the Gates."

EVE developer CCP Abathur lays out how new equipment will be used in claiming space and repelling invaders.

Tags: alliances, ccp, ccp-abathur, ccp-games, dev-blog, dominion, eve, eve-online, expansions, game-mechanics, guilds, i-hub, outposts, pvp, sbu, sci-fi, sovereignty, tcu, territorial-control, wormholes