ccp-games posts

EVE Evolved: Dominion be damned

by Brendan Drain Nov 8th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Forums, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, Endgame, Opinion, EVE Evolved

At the last EVE Online fanfest, it was announced that the Dominion expansion is slated for December 1st to coincide with Iceland's Sovereignty day. With less than a month to go until launch, there has been growing concern at the extreme lack of information on the new sovereignty mechanics at the expansion's core. There have been a few scheduled tests and several devblogs but few factual details on the mechanics we'll be using once the expansion goes live. I've even been on the test server and tried the new mechanics out but they're far from finished.

The worry was that if the specific details weren't revealed as soon as possible, it might end up being too late to make necessary changes based on player feedback. On Friday 6th, a devblog was finally released explaining the cost breakdowns in the new sovereignty system and what bonuses will be given for the various system upgrades. Rather than allaying people's fears, the devblog set the forums on fire. An intense debate has sprung up, with massive outcry from those that live in 0.0. Their concerns may well be warranted as the proposed mechanics don't quite match up with the original vision of the Dominion expansion that the EVE community has shown support for thus far.

Has Dominion veered off course and is time running out to get it back on track? In this opinion piece, I run down the new devblog and give an inside view into parts of the heated debate it sparked off.

Tags: 0.0, ccp, ccp-games, devblog, dominion, eve, eve-evolved, eve-online, featured, forums, nullsec, opinion, pvp

CCP's Ryan Dancey on keeping EVE Online compelling

by James Egan Nov 6th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Economy, Interviews, MMO industry

CCP Games Chief Marketing Officer Ryan S. Dancey recently spoke with Gamasutra's Christian Nutt about the state of EVE Online and what makes the sci-fi title unique. EVE has traits that many MMOs don't, such as player governance, a dynamic virtual economy, and slow but continual subscription growth. CCP does face problems in tandem with that growth however, namely from RMT operations. There is also the issue of balancing developer control over aspects of the game's economy (mission rewards, salvage and loot drops, ISK sinks) with the ideal of allowing EVE's economy to be as player-driven as possible, explains Dancey.

Among other things discussed in the interview, Gamasutra asks how White Wolf has changed following the merger with CCP Games nearly three years ago. Dancey tells Gamasutra: "It's just an imprint... White Wolf used to have a fairly large staff. It doesn't anymore. It's focusing primarily on the World of Darkness RPG products. It's not doing some of the things it used to do; board games and other card games and things. The focus of the company [CCP] is on making MMOs and our legacy table top business is a legacy business."

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, chief-marketing-officer, christian-nutt, economy, eve, eve-online, gamasutra, goals, interviews, mmo-industry, player-driven, plex, rmt, ryan-dancey, subscribers, unholy-rage, virtual-economy, white-wolf, world-of-darkness

CCP reaching out to potential EVE players with "Get a Clone"

by James Egan Nov 5th 2009 at 2:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Professions

EVE Online creators CCP Games are taking a different approach to promoting the game with a new website. All players in EVE's setting of New Eden are "capsuleers" -- starship pilots who have attained immortality through cloning technology. CCP's "Get a Clone" site invites you to "Clone yourself. Not the way you are, but the way you want to be." The site belongs to Duvolle Laboratories, one of EVE Online's NPC corporations, and provides an in-character introduction to some of the basic career paths a pilot can explore in the game.

But first, Duvolle Labs asks you five questions that pin down how morally flexible you are (as a game character). Would you rather build or tear down? Would you risk your life for money or glory? Is success is measured by profits or progress? Your responses to five questions Duvolle Laboratories asks places you in one of four broad career paths - military, exploration, business, or industry.

Tags: careers, ccp, ccp-games, clones, cloning, duvolle-laboratories, eve, eve-online, freeform-professions, professions, sci-fi

EVE Online's CSM candidates debate live on today's Planet Risk radio show

by James Egan Nov 4th 2009 at 3:15PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Podcasts, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Politics

A number of EVE Online fans who've needed their podcast fix have been tuning in to Planet Risk in recent months, a great mix of music and commentary from players who spend most of their EVE time exploring the uncharted expanses of wormhole space. Planet Risk is a live show that airs on Split Infinity Radio on Wednesdays; hosts Luminus Aardokay and Quivering Palm make Planet Risk available as a podcast afterwards and we recommend you check it out if you haven't already. Today's show should be interesting as they will host a debate between four candidates for EVE's next Council of Stellar Management, the player-elected body that represents the wishes of the subscribers when dealing with CCP and how EVE Online is evolving.

We mentioned last week that the 4th CSM candidates have been announced but not everyone in the running had their positions on issues fleshed out in time for the CCP announcement. Since that day, more info about the 49 candidates is becoming available (thanks for pointing this out Darth Sith). Today's debate on Planet Risk will have CSM candidates TeaDaze (known to many for his commentary during the Alliance Tournament), Song Li (from the Missions Collide podcast), Helen Highwater and Mike Azariah.

Tags: breaking, ccp, ccp-games, council-of-stellar-management, csm, culture, eve, eve-online, events, game-mechanics, helen-highwater, luminus-aardokay, mike-azariah, missions-collide, planet-risk, podcast, podcasts, quivering-palm, sci-fi, si-radio, song-li, split-infinity, split-infinity-radio, teadaze, wormholes

EVE Evolved: Postcards from EVE: Reader Submissions

by Brendan Drain Nov 1st 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, EVE Online, Culture, Wallpapers, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

As a tribute to EON Magazine's "Postcards from the Edge" feature, last week I started this two-part series of postcards from all around EVE Online. In last week's first part I presented a gallery full of postcards from my own travels in EVE. I then asked readers to email in any of their own screenshots that they wanted to appear as postcards. This week, I finish the series with a mixture of reader submissions and my own remaining postcards. As with last week, they're all high-resolution shots suitable to be used as widescreen backgrounds. Feel free to save them out from your browser to get them at full resolution.

Thanks go to Massively readers "Mike", "Mark Pittam" and my corpmate "Retalus" for their submissions. Included are some shots of the new planets coming with the Dominion expansion in December and a lot of pictures from Sleeper space. Hope you enjoy!

Gallery: EVE Online Postcards, part 2

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, dominion, eon, eve, eve-evolved, eve-online, featured, gallery, nyphur, planets, postcard, postcards, sci-fi, screenshot, screenshots, wallpaper

EVE Online's candidates for 4th Council of Stellar Management announced

by James Egan Oct 31st 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, News items, Politics

The roster of candidates for the 4th Council of Stellar Management (CSM) in EVE Online has been announced. According to CCP Games developer Pétur Jóhannes Óskarsson (aka CCP Xhagen), 60 members of the playerbase submitted applications, with 49 players accepted after CCP's screening process. (Players must hold valid passports to attend the CSM summit in Reykjavik, and those with EULA violations are ineligible to run.) From this pool of 49, there will ultimately be nine elected delegates and five alternates who can step in when needed.

Although Xhagen didn't break down candidate stats by nationality, there is a substantial number of U.S. players running for the 4th CSM as in past elections. This time around there are candidates from Latvia, Serbia, and Barbados as well. The ages of candidates range from 21 to 54, and only one female candidate is in the running this term which Xhagen notes is a decrease from the previous election. (He also indicates that only 3.9% of EVE's subscribers are female.)

Tags: candidates, ccp, ccp-games, ccp-xhagen, community, council-of-stellar-management, csm, elections, eve, eve-online, game-mechanics, governance, jita-park-speakers-corner, life-in-low-sec, mynxee, petur-johannes-oskarsson, reykjavik, sci-fi

EVE Online Sovereignty playtest to be held on Friday, Oct 30

by James Egan Oct 29th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Game mechanics

CCP Games is holding a play test of the new Sovereignty system in EVE Online on Friday, October 30th at 17:00 GMT/UTC on the Singularity test server. The devs are looking for players to jump in and help them fine tune Sovereignty for the Dominion expansion release, which is very much focused on this particular game mechanic. Interested parties are encouraged to show up early, as the devs want to give players a short demo of the new Sovereignty system beforehand. Also, they'll need to divide players into two teams, Red vs. Blue. EVE Quality Assurance dev CCP Tanis writes, "We will be testing several aspects of the new Sovereignty system, think of this kind of like a 'king of the hill' game in EVE."

EVE players interested in helping out (and getting a feel for how the new system will work) should read through the info the devs have listed in the playtest announcement. The developers have stated the testing event will take two or three hours to complete. (As an aside, they're putting the Sovereignty game mechanics through its paces on Mischief Night... what could go wrong?)

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, ccp-tanis, dominion, eve, eve-online, expansions, game-mechanics, playtest, sci-fi, singularity, sovereignty, test-server

EVE's planetary graphics kicked up yet another notch for Dominion expansion

by James Egan Oct 29th 2009 at 11:00AM

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

We pointed out last month that EVE Online will get a new look to its planets this December, when the Dominion expansion launches. There's now more footage of the improved planetary graphics which is even better than what we saw in September, with a closer look at the swirling clouds, continents, and oceans, as well as light and shadows on the horizon. The footage is courtesy once again of EVE Online player Flamewave -- who may just live on the Singularity test server.

We've got a video embed of Flamewave's footage of the new planetary graphics as seen on the test server, so stick with us after the jump for a stunning look at New Eden as it will appear in Dominion.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, clouds, dominion, eve, eve-online, expansions, flamewave, graphics, new-eden, planets, sci-fi, singularity, test-server, video

Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack?

by James Egan Oct 28th 2009 at 7:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Guilds, News items

Major EVE Online roleplaying alliance Curatores Veritatis Alliance (CVA) disbanded today, possibly the result of a traitor within their ranks, leaving a power vacuum in the Providence region they once held. It's possible for high-level directors of an alliance to disband the organization, and this is exactly what happened today to Curatores Veritatis Alliance. CVA was an alliance loyal to the game's NPC faction the Amarr Empire and had a long history of enforcing rule in lawless space and resisting rival player organizations of Minmatar freedom fighters -- notably Ushra'Khan -- who they branded as terrorists. In short, CVA has played a significant role in the player-driven setting of EVE Online.

At this point, speculation as to how CVA was disbanded is rampant. The concept of a mole using high-level access to destroy an alliance from within is not unprecedented in the game, although some players are asserting an account hack took place. EVE pilot "BULLETPROOF 50CENT" of the corporation Traceless Representatives of Anonymous Players (TRAP) has claimed credit for the disintegration of CVA. He stated: "I am known as bullet, just a small, relatively unknown member of a covert organization, created by and dedicated to the taking down of what we saw as the single largest evil in EVE -- CVA."

Tags: alliance, alliances, amarr, breaking, ccp, ccp-games, controversy, curatores-veritatis-alliance, cva, espionage, eve, eve-online, guilds, hack, hardin, new-eden, providence, revenge, sabotage, spies, spy, trap

MicroWarpCast interviews EVE lead game designer Noah Ward

by James Egan Oct 28th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Podcasts, EVE Online, Contests, Game mechanics, Interviews

The EVE Online-focused podcast MicroWarpCast returned this week, hosted by our friend CrazyKinux with guest Noah Ward (aka CCP Hammerhead), who is a Lead Game Designer at CCP Games. We mentioned a while back that the winner of a contest CrazyKinux was running would get to interview an EVE developer on the podcast. People entered by writing an article on planetary control and how this could be implemented in EVE Online. The winner was Xiphos83 from the EVE blog "A Misguided Adventurer" who wrote about about a siege system that could be used in planetary conquest. As the contest winner, Xiphos83 posed questions to Noah about some of the current or controversial issues in the game.

This led to Noah explaining CCP's reasons for limiting the use of the directional scanner with a timer -- a major issue cited by many players who either hunt others or want to evade attackers -- due in part to player macroing of directional scans. The directional scan will never go back to how it was since that system was too easily exploitable, but he asserted that the devs have tried to balance performance for the players with server demands.

Tags: a-misguided-adventurer, andrew-russo, ccp, ccp-games, ccp-hammerhead, contests, corruption, crazykinux, david-perry, eve, eve-online, game-mechanics, interviews, lead-game-designer, microwarpcast, noah-ward, planetary-conquest, planetary-interaction, podcasts, sci-fi, xiphos, xiphos83

EVE Online technical director explains new feature: Fleet Finder

by James Egan Oct 27th 2009 at 5:00PM

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

The next EVE Online expansion will be Dominion, slated for a December release, which will introduce some major changes to the game and new features as well. The "Fleet Finder" is one such feature, explained in today's dev blog by EVE Online Technical Director Jon Bjarnason (aka CCP Atlas).

The Fleet Finder will give players much greater control over forming a fleet and, as CCP Atlas says, there will be "No more 'x up in corp channel' messages." The feature will also streamline how information is conveyed to other pilots.

Tags: alliances, ccp, ccp-atlas, ccp-games, corporations, dev-blog, dev-blogs, dominion, eve, eve-online, expansions, fleet-advert, fleet-adverts, fleet-finder, game-mechanics, grouping, guilds, jon-bjarnason, loot-logging, new-eden, new-features, ninja-looting, sci-fi

EVE's Council of Stellar Management chairman interviewed

by James Egan Oct 26th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Interviews

One of the things that sets EVE Online apart from most other MMOs running is its Council of Stellar Management (CSM) -- player-elected representatives who work with developer CCP to improve the game. Garret Fuller at MMORPG.com recently sat down for an interview with CSM Chairman Dierdra Vaal (coincidentally a man with fine taste in ships) to discuss player input on EVE Online and how the CSM helps to make this happen.

Although his comments do not confirm what's on the way in future EVE Online expansions, Vaal also discusses an interesting expansion concept CCP Games is knocking around. Vaal tells MMORPG.com: "It's basically a big expansion idea focusing on low sec and gameplay on the wrong side of the law. I feel this could tie in quite well with my proposal for a new bounty hunter system. Overall, low sec may be the most neglected part of the game [...] and I think it would be great if it got the attention and bits of unique gameplay it deserves."

Beyond this idea of better supporting underworld gameplay in the future, Vaal explains how EVE Online is evolving into a more complex environment, namely through avatar interaction in Incarna, and social networking in New Eden (formerly "COSMOS").

Have a look at the MMORPG.com interview with Dierdra Vaal for more on how the CSM functions and what the council does for EVE Online's playerbase.

Tags: bounty-hunter, bounty-hunting, ccp, ccp-games, council-of-stellar-management, csm, csm-chairman, csm-delegate, dierdra-vaal, eve, eve-online, game-design, game-mechanics, interviews, lowsec

EVE Evolved: Postcards from EVE: Wish you were here!

by Brendan Drain Oct 25th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, EVE Online, Culture, Lore, Wallpapers, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

Whether you love EVE Online or hate it, there's one thing people tend to agree on - it makes for some great screenshots. EVE has a history of players producing some amazing videos, screenshots, artwork and fiction. YouTube is filled with intense PvP action videos and over four hundred players write the stories of their travels on personal blogs. People have even created some incredible papercraft ship models. Because we all love eye candy, screenshots from EVE even make a regular appearance in Krystalle's daily MMO screenshot column "One Shots".

EVE's Official magazine EON runs a regular feature called "Postcards from the Edge" where players write in with a screenshot and a short story about it. As a tribute to EON, who I wrote for before coming to Massively, this week and next I present galleries full of postcards from my own travels in EVE. They're all high-resolution shots suitable to be used as widescreen backgrounds, feel free to save them out from your browser to get them at full resolution.

Gallery: EVE Online postcards part 1

Do you have a particularly awesome screenshot you'd like to see as a postcard? Email it to me at brendan.drain AT weblogsinc DOT com along with a few words describing its contents and I'll make it into a nice postcard for next week's second part of this gallery piece.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, eon, eve, eve-evolved, eve-online, featured, gallery, krystalle, nyphur, postcard, screenshot, screenshots, wallpaper, wallpapers

One Shots: It's all about the PvP

by Krystalle Voecks Oct 24th 2009 at 2:00PM

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

While mining may not be the most exciting thing one can do when playing EVE Online, there is something to be said for it - it can be pretty solid ISK! Get into a group and it's a lot more interesting. Join a bigger group and go hunting resources in nullsec, and mining gets a lot more interesting! Today's lovely EVE Online One Shots comes to us from Andrea V. who was out doing some mining recently and caught this image. Andrea writes in: I've included an interesting asteroid formation I ran into while gas harvesting earlier today. Gas is a crucial part of booster production. It isn't the most exciting profession in the game, but it's a nice way to pass the time! And eventually, you do get to shoot people.

MMOs from big to small - all are welcome here! Just grab a screenshot and send it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it here for everyone to check out. It's easy and fun!

Gallery: One Shots

Tags: andrea-v, ccp, ccp-games, eve, eve-online, one-shots, screenshot, screenshots

EVE Online's faction ships due for a boost in Dominion expansion

by James Egan Oct 19th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions

When EVE Online's faction ships were introduced to the game they were, by design, a cut above the rest in addition to lending a certain amount of bling to being a pilot in New Eden. Faction ships had stats that made them worthy of the high amount of Loyalty Points required to obtain such a ship, the risks entailed with mission running in lowsec or 0.0 space, or alternately the high ISK costs to obtain them. But as Tech II ships, Marauders, and other advanced or specialized ship classes entered the game, it became apparent that faction ships in EVE Online were becoming antiquated.

CCP Games would like to get more players to actually fly those ships again instead of relegating (a few of) them to shiny hangar ornaments. EVE game designer CCP Ytterbium looks at the changes CCP Games is making to navy and pirate faction ships with the Dominion expansion and explains the reasons for these changes in his dev blog "Adding Flavor to Your Faction Meal". Have a look at the dev blog for Ytterbium's discussion of the various ship bonuses, new slot layouts, aesthetic changes, and how CCP envisions these faction ships rising to greater prominence in New Eden in Dominion and beyond.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, ccp-ytterbium, dev-blog, dev-blogs, dominion, eve, eve-online, expansions, faction-ships, factions, navy-ships, pirate-factions, pirate-ships, sci-fi