ccp-greyscale posts

EVE Online devs explain their plans for revamping the sandbox

by James Egan Sep 15th 2009 at 8:15PM

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

EVE Online's sandbox approach to game design is one where where centralized, well-developed clusters of solar systems are controlled by NPC factions while vast, lawless tracts of space can be claimed by the players themselves. This 0.0 space (aka nullsec) contains some of EVE's most valuable resources plus offers complete freedom from the laws imposed in high security NPC space. It's the frontier -- the wild west -- that alliances of EVE's capsuleers clash with one another to control.

For all the freedom to use diplomacy, espionage, and outright warfare to get the most out of 0.0 space, players have long been hindered by the game mechanics of "sovereignty" -- EVE's system of establishing control over territory and reaping the various rewards that come with such control. The changes CCP Games are making to the game with the Dominion winter expansion aren't just about altering a few game mechanics related to territorial control -- they're about changing the rules of the sandbox itself.

Tags: alliances, ccp-greyscale, dev-blog, dominion, emergent-gameplay, eve-online, expansions, game-mechanics, guilds, moons, sandbox, sci-fi, sovereignty, territorial-control

Latest EVE patch changes how hostiles appear in overview

by James Egan May 14th 2009 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Patches, PvP

Massively has pointed out a few highlights of what the Apocrypha 1.2 patch brings to EVE Online, but today's dev blog from CCP Greyscale explains the big changes they've made to the overview. The overview is an essential aspect of the UI which allows players to better understand what's happening around them in three dimensional space, so any major change to how it works or displays threats is something all EVE players really need to be aware of.

When the Apocrypha expansion launched in March, players (finally) gained the ability to freeze the overview by holding down 'control', a useful enhancement which hopefully has led to fewer friendly fire incidents. Today's patch, however, changes how hostiles are displayed in the overview. CCP Greyscale's tl;dr version is "After patch, blinky people on overview = war targets, not outlaws." That said, there's a lot more to this and he details how and why they've made changes to the overview in his dev blog, "Apocrypha 1.2 - Important Overview Indicator Changes". The players are discussing the changes Greyscale outlines in a forum thread connected with the dev blog, so be sure to weigh in there with your views or questions.

Tags: apocrypha, ccp-games, ccp-greyscale, dev-blog, eve, eve-online, greyscale, overview, overview-settings, overviews, patches, pvp, sci-fi, ui, user-interface

Video tutorial explains EVE Online's new exploration system

by James Egan Mar 13th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Professions, Tips and tricks

The latest expansion for EVE Online is Apocrypha, which has added numerous exploration-intensive elements to the sci-fi game. Apocrypha brought drag-and-drop to the exploration system, making the discovery of hidden encounters (and now wormholes) a more visual process than the old system. However, for those players who are accustomed to the old methods of exploration, Apocrypha's revamped system can take some getting used to. EVE Online developer CCP Greyscale posted a dev blog earlier in the week which is a visual tutorial explaining how to find all that hidden content in the game. It's pretty much essential reading for any would-be explorers in New Eden.

We also came across a player-created video tutorial showing how it's done, by Espoir from TridentGuild. The video covers everything from exploration probe placement to how to focus in on the signatures you discover. We've got the YouTube embed of the Apocrypha exploration tutorial for you below the cut:

Tags: apocrypha, ccp-greyscale, dev-blog, eve-online, expansions, exploration, explorer, game-mechanics, new-eden, sci-fi, tips-and-tricks, tridentguild, video, video-tutorials, youtube

First details emerge about true exploration system in EVE Online

by James Egan Jan 26th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Forums, Game mechanics, Crafting, News items

The sprawling setting of EVE Online is called New Eden, a galaxy with over 5000 known solar systems. This is a vast area for players to pursue their goals, but given how each of those solar systems is clearly mapped out, some of the feeling of being in such a deep setting is lost. There's not enough sense of the unknown. It's possible to be an explorer in the game, but the fact is that truly new places aren't discoverable, just hidden pockets within the known galaxy. That will change in the Apocrypha expansion this March, when a true exploration system based around wormholes is implemented.

In his latest dev blog, EVE developer CCP Whisper writes, "We are going to give you uncharted, unknown places to visit via paths that shift and slide through the fabric of space. We are going to give you thousands of new solar systems which will contain new NPCs, new exploration content and new pockets of resources to exploit. You will have the chance to venture into places that promise great rewards but also bring with them great risks."

Tags: apocrypha, bifrost, breaking, ccp-abathur, ccp-bella-bee, ccp-casqade, ccp-greyscale, ccp-prismx, ccp-whisper, dev-blog, eve, eve-online, expansions, exploration, game-mechanics, instances, probes, scan-probes, sci-fi, team-bifrost, true-exploration, wormholes

Massively interviews E-ON editor Zapatero

by James Egan Nov 4th 2008 at 9:30AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, Opinion, Massively Interviews

EVE Online is a deep and complex game, and even those who've played EVE for years find there are still facets of gameplay they've never mastered. This is compounded by the game's unique nature as a massive galaxy primed for exploration and domination by its players, whose actions and machinations affect one another in a single setting that's never quite the same from one day to the next.

EVE is always evolving, both in terms of the dynamics between players and the game itself, seen as a whole. But unlike most MMOs, EVE Online has an official magazine, called E-ON, which has kept pace with how the game and its player efforts have changed over the years. To flip through the E-ON back issues is to see the documented evolution of EVE Online. In fact, E-ON manages to stay ahead of the curve due in part to its access to CCP Games, but mostly through the efforts of the players themselves whose writing talents make up the entirety of E-ON. The man behind E-ON is Richie Shoemaker, aka "Zapatero." He's the one who's been guiding the publication along since day one, and ensuring its content digs beneath the surface of the game. He's interviewed EVE's players and developers alike, but it occurred to us... Zapatero has an excellent perspective on the game yet is rarely interviewed, himself.

Massively recently caught up with Zapatero in between his continent hopping, and got him to tell us a bit about his approach to covering EVE and what the player community is capable of creating.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, ccp-gnauton, ccp-greyscale, community, e-on, eon, eve, eve-community, eve-online, featured, fiction, games-journalism, interviews, journalism, joystiqfeatures, london, magazine, massively-interviews, mmm-publishing, mmo-industry, nate-combs, opinion, princess-leia, richie-shoemaker, winterblink, zapatero

CCP Games introducing new economic measure in EVE

by James Egan Oct 27th 2008 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Forums, Game mechanics, Crafting, News items

CCP Games generally takes a hands-off approach to EVE Online's economy, letting the collective actions of players determine what happens. But at times there are bottlenecks in terms of supply. CCP Greyscale cites the example of how the limited number of T2 blueprint originals (BPOs) decreased availability of items while driving up prices. CCP stepped in by introducing 'invention', where players can attempt to create higher-end items via R&D, eliminating the issue of supply and normalizing prices.

CCP Greyscale's latest dev blog is called "Alchemy" and looks at the newest issue they've identified with EVE's economy, the inflated price of rare moon minerals. Greyscale says, "In particular, two rare moon minerals - dysprosium and (to a lesser extent) promethium - are becoming ever-more expensive as increased demand puts pressure on a limited supply. This is likely to become an increasingly large issue as time goes on, with prices for these minerals continuing to rise due to demand, and the increased price being passed on to the consumer of the final product." As we've mentioned in the past, these rare minerals in New Eden are something that the largest, most powerful alliances have sought to control and thus has been one of the drivers of conflict in lawless 0.0 space.

Tags: 0.0, alchemy, blueprint, blueprints, bpc, bpo, ccp, ccp-dr-eyjog, ccp-games, ccp-greyscale, crafting, dr-eyjog, dysprosium, economy, eve, eve-online, eyjolfur-gudmundsson, forums, game-mechanics, industry, invention, manufacturing, minerals, promethium, research, scarcity, sci-fi

EVE live dev blog on medals and certificates, Thursday Oct. 16

by James Egan Oct 15th 2008 at 1:00PM

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

Medals and certificates are two of the new features coming to EVE Online, as recently announced by developer CCP Greyscale. These features may prove useful for newer players in dispelling some of the complexity of skill training, while providing some bragging rights and easier recruitment (less need to request another player's API) for veteran players, but there's still some confusion about how they'll be implemented in the game. With this in mind, CCP has decided to hold a live dev blog on this feature, slated for tomorrow, October 16th. CCP Wrangler announced:

"It is time for another Live Dev Blog and this time it's Chronotis and Greyscale who will answer all of your questions about Medals and Certificates. As usual Mindstar will be there to ask them your questions. This event will take place on Thursday, 16th October, in the in-game channel 'Live Dev Blog.' It starts at 20:00 GMT and lasts for about one hour." EVE players are already getting their questions in on the forum thread linked to this announcement. Given that the live dev blog will take place tomorrow, if there's anything you really want to know that wasn't addressed in CCP Greyscale's dev blog on certificates and medals, now is the time to ask in the thread.

Tags: api, breaking, ccp, ccp-chronotis, ccp-games, ccp-greyscale, ccp-wrangler, certificates, dev-blog, developers, devs, eve, eve-online, forums, live-dev-blog, medals, new-features, skill-training, skills

Certificates and medals coming to EVE Online

by James Egan Oct 13th 2008 at 6:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Forums, Game mechanics, Patches, Professions, News items

Most players who've been drawn to EVE Online enjoy the game for its complexity. For such gamers, complexity in a title can be a strength, not a drawback. However, you know what they say about having too much a good thing... Newer players especially find aspects of the game daunting to learn, particularly in terms of skills and skill training plans. This complexity surrounding skills, while not a big deal to veteran players, can be hard to grasp for newer players. Enter "certificates" -- EVE's simplified and (visually) ranked groups of skills that should help rookie players better understand what they should focus on to achieve particular goals.

If the feature does what the developers hope, certificates will remedy a problem newer players face -- "an inability to clearly see where a particular skill fits into the greater scheme of things, what it enables, how to get there and where to go next," CCP Greyscale writes in his latest dev blog "Certificates: Planning the Future."

Tags: achievements, ccp, ccp-chronotis, ccp-games, ccp-greyscale, certificate, certificates, certification-planner, dev, dev-blog, developer, devs, eve, eve-online, forums, medal, medals, new-features, patches, professions, rookies, sci-fi, skill-training, skills, titles

EVE Online live dev blog on speed balancing, Wednesday Oct. 8

by James Egan Oct 6th 2008 at 6:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Forums, Game mechanics, PvP, News items

CCP Games is bringing back live dev blogs for EVE Online, this week's will deal with speed balancing. Developers Greyscale and Fendahl will be on-hand this Wednesday, October 8th at 20:00 GMT to address player questions about these changes. The dev blog will last roughly an hour, and will take place in EVE, in the "Live Dev Blog" channel.

If you're interested in getting your questions answered, you'll need to post in the thread linked to this live dev blog to get your questions on their list. Players are already firing away, asking if the speed changes are limited to the nano-nerf and adjustments of stasis webifiers/warp scramblers, or if more sweeping changes to game mechanics are on the horizon. If you want answers about the speed balancing, this is probably your best chance for the time being, unless CCP opts to come out with an updated dev blog following this event.

Tags: ccp, ccp-fendahl, ccp-games, ccp-greyscale, dev-blog, eve, eve-online, fendahl, game-mechanics, greyscale, live-dev-blog, nano-nerf, nerf, pvp, sci-fi, speed, speed-balancing

CCP Games releases faction overview for EVE Online

by James Egan Aug 2nd 2008 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Expansions, Guilds, Lore, PvP, Races, Roleplaying

For participants in EVE Online's factional warfare in the Empyrean Age expansion, it's common knowledge that there are four races embroiled in conflict. However, CCP Games has decided to add some more variety to the roles that EVE players can assume. To that end, EVE dev Matthew Woodward (aka CCP Greyscale) created a political overview for those who wish to immerse themselves a bit more in the backstory, or for those who wish to assume roles in the factional struggle beyond what is currently known about the key races in EVE's setting of New Eden.

The cruel yet devoutly religious Amarr bring worlds and systems under their heel to 'save them from themselves.' They're opposed by the fractious Minmatar, a group of tribes resisting Amarr tyranny -- many of whom are chemically enslaved by a tailored virus and regular fixes of its narcotic treatment, ensuring their continued servitude to the Amarr.

Tags: amarr, backstory, caldari, ccp, ccp-games, ccp-greyscale, ccp-wrangler, empyrean-age, eve, eve-online, expansion, faction, factional-warfare, forums, gallente, guide, guides, immersion, lore, matthew-woodward, militia, minmatar, pvp, races, roleplayer, roleplaying, sci-fi, storyline