concord posts

EVE Evolved: EVE Online's aggression mechanics

by Brendan Drain May 31st 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, PvP, Tips and tricks, EVE Evolved

The aggression mechanics are something that every pilot in EVE Online should learn about. This is a set of rules that determines who you can attack in high security space, who can attack you and whether you can dock or use a stargate. Knowing them inside and out can mean the difference between losing your ship and keeping it in one piece, even if you have no intent of getting into a PvP situation. Nevertheless, it's a part of the game that a lot of players don't take the time to properly acquaint themselves with.

In this technical article, I give some important tips that will improve your survival. Can you afford not to learn about EVE's aggression mechanics?

Tags: aggression, ccp, ccp-games, combat, concord, docking, eve, eve-evolved, eve-online, featured, game mechanics, GameMechanics, joystiqfeatures, ore thief, OreThief, pvp, session change, SessionChange, theft, timers

EVE mission runners and their tormentors rejoice! New Level 4 agents added

by James Egan May 31st 2009 at 12:00PM

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

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.

Tags: bounties, bounty, ccp-games, ccp-molock, concord, dev-blog, dev-blogs, eve, eve-online, game-mechanics, level-4-missions, loot, loyalty-points, lp, mission, mission-hubs, mission-running, missions, new-eden, npc, npcs, pve, salvage, sci-fi

CCP Games to revamp the lore of EVE Online

by James Egan May 9th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, News items, Races, Roleplaying

The sci-fi MMO EVE Online has a rich backstory that now spans 6 years. That backstory is coupled with the many contributions of (volunteer) in-game journalists who report both on the actions and machinations of EVE's players and alliances, and who also write news-style fiction that helps drive the game's storylines forward.

EVE Online's Lead Writer CCP t0nyG (aka Tony Gonzales, author of Empyrean Age) has made some major announcements this week regarding changes to EVE's storyline and lore, in a dev blog titled "The Rediscovered Scrolls". The dev blog focuses on how CCP plans to address some of the issues players have noted in terms of the backstory and how it relates to them as 'capsuleers' in the setting of New Eden, given that official fiction and lore are now being released quite frequently. Gonzales says, "Unfortunately, we haven't been perfect in the execution of this effort. A balance had to be maintained between keeping the storyline fresh and dynamic while also holding fast to the core attributes of foundation material. That led to mistakes, contradictions, and general inconsistencies in the canon. We took that personally, and decided to do something about it."

Tags: backstory, ccp-games, concord, corps, dev-blog, dev-blogs, eve, eve-online, evelopedia, fiction, isd, isd-aurora, lore, new-eden, races, roleplaying, sci-fi, storyline, tony-gonzales

EVE Online's snowball fights to end January 6th

by James Egan Jan 2nd 2009 at 6:00PM

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

While implementing "future Christmas in space" wasn't the most feasible option in EVE Online, CCP Games did revive their holiday tradition of giving players snowball launchers, with harmless snowball ammo. The snowball launchers sound and function like standard missile launchers, and upon impact the snowballs burst into a cloud of snowflakes. However it seems the cat's out of the bag in terms of baiting surprised targets into returning (live) fire in high security space, and having them put down by CONCORD -- EVE's NPC police.

Perhaps it's just as well though. Soon those unused snowballs will melt, thus ending EVE Online's holiday celebration on January 6th. Needless to say, players who quickly tore through their snowball supply and are trying to replenish their cache will have to hurry. CCP Fallout, EVE's Associate Community Manager, writes that "capsuleers who bid on snowball contracts before this date, yet receive them after, will find themselves owners of a pile of melted snowballs upon delivery." So use 'em or lose 'em. They'll be reduced to puddles in just a few days, and since CCP Games doesn't do this every year, it might be your last chance for quite some time to try these out.

Tags: associate-community-manager, ccp, ccp-fallout, ccp-games, concord, eve, eve-online, holiday, holiday-celebrations, holidays, snowball-fight, snowball-launcher, snowballs, winter-event

Celebrating the holidays in EVE with snowball fights in space

by James Egan Dec 19th 2008 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Humor

Space is cold. You wouldn't think 'holiday cheer' and EVE Online would be mentioned in the same context, but CCP Games has gotten in on the holiday action with the other MMO developers this season. Xiphos from the EVE blog "A Misguided Adventurer" had a holiday surprise from CCP when he logged into the game this morning: a snowball launcher and snowball ammo.

Xiphos writes, "Happy Holidays from CCP! Everyone check your hangars and you'll find a nice little gift from CCP. 300 Snowballs and a Snowball Launcher. A High slot fitting, these deadly cold balls of ice do -10 Thermal Damage and are damn fun. Start launching some at your friends and enemies and let's get a massive snowball fight started in Jita, top station!"

Every character in EVE Online automatically received these items today, even your lowly scouts and price-checking alts. Added to the fun is the initial surprise that seems to grip some highsec dwellers as they realize they're being fired upon and CONCORD (EVE's NPC police force) doesn't care. No less than five of them warped off in panic while I tried to get the accompanying image. Try it, you'll see.

Tags: a-misguided-adventurer, ccp, ccp-games, concord, eve, eve-online, highsec, holiday, holiday-event, holidays, humor, mmo-industry, sci-fi, snowball-fight, snowball-launcher, snowballs, xiphos

EVE's 'Orca' mining vessel facilitates suicide ganks against miners

by James Egan Dec 2nd 2008 at 6:00PM

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

Among the changes to EVE Online introduced with the Quantum Rise expansion is a new class of ship, the 'Orca' industrial command ship.The ship is intended to be a major asset to mining operations in New Eden, but it's a flexible ship -- and this writer has been waiting to see what clever uses players will have for it. It looks like that day has come... The Orca's substantial cargo capacity, a ship maintenance bay, and corp hangar have made it an ideal base of operations for criminals operating in highsec, with an aim to suicide gank T2 mining ships. In other words, use fully insurable Tech I ships to gank specialized, expensive, and largely uninsurable Tech II ships.

Suicide ganking is nothing new, but one of the major changes CCP Games put into place to dissuade players from committing highsec suicide ganks was to substantially increase the security status penalties players are hit with when committing aggressive acts in high security (Empire) space. But no matter how low one's security status drops, all players can move about in highsec in their ship's capsule. It's only when a criminal enters a ship in highsec space that CONCORD takes action. That is where the Orca comes in. Criminals can board new ships housed within the Orca at a safespot and then warp in on their victims en masse, in multiple waves of suicide ganks. When their suicide gank ships are blasted apart by CONCORD, they can fly in their pods back to the Orca and gear up for the next wave.

Tags: adapt, ccp, ccp-games, clever, concord, controversy, empire, eve, eve-online, exploits, highsec, orca, quantum-rise, sci-fi

EVE Mail changes in latest Quantum Rise patch

by James Egan Nov 19th 2008 at 9:00AM

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

The Quantum Rise expansion for EVE Online, while only recently deployed, has drawn a substantial amount of forum rage for sweeping changes to how the game is played, namely for the nerfs of speed and missiles. This follows in the wake of unrest created by the CCP Games decision to phase out ghost training. The latest change, announced Tuesday, targets the in-game email system ("EVE Mail" to be precise).

CCP Wrangler says: "To address performance issues in EVE we are making some changes to the EVE Mail system in Quantum Rise 1.0.1. You will now be able to fetch up to 1000 undeleted EVE Mails, however EVE Mail number 1001 and beyond will not be fetched, whether it has been read or not. To gain access to those EVE Mails, you must delete newer EVE mails. In addition to this all EVE Mails sent by NPCs that are older than 3 months will be deleted."

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, ccp-wrangler, concord, eve, eve-mail, eve-online, forums, mail, patches, pvp, quantum-rise, sci-fi, ui, user-interface

CCP Games dev Oveur on how EVE is going to change

by James Egan Nov 4th 2008 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items

Longtime players of EVE Online have often commented on the disappearance of one of CCP Games' most-liked devs, Executive Producer Nathan "Oveur" Richardsson. He's been noticeably absent from developer-player interaction for a while, which he addressed in his latest dev blog: "Unfortunately for you, the rumors of my death have been highly exaggerated. I've seen the occasional post inquiring about my demise. While flattering, I think most people have forgotten all about the old nerfs and more vividly remember some random jokes while I was flaming some poor soul on the forums."

Despite his light-hearted way of breaking the silence, his dev blog "I can resist anything but temptation" is packed with info about the future of EVE Online, which he kicks off by invoking Wilde. Read on to learn about some of the substantial changes coming to EVE.

Tags: api, business-models, ccp, ccp-games, concord, etc, eve, eve-api, eve-online, eve-time-code, eve-time-codes, evelopedia, expansions, game-mechanics, iphone, mmo-industry, nathan-richardsson, oveur, quantum-rise, rmt, sci-fi, social-networking

Learning to pull the trigger in EVE Online

by James Egan Oct 25th 2008 at 12:00PM

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

Not a day goes by without someone in EVE Online being cut down by the guns, lasers, missiles or drones of another player, given how PvP-centric the game is. Only in EVE, you don't just respawn and all's well. There's often more... drama... involved. A ship lost, implants obliterated, screams of it being unfair or "Whyyyy?!" echo in Local or on the forums. This can be a brutal game at times, and most every player in EVE learns their lessons the hard way. Much of what's said on this is typically from the perspective of the victim. But what about the person behind those guns? Is it always easy for them to pull the trigger?

EVE Online blogger Black Claw addresses that sense of regret that carebears go through when turning towards piracy in "Feeling guilty?" After all, many pirates were once the 'innocent' victims of someone else when they were starting out. Black Claw writes about what it's like to make the transition from a PvP victim to a killer.

Tags: 0.0, black-claw, ccp, ccp-games, concord, eve, eve-online, gank, guilt, highsec, lowsec, opinion, piracy, pirate, pvp, sci-fi, the-travels-of-black-claw, victim

EVE Evolved: The making of EVE Online, part 2

by Brendan Drain Oct 5th 2008 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, MMO industry, EVE Evolved

Tags: castor, ccp, cold war, ColdWar, concord, empyrean-age, eve, eve-online, exodus, expansion, factional-warfare, gank, hilmar, joystiqfeatures, launch, patch, red moon rising, RedMoonRising, revelations, rmr, second genesis, SecondGenesis, server, suicide, trinity

A newbie's first war declaration in EVE Online

by James Egan Oct 5th 2008 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guilds, PvP, Tips and tricks, Opinion

It's almost guaranteed that at some point in your time as an EVE Online pilot, you'll encounter a war declaration from another corporation. In some cases, the wardec may be provoked -- another corp's pilot killed or harassed, perhaps one ninja salvaging too many, and the next thing you know Concord sends you an email notifying you of hard times ahead. Then again, wardecs can also simply be used for kicks and consequence-free highsec kills. Potentially, a war declaration can also be a form of ransoming, a way for aggressors to extort money as a 'fee' to retract the wardec. Regardless of its cause, the situation remains the same: your opponents are free to fire upon you in high security space without triggering a response from Concord.

For a newer player, a feeling of panic can sink in. That warm, comfy security blanket of highsec no longer offers its sheltering protection from harm. Perhaps for the first time, there's real risk involved in playing the game. That's an angle of war declarations that writer Sam Guss discusses in a piece for MMORPG.com called "EVE Online: Surviving Your First War." (Guss is also a writer at EVE-Mag). But that's really just the backdrop. He recounts his own experience with being wardecced, from the surprise of the initial wardec to the sobering 24-hour countdown to war against far more experienced PvP-ers.

Tags: ccp, ccp-games, concord, corp, corporation, eve, eve-mag, eve-online, game-mechanics, guilds, intel, locator-agent, locator-agents, opinion, pvp, sam-guss, sci-fi, spies, spy, tips-and-tricks, war, war-declaration, wardec

EVE Visual Guide: The Birth of New Eden

by James Egan Aug 29th 2008 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, PvP, PvE, Races

The backstory of EVE Online is one of the game's major strengths. Not all players immerse themselves in the setting, which is a shame as the backstory -- built up over years -- is rich. No epic science fiction tale is without a grand struggle, and the story of EVE is one of the corrupting interplay of high technology and the power it brings, generation upon generation.

EVE's backstory is a departure from the established notions of 'good vs. evil'; even its villains can become heroes in the gritty setting of New Eden. As the empires created by EVE's pilots rise and fall with relentless alliance warfare in 0.0 space, as they lend their strength to causes in the factional warfare of the Empyrean Age, they take the concepts established in the backstory and run with them -- in some respects, making the game into what they want it to be. The Birth of New Eden is a visual tour of the backstory of EVE, from humanity's first steps beyond the EVE Gate into the unknown, to the sweeping conflict of The Empyrean Age.

Witness the Birth of New Eden >>

Gallery: The Birth of New Eden

Tags: alliance, amarr, backstory, birth-of-new-eden, caldari, capsuleer, capsuleers, ccp, ccp-games, concord, empyrean-age, eve, eve-gate, eve-online, eve-visual-guide, eve-visual-guides, featured, fiction, gallente, jove, jovian, joystiqfeatures, lore, militia, minmatar, new-eden, pve, pvp, races, sci-fi, storyline, territorial-control, war

EVE exploit warning affects corp infiltration practices

by James Egan Aug 27th 2008 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Exploits, Game mechanics, Guilds, PvP, News items

War declarations are an essential part of EVE Online. They allow corporations and alliances to fight for control over resources, territory, or simply to get revenge on their rivals. Then again, others declare war for the opportunity to grief in Empire space. Perhaps it's this latter tendency that prompted the latest announcement from CCP Games. They're branding the monkeywrenching of rival corporations during wartime as an exploit.

GM Grimmi states: "The practice of insta-joining/leaving warring corporations for the purpose of surprising war targets, or getting them in trouble with CONCORD, is considered an exploit from here on. Reports of this will be investigated on a case by case basis and warnings will be issued at the discretion of the GM. Repeated incidents may result in bans on accounts involved." This doesn't seem to apply to 'normal' corp infiltrations, though it does beg the question of why a corporation at war would even be accepting new recruits at all. What's the protocol in your corp, do you continue to accept applicants into the fold during a wardec, or is the risk of alt spying and sabotage too great?

Tags: announcement, ccp, ccp-games, concord, corp, corp-theft, corp-thief, corporation, dev-blog, empire, eve, eve-online, exploit, gm, gm-grimmi, hangar-theft, monkeywrenching, sabotage, spies, spy, war-dec, war-declaration, war-target, wardec

The freedom of living in EVE Online's lawless space

by James Egan Aug 10th 2008 at 9:30AM

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

In EVE Online, there are few things as feared by highsec dwellers as going into 0.0 space. These lawless tracts of New Eden do come with certain perils -- as CONCORD isn't there to protect you -- but there are arguably more benefits to flying in 0.0 than there are drawbacks. Still, there will always be a dichotomy in EVE between players who like the game for the freedom 0.0 offers, and those who prefer the safety of highsec.

In 'Living the good life in 0.0,' EVE blogger Xiphos explains his choice to leave Empire space behind. "In 0.0, you are free. Free of Concord, free of hundreds of players, and free to set your own destiny... it is the untamed wild west, where fortune, power, and glory are right for the taking and few have yet to reach out and grasp it," Xiphos writes. Of course, being a member of Agony Unleashed, an EVE corp that provides in-game PvP courses, doesn't hurt in terms of knowing how to handle yourself in 0.0. Have a look at 'Living the good life in 0.0' and see Xiphos' take on the appeal of flying in lawless space. Do you agree with Xiphos' view of the game, and have you largely abandoned highsec in favor of 0.0 and all that comes with it, or simply to experience the most from the game?

[Via CrazyKinux]

Tags: 0.0, agony-unleashed, blogger, carebear, ccp, ccp-games, concord, empire, eve, eve-online, highsec, lawless, lowsec, opinion, pvp, reward, risk, sci-fi, xiphos

Era of suicide ganking in EVE Online coming to a close

by James Egan Aug 6th 2008 at 9:00AM

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

CCP Games has addressed the long-standing problem of suicide ganking in EVE Online in their latest dev blog, titled "Serious Security." CCP Fear stepped up to inform the player base that, yes, the devs do take the issue of suicide ganking seriously, and that they're going to take action. The proposed changes, outlined below, are not going into effect immediately, nor do they impact actions taken as part of Empire war declarations. However, they will be implemented with the next major update to EVE, which will be Empyrean Age 1.1, rolling out this Fall. The dev blog focuses on CONCORD improvements and the increased consequences of suicide ganks.

CCP Fear states: "We have been looking at suicide ganking and overall security standing issues, and how these features affect the general landscape of EVE. We are not happy with the current ease of suicide ganking and the relative 'no hassle' it has become. In many cases, unsuspecting victims have no chance to escape, nor any help from CONCORD. We want to change this."

Tags: balance, ccp, ccp-fear, ccp-games, concord, criminal, dev, dev-blog, empyrean-age, eve, eve-online, expansion, expansions, game-mechanics, gank, ganker, highsec, lock, lowsec, nerf, new-eden, nyphur, outlaw, piracy, pirate, pvp, sci-fi, standings, suicide, suicide-gank, suicide-ganker, tackle