skillpoints posts

Massively looks at Capsuleer 2.0, an iPhone app for EVE Online part 2

by James Egan Apr 9th 2009 at 1:00PM

I was dreading having to manually enter that long API string linked to my EVE account, but Capsuleer's system made it quite easy. Can you tell me about the Import Control System?

Roc: The Import Control System was Sam's brainchild. Nobody wants to manually enter that string, myself included, but I also don't like applications "scraping" my game login data from the EVE Online website. The entire point of an API is to be able to access it without using your game login credentials. Since the iPhone doesn't do copy/paste (prior to OS 3.0), Sam came up with this method for effortlessly and securely importing your data to your device.

Sam: As Roc said, the API is all about security. CCP introduced it so that 3rd party applications didn't need your username and password anymore. It's a secure and simple way to provide access to a limited subset of data without exposing the credentials needed to log into your account. My initial prototype had you typing in the big long API key, and man I don't think I got it right more than twice in a row. I knew that we needed a better alternative. That's when I came up with the Import Control System. We have been foiled a bit by a few email clients that don't like the evechar:// url syntax that we use (they try to validate it and can't because they don't recognize the prefix), but with 2.0 we have an alternative http:// based url that can be used as well, so that should hopefully clear up the issues that people ran into.

Tags: api, apocrypha, app-store, ccp-games, chris-whiteford, eve, eve-api, eve-online, factional-warfare, import-control-system, iphone, isk, mac, macintosh, marcus-dickinson, militia, pvp, pyjamasam, roc-wieler, skill-queue, skill-training, skillpoints, skills

GDC09: Massively previews Earthrise

by James Egan Mar 29th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Previews, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, Earthrise

The futuristic game Earthrise is one of the upcoming sci-fi massively multiplayer games that we can see on the horizon. It's the first MMO developed by Sofia-based Masthead Studios and features the post-apocalyptic setting of a world divided between utopian idealism and revolution. Massively had a chance to sit down with Masthead Studios CEO Atanas Atanasov at the Game Developers Conference 2009 where he gave us a walkthrough of Earthrise, shedding some light on what this new title may bring to the MMO world.

Gallery: Earthrise gallery

Tags: atanas-atanasov, battle-rating, bulgaria, continoma, crafting, design, earthrise, enterra, featured, full-looting, gdc, gdc-2009, guilds, joystiqfeatures, looting, lore, manufacturing, massively-event-coverage, massively-interviews, masthead-studios, new-titles, noir, offline-advancement, open-pvp, post-apocalyptic, previews, pvp, sandbox, sci-fi, skillpoints, skills, sofia, stance, stances, tactics

New EVE Online characters will initially train skills twice as fast in Apocrypha

by James Egan Mar 2nd 2009 at 5:00PM

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

Massively recently mentioned a few of the changes coming to EVE Online through the New Player Experience, part of the Apocrypha expansion which rolls out next month. Of particular interest, or concern, to some EVE players is CCP's decision to reduce a starting character's skillpoints to 50k from the current 800k many existing characters began with. CCP Games apparently hopes to clarify this decision, and thus stave off any torches and pitchforks, with today's dev blog. EVE developer CCP Flatboy writes,"In Apocrypha, new characters train at double speed until they reach 1.6 Million SkillPoints. That is all."

The reason that new characters will get this boosted skill training rate is to compensate for the fact that, for simplicity's sake, new characters will begin with less skills. The New Player Experience is all about reducing the complexity that someone just starting out can find themself mired in, and having more control over how the character develops.

Tags: apocrypha, ccp, ccp-fear, ccp-flatboy, ccp-games, controversy, dev-blog, eve, eve-online, expansions, new-player-experience, sci-fi, skill-training, skillpoints

EVE Online launches Apocrypha expansion site

by James Egan Feb 24th 2009 at 5:30PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Previews, Professions, Races

EVE Online developers CCP Games have launched a new site for the sci-fi game's Apocrypha expansion, slated for a March 10th launch. The site has a teaser trailer, screenshots, wallpapers, and concept art related to Apocrypha.

In addition, there are brief video presentations from three key developers involved with the expansion: Lead Game Designer Noah Ward (CCP Hammerhead), Associate Producer Arend Stührmann (CCP Whisper), and Senior Producer Torfi Frans Olaffson (CCP Torfifrans). Their presentations range from discussion of Tech III to how wormhole exploration and the New Player Experience will add something fresh to the game:

Tags: apocrypha, arend-stuhrmann, breaking, ccp-games, ccp-hammerhead, ccp-torfifrans, ccp-whisper, eve, eve-online, expansions, exploration, explorers, game-mechanics, new-eden, new-player-experience, noah-ward, previews, professions, races, sci-fi, skillpoints, strategic-cruisers, subsystems, tech-3, tech-iii, torfi-frans-olafsson, true-exploration, wormhole-exploration

EVE Visual Guide: Before you undock

by James Egan Aug 21st 2008 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, PvP, Tips and tricks, PvE

There are a few essential things any pilot in EVE Online should do before they undock from a station and get themselves into a potentially hostile situation. Come to think of it, anytime you undock there's at least some chance of hostility. Keeping that in mind, think of this as a visual checklist you should go through before entering space, as you're not only risking your ship, but your skillpoints if you bite off more than you can chew. This happens all too often, to novice and veteran pilots alike in EVE. So to help you avoid this fate...

Head to the guide >>

Gallery: EVE Visual Guide: Before you undock