DUST 514

The annual EVE Online Fanfest is a massive event that brings together players from across the world to discuss the serious business of internet spaceships. It's three days of in-depth developer talks, sneak previews of what's to come, and roundtable events that let players discuss their ideas and feedback directly with developers. The EVE communty may not be as large as the community of games like World of Warcraft, but thousands of players pay a considerable sum of money each year to fly to the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik for the event.

Fanfest started out as a very small and personal affair with just a few dozen people in attendance, but it's grown to absolutely massive proportions in recent years. This year's event promises to be bigger than ever as it will be celebrating EVE Online's 10th anniversary and the impending release of CCP Games' MMOFPS DUST 514. It's a special milestone for CCP and EVE fans alike, and tickets for the event have already sold out! If you didn't manage to snag a ticket, you should still be able to enjoy parts of Fanfest as key talks and events will likely be streamed live as in previous years and videos will be uploaded after the convention.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at the highlights of the past two EVE Fanfests and the social aspect that makes it one of the best experiences and EVE player can have.

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The EVE Online gathering of fans has totally sold out, man. It's completely sold out... of tickets. Yes, this year's EVE Fanfest has already reached full capacity, with the final ticket being sold today. That means that if you were hoping to somehow make your way out to Iceland for the gathering... well, you still can go to Iceland, but you won't be getting into CCP's convention.

This year's fanfest will be bigger than previous years as it includes both EVE Online and DUST 514 under its header. It's also the 10th anniversary of EVE Online, so there are sure to be all sorts of interesting events for attendees. If you already have your ticket, you can look forward to it, but if you missed it, your only chance now is to hope to catch some online coverage. On the brighter side, if you had already booked a flight and/or lodgings before tickets had sold out and you are now out of luck, you can contact CCP Games to help recover your investment.

Have you secured your tickets for this year's EVE fanfest? You might want to get a move on, if not, as CCP's party at the top of the world is only a couple of months away.

This year looks to be even rowdier than usual, as it's EVE's 10th anniversary and the company is taking over Iceland's Harpa Concert Hall from April 25th through the 27th to celebrate. EVE devs will be on hand, as will plenty of alcohol, live bands, DUST 514 shenanigans, and the Icelandic Philharmonic Orchestra.

CCP has released a teaser trailer for the event, and we've got it for you after the break.

[Source: CCP press release]

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Less than a week before DUST 514's January 22nd open beta launch, CCP invited Massively and other publications to attend an orbital bombardment event in San Francisco. We've been regularly reporting on the progress of the orbital bombardment system, but this time we witnessed the process in action. We also got a preview of the larger implications and long-term expectations of metagame elements that will exist between DUST and its sibling sandbox, EVE Online.

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Imagine there's an MMO you really want to play (for some of you, this is going to take a lot of imagination, but pretend, for just this question, that you actually like playing the MMOs you play). Maybe the game is going to connect to an existing MMO in a novel way, or maybe it's that $300,000,000 ultimate sandbox you've been hoping for. This theoretical MMO is just perfect for you, and you need to play it like yesterday.

Except that it's coming out on consoles, and only on consoles for the foreseeable future. And it's a console you don't already own. Nooooooooooo!

I picked up a PS3 partly for this reason -- to play PS3-exclusive games like Journey. But an MMO? That would take a lot more doing; it'd have to be a truly compelling world that offers something I can't get anywhere else. Whether or not it's your thing, DUST 514 is asking just this question of gamers, but it wasn't the first and it surely won't be the last.

So what about you? Would you buy a console just to play an MMO -- if not DUST, then some other game?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

Fan site DUST514Base.com has a new blog post that's worth a read if you're curious about the changes that CCP's recent integration has brought to both EVE Online and its new shooter sibling.

While everyone is basically aware of the fact that EVE capsuleers can now coordinate with DUST infantry to deliver orbital strikes, what you may not know is how the factional warfare aspects of both games synergize. In EVE, factional warfare involves earning enough victory points to wrest control of a particular star system away from the local militia. In DUST, mercs who manage to subdue militia districts on the ground make it easier for their EVE counterparts to mop up and take control of the system (or vice versa, as DUST mercs can also make things more difficult).

The post goes on to point out that the current interaction between EVE and DUST is intentionally limited so as to ensure a smooth launch and integration of the latter title. Over time, though, CCP plans to add plenty of bells and whistles, all with the ultimate goal of granting players more ways to pursue power and ISK.

Last week CCP took a big step toward DUST 514's official launch by merging the game's closed beta test environment into EVE Online's live Tranquility server. The next milestone is open beta, which the company says will begin on January 22nd.

"With no further character resets, every shot, every battle, and every contract now counts," according to a CCP press release. DUST marks the first time that games from two different genres have been into a single online experience as well as the first time that titles from a console platform and the PC have co-existed in real time.

[Source: CCP press release]

CCP has completed its downtime migration of the DUST 514 beta onto EVE's live Tranquility server. The company has published an extensive FAQ entry that aims to answer everyone's questions, including how capsuleers can rain fiery hot death down on their terrestrial mercenary counterparts.

As it turns out, ground forces can't fire back just yet, but it's also not possible for EVE pilots to hop from planet to planet sowing wanton destruction in their wake. Orbital strikes must be requested by DUST 514 players. After the request is made, any EVE pilot allied with the relevant militia and possessing the appropriate tactical ammo may answer the call.

There's much more to it than that, of course, and the EVE wiki has all the specifics.

EVE Online and DUST 514 players have been rubbing elbows on the Singularity test server for a while now. Beginning Thursday, January 10th, the two groups will be hobnobbing together for keeps on EVE's live Tranquility server.

With the two games combining, both playerbases will be able to interact via chat channels and even join corporations together. However, even though DUST is integrating into the live EVE server, CCP points out that the shooter is not officially launching. "For now we are remaining in closed beta from the DUST side of things," the company says. However, barring any major catastrophes, CCP also states this will be the last time DUST characters are reset.

Oh, I had a great Perfect Ten prepped as the first list of the year, but my meanie-face editor slammed on the veto button and told me, point-blank, that I was going to be counting down the best MMO prospects for the year. Then she drove a lawnmower through a Nordstroms while huffing paint thinner and throwing empty cans at the security personnel. Even so, her idea is probably more interesting than what I had.

Let me give you a few notes on today's list because I sense that I'm going to tick more of you off than normal here. My goal was to sift through the possible releases for 2013 and pick the 10 most promising, both in "will it actually launch this year?" and in its potential for success. The combination makes it a tough call because some of these will undoubtedly be delayed to 2014 or beyond and some of these we still don't know as much as we'd like about them.

But who cares? Let's have some fun and kick this year off right. Here are my picks for new MMOs to watch in 2013.

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If you've been waiting for DUST 514 to show off its integration with EVE Online, your wait is over. Now when you're in the midst of pitched fighting for an area, you don't have to wade through enemy fire and struggle against overwhelming odds. No, you can just call in your allies from outer space, bring down an orbital bombardment in the area, and take possession of whatever survived the initial blast. That's the big takeaway from the game's new build, Chromosome, and it's one that's very welcome.

Admittedly the orbital bombardments are currently limited to players on the test server, but seeing as the game is still in beta that's rather appropriate. The latest development blog discussing the update also mentions that this will be the last major push before open beta, and while it's not as flashy as destroying your foes from orbit, there have been a number of bug fixes and improvements. So there's a lot to like in this update, but the best thing is raining death on your enemies with arsenals from the heavens. At least, it's the best thing until the other side has better friends.

There's a new DUST 514 dev diary video making the rounds, and this time the focus is on the title's guns. They fall into three categories (heavy, light, and sidearm), the first of which are restricted to mercs wearing heavy armor.

As with DUST's dropsuits, weapons may be modified via add-ons and new skills in a similar manner to EVE Online's extensive spaceship fitting options. Producer Thomas Farrer, also known as CCP Wolfman, is your guide to the guns of New Eden, so join him after the break for the full clip.

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When you're shooting your way across the planets in DUST 514, you don't want to be walking everywhere like an animal. You want to be riding in style, especially if you can be riding in something that also has armor plating and variable thrusters. That's where vehicles come into the game. A new video narrated by Ryan Thornton (also known as CCP Blam!) explains how vehicles will work in the shooter and what players can expect from their earliest rides and more advanced offerings.

The game's vehicle system starts everyone with very basic items, but as time goes by you can upgrade your rides with the use of skill points and different configurations. You can make your dropship logistical support for other vehicles, or you can turn it into a heavily armed and armored transport that clears a landing zone and puts down troops. Or you can turn it into a lightning-fast transport that brings players across the map faster than enemy players can react. Take a look at the full video just past the break to see more of the vehicle system in all its glory.

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