Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Repopulation broadcasts its first public gameplay footage]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/the-repopulation-broadcasts-its-first-public-gameplay-footage/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/the-repopulation-broadcasts-its-first-public-gameplay-footage/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/the-repopulation-broadcasts-its-first-public-gameplay-footage/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Repopulation
Drips and drabs of information about the sci-fi sandbox The Repopulation have been coming in, but as with any title in early development, it's never enough to satiate the masses who want the whole scoop. So consider today's bounty of the first gameplay footage and a lore piece as an appetizer to tide you over until the main course.

The gameplay video demonstrates one of the core features of The Repopulation: its city-building system. During the 12-and-a-half minutes the video runs, fans can check out how cities are put together piece by piece using a wide variety of tools and fellow player cooperation. The devs also take this opportunity to discuss the UI, controls, and how alliances work in the game.

The team also posted a lore piece called Leesa's Story on the site. The vignette introduces the titular character, a cook who also happens to be a cook, and her misguided adventures going duck hunting.

The Repopulation is currently accepting signups for its alpha testing, which begins in June. You can watch the full video after the break.

[Thanks to J.C. for the tip!]

Continue reading The Repopulation broadcasts its first public gameplay footage

MassivelyThe Repopulation broadcasts its first public gameplay footage originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR
We find that player ingenuity is always quick to take up the slack left by MMO studios. In the case of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the initial lack of Oceanic and Asian servers prompted players in those regions to come up with a unique solution: to create a server of their own, using BioWare's own system to their advantage.

Many MMOs have unofficial servers for regions and rulesets, but pulling them together can take an incredible amount of work and still end up halfway done. However, Oceanic and Asian players wanted to make sure that they all rolled on the same server right on launch day, so guilds began to get in contact with each other and use BioWare's own guild registration system to link Republic and Empire groups together in an Oceanic "daisy chain." Because the system was designed to put as many allied and adversary guilds together on a server, the entire daisy chain was planted on a NA west coast server, Swiftsure. In one smart move, the Oceanic and Asian population had their own place to call home.

The story of Swiftsure as a temporary refugee camp for these players is coming to a close, as SWTOR is officially launching overseas on March 1st -- and the population will be offered a free transfer to the new servers. Still, it goes to show you just how inventive players can get.

MassivelyPlayers manipulate SWTOR's guild system to create a premature Oceanic server originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adversariesalliancesasiaasianbiowaredaisy-chainguildguild-preregistrationguild-registrationguildsoceanicserversstar-wars-the-old-republicswiftsureswtorTue, 28 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Learning to let go]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/17/eve-evolved-learning-to-let-go/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/17/eve-evolved-learning-to-let-go/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/17/eve-evolved-learning-to-let-go/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Bombarded by the epic stories emerging from EVE Online's colossal social sandbox, thousands of MMO addicts per month give in to temptation and pick up a free trial. Most drop the trial for one reason or another, but those who continue on to a full game subscription often fall into a common trap. Some enjoy the concept of the game enough to subscribe for a month, and a portion of those get invested enough in skill plans and the mission grind to stick about for two or three months. It's rare for a new or trial player to actually get into PvP or start creating the same epic sandbox stories that drew them to the game in the first place, but this is exactly what they should be doing right from day one.

New players often spend their entire trial or first month of gameplay attempting to grapple with the enormity of EVE, absorbing as much information as they can in order to make informed decisions for themselves. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking months of training skills and learning the basics of the game through reading or PvE will be required before you can PvP competitively or begin crafting your own epic story. I firmly believe that the real learning curve of EVE is in learning to let go of these ideas and to accept the loss of ships or items as part of the game. I believe new players need to discard their pre-conceived notions of death penalty, what skill points represent, and the idea of preparing for endgame.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE is actually very forgiving for new players getting into PvP immediately, I challenge the learning curve myth, and I encourage new pilots to drop themselves into EVE at the deep end.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Learning to let go

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Learning to let go originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicealliancealliancesccpccp-eveccp-gamesdeathdeath-penaltyendgameeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedheistlearning-clifflearning-curvenyphuropinionpoliticspvpsandboxscamskillskill-trainingskillstheftveteranSun, 17 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Guild Counsel: Simple ways to build a successful alliance]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/the-guild-counsel-simple-ways-to-build-a-successful-alliance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/the-guild-counsel-simple-ways-to-build-a-successful-alliance/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/the-guild-counsel-simple-ways-to-build-a-successful-alliance/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recently, we looked at the benefits and pitfalls of guild mergers. While a merge is something that can work, it's a pretty drastic step that comes with some big risks. The alternative to a mergers is an alliance, and over the years (and much less direct competition thanks to instancing), it's something that's becoming much more common. Alliances are definitely more low-impact than a merge, and they give guilds the option to back out if things aren't clicking.

But if not carried out just right, alliances can put enormous stress on a guild and enormous pressure on guild leaders. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a closer look at ways to help make a guild alliance successful.

Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Simple ways to build a successful alliance

MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: Simple ways to build a successful alliance originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 May 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicealliancesfeaturedguildguild-counselguild-dramaguild-hoppingguild-leadershipguild-managementguildsThu, 26 May 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE extended downtime has some unfortunate consequences]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/02/eve-extended-downtime-has-some-unfortunate-consequences/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/02/eve-extended-downtime-has-some-unfortunate-consequences/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/02/eve-extended-downtime-has-some-unfortunate-consequences/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Early this morning, the EVE Online server underwent an extended scheduled downtime for the deployment of the Tyrannis 1.2 patch. The patch deployment proceeded as planned and almost exactly to schedule, with the entire downtime lasting around 12 hours. When the servers came up, however, members of some nullsec alliances noticed that something was amiss. All of a sudden, a number of systems in Delve that had been vacant before the downtime were now owned by Reddit-based alliance Test Alliance Please Ignore.

It soon became apparent that Test Alliance had placed territorial control units in the systems just before the extended downtime began. Under normal circumstances, territorial claim units must be protected by a fleet for the six hours they need to start up. During that time, enemy fleets have a chance to engage the hostile force and destroy their claim unit. If the six hours pass without event, ownership of the system is then awarded to the alliance that placed the structure. By placing the structures immediately prior to the extended downtime, enemies of Test Alliance were unable to contest the claim, which meant it automatically succeeded. What happened next has been the cause of a great deal of controversy on the EVE forums and Reddit.

Skip past the cut for a run-down of what happened next.

Continue reading EVE extended downtime has some unfortunate consequences

MassivelyEVE extended downtime has some unfortunate consequences originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliancesbreakingccpccp-eveccp-gamescorruptionDelveeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedgame-masterGMnullsecpvpsovereigntyt20-incidentterritorial-controlterritorytest-alliance-please-ignorewarwarfareTue, 02 Nov 2010 20:40:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE alliance tournament finals start today]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/eve-alliance-tournament-finals-start-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/eve-alliance-tournament-finals-start-today/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/19/eve-alliance-tournament-finals-start-today/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

For those of you who have been following EVE Online's eighth annual alliance tournament, this weekend marks the spectacular conclusion of the past two weeks of fierce competition. The 64 initial entrants have been whittled down to 32 final teams, to be matched against each other to find which alliance has what it takes to crush all opposition. You can tune into the event's live coverage, beginning today at around 15:00 GMT (11AM EDT), via CCP's high-definition tournament feed. To encourage people to watch the feed live rather than just waiting for the YouTube videos, CCP will be giving away some huge prizes to a few lucky viewers at random. They have two NVIDIA GTX 280 graphics cards and a full set of E-ON magazine issue 1 to 20 to give away.

In addition to the usual commentary on matches in progress, coverage of this final weekend of fighting will feature a live studio. Between matches, guest PvP experts and CCP developers will be discussing the state of play live on camera. As usual, CCP have prepared a few interesting videos for the interludes that offer a glimpse into the development of EVE. This year, they'll be giving us a look at their impressive "Video Production Team," and both CCP Hammer and CCP t0rfifrans will be on the show to talk about their latest projects. Videos of the finals will be put on the CCP Games YouTube channel in a few days, but there's nothing quite like watching coverage live. If you missed any of the matches in the first or second qualifying rounds, those videos are now also on YouTube.

Skip past the cut to watch CCP's hilarious teaser video for Alliance Tournament 8's live coverage weekend.

Continue reading EVE alliance tournament finals start today

MassivelyEVE alliance tournament finals start today originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliance-pvp-tournamentalliance-tournamentalliance-tournament-viiialliancesccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-alliance-tournamenteve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-pvp-tournamentfinalfinalslive-feedpvpvideoSat, 19 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Get ready for the second round of EVE's alliance tournament]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/12/get-ready-for-the-second-round-of-eves-alliance-tournament/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/12/get-ready-for-the-second-round-of-eves-alliance-tournament/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/12/get-ready-for-the-second-round-of-eves-alliance-tournament/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The second round of EVE Online's annual alliance tournament event begins today. If last week's matches were any indication, this second round of qualifiers is going to be awesome to watch. In the first round, the 64 alliances entered in the tournament fought in 32 1-on-1 matches with opponents drawn at random. Teams gained points for each ship they killed, plus additional points for winning their match. In this weekend's second round, the 64 teams will head back into the arena for their final qualifying match. Each team will be matched against another of similar ability based on their performance in the first round. Tune into the tournament's live video stream, starting as of the moment this post goes live and ending late in the evening. The stream picks up again tomorrow at the same time for day 2 of the second qualifying round.

If you've missed the first qualifying round, you can watch the matches in high definition on the official alliance tournament website. CCP has uploaded videos from the first round of qualifiers and even written up a great battle report on each match. Skip past the cut for a list of all 32 matches, links to their videos and a quick note of the ships on each side. Don't worry, there are no spoilers in this article, only links to some awesome PvP matches.

Continue reading Get ready for the second round of EVE's alliance tournament

MassivelyGet ready for the second round of EVE's alliance tournament originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today marks the start of EVE Online's eighth annual Alliance Tournament. Each weekend for the next three weeks, teams from 64 alliances will face each other on an even playing field where strategy and execution are the deciding factor. Using expert commentators sourced from the EVE community and live video streaming of the event, CCP Games do their best to make the tournament a great spectator sport for the average player. For those that enter the competition, it's a chance to prove that their alliance has what it takes to come up with winning tactics and execute them flawlessly. The first qualifying round is already underway and you can tune into the matches through CCP's live video stream.

Continue reading EVE's Alliance Tournament VIII kicks off today

MassivelyEVE's Alliance Tournament VIII kicks off today originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliance-pvp-tournamentalliance-tournamentalliance-tournament-viiialliancesccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-alliance-tournamenteve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineeventspvpstreamstreamingvideoSat, 05 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Waging WAR: Elitist alliances and RvR]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/29/waging-war-elitist-alliances-and-rvr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/29/waging-war-elitist-alliances-and-rvr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/29/waging-war-elitist-alliances-and-rvr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

No matter where you go in the MMO-verse, rivalries are bound to happen, and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is no different. In most cases, these rifts are the exception and not the norm; whether they manifest as a heated argument in scenarios, or a realm-wide feud between established guilds or alliances, there's always going to be some sort of drama. This week, Waging WAR takes a look at how the exception to the rule can affect the game as a whole.

A few days ago I was playing on one of my Tier 2 alts running around with an open warband in the Shadowlands. We were taking some keeps and battlefield objectives for renown and influence, since the Tier 2 High Elf elite influence item is well worth the effort. As it turns out, a few of my guildmates were also leveling in the same warband. We ran into a keep defense at Spite's Reach that we weren't really prepared for, but we managed to muster a decent siege in short order. The hot oil started pouring and some area-of-effect magic started to blanket the warband on the ground as we pounded on the door. One of the players in my guild, a dedicated veteran (though not an officer), refused to heal someone else in the warband. I asked him why and he told me that it was because the person was in another specific guild, with no real reason beyond that simple fact.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Elitist alliances and RvR

MassivelyWaging WAR: Elitist alliances and RvR originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliancesEAElectronic-ArtseliteelitismElitistendless-trialguildsmythicMythic-Entertainmentopinion-columnopinion-pieceOpinonpvprvrrvr-city-siegessiege-warfaresiegeswaging-warWARwarbandWarhammerWarhammer-OnlineSat, 29 May 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online Alliance Tournament VIII sign-ups open on Monday]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/eve-online-alliance-tournament-viii-sign-ups-open-on-monday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/eve-online-alliance-tournament-viii-sign-ups-open-on-monday/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/eve-online-alliance-tournament-viii-sign-ups-open-on-monday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The Alliance Tournament is one of EVE Online's annual highlights. Loved by participants and watched by hundreds of excited fans, the tournament is a showcase of EVE's combat mechanics and pure strategy. With the interesting new "flagship" rule to shake things up and the usual commentary on EVE TV, this year's tournament in June is definitely something to look forward to. In a recent news post, CCP confirmed that sign-ups for teams officially open on April 12th. Alliances wanting to enter have until April 23rd to submit their interest in taking up one of the 64 slots in the event.

Most of the slots for this year's tournament will be assigned to applicants completely at random, with last year's winners being guaranteed a spot. In an effort to make sure EVE's big alliances aren't excluded by the luck of the draw, eight slots will be reserved for auction. Alliances will bid against each other for one of the eight guaranteed spots, allowing eight of EVE's richer alliances to choose to secure their slots. There are enough slots left over, however, that those who don't enter the auction will still stand a very high chance of winning a slot at random. To help reduce the number of absentee entrants from last year's total, every alliance entering will also have to pay a 2 billion ISK non-refundable sign-up fee. CCP Claw has helpfully summarised the entry conditions and procedures in a post on the EVE Online forums.

MassivelyEVE Online Alliance Tournament VIII sign-ups open on Monday originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first details on this year's annual EVE Online Alliance Tournament emerged in a short devblog last month, with promises of further information to come. The Alliance Tournament is one the year's biggest highlights for EVE's PvP alliances. It provides a much-needed way to see which alliance can come up with the best strategies and execute them well. While massive fleets clash in the vastness of nullsec warfare, the tournament puts all alliances on an equal footing with restricted team sizes and ship allowances. In a new devblog, CCP have announced the finished format for this year's event along with an updated set of rules.

Continue reading EVE's 8th official Alliance Tournament to include a new "flagship" rule

MassivelyEVE's 8th official Alliance Tournament to include a new "flagship" rule originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliance-pvp-tournamentalliance-tournamentalliance-tournament-viiialliancesccpccp-eveccp-gamesdevblogeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-pvp-tournamentpvppvp-tournamenttournamentSat, 06 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CCP Games elaborates on conquest in EVE's Dominion expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/ccp-games-elaborates-on-conquest-in-eves-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/ccp-games-elaborates-on-conquest-in-eves-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/12/ccp-games-elaborates-on-conquest-in-eves-dominion-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

"-- Smash the control images -- Smash the control machine --"
William S. Burroughs, The Soft Machine

The Dominion expansion for EVE Online is so-named for its heavy focus on the game mechanics of "Sovereignty" or control of territory in the New Eden galaxy. There's been no small amount of controversy surrounding CCP's proposed system, however, particularly as it's slated to go live on December 1st with the Dominion release. While some of the core game mechanics of control are still undergoing revision, CCP Games recently explained how ownership of solar systems will change hands in a dev blog titled "Storming the Gates."

EVE developer CCP Abathur lays out how new equipment will be used in claiming space and repelling invaders.

Continue reading CCP Games elaborates on conquest in EVE's Dominion expansion

MassivelyCCP Games elaborates on conquest in EVE's Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The settings of Darkfall and EVE Online are worlds apart, but there is some common ground between the titles. PvP combat permeates both sandbox games, and given a potentially hostile environment when starting out, it's always good to have a helping hand. EVE Online players have training corps like EVE University to show them the ropes in what can sometimes be a brutal game. Darkfall now has an analog of EVE University called "NEW" which Syncaine recently pointed out on his blog, Hardcore Casual. NEW is short for "Newborn on Agon", a North American server clan that provides training in most any facet of the game for those willing to learn.

Although Darkfall can be harsh to newer players, NEW provides a (comparatively) safe environment where players can spend 30 days learning what interests them, or developing the skills to succeed in the game once it's time to move on. The clan is politically neutral and owns the city of Hammerdale, contributing to NEW's potential to become a haven for new players. Also, some of Darkfall's major alliances support the idea of NEW which could be beneficial in the long run.

It's great to see things like this happen in sandbox MMOs, and hopefully Darkfall will continue to see its players establish lasting institutions in the game.

MassivelyDarkfall gets its own analog of EVE University: Newborn on Agon originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesaventurineaventurine-sabloggersclansdarkfalleve-onlineeve-universityfantasyguildshammerdalehardcore-casualinstructionnewnewborn-on-agonpoliticspvepvpsandboxsyncaineFri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack? ]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/major-eve-online-alliance-cva-disbanded-espionage-or-hack/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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."

Continue reading Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack?

MassivelyMajor EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliancesamarrbreakingccpccp-gamescontroversycuratores-veritatis-alliancecvaespionageeveeve-onlineguildshackhardinnew-edenprovidencerevengesabotagespiesspytrapWed, 28 Oct 2009 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online technical director explains new feature: Fleet Finder]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/eve-online-technical-director-explains-new-feature-fleet-finder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/eve-online-technical-director-explains-new-feature-fleet-finder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/eve-online-technical-director-explains-new-feature-fleet-finder/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

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.

Continue reading EVE Online technical director explains new feature: Fleet Finder

MassivelyEVE Online technical director explains new feature: Fleet Finder originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesccpccp-atlasccp-gamescorporationsdev-blogdev-blogsdominioneveeve-onlineexpansionsfleet-advertfleet-advertsfleet-findergame-mechanicsgroupingguildsjon-bjarnasonloot-loggingnew-edennew-featuresninja-lootingsci-fiTue, 27 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE players to tap new resources with Dominion expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/eve-players-to-tap-new-resources-with-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/eve-players-to-tap-new-resources-with-dominion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/eve-players-to-tap-new-resources-with-dominion-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Big changes are on the horizon for EVE Online in the Dominion expansion and beyond. Alliance sprawl in 0.0 security (lawless) space is going to be curbed, in favor of a new paradigm where alliances claim less territory but can derive much greater value from what they hold sovereignty over. This is the focus of a dev blog from EVE Game Designer CCP Chronotis -- "The Streams Must Flow".

Streams in this case refers to EVE's various revenue streams which are going to be altered in the coming months, and how this will affect players in 0.0 alliances. In the past, supporting a large number of players required an alliance to draw upon the resources of many different solar systems, specifically high-bounty pirate NPCs and valuable ores in addition to a very high passive income from rare moon minerals. CCP is adjusting how those rare minerals are used in Tech II production, meaning more common materials will be used, so Dominion will allow alliances to upgrade their controlled space as a means of generating more income.

Continue reading EVE players to tap new resources with Dominion expansion

MassivelyEVE players to tap new resources with Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The biggest PvP event of the year in EVE Online is the annual Alliance Tournament, which played out over three weekends in September. The final rounds of EVE Alliance Tournament VII were fought out today and only one alliance earned the right to call themselves the game's top PvPers: Pandemic Legion, tournament champs for the second year in a row.

64 alliance teams entered the tournament 3 weeks ago, and today's finals culminated with Pandemic Legion facing off against Circle-of-Two. It was an entertaining final match but it was decided early on, as Pandemic Legion's stealth bombers unleashed waves of destruction upon Circle-of-Two, ultimately sealing their fate in the tournament. Pandemic Legion proved to be calculating in their tactics and ship setups this year. They successfully varied between speed fitted Minmatar fleets for fast and brutal blitzes, and glass cannon stealth bomber setups for powerful alpha strikes. They remained unpredictable throughout the tournament and it paid off for them.

Continue reading Pandemic Legion crowned EVE Alliance Tournament VII champs

MassivelyPandemic Legion crowned EVE Alliance Tournament VII champs originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesccp-gameschampseve-alliance-tournamenteve-onlineeventsguildsmmo-industrypandemic-legionpvppvp-tournamentsci-fitournamenttournamentsSun, 20 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online devs explain their plans for revamping the sandbox]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/15/eve-online-devs-explain-their-plans-for-revamping-the-sandbox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/15/eve-online-devs-explain-their-plans-for-revamping-the-sandbox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/15/eve-online-devs-explain-their-plans-for-revamping-the-sandbox/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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.

Continue reading EVE Online devs explain their plans for revamping the sandbox

MassivelyEVE Online devs explain their plans for revamping the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesccp-greyscaledev-blogdominionemergent-gameplayeve-onlineexpansionsgame-mechanicsguildsmoonssandboxsci-fisovereigntyterritorial-controlTue, 15 Sep 2009 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Breaking the chains of Sovereignty in EVE Online's Dominion expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/09/breaking-the-chains-of-sovereignty-in-eve-onlines-dominion-expa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/09/breaking-the-chains-of-sovereignty-in-eve-onlines-dominion-expa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/09/breaking-the-chains-of-sovereignty-in-eve-onlines-dominion-expa/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


We recently mentioned that the next expansion for EVE Online is called Dominion, and will focus on revamping the sovereignty game mechanics -- arguably one of the most crucial aspects of the game for the most hardcore players. So why, then, is sovereignty so important to the game's players?

EVE Online is a game where everything takes place in a single setting, the New Eden galaxy comprised of thousands of solar systems. While a large percentage of the game's playerbase remains in high security space controlled by NPC factions, for others it's 0.0 space (aka nullsec) where the real action is. In a nutshell, 0.0 is a lawless frontier where the rarest ores and minerals, the highest bounty NPCs, the most lucrative exploration content (in known space) is found. Of course, these regions are the most hotly contested territories in EVE Online and those resources found within are a driver for the continual conflict that engulfs New Eden.

Continue reading Breaking the chains of Sovereignty in EVE Online's Dominion expansion

MassivelyBreaking the chains of Sovereignty in EVE Online's Dominion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the gaming world it's been the Penny Arcade Expo and Dragon*Con that got most of the attention over the weekend, but EVE Online's annual PvP tournament kicked off on Saturday as well. EVE Alliance Tournament VII's first round of qualifiers saw 64 player alliances (guilds) go head-to-head, with only half of that number earning the right to compete in the finals after next weekend's second round of qualifier battles.

If you didn't have the time to listen to the tournament in-game using EVE Voice or catch any of the internet radio broadcasts, CCP Games has video footage of all of the weekend's matches in HD on their YouTube page. Both the Day 1 and Day 2 qualifiers are available, and they provide the first looks at Tech III Strategic Cruisers and even Black Ops battleships being put to use in the Alliance Tournament. Stick with us after the jump for more on the first weekend of Alliance Tournament VII.

Continue reading First qualifiers for EVE Alliance Tournament VII come to a close

MassivelyFirst qualifiers for EVE Alliance Tournament VII come to a close originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online's annual PvP tournament between player alliances (guilds) is one of the major events held each year for the sci-fi MMO. Alliance Tournament VII begins this weekend, Saturday September 5th, at 15:00 GMT, and will have 64 player alliances battling it out over three weekends culminating in a live video broadcast of the finals. (The match schedule is up but the lineup as it stands now may change due to some alliances backing out at the last minute.)

While the devs will be on hand to obliterate rule breakers, it's members of the playerbase who commentate on EVE's Alliance PvP tournaments. The first two weekends will be qualifying rounds and players can listen in for this play-by-play commentary in-game over EVE Voice, by simply joining the "Alliance Tournament" channel and right-clicking "Join Audio". You can also tune in to the Alliance Tournament on these internet radio stations:

Continue reading EVE Alliance Tournament VII kicks off this weekend

MassivelyEVE Alliance Tournament VII kicks off this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP Games has announced their 11th free expansion for EVE Online, called "Dominion." As the name suggests, the winter expansion focuses on territories and player control over them. We're told that the Dominion expansion focuses on conquering and holding space, and will feature a reworking of the sovereignty system of territorial control for player alliances. We don't have any further details on the sovereignty revamp yet, but according to CCP the changes have been made with subscriber feedback in mind, particularly through the player-elected Council of Stellar Management.

Given that CCP Games is tying more of EVE Online's gameplay into the planets of the New Eden galaxy, the next step they're taking with the Trinity graphics engine is to add more detail to these planets (and presumably moons).

Continue reading EVE Online announces Dominion expansion, 'Walking in Stations' renamed Incarna

MassivelyEVE Online announces Dominion expansion, 'Walking in Stations' renamed Incarna originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesambulationbreakingccp-gamescosmoscouncil-of-stellar-managementcsmdominiondust-514epic-mission-arcseve-fanfest-2009eve-onlineexpansionsgame-mechanicsguildsnew-edennovelpiracypiratesplanetssci-fisovereigntythe-burning-lifetrinitywalking-in-stationsMon, 31 Aug 2009 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[The state of nature: Philosophy applied to EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-state-of-nature-philosophy-applied-to-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-state-of-nature-philosophy-applied-to-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/22/the-state-of-nature-philosophy-applied-to-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


EVE Online, in short, is constant, controlled chaos. Alliances are made daily, are trained upwards, and ultimately fall. It's all just a question of when they fall that really differentiates them. Yet, amazingly, out of this controlled game of warfare comes a spark of philosophical intrigue -- the concept of state of nature.

Steven Croop from the Warcry Network has written a feature article discussing the states of EVE Online's types of government versus the old philosophical concept. He theorizes that the same state of self-preservation, noted in the original philosophical concept, does make an appearance in EVE. While the state has changed from its original form (struggle for survival versus struggle to not lose expensive stuff) it still drives the individual of EVE to seek out forms of government for protection, such as corporations and alliances.

Interested in the full read? Check it out over at Warcry and get your dose of philosophical goodness.

MassivelyThe state of nature: Philosophy applied to EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkfall blogger extraordinaire Paragus recently sat down with some of the biggest alliance leaders of Agon, collecting questions to take back to Aventurine's very own Tasos Flambouras for answering.

While not all of the questions are actually questions (we see those declarative statements, you can't hide them from our prying eyes), Tasos attempts to provide answers to some of Darkfall's biggest problems. Crashing during battles, game mechanics overthrowing battle strategies, six hour sieges, political options in the interface, inability to purchase the game, and the burning question of what Aventurine is doing to deal with cheaters are all covered in this lengthy two page interview.

The entire interview has been posted to MMORPG.com. If you're looking for a peek inside of the mind of Aventurine, or the mind of Tasos, in the very least, don't hesitate to jump on over and catch his answers to some burning questions.

MassivelyLeaders have questions, and Darkfall's Tasos Flambouras has answers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesaventurinecheaterscity-siegedarkfalldarkfall-onlinehackersinterviewparagusquestionssiegestasostasos-flambourasThu, 16 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What's in a name? EVE alliance name change causes player unrest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/26/whats-in-a-name-eve-alliance-name-change-causes-player-unrest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/26/whats-in-a-name-eve-alliance-name-change-causes-player-unrest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/26/whats-in-a-name-eve-alliance-name-change-causes-player-unrest/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The sci-fi game EVE Online is different from most other massively multiplayer titles on the market due to its nature as a 'sandbox' game. The developers provide the setting while much of the content of the game is what the players choose to do, typically struggling against one another for power collectively through player alliances. Given the efforts these alliances put forth to gain supremacy over their rivals, the EVE Online subscribers are acutely sensitive to any form of developer involvement in the outcomes of conflicts and struggles in EVE's setting of New Eden.

CCP Games seems to have distanced themselves from the powerhouse alliance (formerly known as) Band of Brothers since the t20 incident in the past that eroded confidence in the developers, at least from some of the playerbase. The incident involved a CCP developer, at the time a member of Band of Brothers, who abused his powers to spawn blueprints which were put to use by the player alliance. The dev eventually came clean and safeguards were put into effect to prevent such an issue from occurring again, but animosity from groups of players remains to this day. Ever since that time, even the slightest hint of favoritism from CCP Games toward this particular alliance has drawn fire from some players.

We received a number of tips from Massively's readers about a recent action CCP Games took with regards to the former Band of Brothers alliance. Band of Brothers was eliminated as an entity -- in name -- through an act of betrayal, or espionage, depending upon your perspective. Following this act, the alliance reformed last month under a new name: KenZoku. However, as of this week they successfully petitioned CCP Games to change their name to Band of Brothers Reloaded, despite the fact that such name changes are not allowed for other alliances in the game. (Note: If the alliance reformed under a new name via in-game methods, it would cause KenZoku to lose control of their territory, while having the name changed by a GM wouldn't present this problem.) Predictably, this sparked forum drama, with a number of players calling out CCP Games for favoritism.

Continue reading What's in a name? EVE alliance name change causes player unrest

MassivelyWhat's in a name? EVE alliance name change causes player unrest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paragus has continued his stories about adventuring through the Darkfall world on MMOCrunch, this time centering on the concepts of alliances and city sieges. While many aspects seem similar to EVE Online's corporation wars, Paragus's retelling of what it's like to be on the front lines of a siege battle makes Darkfall sound more like 300.

His overall report is in Darkfall's favor, commenting on how well the game seems to be holding up when there are huge amounts of players fighting in the same area. Certainly there are still client crashes and disconnects, but the performance is overall very stable for mass combat.

The only downfall to the whole system lies in the rules of the siege challenge. One of the rules states that if the attacking guild's leader drops offline at any time during the battle, the challenge is immediately lost. During Paragus's siege, the guild leader suffered a timeout, and the guild found themselves losing the challenge all due to connection problems.

While Aventurine patches up all of the problems, the overall report of sieges is good, in Paragus's opinion. For the full details, head on over and check out his writeup of the event.

MassivelyBlood, sweat, and valor in Darkfall originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesaventurineaventurine-sacitiescity-siegedarkfalldisconnectseve-onlinelagparagusplayer-citiessiegesiege-hammerswarThu, 26 Mar 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online PvP Tournament champ on tactics and player-politics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/eve-online-pvp-tournament-champ-on-tactics-and-player-politics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/eve-online-pvp-tournament-champ-on-tactics-and-player-politics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/eve-online-pvp-tournament-champ-on-tactics-and-player-politics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


EVE Online is a game where there are essentially two tiers to guilds, corporations and groups of corporations that join together to form larger and more powerful alliances. Given how integral alliance warfare is to gameplay, EVE Online's annual Alliance PvP Tournament is a major event each year, watched by thousands of New Eden's pilots. The sixth annual Alliance PvP Tournament for EVE Online was one of the most exciting to date. Combatants employed clever ship setups and tactics, the commentary was excellent, and there was even a bit of drama thrown into the mix in the form of a player assassination during the tournament. In the end it was the Pandemic Legion alliance that reigned supreme and a permanent monument to their victory has been set up in the Amamake solar system, where the Pandemic Legion corporation Sniggerdly started out as pirates.

EVE Tribune writer Miyamoto Isoruku recently had a chance to interview the leader of Pandemic Legion, Shamis Orzoz. They discuss a wide range of topics, ranging from the tactics used in Alliance PvP Tournament VI to Orzoz's views on player-politics and the state of alliance warfare in New Eden. For more on how Pandemic Legion took the crown as EVE's top alliance in the tournament, have a look at "The Champions: An Interview with Shamis Orzoz" at EVE Tribune.

MassivelyEVE Online PvP Tournament champ on tactics and player-politics originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliance-pvp-tournamentalliancesamamakeccp-gamescorporationseveeve-onlineeve-pvp-tournamenteve-tribuneguildsinterviewsmiyamoto-isorukunew-edenpandemic-legionpiracypiratesplayer-politicspoliticspvp-tournamentshamis-orzozsniggerdlyWed, 18 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online developer Noah Ward on player drama in the sandbox]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/eve-online-developer-noah-ward-on-player-drama-in-the-sandbox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/eve-online-developer-noah-ward-on-player-drama-in-the-sandbox/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/04/eve-online-developer-noah-ward-on-player-drama-in-the-sandbox/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


There's been no shortage of player-driven drama in EVE Online over the past few months. The things players can do within the game is a testament to EVE's sandbox design, but also to the developers who allow the players accomplish whatever their devious little hearts desire. It's true that most who play the game don't embezzle virtual currency from player-run banks, engage in spycraft or turn double agent, much less publicly assassinate another player during a PvP tournament, but all players in the game benefit from the risk these activities inject into the game. It all becomes part of the game's setting and ultimately makes New Eden a gritter place.

This is a topic of discussion over at MTV Multiplayer this week. EVE Online's lead game designer Noah Ward (aka CCP Hammerhead) sat down with MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John, to discuss some of the potential within the EVE sandbox. The interview focuses on CCP Games' hands-off approach to what the players are doing in the game. As long as players aren't spouting racial epithets or making real-life threats against one another, EVE's gamers can basically do whatever they choose on an individual or collective level.

Continue reading EVE Online developer Noah Ward on player drama in the sandbox

MassivelyEVE Online developer Noah Ward on player drama in the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesassassinationccp-hammerheadculturedramaembezzlementeveeve-onlinegame-mechanicsghscguiding-hand-social-clubguildsinterviewslead-designerlead-game-designermmo-industrymtv-multiplayernew-edennoah-wardsandboxsci-fitracey-johnWed, 04 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Community Spotlight: LaVista Vista]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/eve-community-spotlight-lavista-vista/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/eve-community-spotlight-lavista-vista/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/eve-community-spotlight-lavista-vista/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The idea of players being elected as representatives of the subscriber base is a dimension to EVE Online that sets it apart from all other MMOs. This player-elected Council of Stellar Management works with the sci-fi title's developer, CCP Games, to ensure that the game design and balancing of EVE Online reflects the interests of the subscribers. Player politics related to a divisive community of gamers can be complicated, however.

Since its inception, the Council of Stellar Management has faced intense criticism and no small amount of skepticism about how effective they will ultimately be. In other words -- EVE's Council of Stellar Management is a fairly accurate simulation of how the public reacts to real-world governance. Still, some of the original CSM delegates chose to stick it out and seek re-election for a second term. One of those delegates, now in his second term in office, is LaVista Vista. He's well-known to the EVE community for his level-headed approach to balancing the game and his experience with the different 'walks of life' of EVE's playstyles. These qualities make him an ideal representative of the interests of the players themselves and it came as little surprise that he was re-elected.

Massively recently caught up with LaVista Vista, who was happy to discuss some of his experiences as a dedicated EVE player as well as a Council of Stellar Management representative.

Continue reading EVE Community Spotlight: LaVista Vista

MassivelyEVE Community Spotlight: LaVista Vista originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesbankbanksccp-gamescouncil-of-stellar-managementcsmcultureebankeconomyelectionseveeve-community-spotlighteve-onlinefeaturedfinancegame-mechanicsguildsinterviewsjoystiqfeatureslavista-vistalotka-volterramassively-interviewspiracysci-fivetoTue, 03 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pandemic Legion crowned EVE Alliance Tournament VI champions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/08/pandemic-legion-crowned-eve-alliance-tournament-vi-champions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/08/pandemic-legion-crowned-eve-alliance-tournament-vi-champions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/08/pandemic-legion-crowned-eve-alliance-tournament-vi-champions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


The final rounds of EVE Online's annual PvP tournament concluded today, with some heated matches between the game's top performing teams in Alliance Tournament VI. In the end, it was Pandemic Legion who took the crown, having bested some of the game's top PvP pilots and defeating R.U.R. alliance in a tense final match.

While the real prize is the earned right to call themselves the game's best combat pilots, Pandemic Legion reaps other rewards: a tournament cup, gold medals for the tournament pilots, and 60 PLEX which are essentially in-game certificates that can provide the champions with a whopping (collective) 8 years of game time. In addition, Pandemic Legion will be the first alliance ever to receive a permanent in-game monument dedicated to their victory.

Massively extends its congratulations to Pandemic Legion along with the rest of the EVE playerbase, and props to all the other alliances that competed in EVE Online Alliance Tournament VI. It was an impressive showing, and the bar is certainly raised for next year's competitors.

Continue reading Pandemic Legion crowned EVE Alliance Tournament VI champions

MassivelyPandemic Legion crowned EVE Alliance Tournament VI champions originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The final rounds of the EVE Online Alliance PvP Tournament VI will be streamed in live video this weekend, as 32 alliances fight their way to the top. It should be tense as any loss means elimination from the tournament.

If you're not familiar with the tournament or even with EVE, that doesn't mean this weekend's live video won't be accessible for you. Really it's all about watching ships fighting in space, although long-time players will have a better angle on what's happening with tactics and setups. We recently interviewed one of the tournament's commentators, Crovan, who's also co-host of The Drone Bay podcast. He explained to us what the tournament is all about, and what makes it such a significant annual event in EVE.

Continue reading EVE Online Alliance PvP Tournament finals in live video this weekend

MassivelyEVE Online Alliance PvP Tournament finals in live video this weekend originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Notify] Drama bomb hits you, wrecking for total damage.

We broke the story late last evening that one of EVE Online's most powerful alliances has finally fallen after years of continual struggle with rival player alliances. While some details surrounding the incident remain hazy, we do have some more information than we did when we published the rumor. Band of Brothers (aka "BoB"), the self-styled villain alliance in the game, have repeatedly professed a desire to control all of EVE's galaxy of New Eden. This motivation driving their collective action has made them the focal point of hatred for much of the community, and BoB wouldn't have it any other way. More enemies equates to a real challenge for them to overcome, and in this respect -- whether you love them or despise them -- Band of Brothers has been a major driver in player warfare since the early days of EVE Online.

Despite the thousands of pilots in the game fervently committed to wiping Band of Brothers from the influence map, the alliance has held on. Even though they were forced to sacrifice vast territorial control for a smaller region of consolidated strength, even when on the ropes, they remained impossible to destroy. The irony is that for all their raw military power, the alliance was ultimately cut down from within, with only a few simple clicks of a mouse. It was a bureaucratic snafu from the perspective of Band of Brothers -- a member of the alliance named Haargoth Agamar (a director with Black Nova Corp) being entrusted with too much control -- and a windfall for GoonSwarm, the major alliance rival of BoB.

Continue reading Further developments in EVE's 'Grand Theft Alliance' drama

MassivelyFurther developments in EVE's 'Grand Theft Alliance' drama originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Struggle between player alliances in EVE Online is very much at the heart of the game. While most conflicts play out in sweeping alliance warfare, with its requisite fleet battles involving hundreds of players, some alliances also choose to face one another in arena combat with the rapt attention of many thousands of their fellow pilots: the Alliance PvP Tournament.

The Alliance Tournament in EVE Online provides a way for players to demonstrate what they're capable of under controlled conditions, and offers a shot at fame or notoriety among the playerbase. In some cases, alliances may face off in the PvP tournament to settle a score in a very public way. The rules of engagement in place ensure that all alliance teams are on equal ground with one another. EVE players can be devious though, if nothing else... as one match this past weekend proved: one alliance competitor assassinated his team's captain once the match had begun, and then self-destructed his own ship. The would-be saboteur, ironically named "Happy Joymaker", later announced he had infiltrated the alliance for the express purpose of a public execution of his target.

Continue reading EVE PvP Tournament assassination: Machiavellian or bad form?

MassivelyEVE PvP Tournament assassination: Machiavellian or bad form? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The sci-fi themed game of EVE Online is one dominated by the players themselves, many of whom join together to form alliances. Those alliances vie for control of the New Eden galaxy, sparking continual warfare and political upheaval among the thousands of pilots flying in EVE at any given time. That's really the beauty of the game: the developers provide the setting, but it's the players who make it what it is. Alliance struggles are one of the defining features of the game, but not all scores are settled through massive fleet engagements. Some alliances opt to engage one another in an arena -- viewed by thousands of EVE's pilots -- the Alliance PvP Tournament.

Alliance Tournament VI kicked off last weekend, continues this weekend with qualifying rounds, and will culminate in final rounds in February, which will be streamed as live video. As the Tournament is so significant to the players, each year CCP Games invites PvP experts from among the playerbase to be the tournament's commentators. Among those veteran combat pilots in EVE Online, Crovan certainly stands out. He, along with a small team of other PvP experts, was selected to provide live commentary on the matches. This should come as no problem for him, given the PvP experience gained from his time with now-legendary Mercenary Coalition and being a familiar voice to many of us with The Drone Bay podcast.

Since The Drone Bay is the official podcast of the tournament, Crovan is recognizable to many listeners as the voice of the EVE Online Alliance Tournament VI. The fact that he's been a past Alliance Tournament competitor also gives him some additional perspective on the event. It's been a while since we spoke with Crovan -- we were fortunate enough to have him with us at Massively in the past through his excellent Rogue Signal column. We caught up with Crovan this week, however, and he told us everything we wanted to know about the Alliance Tournament.

Gallery: EVE Alliance Tournament VI

Absolution

Continue reading Massively interviews Crovan about EVE Alliance PvP Tournament VI

MassivelyMassively interviews Crovan about EVE Alliance PvP Tournament VI originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is probably a first in the MMO industry... EVE Online announced higher performance server reservations for large scale PvP battles. Unlike most other MMO titles where you choose a server to play on with your friends, EVE Online doesn't make you choose. Although the server cluster is made up of hundreds of IBM blade servers, from a player's perspective, it's all one galaxy with over 5000 solar systems. This is good for a 'sandbox' game, where players are allowed to do whatever they feel like within the rules of that place. It creates a huge galaxy where everyone can potentially interact... or kill each other. But it comes with a rather substantial drawback at times: lag.

This 'single server' approach makes EVE Online a game where players hope to have large-scale fleet battles not unlike all those sci-fi shows and films we grew up with. But the harsh reality is that there are limitations of server technology that hinder large scale conflicts. Bring a few hundred of your friends to a fleet battle in EVE and you might not be fighting so much as watching a slide show. Definitely not the most fun to be had in the game.

Continue reading Making fleet battle reservations in EVE Online?

MassivelyMaking fleet battle reservations in EVE Online? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the official EVE Online forums have always been very active, there are other options out there. For those who like how busy the official forums are, but not the rules that govern it, there's Scrapheap Challenge. SH-C is a forum which is chiefly dedicated to discussing EVE Online, but not moderated by CCP Games themselves. Recent months, however, have seen a large number of EVE players striking out on their own, with their own blogs that focus on a particular aspect of the game linked to that blogger's playstyle. Industry, finance, piracy, 0.0 alliance warfare, and now even boosters (drugs) are being written about on a daily basis.

While over 100 of these blogs are out there, the more prolific among them have joined under the banner of CrazyKinux's Blog Pack. By all accounts, it's been a successful community effort by EVE players, and now CrazyKinux is adding another dimension to the Blog Pack: conversation topics that are collectively tackled by the various bloggers, called "Blog Banter." The first Blog Banter got underway this past week, and the first issue up for discussion has been a timely one: EVE's Walking in Stations expansion, formerly known as Ambulation, which Fanfest attendees will get to try out firsthand in just a few more days. The question itself was proposed by PsycheDiver, who asked, "Ambulation: What are your hopes for your avatar and new functionality of stations?"

Continue reading EVE 'Blog Banter' discusses Walking in Stations expansion

MassivelyEVE 'Blog Banter' discusses Walking in Stations expansion originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Much of what's written about EVE Online focuses on the darker aspects of the game. It's not surprising, as those topics are often the ones most interesting to players and non-players alike, but EVE has a very deep industrial side to it as well. It's a side that gets much less fanfare; R&D (invention), manufacturing, trading, and investment are all possible within the game and occur in tandem with EVE's more violent pursuits. Most every ship, after all, has been manufactured and sold (or re-sold) by another player. Those who engage in EVE's industry on a serious level often come into conflict with rival corporations and alliances in wars played out on the market, which sometimes spill into formal war declarations and combat. But if you're not interested in or inept at PvP, what are EVE's industrialists to do?

While an industrialist may not be well-versed in the art of war, he or she can play to their own strength: financial influence. EVE has a number of merc corps who are willing to solve problems, be it through armed escorts in hostile space or simply obliterating your opposition... assuming you can meet their price. Benilopax, of Warp Drive Active: Industry podcast fame and an E-ON contributor, relates his experience with contracting mercenaries to solve such problems, in what he refers to as 'the dark side of industrialism'. "There is a growing use of mercenaries by industrial entities to either take out the competition or keep them from easily making a profit," Benilopax writes for EVE Tribune. If you're interested in knowing a bit more about this side of the game, start with Benilopax's article (and A-Team reference) to see what it's like to deal with mercenaries in EVE Online.

MassivelyMercs and their role in EVE's industrial warfare originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-teamalliancesbenilopaxccpccp-gamescorporationse-oneveeve-onlineeve-tribunefinanceindustrial-warfareindustrialistindustrymarketmarket-pvpmarket-warfaremercmercenaryprofitresearch-and-developmentthe-a-teamwarwardecwarp-drive-activewdawda-industryThu, 30 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Changes to custom alliance logos in EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/24/changes-to-custom-alliance-logos-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/24/changes-to-custom-alliance-logos-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/24/changes-to-custom-alliance-logos-in-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


One of the nicer aspects of establishing an alliance identity in EVE Online is that you're not stuck with the standard mix-and-match of graphics to create a logo. You can submit your own custom image which then becomes your alliance logo, viewable in-game. EVE dev CCP Loktofeit stated that there are now going to be changes with the Alliance Logo System which should cut down on the time between submission and when your logo is visible in-game.

Unfortunately, as this new submission process goes into effect, any alliance that has submitted their logos but have not yet received approval will need to re-submit. Loktofeit said, "All previous submissions have been purged form the database in preparation for the new system." If this situation affects you or your alliance, you'll need to review the updated submission criteria, and read up a bit on the new submission/review/acceptance processes as well, which are detailed in CCP Loktofeit's dev blog and being discussed on the forums.

MassivelyChanges to custom alliance logos in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliancesccpccp-gamesccp-loktofeitcustomcustomizationdevdev-blogeveeve-onlineforumsgame-mechanicsguildslogologossci-fiFri, 24 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE's spies and metagamers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eves-spies-and-metagamers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eves-spies-and-metagamers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eves-spies-and-metagamers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


EVE Online is one of the few MMOs where players in guilds (corporations and alliances) have some valid concerns about spies from rival groups infiltrating their ranks. The concept of being a spy or saboteur is a profession of sorts that arose in the game. There aren't any game mechanics that necessarily enable spying or make it into a viable profession, nor are there any rules that prohibit most of these activities.

Wes from EVE Tribune recently wrote a piece called "Metagaming", dealing with how espionage can impact rival corporations and alliances in EVE. Wes asks, "Why is everyone so paranoid about spies and metagaming?" then goes on to explain how espionage in EVE works, categorizing spies by their modus operandi:

Continue reading EVE's spies and metagamers

MassivelyEVE's spies and metagamers originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the main things that keeps us playing MMOs are the communities that populate them. While some players can, and do, play their chosen game solo, for most it's the social component of these titles that pulls us away from those stunning graphics of consoles games and RPG titles for the PC. By comparison, while they're beautiful, many of those games seem 'empty' after having spent time with a massively multiplayer title.

Communities in whatever form they take -- be it a guild, alliance, or corporation -- are essential to the success of an MMO, but interest in playing a given title can wane over time. Likewise with the social aspects of these titles, tempers can flare and patience wears thin. Sometimes you find you just don't have that much in common with the people you're playing with and it's time to move on. Bearing that in mind, are the people you choose to play with in your MMO of choice the same people you started out with? Do you see any parallels between how the company you keep in-game changes over time and how your real-life relationships with friends is always changing?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Is the real draw of MMOs the company you keep? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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