Massively

The Force is with SWTOR: EA stock bounces back, budget revealed

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, Star Wars: The Old Republic

It seems like everyone is obsessed with the exact amount of money EA spent creating its most expensive title ever, but the Los Angeles Times may have a final number to end the discussion: Apparently, Star Wars: The Old Republic cost $200 million. Other interesting details from the Times' investigation into what it calls a "galactic gamble" include the fact that it was made by 800 people on four continents with an additional 1,000 voice actors (doing three languages) handling 4,000 characters.

The project was such a massive undertaking that BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk likened it to "teaching elephants to do ballet." One of the interesting details of this behind-the-scenes expose is that BioWare said that certain movies and TV miniseries influenced class storylines, such as Big Trouble in Little China for the Smuggler and Band of Brothers for the Trooper.

There's also some good news following yesterday's word of EA's stock hit. MarketWatch reports that several brokers have defended the title, resulting in a 2% bounce back in EA's stock. As part of that, a Pacific Crest analyst raised his predictions of quarter sales for SWTOR from 1.5 to 2.2 million, with 800,000 subscribers. Another analyst claims that over two million units of SWTOR have been sold since launch with an expectation that 75% to 90% of players will stay on as paid subscribers following the first free month.

The Force is with SWTOR: EA stock bounces back, budget revealed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EON Magazine issue 22 tackles Incarna, surviving the EVE fanfest and more

Brendan Drain — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Hands-on

These days it seems like every MMO has some form of microtransaction system or merchandising deal. It's clear that players don't seem to mind spending a little extra on their MMO hobbies now and then, whether it's for an in-game item to cut out some of the grind or a geeky T-shirt to show off to friends. Several online games even have their own dedicated magazines, and EVE Online is no exception. Published four times per year, EON magazine by MMM Publishing provides guides, interviews, sneak peeks at upcoming expansions, fan-written chronicles, and big news from across New Eden.

Issue 22 of EON popped through my letter-box a few days ago, and I've spent most of today thoroughly absorbed in its pages. This quarter's mag focuses on the Sansha incursions happening across EVE and the upcoming Incarna expansion with its long-awaited walking-in-space feature. Also in this edition is a featured look at the rise and fall of the Band of Brothers alliance, a guide to surviving your first time at the annual Fanfest in Iceland, and all the usual features. This issue will be the first officially released under the name EON -- the previous name of the magazine being E-ON.

Skip past the cut for a roundup of what you'll find in EON magazine issue 22 and my impressions of its content.

Continue reading EON Magazine issue 22 tackles Incarna, surviving the EVE fanfest and more

EON Magazine issue 22 tackles Incarna, surviving the EVE fanfest and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Downtime deployment debate

Brendan Drain — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, EVE Evolved

Earlier this week, an explosive argument broke out in the EVE Online community. Following an extended server downtime, it became known that Reddit-based alliance Test Alliance Please Ignore had used the server downtime to protect the deployment of 14 territorial claim units. Ordinarily, these claim units are vulnerable to attack for eight hours while they start up. The owner may choose to either commit a fleet to defend them for eight hours or leave them unguarded and hope nobody decides to knock them down.

This mechanic is designed to ensure that a force can't claim or attack a large number of systems simultaneously against opposition, as an alliance can't reliably defend several TCUs at once. By anchoring the structures just before the extended downtime occurred, Test Alliance made them invulnerable for their entire deployment time. A controversial debate then ensued, as GMs stepped in and Test pilots began making accusations of corruption, collusion and favouritism.

In this opinion piece, I weigh in on the latest debate to shake New Eden. I look at whether downtime deployment really is an exploit and whether there's any substance to the accusations made against EVE's Game Masters.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Downtime deployment debate

EVE Evolved: Downtime deployment debate originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Gate camping

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, EVE Online, PvP, One Shots

When it comes to names that are immediately recognized outside of the EVE Online playerbase, say what you will, but BoB (Band of Brothers) is one of them, along with the Goons and a handful of others. One of the most divisive corps in all of New Eden, BoB has pretty well become a corp that many love to hate. (Or perhaps hate to love.) Today's One Shots from Sigþór shows off a moment from their history -- a cluster of ships, just waiting for someone to jump. He writes in:

"Memories ah memories! This screenshot is from late 2008; a BoB fleet movement. We were searching for another fleet of hostiles. [While] we were waiting at the gate I caught this beautiful screenshot. Not much more I can remember from that day, except for horrible lag when [the] fleet engagements started."

Have you managed to capture a great screenshot while waiting to pounce on someone in PvP? If so, we'd love to see it and hear more about the situation. Just send those screens in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll post it out here on Massively and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

One Shots: Gate camping originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GoonSwarm alliance disbanded in EVE Online political drama

Brendan Drain — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Interviews, Lore, PvP, Endgame, Hands-on, Politics

In the sandbox of New Eden, rival alliances vie for control of vast swathes of star systems. The lawless nullsec regions of the EVE Online universe are home to violent alliances of all sizes and fleets with hundreds of ships clash on a daily basis. The political machinations of nullsec have produced many stories of wars fought over territory, stations conquered and fleets dismantled by force. Over the years, each story has become part of the game's living history. Recently, a new chapter in that history began as the nullsec sovereignty system governing territorial warfare received a complete overhaul in the Dominion expansion. The transition period has been rough on some alliances as a new sovereignty system requires new ways of thinking. Some alliances are falling, new ones are being forged to fill the power vacuum and the race is on for people to adapt to the new sovereignty system.

As we've been watching the EVE galaxy performing its Darwinian reshuffle, it came to our surprise that GoonSwarm, the game's biggest territorial alliance, had been disbanded. In the early hours of Wednesday 3rd February 2010, GoonSwarm CEO "karttoon" kicked almost every corp from the alliance, effectively disbanding it. There's more to this story than meets the eye and in this investigative piece, I delve into the thick of it to discover just what's going on with this troubled alliance.

Continue reading GoonSwarm alliance disbanded in EVE Online political drama

GoonSwarm alliance disbanded in EVE Online political drama originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online spymaster The Mittani to present at GDC 2010

James Egan — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, Politics

EVE Online developer CCP Games typically has a presence at major industry events like the upcoming Game Developers Conference, but the session that's caught our attention so far isn't a presentation from the devs -- it's actually from a member of the EVE community. That GDC 2010 speaker is Alexander Gianturco -- better known to most EVE Online players as Goonswarm's spymaster, The Mittani. Others may know the infamous player as the "Sins of the Solar Spymaster" EVE columnist at Ten Ton Hammer. Gianturco will give a lecture at GDC 2010 titled "Uniquely Ruthless: The Espionage Metagame of EVE Online" that will give an insider's perspective on the political machinations possible in the game's sandbox of New Eden.

His talk will hit on topics like the disbanding of the Band of Brothers alliance, how the espionage metagame has changed over time, and of course the myriad aspects of EVE's sandbox that allow players to even engage in such pursuits. The session description for Uniquely Ruthless: The Espionage Metagame of EVE Online states that Gianturco's presentation should be of general interest to anyone with a love of spies and their stories.

EVE Online spymaster The Mittani to present at GDC 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why you should be playing EVE Online: One server, one universe

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion

"Why you should be playing ..." is a freeform column from Massively.com intended to inform you about our favorite parts of our favorite games. We want you to know why we're playing them, so you can know what to play.

It's been dead for too long, but now it's back. The ultimate opinion column, "Why You Should Be Playing," is making a triumphant return to the pages of Massively! For those unfamiliar with this feature, this is the space where the Massively staff gets to tell you why we play our favorite games. We try to spread the love of MMOs unknown so you get to see some of the great features of MMOs you may not play.

Today's feature has all guns locked on EVE Online and the power of the Tranquility server. EVE has a vast universe of countless star systems and now even sports gigantic areas of uncharted space, but did you know that all of that world is housed on multiple servers that act as one?

Continue reading Why you should be playing EVE Online: One server, one universe

Why you should be playing EVE Online: One server, one universe originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Has EVE's most powerful alliance fallen?

James Egan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, PvP, Endgame, Politics

Band of Brothers (renamed KenZoku) was once the most powerful alliance in EVE Online with a stated goal, even here at Massively, to control all of the game's New Eden galaxy. Now, KenZoku has reportedly left the contested, lawless frontier of 0.0 space after months of resisting the combined forces of rival alliances.

One of EVE's in-game journalists, Interstellar Correspondent ISD Clarity Brown, reports from the site of KenZoku's last holdout: "GoonSwarm and their allies deployed a camp on KenZoku's sole remaining outpost last night. A joint force of pilots from Pandemic Legion, GoonSwarm, Morsus Mihi, Razor Alliance and KIA deployed 27 titans around the station in a show of force and gave a demonstration of the sheer power embodied in such a gang."

Titans are the game's most expensive weapons of mass destruction, massive ships capable of unleashing 'Doomsday' area-of-effect attacks that melt fleets caught in the blast. To unleash 27 Doomsday blasts at once is... quite a sight, as the video footage demonstrates.

Continue reading Has EVE's most powerful alliance fallen?

Has EVE's most powerful alliance fallen? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

James Egan — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

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

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

What'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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Further developments in EVE's 'Grand Theft Alliance' drama

James Egan — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

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

[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

Further 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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Rumor: Band of Brothers breaks apart in EVE, GoonSwarm responsible

Seraphina Brennan — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:50:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, News items, Rumors

One of the oldest and best known alliances has broken apart in EVE Online today. Band of Brothers (BoB) has disbanded, or been disbanded, under circumstances which have not fully yet come to light. Band of Brothers is well-known for their role in "The Great War" in EVE for their fierce opposition to GoonSwarm alliance and their allies over the years. Through that war they claimed such firsts as the first Titan ship kill through their conflict with Ascendant Frontier, and have been well-known amongst the media.

Current rumors suggest that this was a GoonSwarm infiltration, but as of this posting this is unconfirmed. Multiple sources suggest that a director of the alliance has defected to GoonSwarm, stealing billions worth of assets, and compromising the sovereignty that Band of Brothers had previously established.

Massively.com will keep you up to date as more information is known about this major EVE event.

Update: GoonSwarm has released a audio file (NSFW), allegedly explaining what happened. This account is still, however, unconfirmed.

(Thanks, Six Strangelove!)

Rumor: Band of Brothers breaks apart in EVE, GoonSwarm responsible originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE's combat elite sets aside differences to teach PvP

James Egan — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

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

Among the PvP-centric massively multiplayer online games on the market, EVE Online stands out as a game where players struggle for supremacy against one another on multiple levels, either on an individual or collective basis. Given how heated alliance warfare is -- one needs only read a few posts in CAOD to get a feel for this -- it's notable when players firmly entrenched in EVE's politics take some time out to show newer players the ropes.

That's the case with Seppuku Warriors, a PvP training corp which draws top notch instructors from Band of Brothers (including SirMolle), Morsus Mihi, and Southern Cross Alliance, with apparently more to come. What's most interesting is that they've put aside their political differences (some of the instructors come from or lead opposing alliances) to teach less experienced players what they know.

Continue reading EVE's combat elite sets aside differences to teach PvP

EVE's combat elite sets aside differences to teach PvP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Community Spotlight: SirMolle Part 2

James Egan — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guilds, Interviews, PvP, Endgame, Massively Interviews

Band of Brothers fields the largest capital ship fleet in the game. Obviously this provides your alliance with an advantage, but how do you respond to what many players feel is a problem of capital ship proliferation? Do you miss the days before capital ships and POS warfare became the norm?

EVE is ever-changing. It has evolved since the early alpha and beta days to early release, to today's EVE. It will never stop changing, and the players have to evolve with it. You can always say "remember the good old days", but, that's just nostalgia. Evolve or die, adapt or be overcome.

I could say I miss ninja-mining, I could say I miss dura-Mallers, I could say I miss splash damage from torpedoes, I could say I miss the days before POS's were in the game. But all in all, EVE is a larger game, a larger world, a more complex world today than when it started. Changes are a part of your EVE-life. Embrace it.

The most important ship in EVE is not a capital ship; it's the battleship.

Continue reading EVE Community Spotlight: SirMolle Part 2

EVE Community Spotlight: SirMolle Part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Community Spotlight: SirMolle

James Egan — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guilds, Interviews, PvP, Endgame, Massively Interviews

Alliance warfare in EVE Online is a defining aspect of the game. EVE's setting of New Eden is a sprawling galaxy of over 5000 solar systems, where players are free to build empires, establish vast enterprises, and do whatever is necessary to maintain dominance over their competitors -- be it financial, political, or military. All of that freedom to do what you choose eventually leads players, collectively, into one another's sphere of influence, triggering bitter and protracted warfare. That's the nature of EVE -- the setting provides potential, but it's largely the players who drive the game. In what has been aptly described as "the largest virtual conflict ever waged", the Band of Brothers Alliance (BoB) has stood at the forefront of that struggle for dominance in EVE Online for years.

As an alliance, their strength is undeniable. But the power they've gained has sparked a fiery resentment from the much larger non-BoB playerbase in EVE, polarizing the community into those who either love or hate them. In many cases, it's been the latter. After all, for some time, Band of Brothers' goal was to control all space in New Eden, beginning in the lawless frontier of 0.0, where most alliance warfare rages, and eventually consolidating control over Empire space and its commerce. Band of Brothers set a goal for territorial control that's simply not possible in the game, however. The times have changed, and now the old paradigm of territorial grabs characteristic of the epic conflict with The RedSwarm Federation has been replaced with the MAX campaign, and a different nemesis -- the Northern Coalition. As vendetta-turned-alliance policy, MAX is intended to be a wave of destruction that cuts through the hulls and holdings of their opposition.

The man behind the MAX campaign, and the Band of Brothers alliance, is SirMolle. Massively recently spoke with SirMolle about the pressures of leadership, the impact Band of Brothers has had on the game, and the endgame of control over New Eden.

Continue reading EVE Community Spotlight: SirMolle

EVE Community Spotlight: SirMolle originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A 200 billion isk theft in EVE Online

James Egan — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST

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

Corp theft is a daily occurrence in EVE Online. Unlike most MMOs, stealing from other players or organizations in EVE is permissible, assuming that normal in-game methods were employed to pull it off. Simply stated, corp theft in EVE involves becoming a member of the corp and then stealing from the target corporation's hangar(s). Once a thief has access to assets, they can literally clean the corporation out to whatever extent they are able to, depending on their level of granted access. Sometimes corp theft is premeditated, other times it's a crime of opportunity. There are players who approach these heists as a profession, others may do so out of revenge. Regardless of the reasons behind theft in EVE, it's a part of the game and does help establish New Eden's setting as being a harsh, corporation-dominated galaxy where deception is a style of play.

Most corp thefts that this writer is aware of inflict minor damage, often a few billion isk in losses. Generally this isn't enough to cause serious harm to any solid corporation's future, and the only real impact on the corp is emo rage and a few pages of forum drama, and the offender's name being added to Fitz VonHeise's list "The Thieves of EVE" which should be required reading for corp CEOs and Directors who are involved in recruiting players.

Continue reading A 200 billion isk theft in EVE Online

A 200 billion isk theft in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE's alliance warfare the largest virtual conflict ever waged

James Egan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST

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

Alliance warfare is an aspect of EVE Online that sets it apart from virtually any other MMO on the market. It commands a devoted following of players who continually exert their collective strength to conquer new regions of space while subjugating their numerous opponents.

Although it's been said that only a minority of EVE Online's entire playerbase are entrenched in alliance warfare over 0.0 (lawless) space, this is where much of the action in the game takes place. 0.0 is where the most valuable resources in the game are found, and where the authorities do nothing to hinder player activities. The wealth, freedom and potential for power turn EVE's vast swaths of 0.0 space into hotly contested regions... the battlefield of "the largest virtual conflict ever waged," in the words of games journalist Jim Rossignol.

Continue reading EVE's alliance warfare the largest virtual conflict ever waged

EVE's alliance warfare the largest virtual conflict ever waged originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leadership in EVE Online applicable to real-world ventures

James Egan — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Guilds, News items

EVE Online has been getting increased mainstream media coverage. Recently the New York Times covered EVE's Council of Stellar Management (CSM) summit in Reykjavik, as well as the self-styled 'bad guy' alliance Band of Brother's initiative to annihilate their rivals in New Eden, wiping them from New Eden's star maps.

A new MMO article at Forbes takes a close look at the corporate paradigm of EVE Online, both in-game and out. The piece touches on the views of Goonswarm alliance leader and CSM delegate Sean Conover (aka Darius Johnson, CEO of Goonfleet) and the real-world CEO of CCP Games, Hilmar Veigar Petursson. The Icelandic CEO states: "There isn't a lot of difference between what you can apply within the game and out of it... It's more about social skills than gaming skills. It's very hard to stay on top."

Continue reading Leadership in EVE Online applicable to real-world ventures

Leadership in EVE Online applicable to real-world ventures originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online's CSM summit covered in The New York Times

James Egan — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:35:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items

EVE Online has cropped up in The New York Times twice this weekend. Powerhouse alliance Band of Brothers announced their plans for New Eden in one story, while the Council of Stellar Management's (CSM) summit with CCP Games also caught The New York Times' attention. A number of members of the press were in attendance at the CSM summit in Reykjavik, a first for EVE Online and for the MMO industry itself. It's refreshing to see increased mainstream coverage of the niche title that avoids the 'gee golly' tone so prevalent when MMOs are discussed in mass media.

Seth Schiesel from The New York Times reports broadly on the 12 hours of meetings between the players who comprise the CSM and the developers and executives of CCP Games. As with any democratic process, differing viewpoints on how the CSM should operate led to some internal conflicts, Schiesel writes. It's interesting to note that the American CSM delegates favored "full and total disclosure" while their European counterparts on the Council preferred to deliberate privately before going public with recommendations and announcements. Given the controversy and forum outcries surrounding the CSM in recent weeks, it's understandable that this divide in outlooks would persist. But whatever issues the CSM had with one another, they were put aside as the Council performed their elected duties, representing the interests of their constituents face-to-face with CCP. See The New York Times piece for more details on the CSM meeting in Reykjavik, and for a brief profile of some of the delegates next to their alter egos.

EVE Online's CSM summit covered in The New York Times originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Band of Brothers announces 'MAX' strategy in The New York Times

James Egan — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST

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

Mainstream media seems to pick up on this odd, new 'MMO-thing' occasionally, but now and again they turn up something interesting. A piece from The New York Times does just that, in an article about one of EVE Online's most powerful alliances -- Band of Brothers (BoB).

The alliance holds a player gathering each year, the most recent of which was a weeklong get-together in Copenhagen for over 150 members of BoB. The alliance's leader, SirMolle (real name: Pär Molén), announced a new direction that Band of Brothers will take in EVE in the coming months, which he calls 'MAX' -- as in 'maximum damage.' MAX, if SirMolle is able to make good on his pledge, will be a different direction for Band of Brothers. Rather than establishing sovereignty over as much of EVE's galaxy as possible, BoB will attempt to lay waste to the vessels, holdings, and power structures of their numerous enemies in New Eden.

Continue reading Band of Brothers announces 'MAX' strategy in The New York Times

Band of Brothers announces 'MAX' strategy in The New York Times originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE's Mercenary Coalition has been disbanded

Andrew Russo — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Guilds

A pilot deep within the lawless lands of EVE Online's 0.0 space is never truly alone. In EVE, there is always some alliance, some corporation, or some like-minded capsuleer watching and waiting to strike. Within this realm flew an alliance that was a powerful force for nearly four years. Their trademark ace of skulls, four of which represent the leading corporations of the alliance, struck fear into the hearts of anyone on the wrong end of their blasters. They were hired guns, killers, and they were good at it. They were the Mercenary Coalition. For them, the war is now over, the contract killing has ended, and the alliance is no more.

That's right, the alliance has unloaded their ammunition, shut down their offices, and is calling it quits. From a press release on the EVE forums, Seleene, alliance leader of Mercenary Coalition, made the grim announcement and thanked members for their service. She said, "Everyone who has ever worn the MC tag participated in something truly unique. I can do nothing but salute you and give my heartfelt thanks." The reasons for disbanding are numerous, but a particular focus is placed on their betrayal of Band of Brothers. For some of us, one less mercenary alliance is a great thing. For others, this is sad day for the history books to record. The alliance, which has seen the better part of three years as a force within EVE, has docked for the final time.

[Thanks Nyphur!]

EVE's Mercenary Coalition has been disbanded originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everyone vs Everyone Online: The End is Nigh

Ben Davis — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST

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

I'll be the first one to say it: the Great War is over. What once began as a campaign of conquest has become something none of the original participants could have conceived in their wildest imaginations. Anyone who has had any real exposure to EVE will know who the major players are; the GBC, or Greater BoB (Band of Brothers) coalition and their allies on one side, and RSF or Red Swarm -- most commonly called Goonswarm -- the "Something Awful" forumites on the other.

Now that BoB has beaten back the RSF's invasion, a sense of calm and serenity has come to New Eden. Along with it, there is a renewal of an older form of hostility. Small scale alliance warfare is springing up, which makes this peace tenuous at best.

The bonds made out of necessity during the Great War are now dissolving and a different type of peace is materializing. The peaceful shooting of one's neighbor. The universe is still at war, but the sides have blurred, everyone is involved in a great melee that in EVE is the only true peace. While it's possible, even likely, that most of the major powers that formed The Coalition (RSF) will remain as players in the broader galactic conflict, things will never truly be the same.

To exasperate matters, the North -- to quote a popular post from the official EVE message boards -- is "on fire." Wary players watch the Triumvirate's recent escalation of hostilities, which if the forums are to be believed, are drawing a lot of parallels to the ignition of the BoB/Goon war. Combine that with a growing destabilization due to the anticipated all out Mercenary Coalition / BoB conflict. (Most of the player-base has assumed this will occur since MC overtly back-stabbed BoB in their moment of need.) War once again threatens to engulf EVE, and who will win is anyone's guess.

Everyone vs Everyone Online: The End is Nigh originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The New York Times finds EVE Online intriguing

Samuel Axon — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, News items

The New York Times published an article on EVE Online this morning. NYT writer Seth Schiesel focused on EVE's growth and emphasis on player freedom.

Hilmar Petursson (CCP's CEO) told Schiesel in a phone interview that there are "basically two schools of thought for operating an online community. There is the theme-park approach and the sandbox approach. Most games are like Disneyland, for instance, which is a carefully constructed experience where you stand in line to be entertained." He said that CCP takes the sandbox approach, creating a world where players are free to define their own experiences.

The article also describes the current political climate in EVE Online's worth, including the Band of Brothers blueprints scandal and other things. If you're already an EVE player, you won't find anything new in the article, but if you're not, it's bound to be an eyebrow-raising read.

The New York Times finds EVE Online intriguing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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