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[Ask the EVE developers any question you want]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/ask-the-eve-developers-any-question-you-want/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/ask-the-eve-developers-any-question-you-want/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/10/ask-the-eve-developers-any-question-you-want/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Back in 2008, EVE Online developer Arnar "CCP Zulu" Gylfason started a forum thread in which players could ask him literally any question about EVE and development at CCP Games. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with Zulu answering over a hundred questions on topics ranging from nullsec warfare to ship balance. As part of an ongoing effort to communicate more with the EVE playerbase, the devs at CCP have decided to revive this old habit with a brand new Q&A thread.

If you have a burning question on anything related to EVE Online, you can post it in the question forum thread or on the official EVE facebook page. Questions will be posed to a think-tank of developers consisting of senior producer CCP Zulu, lead game designer CCP Hammerhead, producer CCP TomB, senior programmer CCP Tuxford, community developer CCP Guard and senior game masters GM Spiral and GM Lelouch.

MassivelyAsk the EVE developers any question you want originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The EVE Online-focused podcast MicroWarpCast returned this week, hosted by our friend CrazyKinux with guest Noah Ward (aka CCP Hammerhead), who is a Lead Game Designer at CCP Games. We mentioned a while back that the winner of a contest CrazyKinux was running would get to interview an EVE developer on the podcast. People entered by writing an article on planetary control and how this could be implemented in EVE Online. The winner was Xiphos83 from the EVE blog "A Misguided Adventurer" who wrote about about a siege system that could be used in planetary conquest. As the contest winner, Xiphos83 posed questions to Noah about some of the current or controversial issues in the game.

This led to Noah explaining CCP's reasons for limiting the use of the directional scanner with a timer -- a major issue cited by many players who either hunt others or want to evade attackers -- due in part to player macroing of directional scans. The directional scan will never go back to how it was since that system was too easily exploitable, but he asserted that the devs have tried to balance performance for the players with server demands.

Continue reading MicroWarpCast interviews EVE lead game designer Noah Ward

MassivelyMicroWarpCast interviews EVE lead game designer Noah Ward originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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True Exploration

For many EVE Online players, the Apocrypha expansion is the advent of true exploration. Exploration has been a mini-profession in EVE for some time now, and there are a number of dedicated explorers in the game. That said, the profession has been difficult to learn and players typically go through exploration probes like kleenex, in the hope that they'll find a hidden pocket of space to exploit. Critics of exploration have pointed out that they're not truly exploring new places, simply scanning down what's just hidden to most other players.

The Apocrypha expansion will bring true exploration to the game, allowing players to find and enter wormholes leading to uncharted regions of space. Roughly 2500 new solar systems await EVE's explorers willing to brave the challenges within this hostile space.

Continue reading Massively's Apocrypha expansion hands-on: True Exploration

MassivelyMassively's Apocrypha expansion hands-on: True Exploration originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic Mission Arcs and Lore

EVE Online's setting of New Eden is one with a rich backstory, which is always being fleshed out further through regular Chronicles (short stories found on the game's official site), video footage tied into the game's lore and, as of last year, brought to life in the Empyrean Age novel.

While not all players opt to delve into this aspect of the game, the content is there to immerse yourself in. The problem is that there's a disconnect between the story and gameplay because of how mission running (quests) work in EVE and the repetition that characterizes them.

Continue reading Massively's Apocrypha expansion hands-on: Epic Mission Arcs and Tech III

MassivelyMassively's Apocrypha expansion hands-on: Epic Mission Arcs and Tech III originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively got word that EVE Online lead game designer Noah Ward, aka CCP Hammerhead, would be in New York City last week. We jumped at the chance to find out more about the Apocrypha expansion, and Ward was kind enough to give us our own hands-on demo while answering our questions about where EVE Online is heading. We were pleasantly surprised to find that EVE's lead writer Tony Gonzales was on hand as well. Fans of the game's backstory will know him for writing The Empyrean Age novel, which chronicled the events leading up to New Eden's factional warfare.

Apocrypha will be the most significant expansion in EVE's history to date, introducing new -- and some controversial -- features while revamping existing aspects of the game. Ultimately the aim of CCP Games with Apocrypha is to make EVE accessible to more gamers while adding depth for the existing playerbase. The Apocrypha expansion launch will coincide with EVE Online's retail release on March 10th. Leading up to that date, a number of the CCP developers have dropped info about what's on the way through dev blogs and the occasional interview, but the expansion seen as a whole is mind-blowing. What we have for you here is the most complete look at the Apocrypha expansion offered to date, in one place, and much of it from the developers themselves. We've tackled Apocrypha in four parts: the New Player Experience, Epic Mission Arcs & Tech III, True Exploration, and the Sleepers.

Strap yourself in and get ready for Massively's exclusive hands-on with the Apocrypha expansion for EVE Online.

Gallery: EVE Online Apocrypha expansion

Continue reading Massively's EVE Online Apocrypha expansion hands-on

MassivelyMassively's EVE Online Apocrypha expansion hands-on originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaattributesccp-gamesccp-hammerheadccp-tonygempyrean-ageeveeve-onlineexpansionsfeaturedgame-mechanicsjoystiqfeaturesloremassively-hands-onmassively-interviewsmmo-industryneural-remappingnew-edennew-player-experiencenoah-wardracesskill-injectionskill-queueskillstony-gonzalesFri, 06 Mar 2009 17:00:00 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.

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

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

Continue reading EVE Online launches Apocrypha expansion site

MassivelyEVE Online launches Apocrypha expansion site originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaarend-stuhrmannbreakingccp-gamesccp-hammerheadccp-torfifransccp-whispereveeve-onlineexpansionsexplorationexplorersgame-mechanicsnew-edennew-player-experiencenoah-wardpreviewsprofessionsracessci-fiskillpointsstrategic-cruiserssubsystemstech-3tech-iiitorfi-frans-olafssontrue-explorationwormhole-explorationTue, 24 Feb 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[New details surface about EVE's 'Walking in Stations' expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/new-details-surface-about-eves-walking-in-stations-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/new-details-surface-about-eves-walking-in-stations-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/new-details-surface-about-eves-walking-in-stations-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Ambulation, or 'Walking in Stations' as it now seems to be known, is a hotly anticipated feature coming to EVE Online. It represents the first effort by CCP Games to add a more interactive dimension to the game, where players will finally be able to step out of their ships to socialize, play games, and ... modify one another's bodies? Apparently so.

While some information about Walking in Stations is already known, EVE Stratics recently turned up more details. Trish "Seridove" Bennon and Michael "Solace" Lutes recently got some face time at PAX 2008 with CCP Games devs Jeremy Albert (Associate Producer) and Noah Ward (Lead Game Designer, aka CCP Hammerhead) who talked about aspects of the expansion.

Continue reading New details surface about EVE's 'Walking in Stations' expansion

MassivelyNew details surface about EVE's 'Walking in Stations' expansion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online's delegates elected to the Council of Stellar Management (CSM) have made headlines in recent weeks, both in the gaming press and mainstream news. Amidst all the media attention, EVE players have been debating to what extent the CSM will be able to work with CCP Games on changing the game to better accommodate the playstyles of the subscribers.

An article at The Escapist called 'Politics in a Vacuum' explores this interaction between the CSM and CCP Games, focusing on the Council summit in Reykjavik. CSM delegate Alison Wheeler (aka Inanna Zuni in EVE) told The Escapist: "I'm not totally sure yet how much agreement there is between CCP management and CCP development teams. They've opened this can of worms that said, 'These people get elected by other pilots and players, they have the right to say, "We want this to happen; please make it so!" Predictably, this could lead to some problems where the expectations of EVE's players, conveyed through the CSM, are unrealistic in terms of what CCP can deliver on.

Continue reading The CSM speaks, will CCP Games listen?

MassivelyThe CSM speaks, will CCP Games listen? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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