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 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The Sleepers are coming!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/07/eve-evolved-the-sleepers-are-coming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/07/eve-evolved-the-sleepers-are-coming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/12/07/eve-evolved-the-sleepers-are-coming/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
Ever since the announcement of 100 new wormhole systems and the unique Thera wormhole hub system, some interesting things have been going on in EVE Online. A new star appeared in the night sky and began rapidly growing in brightness like a supernova, and curiously, the light from that star was able to be seen from every star system in New Eden simultaneously in clear violation of the laws of physics. Two days prior to the event, Sansha's Nation were seen scattering from an Incursion site and leaving the area without using wormholes, hinting that something big was happening in their home system. Combined with the intruiging story of Thera, this has had even non-roleplayers scrambling through the EVE lore to come up with theories about what's to come.

Players slowly set apart picking the mystery to pieces, conducting a galaxy-wide search to find the origin of the bright star and sending people into the test server to get clues. The mystery intensified when players discovered that the star was likely near or within restricted Jove space, and soon after they began finding strange cloaked structures throughout known space. While observing these structures, players even found that an all-new form of Sleeper NPC called the Circadian Seeker was periodically warping into the site and using some kind of scanning beam on the cloaked structure. All of this comes in anticipation of the public release of the Rhea patch on Tuesday 9th, which will introduce hidden Sleeper sites in known space and kick off the arms race to discover tech 3 destroyers.

In this lore-heavy edition of EVE Evolved, I look at everything we know of EVE's new Sleeper storyline event and try to figure out how it all fits together.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The Sleepers are coming!

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The Sleepers are coming! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Dec 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved title image
If you've been keeping up with the recent news updates on EVE Online, you've probably heard about the upcoming Rhea update scheduled for December 9th. This mega patch will introduce the new tech 3 Tactical Destroyer ship class, Sleeper incursions into normal space, hands-on WASD flight controls, and 101 new wormhole systems (including 25 that are limited to small ships). The new wormhole systems have had all of their planets shattered by an as-yet unknown stellar phenomenon, and clues as to what transpired there will be hidden in the rubble. This infusion of new content and story will mark the first time the wormhole storyline and gameplay have been significantly expanded in over four years.

Each of the new shattered star systems is guaranteed to have at least one outgoing wormhole leading to normal space at all times, increasing the likelihood that pirates will catch you exploring or farming them. And since these systems won't have any in-tact moons, you won't be able to put up a permanent starbase to retreat to if hostiles appear. I'm pretty excited for exploring this new lawless frontier, but it's a unique shattered star system called Thera that I'm most looking forward to finding. Thera will be the first and only wormhole system to have fully kitted NPC stations and will serve as neutral ground for anyone who wants to live there. It's been described as the Mos Eisley of EVE, a permanent home to pirates, PvP corps, and smugglers looking to make some quick ISK.

In this edition of EVE Evolved, I look at how the Thera system could revolutionise EVE for a lot of players and where the EVE storyline could go as a result.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: What does Thera mean for EVE?

MassivelyEVE Evolved: What does Thera mean for EVE? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Nov 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved title image
It's been almost four months since EVE Online switched from publishing two major expansions per year to releasing ten smaller updates, and so far it looks like the new schedule has been a huge success. Rather than forcing the industry overhaul out the door in Kronos before it was ready, CCP was able to push it forward to the Crius release window seven weeks later and the extra development time meant the feature launched in a very polished state. It may be too early to tell if the new schedule's success can be seen in the concurrent player graph for Tranquility, but the numbers have remained steady for the past few months in what is typically the annual low-point for player activity.

The Oceanus update is scheduled to go live in just two day's time, adding several graphical upgrades, more difficult burner missions, an experimental new notification feature, and other small improvements. The scale of the update seems to be on par with the recent Hyperion release, consisting of mostly small features and minor iterations on gameplay. While we're told that CCP is still working on large projects behind the scenes, the new release schedule means they won't be rushed out the door and so we may not see them for some time.

In this edition of EVE Evolved, I summarise everything we know about Tuesday's Oceanus update, and take a look at what's to come in further releases.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Features coming in Oceanus and beyond

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Features coming in Oceanus and beyond originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Sep 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved title image
When unstable wormholes began forming all over the EVE Online universe in 2009's Apocrypha expansion, players approached them with extreme caution. The promise of riches in the form of new loot and Tech 3 cruiser components was balanced by the incalculable risk of facing a powerful new enemy in untested circumstances. Between the Sleeper AI that had been reported to melt players' ships in seconds and the player pirates taking advantage of the hidden local chat channel to sneak up on unsuspecting victims, we had no idea whether any ship we sent into a wormhole would ever make it back out again.

The risk of venturing into something truly unknown made wormhole exploration the single most exciting thing I've ever been a part of in an MMO, but the past five years have completely eroded that danger. Farmers now know exactly what to expect in every wormhole site and can efficiently farm Sleepers with the minimum of effort or risk, and PvP alliances can rapidly cycle through systems to find weak targets to attack. We've mapped and tamed all of the wormhole frontier, systematically reducing the risk to the lowest possible levels under the current game mechanics. Tuesday's Hyperion update aimed to shake things up with a few disruptive changes designed to keep wormholes dangerous, and I think it's a definite step in the right direction.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the changes in Hyperion designed to keep wormholes dangerous and ask what more could be done to keep things interesting.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Wormholes should be more dangerous

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Wormholes should be more dangerous originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Aug 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved title image
Though EVE Online is often lauded for its rich decade-long player history full of wars and complex political dealings, the NPC storyline and New Eden's ancient backstory have always held my fascination. I started playing in early 2004 after reading dozens of fiction chronicles and mock scientific articles on the EVE website that painted the picture of a real living universe where incredible things could happen. Sure enough, my first years of play were punctuated with compelling live events and storyline arcs like the Crielere research project that led to the development of cloaking devices, the theft of a Federation Navy titan by Serpentis pirates, and the Blood Raiders taking over Delve.

CCP has frequently stated that its goal with EVE is to create the ultimate sci-fi simulator, and the core of a compelling sci-fi setting is a living universe that grows and changes. The best sci-fi TV shows are those with a constant cycle of revealing compelling mysteries and then solving them and of encountering escalating challenges to be overcome. EVE has done this extremely well a few times in its life, such as with the release of wormholes or when the Sansha incursions events were kicking off, and each time the concurrent player numbers have spiked. Guild Wars 2 has shown the power of an evolving living storyline to get people into the game and keep them actively playing in the long term, something that should be the norm for MMOs and that EVE Online could take much greater advantage of.

In this edition of EVE Evolved, I look at some of the big NPC mysteries revealed in EVE Online's decade-long history and ask why they were abandoned and where they could go now.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Stepping through the EVE Gate

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Stepping through the EVE Gate originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved title image
One of the biggest goals you can reach for in many sandbox MMOs is building your own empire and controlling a small corner of the game world. For much of EVE Online's lifetime, that privilege was reserved for the powerful few leaders of the game's large territorial alliances, which carve up vast swathes of space between them. A handful of alliances still control the lawless nullsec regions today, but there are still opportunities for smaller corporations and even individuals to stake a claim in the chaotic world of wormhole space.

Exploring and farming in wormholes is very profitable activity, but permanently moving in and setting up a starbase can be an intimidating prospect. One wrong decision might lead to pilots getting stranded in the void without bookmarks, your starbase coming under attack, or the whole expedition being robbed blind by a corporate infiltrator. The early days of wormhole exploration were rife with stories of hardship, heists, and devastating wars fought through shifting networks of wormholes. A lot has changed since the wormholes first opened in 2009, and today many of those problems have solutions.

In this EVE Evolved opinion piece, I look at some of the ways wormhole life has improved since Apocrypha and give four of my favourite tips for anyone planning to colonise wormhole space.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Four top tips for living in wormholes

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Four top tips for living in wormholes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Jun 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved title image
Almost 10 years ago, EVE Online developer CCP Games started a new tradition with the first ever annual EVE Fanfest. The event started out as a largely informal gathering in a tiny venue that allowed players and developers to mingle on a more personal level, but it's now grown into something massive. Over a thousand players now make the annual pilgrimage to EVE Online's birthplace in Reykjavik, Iceland, to hear what the future holds for their favourite MMO. For many, the event is also a social gathering, a chance to swap stories with other players, and a rare opportunity to meet the corpmates they fly with every day in the virtual galaxy of New Eden.

The Fanfest weekend is typically a packed schedule of panels, talks, roundtable discussions with developers, and keynote speeches revealing the future of the game. While the event is understandably focused on EVE Online, it's recently expanded to cover aspects of DUST 514, the latest goings-on with World of Darkness, and even CCP's new virtual reality dogfighter EVE Valkyrie. CCP has announced that this year's event will see a monument to the EVE playerbase unveiled in Reykjavik Harbor as well as the first reveal of EVE's summer expansion, but what else can we hope to glean from this year's event at the start of May?

In this edition of EVE Evolved, I delve into the EVE Fanfest announcement and speculate on what we might expect to hear from this year's event. Will this be the year that World of Darkness gets some serious news? And what's new for DUST 514?

Continue reading EVE Evolved: What to expect from EVE Fanfest 2014

MassivelyEVE Evolved: What to expect from EVE Fanfest 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When EVE Online was created, one of its core design philosophies was the idea of risk vs. reward -- that higher-value activities should expose the player to greater risk of loss. This rule naturally follows from how the world of business and competition works in real life, and I think it will always arise organically from sandbox MMOs with limited resources. If something's risk-free and easy to do, you can bet there are countless other people already doing it and squeezing the profit margins. This idea was also built into EVE at a fundamental level, with the galaxy split into police-protected high-security systems, the pirate-infested low-security borders between nations, and the chaotic uncolonised wilderness of nullsec.

The steep step up in risk when transitioning from high- to low-security space has always been a major point of contention with gamers, as those who don't know any better often charge straight into deep space to their deaths. The story of the newbie working his way up to get his first cruiser or battlecruiser and then losing it to pirates is repeated so often on forums and in the comments sections of articles that it's almost become a cliche. While the idea that pirates wait around every corner lingers on, this impenetrable barrier hiding all the best content from new players no longer really exists. Through the addition of wormholes and the changes made in Rubicon, no star system is now off limits to a pilot with just a few months of skill training under his belt.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at what you can do to safely travel and operate in EVE's dangerous areas, why the barrier into low-security space needs to remain low for new players, and how CCP has expanded the EVE universe through the introduction of riskier areas of space.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Lowsec isn't impenetrable

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Lowsec isn't impenetrable originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Dec 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you were watching the news coming out of this year's EVE Online Fanfest, you no doubt heard Senior Producer Andie Nordgren's incredibly ambitious five year vision. The past few expansions have been mostly filled with bug fixes and improvements to existing gameplay, but the goal is now to begin delivering an epic vision of deep space exploration, colonisation, and PvP raids on enemy infrastructure. The five year roadmap toward this goal includes the addition of player-built stargates and completely uncharted solar systems to locate, explore and build an empire in. If the very idea of that doesn't make shivers go down your spine, something may be wrong with your central nervous system.

CCP has opened new space before with the addition of the drone regions in nullsec and some new lowsec systems for faction warfare, but it wasn't until 2009's Apocrypha expansion that we saw a true exploration and long-term colonisation effort get underway. I think the intoxicating draw of wormhole exploration was primarily due to the fact that the new systems were hidden and the information on them wasn't public. Just adding new solar systems to the existing stargate network wouldn't have had the same effect. Nordgren's vision may take up to 10 expansions to fully realise, but what kinds of features will we need in those expansions to recreate true exploration and deep space colonisation?

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the challenges CCP will have to overcome to make deep space colonisation a reality and what small steps could be taken in each expansion to get us there.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Colonising deep space

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Colonising deep space originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved title image
About five years ago, on April 27th, 2008, I joined the Massively team and wrote the very first issue of the EVE Evolved column. Five years later, the column is still going strong and delivering its weekly dose of EVE Online to thousands of readers. I used to worry about running out of ideas to write about, but regular game updates and hilarious player shenanigans mean there's always something interesting going on in New Eden. When EVE hits its 10th anniversary in May, this column will have been running for just over half of the game's lifetime. In that time, I've written over 250 in-depth articles, guides, in-game stories and opinion pieces on EVE Online and a few on DUST 514.

As usual, I'll be celebrating this anniversary by rounding up this year's column highlights and giving away two 30-day Pilot's License Extensions to two lucky readers. To enter the competition, write a comment explaining which EVE Evolved articles from this year you liked best and what topics you'd like to see covered in the coming year. You will need an active EVE account to claim the prize, so be sure to include your character name in your comment if you want to be in with a chance. If you'd rather not give out your character name or don't have an EVE account but would like to give the game a go, you can sign up a new trial account and use the name of your new character.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at the highlights from the column's fifth year!

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With its exploration-focused Odyssey expansion on the way, EVE Online is about to be hit with a deluge of players (new and old) venturing into the unknown. The expansion will introduce the yet-to-be-revealed Discovery Scanner and will add a ton of new exploration content all across New Eden. Odyssey aims to follow the lead of 2009's Apocrypha expansion, which saw hundreds of corporations lead lucrative expeditions into uncharted wormhole systems. We don't yet know whether the expansion will open new systems for exploration, but when Odyssey goes live, the race will be on to find and lay claim to all the goodies hidden in deep space.

With no stations to dock at in wormhole space, corps currently have to store everything in destructible starbases that aren't really up to the task. Player-owned starbases were released in 2004 as sandbox-style tools for tech 2 industry and alliance territorial warfare. They were never intended to be the sole base of operations for an entire corporation, so they suffer from some pretty severe security and usability flaws as a result. Theft from ship and item hangars in wormhole space is commonplace, setting up corp roles for them is a nightmare, and living exclusively in a starbase provides a daily dose of frustration players could seriously do without. CCP has been planning to completely overhaul player-owned starbases for years, but some of today's issues can't afford to wait any longer.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the chronic problems faced by starbase-dwelling explorers and how CCP plans to temporarily fix some of them for Odyssey.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Temporarily fixing starbases

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Temporarily fixing starbases originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When EVE Online's upcoming Odyssey expansion was officially announced last week at PAX East, the anticipation from players was almost palpable. Odyssey aims to follow in the footsteps of 2009's blockbuster Apocrypha expansion by revamping the exploration system and filling the void of space with thousands of new hidden treasures. We've been promised new ships, a new scanner mechanic with sleek new UI and additional functionality, and a rebalancing of industrial resources across the game.

Though CCP is saving most of the expansion reveals for next month's EVE Fanfest and beyond, we can make some fairly educated guesses on what the expansion will contain from the press release and teaser site. It's pretty much a given that we'll get some kind of new exploration ship, and there's pretty strong evidence that moon minerals will be changing somehow. We're also almost guaranteed to get new faction battlecruisers, and the evidence is mounting that Jove space may finally be about to open for exploration.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the evidence for Jove space finally opening, explain why we desperately need a new scanning system, and make some educated guesses on what else the Odyssey expansion might contain.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: EVE's Odyssey expansion could be incredible

MassivelyEVE Evolved: EVE's Odyssey expansion could be incredible originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancesapocryphabattlecruiserbattlecruisersccpccp-gamesdirectional-scannerdiscovery-scannereveeve-evolvedeve-fanfesteve-fanfest-2013eve-onlineexpansionexpansionsexplorationfactionfaction-shipsfeaturedGnosisjovejove-directoratejoviannavynavy-shipsnullsecodysseyopinionPAXPAX-eastpax-east-2013probingpvepvpsandboxscannerscanningsci-fiten-yearswormholewormholesSun, 31 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Expanding on wormholes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/27/eve-evolved-expanding-on-wormholes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/27/eve-evolved-expanding-on-wormholes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/27/eve-evolved-expanding-on-wormholes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
It's no secret that I'm nuts about wormholes! Last week I looked at the reasons why EVE Online's Apocrypha expansion was such a big success and rejoiced at the recent announcement that CCP will be developing similar laterally designed expansions from now on. In the announcement, developers wrote that they would ideally have liked to iterate on Apocrypha's wormhole gameplay for several releases, which got me thinking about how that gameplay could be expanded on now. Wormholes were a massive catalyst for exploration, small-scale colonisation, industry and PvP, but would it be possible to recapture that magic in an expansion?

The Sleeper storyline certainly evolved with the Incursion expansion as it became known that Sansha forces were able to control wormholes and had invaded Jovian space, but that story sadly didn't translate into gameplay for people living inside wormholes. There's no risk of running into the Sansha home system on your travels, and Sansha forces will never lock down a wormhole system and attack your starbase. That feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity to me, and I worry that a new wormhole expansion could similarly pass up the opportunity to add interesting new gameplay. Adding more hidden wormhole systems and combat sites would be fun for a while, but the underlying wormhole mechanics and NPC capabilities are already common knowledge.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at various ways that a future wormhole expansion for EVE could recapture the magic of Sleeper space.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Expanding on wormholes

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Expanding on wormholes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaccpccp-gamescolonisationcolonisedeep-spaceeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexplorationfeaturedfrigateincursionpvepvpsandboxsci-fisleepersleepersstarbasestrategic-cruiserstech-3unknownwormholewormhole-explorationwormholesyan-jungSun, 27 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Bring on the big expansions!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/eve-evolved-bring-on-the-big-expansions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/eve-evolved-bring-on-the-big-expansions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01/20/eve-evolved-bring-on-the-big-expansions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
I don't normally jump out of my seat shouting "hell yes!" to an EVE Online dev blog, but this week's announcement on the direction of future expansions has me a little bit excited. In two somewhat dry and lengthy posts, Executive Producer Jon Lander and Senior Producer CCP Seagull detailed the approach they intend to take to ongoing development in 2013. Instead of announcing any big headline features or making vague promises, the developers looked back at the success of 2009's blockbuster Apocrypha expansion.

Apocrypha was hands-down the best expansion EVE has ever had, adding 2500 hidden solar systems accessible only through shifting unstable wormholes. We saw a renaissance of exploration, collaborative research, and colonisation efforts that defied EVE's war-like reputation, and moreover, we saw a rebirth of small-scale PvP. The magic sauce that made Apocrypha work was lateral design: Rather than add one massive vertical feature, the expansion offered a little something for everyone. Apocrypha was EVE at its best, and hearing that developers are going back to that style of expansion honestly makes me a little giddy!

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the future for EVE's expansions, why the Apocrypha model works, and why I'm optimistic for 2013 and beyond.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Bring on the big expansions!

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Bring on the big expansions! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaccpccp-gamesccp-seagullccp-soundwaveccp-unifexcrucibledominioneveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexpansionsfantasyfeaturedgame-designgame-developmentincarnaincursioninfernojon-landeropinionretributionsandboxsci-fityranniswodworld-of-darknesswormholesSun, 20 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Top ten ganks, scams, heists and events]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/28/eve-evolved-top-ten-ganks-scams-heists-and-events/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/28/eve-evolved-top-ten-ganks-scams-heists-and-events/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/10/28/eve-evolved-top-ten-ganks-scams-heists-and-events/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
It's been called "boring," "confusing," and "the world's biggest spreadsheet," but every now and then a story emerges from sci-fi MMO EVE Online and grabs the gaming world's attention. Tales of massive thefts, colossal battles, high-value kills, record-breaking scams, political dirty deals, and controversial player-run events never fail to grip us. Perhaps it's the fact that these events have such huge impacts in the EVE sandbox that captures our imaginations, or maybe we just want to watch with morbid curiosity as a virtual society self-destructs.

Whether it's innocent interest in quirky stories or a secret sense of schadenfreude that keeps us glued to EVE's most illicit events, the game continues to deliver them with startling regularity. Most scams, thefts, and high-profile battles will never make the news, instead becoming another forgotten part of EVE's history or just a story for a few friends to reminisce about. But those stories that do reach the news always draw in a huge audience that wouldn't play EVE in a million years but can't get enough of its engrossing stories.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I run down a list of ten incredible EVE kills, scams, heists, and sandbox events that have made it into the news over the years.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Top ten ganks, scams, heists and events

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Top ten ganks, scams, heists and events originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1000-dollars6000-dollarsalliancealliance-warfarealliancesaperture-harmonicsband-of-brothersccpccp-gamesdisbanddisbandeddisbandingdynasty-bankingebankeconomicseconomyemergenceemergent-gameplayeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexploitfeaturedgankghscgoonswarmguiding-hand-social-clubheisthulkhulkageddoninfinity-guniskkillLXQ2-Tphaser-incpoliticalpoliticspvpsandboxscamsci-fisomer.blinkstealstealingsuicide-gankthefttitantitans4utrillion-iskworld-recordwormholewormholesSun, 28 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Adapt or die]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/22/eve-evolved-adapt-or-die/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/22/eve-evolved-adapt-or-die/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/22/eve-evolved-adapt-or-die/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
When EVE Online was first released in 2003, it sold mostly based on its future potential. Everyone I played with in those early years got into EVE in order to be on the ground floor of an awesome space game that was getting more awesome by the month. Features were undergoing continual revision, and new content was released regularly, making EVE a radically different game every six months. Players met this design strategy of continual iteration head on with an "adapt or die" attitude, and it kept the game interesting for years on end.

Fast-forward to 2011 and the story looked very different. The Dominion, Tyrannis and Incursion expansions introduced new gameplay but didn't heavily iterate on any other features. By the time Incarna released, most of EVE's gameplay and content had been the same for two years and players had nothing new to adapt to. For the Crucible and Inferno expansions, CCP finally iterated on hundreds of small features and even introduced new modules to reboot EVE's "adapt or die" PvP ship design metagame. With a lot of the small things now covered, I think some of the game's big features are due for iteration.

In this week's EVE Evolved opinion piece, I look at how EVE players adapt to new challenges and explore several areas of stale gameplay that are in dire need of iteration.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Adapt or die

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Adapt or die originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaccpccp-gamesconsolecrucibledominiondustdust-514eveeve-evolvedeve-onlineeventeventsfeaturedfpsgame-designgroupgroup-pveincarnaincursionincursionsinfernoiskiterationlive-eventsmmofpsopinionplaystationplaystation-3professionsps3pvesandboxsanshasci-fishootersleepertakmahltalocantyranniswormholewormholesyan-jungSun, 22 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Five awesome carrier tactics]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/01/eve-evolved-five-awesome-carrier-tactics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/01/eve-evolved-five-awesome-carrier-tactics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/01/eve-evolved-five-awesome-carrier-tactics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
The world of EVE Online's capital warfare is most often a numbers game. Alliances commit forces to a fight knowing that victory is almost assured if they have significantly more ships than the enemy. But not all capital pilots and corporations are created equal; some can pull off incredible tactical plays that act as force multipliers, increasing the effectiveness of every man on the battlefield.

Rooks and Kings alliance has a long history of fighting above its weight by employing highly effective cooperative strategies, so it's no surprise that four out of my five top capital tactics come from the alliance's awesome PvP videos. I think it's safe to say that if Rooks and Kings brings fewer capital ships than you to a fight, you're still vastly outnumbered.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I showcase videos of five awesome carrier tactics, each with a video of the tactic in action.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Five awesome carrier tactics

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Five awesome carrier tactics originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archonawesomebhaalgorncapacitorcapacitor-warfarecarrierccpccp-gameseveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedfleetfleet-warfareganggang-warfarepvprooks-and-kingssandboxsci-fisleeperstrategytacticsthanatostriagevideowormholewormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 01 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- Advanced mining]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/23/eve-evolved-mining-101-advanced-mining/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/23/eve-evolved-mining-101-advanced-mining/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/23/eve-evolved-mining-101-advanced-mining/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Because it is stigmatised as a boring and inactive activity, mining is perhaps EVE Online's most overlooked profession. While it can be a repetitive and sedate affair, mining is a good way to make ISK during low points in your game time. A lot of miners use the profession to make a little ISK while they chat with friends in-game, read the forum or do some other activity. In the first two parts of this three-part guide to mining in EVE, I looked at some of the basics of solo or group mining and how to make the most ISK for your invested time.

Over the years, I've learned a few tricks and strategies for mining that have come in handy. If the local asteroid belts are stripmined clean and you need somewhere nearby to mine, for example, it's possible to use the mission system to spawn a practically endless supply of low-end ore. If setting up camp in high-security space isn't your thing, it can also be very profitable to run a nomadic mining expedition. Using a starbase as a base of operations, you can set up ore depots and refining stations in either normal space or wormhole space.

In this final part of the EVE Evolved guide to mining in EVE, I look at spawning asteroids using the mission system, using a starbase as a base of operations in outlying systems, and running a wormhole mining expedition for massive profit.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- Advanced mining

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- Advanced mining originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedgravimetrichighseclow-seclowsecminingmissionmission-miningpospverefineryrefiningrorqualsleepersleepersstarbasewormholewormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 23 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The EVE Online that could be]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/05/eve-evolved-the-eve-online-that-could-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/05/eve-evolved-the-eve-online-that-could-be/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/05/eve-evolved-the-eve-online-that-could-be/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Each of us has a different idea of the perfect game, whether it's an existing game with a few tweaks or something completely new. Game designers work tirelessly to make their own vision of the perfect game a reality, but there's no telling what players will think of a feature until it's finished. In the process of transforming a feature from a gleam in the game designer's eye to a finished product, something is unfortunately often lost in translation. Limitations in the technology being used or the manpower available can render the ideal implementation infeasible.

As players, we don't really see that full development process. That doesn't stop us from painting our perfect vision of an upcoming or potential feature and how awesome it could be. In the coming years, the EVE Online developers will be going through the process of making some of their most incredible visions a reality. Ideas like walking in stations and integrating the upcoming MMOFPS Dust 514 with EVE's planetary interaction feature will be put through a potentially brutal development process. We can only hope that as little as possible of those visions we've heard from EVE's developers gets lost in translation.

In this speculative opinion piece, I look at a few areas in which EVE is sure to be expanded in the coming years and discuss what I'd consider to be the ideal way they could be implemented or handled.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The EVE Online that could be

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The EVE Online that could be originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaccpccp-eveccp-gamesdominioneoheoh-pokereveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexpansionexpansionsfeaturedincarnaiterationmini-gamesMinigamesopinionplanetplanetary-interactionpokersleepersovereigntyspreadsheets-in-spacestationstyranniswormholewormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 05 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/18/eve-evolved-exploration-top-tips/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/18/eve-evolved-exploration-top-tips/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/18/eve-evolved-exploration-top-tips/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Over the past two weeks, I've been giving an in-depth look at EVE Online's exploration profession. Exploration is one of the many PvE elements that players can get involved in right from their first week in EVE. By concentrating on astrometrics skills, a new player can be a more-than-competent prober within a week. Although some sites may require the help of an older player for the first few months, it's still one of the most fun PvE elements a new player can get into. In the first part of this three-part guide, I went over the basic equipment and techniques you'll need to scan down hidden complexes. In last week's second part, I went on to look at the different types of hidden site you can discover, what loot you can expect to find in each of them and what kind of challenge you'll face.

Since the exploration system was launched many years ago, I've picked up a few tricks and tips that can help any explorer. In this final part of the EVE Evolved guide to exploration, I run down my four top tips for budding explorers.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesdotlaneveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexplorationexplorerfeaturednew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playersnewbieprobesprofessionspvescan-probesscanningtipstips-and-trickswormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Loot and plunder!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/11/eve-evolved-exploration-loot-and-plunder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/11/eve-evolved-exploration-loot-and-plunder/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/11/eve-evolved-exploration-loot-and-plunder/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Exploration is one of EVE Online's most lucrative and enjoyable PvE professions, combining complex probe-scanning with mission-style combat. Through exploration, you'll find hidden sites across New Eden, packed full of NPCs to kill and loot to grab. Exploration is a casual PvE element that spans all skill levels, with new players able to get involved from their first week in the game. In last week's first part of this guide to exploration, I explained how new players can get into the lucrative profession and examined one of the most popular scanning techniques.

A wide range of hidden sites spawn across EVE, just waiting for a lucky traveller to scan them out. Tucked away in the depths of space, you'll find hidden asteroid belts, hacking database, archeological relics, salvaging fields and unstable wormholes. Those looking for riches will be pleased to find cosmic anomalies full of NPCs to kill and dungeon-like military complexes with a chance to drop rare and expensive loot.

In this guide, I look at the different types of site you can find via exploration, what loot you can expect to find in each of them and what kind of challenge you'll face.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Loot and plunder!

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Exploration -- Loot and plunder! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archaeologyccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexplorationexploreexploringfeaturedgravimetrichackinglootplunderproberadarsalvagingscanwormholewormholesSun, 11 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Medic ships, part 2: High-end healing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/28/eve-evolved-medic-ships-part-2-high-end-healing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/28/eve-evolved-medic-ships-part-2-high-end-healing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/28/eve-evolved-medic-ships-part-2-high-end-healing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

In the first of this two-part guide, I looked at some of the more affordable entry level ships and modules available to dedicated healers in EVE Online. I went on to examine an effective strategy for using medic ships as part of a PvE gang, whether you need some help on a particularly hard mission or you're trying to crack one of EVE's hardest exploration complexes. This week, I look at high-end healing as I explore capital ships and the role of medic ships in both PvP and wormhole operations.

Healing in missions and exploration sites is a largely passive affair, with the healer permanently locked to the main tank. NPCs in these sites never switch targets but the same can't be said for players or the advanced Sleeper AI that roam wormhole systems. Repairing your gang-mates in PvP or a wormhole operation is a completely different affair, made all the more complicated by the fact that the dedicated medic ship is sure to come under fire.

In this article, I look at capital ships and the remote assistance strategies players use in PvP or wormhole operations.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Medic ships, part 2: High-end healing

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Medic ships, part 2: High-end healing originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capitalcarrierccpccp-eveccp-gamescruisereveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedguardianguideguideshealhealerhealinglogisticsmedicmedic-shiponeirospvepvprorqualsleepersleeperstanktankingtipswormholewormholesSun, 28 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Playing casually or just killing time]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/eve-evolved-playing-casually-or-just-killing-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/eve-evolved-playing-casually-or-just-killing-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/eve-evolved-playing-casually-or-just-killing-time/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

MMOs are a popular hobby for hardcore and casual players alike. While some people love getting firmly embedded in their favourite MMO every night, a growing number of players prefer to log in occasionally and just kill a few hours at a time. EVE Online is no exception, with a mix of both casual and hardcore players. Taking part in things like alliance warfare, starbase industry or corporate management may require that a player log in every night but most other avenues of gameplay don't. A lot of EVE's gameplay can be picked up for a few hours and set back down with no added responsibility. In fact, player demographic data shows that most players prefer to live in the more casual environment of high security space. So what kind of things can you do if you just fancy playing internet spaceships for a few hours?

In this opinion piece, I look at five of my favourite ways to kill a few hours in the name of EVE. What's your favourite way to spend a few hours?

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Playing casually or just killing time

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Playing casually or just killing time originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualcasual-gamercasual-gamescasual-gamingccpccp-eveccp-gamesefteveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-fitting-tooleve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-radioexplorationfactional-warfarefeaturedgameplayhardcorehardcore-casualhardcore-gamerhardcore-vs-casuallevel-4-missionsmissionMissionsopinionpvpwormholesSun, 14 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The importance of corporate goals]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/07/eve-evolved-the-importance-of-corporate-goals/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/07/eve-evolved-the-importance-of-corporate-goals/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/07/eve-evolved-the-importance-of-corporate-goals/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

When new EVE Online players give up and quit the game, their reasons are usually very similar. A lack of drive to play the game is common, with players logging in only to change skills. Similarly, people complain that the game is boring and isn't really taking them anywhere. Most of these reasons boil down to a basic lack of motivation, purpose and goals. As a sandbox game, EVE doesn't really lead the player anywhere after the tutorials and it can be easy to get lost. This is where the EVE community steps in by providing a whole host of player-run corporations to help pilots find their way in EVE.

As a very social game, I don't think EVE truly takes off until you get into a good corporation. In addition to help and advice, a good corp with some solid corporate goals will offer players a sense of purpose and direction that can be hard to find on your own. The opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself and accomplish goals you could never hope to on your own can be a great motivator. Whether your corporation's goal is to build a freighter from scratch, run a massive industrial complex, engage in PvP or even lay claim to a system, it stands a much better chance of being achieved when pilots cooperate.

In this opinion piece, I show how the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts as I look at a few of the goals corporations commonly work toward as a team.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The importance of corporate goals

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The importance of corporate goals originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player housing is one of those features we love to see in an MMO but every game that has it seems to implement it differently. Sometimes it's limited to instanced rooms the player can decorate and sometimes it's a little more functional like shared guild halls. In EVE Online, the closest thing to widely-available player housing would be anchorable starbases, which can be configured to serve a variety of functional roles. Originally, their primary purpose was to mine moon minerals and react them to produce advanced materials for Tech 2 production.

Starbases can be very useful as tactical staging points for PvP operations. With the right modules anchored around them, they can also be configured for use in other industries, from mining and manufacturing to research and deep space exploration. Until recently, they also played a critical role in EVE's alliance sovereignty warfare as the alliance with the most starbases in a system gained control of it. With that role now fulfilled by Outposts, Infrastructure Hubs and Territorial Claim Units, starbases have mostly returned to their former industrial and tactical uses.

In this article, I look at five different starbase configurations that can be very useful to organised corporations.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Five useful starbase configurations

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Five useful starbase configurations originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesdeath-stardepotdominioneveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedpiracyplayer-housingplayer-owned-starbasepospvpsafespotsleepersovereigntystarbaseterritorial-controltipstips-and-trickswormholewormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 14 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/27/eve-evolved-research-reverse-engineering-and-tech-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/27/eve-evolved-research-reverse-engineering-and-tech-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/27/eve-evolved-research-reverse-engineering-and-tech-3/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

In the first two parts of this guide to Research in EVE Online, I covered the basics of Tech 1 blueprint research and the "Invention" system that allows players to make their own Tech 2 blueprint copies. The reverse engineering process used to make Tech 3 blueprints is a lot like invention except with a new set of materials, equipment and skills. Though the process used to create it will be familiar to inventors, the end product is a strange beast. Unlike Tech 2, Tech 3 isn't just a straight improvement over lower tech levels and doesn't use Tech 1 or 2 as a base. Instead, it's an entirely new technology used to make custom, modular ships. At the moment, the only Tech 3 products we have are the modular "Strategic Cruiser" class but more is planned for future patches. Tech 3 frigates are rumoured to be next on the development table and it's entirely possible that we'll see strange new Tech 3 modules thrown into the mix too at some point.

In today's part of this bumper guide to research, I look into EVE's newest addition to the researcher's repertoire as I examine Tech 3 and "Reverse Engineering". I'll look at how it all fits together to make a finished product, what's required to get involved and best practices for staying profitable in what has become a very competitive marketplace.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MassivelyEVE Evolved: Research: Reverse Engineering and Tech 3, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blueprintccpccp-gamesengineeringeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineguidelegionlokiprofitproteusreresearchreversereverse-engineeringskillssleepersstrategic-cruiserssubsystemtech-1tech-2tech-3tengutipstips-and-trickswormhole-explorationwormholesSun, 27 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Have wormholes revitalised EVE?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/22/eve-evolved-have-wormholes-revitalised-eve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/22/eve-evolved-have-wormholes-revitalised-eve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/22/eve-evolved-have-wormholes-revitalised-eve/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


It's been just over a week since the Apocrypha expansion went live and EVE Online is already starting to see the impact of the new content on gameplay. Wormholes in particular have revitalised gameplay for so many individuals that Apocrypha may just be the best EVE expansion to date. Everything from piracy to low security space, system ownership and exploration have been affected by the advent of unstable wormholes. But how could something as simple as unstable wormholes revitalise other areas of gameplay?

In this article, I examine the far-reaching effects of EVE's newest gameplay addition - wormholes.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Have wormholes revitalised EVE?

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Have wormholes revitalised EVE? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gameseveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedjoystiqfeatureslowsecpiracypiratesleepersleeperstalocantech3territorial-controlterritorywormholesSun, 22 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: A guide to probing in Apocrypha]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/16/eve-evolved-a-guide-to-probing-in-apocrypha/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/16/eve-evolved-a-guide-to-probing-in-apocrypha/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/16/eve-evolved-a-guide-to-probing-in-apocrypha/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Several years ago, CCP released a new upgrade for EVE Online's standard system scanner. Scanner probes were deployable tools that could be used to find ships, drones and a few hidden complexes lost in the vastness of space. The system was later expanded to provide an awesome exploration experience - combat encounters, dungeons and rich asteroid belts were strewn throughout space for some lucky explorer to find.

With EVE's latest expansion, the exploration system received a complete overhaul. A new scanning system was devised, complete with new probes and probe launchers. As if that wasn't enough, a new "True Exploration" mechanic was introduced with the appearance of wormholes all throughout space. Many wormholes lead to one of the 2500 new star systems that aren't on the main system map, each of which contains lucrative but dangerous sleeper NPCs that drop components for tech 3 ship production.

In this article, I delve into the new probing system with complete strategies that have been proven to work. Read on to get an edge on wormhole exploration.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: A guide to probing in Apocrypha

MassivelyEVE Evolved: A guide to probing in Apocrypha originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaccpccp-gameseveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedjoystiqfeaturesprobeprobingpvescansleepertrue-explorationwormholewormhole-explorationwormholesMon, 16 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Gear up for wormhole exploration]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/eve-evolved-gear-up-for-wormhole-exploration/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/eve-evolved-gear-up-for-wormhole-exploration/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/09/eve-evolved-gear-up-for-wormhole-exploration/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


In EVE Online, large alliances of corporations lay claim to the lucrative 0.0 security rating areas of the game and smaller corporate operations generally don't stand a chance against them. Corps who want to claim a little corner of space for themselves are forced to join an existing alliance or compete with them for space. With the recent news of 2500 new star systems coming to EVE with the release of wormholes in the march expansion, small corps may find themselves able to carve out their own little corner of space to live in without being squashed by the big alliances.

How will wormholes work?
The information we have so far suggests that wormholes into one of the 2500 new hidden star systems will open randomly in all security levels of system. Wormholes will have a diameter that restricts the maximum size of ship that can enter it and a mass limit that restricts the total mass of ships that can use the wormhole before it collapses. Once the wormhole collapses, the chances of finding another leading to the same system are astronomical so choosing which ships you bring in carefully is a must.

Read on as I describe how wormholes could allow corps to more safely own systems and go on to describe what equipment and ships you'll need to take up residence in your own system.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Gear up for wormhole exploration

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Gear up for wormhole exploration originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apocryphaccpccp-gamescorporateeveeve-evolvedeve-onlineexpansionexplorationfleetgangnomadorcasleepertech3wormholesMon, 09 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Why EVE Online will be around for a long time.]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/14/eve-evolved-why-eve-online-will-be-around-for-a-long-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/14/eve-evolved-why-eve-online-will-be-around-for-a-long-time/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/14/eve-evolved-why-eve-online-will-be-around-for-a-long-time/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


A little under five years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a new online game he was playing called EVE Online. A key part of his pitch was that the game was less than a year old and I should get in on the ground floor. My friend correctly anticipated the massive success that EVE would be and that it would be good to get involved as early as possible. Over the years, that decision to start playing EVE in early 2004 has afforded me a lot of opportunities, not least of all being able to contribute to EON magazine and finally become a columnist here at Massively.

Getting in on the ground floor:
Five years down the line from EVE day one, it's easy for new players or those that want to sign up to feel like they've missed the boat and can't achieve what the older players have. In the same way that my friend introduced me to EVE, it's my turn to try and convince people that they can still get in on the ground floor of something new and immense. With two major expansions coming soon, including the revolutionary "Walking in Stations" expansion, I firmly believe that right now could be the best time in five years to get in on the ground floor of the incredible on-going journey that is EVE Online.

In this article, I discuss the reasons why EVE will continue to endure for the foreseeable future and how getting involved now could be just as good as getting involved from day one.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Why EVE Online will be around for a long time.

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Why EVE Online will be around for a long time. originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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