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[EVE Evolved: New tools for the community]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/eve-evolved-new-tools-for-the-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/eve-evolved-new-tools-for-the-community/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/eve-evolved-new-tools-for-the-community/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
Earlier this week, CCP Games released a much-needed complete overhaul of the official EVE Online website. Having been in operation for nine long years, the old website had become a mismatch of marketing information aimed at new players and tools for the existing player community. The overhaul split the page into two awesome websites, with a new community site to cater to existing players and an impressive new main page to attract future players.

The main page uses HTML 5 to deliver incredible interactive views of the EVE Online galaxy and dozens of in-game ships right there on the website. The community website houses all of the news, devblogs, knowledgebase articles, fictional chronicles, and support tools that existing players use, but with a much neater layout than the old website. In web developer CCP Alice's recent In Development video, she revealed that the team would be working on new community tools following the launch of the new websites. With the community site completely de-cluttered, there's now room to incorporate a lot of the tools players want or currently use, opening up some interesting possibilities.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I discuss the new EVE Online website and community portal and speculate on awesome new community tools we might possibly see in the future.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: New tools for the community

MassivelyEVE Evolved: New tools for the community originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamescorpcorporationdotlanefteveeve-evolvedeve-fitting-tooleve-onlineevemonfeaturedforumforumsgame-designguildguild-forumshtml5icscincarnamapmarketmarketingopinionsandboxsci-fitoolswebsiteSun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Building a better UI]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/eve-evolved-building-a-better-ui/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/eve-evolved-building-a-better-ui/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/05/eve-evolved-building-a-better-ui/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It's no secret that EVE Online has a poor user interface. With its drop-down menus for interacting with objects and text lists to show information like market orders and nearby objects in space, EVE has thoroughly earned the nickname "spreadsheets in space." The UI has changed drastically since I started playing in 2004, but in recent years, it's fallen behind the development curve. In a new devblog this week, CCP Snowlax suggested that the UI developers at CCP have lacked the framework necessary to do what they wanted with it. The existing framework had become bloated with eight years of development, and the underlying rendering engine wasn't even capable of using custom shaders.

With Incursion 1.6, CCP pushed live a completely new UI framework that makes cool features like holographic UI elements possible. With the new Carbon UI framework in place, developers are taking another look at redesigning the EVE user interface. Screenshots of the new features being used in the upcoming Incarna expansion are impressive, but that's all taking place inside stations. I can't help but wonder how these new technologies could be applied to the space-faring portion of EVE and whether there are more fundamental challenges to overcome in UI design than adding flashy graphics.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I give some thoughts on the development of EVE's UI, from the necessary evil of the overview to some things I'd like to see change.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Building a better UI

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Building a better UI originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonsbutterfly-effectccpccp-eveccp-gamesefteveeve-ccpEVE-Evolvedeve-fitting-tooleve-mmorpgeve-onlineevemonfeaturedgraphicsguihologramholographicmission-runningmodmoddingopinionoverviewplayer-developersplayer-developmentthe-butterfly-effectuiuser-interfaceSun, 05 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online player creativity -- Ship fitting edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/eve-online-player-creativity-ship-fitting-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/eve-online-player-creativity-ship-fitting-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/eve-online-player-creativity-ship-fitting-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Two months ago, CCP started a new series of monthly EVE Online devblogs showcasing the game community's creative efforts. The EVE community is known for its artwork and incredible fan-made videos, but through CCP Fallout's monthly blog series, we've come to see some of the community's other creative endeavours. In previous editions, Fallout looked at in-game news and politics website EVE News 24, question and answer site Skill Training Complete, an impressive minecraft video of a scale Gallente shuttle, and a collection of EVE podcasts.

In the latest issue, CCP looks at some of the latest developments that have drawn attention during December. There's an impressive video showing off the new EVE character creator that will be going live with Incursion 1.1 later this month. The video shows off both male and female avatars. Also covered is the Python Fitting Assistant, a cross-platform offline ship fitting tool similar to the very popular EVE Fitting Tool. The highlight of this month's blog has to be LOLFITS, a website where players can post some of the monumentally bad ship setups they've seen players use. If you think your ship setups are poor, I guarantee they're spectacular compared to some of the hilarious setups on LOLFITS.

MassivelyEVE Online player creativity -- Ship fitting edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamescharactercharacter-creationcreativecreativitycultureeveeve-ccpeve-fitting-tooleve-mmorpgeve-onlineincursionlolfitspython-fitting-assistantship-fittingtooltoolsvideoFri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Heroes of EVE]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/15/eve-evolved-heroes-of-eve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/15/eve-evolved-heroes-of-eve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/15/eve-evolved-heroes-of-eve/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In last week's EVE Evolved, I looked at a few of EVE Online's most famous outlaws. In the game's open-ended sandbox, players are free to turn to a life of crime. Around every corner, you'll find another thief making off with someone's loot, or a pirate waiting for an unsuspecting victim to pass by. Worse still are the many scam artists and market manipulators you'll find in trade hubs like Jita, making a dishonest living at the expense of other players. But it's not all doom and gloom, and not all players are the dark, nefarious types EVE is famous for.

For every low-life scammer trying to steal your hard-earned ISK, there are helpful individuals working to counteract scamming. For every war-mongering pirate preying on new players, there are hundreds of people willing to teach new players to defend themselves and stay safe. Despite all the talk of EVE's anti-social element, you'll also find a rich and diverse community, built around forums, chat channels and dozens of blogs. Programmers even spend their free time to provide the community with free tools to aid play. These are all people I would call heroes of EVE, either because they work to prevent the wrong-doings of outlaws, or because they selflessly enrich the EVE community.

In this opinion piece, I look at a few of the people and groups I consider to be true heroes of EVE. Who are your heroes?

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Heroes of EVE

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Heroes of EVE originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agonyagony-unleashedccpccp-eveccp-gameschribbacrazykinuxefteveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-fileseve-fitting-tooleve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-searcheve-unieve-universityfeaturedheroheroesoutlawsscamscammingscamsthird-partywarSun, 15 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: A sneak peak at EVE Gate]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/eve-evolved-a-sneak-peak-at-eve-gate/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/eve-evolved-a-sneak-peak-at-eve-gate/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/11/eve-evolved-a-sneak-peak-at-eve-gate/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Some time ago, CCP announced their unusual plans to develop their own EVE Online social networking website. Their plan was to tie it into the game, giving players a site they could visit to stay in touch with their EVE contacts and corporation while not logged in. It was expected to be ready by Winter 2009 but never materialised when the Dominion expansion was released. Now named EVE Gate, the website has been rescheduled for the upcoming Tyrannis expansion on May 18th. Recently, CCP released an early alpha version of the EVE Gate website and have begun the slow process of adding features and working out bugs. Some of the features are not active and the site is not yet tied into the active EVE server. Nevertheless, the current alpha build shows what we can expect from the site when it launches.

In this article, I give a run-down of what features we can expect from EVE Gate at launch and what we can expect from it in future iterations.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: A sneak peak at EVE Gate

MassivelyEVE Evolved: A sneak peak at EVE Gate originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphaapplicationsappsccpccp-eveccp-gamescosmosdevelopmentefteveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-fitting-tooleve-gateeve-mmorpgeve-onlineevehqevemonfeaturedkillboardsocialsocial-networkingSocialNetworkingspacebooktyranniswebsiteSun, 11 Apr 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[Wayfaring through New Eden with EveMap]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/03/wayfaring-through-new-eden-with-evemap/#commentsFiled under: ,

EVE Online has an active community of 3rd party developers who release free tools for the benefit of other players. While tools like EVEmon, used to plan skill training, and EVE Fitting Tool, used to experiment with ship fittings, are widely used by players, there are a number of other great programs out there that have gotten less attention. One of those out-of-game tools is EveMap, created by Paul van Santen -- otherwise known as "AcriQuo."

The galaxy of New Eden has over 5000 solar systems, and plotting safe routes or simply some optimal wayfaring can be a bit involved. When in-game, you can pull up an interactive map to help navigate, but it takes up the entire client window while active. Some players prefer to view their maps off-screen, and there are some 2D options available to help in this regard, but until recently, going 2D was the only option players had. That's all changed with EveMap, which is a fully-functional 3D map of the EVE universe, with myriad display options and filters. The beauty of the program is that it literally displays all of EVE's systems without being confined to the client. The system requirements to run it are minimal: Java Runtime Environment version 1.5 or higher, and an OpenGL-capable graphics card. EveMap has been well-received on the official EVE Online forums. If having another way to navigate in EVE sounds good to you, why not fire up EveMap and see how useful it can be?

MassivelyWayfaring through New Eden with EveMap originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamesefteft-warrioreveeve-fitting-tooleve-onlineevemapevemonmapnew-edenprogramprogramstooltoolsSun, 03 Aug 2008 18:45:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online API improvements to track the Empyrean Age]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/eve-online-api-improvements-to-track-the-empyrean-age/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/eve-online-api-improvements-to-track-the-empyrean-age/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/eve-online-api-improvements-to-track-the-empyrean-age/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


EVEMon, EVE Fitting Tool, and other essential programs that benefit from the EVE API platform were offline yesterday while EVE Online's Tranquility server transited over to the new Empyrean Age 1.0.1 build. With more pilots than ever participating in Empyrean Age's factional warfare, CCP has also enhanced the EVE API so players have more functionality to help track and report on the state of the war.

The factional warfare data is only calculated on the Tranquility server once a day during downtime, but will cache every hour to make sure that new data is available in the API. Official API documentation isn't included for the new stat-tracking improvements but the regular documentation is online. CCP is also planning long term development and support for the API including a test server with reduced cache times. The EVE Online developers have given players quite the toolbox to work with, and some tools are already benefiting from these changes like EVEAI.Live.

The full list of API improvements and changes are listed after the click through below.

Continue reading EVE Online API improvements to track the Empyrean Age

MassivelyEVE Online API improvements to track the Empyrean Age originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apiccpccp-gamesdata-analysisempyrean-ageeveeve-apieve-fitting-tooleve-onlineevelifeevemonfactional-warfarepvpsingularitystat-trackingstatstranquilityWed, 02 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST