Massively

Drew Karpyshyn set to pen another Star Wars: The Old Republic novel

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Drew Karpyshyn, a lead writer for Star Wars: The Old Republic and the author of the tie-in novel Revan, is no longer with BioWare. That's old news. What might be somewhat more surprising news is that he is still penning novels for the game, with new information about the second novel having finally surfaced from a Facebook posting by Del Ray Books. If you've been eagerly awaiting more details about the bridge between Knights of the Old Republic and the MMO's setting, it's your lucky day.

Titled Annihilation, the novel will focus on agent Theron Shan and his companion Teff'ith as they investigate an Imperial counterattack spearheaded by an apprentice of Darth Malgus. The posting goes on to confirm that the novel is currently on target for release on November 13th of this year. So if you can't get enough of your story in the game, it looks like it won't be too much longer until you can get even more story out of game as well.

Drew Karpyshyn set to pen another Star Wars: The Old Republic novel originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Templar One novel now available

Jef Reahard — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox

Picture this. You're sitting in your internet spaceship, pounding space rocks or waiting for your fleet leader to assign you some hapless newb of a target. You've already caught up on the all the relevant EVE Online news courtesy of Massively, and you can't really spin your ship since you're not docked.

What's a bored capsuleer to do?

Read the latest EVE novel, of course. Tony Gonzales' new Templar One is now available pretty much everywhere books are sold, and in keeping with New Eden's high-tech trappings, you can pick it up in eBook form if you're loathe to consume story content the old-fashioned way. The official EVE website has more details, as does a pre-Christmas blog posting from the author himself.

EVE Templar One novel now available originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Randall Bills talks about shaping the future of MechWarrior Online

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Lore, MechWarrior Online

For die-hard MechWarrior fans, it must be a relief to know that the upcoming MechWarrior Online is in good hands of people connected with the board game. One pair of hands in particular belongs to Catalyst Game Labs' Randall Bills, who is deeply involved with the MechWarrior and BattleTech franchises, and he emerged to participate in a very lengthy interview about the game and his love of multi-ton mechs.

Currently, Bills says that he fills two roles on the team: continuity editor and fiction content manager. In the former, he helps to inspect what the developers are working on and give them feedback and notes from his well of expert knowledge on the subject. In the latter, he's spearheading the team responsible for writing the lore behind the online game universe.

So what would Bills like to see happen in MechWarrior Online? Orbital insertions ("That's a level of action and immersion that would take MechWarrior Online to a whole new level.") and physical attacks ("It shouldn't work very well and be hard to pull off... but when you do pull it off it should be a move everyone in the game talks about for some time to come.").

As for what he's most excited about in the upcoming MMO, he's just glad that he'll be able to emulate the board game in a virtual environment: "To know that I can jump in a light 'Mech and do exactly what you can pull off in the board game (and just as important, what the fiction depicts for the universe) with a true melding of multiple tactics to achieve victory... that'll be a truly spectacular geek-out moment to experience."

Look for our own upcoming interview with the MechWarrior Online team coming soon.

Randall Bills talks about shaping the future of MechWarrior Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New EVE Online Chronicle provides a meeting of the minds over ships

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:30:00 EST

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

If you're only a casual follower of EVE Online news, you could be forgiven for thinking that the game's setting is sparse at best, since most of the news about the game doesn't really touch upon it. But there is a sprawling weight of lore behind the game, with no shortage of reasons for the massive inter-player conflicts that define the game's environment. The newest installment of the EVE Chronicles is a look behind the scenes at the way the game's universe operates, with or without players.

On the face of it, the piece is simply a bit of fiction about two individuals meeting to discuss a business deal. But it also shows off the labyrinthine politics, rules, and subterfuge involved in the game. Even if you're not familiar with the setting, the tale stands on its own as a piece of science fiction -- and if you are familiar, you may well find something of interest in the simple exchange of words over battleships.

New EVE Online Chronicle provides a meeting of the minds over ships originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter VI

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, RIFT

All good things must come to an end, and that's the case for Drowning in Snow. We've been bringing you the chapters for several months now, but it's time for the story to fade off into the sunset, with the heroes riding off in triumph...

Wait, no, that's not right at all. When we last left the adventurers Kira and Uriel, they weren't riding off in triumph. They were knee-deep in betrayal, which throws the entire story up to this point into question. So it does seem they've got a little adventuring left to do, doesn't it?

Click on past the break for Prone Meridian, the final chapter in this exclusive piece of RIFT fiction, brought to you by the team at Trion Worlds and (of course) the team here at Massively. Or take a look at the previous five chapters if you've missed them before now, since this one won't make much sense otherwise.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter VI

Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter VI originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter V

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, RIFT

For the past several months, Trion Worlds and Massively have been bringing you installments of Drowning in Snow, a special fiction piece for RIFT following two Defiants as they trek across frozen tundra on a rescue mission. We've waited a bit longer than normal since the last chapter, and it's been a wait made all the worse because the last chapter ended on quite a cliffhanger, implying that Uriel and Kira had a traitor to contend with.

The wait for the next part is over as of today, however, and we can promise you that this installment will indeed answer the question of who the traitor is. But it might very well not be who you had expected. Take a look past the cut for the fifth chapter of Drowning in Snow, and keep your eyes open for the next installment.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter V

Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter V originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP publishes fourth DUST 514 fiction piece

Jef Reahard — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, News items, MMOFPS, DUST 514

New Eden is home to thousands of stories, and while most of them are a variation on "lulz, delicious carebear tears," occasionally an enjoyable piece of fiction arises from CCP's grand social experiment.

In the past, officially sanctioned EVE Online-based fiction has taken the form of novels and web-based short stories. Today we're here to tell you about the latest instance of the latter, only this time the prose centers around the upcoming shooter spin-off known as Dust 514.

Stranded, Part IV is the latest Dust chronicle, and in typical EVE fashion, it's a bleak, bone-crunching portrayal of life in the big black. If you missed Stranded parts one, two, and three, CCP has helpfully archived them on the official Dust 514 website.

CCP publishes fourth DUST 514 fiction piece originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: Emergence in the sandbox

Brendan Drain — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, Professions, Hands-on, EVE Evolved

We often hear about the amazing things players get up to in EVE Online, from full-scale political wars and massive heists to collaborative business ventures and high-profile kills. While we can all enjoy these tales of high-powered exploits from afar, they can be difficult to relate to the actual game experience. Most of us will never be the puppet master pulling the strings of alliance warfare or the mastermind of some great theft, but we don't have to be. Smaller examples of emergent and opportunistic gameplay exist all over EVE in the daily play of thousands of individuals.

I've always thought of EVE less as a game and more as a giant social sandbox with spaceships -- a story about what people do when left alone in each other's company. Players naturally take on roles for which they have a strong aptitude, crafting completely new gameplay styles for themselves in the process. The entrepreneurs among us spy opportunities never imagined by the game's developers, tech-savvy individuals sell web-services, and artists craft propaganda for recruitment or a war on their enemy's morale. Countless players carve their own game out of the EVE universe, and there's no reason you can't be one of them.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the unique gameplay experiences players have engineered for themselves over the years and the community that makes EVE what it is.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Emergence in the sandbox

EVE Evolved: Emergence in the sandbox originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Exclusive: A look at RIFT's Druid

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Previews, News items, RIFT

Within RIFT's soul system, there's room for a wide variety of different classes within the four core options -- two different Clerics might have very different sets of souls equipped and play like two completely different classes. Trion Worlds has been slowly providing information to players about what they can expect from the various souls, but every time a new soul is revealed, it's something completely different from what's come before. The Druid is one of the souls available to Clerics, for instance, but it couldn't be more different than options such as the Purifier or Sentinel.

Druids are a pet class, but not in the traditional sense. Where a Mage with a pet-using soul would rely on his pets to deal damage, the Druid uses her pets as conduits to empower her, making her a fierce combatant in her own right. Although vulnerable if her companions are damaged, the Druid herself is the core of her strength, using a variety of companions for a multitude of effects. Click past the break for more information and backstory on RIFT's Druid, and check in every day this week for more heretofore unseen souls.

Gallery: RIFT: Core Gallery

Continue reading Exclusive: A look at RIFT's Druid

Exclusive: A look at RIFT's Druid originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spread some holiday smiles in Final Fantasy XI

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events, in-game, Previews, News items, Consoles

Any game with holiday events could do far worse than taking inspiration from Final Fantasy XI. With each event having eight years of refinement, there's always plenty to do for adventurers in Vana'diel, and the latest round of the Starlight Celebration is no exception. But there's a brand-new wrinkle, since the keepers of all holiday events in the game (the Moogles) have continued their high level of service (they've screwed up again) and provided adventurers with a delightful new game (that involves racing goblins on chocobos).

In keeping with tradition, this year also includes a bit of fiction to go along with the event, and the rewards and frills from previous celebrations will be available as well. Players can take a look at the guide from last year for an idea of what to expect, but even with that knowledge, this year's new card-hunting game promises to be unique. Final Fantasy XI has seen its last major patch this year, but there's still going to be plenty to do for the holiday season.

Spread some holiday smiles in Final Fantasy XI originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

New EVE chronicle tells a tale of revenge against the Sansha invasions

Brendan Drain — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Lore

EVE Online is currently buzzing with news of the Incursion expansion, which is being released in three parts over the coming months. The final release in January will be bringing the expansion's key feature, constellation-wide incursions by Sansha pirate forces. The incursions themselves began as a live event several months ago. After discovering the secrets of controlling the formation of wormholes, Sansha forces began using them to invade populated systems across EVE and kidnap citizens of the four empires. The abducted people were brought back to Sansha territory to be converted into mind-controlled slaves of the nation.

In a new EVE chronicle, CCP loremaster Abraxas tells the tale of one man's dealings with the pending Sansha invasion. It's a chilling story of a Sansha scout sent to talk to the leader of an asteroid colony and one man's dark revenge against the Nation. For those of you who have been following the Sansha lore with interest, this latest Chronicle "The Plague Years" will give an interesting glance into the inner workings of the Nation.

New EVE chronicle tells a tale of revenge against the Sansha invasions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fallen Earth takes part in NaNoWriMo

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fallen Earth, Culture, Events, real-world, News items, Promotions, Post-Apocalyptic

November, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is National Novel Writing Month and host to an annual challenge -- write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It's a tall order that not everyone can manage, but the Fallen Earth development team contains at least one hopeful. Director of Content Development Wes Platt is working on his novel, and he's looking to the game's players to help make it a collaborative effort every step of the way.

With an official thread on the forums, Platt is both posting his progress as he goes and taking suggestions from players as to where the story should head next. He also has posted his NaNoWriMo profile page so that players also taking part in the contest can track his progress and cheer him along. Fallen Earth fans would do well to take part in the crafting of the story -- it's not just the first novel for the game, but a novel written in a month's time.

Fallen Earth takes part in NaNoWriMo originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Storyboard: Brother from another series

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard

Some players and characters are nice enough to point out to you right away that they're not actually from around here. You know the ones -- the elves with long flowing blonde hair and names that imply some variation on legs and the non-presence of same are certainly a long-standing example. Of course, the people in question are rarely roleplaying, but that doesn't change the number of elven marksmen who are all the best in the world at hitting a target, never mind the "miss" result that pops up every so often when they nock their arrows.

In fiction, they're called expys, short for exported characters. They're guest stars from elsewhere, and while most roleplayers have a name that's a bit more original than some variant on Legolas, they're no less common. After all, if you're inspired by a particularly good character and want to try playing him in a given environment, why wouldn't you just pick him up and transplant him? But there are good ways to do it and bad ways, just like there are far more ways to make dull and unlikable characters than interesting ones. So follow on past the break for a look at how to make your expy fall into the "interesting homage" camp rather than the "xx_Legolas_xx" camp.

Continue reading Storyboard: Brother from another series

Storyboard: Brother from another series originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE blogger unveils Project Athena, a collection of fictional ship manuals

Brendan Drain — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Lore

Few things impress me about EVE Online's community more than the incredible videos, artwork and fiction created by players. For the role-playing and fiction-writing communities, the game's continually-updated prime fiction acts as a canvas onto which new stories can be blended. Long-time EVE blogger Kirith Kodachi over at Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah has been an avid fiction-writer and contributor to EVE Tribune, producing several articles based on in-character technical overviews of EVE ships.

Over the past two years, Kirith has been teaming up with artists and volunteer writers to collaborate on creating a more comprehensive collection of these articles. Written in the style of fictional ship manuals and presented as technical briefings interspersed with historical information, the completed project (dubbed "Project Athena") features full articles on 23 ships and their Tech 2 counterparts. Although the historical information and technical specifications have been invented by Kirith and his contributors, he's done his best to stick as closely as possible to the official EVE prime fiction. At 64 MB, the huge PDF file isn't a small download, but for role-players or fans of EVE fiction it's definitely worth a look.

EVE blogger unveils Project Athena, a collection of fictional ship manuals originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Storyboard: Back me up, backstory

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Lore, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard

Welcome back for another edition of Storyboard, where after a couple of weeks in which we laid down ground rules we're ready to start in on the fine details. So it only makes sense to start at a point filled with fine details and yet often searingly inconvenient: backstory. Because we all know how beneficial backstory can be, how it can add depth and meaning and rich interaction to even the most innocent and trivial incident. A quest about killing boars can dredge up memories of hunting with a lost father, making one of the most obnoxious holdovers in MMO quests into something interesting.

And yet it's a double-edged sword. Because not only is backstory time-consuming to come up with, much of it requires either events that can't be supported in the game's engine or work on details that never come up during actual play. So we're left with something that's a huge benefit, but also such a huge inconvenience that the occasional benefit is outweighed by the massive amount of work required beforehand. How can you work character backstory and get the benefits without the negatives?

Continue reading Storyboard: Back me up, backstory

Storyboard: Back me up, backstory originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 3: Fiction-writing contest

Brendan Drain — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, Lore, Giveaways

Over the past two weeks we've been running some awesome weekly contests for readers to win EVE Online game time courtesy of CCP Games. In celebration of the upcoming launch of EVE's Tyrannis expansion, we gave away 10 PLEX in our planet screenshot contest two weeks ago. Last week, we ran a caption competition with a 15 PLEX prize total and received a flood of entries. So many in fact that we're still debating which captions should win a prize. The winners of that contest will be posted as an update to the second contest post within the next few days and the winners will all be notified via email.

This week marks the last week of our Tyrannis contest trilogy and to end on a high-note we're giving away a whopping 25 PLEX. Ten top prizes of two PLEX are available and a further five runner-up entrants will get one PLEX each. To enter, all you have to do is write a short piece of fiction based on the planets and moons of New Eden and submit it to the comments on this post. Entries are limited to 200 words or less as we're sure to get a huge number of entries and we want to give each one the full attention it deserves. Your entry can take the form of a short story, a poem or any other type of written fiction. Prizes will be awarded based on creativity, writing style and presentation. As with the previous two competitions, this contest is open to readers from any country.

UPDATE: Entry is now closed. We are now reading through the submissions and picking winners!
UPDATE 2: Winners have been selected! The list of winners has been added to the end of this post. Each winner will be contacted via email to arrange delivery of their prizes.

Skip past the cut for the contest rules and full submission guidelines.

Continue reading Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 3: Fiction-writing contest

Massively's EVE Online Tyrannis contest, part 3: Fiction-writing contest originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE video corner: "Future Proof"

Brendan Drain — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Lore, PvP

There's no doubt about it that EVE Online can produce some stunning visuals and incredible stories. New Eden has been the setting for countless creative works, some featuring real gameplay and events and others pushing the limits of the prime fiction. Every so often, I come across a video so mind-blowing that it has to be shared. Last night CrazyKinux's Musing pointed me toward an awesome new EVE video that's been seven months in the making.

Produced by Kale Ryoko, "Future Proof" tells the tale of a Caldari militia fleet on a combat mission for the state. Headed up by support commander Firefox of the Chimera "Overlord", the fleet must do all it takes to push through to their objective. Assisting with this twelve minute masterpiece is Veto corporation's Kyoko Sadako, the mastermind behind such incredible videos as "War Has Come" and "The Angel Cartel (Push Eject)". Made using some of EVE's art assets and the Unreal 3 Engine, Future Proof is a video that simply must be seen.

Skip past the cut to watch both parts of the video in HD. The original version is available for download at the video's official page on the EVE forums.

Continue reading EVE video corner: "Future Proof"

EVE video corner: "Future Proof" originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE player runs fiction writing contest with billions in prizes

Brendan Drain — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Contests, Culture, Events, in-game, Professions

EVE Online is a game known for its tight-knit community and emergent professions. We've seen players take on the roles of thieves, graphics artists, spies, video editors, drug runners and much more in an effort to make themselves a little ISK. Perhaps most interesting is that good writers can use their talents to make ISK through publications like EON magazine and EVE Tribune. While EON is a glossy printed magazine and EVE Tribune enjoys a purely online format, both pay volunteer writers with ISK for their articles and stories. EON in particular has always had a regular fiction segment that showcases some of EVE's best fiction writers.

In the first of what he hopes to be an annual event, an EVE player by the name of Silver Night has decided to give back to the community with an EVE fiction-writing contest. The first place prize of a rare faction battleship plus 300 million ISK's worth of fittings will go to the best piece of fiction submitted. Two second place prizes of unfitted navy issue battleships are available for the second and third best pieces. With an additional four navy issue cruiser prizes for the next best four pieces, that's seven chances to win something. The competition runs until March 21st and players can submit their entries via the competition thread on the official EVE events forum.

EVE player runs fiction writing contest with billions in prizes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sci-fi author Michael Marrak on writing for Black Prophecy

James Egan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Interviews, Lore, New titles, Black Prophecy

One of the upcoming sci-fi MMOs we've been following is Black Prophecy, currently in development at Reakktor Media. It's a game they've stated will offer casual drop-in gameplay but with a deep, engaging backstory beneath the surface of its space combat. The game's lore is the subject of a Colony of Gamers interview with sci-fi author Michael Marrak, who has conceptualized and written the story of Black Prophecy.

Marrak tells 'Bandango' from Colony of Gamers that he's produced a substantial amount of material for the game. Marrak explains, "Overall there are about 700 pages of manuscript material. 300 pages are about missions, while the rest contains the timelines, story background, research and templates for the game design."

Continue reading Sci-fi author Michael Marrak on writing for Black Prophecy

Sci-fi author Michael Marrak on writing for Black Prophecy originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online novel The Burning Life to focus on pirate factions

James Egan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore

For many players, EVE Online is a game where the developers provide the galactic setting of New Eden but it's them, the playerbase, who makes their own stories. They join together or band against their rivals in alliance warfare, drug cartels, pirate organizations, and industrial powerhouses. The complex interplay of involvements that allow the game's players to establish and destroy invariably triggers cascades of drama. This is the point of the sandbox design of the game, what you do in New Eden affects other players on some level.

For some players, EVE is just about their interactions with one another and the fiction underpinning of the game is of marginal concern. While not all players choose to immerse themselves in the game's backstory, the setting is actually quite rich -- built on roughly six years' worth of lore fleshed out in the Chronicles, short stories that provide snapshots of the various levels of activity in New Eden.

Continue reading EVE Online novel The Burning Life to focus on pirate factions

EVE Online novel The Burning Life to focus on pirate factions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The challenges of storytelling in EVE Online's player-driven setting

James Egan — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, MMO industry

MMO storylines finding their way into books is becoming increasingly common, but typically it's the fantasy titles we see in print. Guild Wars, Warhammer Online, and of course World of Warcraft all have their lore fleshed out in paperback form. But sci-fi lends itself well to novelization as well, and in the MMO scene as it exists today, EVE Online is a prime example. The game's far-future setting of New Eden is known for its sweeping warfare between vast empires, republics, and federations, but the game's lore has also shown there's a lot happening on a much smaller level.

That sweeping warfare was the focus of the first EVE Online novel, The Empyrean Age written by Tony Gonzales, and this was tied in with the storyline events leading up to all-out war between the game's races. However, EVE's creators CCP Games will be showing a different side to the game with the second novel, The Burning Life, written by Hjalti Danielsson.

Continue reading The challenges of storytelling in EVE Online's player-driven setting

The challenges of storytelling in EVE Online's player-driven setting originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE lore blends sci-fi with horror in Blood Raiders pirate faction Chronicle

James Egan — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore

The sci-fi game EVE Online is well known for being a title where player-driven activities like corporate espionage, piracy, and sweeping galactic warfare are daily occurrences. The game has a rich backstory behind it though; EVE's setting of New Eden continually gains more depth and new dimensions through bi-weekly Chronicles written by EVE developer CCP Abraxas. Since EVE's players are ship-bound in actual gameplay (until Walking in Stations is released), the game's lore adds something that a number of pilots have gotten into, with player corporations and alliances siding with a given faction discussed in the backstory. A fair amount of the Chronicles focus on New Eden's four (playable) races and regimes -- and the Empyrean Age expansion brought factional warfare into the game -- but there are also a few notable criminal organizations presented in EVE's lore.

Perhaps the most disturbing among them is The Blood Raider Covenant, a pirate NPC faction in the game that many EVE players know as their enemy through mission running, exploration content, or simply 'ratting' in asteroid belts. EVElopedia describes them as "a particularly gruesome sect of the generally reviled Sani Sabik cult. While all modern Sani Sabik rituals use blood in some manner or another, the Covenant places particular value on the blood of cloned humans, and is utterly ruthless in obtaining it, regularly boarding other spacecraft and abducting all aboard. From their base in Delve they launch lightning raiding parties and surprisingly well coordinated incursions deep into Empire space in pursuit of their goals." Their place in the game's lore provides fertile ground for mixing horror with sci-fi. Some EVE players have even established corporations and alliances aligned with the Blood Raider Covenant and the latest addition to EVE's lore focuses on this bloodthirsty faction.

Continue reading EVE lore blends sci-fi with horror in Blood Raiders pirate faction Chronicle

EVE lore blends sci-fi with horror in Blood Raiders pirate faction Chronicle originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP Games to revamp the lore of EVE Online

James Egan — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, News items, Races, Roleplaying

The sci-fi MMO EVE Online has a rich backstory that now spans 6 years. That backstory is coupled with the many contributions of (volunteer) in-game journalists who report both on the actions and machinations of EVE's players and alliances, and who also write news-style fiction that helps drive the game's storylines forward.

EVE Online's Lead Writer CCP t0nyG (aka Tony Gonzales, author of Empyrean Age) has made some major announcements this week regarding changes to EVE's storyline and lore, in a dev blog titled "The Rediscovered Scrolls". The dev blog focuses on how CCP plans to address some of the issues players have noted in terms of the backstory and how it relates to them as 'capsuleers' in the setting of New Eden, given that official fiction and lore are now being released quite frequently. Gonzales says, "Unfortunately, we haven't been perfect in the execution of this effort. A balance had to be maintained between keeping the storyline fresh and dynamic while also holding fast to the core attributes of foundation material. That led to mistakes, contradictions, and general inconsistencies in the canon. We took that personally, and decided to do something about it."

Continue reading CCP Games to revamp the lore of EVE Online

CCP Games to revamp the lore of EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hi-Rez Studios VP Stew Chisam on what to expect from Global Agenda

James Egan — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, Global Agenda

The people at Hi-Rez Studios are the creators of Global Agenda, a 'spy-fi' mix of massively multiplayer online game and a shooter. Although Global Agenda is still a ways off from a release date, fan sites have already been established, notably Global Agenda Mission Control. The Mission Control community recently posed some questions to the Global Agenda creators, and Stew Chisam, Hi-Rez Studios Vice President of Game Operations, was happy to respond. Chisam provides updates on Global Agenda's fiction, which is fleshed out in two stories so far -- The Utopian and The Cure for Life.

He states that Global Agenda's lore will be there to establish backstory, but the game experience isn't necessarily story-driven. "You'll see that the players themselves drive the drama and action inside of the game," he says. "It's their interactions with each other and the alliances they choose to make that really create the 'history' inside the game and drive your progression forward as a character."

Continue reading Hi-Rez Studios VP Stew Chisam on what to expect from Global Agenda

Hi-Rez Studios VP Stew Chisam on what to expect from Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Global Agenda fiction: The Utopian

Jon Shute — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Spy, Global Agenda

Global Agenda developers, Hi-Rez Studios, has released some fiction for their upcoming game. Global Agenda is a subscription based action MMO that uses the Unreal 3 engine and is currently slated for release at the end of the year, with a beta in Q2 this year. The game is set in the 22nd century and features fast paced PvP action in a world that has been devastated by the third world war and is now governed by a single world order, the Commonwealth.

The story chronicles Steven, who is a 17 year old growing up in Commonwealth Prime. This is a city where everybody is controlled down to the level of having a prescribed routine that they must stick to perfectly and without question. Steven tries to break this routine in little ways whenever he can but his actions, however, have consequences.

You can read the story over at MMORPG.com, and don't forget to check out our previous coverage of Global Agenda.

Global Agenda fiction: The Utopian originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Telling more engaging stories in EVE Online

James Egan — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Lore, Quests

One of the greatest strengths of EVE Online is its lore, which chronicles generations of struggle between New Eden's races and their continual political and ideological upheavals. Not everyone will agree with that opinion, of course, just as not all players seek out immersion in New Eden. For those who do, EVE has been building up short stories to flesh out the lore over the past six years -- all nicely collected on their site -- gritty tales of New Eden's technological heights and moral depths. It's already led to a novel titled Empyrean Age authored by Tony Gonzales, which will hopefully lead to a follow-up work.

Given all the attention CCP Games has given to adding these dimensions and layers to the game's backstory, the truth is that EVE is as much a virtual setting as it is a game; as such, there's always a need to expand and refine that setting. A solid backstory is important but it's equally important to EVE's players to be able to interact with it, feel like they're really a part of New Eden in some way. Live events and storyline missions (quests) have been used in the past to this end. However, in the case of missions, a player's role in New Eden's story hasn't quite matched up with what many feel it could be. CCP's efforts to make EVE Online's storylines more engaging is the focus of their latest dev blog, titled "Telling Stories: Evolution of the Atlanta Content Team".

Continue reading Telling more engaging stories in EVE Online

Telling more engaging stories in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: Storytelling in EVE Online

Brendan Drain — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Forums, Guilds, Lore, MMO industry, Politics, Roleplaying, EVE Evolved

Storytelling is a major part of most MMOs, with each game having its own unique back-story and fiction. Fantasy settings like Everquest's world of Norrath have even been made into novels and some original fantasy literature like Lord of the Rings has conversely made its way into the MMO scene. Quests and expansions in an MMO usually lead the character through an interactive story where the player assumes the role of a hero. Although space-borne MMO EVE Online doesn't share that pattern and the the game's storyline doesn't develop during play, storytelling may actually be more important to EVE than it is to its fantasy counterparts. In the same way that EVE lends itself spectacularly to making videos, the EVE community has created some awesome fiction and there are some incredible real stories of in-game events. Combined with the wealth of prime fiction and the regular release of official chronicles, it's clear that storytelling is a big deal in EVE.

Read on as I delve into the EVE storyline and the various forms of storytelling that players can expect to take part in. If being part of epic events and telling the story sounds like your cup of tea, perhaps EVE is for you.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Storytelling in EVE Online

EVE Evolved: Storytelling in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively nominated for E-ON Magazine 2009 Editor's Choice Award

James Egan — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST

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

Voting in the 2009 E-ON Magazine Awards kicked off earlier this week, announced both in the current issue of E-ON, the official magazine of EVE Online, and on the game's website. The E-ON awards are a big deal in EVE, as they're a way of honoring standout players, in-game corporations, and alliances for their contributions to the game over the course of the previous year. It's also a chance for EVE's playerbase to look at the list of nominees and inevitably exclaim, "Who the hell is that?" when seeing an unfamiliar name among them. (This is perhaps a testament to how much is going on in relation to EVE's setting of New Eden, both in-game and out.)

We certainly hope no one does this when they see Massively listed in a new category established this year -- the E-ON Editor's Choice Award. The Editor's Choice Award nominees were handpicked by the E-ON team to highlight contributions to the game that might have been overlooked otherwise, or simply wouldn't fit into the other established voting categories.

Continue reading Massively nominated for E-ON Magazine 2009 Editor's Choice Award

Massively nominated for E-ON Magazine 2009 Editor's Choice Award originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fiction book features world domination via MMOs

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Culture, News items

With the world of creative fiction creating these bizarre, unrealistic stories about video games and how they magically kill people, it's a breath of refreshing air when something comes along that defies the usual conventions. The new techno-thriller novel Daemon by Daniel Suarez is one of those books that escapes from the usual traps of writing about video games.

Daemon features a story about a dead game designer who rigs up multiple programs to run on the condition of finding his name in a obituary RSS feed. Programs that twist enough electronic mediums in just the right way to automatically steal identities, move money, recruit people, and even kill. And where is this virus hidden? In the dead game designer's MMO, of course!

Daemon stays in the realm of plausibility via its writer, Suarez, who has a career as a IT consultant and is an avid gamer. While it originally had publishing difficulties, the book has picked up steam and is now available on his website through companies like Borders, Barnes & Noble, and others. So, when you're waiting during that next raid for your priest to show up and you have nothing else to do, why not give reading this book a go?

[Via The Escapist]

Fiction book features world domination via MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively interviews E-ON editor Zapatero

James Egan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, Opinion, Massively Interviews

EVE Online is a deep and complex game, and even those who've played EVE for years find there are still facets of gameplay they've never mastered. This is compounded by the game's unique nature as a massive galaxy primed for exploration and domination by its players, whose actions and machinations affect one another in a single setting that's never quite the same from one day to the next.

EVE is always evolving, both in terms of the dynamics between players and the game itself, seen as a whole. But unlike most MMOs, EVE Online has an official magazine, called E-ON, which has kept pace with how the game and its player efforts have changed over the years. To flip through the E-ON back issues is to see the documented evolution of EVE Online. In fact, E-ON manages to stay ahead of the curve due in part to its access to CCP Games, but mostly through the efforts of the players themselves whose writing talents make up the entirety of E-ON. The man behind E-ON is Richie Shoemaker, aka "Zapatero." He's the one who's been guiding the publication along since day one, and ensuring its content digs beneath the surface of the game. He's interviewed EVE's players and developers alike, but it occurred to us... Zapatero has an excellent perspective on the game yet is rarely interviewed, himself.

Massively recently caught up with Zapatero in between his continent hopping, and got him to tell us a bit about his approach to covering EVE and what the player community is capable of creating.

Continue reading Massively interviews E-ON editor Zapatero

Massively interviews E-ON editor Zapatero originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Community Spotlight: Winterblink

James Egan — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Interviews, Opinion, Massively Interviews

Some players in EVE Online are known for a particular contribution to the community. Others for their presence on the forums or for their reputation as a pilot. EVE's players know Winterblink for all of these reasons, and more. While there are a number of celebrated players in EVE Online, few names are as recognizable in the game as Winterblink. Whether you're a fan of the Warp Drive Active comic, you listen to his podcast, or perhaps you just want to podkill him... most players agree that he's one of the friendliest people you're likely to meet in EVE, except for when he's got you in his sights.

Massively recently caught up with Winterblink and spoke with him about how Warp Drive Active came to be, finding humor in a game that's taken so seriously by its players, and what it means to him to be a part of the EVE community.

Continue reading EVE Community Spotlight: Winterblink

EVE Community Spotlight: Winterblink originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online interview discusses players determining storyline

James Egan — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Guilds, Interviews, Lore, Patches, News items, PvE, Politics, Races, Roleplaying

Split Infinity Radio, a gamer-run internet radio station (with a noticeable sci-fi MMO bent) recently interviewed Scott Holden, Lead Content Creator of EVE Online at Gen Con 2008. Holden has been integral in building up all the mission content that's about to drop in the upcoming Empyrean Age expansions over the next few months. Split Infinity asks Holden a question that's been on the minds of a number of EVE players: Can player actions really influence the storyline?

Holden's answer is 'yes'... to a point. He discusses the initiative at CCP to create a system where events are announced in contested parts of space, prompting players to get involved. Their actions would be reported on through the in-game news, and in this way affects (or creates aspects of) the storyline. Participants in factional warfare, or anyone who reads the Interstellar Correspondents news pieces, know that this already exists to some extent in EVE, but Holden states that CCP would like to take the idea further as time goes on.

Continue reading EVE Online interview discusses players determining storyline

EVE Online interview discusses players determining storyline originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP Games video interview on player interaction with fiction

James Egan — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Expansions, Interviews, Lore, PvP, News items, PvE

The backstory of EVE Online is something that CCP Games has put a great deal of time and effort into creating. As all MMOs are ongoing works, so too are EVE's backstory and the storyline that players experience. To that end, CCP has people like Lead Writer Tony Gonzales (author of The Empyrean Age novel) and Lead Content Creator Scott Holden to flesh out the setting's past, while ensuring that the future of EVE's story remains open enough to allow players to do as they choose.

MMORPG.com caught up with Tony Gonzales and Scott Holden at Gen Con, and got them to speak about the story of EVE in a video interview. They discussed how factional warfare finally came to be in EVE, player response to the Empyrean Age expansion, and how CCP is working to better integrate the backstory with gameplay. Be sure to check out MMORPG.com's Empyrean Age interview if you'd like to hear CCP's views on player-driven versus story-driven action.

CCP Games video interview on player interaction with fiction originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online official site offers free history lesson

Samuel Axon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, News items, Star Trek Online

Cryptic Studios promised that it would explain what happens in the Star Trek universe between the film Star Trek: Nemesis (the last canon entry in the franchise) and the time period of Star Trek Online. Fulfilling that promise, it posted on the official STO website the first of a series of articles of fiction describing events from Nemesis onward.

The article covers 2379 and 2380. Hardcore Trekkies or Trekkers will be satisfied to find that canon is respected, right down to details such as the number of Cardassian casualties in the Dominion War, as revealed in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. We're not sure what we think of the idea that pretty much every character, no matter how minor (such as Keiko O'Brien) moved on to an historically significant role. It's probably meant to please the fans but it seems like a bit of a stretch.

The Star Trek franchise is already known for that sort of stretching though; that's one of the reasons we love it so much, right?

Star Trek Online official site offers free history lesson originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Visual Guide: The Birth of New Eden

James Egan — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, PvP, PvE, Races

The backstory of EVE Online is one of the game's major strengths. Not all players immerse themselves in the setting, which is a shame as the backstory -- built up over years -- is rich. No epic science fiction tale is without a grand struggle, and the story of EVE is one of the corrupting interplay of high technology and the power it brings, generation upon generation.

EVE's backstory is a departure from the established notions of 'good vs. evil'; even its villains can become heroes in the gritty setting of New Eden. As the empires created by EVE's pilots rise and fall with relentless alliance warfare in 0.0 space, as they lend their strength to causes in the factional warfare of the Empyrean Age, they take the concepts established in the backstory and run with them -- in some respects, making the game into what they want it to be. The Birth of New Eden is a visual tour of the backstory of EVE, from humanity's first steps beyond the EVE Gate into the unknown, to the sweeping conflict of The Empyrean Age.

Witness the Birth of New Eden >>

Gallery: The Birth of New Eden

EVE Visual Guide: The Birth of New Eden originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

An early look at the lore of Earthrise

James Egan — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Lore, New titles, Earthrise

More information about the lore of Earthrise has surfaced, giving readers a preview of the post-apocalyptic MMO's setting of Enterra. Although still in a pre-beta stage of development at Masthead Studios, some details were already known about the organizations in Earthrise. The newest information comes from IGN's RPG Vault, which has released their first of three installments on the lore of Earthrise.

The IGN pieces will focus on Continoma, the corporate entity that governs the lives of Enterra's citizens. "Continoma: The Beginning" looks at how the Continoma Project developed into humanity's only viable chance for survival, via genetic rebirth which followed the cataclysmic Third World War. If you're a fan of the lore in your MMOs and sci-fi is your thing, check out the full story over at RPG Vault.

An early look at the lore of Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Chronicle: Masks of Authority

James Egan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, Races, Roleplaying

Most EVE Online players wouldn't characterize themselves as roleplayers. Simply by piloting their ships as capsuleers -- whether it's to make New Eden a safer place, or to lay waste to every unfortunate soul that crosses their path -- all EVE players assume a role of sorts. However, for those who prefer greater immersion, one of the real strengths of EVE Online is the depth and breadth of its backstory, which provides a gritty setting for players to delve into, should they choose to.

The latest EVE Chronicle provides a look within New Eden's power structures that goes beyond the heads of the four races. "Masks of Authority" sheds more light on the corporate paradigm that governs one's life as a Caldari player in EVE, a system overpowered by the Chief Executive Panel -- eight megacorporations whose collective wealth and influence makes or breaks the lives of all Caldari citizens.

Continue reading EVE Chronicle: Masks of Authority

EVE Chronicle: Masks of Authority originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Chronicle puts players at the center of factional warfare

James Egan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, PvP, Roleplaying

The latest EVE Chronicle is called "The Dark End of Space." This installment connects the events seen in the full Empyrean Age trailer (namely, Jamyl Sarum's utter obliteration of a greater Minmatar fleet) with the lowsec militia conflicts and missions that have embroiled EVE Online's players in factional warfare. Indeed, "The Dark End of Space" focuses on how each of the four races -- despite having conflicting goals and ideologies -- view the capsuleers... the actual players in EVE Online: "A group of people so powerful they're practically a faction unto themselves. Immortal, fearless and wealthy beyond imagining. Born of all four empires but beholden, in truth, to no one but themselves. And utterly untapped, in this little skirmish of ours."

"The Dark End of Space" shows how each of the races face similar difficulties, and how the players of EVE are thought by each faction to be the solution to their problems. EVE dev CCP Abraxas says of the newest Chronicle: "... this one breaks rank and instead focuses on the capsuleers. It explains how we went from the end of the novel to the onset of factional warfare, and how you guys got pulled into it." This could get very interesting if factional propaganda enters into the game, with each race's militia trying to further sway the capsuleers to their cause and tip the balance of power in the Empyrean Age. But for the time being, the Empyrean Age novel, the trailer, and the Chronicles are intertwined, and it seems that EVE's players are firmly at the center of what is to come.

EVE Chronicle puts players at the center of factional warfare originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Latest EVE Chronicle a look into Gallente moral erosion

James Egan — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Forums, Lore, Roleplaying

EVE Online is running a series of Chronicles focusing on the leadership of the four races in the Empyrean Age, now locked into war in a galaxy divided. The latest EVE Chronicle, "The Paths They Chose," focuses on the Gallente race and is set in a blend of futuristic crystalline cityscape and natural scenery. The story shows the measures taken by leaders of the Gallente Federation to ensure their way of life continues. Holographic technology, advanced eavesdropping countermeasures, and an artificially cultivated environment merge in several acres of selectively grown flora and woodland; serenity and privacy for Federation officials and visiting diplomats is assured in the sanctum beneath a vast transparent dome.

But the beauty of this place is juxtaposed with the inhuman actions taken within. A traitor to the Gallente people is grotesquely crucified upon a metallic 'dead man's needle,' which suspends the captive by his vertebrae while pumping him full of sedatives. The captive is abused like this by order of the President of the Gallente Federation, Souro Foiritan. Like the illusion of transparency of the eco-dome surrounding the characters, the moral high ground of the Gallente Federation is shown to be equally ephemeral, as President Foiritan reveals a new -- and dark -- direction that the Gallente will take in New Eden. Read "The Paths They Chose" to see Foiritan's descent into becoming "a leader cruel enough to do what needed to be done, and compassionate enough to understand why it needed doing." The story has struck a chord with some of EVE's players, who are discussing the sudden change and what this might do for the game's backstory.

Latest EVE Chronicle a look into Gallente moral erosion originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

BattleClinic's exclusive Factional Warfare guide by CCP Games

James Egan — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Guides, News items

BattleClinic, a popular EVE Online web resource run by players, now has another thing going in its favor. Matthew Woodward, a Game Designer from CCP Games, has put together an in-character factional warfare guide, which is exclusive to the site. Woodward writes under the guise of one 'Sergeant-Major Illivia', and tries to whip the reader into shape as if they were a new recruit in Boot Camp.

Sergeant-Major Illivia's ranting introduction to factional warfare in the Empyrean Age walks you through militia enlistment, battlefield intelligence, your objectives in the war, and most importantly -- how to stay alive in EVE. It's a clever way of conveying what's involved in factional conflict to a prospective recruit, although Woodward/Illivia does make you feel like a whelp at times. Check out the "Faction Warfare Enlistment Debrief" at BattleClinic for fiction with practical applications.

BattleClinic's exclusive Factional Warfare guide by CCP Games originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments