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: How to fit the Enyo and Ishkur]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/eve-evolved-how-to-fit-the-enyo-and-ishkur/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/eve-evolved-how-to-fit-the-enyo-and-ishkur/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/eve-evolved-how-to-fit-the-enyo-and-ishkur/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
When tech 2 ships were first introduced to EVE Online, the first models off the production line were interceptors and assault ships. Interceptors served as agile tacklers with unmatched speed and maneuverability, while assault ships provided a slower but tankier option. Each race's assault ship had a bonus to its racial resistances, making it an incredible tank against certain damage types. This made it great for ninja-ratting in nullsec or tackling larger ships of a particular race. When subsequently released ships were also given this racial resistance bonus, the assault frigate lost part of what made it so useful. Players have begged for an assault ship buff for years, and in Crucible, it finally arrived.

The Gallente Ishkur and Enyo have always been capable PvE ships for speed-running low-level missions or ninja-ratting in nullsec, but with Crucible, they've become absolute monsters in both PvE and PvP. With the maneuverability and signature radius of a frigate but more tank and damage output than a tech 1 cruiser, both ships are incredibly fun to fly. Drone users will probably prefer the Ishkur, but the Enyo's raw damage output and buffer tank are truly terrifying.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I offer PvE and PvP setups for the Gallente Ishkur and Enyo to help you get the most out of these incredible revamped ships.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: How to fit the Enyo and Ishkur

MassivelyEVE Evolved: How to fit the Enyo and Ishkur originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gamescrucibledamagedpsenyoeveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedfrigateguideishkurpvepvpsandboxsci-fishipship-fittingSun, 19 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/eve-evolved-the-new-player-experience-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

EVE Evolved title image
Two weeks ago, I began an experiment to look into EVE Online's new player experience from the perspective of someone who has never played the game before. I convinced my friend Kajatta to try the game for the first time, with his only prior knowledge being the same stories, videos and screenshots that anyone will have seen before signing up to give the game a shot. In the first part of this investigation into the new player experience, Kajatta delivered a harsh first impression of the user interface and character creation.

A common story I've heard when I'm talking to current EVE players is that many didn't really get into the game the first time they played. As happened to Kajatta, some found adapting to the UI and control scheme a jarring experience and were put off as a result. It was usually the second time they played EVE that seemed to make the game stick, whether that was restarting a new character immediately or giving the game a second try up to a year later.

Could it be that EVE is most likely to appeal to new players the second time they play it? To put this theory to the test, this week Kajatta took a fresh second stab at EVE Online and played through all the career agent content. But has his first attempt provide the equipment necessary to scale EVE's famous learning cliff, or did the UI and control scheme prove as impenetrable a barrier as ever?

In this week's EVE Evolved, Kajatta delivers his verdict on whether EVE is better the second time around and delves into the Cash Flow For Capsuleers combat missions.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auracash-flow-for-capsuleersccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedfrigategallerykajattamissionmission-runningmissionsnew-playernew-player-experiencenew-playersscreenshotscreenshotstutorialtutorialsSun, 13 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Getting into your first PvP frigate]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/24/eve-evolved-getting-into-your-first-pvp-frigate/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/24/eve-evolved-getting-into-your-first-pvp-frigate/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/24/eve-evolved-getting-into-your-first-pvp-frigate/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

In last week's EVE Evolved, I encouraged new players to grab a few friends and charge head-first into PvP with guns blazing from day one. Whether you join a faction warfare militia, form a corp to declare war on other corporations or head out to lowsec or nullsec, starting your PvP journey is an important part of enjoying EVE.

Several readers requested help with picking a ship, putting together a viable ship fitting and finding the funding for it. So many players asked for help that this week's column is entirely dedicated to the messy business of putting together your first PvP frigate and learning to fly it. Although the ship of choice for most newbies is the agile Minmatar Rifter, each race has a range of frigates that can perform well in PvP groups with minimal skills. In this article, I'll suggest fittings for two frigates from each race that new players with as little as one day of trained skills will be able to fly.

One of the core concepts of EVE Online's PvP that often discourages new players is the idea that your ship is irreversibly destroyed when you die. While this may seem like an extremely harsh death penalty, deciding how much you risk in PvP is part of the game's tactical gameplay and even the best active PvP enthusiasts lose at least one ship per week. Death in EVE is essentially a financial loss followed by the inconvenience of having to buy and fit a new ship. Most of the financial penalty can be countered by using cheap and effective tech 1 equipment and insuring your ship, and the inconvenience of death can by bypassed by building up a stockpile of disposable PvP ships.

With that in mind, this week's absolutely massive EVE Evolved is dedicated to getting you and a few friends into your first PvP frigates after as little as one day in the game and helping you mitigate the financial loss of death.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Getting into your first PvP frigate

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Getting into your first PvP frigate originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamescrucifiereveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedfrigategriffinguideincursuskestrelnyphurpunisherpvprifterslashertristanSun, 24 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rockets and more to be boosted in EVE's Incursion expansion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/rockets-and-more-to-be-boosted-in-eves-incursion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/rockets-and-more-to-be-boosted-in-eves-incursion-expansion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/rockets-and-more-to-be-boosted-in-eves-incursion-expansion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Of all the small issues players want to see fixed in EVE Online, few have gained as much community support as the campaign to boost rockets. Rockets are intended to be short-range but high-damage anti-frigate missiles for tech 1 and 2 frigates with missile hardpoints. Unfortunately, their damage output and effectiveness against other frigates has been extremely poor since missiles and ship signature radii were rebalanced years ago. The issue has gained so much support in the community because it's seen as one of the few problems in EVE that could possibly be fixed in a matter of minutes. Players assert that all it would take is changing a few numbers in the EVE database, and yet the problem has remained unsolved for so long.

Missile-slinging frigate pilots across New Eden will breathe a sigh of relief today as a new devblog has finally answered their prayers. In the upcoming Incursion expansion, rockets will have their explosion velocity and base damage increased to make them effective against frigate-sized ships. In addition, several neglected and underused types of tech 2 ammunition are being boosted to make them desirable to use instead of faction ammo. Further changes covered in the devblog include some performance optimisations with the Supercarrier Fighter Bombers and the inclusion of faction ships in the standard market browser. With easier access to faction ships and boosts to underused ammo, players taking part in the expansion's new group PvE feature will be pleased with the changes.

MassivelyRockets and more to be boosted in EVE's Incursion expansion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesdevblogeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexpansionfrigatefrigatesincursionpatchpverocketrocketsMon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Getting into PvP from day one]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/26/eve-evolved-getting-into-pvp-from-day-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/26/eve-evolved-getting-into-pvp-from-day-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/26/eve-evolved-getting-into-pvp-from-day-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Although it has significant PvE elements, EVE Online has always at its core been a heavily PvP-oriented game. Players wanting to get into PvP are often advised to train months' worth of skills and build up significant ISK reserves before even trying it, but this is something I strongly discourage. As I've said in several previous articles, a new player can be a useful and effective part of a PvP squad with very little training time. This is something I personally put to the test when a few real life friends and I started completely new characters and started engaging in PvP with less than 12 hours of skills trained.

Although we had significant PvP experience under our belts, the exercise proved to me that skill training and ISK weren't the absolute minimum requirement they were thought to be. I firmly believe that all it takes to successfully PvP from the outset is some patient direction from older players and perhaps a little generosity to help you afford some early ship losses. In my experience with introducing new players to EVE, I've always found the EVE community to be more than willing to provide both of these in abundance. I'd say that not only is it possible to try out PvP within the 14-day trial period, it's highly recommended.

In this opinion piece, I explain some key things you can do as a new player to get into PvP right from day one of the EVE free trial.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Getting into PvP from day one

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Getting into PvP from day one originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atronccpccp-eveccp-gameseveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlineeve-universityexecutionerfactionfaction-warfarefactional-warfarefeaturedfrigategame-mechanicsincursusopinionpunisherpvprifterslashertristanSun, 26 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Making the most of your EVE Online free trial]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/eve-evolved-making-the-most-of-your-eve-online-free-trial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/eve-evolved-making-the-most-of-your-eve-online-free-trial/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/29/eve-evolved-making-the-most-of-your-eve-online-free-trial/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


Like many MMOs, EVE Online offers a free trial to let players try the game out before they buy it. While this lets you see if you like the gameplay before committing, the sheer scope of EVE makes it practically impossible to experience everything the game has to offer within the trial period. Additionally, since the learning curve is relatively steep to begin with, it's very easy to become overwhelmed in a short trial period. These factors can make it hard to experience what EVE is really like, meaning it's hard to make an informed decision.

In this guide, I explain how you can maximise your time and fun with the EVE free trial and help make an informed decision on whether it's the game for you.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Making the most of your EVE Online free trial

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Making the most of your EVE Online free trial originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buddy keyBuddyKeyccpccp-gamescorpcorporationeveeve-evolvedeve-onlinefeaturedfreefree trialFreeTrialfrigateguildjoystiqfeatureskestrellearning curveLearningCurvepunisherriftershiptrialtristanMon, 29 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[One Shots: Another favorite first ship]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/one-shots-another-favorite-first-ship/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/one-shots-another-favorite-first-ship/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/one-shots-another-favorite-first-ship/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We recently ran a screenshot from our very own EVE Online fiend, James Egan, of his favorite first faction ship. Since then, other EVE Online players have written in to send us some of their favorite ships as well! Today's cool first ship comes to us from Jonathan C. (sorry, no character name given) who sent in the above image of his Angel Cartel frigate. Jonathan writes: I still fly my Dramiel around from time to time. Not really much of a ship, but it can be fun, and I still love how it looks. For a frigate class, we have to agree; the Dramiel is pretty wicked looking.

If you've got a favorite method of transport in your game (be it a ship, a horse, flight form, or what have you) we'd love to see it. After all, the achievement is more fun when you can show it off -- and what better place than One Shots? Just send those screenshots in along with your name, game and a quick description of what we're seeing in the image. Mail them to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com and relax. We'll post them for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots



MassivelyOne Shots: Another favorite first ship originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>angel-cartelccpcrowd-control-productionsdramieleveeve-onlinefrigatejonathan-cone-shotsscreenshotscreenshotsshipMon, 03 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The cost of failure, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eve-evolved-the-cost-of-failure-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eve-evolved-the-cost-of-failure-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eve-evolved-the-cost-of-failure-part-2/#commentsContinue reading EVE Evolved: The cost of failure, part 2

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The cost of failure, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleshipccpcheapcostcruiserdeath penaltyDeathPenaltyeveeve-onlinefeaturedfrigateinsuranceiskjoystiqfeaturesmoneytech 2Tech2Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: The cost of failure]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eve-evolved-the-cost-of-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eve-evolved-the-cost-of-failure/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/12/eve-evolved-the-cost-of-failure/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The harsh death penalty in EVE Online is something that's talked about a lot. I even touched on the issue myself when I compared EVE Online's style of PvP to Age of Conan and when I investigated the phenomenon of suicide ganking. In EVE, your ship being destroyed means millions of your hard-earned isk is flushed down the drain. If you're unlucky enough not to get away in your escape pod, you'll be killed and recloned, costing yet more isk and destroying any expensive implants in your head. The brutal death penalty associated with PvP in EVE is responsible for putting a lot of players off playing the game but is the taste of death really as bitter as people make it out to be?

In this article, I examine the cost of defeat in PvP and how to minimise these costs without ruining your PvP performance.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The cost of failure

MassivelyEVE Evolved: The cost of failure originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleshipccpcheapcostcruiserdeath penaltyDeathPenaltyeveeve-onlinefeaturedfrigateinsuranceiskjoystiqfeaturesmoneytech 2Tech2Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Empyrean Age factional warfare exploit identified]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/04/empyrean-age-factional-warfare-exploit-identified/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/04/empyrean-age-factional-warfare-exploit-identified/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/04/empyrean-age-factional-warfare-exploit-identified/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Factional warfare in EVE Online, by design, ensures that ships of a much greater ship class cannot engage smaller ships in certain deadspace mission pockets. If you and your fellow militia pilots are in a zone designated for nothing larger than frigates, for instance, you shouldn't find yourself getting locked by battleships fighting for your rival militia. Apparently this has started to occur; some players have found that the jump gates to these zones don't actually prevent them from warping in ships of a magnitude not allowed in such areas.

GM Grimmi had this to say at the EVE Online site: "Flying bigger class ships than allowed by the jump gates to Factional Warfare complexes has been classed as an exploit. If you are found doing this we will be forced to take in-game actions as abusing game mechanics is not allowed." So there you go. You might still be able to get in there with something obscenely overpowered and pop frigates like balloons, but you'll say goodbye to your account over it.

MassivelyEmpyrean Age factional warfare exploit identified originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleshipccpccp-gamesdeadspacedevdev-blogeveeve-onlineexploitfactionfactional-warfarefrigategame-mechanicsgmgm-grimmijump-gatejumpgatemacharielmissionpvpsci-fiFri, 04 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EST