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EVE Evolved: Risk vs. reward in lowsec

Brendan Drain — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Economy, Game mechanics, Professions, PvP, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

In EVE Online's early years, one of its core design philosophies was adherence to a strict risk vs. reward balance scheme. There were riches out there to be found, but to get them, you had to put yourself in the firing line. Police ships patrolled high-security space to keep players safe from piracy, but the only resources available there were low-bounty frigate NPCs and inexpensive ores like Veldspar, Scordite and Omber. In the lawless far-reaches of nullsec, huge NPC bounties and rare ores containing Megacyte and Zydrine tempted hundreds of pilots to head out and make their fortunes.

Nullsec offered absolutely no protection against player attacks, and the only safety to be found was in sheer military force. The biggest and best corporations hoarded these gold mines for themselves, locking down the few entrances into the regions and patrolling the skies for unwanted visitors. Low-security space offered a middle-ground between these two extremes, a place where the everyday pilot could enjoy increased income and pirates were easier to spot. At some time in the past nine years, lowsec lost its place in the game and became simply not worth the effort. But how did that happen, and what can be done to fix it?

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at why lowsec systems are now ghost towns and suggest an alternative design philosophy that I think could revitalise these under-used areas.

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EVE Evolved: Risk vs. reward in lowsec originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Touring a galaxy reborn

Brendan Drain — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, Game mechanics, Wallpapers, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

EVE Online recently celebrated the release of its incredible Crucible expansion, noted as one of the most feature-heavy expansions in the game's history despite the majority of its features being produced in a period of just a few weeks. Two years' worth of graphical upgrades, features, balance upgrades and quality-of-life fixes hit Tranquility all at once, and the response from players has been incredibly positive.

Last week I rounded up all the information there is to know about the Crucible expansion, but reading articles and news posts is no substitute for hands-on experience. This week I took a tour around parts of New Eden to explore the incredible new graphics Crucible delivered. As I have a background in graphics programming, the graphical upgrades are obviously the most exciting change for me. The astounding background nebulae are even more impressive when you know just how difficult it would be to build a nebula system that looks this incredible from any location.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I explore a reborn galaxy and catalogue my adventures in a massive HD gallery.

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EVE Evolved: Touring a galaxy reborn originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- Advanced mining

Brendan Drain — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Game mechanics, Professions, PvE, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides

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

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

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

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

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EVE Evolved: Preparing for Incursion

Brendan Drain — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, PvE, EVE Evolved

Several months ago, pirate faction Sansha's Nation began invading the populated systems of New Eden in force and abducting colonists from the defenseless planets. Using a frightening new technology, Sansha's forces have been able to open controlled wormholes directly in orbit of their target planets. CONCORD and the local faction navies have been unable to defend against the incursions, leaving the fate of EVE Online's planets solely in the hands of capsuleers. EVE players immediately began to organise intelligence networks and corporations dedicated to detecting and fighting the Sansha threat.

In the upcoming Incursion expansion, Sansha's Nation will be stepping up its attacks to full-scale invasions of entire constellations. Having converted the millions of colonists they've abducted to mindless drones of the Nation and even having moved a conquered Jovian space station into their hidden wormhole home, Sansha's forces have never been stronger. When the Incursion expansion's main feature goes live in January of next year, players will find themselves on the front-lines of a war. We'll group up in fleets of 5-10, 10-20 or 20-40 players to tackle the various incursion sites and ultimately destroy each invasion wave's mothership. With the first Incursion release scheduled for this month and less than two months to go until the constellation-wide Sansha attacks begin, now is the perfect time to prepare for the expansion.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the ways you can benefit from the upcoming expansion and what players can do to prepare for the war against Sansha's Nation.

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EVE Evolved: Preparing for Incursion originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Staying safe in high security space

Brendan Drain — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, Guides, PvP, Tips and tricks, EVE Evolved

One of EVE Online's defining factors is the idea that you're not completely safe anywhere in the game. If you're not docked in a station or securely logged off, there's always a chance that someone will pick a fight with you. Many pilots opt to stay in the relative safety of high security space but even this isn't an absolutely safe area. Suicide attacks, corporate wars, can flippers and loot thieves are a common sight in New Eden and if you don't know how to handle them, you could find yourself on the business end of a 150mm railgun.

In this guide for newer EVE players, I look at the main threats you could be exposed to in high security space and how to keep yourself safe in spite of them.

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EVE Evolved: Staying safe in high security space originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Tech 1 blueprints, page 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

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EVE Evolved: Research: Tech 1 blueprints, page 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Tech 1 blueprints

Brendan Drain — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, Crafting, Professions, Making money, PvE, EVE Evolved

While it's most often lauded for its PvP, not everything in EVE Online is about shooting people. Research and manufacturing are two of EVE's most popular PvE professions because of the small time commitments they require. A lot of things in EVE are built from blueprints and through research, you can be one of the people supplying those blueprints. Whether you want to improve your own blueprints to increase manufacturing profit margins or make blueprint copies for sale, it's worth looking into doing your own research. Jobs can be set up to run for days on end, taking you as little as a few minutes per week to manage. This can augment your income from active sources like mining, trading or mission-running.

In this article, I look at the basics of tech 1 blueprint research, the skills required to make the most of your time and how you could run your own research labs in the relative safety of high security space.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Tech 1 blueprints originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrating the holidays in EVE with snowball fights in space

James Egan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Humor

Space is cold. You wouldn't think 'holiday cheer' and EVE Online would be mentioned in the same context, but CCP Games has gotten in on the holiday action with the other MMO developers this season. Xiphos from the EVE blog "A Misguided Adventurer" had a holiday surprise from CCP when he logged into the game this morning: a snowball launcher and snowball ammo.

Xiphos writes, "Happy Holidays from CCP! Everyone check your hangars and you'll find a nice little gift from CCP. 300 Snowballs and a Snowball Launcher. A High slot fitting, these deadly cold balls of ice do -10 Thermal Damage and are damn fun. Start launching some at your friends and enemies and let's get a massive snowball fight started in Jita, top station!"

Every character in EVE Online automatically received these items today, even your lowly scouts and price-checking alts. Added to the fun is the initial surprise that seems to grip some highsec dwellers as they realize they're being fired upon and CONCORD (EVE's NPC police force) doesn't care. No less than five of them warped off in panic while I tried to get the accompanying image. Try it, you'll see.

Celebrating the holidays in EVE with snowball fights in space originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE's 'Orca' mining vessel facilitates suicide ganks against miners

James Egan — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, in-game, Exploits, Forums, Game mechanics, PvP, News items

Among the changes to EVE Online introduced with the Quantum Rise expansion is a new class of ship, the 'Orca' industrial command ship.The ship is intended to be a major asset to mining operations in New Eden, but it's a flexible ship -- and this writer has been waiting to see what clever uses players will have for it. It looks like that day has come... The Orca's substantial cargo capacity, a ship maintenance bay, and corp hangar have made it an ideal base of operations for criminals operating in highsec, with an aim to suicide gank T2 mining ships. In other words, use fully insurable Tech I ships to gank specialized, expensive, and largely uninsurable Tech II ships.

Suicide ganking is nothing new, but one of the major changes CCP Games put into place to dissuade players from committing highsec suicide ganks was to substantially increase the security status penalties players are hit with when committing aggressive acts in high security (Empire) space. But no matter how low one's security status drops, all players can move about in highsec in their ship's capsule. It's only when a criminal enters a ship in highsec space that CONCORD takes action. That is where the Orca comes in. Criminals can board new ships housed within the Orca at a safespot and then warp in on their victims en masse, in multiple waves of suicide ganks. When their suicide gank ships are blasted apart by CONCORD, they can fly in their pods back to the Orca and gear up for the next wave.

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EVE's 'Orca' mining vessel facilitates suicide ganks against miners originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Learning to pull the trigger in EVE Online

James Egan — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, PvP, Opinion

Not a day goes by without someone in EVE Online being cut down by the guns, lasers, missiles or drones of another player, given how PvP-centric the game is. Only in EVE, you don't just respawn and all's well. There's often more... drama... involved. A ship lost, implants obliterated, screams of it being unfair or "Whyyyy?!" echo in Local or on the forums. This can be a brutal game at times, and most every player in EVE learns their lessons the hard way. Much of what's said on this is typically from the perspective of the victim. But what about the person behind those guns? Is it always easy for them to pull the trigger?

EVE Online blogger Black Claw addresses that sense of regret that carebears go through when turning towards piracy in "Feeling guilty?" After all, many pirates were once the 'innocent' victims of someone else when they were starting out. Black Claw writes about what it's like to make the transition from a PvP victim to a killer.

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Learning to pull the trigger in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE University explains benefits of cooperative mining

James Egan — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, Guilds, Professions, Tips and tricks, PvE

Dee Carson is a Director at EVE University, a corporation in EVE Online devoted to showing newer players the ropes of the game. Budding industry-types in EVE (as well as players interested in other professions) will want to refer to Carson's recent post at the Miner with Fangs blog -- he's made his 'EVE University Co-Operative Mining Guide' available as a pdf, and is definitely worth a read.

The guide walks a newer player through all aspects of mining in groups, from the skills required to the different ship choices and their relative merits. Most importantly, he lays out why players should mine cooperatively rather than it simply being a solo pursuit, namely that it's more profitable and adds a social dynamic to the activity. Of course there's safety in numbers, particularly when you've got a good mix of the different professions in EVE represented in the operation -- an ideal operation being comprised of miners, haulers, salvagers and 'top cover' damage dealers. Given that the guide was originally intended for EVE University students, the terminology and information imparted in the guide are accessible to most any pilot in the game, regardless of their familiarity with the industry side of EVE Online. It serves as an excellent introduction to the mining profession, and a stepping stone to more advanced guides like Halada's 'The Complete Mining Guide'. You can find the link to EVE University's guide in Carson's post over at Miner with Fangs.

EVE University explains benefits of cooperative mining originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A brief overview of EVE Online's trade and industry

James Egan — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Economy, Game mechanics, Crafting, Professions, PvE

Every time a player in EVE Online loses a ship in a fiery explosion, along with its modules and cargo, they turn to the market or look through contracts to replace what they've lost and stock up for the next time. EVE Online's sandbox and the inevitable PvP conflict that results when players can do what they choose in that sandbox provides economic opportunities for some. Combat burns up ships, and players heavily into the manufacturing side of the game are happy to supply the endless demand for new equipment, be it an unassuming frigate or a massive dreadnaught.

In EVE, items aren't supplied by NPCs, they're created by other players (or bought in quantity and resold at a markup by traders). Aside from certain items like skillbooks and blueprint originals, most of the items a player can possess in the game have been produced by other players. Thus, EVE's setting of New Eden has a true economy, providing a great amount of depth for those who are willing to learn its complexities.

Continue reading A brief overview of EVE Online's trade and industry

A brief overview of EVE Online's trade and industry originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What draws players to EVE while keeping others away?

James Egan — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Opinion

EVE Online is the type of game that doesn't have the broad appeal of fantasy that titles like World of Warcraft. Certainly, it attracts a number of players who are looking for an edgier game experience where actions have consequences. For some, the consequences can be steep, causing those gamers to shy away from EVE. Being wary of your fellow pilots is always a good idea, but it's not all piracy and suicide ganks. The game offers freedom to do what you want in the sandbox, but most EVE pilots stay on the right side of the law.

Sam Guss is a writer at EVE-Mag.com, an up and coming site that focuses on EVE Online, who wrote a piece that caught our eye at Massively. His article is titled "Is EVE for You?" and looks at what the attraction to the game is for him, and speculates about the wider appeal of EVE to other dedicated players. If you're an EVE fan, what is it that sets the game apart from other MMOs? And for those that don't play EVE Online, what aspects of the game keep you away?

What draws players to EVE while keeping others away? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The freedom of living in EVE Online's lawless space

James Egan — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, PvP, Opinion

In EVE Online, there are few things as feared by highsec dwellers as going into 0.0 space. These lawless tracts of New Eden do come with certain perils -- as CONCORD isn't there to protect you -- but there are arguably more benefits to flying in 0.0 than there are drawbacks. Still, there will always be a dichotomy in EVE between players who like the game for the freedom 0.0 offers, and those who prefer the safety of highsec.

In 'Living the good life in 0.0,' EVE blogger Xiphos explains his choice to leave Empire space behind. "In 0.0, you are free. Free of Concord, free of hundreds of players, and free to set your own destiny... it is the untamed wild west, where fortune, power, and glory are right for the taking and few have yet to reach out and grasp it," Xiphos writes. Of course, being a member of Agony Unleashed, an EVE corp that provides in-game PvP courses, doesn't hurt in terms of knowing how to handle yourself in 0.0. Have a look at 'Living the good life in 0.0' and see Xiphos' take on the appeal of flying in lawless space. Do you agree with Xiphos' view of the game, and have you largely abandoned highsec in favor of 0.0 and all that comes with it, or simply to experience the most from the game?

[Via CrazyKinux]

The freedom of living in EVE Online's lawless space originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Morality and legality in EVE Online

James Egan — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Professions

One of the strengths of EVE Online is that the game's professions can be freeform. Many players take the standard route of being a miner or a mission runner. However, new and deviant professions have arisen in a kind of symbiosis with the more established trades in the game. This is the focus of an article called 'Morality and Legality', written by ISD Magnus Balteus of CCP Games. 'Morality and Legality' looks at two of the sketchier professions that sprang from EVE's more standard career paths.

Mining has given rise to ore theft, which boils down to theft that has the side benefit of potentially baiting the victim into combat, even in high security space. If the ore thief or 'can flipper' is successful, he or she can make off with the ore that someone else mined plus the modules looted from the miner's ship wreck. The morality of this type of career doesn't even enter into the equation... this is EVE. CCP's unwillingness to change the game mechanics involved in can flipping means that this is not an exploit, it's a valid profession, albeit not in the mind of the miner victim.

Continue reading Morality and legality in EVE Online

Morality and legality in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Era of suicide ganking in EVE Online coming to a close

James Egan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST

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

CCP Games has addressed the long-standing problem of suicide ganking in EVE Online in their latest dev blog, titled "Serious Security." CCP Fear stepped up to inform the player base that, yes, the devs do take the issue of suicide ganking seriously, and that they're going to take action. The proposed changes, outlined below, are not going into effect immediately, nor do they impact actions taken as part of Empire war declarations. However, they will be implemented with the next major update to EVE, which will be Empyrean Age 1.1, rolling out this Fall. The dev blog focuses on CONCORD improvements and the increased consequences of suicide ganks.

CCP Fear states: "We have been looking at suicide ganking and overall security standing issues, and how these features affect the general landscape of EVE. We are not happy with the current ease of suicide ganking and the relative 'no hassle' it has become. In many cases, unsuspecting victims have no chance to escape, nor any help from CONCORD. We want to change this."

Continue reading Era of suicide ganking in EVE Online coming to a close

Era of suicide ganking in EVE Online coming to a close originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten things every new player should know about EVE Online

James Egan — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Tips and tricks

There are some valuable lessons learned as you progress in EVE Online, lessons which get pounded into you when making mistakes. There are so many things you wish someone had told you before you went out and made a noobish ass of yourself.

Even with the much-improved Aura tutorial that's been implemented in EVE, there are lots of things that still cause players to scream something to the effect of, "Why didn't anyone warn me?!" This is often accompanied by frantically warping away from one's obliterated ship in an escape pod with a liberal amount of cursing. Of course, it doesn't have to be this way.

Continue reading Ten things every new player should know about EVE Online

Ten things every new player should know about EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rogue Signal: Where can CONCORD hear you scream?

Phillip Manning — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Guides, PvP, Tips and tricks, PvE, Rogue Signal

When crusty old EVE Online vets give advice, sometimes the simplest questions are the ones that go unanswered, not because we don't know how to respond, but because they're not often asked, and cover things so blindingly obvious to us that we have forgotten that there was ever a point that we didn't know. This article covers one such instance. One of the uncertainties that plagues a lot of new EVE players is never quite knowing where you're safe. Often, when a shivering noob sticks his or her head out into the Rookie Help channel, or into their noob-corp chat, and asks where they are safe, a horde of jaded veterans come back with "NOWHERE!!!"

To listen to some long-time players, there are suicide gankers and can-flippers hiding behind every asteroid or stargate, waiting to drink your sweet noob tears. The truth of the matter is that, while it is technically true that you are not totally safe anywhere, there are some things that you can do to protect yourself from the flippers, gankers, and scammers out there. A great deal of controversy recently arose over one potential solution to some issues of safety in space, so this is something fresh on the minds of many EVE veterans as well as new players.

Continue reading Rogue Signal: Where can CONCORD hear you scream?

Rogue Signal: Where can CONCORD hear you scream? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 May 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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