LatestEVE Online Exclusives at Ten Ton Hammer

Video Q&A with EVE's Arand Stührmann: The Fall / Winter 2008 Lineup

Ethec — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:04:51 -0400

Updates, patches, and expansions... oh my!

EVE Online Associate Producer Arand Stührmann offers a tour de force through the game's fall updates and expansions. First up, September's Empyrean Age 1.1 or "Power to the Players" will feature fixes to satisfy over 1,000 player requests that have accumulated over the years. Arand goes to share the details of Empyrean Age 1.2 and the eagerly anticipated winter expansion, code-named "Midas." EVE fans shouldn't miss this 8 minute video from GC Leipzig!

Click here to check out our latest exclusive EVE video with Arand Stührmann, only at Ten Ton Hammer!

Exclusive EVE Online Economics Interview from Leipzig GC '08

Cody Bye — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:39:30 -0400

When it comes to the economics in virtual worlds, few men are as competent about the subject as EVE Online's Dr. Gudmundsson (Dr. E). This former professor of economics has been working as a part of the EVE Online team for nearly a year, and at this year's Leipzig Games Convention he sat down with Ten Ton Hammer's Garrett Fuller to discuss the future of economics in EVE Online and virtual worlds in general. Enjoy!

With this level of growth, CCP implemented the CSM, Council of Stellar Management to give players a democratic voice with EVE developers. Dr. E explained in our interview that meeting with the council is one of his favorite things in working on EVE. The players are always ahead of the curve, Dr. E explained and they continue to surprise designers with ideas and game play. The Council and developers keep a close eye on the economy and trading to assure it is a free market which the doctor says matches most competitative free markets in reality. As examples he explained that once a game design change was put onto the test server, nothing was spoken of it officially to players. The player base discovered the change on the test server and instantly in game the markets reacted to the change, even though it had not been implemented into the regular EVE space.

To read the rest of the EVE interview, click here!

EVE Online Editorial - Babies and Missles

Cody Bye — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:47:13 -0400

As the next entry in his EVE Online chronicles, Ten Ton Hammer's managing editor Cody "Micajah" Bye takes a look at the complexity of EVE's combat and the many different variations that need to be understood before EVE players can be successful. In his estimation, Bye likens learning about EVE's combat to the initial confusion of dealing with a new baby. Read his entire editorial to figure out exactly what this means!

From the very outset of being a father – and engaging in combat in EVE Online – you realize that you really have no freaking idea what you’re doing. Although you’ve gone through all the tutorial classes, learned about all the complications that can occur, and done your best to get a fairly good grasp of what you’re getting yourself into, you’ll still find yourself fumbling through web pages on the Internet while trying to keep yourself from doing something incredibly stupid.

To read the rest of the EVE Online editorial, click here!

EVE Online Impressions - Riding the Unicycle

Cody Bye — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:51:45 -0400

Space can be a scary place, but only if you come in unprepared. As the second in a series of articles focused on the gameplay in EVE Online, Cody "Micajah" Bye takes a solid look at the PvP-friendly game and explains many of the early nuances that he experienced while flying through the black depths of the game world. Although the editorial focuses on character creation, anyone interested in EVE and concerned about the unique play style should check it out!

You see, EVE Online doesn’t rely on the simple “kill the monster to get XP” equation that so many gamers are used to. Instead, EVE Online uses an allotted amount of time that is based on your attribute scores. For example, when I first created my EVE Online character, I opted for a Caldari Civire, which gave me very high perception and willpower attributes. I opted to go this route because many of the combat-based skills – gunnery, sharp shooting, missile launching – are based off of those particular attributes. In order to advance my skills I must “train” them, which takes anywhere from 2 hours to days in real time, and the time it takes to “train” those skills varies depending on my scores in my primary and secondary attributes.

To read the rest of Cody's EVE impressions, click here!

EVE Online Editorial - The Temptations of a Unique MMOG

Cody Bye — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:48:22 -0400

Going where no MMOG gamer has gone before!

For many MMOG players, the idea of jumping into a new game is often a daunting one, even with the similarities that exist between many modern MMOGs. However, EVE Online is even further away from the MMOG norm than most genre bending games. In his editorial, Cody "Micajah" Bye explores the many different elements that draw players to this game, but also cause gamers to hesitate at the doorstep to this massive world.

While most of these actions would be considered “griefing” in other games, the EVE Online developers actually accept this type of action. Every player in the EVE universe knows (or at least should know) that the world is a dogfight; only the strongest survive. The more I read about this sort of behavior, the more intrigued I became. I wanted to learn more.

To read the rest of this EVE Online editorial, click here!

EVE: The Empyrean Age Novel Q&A with Author Tony Gonzales

Ethec — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:43:32 -0400

You're playing the expansion, now read about the novel!

Remember the days when games came boxed with a month's worth of background reading? Though it was one of the early and more lamentable victims of online distribution, CCP has recaptured some of the spirit of the olden days by releasing the latest EVE Online expansion hand-in-hand with a novel of the same name. Tony Gonzales, author of _EVE: The Empyrean Age_ and lead writer for EVE Online, talks with us aboutthe process of writing a novel and writing for an expansion at the same time, plus offers hints about what we'll read when the novel hits retailers a week from today!

Tony Gonzales: The story had to be accessible to everyone, not just EVE players. We want to entice the broader science fiction audience to our universe... My personal goal was to make it appeal to readers outside the science fiction genre as well. We created a space opera, the foundation of which will always be the human story, and that’s a story that never gets old. I just hope I told it the right way."

Read our interview with Tony Gonzales, author of EVE: The Empyrean Age, right here at EVE Online - Ten Ton Hammer!

Download an Excerpt from EVE: The Empyrean Age novel

Ethec — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:34:11 -0400

Read an excerpt from the upcoming Tony Gonzales novel...

CCP, the creator of EVE Online, has never shied away from doing big things, and the upcoming Empyrean Age expansion is so big, CCP felt it warranted a novel. EVE: The Empyrean Age tells the story of the events leading up to the outbreak of factional warfare in EVE Online. Available for pre-order now and for purchase on June 19th, you can download a glimpse of the book in PDF format right here at the EVE Online Ten Ton Hammer community site.

They emerged from a vast area filled with metallic housing structures that provided shelter, warmth,and little else.There were rows upon rows of these spartan living spaces filling a rock basin dozens of kilometers across, surrounding the Caldari Constructions Armor Forge at its heart. One of several industrial mega-complexes owned and operated by the corporation, the factory manufactured the composite alloys used to build everything from hand-held tools to a capital ship's heavy armor plating,often forcing its workers to operate their equipment under perilous conditions.

That's just a quick glimpse, so to read more, click here to download the entire excerpt from EVE: The Empyrean Age in PDF format.

EVE Empyrean Age Expansion Q&A with Designer Matt Woodward

tthadmin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:53:48 -0400

Curious about the next EVE Online expansion set to hit the servers on June 10th? See what CCP game designer Matt Woodward has to say about factional warfare and new single and small group content that are part and parcel with the new Empyrean Age expansion, set to go live on June 10th.

View our EVE Online Empyrean Age expansion Q&A with Matt Woodward right here at our newly revamped EVE Online site!

Video - Character Artist Ben Mathis on EVE Online's Ambulation Project

Shayalyn — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:26:55 -0400

These Boots Were Made for Walkin'

Character Artist Ben Mathis offers a sweeping glimpse of the MMORPG phenomenon that is EVE Online and then hones in on his particular area of expertise, the Ambulation project, which will someday allow EVE players to interact as avatars, not just ships. Utilizing dozens of never before seen renders and concept art pieces and three separate videos (one, featuring avatar animation, exclusive to the NYCC event), Ben sets the stage for his own artistic insight into how the Ambulation project is progressing at CCP's Reykjavik studios.

Video - Character Artist Ben Mathis on EVE Online's Ambulation Project

EVE Devs Interviewed on Coming Expansion

Ethec — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:20:52 -0400

Empyrean, Imperial for a new age... in... spaaaace!

Details of the first expansion for EVE online are starting to ooze out in various interviews. Here's the skinny in a video interview with Matt Woodward.

A new face to Ten Ton Hammer but no stranger to the EVE Online development team, Game Designer Matt Woodward is the face of EVE Online's factional warfare system slated for release with the game's coming expansion - "Imperian Age" - due for release later this year as a precursor to the Ambulation expansion, which remains in early production. Matt goes over the basics of the "Imperian Age" expansion in this brief interview video filmed on-location at New York Comic-Con.

See the video here.

EVE Character Artist Ben Mathis Discusses Ambulation in our Latest Video Q&A from Comic-Con 2008

Shayalyn — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:53:42 -0400

I'm Ambulating! (That's Walkin', Homes!)

At New York Comic-Con, Ten Ton Hammer's Garrett Fuller spoke with EVE Online Character Artist Ben Mathis about his work with Ambulation - the project that will someday let EVE players step out of their ships and into stations as full-fledged 3D avatars. Ben describes some of the artistic challenges and joys of Ambulation and answers a few more general questions about EVE as well.

EVE Character Artist Ben Mathis Discusses Ambulation in our Latest Video Q&A from Comic-Con 2008

Video: Top Developers Discuss MMORPG Trends and Issues at NY Comic-Con

Shayalyn — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:24:33 -0400

Devs + Game Talk = Awesome!

The MMORPG Dev Panel at New York Comic-Con 2008 gave us a rare chance to see the magic that probably happens daily over IM and email when developers of competing MMORPGs discuss the ins and outs of their trade with each other. Joining the panel were Age of Conan Game Designer Jason Stone, Warhammer Online Senior Producer Jeff Hickman, Turbine VP of Product Development Craig Alexander, 38 Studios VP of Creative Development Scott Cuthbertson, and EVE Online Game Designer Matt Woodward.

Video: Top Developers Discuss MMORPG Trends and Issues at NY Comic-Con

Defining Ambulation - An EVE Online Video Interview with CCP's Torfi Olafsson

Ralsu — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:19:54 -0500

I'm walkin', yes indeed....

Senior Technical Producer Torfi Frans Olafsson is the force behind EVE Online's Ambulation project, an endeavor that will allow EVE players to step out of their ships and into their avatars for the first time ever. Our video interview with Torfi will give you an idea how Ambulation fits into EVE Online's present and future, plus its chock full of seldom seen in-game ambulation video clips. Enjoy!

I've been immersed in EVE since 1999... it's a very tangible place to me, it's a living, breathing world. I'm really excited about allowing the players go even further into this huge, intricate world that we've created. So ambulation is technically about giving the player an actual body so that they can exit their pod, walk around inside the stations, meet up, play some games, gamble a little bit, have a beer, basically hang out. What it's not: it's not a killing simulator, it's not an FPS within EVE.

Defining Ambulation - An EVE Online Video Interview with CCP's Torfi Olafsson
Talk about ambulation in EVE Online in our forum

Defining Ambulation - An EVE Online Video Interview with CCP's Torfi Olafsson

Shayalyn — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:11:47 -0500

I've been immersed in EVE since 1999... it's a very tangible place to me, it's a living, breathing world. I'm really excited about allowing the players go even further into this huge, intricate world that we've created. So ambulation is technically about giving the player an actual body so that they can exit their pod, walk around inside the stations, meet up, play some games, gamble a little bit, have a beer, basically hang out. What it's not: it's not a killing simulator, it's not an FPS within EVE.

Defining Ambulation - An EVE Online Video Interview with CCP's Torfi Olafsson
Talk about ambulation in EVE Online in our forum

EVE Online: Trinity - First Impressions

Ralsu — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 11:45:46 -0500

Kerfuffle? Who talks like that?

Despite a launch hour kerfuffle (long since remedied) that erased a file needed during Windows XP bootup for a small percentage of users, EVE Online's latest free expansion - Trinity - sports a complete graphical revamp of the game for those equipped with next-gen graphics cards. New ships, a revamped tutorial, new tools for corp management, and a host of new gameplay nifties round out the features list. But how does it play? Ten Ton Hammer compares the new look with the old, benchmarks performance, and gives our first general impressions on the launch of EVE Online: Trinity.

While CCP explained Trinity's new graphics with lots of fancy words like "emissive glow" and "ambient occlusion" at EVE Fan Fest 2007, it really boils down to a better visual experience in-game. It feels like the entire game has grown up a little; my Megathron battleship looks less like a starched pair of bellbottoms and more like a truly threatening instrument of warfare. The devil truly is in the details.

EVE Online: Trinity - First Impressions
Discuss Trinity and the review in our forums