EVE Online at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

Major Game Changers

This is going to be one of the most important years for EVE Online since the game went live way back in 2003. Major game systems are being retouched in ways that will make them more fun, more playable, and more in line with the lessons learned by the MMO industry since then.

DUST 514 And EVE Online

This yet-unreleased FPS was the belle of the ball. DUST 514 featured in numerous demos, tournaments, presentations, and round table discussions. As the first time anybody could actually play DUST, this was a pretty important "make or break" moment for CCP. The reception seems mixed but generally positive, with some players disliking the art and difficulty with console controllers, but others liking the fun factor and EVE-like game systems.

All-importantly, we saw a demonstration of one possible interaction between EVE Online and DUST 514 when CCP Soundwave bombarded some enemy infantry from orbit during the CCP keynote presentation. Further enhancing this link is the fact that items in DUST 514 will likely also be items within the EVE Online inventory system, and be manipulable within the EVE inventory system. If CCP works all the kinks out before release, this interconnectedness between the two games will be something new and unique in an MMO industry that most players agree has generally stagnated over the last few years.

EVE Ship Rebalancing

Though this has been discussed at length on the EVE forums by CCP in the weeks leading up to fanfest, the presentation on ship balancing was as reassuring as it is exciting. It really was a joy to see that CCP really intends to move ships around and, more importantly, ensure that every single ship actually has a niche in-game. As it is, EVE Online is a good game, but many of the ships lack either oomph or practical applications. The basic tech I frigates are especially lacking, even in their intended role as stepping stones to bigger and better things.

What may not be quite so well received is CCP's planned stratification of ship training. Rather than having players train a ton of skills to level 5 and then gain access to a mish-mash of hulls based on obsolete notions about ship game design, it seems that we will probably instead by training for specific lines of ships in a clear path of progression. It will be nice for people with new characters, but I have a "suspicion" that a lot of curmudgeonly veterans are going to come out against it.

A Breath Of Fresh Air In EVE PvP

EVE Online has been around for a long time, but it is rare indeed that the whole box of ship fittings is turned on its head. It is relatively routine for CCP to tweak something about a single ship that then forces players to re-design their fittings. But if CCP just introduces a few new modules that have general applicability, every ship fitting in the game is suddenly up for review. Ship fitting is suddenly a fresh field of discourse, with every fitting in the game potentially needing an update. This is the best thing possible for EVE PvP, a field of play that has long been dominated by relatively minor variations on the same old fittings. Shaking all that up will make it possible to again have innovative fittings.