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

A virtual storm is brewing in New Eden.

Glancing at the overview readout in EVE Online will show you all sorts of interesting details about your surroundings at any given time as you warp your way through New Eden. Whether you’re searching for specific asteroid types or want to be alerted of approaching danger, just about anything you’d want to know about your environment is a simple click away thanks to the information-rich tool. In fact, one of the few things the overview won’t tell you is the weather. For that, you have to rely on your own, cybernetically enhanced senses.

The past few weeks have been anything but tranquil for EVE Online. Any pilot worth their weight in Omber could tell you that. With the launch of the Apocrypha expansion quickly approaching, a virtual storm of excitement is sweeping its way through New Eden – can you feel it? Now is definitely the time to be a part of EVE Online, and I’m here to tell you why.

Autopilot engaged, warp drive active.

Last month, I discussed the potential impact of the upcoming retail release for EVE, also taking a look at how the Atari brand will help the reigning king of sci-fi MMOs branch out to new audiences. Normally, in the weeks leading up to this type of release we’d be experiencing a massive marketing push as a means of grabbing the attention of the gaming public while the development teams consume nutty quantities of caffeine behind the scenes to make sure everything is running smoothly for the big day.

EVE certainly doesn’t need the kind of canned marketing hype typically associated with major MMO releases though, as the game has been making headlines over the past few weeks based solely on the merits of what the game has to offer, which is why the title has secured such a solid community that continues to expand. In fact, it was recently announced that EVE snapped the previous barrier for concurrent users online by passing the 50,000 mark. When you consider that New Eden exists as a single shard, that number is nothing to sneeze at, no matter how much cosmic dust sneaks past your shipboard filtration systems.

No-sec space just got a lot more interesting.

If there was ever a perception to outsiders that EVE is perhaps too established, with control over large sectors of space already divided between massive, hardcore alliances, it was certainly shattered the moment news that the Band of Brothers alliance had been disbanded. Not only did the news give gamers some insight into just how intriguing the politics in EVE can be, but it also reinforces the notion that even the actions of a single individual out of hundreds of thousands can have massive implications. No-sec space just got a lot more interesting folks. If you’ve had your eye on EVE PvP but had any reservations about jumping in, this is an awesome new period that you may very well want to be a part of.

Autopilot disabled, waypoint reached.

Numerous jokes have been made of EVE’s notoriously steep learning cliff, which has no doubt also played a role in holding off would-be pilots. The truth of the matter is that EVE is simply unlike any MMO you may have played before, with a galactic ton of potential paths you can eventually pursue depending on what kind of experience you want to have with the game. Unlike most tutorials that you can easily skip so long as you’re familiar with WASD movement and UI standards like “B is for Bag”, the tutorial in EVE extends far beyond the basics. Sure, there’s a lot to learn which might be intimidating for some, but it’s really not as scary as you might have heard.

The Apocrypha expansion due to go live on March 10th will also feature a complete revamp to this portion of the game. CCP is well aware of the reputation EVE’s learning curve has acquired over the years, and understand the value of doing this kind of revamp to the new player experience and the positive impact it will have moving forward. Between a shiny new retail box and potentially less cliff-like tutorial, I fully expect that another concurrent user milestone announcement is just around the corner.

While I’m on the subject of the upcoming expansion, it’s also important to note that should you choose to take the EVE challenge before Apocrypha arrives, it will be available to subscribers free of charge. In fact, all of EVE’s previous expansions have been free to subscribers, which is pretty amazing considering how much work has gone into them over the years.

Now is the perfect time to dive into EVE's virtual beehive.

Captain’s Log: Stardate 2170.9

A recent discussion in our EVE forums really got me thinking about certain aspects of the game, perhaps the most important one being the players themselves and how their actions can shape whatever kind of experience they want to have during their time in New Eden. Unlike the industry standard of separate servers that break up the community into smaller chunks, EVE truly is one giant galaxy that continues to expand, with room for plenty of new pilots.

For those of you looking for an awesome sci-fi MMO experience, I certainly encourage you to download the EVE client and try it on for size. You might find it fits even better than that new ocular implant you recently had installed! If you have any questions, comments, or even want to share your amusing anecdotes about your time as a pilot in EVE, by all means share them here in our forums, or you can always feel free to send a virtual carrier pigeon to my inbox!

Until next time dear readers, this is Sardu, Captain of The Final Frontier signing off!