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

Apocrypha launched earlier this week, along side the new retail Special Edition of EVE

Earlier this year I fired up the EVE client with a simple goal in mind. While I already have a fleet worth of characters docked in stations throughout known space, I wanted to dive back into the tutorial to reconnect with that portion of the game, and hopefully gain a better perspective on the potential impact the new player experience would have on the game when Apocrypha launched.  

The two main things that stood out for me were the massive amount of information you needed to absorb in a relatively short period of time (often referred to as the learning cliff) and the way EVE left you to your own devices perhaps a bit too early in your piloting career. EVE is a giant sandbox through and through, and one that I consider the best sandbox MMO currently on the market, yet there was previously too much sand and not a solid enough structure to contain it all for new players. The EVE universe contained plenty of tools and massive piles of sand, but the “box” part didn’t come into play until much later, once you’d learned more about the game and could figure out where the wood planks were hidden to build the box yourself. While some veteran players may have enjoyed this ‘wild west’ approach, many potential pilots turned in their license long before their free trial expired.

Then along came another kind of box, the EVE logo boldly emblazoned on the front below the words “Special Edition”. While there were some bumps along the road to retail, the decision to produce physical copies of EVE couldn’t have been made at a better time. Simply put, Apocrypha is what an expansion for an established MMO should be like. It offers something for players of all skill levels, from first time pilots on up to the most experienced veterans of New Eden. MMO developers who hope to broaden their install base while continuing to provide fresh content for long-term subscribers should pay close attention to Apocrypha. This is how it’s done folks.

The New Face of Known Space

Even sandbox MMOs need to find ways to acclimate players to the universe in an interesting, yet informative way. There’s a fine line that needs to be maintained between structure and freedom, otherwise you run the risk of pushing your core audience away. Considering the overall complexity of EVE Online this challenge was tenfold, though over the years the initial barrier for entry remained just low enough for the brave and dedicated to slowly fill up new sectors of known space.

While some veterans of EVE set out into the unknown to discover their first wormholes the moment Apocrypha went live, many (myself included) opted to create new characters for the sake of playing through the New Player Experience. I can honestly say that I haven’t seen this much activity around the entry level stations in all the years I’ve been a part of New Eden. The past few days have felt more like the launch of a brand new MMO rather than a 10th expansion in that regard. Seeing so many clunky starter frigates warping in and out certainly put a smile on my face as I set about the tutorial missions.

The visual enhancements to special effects have proven to be quite popular, if the talk in local chat over the past few days is any indication. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve read, “Have you seen the new shield booster effect? It rocks!” Even mundane tasks such as mining have been given a facelift; new mining laser effects give the appearance that you’re actually pulling ore into your cargo hold. There’s also a cool new look to asteroids which makes them more easily identifiable at a glance than ever before. EVE has always been a beautiful game, but being a visually oriented gamer I really appreciate all the effort that went into this latest round of graphical improvements.