Category: EVE Online

EVE Online, a spaceship based MMO game by CCP Games

Initial feedback for new Inventory UI in Inferno

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games , , ,

Yesterday CCP has deployed long-awaited EVE Online expansion called the Inferno. It has brought many changes: new missile engine, many new models and launchers. It has also brought a new Inventory UI. In most RPG games inventory is one of the most important features, and for sure most extensively used. It is no surprise then, that some players are opposing big changes like this one.I have played a lot on Singularity over the past few weeks, so the new inventory was not a surprise for me. I have also noticed many pros of the new system:

  • It is much harder to put items accidently in a container, instead of Hangar floor,
  • It is much easier to tell which POS structure hangar I am interacting with (previous windows did not indicate the structure name),
  • It is easier to manage hangars with lots of containers (like mine)
  • You can move items by dragging them to the tree on the left
  • I now know that my entire ship collection is easily worth as much as a Nyx
  • New Inventory shows how much space would items on the hangar floor take
  • You can create your own custom filters

Unfortunately, not everything is so usable.

  • Viewing wrecks seems to be a regression; opening multiple wrecks quickly fills the tree, making it unusable. Previous approach with a small loot window and a big “Loot All” button was much better. It was not only usable, but was also pretty much consistent with many other MMO games. Of course you can still do this – if you press “Shift” when clicking “Open wreck”.
  • The currently active ship vanishes from the Ship Hangar (@CCP_Arrow has confirmed this is a bug)
  • Even though new UI shows the structure name, it becomes cluttered when managing a POS with multiple labs/manufacturing arrays
  • Managing Turret batteries has become a real pain. CCP has confirmed they 1) will group structures by type 2) will allow any structure to have a specific name

I think the solution would be to let the player configure which windows should open in new window by default, and which should open in an existing view. It would also work if the client “remembered” which windows were “detached” from the main inventory window.

The EVE blogoshpere has many different views on the topic. There are two must-reads on Unified Inventory:

To sum up what was said: the new Inventory is a brilliant idea that needs a bit of polish before it becomes just as usable as the old one. I hope CCP will use player feedback to improve and iterate on it.

“Traffic Advisory”: Datacore changes in Inferno

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games , , , ,

Ardent Defender advised #tweetfleet today to cash out their RP, because these RP will be worth much less once Inferno has been deployed on Tranquility:

Of course our friend above is correct, at least partly. Why?

Because if you read the dev-blog about Factional Warfare overhaul carefully, you would have known which datacores to cash out BEFORE Inferno, and which are better to be left until AFTER Inferno.

All Science fields in EVE used to have a multiplier on them until now, which means how fast the RP are generated by the R&D agents, and how much RP Datacores cost. The fields with multiplier of 3x would stockpile three times as fast as  fields with multiplier of one, but one Datacore from the 3x field would cost 3*50 RP (150), while the 1x field Datacore would only cost 50 RP.

Once Inferno will be deployed however, all Datacores will have a flat price of 100 RP + 10k ISK. This means that science fields with 1x and 2x multiplier are better to be cashed out before Inferno, but 150RP ones are better to be cashed out after the patch (you will get 50% more datacores at a small 10k ISK fee apiece, which is still much less than half the price of most Datacores).

CCP has promised in the Inferno patch notes, that they will not touch the amount of RP you already have in any way, so this is really the best approach.

I have shamelessly stolen the table from the dev blog mentioned above, but have highlighted which Datacores to cash out ASAP, and what to leave until after Inferno (orange: buckle up and go to your agent now! green: hold until tomorrow)

Datacores Amarr Caldari Gallente Minmatar Old field multiplier Old RP cost New field multiplier New RP cost
Amarrian Starship Engineering X 3 150 1 100
Caldari Starhip Engineering X 3 150 1 100
Electromagnetic Physics X 1 50 1 100
Electronic Engineering X 1 50 1 100
Gallentean Starship Engineering x 3 150 1 100
Graviton Physics X 2 100 1 100
High Energy Physics X 1 50 1 100
Hydromagnetic Physics X 1 50 1 100
Laser Physics X 2 100 1 100
Mechanical Engineering X 1 50 1 100
Minmatar Starship Engineering X 3 150 1 100
Molecular Engineering X 1 50 1 100
Nanite Engineering X 1 50 1 100
Nuclear Physics X 2 100 1 100
Plasma Physics X 2 100 1 100
Quantum Physics X 1 50 1 100
Rocket Science X 1 50 1 100

PS.Remember to set a long skill tonight!

Inferno introduces new mods, and… new seeding method

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games , , , ,

With Diablo III just around the corner, CCP counter-attacks and fuels their playerbase with new information regarding the new Inferno expansion, which is now just a week away (Inferno will be deployed on 22nd of May).

Team Super Friends has published a dev-blog about the new War mechanics and new modules, which I will cover in more detail below. Since I have recently joined an industrial corp, Aideron Robotics, which is focused on making things (making things go BOOM is in our portfolio as well), I will try to focus on the crafting side of EVE Online in the next couple of posts. I also think that the EVE blogging scene is dominated by PVP related blogs, so it seems to be a good idea to write about something else 😉

Armor Adaptive Hardener I – Low slot. You can use only one such mod at a time, and only Tech I version will become available in Inferno. This hardener will adapt to the incoming damage received in each cycle. Overheating will make the mod adapt faster. this kind of technology reminds me of the Borg 😉 More meta versions will follow if this becomes successful. IMHO a must have mod for armor fleets – just like the Damage Control mod.

Extrinsic Damage Amplifier I & II – Low slot. Works for all drones, but will not work for fighters or fighter bombers. I don’t know why, but the icon suggests drone recycling. Stack penalties apply, so mixing this one with a bunch of Sentry Damage Augmentors rigs is probably not the best idea. Tech 2 version will be inventable from Tech 1 BPCs. Can’t wait to lay my hands on the BPO of this!

Small/Medium/Large/X-Large Ancillary Shield Booster I. Mid slot. A shield booster that gives a better boost than its normal counterpart, and can also use Cap Charges as fuel. When you run out of cap charges, it will automatically switch to eating your capacitor, just like normal shield booster does.

MagSheath Target Breaker I – Mid slot. A must have for fleet engagements. Has a chance to break all incoming target locks based on the overall number of the number of players targeting your ship. The greater this number, the better the chance of activation. The new module has two penalties: considerable sensor resolution debuff and it breaks your own target locks as well upon successful activation. This module cannot be fitted to capital ships.

Small/Medium/Large Overclocking Processor Unit I & II – A rig that increases the CPU, ’nuff said. Hits shield regen rate as a side effect.

Light & Medium Web Drones –  what name says. These drones have huge sginature radius and are paper thin.

Capacitor Battery update – Capacitor Batteries now have an anti-vampire effect that will deflect part of the Energy Neutralizer and Nosferatu effects back to the agressor.

How to get the new shineys?

Only the drone damage mod will be seeded as Tech I BPO. Everything else will spawn as BPCs in exploration sites around the k-space. BPCs will vary from 3 to 50 runs and will also drop from officer and commander spawns. This is to prevent flooding the market by greedy industrial pilots such as myself. This gives exploration a bit more sense.

Developers also consider moving some of the new modules to LP stores, which would bring some fresh perspective into how modules come into the game. I like the idea, but if the diversification becomes too great, CCP might end up having to dumb-down the game again at some point, seeding all the items as blueprints from NPCs.

Wait, where is my Micro Jump Drive?

It is just around the corner. According to the dev-blog, CCP has a working prototype, but they were unable to get it working well enough for a production release. The same applies to Salvage Drones, although the graphics assets for both are ready. This means we will probably see them in the Inferno 1.1 or whatever CCP calls the next update.

CCP’s art department never ceases to amaze

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games , , ,

You will probably agree once you see this:

Just a month ago we were stunned with the beautiful login screen of Escalation to Inferno, and this afternoon CCP has pushed yet another patch to Singularity, bringing this burning vista. Great job guys!

If you are interested in giving Inferno a go before it’s released, feel free to read this very short and handy guide to Singularity (at the bottom of this post).

New Inferno build on Sisi available for your testing pleasure

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games , , , ,

Since yesterday evening CCP has deployed two big patches to Singularity (EVE Test Server), that collectively include the following Inferno features:

Revamped Inventory:

  • Managing corporation items in a station
  • All item management from POS structures done in space on grid
  • All Inventory management in space (wrecks, opening other ship locations, etc)
  • All Inventory management in stations (items, ships)
  • This change does NOT affect the ASSETS window itself

This is a big change: inventory is now hierarhic. The top node is your active ship (with all bays as subfolders). The next two nodes are Items and Ships. The right part of the window is the usual icon grid that we are used to. To move items, simply drag them to the appropriate tree node on the left.

The new Inventory window will show the spinning pinwheel when loading items from the server. Good news is that it is also possible to filter the assets easily. The built in filters work great, but don’t trust the “valuable” filter too much – it doesn’t show faction items for example. You can of course build your own filters, so this should not be a problem.

Inventory is loading... Ships tree in new Inventory Items tree in new Inventory

Revamped Faction Warfare:

  • LP for kills
  • Bunkers are now infrastructure hubs
  • LP for all FW actions (capturing complexes, capturing infrastructures hubs, etc)
  • New FW front page
  • Consequences for capturing systems/regions (benefits for you, grief for your enemy)
  • Capturing FW system affect SOV ownership

Graphical changes:

  • New missile launchers and launch effects
  • New missiles, trails and explosions
  • New Stealth Bombers
    • Manticore
    • Nemesis
    • Purifier
    • Hound
  • Amarr V3
    • All sub capital Amarr ships, excluding T3 cruisers.
  • 14 different skintypes have been added to the Character Creator. This allows all bloodlines to have a wide range of skincolors.

Inferno version of Hound Inferno version of Nemesis Inferno version of Manticore Inferno version of Purifier v3 skin for Abaddon New missile effects on Drake New missile effects on Drake 2 v3 skin for Damnation v3 skin for Navy Slicer v3 skin for Navy Slicer - 2 v3 skin for Cruor Missile launchers on Hawk Missile Launchers on Tengu Missile Launchers on Gila Missile Launchers on Onyx Manticore with Siege Launchers and Bomb Launcher in deployed mode Manticore new model Scourge Torpedo goes boom

I really like the way the V-threed Damnation looks now. Missile effects in few words are simply kick-ass. Good job art departament!!

Also by the look at the remodelled Cloaked Bombers you can finally tell where all these t2 materials go 😉 This change and the Deimos model change back in Crucible add a lot to the immersion factor of EVE. I hope that other t2 ships are going to get some distinctive features as well.

Did I mention that new missile effects are gorgeous?

War changes

  • Updated Kill Reports (aka Kill Mails)
  • New war cost
  • Corp CEO/Director declares wars, no voting required
  • Alliance wars transfer to corps leaving
  • No automatic war retraction by aggressor
  • Wars last for week by default
  • Either side can offer surrender in a war
  • The defending side can get allies to help
  • There is a place for people to find prospective allies/clients
  • Players can now more easily track the war in the War Report
  • All corps have publicly viewable war history

New modules & drones

  • Drone Damage module (Extrinsic Damage Amplifier)
  • CPU Rigs (Small/Medium/Large Processor Overclocking Unit)
  • Fueled Shield booster (Small/Medium/Large Ancillary Shield Booster), using Cap Boosters as charges
  • Light and Medium Web drones
  • Adaptive Armor Hardener

    

The Adaptive Armor Hardener is a very curious mod, because it is different from shield Invulnerability Field:

  1. You can only fit one such mod
  2. It adapts to the incoming damage each cycle
  3. Overheating shortens the cycle, thus making it quicker to adapt

It’s giving the armor tankers an interesting twist, both for PvE activities (less hardener swapping) and PvP activities (strong omni tank which is able to adapt to specific damage type). This hardener will quickly become a “must have” mod just like Damage Control.

How do I test these goodies myself?

A very short guide to Singularity

  • Just make a copy of your main EVE folder, name it “EVE Test” or something that lets you know it’s SiSi client
  • Make a link to eve.exe on your desktop
  • Right click that link, choose Preferences
  • Add /server:singularity after eve.exe, make sure there is a space between .exe and /

This allows you to play with the new content, but also allows participation in mass tests scheduled by the CCP every few weeks.

Why participation in mass tests is good for you?

  • Because you help CCP develop better EVE.
  • Because for each test you get free 2M SP on Singularity for your testing pleasure.
  • Because it’s a win-win secnario.

 

Inferno ship models makeover

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games , , , , , , , ,

As I have said earlier in my post about changes coming in the newest EVE Online expansion, Inferno will bring graphical overhaul for many ships, including a full re-model of cloaked bombers.

A player nicknamed ‘sarmatiko’ has released an unofficial preview of the new models. The video is available on youtube:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lajHzl9OQrk]

I am also not surprised, that CCP will release new V3 skins for Amarr ships, to match the Gallente and Caldari skins released in Crucible. CCP has released an official preview:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rpOfEGFPU8]

I am however a bit concerned, that we will probably still have to wait for the Minmatar ships to receive the V3 love. I just hope that the delay means they will look even more awesome.

We are interrupting this program…

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games, General

…because real life comes first. I will be inactive for some time; this includes playing games (EVE Online, Diablo III) and writing new posts on my blog. Sometimes one needs to focus on things more important than online presence, and pulling the plug from time to time is necessary.

This is not my first break, and probably not the last. It also means I will be getting back at some point, possibly around Inferno release or shortly after.

Until then, fly safe o/

PS. Aideron Robotics is a great corp – they understand that RL comes first. Looking for a new corp? Apply now 😉

Escalation to Inferno is now live on Singularity!

Lukas Rox EVE Online, Games , , , ,

The new login screen is simply gorgeous. Big kudos to the Art Departament @CCP!

Let’s see which items from the list are already available in the current beta:

  • Ship re-balancing and changes to ship skill tree (racial battlecruisers and destroyers)

As you can see, there is no changes here yet.

  • Drone iterations

During the mass test I was unable to visit Drone Regions, but as you can see on the map, true sec has already been adjusted:

  • Incursion iterations

Vanguards ISK payout in high sec has been slightly adjusted (-10%). Additionally, blitzing is no longer possible; all ships need to be destroyed before next wave spawns. The waves themselves have been randomized, so they are not easily predictable anymore.

  

  • Improved HUD

The new HUD now has e-war indicators above the gauge, but is still a little buggy. Once you dock and undock, the new HUD will be… gone. According to CCP this is a known issue and workaround is to open PI screen and then closing it – HUD will be back.

 

The mass test, as usual, included a fair amount of pew-pew:

 

For the Nation! (EVE Nation, that is)

Lukas Rox Blog Banter, EVE Online, Games , ,

This post is a reply to the Blog Banter #35.

Now approaching its tenth year, the EVE Online player community has matured into an intricate and multi-faceted society viewed with envy by other game developers, but is frequently regarded with suspicion by the wider gaming community. 

Is this perception deserved? Should “The Nation of EVE” be concerned by its public identity and if so how might that be improved? What influence will the integration of the DUST 514 community have on this culture in the future?

[Unrelated and random bonus question sponsored by EVE News 24: What single button would you recommend be included on an EVE-specific keyboard?]

Social aspects of massive multiplayer games are a very broad topic. It’s actually the foundation, upon which such games are built, so this could easily be a good topic for Ph.d. in Sociology or Psychology.

One Nation

EVE Online player community is a huge pool of personalities, playstyles and individual treats. The whole community can be divided into alliances, power blocs, groups based on different play styles (with PVP dominating over other types of gameplay) or game world geography (high sec, low sec, nullsec, WH). While opinions will most likely vary, based on which groups a given player belongs to, some of them will be the same for the majority:

  • Microtransactions are bad, mkay?
    • This is an aftermatch of the famous monoclegate, which has changed EVE, CCP and the playerbase as well. Players have united to defend the game they play, love and care about (even if they play merciless killers in said game). EVE community often unites when the changes proposed (or already introduced) by the CCP are not good for the game. It seems as if players knew the game better than the devs. No other MMO developer relies so much on player feedback as much as CCP relies on EVE community. Even if sometimes devs seem to ignore player feedback, they will more often listen to it before (sometimes after) introducing some game-breaking features. If CCP did not care about playerbase opinions, there would be no CSM and we would have 256 monocles to choose from right now. Secondly, many game design changes have been revisited if player feedback did not approve them.
  • Boosts are good, nerfs are bad.
    • This does not unite the community as a whole, but rather specific groups who will suffer from a nerf, or from a boost instead. Whining in groups is always better than whining alone.
  • CCP should focus on spaceships
    • Majority of players play EVE for spaceships, not for avatars, and this is the message that constantly reverberates throughout player feedback. CCP  has shifted their priorities accordingly, but also given the avatar gameplay new, meaningful focus.
  • We are not carebears; everyone else is
    • Dominated by males, EVE community has typical features of a testosterone-based group. Players like to boast about their achievements and don’t mention their failures.
  • We are elite PvPers
    • see above;
  • EVE is a hard game but we have mastered it
    • It is not as hard as it seems, but CCP views it as something that can be marketed, and most casual gamers will likely be overwhelmed with the vast world of EVE. And males who play EVE with more or less success can boast about it. See testosterone comment above.

Players are part of the game now

I have focused on feedback and the player-dev relationship, which in many ways is unique for EVE Online. And I have done so because I think it goes deeper than just that. CCP has created a game world. But this is a statement true for 2003 through 2005, where there was not enough players to complete the economy and fill the world. but players slowly replace the NPCs and become… part of that world. No, EVE is not real and we don’t jack in to a Matrix of sorts (although the game indeed feels real at times). What I mean is that New Eden is not complete without its population anymore. CCP could shape this world the way they wanted when they first created it in 2003, but right now the world can (and will) push back on CCP as well, because players are now a part of it.

Relationship status: It’s complicated

The relationship CCP and EVE players have forged overt the years have been a long and a bumpy ride, but it’s also quite unique in the gaming industry as such. The fact that for 10 years straight EVE playerbase has been growing steadily is a telltale sign that the way chosen by the CCP is a good one. This fact also indicates, that Crowd Control Productions has a lot to its name.

Did you actually understand the banter’s topic, Rox?

Yes I did 😉 This long introduction had a purpose.

Unfortunately the PVP nature of the game, and the fact that over 90% of players are male also causes some misconception about what EVE Online is about. The recent events of Mittanigate would suggest to the outside world, that EVE Online is a game, which goal is to harass other people to the point they commit a suicide. Whatever the reasons behind Mittani’s behaviour were, and despite the fact that he actually apologized to his “victim”, the image of cruelty sticks. Is EVE online a cruel game? For an unprepared soul, it can be, yes. But for a seasoned player dealing with it is just part of the game. Moreover, CCP is using this image to market their game.

I will always emphasize, that EVE has a white side as well – it offers an unscripted experience of players creating the events and being part of a single open sandbox they inhabit. Most reviews of EVE written by people who only played the game for a little mention this very often. The same can be heard from veterans, so it is close to the truth.

Sorry, no Bonus!

EVE is a unique game, and I don’t think it requires a specific keyboard (or mouse) like some other games do. The multitude of actions to choose from in most MMOs make things such as this:

more than just a weird piece of hardware or some twisted nightmare of a gaming gear designer. This can actually be useful for other MMOs, but not for EVE Online.

But if there ever was an EVE specific keyboard, it would probably look similar to this: