EVE Fanfest 2025 has come and gone, the sport had its twenty second birthday, and we’re off to the races with a brand new enlargement slated to land on Could twenty seventh.
EVE Fanfest 2025
I didn’t attend EVE Fanfest… Vegas apparently being so far as I’ll journey for a online game occasion… however I did watch what I may, a course of considerably hindered by the truth that I dwell in California a lot of what went on occurred whereas I used to be asleep. The perils of residing on a sphere I suppose.
However I’ve been paying consideration, watching replays, and attempting to get a maintain on what went on on the get together on the prime of the world.
Anyway, right here on the Monday after I’ve some notes to share. This isn’t totally shaped, and I reserve some degree of judgement on the brand new enlargement till we get additional particulars, however here’s what I’ve.
The Keynote
I’m positive any person on the market feels I put an excessive amount of weight on this specific 90 minutes of the occasion. However it’s CCP’s likelihood to set the tone and I pay shut consideration to it… and issues like how a lot time they let Hilmar stand on the market inform his story versus the story of the sport.
Extra importantly, to me no less than, it’s how a lot time them spend telling all people how nice all the pieces within the sport is versus what they’ve deliberate. The extra time spent on that the weaker they are typically on the long run, the much less assured they really seem concerning the sport.
Once more, my viewpoint. I don’t thoughts them speaking about what has occurred. I just like the stats and the historical past. In truth, I would like them to do a put up of web page on the net to cowl the historical past panels they’d out on show on the Harpa.
Annually’s highlights coated… I have to see these!
I dig that shit and wish extra. This can be a sport the place historical past issues, the place we’ll by no means get a “basic” server partially as a result of the essential occasions had been all participant pushed. It isn’t like WoW or EverQuest the place it’s the identical milestones simply performed by at 2x pace. You wouldn’t get one other B-R5RB battle or a World Conflict Bee. And the historical past issues. What is occurring in the present day was resulting from what got here earlier than.
So I used to be good with their stability this time, with each reveals and common plans in addition to some trying again on what occurred within the sport, together with them hitting on the Guinness Information folks concerning the large transfer from Delve to Tenerifis.
Lastly, whereas they keynote was for all of CCP’s ventures, a few of which make me a bit grumpy, EVE On-line bought its due. It didn’t really feel like they had been attempting to kick it to the curb as quick as doable to speak about their first individual shooter plans or their blockchain crypto rip-off sport.
General, a superb outing, would watch once more. And you could find it on YouTube.
So that’s one thing I believe went nicely, and I say that as presumably CCP’s harshest critic in relation to the keynote.
The Legion Growth
As famous, remaining judgement reserved till we’ve got extra particulars. However my common impression is that it appears good. Or adequate.
Two new ships, a Triglavian marauder and an Angel Cartel dreadnought, a stability cross by dreads, that are the core of the capital meta proper now, some like to cruisers… although a brand new mannequin for the Scimitar makes me uncomfortable, as I’ve at all times just like the outdated design… and a bunch of different tidbits that might enhance issues.
Some cruiser issues
There may be at all times the legislation of unintended penalties to cope with in EVE On-line. Gamers, as I’ve stated prior to now, will circulation like water by any holes within the plan on the best way to the min/max optimization of the brand new meta.
I wish to hearken to the Legion keynote once more, as I breezed by it the primary time as I re-ran the Twitch stream, which is at all times annoying. However it’s up and out there on YouTube now as nicely.
As well as, the moribund EVE On-line press got here again to life, if briefly, as Redline over on the New Eden Publish wrote up a abstract of the enlargement that it’s best to go try. (Oh, EN24 awoke from its slumber as nicely. Not a peep from Imperium Information nonetheless.)
Discover it right here or on the backside of the put up.
Renewed Deal with New Gamers
That is at all times one thing that CCP is anxious about, and doubtless all of the extra so since they mounted the AIR Profession Program, so the stats don’t present fairly as many contemporary characters being created as of late.
As a bonus, CCP has lastly let go of the concept that the tutorial is the place the issue is. That half-hour was by no means going to make or break the sport. I imply, on the peak of the sport’s development, again in 2006 and 2007, the tutorial was arguably rubbish. So no extra throwing sources down that nicely. The tutorial is okay.
They’re additionally going to skip proper over the profession brokers, which may use a bit of labor, however which aren’t terrible. They do prepare you the way to do a number of issues.
As an alternative, they’re on the lookout for was to deliver new gamers into the group of companies that make up the life’s blood of the sport. This goes proper again to that slide from Fanfest 2014.
New Participant Trajectory
Those that comply with the solo/mission path hit a plateau and go away. Those that find yourself in participant teams have a tendency to stay, or go away and are available again because of the social bonds shaped.
The plan is to develop the company tasks, a characteristic set about which I’ve been some what tepid prior to now, to incorporate a characteristic they’re calling “freelance jobs” to grow to be a part of the equation.
This can enable gamers to run jobs for companies earlier than they be part of. It’s a little bit of a two manner tryout. They are often PvE or PvP and the hope from CCP is {that a} participant pushed incentive system to get folks to hitch companies is likely to be the spark they want.
And I just like the initiative. The plan is completely fraught with doable points and abuses and makes some assumptions, nevertheless it doesn’t appear completely off base. I really want to see extra particulars round this… after which most likely see it working for six months or a 12 months as CCP makes changes… earlier than I’ll be totally assured in it. However it does no less than construct on all that corp mission stuff that has been exhibiting up for the previous few expansions and provides it a sharper level.
The Map
I already wrote an entire put up concerning the map, didn’t I? Sure I did! Yow will discover it right here.
The map adjustments excite me, and all of the extra in order that they appear to have taken to coronary heart nearly all the pieces I used to be on about when relating what you get from an exterior map like DOTLAN versus both of the now growing old in-game maps.
That is additionally a brand new participant factor. As I famous, they straight up stated they by no means inform new gamers concerning the map throughout the tutorial or profession missions. The map is troublesome and scary and albeit not all that useful even once you’ve mastered it.
I’ve to mood my enthusiasm for this specific mission. I do know with Legion we’re solely getting child steps, an try to make the present map(s) extra person pleasant. However it’s the future they painted that has me . They confirmed a logical connection map, akin to DOTLAN.
The map that reveals you what it’s essential to know
However in addition they have a view deliberate… as soon as once more, considerably akin to DOTLAN… that can assist you determine soar drive journey plans.
The place can I’m going with my 6ly soar vary?
After which simply to pour some gasoline on my enthusiasm and switch it right into a bonfire, they talked about possibly making the map able to doing issues like battle reviews.
Battles of New Eden seen inside New Eden
They usually slipped in the concept that it may show historic battle reviews, that you may return in time to see what occurred in a given system on a given day.
Given how I stated above about how EVE On-line is constructed on its historical past, the concept of reclaiming that historical past, proudly owning it and making it out there inside the sport is large. Proper now that kind of historical past is usually within the area of the gamers and third get together instruments. And that’s wonderful so far as it goes, however kill boards and blogs and battle reviews web site, they go away after a stretch. There are vital bits of the historical past of New Eden which might be archived away on fan websites that might simply go away tomorrow if any person decides they’ve had sufficient or have moved on.
I’ve at all times been a bit bothered by how a lot CCP depends on its fan ecosystem to maintain the tales alive. Doing one thing to protect the historical past of New Eden makes me glad.
After all, now I’ve pinned my hopes on this grand new enterprise and CCP continues to be a small firm and might solely accomplish that a lot… however we dwell in hope.
Pokemon Go
Lastly, I wish to give a shout out to Epithos, who despatched me their Pokemon Go pal code from Fanfest and despatched me postcards within the sport from Harpa and the EVE monument.
Pokemon… irrespective of the place you go, there it’s
So it goes. Now CCP has to ship on all of this, beginning with the Legion enlargement later this month.
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