EVE Online: Gen Con Interview Preview

Stradden

MMORPG.com Community Manager Richard Cox writes this preview teaser article, giving you and overview of the interview and letting you know what to expect when the GenCon video hits the site! This time around, it's EVE Online.

The great folks at CCP granted us an interview with Scott Holden, Lead Content Creator and Tony Gonzalez, IP Development Manager, Lead Writer and Novelist. As with most of the interviews from GenCon this one was done on video, so consider this just a short teaser/overview

One of the things we talked a lot about was getting new players interested in EVE. The new storyline aspect of the Empyrean Age expansion pack is designed to do that, since it’s easier to draw new players when they feel like they’re part of something. New players are less interested in knowing that they can run a huge 5,000+ person corporation than they are in knowing they can impact the game in some way, be part of something bigger, etc. The sandbox approach is great for a core audience and your existing players, but it can be quite daunting for newer people to the game and genre. They also mentioned how the storyline elements would take a bigger role in upcoming advertisement.

Read it all here.

Elmoren

So. . . where's the interview?  Your article didn't say anything every other piece you write about eve does. 

Stradden

Originally posted by Elmoren


So. . . where's the interview?  Your article didn't say anything every other piece you write about eve does. 

 

Dude, go back and actually read it. It's a preview / teaser, not a full article. This is stated MANY times.

Howatch

Look forward to see the interview. Love the game and the sandbox aspect of it but also very true that anybody can be on par with the best in chosen core skillset in very short time. 1-3 months is very short time in EVE-online.

Keep up the good work

Elmoren

I won't argue, Dude.

I understand the rest of your article deals with prefacing what the video would show.  However its not very different from the rest of the material posted on the game.

But lets talk about what the contents of the article actually say:

Yes new players can 'catch up' - If by catching up, you mean become equally skilled at something.  At any time in eve, only certain skills apply to what you are doing.  Ship X has, lets say, 10 skills affecting the ship, and its fitted modules.  Anyone can reach level V (the maximum level) for those skills - just as anyone else in the game could, with the proper amount of time invested.

That being said; ship building isn't exactly something a new player should jump into.  Invention, Research, etc. takes capital in  EVE to start up, not to mention a bit of reading up on since the system is a more in depth then other MMO's crafting equivalent.  Ship building also costs minerals which need to be mined or bought.  A player concentrating their skills on ship building to be come 'on par' for their first few months would lack the ability to produce the materials (either through mining or purchase) to actually create ships (except for possibly shuttles.)  Not to mention be terribly bored in the game, as they probably couldn't fly most of the ships, and/or have anything else to do with the money once they sell them - again, assuming they had the capital to start the process to begin with.

However, thats not saying that new players can't be on par with vets after brief amounts of time.  In all honesty, eve's learning curve, and real-time skill training are its biggest selling point and drawback.  While this puts players at a fair pace - effectively killing power players who spend 90 hours a week in game and then wipe the floor with everyone else simply because they had more time to develop their characters - it also means that starting EVE can be a bit of a shock for most people.

I couldn't agree more about EVE not being about what you do, but who you do it with.  Finding like-minded people who share the same goals is essential to having fun in eve for most players.  Although, I know quite a few solo players, who just enjoy the player-driven economics of the game, and love to watch people scream in local channels when they dump the prices on any particular commodity.  I'll admit, I definitely see a draw to that aspect of the game as well, as EVE's economy is more realistic, and has far more depth than any other MMO's.  By far.

Now, what SHOULD new players be doing?  In short, learning the game.  Spend your first few days going through the tutorials, learning the commands, understanding how ship movement works, trying out different modules, etc.  There are millions of combinations to try.  Run through a few level 1 missions - and chat up the local crowds, find out their opinions, what works, what doesn't, take their suggestions and experiment.

Also, essential to new players understanding of the skill training program is a nifty gadget called EVEMON, found here:

http://evemon.battleclinic.com/

(They even provide the complete code for anyone suspicious of the program's intentions).



EVEMON Actively tracks your skill training, informs you of skill completion, and helps you plan out your intended paths of training in advance - telling you which, if any, learning skills will benefit your future skill choices.  (Although all characters should immediately train ALL their learning skills to a minimum of 4, before undertaking anything else - as it speeds up all other skill training times.)

Aside from that, if you're into PVP, ask around for the useful ships:  Any interceptor, any recon ship, and any heavy assault ship is and always will be useful.  Pick one, check out the skill bonuses it offers, and find the corresponding modules to those bonuses.  Train the appropriate skills



Eve's a great game, just takes some patience, and willingness to learn.

RJCox

Video interviews take a bit of time to get ready for posting. They have to be edited, bits cut out, sound enhanced, etc. I wanted to write up short teaser articles for each of the video interviews we did that way everyone wasn't just sitting around for days waiting for GenCon coverage. At least this way you know we've at least been doing something out here other than partying and have some idea of what to expect when it does come.

Ozmodan

CCP is already addressing areas that have long been sacrosanct to make the game easier for the new player crowd. 

They are in the processing of testing changes that bring ridiculous speeds achieved by very expensive equipment that was in essence overwhelming FW.

The are going to remove insurance payouts on gankers in empire and change the way ganking effects sector status.  This will almost make new players invulnerable to ganking as they won't carry enough to be profitable to gank anymore.

They also have said they are looking at Wardecs and how they effect the new player experience.  This probably means changes to the wardec system that experienced players use to harass new players.

Lots of the veterans are dismayed at this, but I think the changes will be good for the game.  As long as CCP does not over do it.

Elmoren

I couldn't agree more - the people complaining about the changes are the gankers, and those who enjoy being overpowered and praying on the 'noobs'.  Too bad for them.

CCP really took charge here and changed things that, I'm sure even the people complaining about these changes, will hail them as excellent in the months to come.

 

HYPERI0N

Its pretty obvious now that CCP are trying there best to make EvE a little easier for the Newbies while not changing the flavour of EvE. Now personally i dont think getting rid of insurance for Concord kills [NPC police] on empire gankers ships is a thing that will change EvE's 'flavour' but it will mean that gate gankers waiting for easy kills will have to be a bit more choosy in what they gank as just killing anything wont be worth it now, Killing a worthwhile ship tho with good loot and cargo is however still in.

 

As long as CCP are carefull in there changes this shouldnt effect EvE too much.

 

 

[And i agree with the above post in that 99% of the whiners are those who got most of there thrills by ganking newbies and innatentive players at gates for fun rather than for terratory or loot].