Incarna's Impact

  It seems that in the time from my last post, hardly much time at all, Incarna has made splash after splash. In the end I had to re-download my entire client, find my preferences folder and replace it with my old one since they moved its location. That was fun. But, I was able to get in and have my own glances over the new shinies.

  So where to start? We'll go with impressions and pictures first. While it is a bit of a nuisance to wait for your person to load just at docking, I don't think it takes too long after the initial time. You can also click a setting to take off the requirement of walking around all together if you really feel it is necessary. I do not. I enjoy it as I had hoped I would ad I find that even just walking in a limited space for now is infinitely better than spinning a ship in circles repetitively. The interfaces are pretty neat too.

The new digs. Click for bigness.

  On the left in that picture is your corp windown, then all the news and whatnot in the center with PI on the right. The table holds your ship model and an agent finder. That finder is pretty cool, since I was always tired of having to go to standing, find the corp, find the agents and then try to figure out who is where. This is quite handy and much appreciated by this capsuleer. 

The new agent finder. Click for bigness.

Chillin' on the couch catchin' up. Click for bigness.

  

  And of course, now your ship looks a little more impressive and, while some feel otherwise, I feel a bit more scale from the models. 

Loving that Legion view. Click for bigness.

  While this may only be a 20 minute distraction right now, keep in mind that many things are now able to build on this and there is plenty of content to come. I do find it a bit ridiculous that after 5 or so years, this is the most they can give us, but it is what it is. 

  Other changes came in the form of turret redesigns. It is something that is small, but sweet and just adds more to the game in details. New players might be able to appreciate is more than the bittervets, but even so it's another tool for immersion. And scouting, since now you can match high slots to actual turrent positions. So win, win. \o/

  An unexpected change, at least for me, was the probing change. All probes that you use are able to contribute to the strength of a signature, meaning you could get a warpable hit with just three probes. It also makes full Astrometrics skill viable and worth training.  Eve-O has a thread going on this if you want to follow along.

  The change to jump bridges was finally implemented. This means that no system can have more than one jump bridge and networks are going to be a bit different from now on. This change was delayed, but now that it is in game it seems there are reports of more sub cap fleets fighting for sov and not supercap hotdrops. This is good news for many.

  Then, after all the fun of patching and breaking and shinies, came the storm. Aurum prices were found to be a bit ridiculous and the (in)famous example being the monocle. This thread is one giant troll, which can be funny but a bit stupid at the same time. Also..how is it so hard to spell monocle right? Oh, :internet:. It cost over a billion in conversion just to buy a completely useless and frankly ugly pixelized piece for your avatar. It is the definition of waste. But people can do it, so they will. For that $60, you might as well get a real one though.  

  Not all were receptive to this new business model, however. Pandemic Legion has gone beyond just talking and is now implementing a policy of kicking anyone who finds it necessary to waste resources in such a way and not allowing anyone to be recruited that has history of dealing in these MTs. They are reported to be in talks with other alliances to push this initiative further and give the middle finger to CCP. Eve does have quite a unique community and when they are motivated, you may want to watch out. 

  But the MT drama hardly stopped there. Rumors started flying about a leaked document from CCP internals, later given credit by Massively. The leak was an internal newsletter that talked about taking micro-transactions further and making non-vanity items available, a move that would anger much of the player base. However, in the original leak a second page was not shown that held a disclaimer stating all of that information to be opinions and not policy. So, do not go throwing Molotovs into CCP buildings just yet. 

  It seems this expansion, with all the anticipation, hate, tears, and praises, has been quite the event this summer. And here I thought it was going to be another slow summer for Eve Online. Silly me.

  What are your thoughts and impressions?

-Mem 

The Incarnation of Incarna

  I would love to tell you all about what is new and how things are now that we have bodies. But I can't. CCP decided that they don't know what they are doing in reference to the Mac client and now I am downloading the entire thing again. Not that there's even a guarantee it will work, but I shall try. Something about the client not looking in the right spot for preferences. *sigh*

  From those I have talked to, Aurum prices are ridiculous and things are as buggy as would be expected for patch day. However, this isn't the worst roll out. I was rather surprised we were able to get onto the servers so that is a credit to CCP.

  When things are smoothed out and not as chaotic, I will make a better post with pretty, pretty pictures.

Aurum: The Beginning of the End

  Now my title may be a bit dramatic, but it is certainly the sentiment that many seem to hold with CCP's recent press release. While the idea of micro-transactions was thought to have already been shot down, CCP has shown otherwise by giving a new system of currency called "Aurum".  Anyone else notice the Spanish there? Little weak to use it, but what do I know.

   What does this mean? Using the middle man of a PLEX for the conversion it means that people can by pretty pretty things for their avatar. Completely useless items that will royally screw PLEX prices that are already in the ridiculous zone. Have you looked at the prices lately? Within 2 days I watched prices go from selling for 375 to 392 million ISK. This is getting out of hand and will only be worsened by this new Aurum system. CCP supposedly reserves the right the screw with PLEX prices and not tell us, but I find that stupid, frankly.

  At this rate, I won't be able to play much longer. I have zero money IRL...zero, since all of it is going towards a certain ring and nobody will hire me for the summer. That's a different headache altogether. No, the only way I can play my favorite game is PLEXing it with ISK I work to save up each month. On top of that I am PLEXing two accounts so that I can function in wspace. That's definitely not going to keep up. This makes me rather angry, but why would CCP care about just one or two people that can't keep it up?

  The real problem for them will come if they ever give items that directly affect flying by giving an advantage to the pilot that others will have to spend real money on as well to even the field. That is when you will see a mass cancelation of accounts. Will I go that far? It may be moot with prices so high, but I may if I am still around. CCP is quickly pulling their sandbox out of the stars and into the mud. I would advise them to seriously consider their aim. I understand that they are a relatively small developer in the industry and young. I know that in business you must adapt or die. But do not destroy such a long running and loved universe for your business model. It will only breed contempt.

  My words, however, will go unnoticed and unheeded. The only thing we can do at present is watch and hope they don't go the wrong way or that we can push them back on track. We have that, as much as many don't think so, with the CSM who has already been giving CCP a stern talking to.

  Needless to say, I am a bit pissed. Perhaps, though, it will get to a point that buying PLEX with USD will become viable for me to get rich and keep my account alive. ISK is devaluing so very quickly these days.

  Stay strong, capsuleers, and stand united when needed.
-Mem

Incarna Revisited/Merry Christmas

  Ok, firstly I'd like to apologize for that abhorrent post for the blog banter. I don't know what I was thinking, but I've been staying up til 5 am alot lately and it obviously impairs my judgement. So please extend patience as I reiterate what I should have in the first place.

  Incarna, or amulation or walking-in-stations etc, is what Eve has on the horizon. It is coming soon and it will have quite the impact. New Eden is a universe driven by its inhabitants, namely us capsuleers. The community, as the squeaky wheel, often gets the grease for development and sometimes does not. Sure, the existing features need work. But something I noticed early on in Eve is that everything does get worked on. Perhaps it takes longer than some people want, but CCP is quite good about revamping things. Yes, it should be done right the first time, but you have to give them credit.

  Which is why I think the last expansion has been a good step in the right direction for them. Focusing on doing it right and that will extend to Incarna. The question was how it would affect gameplay and the players. In the beginning, perhaps nearly not at all or to a small degree. I don't look at the short term, though, when I judge the feature. Giving a body to our capsuleer populace is huge. It's something that is epic in my mind simply because this universe is evolving and breathing more than any other game I can think of to date. It can feel like a second life at times. The complexity, depth, and fascination of it all can capture even the cynical.

  Incarna will be the stepping stone into expanding our universe. To start, there won't be much more than pretty interiors and a few things to do. But what happens when the players get a hold of things and bring their collective intellectual might to the table? Eve is not what it was when it began and for its benefit it is so. Players were the ones who developed jet can mining, alliances, and so much of what we take for granted now. Who is to say we won't make a whole new part of Eve that can be enjoyed? I think it can even bring in players who wouldn't normally pick up Eve Online. First it will be station bound, but don't be so narrow minded. Those planets you fly by every single day...what happens when we roam those expanses? What happens if we are eventually able to board enemy ships and fight to overtake it? Why limit yourself to what is immediately available when Eve is a sandbox, not something to be stuck in a box.

  There will be those who want nothing of it, but so what. That is what a breathing world is about; diversity. It is what drives the very workings of the game. Miners provide materials to be made into ships and guns that then shoot the miners who need more materials and so on. We all like something different. For myself, DUST 514 means little. I am in a wormhole, so fighting someone for a planet doesn't really make sense when it is a corp mate. Unless we just are doing it to annoy each other, which is fun too. Missioners can have a different scope of how they mission, traders play more angles, and fighters....well I guess we shall see how that turns out, yeah?

  So, I am optimistic and think this will be epic. CCP is always moving forward and there are certainly growing pains. But I am a fan boy through and through now, so dig in boys and girls, it's going to be a fun time. Hopefully this satisfies things a bit more.

  I also just noticed I hit post 100 with the blog banter. Whoa. That's pretty big for me, a personal achievement. I wish I had noticed sooner, because I wanted to do something fun for it. With the holidays and now that, I think I feel a contest/giveaway/somethingfunforall event coming soon. Stay tuned, won't you dears?

  I will also be getting another bit of the wormhole series out too. Sorry that things have slowed down, but real life is priority for me some times more than others. But my readers understand, cuz I have the best. I also need to get back to some fun Pvp stories, don't I? That carrier kill would be a good one, and two days later we got another. That one I missed, why? Missioning in kspace. WTF yeaaa.....bad time to work on R&D agents amirite. I hope you all have enjoyed the podcast so far as well. I'm trying to think of how I will develop my segment. Noob advice...probably...interview...man i suck at those, but I'll try to improve...anything you want, lemme know. Depending on copyrights and all, it'll be And Now for Something Completely Different, John Cleese intro and all. That is if it won't get me sued into the grave. I am also working on convincing a corpmate to start blogging. I'm lookin' at you, Sao!

  Wow, sorry about the wall o' text. Anyways, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all. It is almost 2011, good things on the Horizon (eh?eh?xD)


  Salut!
-Mem

Blog Banter #23-These Legs Are Made For Walkin'

Welcome to the twenty-third installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!



With Incursion giving us glimpses of what Incarna will have to offer (the the Character Creator), this month's topic, by @Minerpewpew, comes just at the right time. He asks

"What are your thoughts on how Incarna will effect the current EVE Online social dynamic?" I'd like to see this questioning go a bit further. How will this affect EVE's player base? Who will Incarna attract? New players to the genre? Seduce old players back into the game? Will we see new players come in that will never leave their station? Please explore to the best of your abilities!"



Forgive my lateness in writing this blog banter.


This topic is one that has generated many opinions on both ends of the spectrum. There are those that are exceedingly opposed and those that have waited quite a few years for this to come around. Myself, I haven't been in the game long enough to really be on either side of the fence. I hope this helps me be a bit more objective.

What is Eve? Well of course it is different things to different people, but essentially it is a space simulator. Or is a submarine simulator...sometimes it can get fuzzy :P The game allows its players to train up and fly any ship they want, choose any path they want be it good or evil. It has grown and developed over the course of nearly a decade, quite a lifetime as far as games go. There may not be millions of players, but the single shard universe does support tens of thousands. So is there room for ambulation?

Frankly, I do not see why not. Some are worried about how any crossover between ambulation and operations in space will negatively impact the experience, but really you don't know until it's been done. Such an installment, as long as it is polished and integrated smoothly, can be an asset to our New Eden home rather than a detriment.

Why? New blood. It can be something of a "portal drug" or ease one into our universe. I am not sure it will really appeal to anyone looking for hardcore avatar gaming like an FPS or the like, but if they come for that and then decide they want to fly and see what else there is, all the better. I think it also rounds out what Eve can offer.

-It may give a different twist for station traders. Hopefully it won't turn into something like a WoW city where people just stand around shouting their goods. But then, Jita local already is that.

-Perhaps it could give a bit of fun with in-station errands/missions.

-Although lacking Pvp to begin, a different realm for it could be quite interesting.

-The RP element can hardly be ignored, one that I have experienced more in Eve than most MMOs.

  I'm not too sure it would entice older players back, but maybe it is the fresh breath that older players need to still be in game, but not necessarily out in space doing the same old same old. I am too new to really know how they might feel, or if they're too bitter for it to matter.

  I, for one, await Incarna with optimism. I would love to take Memoo out of his ship and just walk around. I like having an avatar I can actually use for something besides a mug shot. By the way, I'll be putting up screenshots of Memoo's new look since SiSi now has the Character Creator back up. Incarna is simply a natural progression for the constantly evolving universe of New Eden. Why not flesh it out with things like this? If players are afraid or hate change, they should choose a different genre. Eve isn't what it was 7 years ago and it won't be the same in another 7. 

  I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I’m not sure how the dynamic could be changed. It's one of those nebulous ideas that won't be too certain until it actually happens. Stupid post for a blog banter maybe, but my brain is fried since it's 5 a.m...I may edit it later :P
I did get my first carrier kill today, pretty sweet. But anyways, I'm gonna pass out and hope to review this when I am a bit more sane.

-Mem