Saturday, 31 October 2020
Friday, 30 October 2020
Eve Online....
In a galaxy far far away a backwater Alpha clone got logged back in.
I'm usually good with what characters have, what, where and why...... Most are setup for PvE activities, with ships from their faction/race(because CCP may reverse their cross faction decisions on Alpha's). Along with some SoCT ships(Sunesis and Gnosis etc). So a Caldari alt will mission (level 3) in a Drake etc....
So many Alpha alts across many systems in many factions. But this Alpha, is far from my usual ways. I think that's the real question. What was I thinking!? Quick answer is I've no idea.
As an alt I've not seen in a long time I was surprised at him a Minmatar sitting in a Caldari Caracal. A caracal, some loose ammo and a bunch of filaments. I don't even remember doing Abyssals on this alt but his market transactions list the sale of items only obtainable from them.
His solo abyssal running cruiser. Not a great fit, not a speed running machine but one that 'would do' for an Alpha. Balances out capacitor while needing to be mindful if not always keeping an eye on it while using either or both shield booster and micro-warp drive. I'm not sure if this ship has payed for itself but I doubt I'll be running them after this.
A forgotten alt in a corner of the universe. After some assessment it looked like his setup was pretty much a shambles, a mish-mash of odds and ends spread across a number of systems. Not like me to have left an alt in that kind of state. Yea the ships he has 'do the job'; An Alpha is for all seasons. A true faff about centralist for sure. Jack of limited trades, master of none by a long shot. That is unless your in need of a more disposable alt(Cyno, scout, PvP).
Anyway, this Alpha was still in a large corp which is now part of a large alliance. Some news to catch up on in in-game mails. Lots of activities to join in on and only 1 of 8 dealing with PvP, nice to see.
The largest ship in the hanger, a half fitted Gnosis suggests the plan was for joining in on corp activities. For now it maybe good for finally grinding some standings to be able to do Level 3's(two factions seem to be close to that). I'm very much a pre planner even if the Character never does the activity...... Hmmmmmm
As the filaments were there I did a few 'electrical' abyssal's.
It wasn't a quick way to run them but he Caracal was effective enough. No T2 drones as even the T1 versions were being damaged/killed easily. Wouldn't be cost effective. I'm sure I'd have had that thought process whenever I did this originally. I really don't remember. Maybe during the summer I wanted to see if I could run Abyssals with a basic Alpha rather than on an Omega with friends...
Leaving this alt as a solo cruiser abyssal runner may be best. I'll contract his other assets and redistribute.
On a side note; Given the furor over Trig and Edencom standings in the 'war'/'invasion' it's odd that hopping into abyssal deadspace and killing them doesn't lower your standings with Trigs. Suppose it depends on the type of Triglavians you come up against.... 'Real' NPC or Deadspace NPC. Then again best no to over think it. Although I read somewhere that might be changing soon.... CCP always changes things they really can't anticipate their own games cause and effect.
It's been an Alpha shuffle kind of gameplay week. Other than that the mystery Alpha I've hopped back to other alts and switched about their assets. Selling off a lot that they just don't use/need. Condensing what they have and making some adjustments to fits etc; Asset management simulator as an Alpha goes on...
Even doing the mundane things in Eve looks good.
Thursday, 29 October 2020
Games with Gold....
Novembers freebies have three that interest me.
Aragami (Shadow Edition) is a game that flew under my radar, so I'd no idea about it but looks to be a great game. Best of the bunch in terms of my interest. Reminds me a lot of Otogi with the Japanese and spectral settings and themes. Another that I'll be trying out for sure.
Full Spectrum Warrior was one I played on PC. It looks to have aged well. I'll be trying it out and see how it handles.
SWIM Sanity - While it's 'not my thing' it does look to be fun; Worth a try even just to see once.
Indiana Jones: The original Adventures - I'm not a Lego game person no matter the theme; So I think I'll be skipping this.
3 out of 4 isn't bad!
Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Mini Metro....
Mini Metro has two new maps out today. Chile and Nigeria. I was surprised at that. Glad to see them and even happier to see even more coming in the long term. I don't keep up to the minute on it's 'news' but it was a good surprise.
It's only been two weeks since last posted about the game and still I felt out of my depth getting back in now. A lack of efficiency being the biggest weakness.
While the initial image on the map screens gives you a 'hint' as how to start... I don't plan ahead.
I feel I'd do better on a second Santiago run but the Lagos map is a killer with rivers and long distances; Some thought would be needed to see it done well.
Here are my first attempts at each of the new maps, not bad if I say so but messy....
Santiago - First run:
Lagos - First run:
Monday, 26 October 2020
Star Trek Online....
So more of the same but different again today yesterday.
That set has now been claimed so many times and plastered all over ships across all my main characters that had anything below a level XIII module; With still so many more to do....
Like on the Engineering main that has been doing most of the event(lots to tweak here).
As well as every small ship that each character has. Much more work to do but then again the small class isn't' really used any more outside of one Episodes mission(The Vault).
In particular I want to check out this fit with the new set (on my tactical main). Do some tweaking/changes/modification etc... Should be fun.
Not to mention that fit in progress....PC's Pilot version, Xbox normal corvette is still unfitted.
As for the reputations...
My Science main finished off the last reputation to get all of them to level 6. Nice.
My Engineering main is also well on the path to getting all to the max. Just 4 more to go.
On the Xbox side I'm still having fun pottering about with more missions.
For some reason I'm having an easier time and more fun going through missions. Having a great ship kicking virtual space butt is a plus but even ground missions seem easier than I remembered. Maybe there was some mission 'streamlining' for the Xbox version.
Saturday, 24 October 2020
Star Trek Online....
Xbox edition.
With the PC version down for maintenance/patch work as well as Origin's launcher doing the same I found myself continuing on in the Xbox version(yesterday).
The Xbox version is a clone of that on PC but it's the Xbox specific changes that make it easier more casual to play and enjoy(auto execution/delayed execution). So pottering about with even my limited knowledge made for (what I think was) great progression.
It doesn't take much to progress in Star Trek Online PC or Xbox; But it's been a long while since I put in some serious hours on the Xbox version in one stint. Today Yesterday saw me put in at least 5-ish enjoyable hours(with breaks).
Duty Officer/Admiralty missions/Reputation/Patrols/TFO's/mission episodes etc. Currencies and gear upgrades or access to gear upgrades..... Lots to potter about with.
The Bajoran Interceptor is one of my favorite ships. I chose it as it's matching set is less of a grind to acquire than a reputation based space set(imho). So in order to get that set, the Bajor Defence space set, I needed to get access to a mission(Scylla and Charybdis); Which in turn needed me to do the New Frontiers mission arc. I didn't have to do all of it but I wanted to to it all.
It wasn't difficult to do, no problem in doing it even with the hodge podge ship fit I'd already got. It was 'good' for it'. So doing it just took the time and effort to get it done. The mission arc and then the Scylla and Charybdis mission repeated three times to claim each part of the set from the rewards.
Upgrading the fit to mark XV was done with the Phoenix Prize, universal tech upgrades. During which I altered some modifies and obtained other 'bits'. Got Doff's, a console or two etc. etc. Stuff I take for granted on my PC characters. Also as I'd gotten the Bajoran Interceptor as a prize reward and not from the anniversary event so could only get the space sets warp core via a Phoenix token claim, so I got it as well.
As I had the marks to spare I also decided on getting the Discovery reputation Lorca's Ambition space set to add to the mix.
I reverted the ship back to using the Voice of the Prophets experimental weapon(instead of the Soliton Wave Impeller); Not only to stick with the Bajoran theme but I find it a faster firing weapon than the other experimental's. I'm sure there're a lot of min/maxers that would guffaw at that.
So overall quiet the mish mash of items and consoles that work for me. Better than similar fits I've done with the same ships and gear on PC. It's nice to see 20 -30k crits pop regularly.
Even better when the odd 60k crit hits.
As for the old Nandi (free when started playing on Xbox) it's received the best of the rest from the inventory. Tested in a few TFO's and it's given respectable middle of the road results. Holds it's own and gets an A for effort.
As I'll end up doing the soul destroying Synth Wave TFO for the new space set when the event hits Xbox, this ship is the most likely to use it.
Other ships have been dry-docked or discharged in a clear-out; I've been more into smaller faster ships of late.
Checking the store showed there was a new(ish) free pack(the Verdant weapon Pack), which I claimed. It took a day to show up and be claimable in game but good to get as my officers needed some new upgrades.
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Eve Online....
Spending even a small amount of time docked (mainly on my Caldari characters) has been a pain recently. Not in anything visual but regarding the new audio effects. In particular the new Caldari station 'interior ambiance'; Which reminds me of someone on comms breathing into the microphone. Annoying to say the least.
I'm all for improvements and quality of life changes but this new change is so annoying I've turned off the world sound level till I undock.
A worse situation to the music issues the game has backtracked on. At least with those you can choose the old music or the new 'dynamic'. Old music for me thanks. Just a pity that the tracks no longer change with zeroing out the music slider then rerunning it to a higher level. Which in turn wouldn't have been a thing if they hadn't removed the in game music player..... CCP being CCP boggles the mind.
Little things, big differences.
Anyway.
Here's a clip I took of the new station 'heavy breather ambiance':
Here's a clip of the old version from Youtube(more subtle if you ask me).
Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Battlefield 1....
I've been avoiding the last few weeks 'theme' matches. They've all had limited UI options turned on.
While I'm better than I was with identifying friend from foe; It's still annoying to round a corner in the heat of combat and kill or be killed... Team kill or be team killed that is.
So I've been back to standard conquest matches. Those matches are more of the same as ever. Mundane gameplay that is so mediocre it hurts. Some rare good matches but still plenty of clans owning servers to mop the floor with randoms.
Music for the 'season'....
So, some music for the 'season' with 'tangents' from my 'eclectic' taste(listed in no specific order). This list got out of control in it's making..... Lots added, so much more I could have added.
I like a lot more from artists than those whose tracks I've listed..... Some others not so much. Tastes change with moods and meanings...... Playlists tend to go darker/melancholy at this time of year for me(more than usual).
Why do a list.... Sharing is the best way to discover something; An artist or track that may be a discovery for someone.... Maybe even get to listen to something you thought you'd not choose yourself....
In This Moment - Witching Hour
In This Moment - Half God Half Devil
In This Moment - Lay Your Gun Down
In This Moment - River Of Fire
Device - Close My Eyes Forever feat Lzzy Hale (Official Audio)
Device - Out of Line (feat. Serj Tankian & Terry "Geezer" Butler)
Device - Haze (feat. M. Shadows)
Device - Through It All (feat. Glenn Hughes)
Disturbed - Down With the Sickness
Combichrist - Through These Eyes Of Pain
Lacuna Coil - The Ghost Woman And The Hunter
Lacuna Coil - Angel's Punishment
Rammstein - Engel (Rammstein - Engel (English Version))
U2 - Until The End Of The World
God Module - Viscera (Full Album)
Lorn - Acid Rain (Official Music Video)
Lorn - Acid Rain (Metal Version) - Artificial Fear
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Afro Celt Sound System - Life Begin Again
Afro Celt Sound System - Lovers of Light
Afro Celt Sound System - Release
TV on the Radio - Staring at the Sun
Queen of the Damned Soundtrack(Hard to find the full proper list on Youtube, this one does the job for the most part)
MARILYN MANSON - THE PALE EMPEROR [FULL ALBUM]
Massive Attack - Special Cases
Massive Attack - Dissolved Girl
Placebo - Protege Moi (Placebo - Protect Me From What I Want)
Placebo - In the Cold Light of Morning
Smashing Pumpkins -The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning
Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Is The End
The Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore
The Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet with Butterfly Wings
The Cranberries - Wake Me When It's Over
Tonikom - Of Those Great Walls
Tonikom - Temporarius Delerium
The Prodigy - The Day Is My Enemy
Deeper down the rabbit hole........
Blue Foundation - Eyes On Fire
Dargalon - Take It Save It [Urban Tribal]
Flyleaf vs. The Legion Of Doom - I'm so sick (t-virus remix)
Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra - First Semi-Final - Eurovision 2019
KADEBOSTANY - Walking with a Ghost
Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah (Finland) 2006 Eurovision Winner
Hellbent by Mystery Skulls feat. Snowblood
Metallica - Nothing Else Matters
Nick Cave The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand
Nina Sublatti - Warrior (Georgia) - Eurovision 2015- Semi-Final 1
Nine Inch Nails - Something I Can Never Have
PJ Harvey - This Wicked Tongue
Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper - Hands Of Death (Burn Baby Burn
Serge Devant - Addicted Radio edit
Sucker Punch -Army of Me (Sucker Punch Remix) Björk
Suicide Commando - God is in the rain
The Blackwater Fever - Can't Help Yourself
Timbaland - Morning After Dark ft. Nelly Furtado, Soshy
Monday, 19 October 2020
Star Trek Online....
Progress is ongoing, as ever, with one thing or another on both PC and Xbox. Feels longer then it's been, since I last posted about STO. The current PC event TFO is still a pain but thankfully I'm on auto pilot with my actions when doing it ...... With the sound off, mashing the keyboard.
Only 7 more to do....
Only 7 more to do....
I'm alternating 'mains' on PC to run the event daily and cover their needs for extra reputation marks. Might as well make the most of it.
Posting previously, one thing I didn't mention was the progress of those main alt reputations. Again progress is progress even if it's slow.
On my science main she's nearly done with her last reputation.
My Engineering main is just about halfway done with reputations overall. The bulk of those remaining are close to being completed. So nearly there.
As for Xbox I've been paying closer attention to the endeavour dailies, which in turn allow for TFO's and in turn gets marks that can be used on reputations. Slower but again progress.
The event on Xbox is for the Battle of the Binary Stars. A decent enough TFO and one she's doing well in.
Progress is progress.
Friday, 16 October 2020
Eve Online....
I've been a narky grump the last few weeks so as I need to vent about Eve online the timing is right for it. No doubt this will be a more free form and unfinished post. There'll be venom, no doubt I'll repeat myself and no doubt I'll waffle as I paste all this together. With luck it won't all be too disjointed.
Yep overall I'm still finding it hard to blog about the time I do spend in Eve Online. Not that it's much time. Non existent really. Yet I still can't even bring myself to really waffle about it as I go.
Even doing up this post is proving a massive pain. Yet the need to vent........ So I'm just going to blurt it all out. There's more for me to drone on about regarding CCP than the game that I have to stop myself. There's a fine line between waffling, venom and outright blowing a gasket. Also not everything/everyone at CCP is to blame. Hard to keep both separate. Tared with the same brush. Changes like those in a quality of life way benefit all. Good work.
However a waffling tirade of venom towards CCP in general..... For the choices they've made(making the game go more against my 'play-style' (PvE carebear)) is easy(insert floating down de Nile joke). I think CCP are still well in denial about their players and the players they could have rather than the gamers they think they need. So waffle and CCP about Eve Online I shall.
I see a lot of CCP's choices as unsubtle money grubbing, that dissuades players from fully embracing(all aspects of) their product(s). Those that do, do so by choice. Like I've said before 'play-style' is each to their own and a person can do what they want with their own cash.
I'm a bitter veteran, I still remember when ships were going to get a design and paint option(player customization for free), instead players got the SKIN system #ingameshop.
You can't please all of the people all of the time and in some cases some of the people some of the time. Some gamers are more invested in a game, time, money, both, the value of which is dependent on the gamer. CCP has a history of doubling down(and then some) on what kind of players they want. The PvP kind. Hence why I see PvE missed opportunities never mind growing the player-base overall. I had hope of PvE when CCP Seagull was in charge; She held out the hand of friendship to all play-types. It's changed quickly since she left.
As a product, the more time passes the more CCP actions to both change and monetize the game further aggravate me/my play-style in game. Of course I'm critical about it, I do love the game. Where CCP see's their direction(did they ever?) I see what it could have been via my minds eye(and common sense) with other choices. I'm confident in what I think because CCP decisions are proven to be both blind to the overall player base as they doubling down on their short vision. Al that despite their boastiong of the 'next 10 years'; All else be damned. Easy to see angles on the game where they could appeal to a broader player-base but they want to hone in on the cha'ching of fortnite in space and bend all to embrace it or leave. #bittervet. Eve Online isn't the game for that, but they will twist and turn to make it. Wasted opportunities.
Eve(CCP) giveth and Eve(CCP) taketh away. Constantly in both directions. In truth staying in Eve Online as a bitter veteran is like standing on a beach as the tide comes and goes around you. Players of the moment dip a toe and go with the tide; Taking what you can in the immediate ebb and flow.
10 long-term players I've known in game and only 2 have VERY intermittently returned to the game. One paid for a few months during the summer(and got me back) and the other back rarely as an Alpha. I used to look at the majority of players as kids splashing in the tidal pools as I bemoan the past. #Bittervet. Different players looking for different play-styles all mashed together.
I've long since removed myself from that beach and admire the shenanigans from afar. The last few years I've been a non paying(for the most part) Alpha clone perspective. Nothing but friendship has made me want to return as an Omega. Short as that was.
Like life, Eve is complex and complicated with my bitterness is seeming a more simple perspective with each new 'thing' that CCP does to the game. One thing leads to another and I'm waffling on a blog post.....
If I can put CCP into a metaphor of my own making.
I like white bread sandwiches.
I might change and mix up the fillings but I always go back to the deli for my white bread sandwich. CCP may offer a wide range of fillings for a sandwich in their sandbox game; But if they constantly deny the white bread and I can't get a white bread sandwich I'm not gonna buy it at all, regardless of the filling.
(N.B. I also like brown wholemeal so don't hold the white bread slices against me.....'Metaphor').
It takes something special for CCP to have their heads that far up their own posterior and still push harder(PvP).
Long story short I've not seen anything since I stopped my yearly subs that makes me want to yearly sub again. Far from it.
The 4th quarter does nothing for me. I'm too bitter and have no faith in CCP.
"Spawn new ships directly from a Supercarrier's bay" ?!? Spawn?!?! They really need to learn how to phrase things better. At least the details given show that the 'tactical' clone bay in the carrier is where the pilot will come from and then into a ship stowed in the carrier. Not out of thin air.
From what CCP said you'd be forgiven if you immediately thought they were spawning things in space from nothing. You'd think CCP would distance themselves from the merest thought of it but no... They like me, waffle, only I'm not a professional company with customers.....
I've seen some systems reduced from 15+ asteroid belts down to 5-ish. All these changes hurt the small time gamer more. Especially in Hi-Sec.
I can already tell that large Null based alliances will 'invade' Hi-Sec and take what they want. They did it against Provi when the stations changes came and they walked all over Hi-sec when they took over the PI offices! Never mind how they annexed Niarja. So yea they will move into Hi-Sec and Low-Sec and anywhere else.
CCP doesn't give a dámn about the silent majority. Sad to see it happen and sad to know it's a clusterfk coming. CCP changing things for one reason ruining others. Multifuntion ship can only have one use as CCP only thinks in PvP terms. In the sandbox it's their way and only their way.
They don't deserve the players that love the game(no matter the players perspective game-style).
I flew a Nighthawk a lot(no links) in PvE. When I was flying with friends I loved the Nighthawk; A damage absorbing brick. Tank any level 4 mission with full aggro and not even blink. One I'd had fitted the same way for years; Then CCP do a 'balance' pass and changed things. Change isn't always good!
Loose a low slot, gain a mid and ruin my tanking ability. Thanks. I don't see why they have to keep poking and changing based on PvP. Especially when they don't even see half the consequences of their actions. Blinkered PvP based changes ruining my PvE. If the game was balanced everyone would be complaining about something not just the casual carebears! World smallest violin. Without the silent carebear majority there would be no Eve! Imagine buying a car only the maker to come back to you 6 months later and change your 4 wheel drive into a rear. Take away the back seats and drop back the keys...... your supposed to say thanks.... F**k off!
Who needs miners...... Or mission grinding, reward selling players.
No room for all eh?!
While a personal assessment of the Eve markets doesn't take long. The in game chart per items/volume gives good information. Changes to ores and minerals are easy to see. You look at the item you want, you see it's selling history. You can see the long term (up to a year), price per unit and you make a call on if you see it as cheap or not.
Markets like everything else is subjective. Low prices, high prices. A Million is large to some and a Billion is small to others. Either way and no matter the analysis; If a player wants a ship or item and they have the isk for it, they will still buy. If it's 5% above the average or 10% the average buyer won't care!
delonewolf's Eve Talk is a good weekly update/assessment for general market information/catch-up; Yet I miss the more in depth Eve Prosper; At least he was entertainingly meta at the same time.
The reason the new Edencom Battleship is so cheap(as new faction ships go) is because the skill book to fly it is so expensive.
Never mind the special weapon system it needs and the skill book that that in turn needs(both overpriced by a long shot). A double whammy yet it's nothing for the rich to splash out on(prices as of a week before posting).
Battleship:
Skill to fly battleship:
Main Tech 1 weapon for the battleship:
Skill to be able to fit the main weapon for the battleship:
Never mind getting into the tech 2 version of the skill/weapon:
With the Arc Guidance skill you'll need as well:
So the guts of 5-ish Billion isk for the ship and T1 weapon plus the skills to use them(never mind the rest of the fit). Not really accessible to the average player imho. I'm sure the excuse of a game wide event is that all players may get involved; But only the rich will really get something long-term out of it. Maybe I'm being too narky and sarcastic.
So given some time to get the weapon skill trained to level 5 or a bunch of purchased skill injectors cos lets face it if your spending this much you've got it to burn; The Tech 2 weapon will bump up the cost(less the skill injectors) to about 7 to 8-ish Billion. Charming. Billions here and billions there, if you've got it you'll get it, and what it costs doesn't matter. Doesn't matter to the rich cos it's purchasable and doesn't matter to the poor cos they can't and could never purchase it(trading sharks excluded).
Funny how all the tweets since the 2 million player tweet have now been 'removed'. Play Store reviews say it all, 'mixed'.
A "Journey without limits" echoes(pun intended?!) hollow when you consider that this game like the 'main' Eve Online has two versions of players. Those that pay for unlimited access and the bulk of non paying members that are very, very much limited. Eve Echoes, the app to bring true micro-transactions to the Eve franchise. I hope that there isn't too much bleed-through from it to Eve Online. I'm not optimistic on that front #ShipSKINS.
Speak of the devil:
https://twitter.com/CCPGames/status/1313532025371066369
(I'd still like to know where the other 4 Million went to?)
All this talk of numbers and I can't help but wonder if all the CCP number bluster is a little bit overblown given the large proportion of the wolds population has been in lockdown/cocooning/social/physically distancing due to, you know, a GLOBAL PANDEMIC! Numbers may be slightly off the 'norm'.... Players may have some extra home time etc etc.
I mean who could factor in some random things like that when boasting of player numbers.
I'm one of those millions and I've tried the game with two login's of 30 ish minutes give or take before uninstalling it(and Bluestacks). I'm more than just number.
Also makes me wonder how greedy CCP is that given players have so much home time 'this weather' there aren't more persistent long term sales....... Half price one month etc.
I'm sure Echoes is making money, just no as much as they thought they would. Give it a while and I'm sure it'll go the way of Dust514. Hanging by a thread, dangling with player hope and dedication till it gets the chop. Whenever CCP decides it's economic viability.
Then again Eve Valkyrie is still €29.99 on Steam with a handful of players. I can only imagine a new player hopping in a match only to get pwnd by the OP whale(s) that still fund the game. Eve Echoes future?
Speaking of Echoes I've found it interesting how hardcore the pro Echoes commentators are.
Even just a week into it's life the shills were out in force. Someone has a problem running Echoes a response comes in to get a new phone..... Upgrade your internet to stop getting disconnected etc...
A far cry from the helpful, workaround with what you got comments from most regarding Eve Online.
While neither side on either game is perfect, the shills, are a lot more noticeable on Echoes. Dislike the game and they will pile on.
Never underestimate player wow factor for graphics versus in game mechanics that are mountainous. No matter how good it looks a casual game isn't one to stick with a steep learning curve that's monetized. Casual games keep players.
Echoes is a different game than Eve, even if they are siblings. Siblings sharing the same DNA and parentage. The more things change the more they stay the same. CCP is CCP.
Oh look CCP changing things in Eve Online:
I'm sure Echoes is making money, just no as much as they thought they would. Give it a while and I'm sure it'll go the way of Dust514. Hanging by a thread, dangling with player hope and dedication till it gets the chop. Whenever CCP decides it's economic viability.
Then again Eve Valkyrie is still €29.99 on Steam with a handful of players. I can only imagine a new player hopping in a match only to get pwnd by the OP whale(s) that still fund the game. Eve Echoes future?
Speaking of Echoes I've found it interesting how hardcore the pro Echoes commentators are.
Even just a week into it's life the shills were out in force. Someone has a problem running Echoes a response comes in to get a new phone..... Upgrade your internet to stop getting disconnected etc...
A far cry from the helpful, workaround with what you got comments from most regarding Eve Online.
While neither side on either game is perfect, the shills, are a lot more noticeable on Echoes. Dislike the game and they will pile on.
Never underestimate player wow factor for graphics versus in game mechanics that are mountainous. No matter how good it looks a casual game isn't one to stick with a steep learning curve that's monetized. Casual games keep players.
Echoes is a different game than Eve, even if they are siblings. Siblings sharing the same DNA and parentage. The more things change the more they stay the same. CCP is CCP.
Oh look CCP changing things in Eve Online:
CCP rhetoric reminds me of the verbose waffle that Gordon Ramsey uses to describe food. Every second word is a superfluous compliment on the ingredients or how he's preparing it. He may describe an eggplant as the "most beautiful, succulent, delicious'; Yet it's not going to change my mind that Eggplants F**king suck. So to with CCP and 'some' of their games/decisions.
CCP a while ago were promoting a "boost bundle". Blatantly pay to win with no in game action or pretense for it's sale. Blatantly a cash grab from CCP as if ship SKINS weren't enough.
I'm not disapproving of how players spend their cash. I am disapproving of how a games company is watering down the meaning of their game to p;layers that have been in game a 'wwwhhhhile'. A game built on the blocks of meaningful time spent in a universe where every action and consequence matters. Mattered. Not so the case today. I've not seen any uproar over these bundles. The playerbase has truly changed. Cash is king and if you want to splurge then CCP is more than willing to let you. I've been a long term fee paying member in the past; To me these changes are disappointing, saddening and I can't help but see it as CCP flushing it's main show-runner down the toilet one plunger stroke at a time.
The second decade mystery code was my real turning point. I invested in the game and the company with my cash like never before. Look how that turned out for players like myself.
How low will things go for other players to speak up never mind those still shilling for CCP. Harder falls ahead I think. For customers who don't know it, for those that do and everyone else caught in between. The game has lost it's awe. Dedication and time builds trust; Player to player and players to CCP. Never mind skills, in game and out. Everything feels so disposable now.
The future......The only real indication is that they want to make money and players get quick fix ship explosions.
Farmville has been on Facebook over 10 years (more players than CCP games ever had)and made money(more money than CCP?) to boot yet never once saw a ship explosion never mind any kind of PvP. CCP can't get over it's PvP tunnel vision.
CCP still can't even do walking in stations!
I'll be in Star Trek Online.
I'll be in Star Trek Online.
Back to the Alpha's.
I've been back to my two Alpha accounts that were made to specifically be Alpha's. Born of the 2 60-day time codes from both of my Second Decade - Collectors Editions; Better to use than have CCP void them. Alphas born to be separate and 'enjoy' life as care free non paying members of the universe.
That was the idea anyway. I've waffled about them before.
That was the idea anyway. I've waffled about them before.
One of those Alphas was made to be PvE and the other PvP but over time and in game happenings both ended up the same. PvE, it's just how I roll. Two Alpha's in a Hi-Sec corps doing carebear Hi-sec things. Either solo or help with hauling/mining/missions it's all about extreme faffing about.
Main alpha's, hauler alt's, corp's, activities, ships, gear, collectibles. Faffing. Meh.
Hopping back to my real mains for some asset management and tidying up.
Micromanaging characters and in my own way I guess role-playing them in a way.
Before settling them down most newbie corp's in Hi-sec were ganked into oblivion but since the war dec changes(needing structures) I've not seen as much of a newbie corp resurgence as I'd expected. New players come and go but I'm surprised at the number of characters that get deleted. In a corp of a few hundred there are at least 5 to 10 a day that I get a mail about being 'retired'. I guess players start over and three slots aren't enough(No need for spies in corps like these).
The most I've done on both was a few months ago, dual ran(PC and Laptop) them both through the SOE mission chain for the sake of it. It's been years since I did it last. It was a trip down memory lane.
Old:
New:
Might do it again when the timer is up.
So it's true to say I'm still pottering about within Eve Online.
Also true that I'm not doing anything really.
I still had racial battleships with my alts, these got changed over to the more generic and cheaper Praxis once the level 4 changes came in(a while ago). Getting assets etc back to my mains though is taking time. Paused really as I can't be bothered. Faffing about on them is a holding pattern I've spoken about before.
Life as an Alpha is very limited(they cut back to far imho) if you don't have massive amounts of time to make it worth while all you can do is exist and keep up with in game news. Anything worth doing in the game for a profit is contested by other players looking to do the same. An Omega will win out to an Alpha just by logging on. It is what it is. It's not as bad as I make it out to be, for the most part, kind of. If it's in space it's accessible to anyone. Timing is key; I'm lucky that later in the day is between late night Europe and early morning US time-zones.
Still, getting to any Hi-Sec asteroid belt only for it to have been strip-mined by the NPC fleets is a bummer. So it's not only other players your competing with(A.I. fleets are less 'efficient' these day's but still).
An old fit on an old alt on an old account, still not to bad. Usable at no extra expense. A bit over optimistic with the ammo count.
--Ends--
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