Eve Online....

Well, well, well, a freebie worth claiming on the in game store. 7 days of free Omega game time.

Who'd have thunk it! Akin to the way Star Trek Online does some giveaways, but this is one of the few times something of actual value has been given free on the in game store in Eve. I can't really think of anything else that springs to mind. It's a precedent for sure, both for Eve and the store never mind it being of 'real' value. CCP has a hard time of doing things like giveaways of value, real value.... So fair dues to them.... That it coincides with the expansion launch and a week of login 'gifts' is also no real coincidence but it's good for gamers. Or should I say better for gamers. Either way I don't get to say that often at all in regards to Eve and CCP.....  

So once I'd seen the news the first thing I did was to confirm on my main that it was real. It was(It's CCP, you never know what the 'catch' is)! The next thing was to contact two friends, old Eve veterans. One returned within an hour of contact; The other not so much. By'the'by for anyone who reads this blog long-term, the guy who did come back is the guy I mention more for loosing ships and isk than anything else. I contacted him at 11PM his time(we're still on opposite sides of the globe), we stayed online chatting etc for about 30 mins... That's to say I then logged off... He stayed online for another 4 hours reworking his P.I. and production chains. When Eve hooks you it hooks you.

Not sure he'll spend cash on any more game-time, neither will I but I can see why CCP would want to give the freebie etc. It's just so strange that there should be a hint of good will along with the blatant 'pay for our overpriced subscription'(something else to be bitter over). It'll take a lot more 'good will' for my CCP Gripes to be alleviated... But I wont drone on about those I've enough past posts bemoaning CCP actions etc(here, here, here, here, here and here).

So I've 12 Alt accounts from a verity of times(old trials etc etc that I've also blogged about a long time ago) and my 2 main accounts means that 14 accounts are now active. I'm sure that will help with the CCP statistical skew. Of course I have an unhealthy dose of skepticism. Presedence may be set but CCP has a history of not being consistent. This is a freebie that may never be seen again(odds are more in favour of that).

So what am I going to do with my mains and alts with this gift of game-time.... Nothing. CCP has not learned form what STO knows about keeping players active. CCP may mimic in store freebies to get players into the game, claiming from that store and seeing what they could buy; But Eve is a passive skill point game. STO takes active play and gives freebies to boost and be used! Yes that's a very simplified version of 'things'. But for CCP to have meaningful giveaways to draw players AND keep them will take more than just a valuable claimable store item. I'm waffling and it's all very off the cuff; But CCP need to come up with more to make it more meaningful for players long-term. Something like what Star Trek Online's Lifetime sub does. Oh wait! CCP did.... Mystery code(FFS)! I'm gonna stop now before I really rant and link all my old ranting blog posts. With the games third decade on the horizon I'll just leave this here:

"This is just the beginning of what the Mystery Code will unlock.  In the future, whenever we have big things happening—not just across the EVE Universe but across all CCP games—you will find a Mystery Code element to enjoy.
There’s much more planned we can’t discuss right now, but you can rest assured that as we continue our journey into the Second Decade with you, the Mystery Code will be your perfect traveling companion."

Eve Online Fanfest Day 1 thoughts....

I may be late to the party with getting my thoughts about day one onto the web but I've had better things to be doing. Not that I was unimpressed with Day 1. Even with it's tech difficulties and me hitting the mute button and doing other things with the bulk of the "show" but lately I've been very much in the mind of..... MMO's = Meh. I've been questioning the value of what I've been investing in across all my pure online games. It's not like I can do another blast from the past blog and fire up an MMO I play today. So that makes me question the value of the games. They are very current enjoyment in value but don't have an "always have" option. I'm sure there are the arguments like "Eve: Forever" but even in Eve's EULA CCP owns your account/characters and all items. Not that any MMO I've played will ever have an offline mode.... But I'll stop waffling on and get down to the real reason of this blog. Day 1 of Fanfest.

In no particular order:

I was surprised that they were talking about Eve Valkyrie as being a Beta game. I thought it was "done" and being packaged with devices as a "game" not a "in beta".

Hilmar yet again raised his dream link of the TQ and Serenity servers. I'm sure it's a nice pipe dream but I doubt the paranoid Chinese government will allow anything like it. Especially considering the propaganda they are currently promoting against red haired foreigners whisking state workers off their feet and getting secrets from them, “National Security Education Day” is real.
If this link does happen I think it would be a great alternate reality to see.

I was semi cursing CCP when Hilmar briefly mentioned a thanks to Dust 514 players etc and said that CCP had learned a lot. TO myself I was thinking yea thanks for being a guinea pig. But I was pleasantly surprised when Project Nova, Dust's 2.0 was announced. And from the footage that I've seen I am really amazed that it both looks great and feels and looks like the original game. That has lead me to thinking that my characters and gear may get transferred over yet! I can hope and dream. It really looks like Project Nova will deliver on being a dust upgrade but time will really tell. At least it will be free to play. Eve News 24 talks about it.

In the presentations I noticed a lot of the promo trailers/footage had the look and feel of Star Citizen's footage. Especially the way that the characters look out from the trailers in an awe inspired kind of way. But CCP I think did that on purpose so that the main trailer for Citadel would have a greater impact, It's the second half of that trailer that literally blows the Star Citizen out of the trailer and shows the real difference that Eve brings. I may be a casual PVE carebear but that second half of the trailer had be laughing my ass off.

The New CSM seems to be made up of the null groups. Pity there was a low turnout for voters. I dont' know what to expect from it but I do hope that CCP keeps a more considered and level head that both listens to focus groups as much as the CSM, if they listen at all.
Over all the last year had a lot of ups and downs for the outgoing CSM. Sugar Kyle has a good post up to semi finalise things. As a casual carebear at least with the last CSM I felt my interests were covered by a few of it's members, not so with this new group. Given the way CCP is taking Eve I doubt they will be so unhappy about that.

like most other MMO's Eve finally gets an proper in game birthday celebration. This year May 6th will see Eve Online turn 13 and players will get the usual gifts of firework launchers nad fireworks but also a new pod skin.... although they do say SKINs so being plural I can see the monetization of pod SKINs is here. Pity they don't do a per character gift....

Other bloggers have been posting about their thoughts on day 1 and are well worth a read as they have good links and images to take in all the sites.:
https://evehermit.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/bedtime/
http://sandciderandspaceships.blogspot.ie/2016/04/fanfest-2016-day-1-highlights.html 

The official day 1 link isn't too bad to catchup with.

CCP can have it's ups and downs both with content and technical issues (streaming, camera's and sound) but with Day two's stream just started I've already hit the mute button. And the stream looks to be having streaming issues.... roll on the big presentations as I'm hating the filler content.