If Science Fiction is Your Thing…

…then, come March 10, you will be a very happy camper indeed! That is the day that Atari and CCP Games will be releasing the ultra popular MMORPG EVE Online to the retail world. And why, do you ask, would this be any different than, say, subscribing online? Several very good reasons, one of which is financial and the other is simply geekish.

First, the financial aspect. EVE Online will be retailing for about $34.95, which is a good $15 cheaper than many new games that come out. To quote their press release:

Breaking with tradition, the collection of extras will also include 60 days of free game time, a departure from the standard 30 days offered for most MMORGs, allowing players to sign up and get started without paying any subscription fees for the first 60 days of a new account. Alternatively, the included game time may be used to extend an existing subscription or be split into two 30-day codes known as “Pilot License Extensions” (PLEX) that can be sold to other players through the in-game market for in-game currency.

For U.S. customers, that is the equivalent of purchasing the game (and all 10 of the games expansions!!) for a grand total of $4.95. But wait, there’s more! What this means is that you can play for free for 60 days, or split it up into two 30-day units and actually SOLD for a great deal of in-game money (known as isk) to give your character an even greater boost in his or her career in Space.

Now, having been playing this game for a mere three months myself, I can say that a LOT can be learned and done in this short amount of time…and with other people in the game and Corporations filled with people willing to help n00bs (new players), the learning curve is that much easier to handle. CCP will also be making changes, beginning with this newest expansion Apocrypha, to the entire character creation process, making this aspect of the game simpler and more streamlined for the new player.

For the geek in all of us, purchasing this game gives players the following bonuses:

INSTANT WAR ACCESS: This certificate allows rapid access to organized combat (through increased standings), helping new players get into the action quickly.
EXCLUSIVE CAREER GUIDE: Accessed via the website to allow for dynamic updates, the guide includes insider tips and tricks.
VIP PASS: Use this card to invite a friend to try the game for 21 days. When that friend becomes an EVE Online subscriber, you will get an additional 30 days of free game time.
And my favorite one, because I am a sucker for new, shiny toys (as anyone in my Corp will attest to, with both a giggle and a frown):
EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME SHIP: An exclusive new ship, the Interbus Shuttle, will allow players to fly in style with an increased capacity cargo hold to ferry those extra crucial items at high speeds.

Okay, the drawbacks:

1) Online games are addictive. In the case of EVE Online, there is always a new skill to learn, a new part of the Universe to explore, a new ship to fly, a new pirate to hunt down, a new agent to go on missions for, a new player to recruit into your Corporation or a new gate to gank (EVE’s unique descriptors are all part of the joy, from ganking to podding to null-sec ninja mining…it’s all fun and games). What kind of a player are you? Do you like long-range sniping? How about Drone fighting? Do you prefer up-close-and-personal projectile barrages or, perhaps, you like creating the havoc that is EWAR (electronic warfare)? Maybe you’re a carebear and love to sit between a pile of rocks and mine your EVE life away, making millions in the process? Whatever the case, there is a career…and I do mean a CAREER…for you in EVE. So, this isn’t so much a drawback as it is fair warning. You will become hooked.

2) Lag. This is an issue that happens at certain times when a great number of players are all at one place at one time doing something enormous (like the time I was pod-killed by a group of 20+ pirates ganking a gate with EWAR, warp scrambling and heavy tackling…I didn’t die because I was ineffectual, I died because the overload caused my video card to lock up. Pay close attention to your computer specs. Sometimes, lag cannot be avoided, especially in systems (I can think of only one right now) where there are routinely 1000+ players strolling about at any given time. The system I am in, for example, averages somewhere around 25.

3) EVE is not a pleasant place to go out for a stroll in your uninsured cruiser class starship. If you are looking for a nice quiet place to do your thing in a science fiction setting or if you enjoy social networking with your pals while waiting for those giant ore rocks to be gobbled up by your mining barge…forget it. Pirates will hunt you down and destroy you. NPC ships will harass you repeatedly and can flippers (another colloquialism you will learn once you’re hooked) will rob you blind if you aren’t careful. EVE is the wild west of space, where lawlessness is the order of the day. There is one bit of advice I’ve heard over and over and I will repeat it here for you: Never fly a ship you cannot afford to lose.

4) Did I mention that EVE is addictive? Okay. Moving on…

EVE Online is fun, it is challenging and there is ALWAYS something new to do or some place new to explore, if you have the intestinal fortitude. It is relatively inexpensive and you do, indeed, meet some really good people (despite the proliferation of pirates, most of which are pretty nice…after all, even pirates need to make a living). Best of all, you will have two full months to explore the possibilities, take advantage of isk-making opportunities and, best of all, stories to tell your friends of the pirate that couldn’t escape, or the null-sec rats you avoided while mining an ice field, or a moon!

If you are a science fiction fan, then EVE Online is what you’ve been looking for. With its rich back-story, incredible visuals, atmospheric music and up-to-the-moment news updates from all four main factions (Amarr, Caldari, Gallente and Minmatar), you will feel as if you are living amongst the stars. Some very deadly stars, to be sure, but lucrative and exciting nonetheless!

Joe Rixman – 2009

About EVE Online:
Set tens of thousands of years in the future, EVE Online is a breathtaking journey to the stars, to an immersive experience filled with adventure, riches, danger and glory. From brokering business deals to waging war, you will have access to a diverse array of sophisticated tools and interfaces to forge your own destiny in EVE. Learn more and sign up for a free trial at www.eveonline.com.

About the author:

Joe Rixman is a freelance writer for White Wolf, a screenwriter, filmmaker and avid EVE- Online player. He can be reached in-game by Eve-mailing Joren Kain, his nom-de guerre.

Tags | eve online, mmorpg, sci-fi