Riding the Ever-Changing EVE Bike

"Like riding a bike."  These words are the epitome of the recognizable and mundane.  Many things in life fall under this category, once learned, they are almost impossible to forget.  This concept is easily applied to many video games, such as some of my favorite first-person shooters and other unnamed RPGS.  EVE Online is definitely not one of those games.

If you have ever taken an extended sabbatical from EVE Online, or are just beginning your EVE Online adventure, you are well aware of the trials faced when diving into this rich and complex video game.  As I come back from a 1.5 year break, I'm excitedly crawling my way back to the level of competency I had when I left the game.  For now, most of my time spent "playing" is actually spent reading about changes or fiddling around with new ship fittings on EFT.  

Not only am I playing catch-up with all of the major changes (the biggest being capital ship jump travel),  I'm finding that I have forgotten how to do many simple things that used to take little thought.  My fellow corp-mates were about to go on a frigate roam and told me to grab a fully fit Tristan out of the corp hangar.  I spent a good five minutes trying to remember how to access the corporate hangar before finally finding the right menu.  Shortly afterward, I was helping my friend move his jump freighter.  I shamefully admit that I had to Google search how to broadcast a cyno before my friend could make the jump<ins>facepalm</ins>.

If you find yourself in a similar situation I encourage you to read all the patch notes which have been released since you started taking your break.  Read them in chronological order (starting with the oldest first) and plow your way through to the latest patch.  This will alleviate some of the confusion you may feel while getting back into the game.

If you're a new player I strongly suggest reading up on as much as you can about the game.  Pay close attention to how dated your resources are, as they may not be applicable to the game anymore.  There are many guides and articles on the EVE wiki worth checking out.  Finish the in-game tutorial and join the "Help" channel.  There are amazing people in that channel that can help you answer almost any question.  It can even be a good resource for those that consider themselves EVE experts.

Taking a break has given me a whole new appreciation for this game.  The intricacies and numerous changes that have taken place in the short span of a little under two years is a testament to the greatness of EVE Online.  I am invigorated knowing that my time and money is invested in a game where the developers are dedicated and passionate about what they do.  CCP's open ears to feedback and their communication with the players far surpasses that of any other developer.  I'm happy to know that I'm playing a game this is continually modified and added upon.  Some of the changes currently being presented at Fanfest 2015 look incredible.  I cannot wait to see how this game will be morphed and shaped into something less recognizable in the years to come.

A Reflection

The ten year anniversary of EVE Online has come and gone.  With it came the reflection of EVE exploits throughout the last decade.  A commemoration video was released by CCP  demonstrating the graphical changes the game has undergone since its release and giving estimates of 40 mil. ships destroyed, 14 bil. NPC crew members killed, and 15 mil. pods destroyed in the last ten years.  During the height of the buzz surrounding the ten year anniversary I was just coming back into EVE, and I never really gave the event much thought until last week when I was going through my old things and I found this...

This is the original box set for EVE Online when it was released in May 2003, it came with a bitchin' poster, CDROM, and a short manual.  The poster features a Bantam mining the shit out of another Bantam, a couple Condors, Vexors, and what looks to be an early version of an Impairor.  The box has a Fed Navy Comet doing some damage to a Caldari station.

When I found this token from the past it gave me a greater appreciation for really how much has happened and how far the game has come since its launch.  Looking back to my earliest memories of the game, I believe the anniversary event failed to capture the magnitude of all that has changed.  At least in addressing the finer details, which I find enjoyable to reflect upon....

During EVE's release, cruisers were the biggest hull available.  I remember seeing a Moa one week after release and thinking how much of a total bad-ass this demigod of EVE must be to have obtained such a behemoth.  Capsuleers from surrounding systems converged on the Moa in their rookie ships to gaze at this paragon of death and destruction; their eyes gleaming with dreams of one day owning such a ship.

Not long after, battleships were introduced to the game and I made it my goal to obtain a Megathron before summer's end.  Back then mining and industry were really the only options for most players to accumulate any wealth.  Missions gave little ISK and pirate bounties were even worse; level 2 agents were the highest available, no incursions, no moon mining, etc.  It was the players, various plexes that were few and far between, asteroid belts, and stations.  With determination I undocked my Imicus day-to-day, pelting omber after omber with my mining laser of justice; slaying asteroids left and right until I was able to afford a Thorax.  With more than twice the amount of available mining lasers at my disposal, my Megathron drew ever closer.

When I finally obtained my goal I was stuck not knowing what to do next.  I had reached the pinnacle of EVE yet I dare not risk my hard-earned battleship in the open field, and I refused to adulterate my achievement by mounting mining lasers.  So began my pull away from industry and into the world of PVP (with smaller ships, of course), but that is a story for another time.

Back then there was no such thing as signature radius, tracking, explosion radius, and the like.  It was all about who had the biggest gun with the longest range.  One can imagine why battleships (especially railgun ships) were so powerful; having the ability to insta-pop frigates and blast down cruisers in seconds.  The EVE community was in its infancy and it was exciting to make friends and connections.  Null sec was hardly populated and the seeds of the big-name alliances were just starting to spread their hand out over the red areas of the map.

Most of the convenient features we enjoy today were not implemented; there was a very limited social interaction and trade system, no sovereignty, limited missions, no faction warfare, no WH space, comparatively few modules and fewer ships...you get the picture.  A current player may look back on this game and scoff, but at the time it was a remarkable achievement.  MMO's were just starting to make their mark and the complexity of the game was astounding at the time, especially without the online resources we have today.  Although I would never willingly go back to "the old days", they breed a certain nostalgia that many other games from my past cannot compete with.

To see how far this game has come in the last ten years only makes me more excited to see what is in store for us down the road.