Tyrannids expansion

[Faife]

new expansion announced: sim city in space

http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=733

tl;dr: build stuff on planets, no combat till dust514. we're launching our facebook thing EVEGate thing and adding calendar and way to check evemail from browser. we're fighting lag.

copy pasta:
Hi there.

It‘s that time of year again. CCP‘s developers have finished planning and preparing and have started work on the next expansion for EVE Online. The exact release date will be announced later, but let‘s say that it will happen before the summer solstice.

What‘s in the package?

For a long time we have had people asking us for more options to build up their own infrastructure. It‘s something that comes up frequently at Fanfest, in past CSMs and during casual conversations with players. There seems to be some deep Freudian desire to erect something monumental. To make stuff. To create something new. At last Fanfest we announced our plans to allow you, the pod-pilots of New Eden, to shift your foci away from the heavens for a moment, onto the planets. In Dominion, we gave the planets a facelift, updating the graphics with beautiful landscapes, awe inspiring deserts, peaceful Ewok-friendly green worlds and violent burning lava fields. But that was just eye candy, right? Well, not quite. In our upcoming expansion, Tyranis, ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS.



OMG did you say all of the planets!?

That‘s right, you will finally be able to survey for juicy deposits of minerals and other goodies, build infrastructure to harvest them, store them, process them and launch them into space. Build complex networks of facilities and fine tune them for optimal production. All in a very massive single shard sandboxy way as only EVE can provide. And it‘s not just the terran planets. It‘s ALL OF THEM. The gas giants, the lava planets, the ice worlds, the water worlds and even the elusive plasma planets. Each type with their unique properties. Maintaining facilities on gruesomely hostile planets will be tougher and more demanding, but the rewards may be so much more “onturning.”

More will be revealed in upcoming blogs and on our test server, Singularity. Make note however that Singularity is a test server, primarily intended for testing of code in development and nothing is final until it hits Tranquility. All graphics, UI, balancing and mechanics are subject to change, iteration and polish...



Is there combat on planets?

No, not in this expansion. This expansion is about exploration and industry. When something goes bad or breaks it is because of the owner‘s mismanagement, and when things are awesome and perfect, it is because of skill and hard labor on part of the player that runs the facilities.

In future expansions you will be able to project military force for attack and defense of planetary installations. That will be where DUST 514 will connect with EVE. But DUST 514 will not be coming out at the same time as Tyrannis, so that is at a later date.

EVE Gate

In September last year, in a devblog by CCP Caedmon introduced our new Web Frontend into EVE Communication codenamed COSMOS. It was later branded "New Eden". In the agile spirit of CCP, we have since renamed it and decided on the final name which is EVE Gate, which makes sense because it is your gate into EVE. Clever, eh?

EVE Mail, Calendar and Contacts

EVE Gate will allow you to interact with EVE through a regular web browser. At first, we are giving you communication and collaboration tools. You will be able to access your EVE Mail through a browser, we are adding a calendar both in-game and out of game and are upgrading and streamlining our contacts and standings system. There is also a system for posting updates for players, corporations and alliances. More details on those changes will follow in blogs to be released in the coming weeks. EVE Gate is a foundation which we are architecting in a way that allows us to build deeper interaction with the game itself in future iterations.

Overall improvements

We are working on other optimizations and improvements throughout the game, as usual with our expansions. A task force is working on reducing fleet fight lag, often working deep into the night chasing action around on TQ, while another team is developing an advanced simulation environment for load testing on our local servers.

There is a sense of excitement in the air here at CCP. Today our development teams finished the first of their three week sprints, ending in a demo where we saw parts of the both the planetary feature and EVE Gate already running, with mocked up UI and graphics. Our engineers, artists and designers are deeply committed to continue to deliver a compelling EVE experience to all of our players, deepening the game with exciting new functionality while iterating, polishing and improving existing systems and code. We truly look forward to delivering Tyrannis to you. Soon.

[RansomList]

I hope this isnt in Highsec

[xutech]

CCP's new anti-lag initiative

[Phreeze]

I think I can confidently state that no one was actually asking for this, and someone just cleverly trolled CCP into making an expansion.

[Faife]

I think I can confidently state that no one was actually asking for this, and someone just cleverly trolled CCP into making an expansion.

i wanted d514, so i guess i half wanted this?

[Hav]

I think I can confidently state that no one was actually asking for this, and someone just cleverly trolled CCP into making an expansion.

It'll grab the headlines, prompt people to login for a couple of weeks and prepare the ground for the Winter expansion ('nipples on your ships').

[Murr]

I want Walking in Stations

[Ha Chu]

Mining planets. We already mine moons, we already mine asteroids, now we mine planets. Next expansion we'll be mining each other. Nom nom nom nom!!

[Quesa]

I want Walking in Stations

Horrible waste of programming time.

[RansomList]

People don't need less of an incentive to undock and risk things. WIS can go burn.

My worry here is CCP just making the current situation of 0.0 vs Highsec worse by introducing planet sov in Empire and offering that kind of gameplay of ownership to people without them ever leaving highsec

[SpaceHermit]

what a shitty blog

[sshagent]

I thought dominion sucked...this one seems even worse *sigh*

[Hav]

I want Walking in Stations

I want sashaying in stations. Possibly even lurking in stations. I dare not hope for hopping in stations.

What? It's Friday. My endorphin count is through the roof.

[BlackJack]

Mining is boring, people who mine are boring.

What a shitty announcement, nobody anywhere has ever said " Wow, mining looks fun, I want to shoot internet space rocks!" and started playing eve online.

[GreenDaemon]

Mining is boring, people who mine are boring.

What a shitty announcement, nobody anywhere has ever said " Wow, mining looks fun, I want to shoot internet space rocks!" and started playing eve online.

I may or may not know some people who have said just that. They are part of a "elite industry alliance"

But i would agree with your first statement. Mining sucks.

I would also point out we are back to horribly named expansions

[pinoyzzz]

More like the Tyranny AIDS expansion (for miners).

[secshunayt]

CCP figures if they make expansions with mysteriously pronounced names, people won't bother to even try to say them and by extension won't talk about how shitty they are.

[Faife]

way to keep up guys.

it's sim city, not lock-click-haul.

you'll be building factories and managing shit like that.

[bigredjeff]

way to keep up guys.

it's sim city, not lock-click-haul.

you'll be building factories and managing shit like that.

I was gunna say.

Sounds like a lot of fun.

[Faife]

I was gunna say.

Sounds like a lot of fun.

it's what i'm thinking. i'm down to try it, i like strategy building games. the gui they showed at evefest was pretty cool and futuristic. it'd give me something to do besides watching my einherjers eat rat after rat while waiting for lag to fix.

and i don't see why it wouldn't be high/low sec as well, everything is. good luck getting any space of your own in high sec

[Agathor]

As a sim city addict of death , I might resup for this just to check it out.

[BLACK BOX]

if its going to be like sim city im going to enjoy building up a city and razing it to the ground with aliens.

also if there is no planetary combat involved, that means whoever gets the good spots first gets to keep them, right?

[Burnes]

I guess it's cool that CCP is finding new ways to add gameplay to the Eve universe. Basically their approach seems to be to bolt on new games onto the existing structure. Dust, a FPS, and now a sim-city type game added on.

Its better than just rolling out Tech III then Tech IV and then yelling at the backs of your departing customers "COME BACK WE FIXED ROCKETS!!!"

@black box - I bet there will be some sort of relationship between Dust and this new sim game. Maybe fighting over oil fields or whatever to fuel your space-refineries.

[Faife]

if its going to be like sim city im going to enjoy building up a city and razing it to the ground with aliens.

also if there is no planetary combat involved, that means whoever gets the good spots first gets to keep them, right?

yeah, this sounds stupid and un-EVE-y to me. then again, that's the case with NPC stations research/manufacturing slots.

I guess it's cool that CCP is finding new ways to add gameplay to the Eve universe. Basically their approach seems to be to bolt on new games onto the existing structure. Dust, a FPS, and now a sim-city type game added on.

Its better than just rolling out Tech III then Tech IV and then yelling at the backs of your departing customers "COME BACK WE FIXED ROCKETS!!!"

very this. i can't imagine being a wow player with maxed out level 60 char and blizzard saying "hey, your level 60 gear is useless, new level cap is 70". i would ragequit so hard.

sure t1 is less good than t3, but it's still usuable. i really appreciate that new expansions don't just invalidate previous ones.

[xutech]

it's what i'm thinking. i'm down to try it, i like strategy building games. the gui they showed at evefest was pretty cool and futuristic. it'd give me something to do besides watching my einherjers eat rat after rat while waiting for lag to fix.

and i don't see why it wouldn't be high/low sec as well, everything is. good luck getting any space of your own in high sec

Oh there will be some sort of terrible skill attached, and I bet charisma will be the main stat, and 4 will be the minimum for a playable attempt.

[Nicky D]

If it adds another dimension to lowsec/hisec gameplay, I'm all for it.

[Arkady Sadik]

Some speculations:

At FF, they said Planetary Interaction (PI) is supposed to be targeted also for new players, doable right from the start. Which makes me think that it's not possible to "occupy" a planet fully - there's always some space left, else high-sec would be gone in no time. But all the stuff on one planet interacts with each other, so it might be better to find a more quiet planet. As unlimited space on planets would mean unlimited inflation with if product quantity is defined by space on planets, I guess the amount of resources you can pull out of a planet depend a lot on the overall "health" of the planet, and your personal upgrades of course. Which means every planet is good, but if it's an overcrowded planet, the resources you can get will diminish greatly.

Also, from what that devblog said, it looks like you have to pick up resources at some kind of space hub next to the planet? That would be the place to blow up the others.

[xutech]

pollution can negatively affect your neighbours, but I don't think high populations will be a problem so much as having to adjust to their influence.

[RansomList]

So i can team up with others, surround a proud little civilization builder on all sides and turn that part of the planet into a polluted hellhole full of mutated rats and disease?

[SpaceHermit]

Planetary Interaction

eh, link isn't working properly but it starts at about 1 hour in

[xutech]

So i can team up with others, surround a proud little civilization builder on all sides and turn that part of the planet into a polluted hellhole full of mutated rats and disease?

Yeah, if you want to RP Baron Harkonnen next to a utopian enlightened democracy, they will have to put up with it, for the moment.

[Kaeydan]

Meh, I've been playing EVE for a long time now and the last couple of years has been a complete snooze-fest in terms of development. Some great conceptual ideas like wormholes, T3, sov changes, etc. Just horribly butchered the deployment. Might be approaching that point where it is time to leave the game with just good thoughts rather than hang on until it gets to the point eating your own vomit sounds more appealing.

I play EVE to play a space pixel game, not a FPS, not a sim city game. If i want to play one of the other types of games I will pick a developer that has experience there and knows which way their ass is pointing in the field. EVE developers should just focus on creating the best space combat game and having enjoyable sov mechanics. The game is a turd to play at the moment and the more new shit you tack on the harder it is to find bugs.

[Yorda]

Hey guys, lets release a new expansion when the one we just fucking released is bugged to shit and horrible!

[SpaceHermit]

Some great conceptual ideas like wormholes, T3, sov changes, etc. Just horribly butchered the deployment.

Wormholes and T3 are pure win. Legion could use some love and proteus suffers blaster syndrome, but overall well done. Sov? Meh that shit is still beta definitely.

I play EVE to play a space pixel game, not a FPS, not a sim city game. If i want to play one of the other types of games I will pick a developer that has experience there and knows which way their ass is pointing in the field. EVE developers should just focus on creating the best space combat game and having enjoyable sov mechanics. The game is a turd to play at the moment and the more new shit you tack on the harder it is to find bugs.

Better get over it or find your new game. The way CCP is broadcasting it is they really want this whole "games within the universe of New Eden" thing. They're spreading their shit around; diversifying so to speak. I agree its a nightmare for bug hunting and getting shit right, but guess what? They dont give a shit. $$$ is what matters, and little goodies like planetary interaction, incarna and DUST are gonna get them that.

[Neckbeard]

Man I saw the word 'Tyrannids' and immediately thought Genestealers would be making an appearance =\

[Damien]

Man I saw the word 'Tyrannids' and immediately thought Genestealers would be making an appearance =\

sames maybe with a carnifex (spelling? never ran nids)

[Yorda]

Man I saw the word 'Tyrannids' and immediately thought Genestealers would be making an appearance =\

Not gunna lie, I thought of a T-rex.

Honestly Dinosaurs in space would be interesting as hell.

[BCD]

:tenbux: says they're ripping off Astro Empires.

[Neut in local]

I would prefer they spent time working out a way to make 0.0 industry more griefable with small gangs to force a bit more peeveepee.

Small gang can't kill industry/military upgrades, but can reduce efficiency or some shit so there's an incentive for people to go "oh hey that's ours fuck off".

If they can incorporate some of that into it fine.

Otherwise...

Planets.... meh.

[Holdem]

This looks like doing reactions. Never done that, but most people seem to hate it. I for one DO hope that it is in high sec. Looks like another feature that will have people doing other stuff than actually fly around shooting each other.
UNLESS this means you will have to put industry ships on planets in stead of inside POS shields. That might produce some fights...

[Abortion Engine]

I love Civ and Sim City. I will own the shit out of this.

[Murr]

Horrible waste of programming time.

I want Walking in Stations

[SpaceHermit]

I want Walking in Stations

still believe in Santa too?

WiS = epic marketing scheme

gg CCP

[Kaeydan]

There better be Genestealers!

[Quesa]

I want Walking in Stations

I will accept WIS when:
You can look outside a real-time window.
Play mini-games.
Tele-port to the planet.

Otherwise, it will add absolutely nothing to the game. In which case, I'd rather them spend time to finish off the massive bug list they have.

I'd also like a player programmable UI before WIS.

[Malaclypse]

I will accept WIS when:
You can look outside a real-time window.
Play mini-games.
Tele-port to the planet.

Otherwise, it will add absolutely nothing to the game. In which case, I'd rather them spend time to finish off the massive bug list they have.

I'd also like a player programmable UI before WIS.

At least in referance to the minigames it seems CCP wants to include such (Fanfest 08 vid I think it was). I currently stockpiling quafe, tabaco, drugs, slaves and exotic dancers for my space_bar. Luxury crack den it'll be. *hurr*

[Anon]

If this really becomes SimCity in space (better conceptualized as a MMO version of Master of Orion 2 IMO) then it will be a great addition to the Eve-Universe. Somehow I doubt that will happen...

[RansomList]

So, anyone else have vast numbers of the NPC produce likely to be required for this?

[R0ze]

People don't need less of an incentive to undock and risk things. WIS can go burn.

My worry here is CCP just making the current situation of 0.0 vs Highsec worse by introducing planet sov in Empire and offering that kind of gameplay of ownership to people without them ever leaving highsec

Well WIS could be like in space... If you look at Shattered Horizon (tbh CCP should just buy it and ductape it with Eve chars) and could easily fight in belts over some damaged Orca's or even POSes

[Burnes]

Meh, I've been playing EVE for a long time now and the last couple of years has been a complete snooze-fest in terms of development. Some great conceptual ideas like wormholes, T3, sov changes, etc. Just horribly butchered the deployment. Might be approaching that point where it is time to leave the game with just good thoughts rather than hang on until it gets to the point eating your own vomit sounds more appealing.

I play EVE to play a space pixel game, not a FPS, not a sim city game. If i want to play one of the other types of games I will pick a developer that has experience there and knows which way their ass is pointing in the field. EVE developers should just focus on creating the best space combat game and having enjoyable sov mechanics. The game is a turd to play at the moment and the more new shit you tack on the harder it is to find bugs.

That's great, and you'll still have your EVE. You don't have to play Dust, or Sim-space, just as you don't have to mine or trade or do small roaming gangs or whatever.

From both a game design and business point of view CCP is on the right track. There is only so much new content that you can add linearally, but a shitload is available if you bolt on new gameplay.

If the point you are trying to make is that you wish CCP would just effin' fix the lag problem, I agree. Who doesn't? But the people developing these new games aren't likely to be able to help with that anyway. And shoving more developers at an existing problem doesn't help much either.