Space Engine 0.95

Imagine for a moment that every star seen in New Edens backdrops to be an actual star system, each with a system of planets, moons, asteroids, whatever. Now using the 'g' key it's possible to travel to any point within the known universe thanks not only to imagination, but also Space Engine.

The way this staggering volume is achieved is by using procedurally generated elements which combine to create a vast network of intricate detail, on a scale not seen since Pioneer Space Sim (Frontier remake). So there's nothing new about this approach to design, many worlds use purely mathematically created constructs.

But New Eden appears devoid of such ambitions despite being the perfect candidate. Perhaps I'm faithless and should allow myself to accept the way things are. But the more I wander the space lanes I find the environments too contrived and don't betray expectations often. Using maths; natural variation occurs creating surprising results.

Link these effects to environmental damage models and New Eden suddenly becomes a reassuringly dangerous place. Lurking too close to a star causes shield damage, corrosive gases eat away at the hulls of ships. And combinations of environments produce legendary pockets of local survivalists; harsh temperatures forcing ships to compensate their fittings to cope.

Much of EvE Online is man-made. It persistently disregards the wonders surrounding us, which I feel is a shame as, with all things in this world, nature designs in the most creative of ways making all of this possible.

That is simply inspiring.

Related Links

Space Engine 0.95 (official website)

Local Vistas

Nebulae in New Eden are currently the quietly repetitive backdrop to all we do in New Eden. I never paid much attention to them as I always felt their presence was unrealistic, and poorly executed. Their randomness appeared to have no relation at all to the area of space one was viewing from and even though your ship could be the opposite side of the known galaxy, the backdrop to space was always the same tired collection of blue, green or red dusty wallpapers. Indeed the development team forged these images from clouds of ink within a murky fluid a decade ago.

But there is hope; nebulae will now become a useful tool of location recognition. During the video shown Ben Bohn explains how they will be located between systems, and if you travel further toward a nebula by jumping systems; its appearance will alter depending on the distance from the nebula you are. And it's not limited to one nebula either; by layering multiple nebulae from several locations in the constellation, each time you move around the star-map the size and angle of the nebulae will alter again, dependant on the location of your viewing.

   

This new technology will enable New Eden's backdrops to appear unique in every system injecting some much needed variation to the star littered backgrounds. Local knowledge will play a key role in knowing exactly where you are in the constellations simply by looking at the nebulae surrounding the views, more so than simply the name of the system; a direct comparison with the view will grant an unparalleled understanding of the geography of each constellation.

I expect this will allow exploration to be a little more of a discovery; each new backdrop unique to it's host system. Perhaps CCP can go a step further and allow the exploration of the interior regions of nebulae; possible lawless pockets within the Empires harbouring great bounties of some kind to lure in potential prey - well, that's something I want for my own sake, for pure pew pew.

It's a feature I'm sure will go a long to way to making each system more than a collection of planets surrounding a solitary star. But I'm unsure how this would work at the edges of the galaxy and whether the same idea can work within a wormhole; the latter proposition possibly allowing the puzzle of positioning the wormhole pocket amongst the catalogue of known nebulae in the galaxy. Only time will tell I guess...

(I had the same idea a few years ago, but I always figured it too petty a problem to post. I hate hindsight...!)

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Derelict? Delectable!

Clearly this is exactly what CCP want to accomplish in New Eden. Nothing comes close to the imagined intrepid dangers that lie in wait within all those abandoned station wrecks, ghost ships or sleeper sites. The idea is that these hulks of metal design house a complex structure - explorable vaults of discovery - making our universe a million times massive by allowing the wandering of such sites.

Mark my words: A plan for the future, and a grand one at that.

Re-incarna-tion

I’ve conceded creation to CCP - the incarnation of my avatar; Mr NOXx to the captains quarters. I have reckoned the attempt is recognisable enough, but the ability for amendments is not something I have to pay for so I may continue to evolve my image as I see fit. So after 400 years I can finally change my clothes!

I like having legs, to stretch – despite the confinement to quarters. My various craft are quite a sight from the hangar balcony, but do not ‘hover’ in relation to any docking ring inside the station, it would seem that I have the best quarters every-time I enter the station looking straight down the hanger, which is nice, yet odd. With the docking now allowing pilots to infect further into a station interior than before possible, a momentous gentle glide into position is still absent, only the jarring black screen and progress bar then the unwelcome words ‘loading’ (which is typical of New Eden) welcome each visitor, but at least the option to disable the station interior is granted allowing for rapid deployments with no session timer to endure.

Without the interaction of other pilots it feels sterile and desperately void of any life save for my own but this will be addressed in time once the station interior is breathe-able for clones. It will be interesting to see 1k pilots mingling inside a station environment, particularly as this is sometimes problematic in the void.

Still, I relish the walking and sitting(a rare occurrence) and the cyclical view screens, the fundamental design of the quarters and indeed, not much impresses more than to behold the glorious sight of an Amarr battleship, at scale!

Decision Preservation

Regarding the recent revamp of the uber-tanking T1 Amarr cruiser; the Maller, I find myself confused by the theft of the previous incarnation which was apparently securely docked in HQ. Most of these ships involved a personal purchase decision, some for aesthetics and many for ability but despite this freedom to choose, this ‘right’ is not expressed when designs are revised.

I’d like to see the revisions active only from the point of sale/invention of either final product or blueprint, thus all the old hat ships would remain be present in New Eden, but any created after the revision date would use the new model, bestowing a two tier appearance for the vessel. Some may conclude that this may affect the prices of either new or old ships, then so be it, variation is key and choice; desired.

I’d speculate the presence of an asymmetric Scorpion may become a curiosity as it became less common, and may also help establish a culture of preservation for vintage vessels, a luxury akin to faction ships. This new found fame may even affect the role of the ship and its accepted fitting config, whilst adding variation to the ships; short of visible damage, corporate logos or a standard paint job. As I’ve mentioned before; the beauty of New Eden is its vast choice, available to all, big or small, so please preserve the choices we choose; powers that be.

Happy (vintage)hunting…

The Future is Now

EvE Online has finally felt the impression of the most simplistic, yet empowering ability; to wander the spaces of stations. The Captains Quarters upgrade is a milestone in New Edens persistent development which many have longed for so very long. Although only a short meander between the hangar and the quarters, it shows just how grand the scale is intended, and allows a more natural connection to the avatar than before.

I'm convinced that the freedom posed by this patch is the beginning of a new phase in EvE's life cycle and popularity, which must grow relentlessly. New players not before considered self suited to this environment will relate quicker to a humanoid form to within PODed spacecraft, perhaps why new players by default are configured to start with legs.

But since CCP announced 'Ambulation' so many moons ago, many more contenders have risen in this genre. Some already boast of walkable stations, some claim to be free. But due to sheer perfectly realised complexity, EvE Online can still comfortably claim the best sci-fi game in the world; but the perfect equation of game elements still eludes developers due partly to decisions made during EvE's conception.

The mind control interface between our thoughts and the ship we are plugged prevents us moving naturally as we may all now become accustomed. The decision to have this interface: the POD, may haunt the development of future features such as ship interior interaction. The love affair we have with our vessels should surely eventually extend into the natural form of walking so we may really feel inside the ship, thus the game.

I imagine rising from slumber on an abandoned outpost I discovered orbiting a moon. Wandering on-board a glorious Amarr battlecruiser, I take stock of the systems and instruct the outpost security script to unlock docking clamps and press helm to roll the mighty vessel onwards into the massively complex worlds of New Eden; jumping wormholes and invading sleeper sights, exploring the depths of their architecture, their lost secrets, pillaging whatever remains; holding victims of piracy or bounties, hostage aboard prison ships wreathed in defences; the prisoner considering suicide at the cost of billions in implants; secret meetings aboard cloaked ships hidden within silent nebula; and assassins deploying devious steps when privy to this knowledge. This ultimately adventurous dynamic was hinted during Fan Fest.

Looking back there have been attempts already at this common ideology. Mace Griffin; Bounty Hunter is a superficial example of this perfectly empowering ability; to connect with the heavens and the ground beneath. Star Wars Battlefront 2; Elite Squadron shows just what's possible at the minute level; an online universe in your pocket.

But the laws of New Edens ever evolving universe are certainly not set in stone, I've seen many ships become illegal, impossible or impractical. CCP persistently tackle issues with confidence and ingenuity and I'm sure of an 'upgrade' to allow such fantasy.

It's simply a question of time as the slow infection into the interiors of the stations begins. It may generate an entirely new demographic and may also introduce massively multiplayer twitch based interactions on-board gloriously giant station spaces, as demonstrated.

Whatever the future , EvE Online can claim not only ambition, but accomplishment. This is what makes EvE Online the future, now.

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“Let there be more light!”

As we continue to embellish the planets littering the void with resource plantations, imagine the awe if our control of their respective resources could be visible; visualize a world covered with lights dependant on where and what type of colony is installed upon or above the planets surface(s). Presently the only clear evidence of inhabitants are a few sparse icons viewable only if attempting to install a command centre.

Some planets represent glittering beacons of civilisation amongst the vast void, but they tend to be core systems and usually relate to population density or significance, eg: Amarr home-world.

There’s value to allow colonial pilots to imprint their claim upon a corner of terra firma, a splendid visual recognition of their commitment and accomplishment. This in-turn would produce a visually dynamic landscape with content updated indefinitely, making New Eden more diverse in it's appearance.

With the advancement of space flight and the turnover of resources that brings; there must be a supply chain of industry mining and manufacturing all these elements, much of which must come from the lost minerals of all the settled planets contained within the gargantuan galaxy. High density core systems would naturally have less resources as they have already seen the seeds of industry. Perhaps this effect is-in-fact what's erroneously absent from many planets; the hive of heavy industry plaguing the planet surface. These systems should illuminate; their lights huddled together in vast factories, linked by dusty pockets of faint fluorescence. A distinct difference to the lights visible only from within orbit, identifying the effect as indigenous or colonial.


The idea is subject to perversion; a trait typical of us all. Some may find ways of improper displays of some vile joke, the planet; a giant canvas for insult! One can only hope. There-in lies the problem with pilot created content. But long ago CCP should've realised one critical factor with this type of platform; the greatest asset New Eden possesses is it's community. We enrich the galaxy with our ingenuity and variation and it is this quality that CCP looks to embrace.

Happy hunting…

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Control Freak

The POD's interpretation of our minds will upon the vessel's interface has barely evolved from the monster it bore; tiny tabs and minute buttons. The ability to remain calm under fire is surely very important if the orders of the mind are to be translated effectively through the POD and thus instruct the ship with reasonable speed or accuracy.

Thus the specific use of the ergonomic mouse interface is unwieldy at times. A better preference is the keyboard which is much quicker at translating instructions and negates the need for a high DPI device or a steady flat surface for successful use. One can, for instance, command the vessel no matter the physical position of your avatar – no hard surface required. This method of control then, is purely about tactical decision making and is limited only by the speed of the mind.

The powers that be should look again at the interface and introduce a method of control that does not require the pilot to have precision skills to hit minute buttons within the maelstrom of icons and boxes; the luxury of a large view-screen/high DPI mouse a significant advantage.

There’s already a plethora of programmable shortcuts available to every ship, but they do not include the cycling of targets, approach, orbit, lock, keep at range, warp – mostly navigational commands. I appreciate that many pilots may be content with the scheme as it is, but improvements can always be made. EvE Online must surely be more about decisions based on experience and tactical savvy, rather than the deftness to pilot an icon into a small box to take proper flight.

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Mr Anonymous

With the advent of the new character editor I find myself abstaining from the silly sliders and monotone fancy dress. My choice to remain faceless, driven by the disappointment of losing my carefully created profile picture.

Despite technical reasons I'm annoyed that, after replacing my profile image twice and having to pay extra costs for the privilege, this image is now no longer possible using the fiddly inadequate suite. Whomever made this decision not to represent the same choices of clothes, hair and face as previously possible has seriously undermined mine, nay our right to choose how we look in New Eden.

I was perfectly happy with the way I looked but without the ability to recreate any image even remotely similar has forced me to make this choice to remain faceless. And besides, I kinda like being a ghost anyway, it's sort-of unsettling and may serve a greater purpose than my angry brow ever could. So until such time as CCP decides to grant us with the same choices we were blessed with previously, I will remain as a ghost indefinitely.

Petition: Can I have the cash that I paid to change my profile picture back in my pocket? I await a response, but I already know the answer...

Related Links
Profile/Bio

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To Infinity; Beyond EvE Online

EvE Online is attractive to me in many ways, but as far as I'm concerned, its glaring flaw is that it doesn't use physical laws to define parameters and create diverse situations or use any part of cosmology to inspire its content. Every single palpable or use-able thing in EvE Online is man-made.

Infinity is as close a successor as I've seen to the most impressive technical game I've ever played: Frontier; Elite II, which simulated the laws of gravity, solar system orbits, it even had stars as big as 100 suns.

CCP could do much worse than take note.

Related Links
Infinity; The Quest for Earth (official site)

A Brave New World

There once was a legendary game called Halo. Originally conceived to be a Real Time Strategy, during preliminary testing; Bungie quickly realised that its product moved better as a First Person Shooter, and thus a mammoth franchise was born. A bold move, therefore it must've been a very hard call as the FPS genre was bloated with capable and experienced developers.



Unlike Bungie whom, at the time were new to the market with nothing to lose and everything to prove; CCP has to protect an established and sensitive game-world. They could be brave and admit all available options. For my money at least, their latest ambition; Dust514 may be more suitable as an RTS. Currently the team is developing this multi-format game for the console FPS player, but their target consumer is much more rigid about purchases, tending not to stray from the lure of the familiar's sequels or from the pretty persuasions of publishers and their hyperbole fan-boy articles in the media. I remember a game called: Too Human(check out that price! lol), being granted the media spotlight and hyped all the way to the shelves, despite being utterly shite. And the bargain bins burgeoned with mis-informed sales.

The RTS genre is also full of capable developers but the market share is smaller than that of the FPS, and less fought. Only a handful of really notable RTS's have made it onto the consoles and for this reason, Dust514 could become hard to ignore, existing as the most unique and refreshing virtual creation available, creating its own sub-genre and an audience with player's interest in the rich and detailed culture of New Eden. Many of the skills developed while playing an RTS can be equally useful in EvE Online and there are more elements of EvE Online that mimic an RTS, rather than an FPS. I fear that as an FPS; Dust514 could become a victim of ignorance, lost in the sound and fury the over-weight publishers create as they vie for every crumb of the genre's huge pie.

EvE Online is no stranger to the RTS genre. There are many passionate bedroom coders that have attempted to develop an EvE Online mod for Homeworld2 and Nexus; The Jupiter Incident. Perhaps due to a rapidly evolving game-world, a lack of consistent resources and possible copyright arguments; all of these mods are yet to deliver. This is a pity as an RTS version of fleet battles could train the brain for the real thing and become a tool for understanding the fundamentals of mass warfare tactics, so long as the RTS translates the mechanics of EvE Online faithfully...



Dust514 may be amazing! better than anything giants such as Bungie, EA, or Ubisoft can muster, or maybe it will sink whilst humiliating CCP and EvE Online against a backdrop of Blizzards insulting success and the media's ability to sensationalise and promote failure. I dearly hope that whatever happens, those for whom the EvE universe never appealed may enjoy our worlds as much as we enjoy our empire over them.

Related Links
Halo; Combat Evolved (PC)
Dust514 Video Archive

Immersion

New Eden lacks consistent immersion. The level at which one is layered under the veneer of a virtual galaxy endured. An example of this is docking. In almost any film where spacecraft are required to dock or undock, the event itself is celebrated, an opportunity to portray size, scale and weight to help make the ships themselves appear larger in your minds eye. In EvE Online the suspension of 'dis-belief' is shattered every-time a ship docks, undocks, swaps vessels, jumps through stargates, ejects a canister, fires missiles or does anything which does not respond in a fashion that’s consistent with the inferred or expected.

To be fair, these things are superfluous to the mechanics of New Eden, but in the interests of maintaining a healthy dollop of immersion, these omissions should be addressed. Perhaps a cut-scene animation could be created to run during the docking manoeuvre using the current gorgeous real-time graphics engine to show a ship being towed into the intended station, a POD being transferred via mechanical arms or tubes from one ship to the next, a missile or drone leaving its launch bay and, in the case of drones similarly returning to dock with the host.

At present, docking/undocking we have a progress bar which, I’m sure you’ll agree does absolutely nothing to maintain the assumption that we are in a hugely powerful vessel of steel and that this vessel is in one of the most hostile environments known, space. If CCP’s strategy is to attract an increasingly diverse spectrum of players to New Eden by appealing to those paying pundits who find shiny things interesting, then the trimmings may become much more important to the sort of clientele they are aiming for.

Obliterating the lag monster is of up most importance to our sanity and should be given due attention, but reading patch notes where "A spelling mistake has been corrected," there is obviously some manpower overflowing at CCP...devote it to something interesting please.

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Warped Vision

The Jovian simulation of our planetary relationship during warp is invalid. The visual representation is out dated as we see vessels pass through local stars, planets, moons or structures. A warp-drive bends time and space to create a temporary corridor in space/time by which the vessel passes, skipping millions of kilometres per second. The ship barley moves relative to the distance it traverses.


During interstellar warp one would see only the warp tunnel during the journey as light from the planets or stars would not be able to match the speed of the ship, making everything else invisible. The only light one would see would be any photons trapped within the warp tunnel at the point of creation. The image of the starting point would eventually fade, it would not be possible to see the systems objects travelling past while in warp. In addition there would be no light inside the tunnel, save for the ships, making the hulls dark, speckled with the many points of light which adorn them.

Originally there were few reasons to visit planets before Tyrannis. The powers that be may have decided to provide a frame of reference during warp, giving the impression of speed and distance. Post Tyrannis things are different; we have very good reasons to visit our celestial globes therefore there is no requirement for the fake light show to continue.

Address our warp with a tunnel and experience the wonder of warp travel as it should be, and let us choose to wander into the realm of the many beautiful giants of gas and rock typical of any system in New Eden. This would avoid the ghostly goings on when we pass through rock and steel unharmed.

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An Astronomical Oversight Addressed

A few months past I posted an article about the ignorance of astrophysics within New Eden, especially regarding planetary formation. I attempted to point out that, although very beautiful, many of the planets were in an unrealistic orbital plane, the wrong diameter or of the incorrect composition for their size and/or position relative to the central star.

The resulting comments were mixed as some felt that planetary mechanics only serve as a back drop to New Edens’ Demi Gods of War. There were others though, who felt that astronomy has an important role to play when inspiring the powers that be to form New Eden’s universe, particularly as nature designs wilder than dreams.

I am pleased to note that this has been addressed. The reasons for the amendments differ from my own desires, but the results are very similar. If the issue had been ignored it would've made identifying potential sites for planetary exploitation much harder, even random.

The type of 38,213 planets has been changed, in an attempt to create a more realistic universe as well as a balanced distribution of resources for Planetary Interaction.

The attributes of all but 23 planets have been changed in an attempt to create a more realistic universe.

The radius of around 140 planets has been changed; this in turn affects the warp-in point.

I love it when I'm vindicated, this only leaves 999 things wrong with New Eden, but that number is coming down...

Related Posts
An Astronomical Oversight

Flight of Fancy

Our fat fingertips are privy to a plethora of ships available for literally any purpose. The range of abilities is vast, so too the scale and size of many of these vessels. But for all their unique abilities and sizes, they all have one thing in common; they all fly in exactly the same manor regardless of type, mass or use.

Over the years I’ve enjoyed piloting every sub-capital Amarrian vessel to date, excluding Tech III. In every instance the ships behaved in a very similar fashion. The only differences were the rates of turn and acceleration. A ship such as the Malediction should feel completely different to an Armageddon. This consistency is not desirable and is unrealistic in the approach to different vessels and their capabilities.

Controlling an interceptor at full tilt with the mind is very tricky, involving mass disorganisation as the ship bounces off every perceivable obstacle in the heavens. If a direct control method was used, the capabilities of the ship would, in my opinion, be much enhanced and possibly breed a type of pilot that, at present is lacking in New Eden. Not every pilot these days is happy to navigate with a mind meld. With direct control flight the pilot would have a much greater scope to fly a ship with precision. There may even be some individuals present whom never would’ve considered joining the fray before.

I’m aware that this has been considered a few times and that issues were raised against the ability of the cluster to cope with infinite input from the pilot. This point doesn’t concern me, I’m interested in design, not the restrictions on current technology. We should trust direct control flight to deliver a much more virtual experience, particularly with smaller vessels such as Interceptors. Their very nature is to be flown with flair and skill. Besides, I have an awesome control stick I want to try...

Neeear-rat-at-at-tat!

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Command and Conquer

New Eden is saturated with variety. If you can think of an occupation involving space ships, I’m sure it is within our vast galaxy of infinite possibilities.


Those pilots whom prefer to engage in activities for their respective factions or corporations through missions tend to miss out on the grandest spectacle in the galaxy; that of large scale fleet combat. Generally New Eden is at its most awe inspiring when two giant forces come together to engage in the wonderful art of combat to the death. The sight of many hundreds of ships, missiles, drones and battle detritus that makes up a battlefield is one to behold.

Battles are traditionally fought with two forces; the allies and the enemy, with hundreds of forces on either side. At present when a mission is undertaken the enemy forces vastly out number the allies, those pilots brave enough to enter the mission either solo or within a small fleet. I’d assume it to be rare for more than a score of pilots to be engaged in the same mission at the same time for the simple reason that the resident enemy forces would become hopelessly out-gunned, and the battle won within minutes. This may be desirable to many, granting the ability to grind many objectives an hour, but I feel that a grander spectacle of combat is lacking for those who choose to run missions.

There could be two forces; the enemy consisting of a carefully composed fleet of ships, and the allies also consisting of a balanced composition equal to that of the enemy. These allied NPC ‘wingmen’ would have their own objectives and would engage with the enemy forces according to predetermined targeting and behave intelligently, much like the indigenous w-space forces (sleepers) employ. Imagine the spectacle of entering a mission where your ship is one of many attacking the enemy to achieve a set of objectives. The two forces should be balanced so that, without a pilots’ intervention, the objectives would be missed and a stalemate between the forces would be the result. This would prevent a passive involvement on the pilots’ part necessitating active engagement to complete the mission.

Wormhole space is a fascinating discovery, employing a medium of live combat between pilots and NPC’s. It’s usual for a small fleet to engage the Sleepers in a similar manner as I’ve described, but with the threat of piracy and the real possibility of the loss of ones own life.

For those of you who want to experience truly immersive fleet engagements without the risk of losing ones own life, the option simply isn’t there, but perhaps that’s the price you pay and is the lure to fight for real.

Just a thought...

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Ricochet

Your Large Tachyon Beam Laser II Narrowly Misses Lordy23 Causing For 0.0 Damage

Really? As far as I can see the entire battery of laser fire burnt directly onto his fragile hull!

The fact that we are given a number to represent the impacts our weapons have on our targets highlights the imaging capabilities of our respective PODs are so out dated that computer readouts are necessary to indicate the percentage of the charge that completes its journey. New Eden is rife with this problem, some areas are so far ahead of the curve that issues such as this are becoming so lagged that they are completely undesirable.

I like to turn off the readouts at times because their presence detracts from the suspended disbelief of space combat which reminds me that there are some glaring oversights within our beloved realm. Given the impressive amounts of information running between our respective vessels, a correct representation is vastly overdue and should really be forthcoming.

So it continues to annoy, not just myself but many of you currently out there practising the art of combat. If New Eden possessed any kind of integrity, this issue would be dealt with so that we may not rely entirely upon our on-board computers to confirm a full collision, a glancing blow or indeed a miss.

Priorities need to be addressed correctly, but as this issue relates all the way back to the invention of space flight, I for one would’ve assumed it would’ve been addressed and resolved.

Related Links
www.eveonline.com(forum)

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Battle-Scarred Galactica

Space is a cruel harsh infinite environment made incredibly inhospitable by the cruel minds who wander there, preying on the weak and foolish. It’s no wonder that of teh trillions of souls in the galaxy, only a fraction choose to leave terra-firma to seek fame and fortune amongst the stars.

Our chosen existence is one of boundless possibilities; our steel vessels carry us through episodes of pain and wonder and are an extension of our own fears and dreams. Every single vessel is a gleaming example of precision engineering and technological majesty.


This makes the similarities between each vessel very striking. Once when I returned from an excursion of a hundred days my ship appeared exactly the same as when it departed, despite the tale played, the story of which should’ve been visible upon the armour. It’s a shame that, although we all have individual ships, we all look the damn same no matter the age, use or configuration we respectively harbour.

This similarity serves to interrupt the suspended disbelief that we enjoy and reminds us that New Eden is not as advanced as the reality it portrays. I’m not interested in the technological excuses for the omission, only that effects should be layered upon our ships' surfaces to represent the life that our ships have endured; otherwise we simply shimmy around in apparent identical vessels which makes ownership far less personal than it should feel.

I resent shiny and new, I desire dents, scrapes and burns. I think this befits better the New Eden we all bear.

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Hyper Highway

New Eden is vast. The true scale is something which cannot be fathomed. Using stargates it takes hours to traverse the known galaxy which, although much more rapid than light itself, it's still an age in terms of the busy schedule a POD pilot must endure.

Generally it takes 60 seconds to traverse a system from entry to exit. This means typical journey consisting of 30 jumps will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. In cosmic terms this is extremely quick, but it isn’t instant which for some is what’s desirable.

If you’ve ever had the privilege of enrolling within a large corporate alliance you may have used a jump bridge. These portals enable a ship to travel instantly from one location to another several systems away, omitting several minutes at a time. But why should these be limited exclusively to null sec alliances?

A commercial jump bridge has been discussed before but I’m unsure whether this is still being considered or if the idea was discarded for various concerns. The cost of operating a jump depends on the mass of the vessel and uses ozone which is used as a fuel to propel the atoms of the ship through space-time. The ozone is expensive and acts as a toll. The exact mechanics I am unsure of, but I appreciated the time saved.

As a pirate I have little concern for Empire traffic, but my slave; Miss Nexus whines about the time taken to travel from one Empire to the next. Low sec or null sec jump bridges would spell disaster for my profession so in this case it wouldn’t be desirable, but there is little harm by allowing bridges to be deployed within Empire space where the journey from gate to gate only serves to prolong the time required to reach the desired destination.

Just a thought...

Hitching a Ride

In New Eden there is a limitation bestowed upon the demi-gods who roam the skies omnipotently. The restriction has the power to prevent a sincere expression of companionship. The limitation I am referring is the ability to dock more than one pilot within a vessel.

There have been times when a lift could’ve been helpful, even necessary. A while ago I regularly undertook the painful decision to commit suicide to avoid a lengthy and dangerous journey back to safety after an excursion went sour. I have since ceased this method of travel due to the inherent increase of clone replacement costs as my skills develop.

In a majority of cases my allies may have been intact, and nestled inside their own armoured ships, but because I had my own ship, albeit a defenceless POD I was forbidden to dock with them to continue our journey together, aiding my protection and preserving efforts to support one another. If docking were possible an entirely new range of eventualities become possible:

Although the decision to dock should be left to either the ship or the POD, allowing the scooping of PODs into ones own cargo bay, the ability to un-dock should remain solely with the POD pilot in question. In this case the kid-napping and/or ransom profession could become rife as the downed POD could be scooped into a cargo hold and held indefinitely on-board a hostile ship.

The decision to un-dock is left to the POD pilot on the understanding that any attempt to un-dock would be met with hostile fire. Obviously the ability of a POD to insta-warp would aid the kid-napped pilot to escape, but there would always be the threat of death should this decision be taken.

The ability of a HIC (Heavy Interdiction Cruiser) to deploy AOA (Area-Of-Affect) Warp Disruption may provide a new role for the cruiser as a prison vessel, with the ultimate price being suicide by the kid-napped pilot.

I recall one occasion when this almost occured after a poor pilot fell victim to a pirate invasion of his low sec mission. The POD was held indefinately via several points for almost an hour while our party smack-talked the poor fellow to virtual suicide. In my opinion the eventuality was the same, except with docking the ransom attempt could become mobile.

This is an example of how docking could impact and enrich the piracy profession in New Eden, and I’m sure that many may find more interesting ideas regarding its use. Smuggling anyone?

I would be interested to hear a different perspective on this matter as I deem the current mechanics, which result in the abandonment of an ally defenceless and bewildered, seems a little defeatest to say the least, especially considering the power that's usually granted to us.

Just a thought...