"...and now for something completely different..."

...a music video by Permaband called HTFU. What's the relevance you may wonder? It's all about EvE Online and is performed by a talented bunch of CCP staff who formed the rap group.

This was the last thing I expected to see coming from CCP lately but if you feel a desire to chuckle at CCP, if only to realise they are human after all and not just buff-nerfing-algorithms then watch the video, it's class!



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CCP (Facebook)
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The BoB Blob

EvS looked over the station, it was almost deserted due to the recent evacuation. Detritus littered the huge hangar floor and a lack of hustle n’ bustle made the station seem very eerie.

A massive fleet of Dreadnaughts, Battleships and Carriers loyal to the feared 'Band of Brothers' (BoB) alliance had been reported amassing within the Querious region just three jumps from Z-UZZN. The intent of this fleet was well known and the evacuation by local forces began almost immediately; only the pirate faction dared remain within their reinforced POS orbiting one of the many moons.

More than one thousand space-craft had passed through the gate to relative safety of the Amarrian low security space in the last few hours. Pirates had spotted the surge of pilots through the pipeline serving Empire and were using rapid attack raiders to prey on any stragglers left behind during the mass convoy out of 0.0. It wasn’t a pretty sight to see such chaos but the BoB threat was very real and very close. Everyone had heard the stories of what happened to pilots unfortunate enough to become prisoners of the mighty BoB alliance.

It had been reported a few weeks ago by other alliances that BoB was on a campaign; code named Max Damage. Its mission appeared to be to strike at its enemy’s territory with impunity and to take down local forces swiftly and without mercy. The 'Brotherhood Of Steel' (BOS) alliance, once a strong and noble alliance during the Great War was now in full retreat. Little remained of the loyalties between the many different corporations that made the alliance once so strong and its forces were becoming scattered.

EvS had become embroiled in this war via his corporation whom had joined the BOS forces some months ago. He had never felt at home in this part of 0.0 and despised the brass. The evacuation had caught him off-guard, never experienced in running from combat he found himself in such disarray that he surely would be the last to leave this sad place.

He had a hauler crammed with rudimentary fittings, rigs, scripts, faction modules, ammunition, drones, literally the best of the pickings from the hanger. The destination locked in was another null sec station still apparently friendly to the BOS alliance. He could not head into empire on account of his outlaw status and because the pirate raids had made the journey incredibly dangerous, this appeared to be the only option.

The hauler fired into life and groaned under the weight of its precious cargo as the thrusters lifted the ship from the hanger’s gravity. EvS felt uneasy about the journey ahead, something was just not right. Exiting the hanger force-field for the last time the hauler eased herself into warp and headed for the first gate jumping through without incident.

The second and third gate too passed almost unnoticed. Only a couple of jumps remained. Scanning ahead several ships were picked up along with a couple of wrecks, it looked like a gate camp. Already in warp, the huge hauler was not the best ship to be hurtling toward a blockade in and EvS prepared for the worst.

As the warp tunnel terminated he could see the gate and three ships rapidly approaching his field of view as his velocity dropped. The hauler eventually came to stop just moments from the gate and sat there for a few. The three unknown vessels, two thorax and a Tristan seemed uninterested in the presence of the hauler save for a signal advising EvS that a scan had been performed. ‘Gate Activated’ said Aura and the mighty hauler was propelled safely to the next system.


Upon materialising he was presented with the most terrifying sight, an armada of ships three hundred strong loyal to BoB collected at the jump gate. His mind shouted orders at the hauler to warp to the nearest aligned point in the heavens. Warning indicators began thumping in his mind as the hostile fleet locked the hauler and attempted to scramble the warp field it was desperately generating. Eventually the precious cargo ship shuddered into warp on account of the warp core stabilisers crudely glued to the engines prior to leaving the ED station.

As the ship came to a standstill around the fourth planet the ship melted into the starscape as the ships cloak initiated. Moment’s later two interceptors ground to a halt on the grid 75km from his hiding, no doubt searching for the hauler. Although they were 75km they were closing fast. The hauler was instructed full velocity on it’s Z axis, straight down from the landing point. With the cloak enabled the ship crawled painfully slowly into position.

Eventually the interceptors peeled into pairs scouring the area. Three more ships arrived on the scene and deployed drones to increase their effective size. Smart bombs were also initiated hoping to knock out the cloak of the hidden hauler. At times the enemy were getting to within four thousand metres of the hull but a steady nerve retained the cloak.

The hostiles eventually gave up searching a quarter of an hour later and left the planets orbit. The ordeal was not yet over as a safe port was still necessary. Keeping an eye on local he kept the ship in cloak until sure that the enemy fleet had dispersed. One gate activation later and the hauler was docked at a friendly station.

The station guard initially greeted EvS but did inform him that due to the state of the alliance the station would not be a suitable home. The alliance was due to collapse any day now and all standings would be reset and a local code of practice; shoot on site would be reinstated against any non corporate members. With no other option other than a forty jump round trip through null sec and known pirate haunts the hauler was reluctantly left within the station with its precious cargo. At least it was intact but EvS knew of no plan to recover the goods once the station was vacated. Upon exiting the station in his POD EvS warped to the sun and ordered the POD to self destruct.

As the countdown reduced he pondered on the fate of the station under fire from BoB forces. The state of this realm will be changed back into BoB territory once again and he knew of nothing in the universe that could stop such a force. Little did he realise that within 3 months BoB would be destroyed by one man and the entire region would be changed once again, but that is another story…

The Last Starfighter

The Last Starfighter was an epic film from my youth. I remember watching this film over and over again until I knew every single word. I especially loved the CGI animations although they have not aged well.

This film is still a blast and as I write this I realise that my 7 year old son has never seen it. So it's next on my list of films to order, fantastic.



Related Links
The Last Starfighter (movie)
Download The Last Starfighter (video game)

The Void

Wormhole space (w-space) is the latest frontier in New Eden. Appearing without warning they harbour unimaginable danger as well as incredible riches and resources. Before entering this unpredictable realm your mindset should be prepared for what to expect.

I would recommend watching this documentary about an ancient vessel which became trapped in a void very similar to w-space. The hardships they encounter follow very closely what you can expect to find should you feel bold enough to venture into w-space…



Related Links
Wormhole Exploration Guide

Red Alert

The on-board computer known as 'Aura' has the most soothing yet authorative voice. I remember how hard I listened to her teachings when I first started the tutorial those many years ago. She still clears her throat every now and then to tell me of star gate activation but she’s rarely heard beyond the tutorial or introduction. Listening to EvE radio recently I heard Auras voice again warning pilots of entering low sec systems, low capacitor and other useful snippets and I thought how wonderful it would be if they were an actual part of the game.

EvE Online lacks a healthy dollop of audible warnings, the most dangerous event; being targeted by a hostile unit hardly registers at all. I’m not saying that we should be able to play passively, only reacting when the sirens go off (by then it’s usually too late anyway) but it would be nice to have additional audible warnings to more events.

I also feel that the on-board computer Aura should have more of a say in the events the ship finds itself in. I just think that it may be a more personal experience if the ship were to talk to you, perhaps not conversationally but to advise and reason with you on certain criteria. The option to switch off such conversing would be mandatory as we should always be given a choice, but I do think there is room for more audio contributions from the ship and I’m sure it would add a little atmosphere to space.

Just a thought...

"I Was A Schizophrenic, But We're Alright Now"

My avatar, Mr NOXx is an extension of my psyche, but for some unknown reason my avatar represents the nemesis of my real personality. This is an interesting phenomenon and one which I have searched my own soul to try and explain.

One can argue that the avatar allows us to live a life opposite to ones reality to create balance in ones life. My real career has always been one of helping others selflessly but online within EvE I enjoy ruining my fellow POD pilots life by depriving them of everything. Before EvE Online I can't recall or did not feel a need to do this so there must be something about EvE Online, or indeed any MMORPG which encourages this behaviour to surface.

My original character I played for six months. He was very similar to what I thought was my actual personality. His features were modelled on me as much as possible and his career followed what I asumed I would’ve done had I been born within New Eden. After a few months of play I became restless with my role in EvE. The termination of said character was executed without remorse or reproach. In fact I was rather looking forward to it.

Mr NOXx was born overnight and appeared to represent everything opposite my real personality. Three years later we are still together and enjoying our time together immensely.

Perhaps the nature of an RPG is at the crux of the effect goading us to become something opposite, even negative. Escapism is key here and although games such as Halo allow us to live out the fantasy of an elite cyborg; saviour of earth, these avatars are already packaged, stamped and have their roles mapped out according to the designers whim. Only in an RPG like EvE Online can one truly live any life, and one which has no rules or definitive ending.

Perhaps ones own subconscious plays a role as this is, as popular belief has it, opposite to our consciousness. Now I have never dreamed of murdering PODs or ganking cruisers but this is what I do best, and what I feel compelled to do. Perhaps I did dream of it, but being so deep in REM the conscious mind has no ability to remember. To be honest if this were the case I would be a little disturbed at this knowledge.

There’s another explanation; I get great pleasure from helping my fellow human being and the rewards are a feeling of achievement and well being, of making a real difference.

I also get great pleasure from murdering my fellow POD pilot. The feeling I get is almost identical just more so. My first kill was such a rush that I was literally shaking from head to toe. An adrenalin addiction is a likely cause because every time I kill the feeling is less pronounced, just like an addiction.

Whatever the reasons I find it fascinating that avatars become extensions of our psyches' nemesis and that playing a MMORPG seems to promote this effect. Perhaps they should have mental health warnings?

The Old Hermit

Ambulation and the meandering it enables may breed a new type of EvE player. With all the entertainment consoles, bars, shops and all else it’s quite possible that there will be players who become so attached to their limbs (beyond the physical) that they’ll rarely venture further than the ship hanger and gaze at the business outside. A new phobia may be needed to shoehorn such occupants to rationalise their choice to remain inside the embrace of the station walls.

The slang will come, and I’m sure it will evolve quickly based on a single comment, delivered with sincerity and dispersed around the entire community. Perhaps there will be different descriptive words dependant on the type of station inhabited. Clank, Tin Can Man or a Dweller come to mind, or maybe just a plain old Hermit.

There is a name for everything, Pirates and Care-bears, Industrialists and Ratters, whatever the slang it will become second nature and we’ll all know who they are, what they do and to some degree, why they do it. This isn’t to say that ones play style is rigid, once upon a time even I was a Ratter and a Mission Runner but the smell of blood was too much to ignore and so I sought out combat deep in null sec.

There are many weird and wonderful characters out there in the cosmos, I should know I am one, we all are. In fact we represent a population that is incredibly diverse. If we look deeper into the community we can find players that have their own niche and stick to it. With the addition of Dust 514 this community will become even more varied and widespread. EvE players that don’t own a single space craft? What a strange notion.

Whatever your pleasure, EvE Online is here to indulge your senses and we can all find contentment in our chosen profession. Having tinkered with most aspects of life in New Eden, Piracy is the most fun for me but some of you are so weird you consider mining enjoyable. What a strange bunch we are.

Messages (Bjorn Lynne & Tobias Richter)

This video is a bit of a nostalgia trip for me as I was a huge fan of Tobias' animation work when I was a wee lad. The music by Bjorn Lynne is also very eighties, early nineties it reminds me of how fantastical our perception of spaceships were in those days. How the future was enveloped in artificial light and the heavens were full of huge, slow moving cities of glass and steel.

After playing EvE Online I now realise that the future is actually bleak. That it is dark, cold and full of insurmountable suffering and pain.



Related Links
LynneMusic.com
TheLightWorks.com

Terra Firma

EvE Online is a beautiful game. Picking through screenshots I am amazed at how subtle the lighting effects have become, the glare, the shadows, even the way the metal hulls reflect on our beloved ships. Stations and stargates are also incredibly detailed and are a marvel to look at. But there is one problem with the recent graphics enhancements. They have neglected to improve the most massive of objects in the game world - the planets.

Before the Trinity upgrade, ships, stations, star gates and planets had the same graphical resolution. Since Trinity almost everything has seen steady improvement, but with every upgrade the planetary bodies look even more out of place against crisply detailed heavenly objects.

Dominion, the next release from CCP due this winter is to address this issue by introducing remapped planetary surfaces complete with clouds, oceans, mountains and atmospheres. It will be a welcome addition and will help solidify the game world into consistency. It would also be nice to see some variation beyond a standard 8 models, so certain planets can be identified from appearance alone.

The upgrade is sure to make EvE Online the best looking MMORPG on the market today. I'm getting my camera drones ready as we speak. If you can't wait until the next expansion you can observe some work-in-progress on Singularity.



Related Links
Dominion (expansion)
Test Server (singularity installation guide)
Test Server (singularity patches)