An RTS would have been a better option.

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the DUST 514 announcement. I know that is too early for me to judge their direction and the impact it will have in EVE, but nevertheless I feel that there is something wrong.

I don't directly participate in the 0.0 sov game, but any changes to it will directly affect me since I'm a Providence resident (region controlled by CVA). I also understand that a change or probably a complete overhaul of the sov mechanics was due. I've read multiple blogs and forum posts criticizing the current way sovs are defended.

I understand CCP decision for a console game. Consoles are very popular and will likely increase their income. But an FPS? Really?!? I haven't done a study neither I'm quoting one, but FPS is probably the most crowded category of console games. It seems that every month a new FPS hits the market. Never mind the long list of existent and very popular FPS franchise like Halo series, CoD series, Quake/Doom series, BF series and R6 series just to name a few.

Even if they achieve huge numbers at launch I can't see them being able to keep them with this type of competition. I'm not saying CCP can't compete at this level. They will probably put a very decent product, but we are talking playing in the major leagues on their first time at bat. It will be rough.

What about an RTS? I think this would have been a better option. Not only there is more room in the RTS market, but I believe that this type of gameplay would be a better fit for the EVE world. There are so many possibilities that an RTS/MMO combination could give to players. Imagine using your Rhea or you Ark to bring provisions or more weapons or a battalion from one planet to another to reinforce your RTS forces? Also the scale would be significantly bigger. Even if you have 256 players in a single battle (feat which only MAG supposedly does) that number seems ridiculously small to determine the fate of a planet. With an RTS you can have 50 players in one planet going at each other with armies representing thousands of troops. This epic fight between armies makes more sense than 100 or so players shooting at each other.

I also question the capability of the current holder alliances to gather dominant FPS forces to control the planets they currently posses. Even though many of these alliances bolster a big roster, I don't think that they can field an army for protection. They will rely exclusively on contracts made with the FPS players for this. We know how ruthless players are in EVE. Can you imagine how much more the FPS crowd will be once they understand how much power they have? They will likely have no ties to the alliance in EVE except for their pay. Basically, if someone pays them more they are likely to flip. All those sacrifices and hard work to obtain and keep your sov can go out of the window regardless of what you do.

If you look around there is only one alliance that has the numbers to take advantage of this addition... Goons. The Something Awful community is one of the largest internet communities. There are hundreds of members just looking for the next FPS in the market. The Goons should have no problem getting members from their ranks to play the FPS side. This can give them an overwhelming advantage. Hmm... the Delve holder getting improper assistance from CCP. What does that reminds me of?

Anyway, only time will tell. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm not. In any case, if you were eagerly waiting on the addition of planets to the game since this clip, you got PUNKED!

Training update.

As with any MMO, progress is one of the more important aspects of the game. If your avatar progress stalls, your gaming experience takes a big hit. With all its complexity and depth, EVE has been a very understanding game. It doesn't penalize me for only playing 2-3 hours a night. Not having to shoot 100 times my guns or mine 50 asteroids to level a skill is a great feeling. Nothing makes me happier than waking up my laptop and have the EVE Skill Monitor greet me with a "Skill training complete" message. So where am I?

In the last month Dante has made a lot of progress in multiple areas. He is now able to fit Tech 2 armor hardeners, has almost all light/medium drone relates skills to IV (Gallente spec is next) and has improved a bunch of core skills involving shields, MWD and ABs. The biggest decision made was a decision involving his dps potential. I'm very clear as to which ship I want him flying by the end of the year (GO GO Ishtar!!), but I wasn't sure what I wanted to fit for dps. One thing was certain, it had to be Tech2. Anything less, to me, would be an epic fail.

I pulled up EVEMon and look at the time it would take for him to get Tech 2 blasters... approximately 21 days. Not bad, I thought. I can be going around on my Isthar with some nice Tech 2 blaster for on-your-face pew-pew. Unfortunately there was something wrong. As I was thinking on that fitting, nightmares of my experience with blasters on the Thorax and Brutix came to me. Blasters? Am I really going to put blasters on this ship. I hate blasters!! True, they are awesome at close range and with the right ship/fits/skills probably unstoppable, but Dante doesn't have those skills.

I looked again at the Ishtar info and then at his skills. Back and forward... Wait! What was I thinking? Am I blind? 10% bonus to drone hp and dmg, +5km bonus to range, +50m3 bay. Then I look at his stats... Interfacing IV, Combat Op IV, Sharpshooting IV, Gallente Spec III, Durability IV, Navigation IV, Scout Op V. The answer is DRONES stupid!!!

And so it was. Since he already had access to light and medium Tech 2 drones I just added the Heavy Drone skill all the way to V in the planner. After 28 days he gets Ogre II. Dante is currently 3 days away from Heavy IV. After that I'm queueing some other skills to improve other aspects of his game to then continue to Ogre II.

Armand's training schedule was much easier to plan. I knew for a long time what I wanted from him. In these past couple of weeks he learned to fly an Iteron V (that is a lot of cargo for a Tech 1) and a Viator. The Viator has been specially handy since it allows me to carry anything Dante needs and brings back all the loot from the ratting/plexing. Besides a lot of hauler skills he improved Mining Barge to IV and added mining drones. Right now he has a couple of days of drones skills to improve those mining drones benefits and then is straight to a Hulk. That wont happen until October thanks to Astrogeology V (12 days) and Mining Barge V (20 days), but I look forward to him destroying belts with the gang. After that is some logistic training so he can support Dante in w-space before heading to production.

Harder than it looks.

Wow! Its been almost a month since my last update. Is crazy how time just seems to pass you buy when you are busy.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Life has kicked me hard this past month. I have only a few hours at the end of the day for me and I have to decide between writing about the game I play or playing the game. I choose for the later always. :)

Besides finding the time, it is also challenging to find topics to discuss. I refuse to just post crap for the sake of an update. Playing for few hours every day with a limit set of skills makes it hard to be as prolific as others bloggers. I do think that there are still subjects that I can tackle (and will tackle) in the future.

About the other bloggers... Even though I've been away from my own blog I keep a good eye on the blogs recommend in this site. Thanks to the NetNewsWire app on my iPhone I keep up with all the good stuff from Manasi, Letrange, Kirith Kodachi, Mendolus and Wilhem among others.

Even though all of there are great, there is a particular blog that has been great to follow for the last month, EVE Newb. I know, I know... Am I really suggesting that Spectre has something worth reading? Well... after loosing CK's EVE Blog Banter #9, our loved pirate was a bit upset and decided to *show them* by making a name for himself. The series, which is already on its 4th installment, took a disastrous turn when Hallan Turrek threw down the gauntlet and challenged Spectre. Definitely a good read.

In a more serious note, Manasi recently posted a very interesting and useful guide on tactical bookmarks. I had a couple of BMs in my systems, but nothing as detail and complete as this. Is going to take me a while to set all those BMs in the systems I usually roam and live in, but with all the red traffic in the Providence and surrounding areas it is must-have.