Friday, December 24, 2010

VIDEO: EVE Online - Real Life Meeting with Chribba

Chribba, like you've never seen him before!

New Eden Chronicles Episode #1 - The beginnings!

iTunes - PodBean - Facebook

Well it's finally here! The first episode of the New Eden Chronicles - an EVE Online podcast dedicated to showcasing the EVE Blogging Community in all it's talent and glory.

Though we had a few technical difficulties recording this first show, Ardwulf's brilliant editing skills and Maeve's keen ears have managed to result in a pretty decent first podcast. Released earlier this week, we're still waiting for Apple's iTunes to provide us with a link and all, but you can listen and download it via our PodBean blog. Here's the direct link to Episode One.

In this first episode we introduced the 4 co-hosts, Maeve Trinity, Memoocan, Ardwulf and myself. We discuss several aspects of the EVE Blogging Community, present 2 interviews and have a first jolly good time. As new episodes get released, we'll have a more structured approached and work out the various kinks.

I'm very happy that we're finally at this stage and thankful to be working with my three co-hosts.

I look forward to our success!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

EVE Blog Banter #23: Rome wasn't built in a day, neither was New Eden


Welcome to the twenty-third installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week or so to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!
With Incursion giving us glimpses of what Incarna will have to offer (the the Character Creator), this month's topic, by @Minerpewpew, comes just at the right time. He asks "What are your thoughts on how Incarna will effect the current EVE Online social dynamic?" I'd like to see this questioning go a bit further. How will this affect EVE's player base? Who will Incarna attract? New players to the genre? Seduce old players back into the game? Will we see new players come in that will never leave their station? Please explore to the best of your abilities!
EVE Online is a game about spaceship combat. Right? I mean, in the end what ever you do in this virtual world, the result is some ship, somewhere, somehow, gets blown to smithereens! That's the whole purpose of the game right? Not quite so.

EVE has always been a lot more then just blowing ships up, whether against NPCs or real flesh and bones opponents. New Eden is a world of traders, miners, industrialist, mercenaries, espionage, political intrigue. And so much more. Over the years, CCP has built upon this universe of alter egos to create much more then a "game of Internet spaceships".

Over three years ago, when we first saw glimpses of - as it was called then - "Walking in Stations" all of a sudden EVE was no longer just about Space, about Ships, or Asteroids and minerals. Suddenly our avatars were no longer simple portraits. They were no longer this abstract concept of a body in a capsule within a powerful spaceship. To some, this was the promise land. To others, an inconvenient waste of precious developer resources. To many of us, it was a far away illusion that could not be grasped. Like sand in water.

Incarna has the potential to a lot for EVE Online. If CCP plays its cards right, Incarna could be the most important expansion to launched. But the window of opportunity is very narrow, and the potential for disaster exists, even if it is small.

If Incarna is to be successful, it will need to
  • No impact on the current game as it is. That is it must not create lag to the "spaceship game", or be a requirement for those who do not wish to partake (missions for examples should still be accessible from docked ships)
  • Be more then a simply avatars in an empty station. It needs to provide a means to create, to manage, to interact in a constructive and fun way with patrons (other players). And from what we've seen demonstrated, CCP understands this very well.
  • Be part of the EVE universe, and not simply a separate game within a game. 
If done well, Incarna will attract both some of the current players - myself included - curious about this new land of opportunity, and new players for whom the personification of an avatar is important. Let's face it, some MMO players out there have a hard time identifying themselves with a spaceship. We don't, they do. And Incarna will be a way to bring them in New Eden. At first they may not venture outside their station, but some will. And a whole new world will open up to them.

Now I can see a few of you already raising their hands and jumping up and down to tell me that CCP shouldn't change EVE, just fix what's broken and let the spaceship game be. I also hear the others that say that Incarna is just a test bed for the other MMO CCP is developing - which I believe involves fangs if I'm correct. You're all correct. But Incarna is a lot more then that.




Incarna is a means by which CCP will attract new players, new paying customers. Revenues which will help both the current "spaceship game" and the up coming "avatar game". It's a delicate balancing act yes, but one which I believe they can deliver. With new players, comes the assurance that EVE will continue, that it will evolve. Not everyone will be pleased of course, but who would expect that.

We've been waiting a long long time for it, but I for one am willing to give CCP and their Devs the chance they deserve.

And I hope to see you walk into my bar, sometime in the not so far future, and we can share a pint of whatever it is that you drink. The first one will be on me!

Participants List:
  1. BB 23: What comes with Incarna? | A Mule In EvE
  2. Captain Serenity: Eve blog banter #22 - Force Fed
  3. Blog Banter XXIII – Incarnal Desires | I am Keith Neilson
  4. Blog Banter 23: Nobody Will Use Incarna — the remix « OMG! You're a Chick?!
  5. Confessions of a Closet Carebear: Blog Banter #23: Who enters the new incarna(tion) of EVE...
  6. Depth of Vision (Blog Banter 23) | Interstellar Privateer
  7. Blog Banter #23 – Shiny « Roc's Ramblings
  8. Drifting: The 23rd EVE Blog Banter (December 2010 Edition) - Topic: Incarna
  9. Blog banter #23: The Incarna effect « Diary of a Pod Pilot

Monday, December 13, 2010

2019: A Future Imagined

2019: A Future Imagined from Flat-12 on Vimeo.

Visual Futurist Syd Mead ("Blade Runner", "Aliens", "Tron", other movies, anime and video games) reflects upon the nature of creativity and how it drives the future.
(Photographed in P2 High Definition, this featurette provides insight into the fascinating mind of one of the most influential artists of modern cinema and automotive design.)

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Speedlinking for the week-end of December 11th, 2010


The last 2 weeks have been crazy in RL, but never the less I'm slowly getting ready to get back into the game. I'm about to get ready to get into some 1vs1 PvP with a folks who responded to my plea for a sensei. So I should I some interesting news and postings in the next few days. But for now, here's the latest articles that have come to my attention:


Friday, December 10, 2010

Will you be my PvP Sensei?


With the kind of schedule I have these days, it's pretty impossible for me to partake in any kind of official corp operations. Don't get me wrong, it certainly not because the guys from Mobile Alcohol Processing Units weren't playing nice or ignoring me, but circumstances just made it impossible for me to join them when there were combat operations. I either logged in and out before anything interesting was happening, or simply was too many jumps away for me to get there in time.

So I've decided to go at it solo. What! Blasphemy you say? I hear you loud and clear on that one. I myself have always told folks to get into a good corp as soon as they can find one. But right now, that play style doesn't suit me. I'm more like a 3rd leg, a fifth wheel or whatever expression you want to use.

So earlier this week, I took the jump and left MAPU. I plan on staying in Heimatar for while, until I get familiar with my Close Range PvP Vexor setup. After reading up on the great advice that given to me after I mentioned I was fitting a Vexor for PvP, I've decided to use @00sage00's setup suggestion and am now on the hunt for those missing modules. Soon though, I'll be ready to test the waters with this new ship. First I plan on testing it out on NPC missions and pirates. But I know that soon, I'll have to face some real opponents.

Before I do that though, I thought I'd through a friendly request for some one on one lessons with fellow capsuleers willing to meet face to face and teach me the basics of PvP. I've read and will try to put into practice the wonderful advice that the Tweetfleet Father has put together in this wonderful post of his, "Piloting Savviness".

So if your willing to visit me and share some advice, I promise to be nice when I share our story on this blog of mine. But be aware that this is the setup you'll be facing... ....come to think of it, give this much of info to a potential opponent might not be a wise decision... of what the hell!

Close Range Vexor PvP Setup


Damage Control II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I

10MN MicroWarpdrive I
Warp Scrambler II
X5 Prototype I Engine Enervator

Light Neutron Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S
Small Energy Neutralizer II

Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

Hammerhead II x5
Warrior II x5
Hornet EC-300 x5


Now if you'll excuse me, I have a podcast to do!