Having apparently determined that there’s simply not sufficient battle in EVE On-line (opens in new tab) already, CCP Video games has kicked off a brand new “narrative-driven growth” known as Rebellion (opens in new tab) by principally blowing up a star and pushing its 4 main empires towards conflict.
EVE On-line has been round for almost 20 years now, and in that point it is earned notoriety for 2 issues: Again-room machinations of unimaginable viciousness, and main area battles that may take weeks or months to resolve and price hundreds of {dollars} of real-world cash. This is 5 of our favorites (opens in new tab): So as, a massacre, a bloodbath, an assassination, a betrayal that led to a bloodbath, and a “gatecamp,” during which gamers actually went to conflict with CCP itself, and did higher within the engagement than you might need anticipated.
Most of those shenanigans happen within the area of the sport generally known as Nullsec, which is basically lawless area the place something goes; the brand new Rebellion growth goals to make issues just a little extra attention-grabbing in low-sec—a considerably safer place the place guidelines exist however enforcement is iffy—and particularly the area generally known as Empire area, the place the 4 predominant NPC factions maintain management.
The difficulty started final week when an experimental “stellar transmuter” machine designed to siphon large quantities of power from celestial our bodies induced a little bit of a mishap that annihilated a planet, ruined a serious area station, and led to tens of millions of deaths and untold collateral harm. Many of the destruction was suffered by NPCs, in fact, however gamers felt it too: Many had been lingering close to the star to see what was going to occur (as a result of CCP Video games had made it clear that one thing was going to occur) and hopefully capitalize on no matter alternatives introduced themselves.
What they received as a substitute was a faceful of fireplace, radiation, and opportunistic enemies who jumped into the system after the incident to prey on the closely broken ships that had been caught within the explosion. It was top-to-bottom unpleasantness for all concerned.
However this isn’t simply window-dressing and poking at anthills: Rebellion will make mechanical adjustments to EVE On-line that CCP Video games mentioned will change how gamers work together with one another and the sport.
“Our objective with EVE: Rebellion is to present our group extra management over New Eden’s huge photo voltaic techniques and strengthen their connection to others, whether or not they’re NPC teams or fellow capsuleers,” EVE On-line inventive director Bergur Finnbogason mentioned. “The choices that you just, your pals and your rivals make, will set the course for EVE’s future. Each in-game motion and response holds weight, contributing to a domino impact of gripping outcomes.”
Underpinning all of this are adjustments to EVE’s “faction warfare (opens in new tab)” mechanic, which allows gamers to struggle on behalf of one of many sport’s 4 factions—Amarr Empire, Caldari State, Gallente Federation, or Minmatar Republic—for management of areas of low-sec area. Methods within the conflit will now have three “operational states,” every offering completely different rewards and traits that may impression the battlefield:
- Frontline – adjoining to an enemy-controlled star system, absolutely the coronary heart of the battle, and the very best degree of reward!
- Command Operations – adjoining to a Frontline system, very important for strategic supremacy with normal LP rewards.
- Rearguard – when not one of the above apply, a relative secure zone within the maelstrom.
“As faction warfare evolves, gamers will see the battlefield of New Eden pose new challenges, threats and surprising penalties,” CCP Video games mentioned.
You may’t have an excellent conflict with out good warships, and so Rebellion may also introduce a brand new dreadnought and navy destroyer for every faction. The Loyalty Level (principally an in-game forex earned for participating in faction warfare) price for the navy ship blueprints have been diminished, making them extra readily accessible to gamers, and there are additionally quite a lot of “thematically acceptable stability adjustments” made to present navy ships within the replace.
Rebellion additionally contains new cosmetics for ships, “large” visible enhancements to player-made Upwell Constructions that present companies and docking amenities, and a handful of quality-of-life enhancements primarily based on participant suggestions. The complete Rebellion growth patch notes might be discovered at eveonline.com.