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mellowtiggerFirst, I woke up at 8am this morning and weather.com says it's -14F/-25C (-41F/-41C windchill). I plan on staying inside today.
Second, I blame![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dr_scott for this post. He mentioned something many days back about EVE Online gameplay. And I was sucked back into it. *sigh* I cancelled all of my online game subscriptions months ago in an attempt to save money during my (seemingly endless) jobhunt. But I splurged and spent the $15 to get back into this one. Part of the reason was also simple curiosity. They released in December an update to the graphics and I wanted to see how shiny my old spaceship was. (It's very shiny!) And the game is still consistently rated as one of the best-liked at mmorpg.com user ratings. Unlike other games that have been out for 5 years, this one is still setting new records for users simultaneously logged in.
On the plus side, it's a less invasive time sink than other games. Since I focus on the low-stress mining aspect of the game, I can actually mine and do other things on my computer at the same time. (Like this livejournal post. Like the continual job hunting.) I just play in windowed mode and then swap quickly between various applications, waiting for my cargo hold to fill up in EVE so I can haul it back to station. Frankly, though, that's what I think a good game should offer as part of its lineup: non-stressful activity. :)
Look at this photo. Each of those colored dots is an entire solar system, each with stuff to do in them. That's how big this game is. (Click the image for the interactive version of it.)
Second, I blame
dr_scott for this post. He mentioned something many days back about EVE Online gameplay. And I was sucked back into it. *sigh* I cancelled all of my online game subscriptions months ago in an attempt to save money during my (seemingly endless) jobhunt. But I splurged and spent the $15 to get back into this one. Part of the reason was also simple curiosity. They released in December an update to the graphics and I wanted to see how shiny my old spaceship was. (It's very shiny!) And the game is still consistently rated as one of the best-liked at mmorpg.com user ratings. Unlike other games that have been out for 5 years, this one is still setting new records for users simultaneously logged in.On the plus side, it's a less invasive time sink than other games. Since I focus on the low-stress mining aspect of the game, I can actually mine and do other things on my computer at the same time. (Like this livejournal post. Like the continual job hunting.) I just play in windowed mode and then swap quickly between various applications, waiting for my cargo hold to fill up in EVE so I can haul it back to station. Frankly, though, that's what I think a good game should offer as part of its lineup: non-stressful activity. :)
Look at this photo. Each of those colored dots is an entire solar system, each with stuff to do in them. That's how big this game is. (Click the image for the interactive version of it.)
I hope that this gallery link works okay for other people and not just me. Otherwise I'll have to edit this post and link each image individually.
http://pics.livejournal.com/mellowtigger/gallery/00001427
What most impresses me in this game is its extensive effort to create an actual economy. The price history feature alone sets it worlds apart from any other online (or offline) game economy. You can place Buy orders for a specific duration and range of solar systems at whatever price you see fit to spend, hoping someone out there will be willing to hand over their product at that price. You can also search nearby systems for prices on items that you want right away. And you can see the history for the last month so you know what kind of fluctuations are expected on the market. How cool is that?!
There's also the skill system that is unique to EVE. You don't learn things by spending money or by spamming keys to repeatedly "practice" a skill. You choose one (and only one, though you can switch at any time without penalty) skill on which to study. Then your character studies that skill until it reaches the next level of ability (1 to 5) whether you are online or offline. Harder skills take longer to learn. (Some of the advanced mother ships are said to take months to train to use.) That's also a nice low-stress way to run the business. I approve. There's even a character monitor utility that let's you watch your skill progress without even logging into the game. It pops up a notice on your desktop when you've reached your new skill level and can go train another skill. Convenient.
I've never much liked PvP, and I've not yet experienced it in EVE. But that's where all the action is in this game. Yes, there are NPC pirate ships that you have to mind during your peaceful mining forays, but they can be easily escaped without serious harm. I could spend months in the non-PvP areas though. It's easy to take a slow pace in this game. I like that aspect of it.
There is a steep learning curve for this game though. It's very complex. I still can't get agent missions ("quests") from stations where I want. I don't know what the research activity is like (because the facilities are booked for weeks at a time). It takes a very long time to find what items I even want to install in my ship because there are so many details to consider and the GUI is a bit cumbersome for exploring such detail.
But I have blueprints for my mining lasers and my most-used ammunition. So I can do the mining and then the manufacturing to keep myself going without purchasing much from other people. To me, that kind of self-sufficiency is "fun". :)
Overall, though, a rather pleasant spaceship MMO.
http://pics.livejournal.com/mellowtigger/gallery/00001427
What most impresses me in this game is its extensive effort to create an actual economy. The price history feature alone sets it worlds apart from any other online (or offline) game economy. You can place Buy orders for a specific duration and range of solar systems at whatever price you see fit to spend, hoping someone out there will be willing to hand over their product at that price. You can also search nearby systems for prices on items that you want right away. And you can see the history for the last month so you know what kind of fluctuations are expected on the market. How cool is that?!
There's also the skill system that is unique to EVE. You don't learn things by spending money or by spamming keys to repeatedly "practice" a skill. You choose one (and only one, though you can switch at any time without penalty) skill on which to study. Then your character studies that skill until it reaches the next level of ability (1 to 5) whether you are online or offline. Harder skills take longer to learn. (Some of the advanced mother ships are said to take months to train to use.) That's also a nice low-stress way to run the business. I approve. There's even a character monitor utility that let's you watch your skill progress without even logging into the game. It pops up a notice on your desktop when you've reached your new skill level and can go train another skill. Convenient.
I've never much liked PvP, and I've not yet experienced it in EVE. But that's where all the action is in this game. Yes, there are NPC pirate ships that you have to mind during your peaceful mining forays, but they can be easily escaped without serious harm. I could spend months in the non-PvP areas though. It's easy to take a slow pace in this game. I like that aspect of it.
There is a steep learning curve for this game though. It's very complex. I still can't get agent missions ("quests") from stations where I want. I don't know what the research activity is like (because the facilities are booked for weeks at a time). It takes a very long time to find what items I even want to install in my ship because there are so many details to consider and the GUI is a bit cumbersome for exploring such detail.
But I have blueprints for my mining lasers and my most-used ammunition. So I can do the mining and then the manufacturing to keep myself going without purchasing much from other people. To me, that kind of self-sufficiency is "fun". :)
Overall, though, a rather pleasant spaceship MMO.
no subject
Date: 2008-Feb-10, Sunday 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-Feb-11, Monday 05:30 pm (UTC)Newbie-land (Sing Laison region) is overcrowded. I did some searching (not an easy thing to do in a virtual universe this large) and located what may be a very good location for me. The region is called Solitude because it's an island of civilized space, surrounded by lawless regions, disconnected from the main empire space.
1) It has twenty (20!) asteroid belts. I like mining, and this kind of resource cache is amazing.
2) It has agents (for "quests").
3) In the solar system next door, it has technology labs with waiting periods less than a week.
4) It's in 0.5 security space, for more good mining opportunities without PvP hassles.
5) It's next door to more than one low-security sectors, and only 2 sectors away from 0.0 (null space) for mining opportunities with PvP worries.
6) It can only be reached by passing through long regions of null space. A dangerous thing to do, so there aren't as many people here.
and, also nice,
7) It's named "Boystown". (Okay, "Boystin", but close enough.) I hear that all the hot miners are located there. *wink wink* *nudge nudge*
8) One of the space stations there is run by the "Sisters Of EVE", an NPC corporation.
How queer-friendly is that? It's already home to both the butch gays and the femme lesbians, apparently. *laugh*
9) Nearby sectors are named "Arse" (okay, "Oerse") and "Niballe" (that one's for real).
I'm gonna have to create a GLBT corporation here. Just on principle. This solar system needs it. *laugh*
no subject
Date: 2008-Feb-11, Monday 06:18 pm (UTC)In contrast, check out this 64-page miner's guide for EVE.
I like (sensible) complexity. EVE definitely has that quality.