~or “Here We Go Again!”
This is a quick one but I wanted to hit a few really
interesting points from the Sept 17th 07 Show.
Big changes are coming to EVE, again…
CCP Seagull Bigger Picture and Changes
Start 0:31:30 to 0:33:52
In a concise and friendly little tête-à-tête CCP Seagull
announced she wants ALL structures and infrastructure in new Eden to be as
player created, destroyable, dynamic and driven as the market is.
She says that the fast 6 week cadence has “made it a bit harder to see the big picture
sometimes” so…
They are bringing back Expansions…
These will be a new hybrid form of Large, dare I say ‘Jesus
Feature’ type of release… but they are also going to continue the now familiar
smaller regular 5 week releases. The Expansions will be based on features that
belong together and have a ‘bigger’ impact on the game as a whole. These will not
have a fixed schedule as such but will be rolled out as and when it make sense
and they are ready.
The next one is going to be an Expansion… not a std.
release. It is about Citadels, Structures and new changes and roles for
Capitals.
Plus, we can look forward to Seagull being more active
blogging and in video. And we have found that on the whole when she speaks,
stuff happens.
Just after CCP Seagull’s fireside chat, we get some news
about the AT Collusion Allegations…
The Prizes have been seized and an investigation is ongoing…
Ooooo Drama in EVE? Nooo say it isn’t
so!... right.
The last part that really got my interest was an
interview with CCP Quant.
Start 0:58:40 to 1:00:55
As we all know, requests for the QEN, the CCP Quarterly
Economic Newsletter, or for that matter ANY economic figures at all has been in
perma-request mode since CCP stopped publishing the QEN. Well, CCP Quant is
going to be putting out graphical financial information in the future.
But… These will be about New Eden’s Economy (not CCPs
finances…)
Subjects such as ISK sinks and faucets, trade deficits by
region or area, import/export figures, production/destruction figures. All
interesting and for the good no doubt, but CCP KNOWS what we are asking for,
what we really want is how healthy is the GAME? How healthy is CCP in financial
terms… what do the PCU numbers really represent? What ARE the sub and account
numbers for EVE Online?
I doubt we will get those though… we all know there has been
signs and portent of decline in the playerbase numbers. We just don’t know how
bad it is. And if I was Hilmar, you wouldn’t know either. No company helps
itself or its image or finances with bad numbers. Bad enough people are asking…
last thing I’d do is give the Chicken Little crowd ANUY hard numbers that could
be used or even twisted, no matter how much or little, to bolster their
negative views… or worse, their agendas.
There is a lot of other good info and some fun stuff on the
07 Show… it’s really worth a watch.
It's been a interesting week in terms of announcements. Not just CCP Seagull's come back with the talks of expansions and the roadmap ahead, but also the changes to Citadel siege mechanics and the end of trollceptors in Sov mechanics. Obviously CCP is on the move and that's good for those who buy the Rubicon Plan.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't changes that maybe CCP focused on the wrong changes due to poor information. The Rubicon Plan was established and approved before CCP had hard data on what the players actually do -namely before knowing, number by number, that highsec PvE soloers are the bread and butter of their subscriber base.
And those guys, people like me, are getting nothing but peanuts as an aside of PvP projects for PvP content. What is worst, new players also aren't getting many reasons to try the game. I suggest reading the patch notes with a stranger's eyes -how do they look if you don't know anything about EVE Online, but are judging whether to join it?
Angry, THIS! I will always post and kumbaya agree or vehemently rebut any real good intelligent discussion... I don't expect to be agreed with... I'm not that agreeable a chap and I know it. I am opinionated and love a good debate over preaching to the choir any day.
ReplyDeleteIt's late and I was up at 'o-dark-thirty to help my wife at a very popular and large Farm Swap meet today AND I have come down with somekinda sore throat malady so I simply feel like warmed over crap-onna-stick... so I'm off to bed but will try and respond later.