Dominion: Countdown Begins! In 3 Days ...

"Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another." -Plato

OK - despite the obvious angst in regards to the nul-sec/sov changes, I still have to admit my own growing excitement for the new Dominion release - but days away now - 3 days to be exact.  Sure - like anything, few things are perfect in life, and few people are perfect and perhaps it's better that way.  Makes life more interesting with more challenges to be experienced.

What change am I looking forward to the most?  Really - it has to be the new upgraded visuals.  I know this is not the major feature of the new expansion, and many might criticize me for being too "candy wrapper" oriented.  But you know what?  Part of the strong draw for playing Eve online for me is the feeling of being able to escape into another place and time, especially the place and time of the Universe that awaits us "out there" ... that is - if our human race doesn't end up blowing itself up or destroying planet Earth with its own selfish greed and bucket loads of stupidity.

But what a beautiful universe it is.  Worlds and worlds.  Galaxies to explore.  Suns that every second create more energy than all the energy ever used during earth's entire existence.  Awesome mysteries of black holes, wormholes, Pulsars and Quasars.

And the gift Eve gives me is a chance to get a small albeit virtual glimpse of that Universe out there.  A feeling of what it might be like to orbit a planet with atmosphere in a ship.  Or build a space station next to a glowing moon.  I know it can never ever replace the actual real experience - and who knows, maybe someday, in some other life (if we have a soul and are much like the Eve Capsuleers) I might live out there in the Universe in some other place and time.  I for one hope so.

So kudos to CCP and developers and all the other individuals involved in making this incredible flagship Space MMO Eve online- certainly to go down in the history books of computer gaming.  And congratulations for yet another expansion that continues to improve what is becoming an amazing one-of-a-kind game.

I hope "realism" in visual graphics continues to be the trademark of Eve Online.  And as my anticipation grows and I wait (with so many others) for the last few days before release - I am looking forward to many of the new improvements along with those beautiful planets:  new fleet finder - excellent,  new in-game browser - yes!  Now I can enjoy my game better without having to minimize windows frequently.  Excellent refinements to the Navy ship factions - making me want to get one of these beauty's some day in perhaps a FW career for one of my alts.

And though there has clearly been much criticism for the new sov changes and the disappointing recision of changes planned to the Cap Mother ships - I still would like to credit CCP for the courage to begin making long desired - significant changes to nul-sec and sovereignty mechanics in the game.  And certainly we can observe that a fundamental structure is being layed down where further improvements and expansions will be even more feasible down the road.  So those of you now living and playing in nul-sec - I suggest - just be patient.  Obviously there is clear problems and I agree that CCP's response could have been a helluv a lot better - but it ain't all bad.  Things are a chang'n.  Adapt as always is the key.  And we'll see how all this shakes out.

3 days and counting!

**UPDATE**  Dominion Patch notes released!  Go here.  And an impressive amount of new features and fixes by CCP.  :D

Happy Thanksgiving

To all of you who are celebrating today - Happy Thanksgiving! 

Enjoy your good meal and your company for the day.  Be thankful for the good things in life and forget about the hassles for at least today.

And I'll see you on the other side of the Moon - in Eve.

Dominion Forum Drama Part II & Censorship! Eve Online?

Today CCP Nozh released the newest dev BLOG on the Dominion expansion just a few weeks away now titled "Capital Ships in Dominion".  Having been caught up and following in the previous dev blog release on the Sovereignty changes (see my previous BLOG post on the topic) and the large subsequent drama - naturally I was curious to see the latest dev publications - and player responses.

I was not planning on making any further posts on the upcoming Dominion changes as I had assumed I had said what I wanted to and felt whatever is going to be done is going to be done - and at this point, we're all going to have to live with what hits in 2 weeks.

But after reading the player responses to Nozh's dev thread I immediately found disturbing  the clear and active censorship and excision of many of the players responses to the BLOG.  And frankly, I don't give a damn what the players said or didn't say - the censorship bothers me even more - and is more offensive than almost anything anyone could ever say IMO.

I don't know about you - but one of the reasons I find Eve Online  appealing is the hands off approach CCP has taken to what people have to say in the chat channels or even their latest HTFU video which pushes the envelope of what many might censor.  Perhaps what makes Eve even famous is the ability for players to go in and do subterfuge or even "piracy" type activities that crosses in RL what would be considered "moral" - but again it is just a game.

There appeared to be next to little censorship in the original Dominion Post on the changes to Sovereignty - but this latest BLOG post - there has been a very visible use of CENSORSHIP of the player base and their posts.

I think starting down this road of censorship is a real bad idea.  I know other MMO manage their players by doing just this and I think it really is a dumb ass way to treat your player base.  And I think it's even more detrimental because of the type of player base you have for Eve Online.  For God's sake - are you planning to turn us all into carebears - is that the grand scheme?  Make nul-sec a mirror image of hi-sec and use censorship on any player that disagrees with your views and your plans??  Is this the CCP so many players have come to know and even respect?

CCP HARDEN THE FUCK UP and lay off the player censorship.  BAD FUCKING MOVE.  Let the players speak on the forums.  Sure it's not always going to be pleasant but that's part of the whole process - a process you destroy if you have a STFU attitude.  Surely your egos are not so fragile that you just can't handle all the drama and piddly poo that comes out?  You remember the line don't you:  Sticks and Stones will break my bones but ....

And we all know ALL OF US that an open government where all people are allowed to speak is the only true government.  All else is just a sham.  By excising player comments you create and distance players even further - you erode the trust that players place in you and the game.

Censorship is used by fools who think they can control others but instead end up fucking themselves and everyone else up in the process as well.  Censorship is a far more offensive action against a person's humanity and right to be heard than whatever idiotic words someone might decide to spew out.  And I for one will never EVER subscribe to it.

From Passive to Active Income Source

Probably what concerns me the most about the new nul-sec changes is the fundamental shift from "passive income source" to "active income source".

Currently players wage wars to control space at key income source locations. But there isn't a requirement to make players work further once they control the strategic economic objectives. It also focuses nul-sec mostly on combat/PvP.

In the new model - "passive income sources" are being nerfed and the costs to maintain an alliance are being increased. And the income source now to maintain your alliance is like a forced indenturement of Eve players - instead of fighting over key resources, alliances now must set up PvE operations that must be constantly ongoing on a daily basis for the alliance to survive.

I just wonder how many players will buy into this new model? Instead of fighting over nul-sec resources they will now be required to "grind" daily for resources. Even if they conquer new space - it still will require even more PvE activity for upkeep and more indenturement of alliance members.

To be honest, I think a better model could have been devised to populate or use nul-sec more. More dynamic and varied across systems "passive income" resources could have been introduced. More depth and rewards to PvP - space battles that would determine growth or diminishment of an alliance rather than how many anomalies players can grind a day.

My 2 cents.

CSM : Don't Forget To Vote

Don't forget to vote for your player representative for CSM (Council of Stellar Management) the player organization officially giving a voice to Eve Online players (at least that's the idea).  Voting started today.  You can vote once for each account you own.

To vote it's simple:  Go here   Log onto forum if not automatically logged in at forum.  You will have to unlog and log into your alt accounts if you want to vote for each different account.

The vote includes pics of each candidates toons and links to their websites.  You can also go here for the same information on CSM candidates.

Although there is always a continuing argument among players just how effective CSM is or can be, there is no doubt that CSM has had some impact on the direction CCP developers take Eve Online.  And I believe - although I don't have the actual numbers right here before me, that a strong percentage of issues brought up by CSM or suggestions have been followed through in actual Eve development (albeit sometimes taking over a year to get done - which is an issue in itself).

For those of you unfamiliar with CSM, here is an excerpt about the organization in The Evelopedia link:

All CSM work is meticulously documented here on the evelopedia. Please refer the list of the special categories, which we use in order to sort issues. In the following you read a short summary. 

After you have raised an issue in the Assembly Hall and it got championed by a CSM delegate, it will start its life as wiki page here on the evelopedia as open issue. The CSM will then debate on one of its next meetings about this issue (a meeting agenda will be published on the Jita Park Speaker's Corner) and can either rejectin process towards CCP. Issues will then be discussed with CCP in the upcoming meeting between the CSM and CCP, which will conclude the issue life cycle as resolved.  the issue, or accept it, which will put it

If issues are not refused by CCP for very good reasons, that you can read in the minutes, then they are put onto the development backlog. 

 Dante Edmundo (that's me) will be endorsing TeaDaze from the PvP training Corp Agony Unleashed(AGONY).  I believe TeaDaze will be an excellent CSM representative for the players of Eve Online.

You can visit TeaDaze's website/blog here.

I watched and listened to TeaDaze's expert commentary in the last PvP Alliance Tournament #7, which those of you following my BLOG - I wrote about quite a bit.  I felt TeaDaze was exceptionally good at his job, well balanced and smart.  He appeared to weigh opinions carefully during Tournament VII.  You can see and watch TeaDaze speak at tourney by viewing the Tournament VII videos at CCPGAMES youtube website.

CSM Candidate TeaDaze

Below I quote from TeaDaze's website his general stance on many of the more important issues currently facing Eve Online play and development:

• Risk should be rewarded.
• In general buffing a weaker item is preferable to nerfing stronger ones.
• Not all ships have to be good at solo PvP.
• Flexibility is important so people can use ships in ways not intended; within reason.
• Racial differences in ships and weapons should be maintained rather than homogenizing everything however these must be balanced in some other way.
• Tactics should have a place in countering overwhelming numbers.

I agree 100% with these tenets and wish TeaDaze the best of luck in the elections.

Dominion Exodus - Partduex

Courtesy of Virtuozzo  The Collective AAA Alliance - Post #124

Like Holy Planetoids Batman!

Today CCP Dev Chronotis published a new Dominion dev blog called "Upgrading and Upkeep of Sovereign  Solar Systems in Dominion" besides the longish title, the essay seemed promising enough, with a few nice jpegs of an auto-billing system and a new Infrastructure Hub menu. But then when you go to the blog's forum posts - HOLY MOTHER OF VELDSPAR!

The post count is now up to 312 and I imagine will climb further.  But the shocker really is just how negative a reaction Eve players have had to this post by Dev Chronotis.  I mean - I've played other MMOs before and other games and when a new release approaches - you get your share of negative naysayers - but this is really way over the top of negative vibes. There is almost no good at all discussed about the proposed changes - especially from the real null-sec players.  One Goonswarm player even states:

"I mean, cmon, when Goons start quoting Bobby Atlas out of agreement then something has to be very, very wrong."  -Navick, Goonfleet - Goonswarm

Frankly, even though I have yet to play in null-sec myself - after reading most of the posts I personally am inclined to agree with both the Goons and Atlas.  What the hell kinda of incentive is there to play in null-sec when you have to pay a billion+ a month  for a single system?  And that's not even counting your POS expenses. Isn't the idea that players pay for an MMO to have fun, not to have a second job?

I think the most glaring problem is the ridiculous price tag of maintaining a system or even expanding.  The way it is set up now, there is no real reason to want to go out and conquer more space - because it will be just way bloody harder to maintain and you'll need even more working ISK player slaves to somehow bring in the billions of tax required.

The idea of small corps being able to carve out their piece of the pie in null-sec is pie in the sky with this plan.  It's way too much work for next to no payback - and the risk is huge, considering the amount of stealth, cynoid, blob griefers roaming the heavens of null-sec.

But what is worse, there really are no new game "fun" mechanics.  Nothing new is introduced other than making more anomalies available, more deadspaces, more --- just more of what is already present.  Half of which no one in null-sec does or even wants to do.  Because null-sec is more about the PvP then it is about the big grind of fighting NPCs.

I dunno about you - but after reading the replies on this forum I hope CCP chiefs call an all-hands meeting.  Because their player base are not happy campers at this moment.  I imagine something will change - because "as is" will lead not to Dominion, but Exodus - PartDeux.

Dragon Age : Origins OUTTAKES