EVE Online feeds

  • New EVE Fanfest Documentary out now

    31. May 2023 15:00

    Community-minded Capsuleers,

    A fascinating new documentary looking at the EVE community – and their annual coming together at EVE Fanfest – is out now over on the official EVE Online YouTube channel. At the same time, the previously unannounced EVE in-house band Crowd Kon7rol have today premiered their debut single, which you can also catch on YouTube – or when they play at Fanfest’s Party at the Top of the World!

    In addition, commemorating EVE's 20th anniversary we have partnered with publisher Limited Run to create a ‘20th Anniversary Collector’s Edition’, a generously-packed boxed set celebrating the history, legacy and community of EVE. The official countdown to its full reveal is now live, make sure to wishlist it so you don’t miss when pre-orders open on 7 July.

    Belonging: An EVE Fanfest Documentary

    Produced by the talented team at The Escapist, ‘Belonging: An EVE Fanfest Documentary’ explores the community that powers EVE Online, the unique celebration that is Fanfest, and the impact the gathering has on the future of New Eden. It’s all part of the build-up to EVE Fanfest 2023, which takes place 21-23 September, marking the culmination of this year’s EVE 20th anniversary celebrations.

    Fanfest

    For two decades EVE Online itself has brought people together into a one-of-a-kind online community where lifetime friendships and powerful bonds are formed. EVE’s pilots are much more than players. Their collective contributions to the EVE universe form the fabric of New Eden, from spontaneous events that shift the power balance of the Empires, to their feedback to the dev team. Every player that steps into EVE’s world has an important role to play. That’s even truer at Fanfest itself, where together we create and share memorable experiences and guide the future of EVE Online and its journey to forever.

    EVE Fanfest is also about reconnecting with a community spread across the world, catching up with friends, partying until late with in-game rivals and allies alike, and forming memories to cherish for life. You might even find a bit of time for some in-person scheming and plotting.

    Crowd Kon7rol

    Speaking of partying, if you’re lucky enough to have secured tickets for EVE Fanfest’s infamous Party at the Top of the World, you’ll be able to catch the debut performance by the new EVE in-house band, Crowd Kon7rol. Formed of EVE devs and other CCP staff, cyber popsters Crowd Kon7rol are live on stage at Fanfest ready to dazzle with a debut of their new single . Just can’t wait? You can check out the music video to ‘On Top of the World’ right here.

    If all of that has made you realise you want to be part of this very special EVE Fanfest, there are still tickets! Head to the EVE Fanfest page now, where you’ll find out about all the events, parties, sessions, talks, activities and other elements that make EVE Fanfest a truly unique gathering.

    Already got your ticket? See you in Reykjavík in September!

  • Patch Notes - Version 21.04

    30. May 2023 13:00

    Greetings,

    The following page will list patch notes for all updates within this release (Version 21.04). We invite you to join the player discussion about the content of this release on EVE Online forums:

    Initial Release Date: 2023-04-25 Last update: 2023-05-30

    🤝 - Indicates a change inspired by player's feedback or suggestions.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-30.1

    Features & Changes:

    Events:

    • The 20th anniversary Capsuleer Day event has concluded, thank you all for participating!

    • Player Loot drop rates have been reverted back to their original drop rates of 50%.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-24.1

    Defect Fixes:

    Gameplay:

    • Shadow War boosters now have the correct expiration dates in the description tab in the 'show info' window that aligns with yesterday's update.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-23.1

    Features & Changes:

    Events:

    Shadow War

    • The Gallente Federation's Shadow War research effort is advancing and the Federation has reached a major breakthrough in their understanding and mastery of the transport relay technology thanks to the efforts of loyalist capsuleers. As a result, Gallente Hacking, Courier and Laboratory sites will now contain a small amount of transport relay datacore blueprints and components as loot in addition to the existing stellar transmuter datacore loot.

    • The Amarr Empire and Minmatar Republic are now awarding personal progression points to pilots enrolled in their shadow war campaigns who seek out and complete Gallente Hacking, Courier and Laboratory sites.

    • The expiration date for the shadow war reward boosters have been extended until 5 September 2023

    Defect Fixes:

    Technical:

    • Improved the handling of Antialiasing in some special cases, especially for transparent lines while the camera is being moved for example the lines in the undock area of an Upwell structure.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-17.1

    Features & Changes:

    Miscellaneous:

    • Added a Cynabal Capsuleer Day XX SKIN to the XX Celebration Daily Login Campaign - Day 18

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-16.1

    Features & Changes:

    Universe:

    • The Republic Fleet has completed major construction on their new station in the Minmatar FW headquarters system of Amo. This station is now open to docking by capsuleers and most services are active, however there is some remaining construction work required before the capsuleer corporation office slots and industry facilities come online.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-11.1

    Features & Changes:

    Events:

    Shadow War

    • The Amarr Empire's Shadow War research effort is advancing and the Empire has reached a major breakthrough in their understanding and mastery of the transport relay technology thanks to the efforts of loyalist capsuleers. As a result, Amarr Hacking, Courier and Laboratory sites will now contain a small amount of transport relay datacore blueprints and components as loot in addition to the existing stellar transmuter datacore loot.

    • The Gallente Federation and Minmatar Republic are now awarding personal progression points to pilots enrolled in their shadow war campaigns who seek out and complete Amarr Hacking, Courier and Laboratory sites.

    Defect Fixes:

    Technical:

    • In-space UI, like the tactical overlay and some UI elements for the ESS, are no longer affected by Anti-aliasing and FSR. This fixes several problems with blurry UI, especially when moving the camera.

    • The old F10 star map is no longer affected by Anti-aliasing, avoiding blurriness when moving the map.

    • Mac client: When running on Apple Silicon (M1 etc.), disabling the ship exterior view will now work properly with all settings. It as previously no working as it should with Ambient Occlusion disabled.

    • Mac client: Temperate planets now have correct graphics when low shader quality is used.

    • Fixed an issue preventing Pochven markets from being viewed using the market history ESI.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-10.1

    Defect Fixes:

    Events:

    • Fixed various issues relating to changes made in 2023-05-09.1

      • Minmatar Shadow War sites should now be dropping the updated loot.

      • Fixed an issue that would stop the search to function properly.

      • Fixed issues relating to the Mehatoor station not being dockable.

      • The reduced effects of clouds in SoCT sites is now properly reduced.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-09.1

    Features & Changes:

    Economy:

    • The Sales Tax Rate has returned to the original value of 8%.

    Events:

    Shadow War

    • The Minmatar Republic's Shadow War research effort is advancing and the Republic has reached a major breakthrough in their understanding and mastery of the transport relay technology thanks to the efforts of loyalist capsuleers. As a result, Minmatar Hacking, Courier and Laboratory sites will now contain a small amount of Transport Relay Datacore blueprints and components as loot in addition to the existing Stellar Transmuter Datacore loot.

    • The Amarr Empire and Gallente Federation are now awarding personal progression points to pilots enrolled in their shadow war campaigns who seek out and complete Minmatar Hacking, Courier and Laboratory sites.

    • Due to the completed construction of the Caldari State's Shipcaster in Onnamon on the 4th of May, YC125, the Caldari are no longer recruiting additional capsuleers for their shadow war effort since they have successfully completed their campaign.

    Capsuleer Day

    • Reduced the effect clouds have on the visibility of SoCT combat sites.

    Universe:

    • The Imperial Navy has completed major construction on their new station in the Amarr FW headquarters system of Mehatoor. This station is now open to docking by capsuleers and most services are active, however there is some remaining construction work required before the capsuleer corporation office slots and industry facilities come online.

    Defect Fixes:

    Gameplay:

    • Fixed an issue that made it impossible to use drones to attack Shipcaster Beacons and Shipcaster Beacons in construction.

    • It's no longer possible to anchor personal deployable structures, such as mobile depots and CRAB beacons, right next to the Shipcaster beacons, they now have similar restrictions to stargates.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-05.1

    Features & Changes:

    Economy:

    • The Market Sales Tax in-game has been lowered from 8% to 4% for the next 4 days, to celebrate Capsuleer Day! It will return to 8% after downtime on Tuesday, 9 May.

    Defect Fixes:

    Gameplay:

    • Historic Capsuleer Day Clothing Crates can now be looted from wrecks and containers.

    Localization:

    • Fixed a text defect on the Gallente Shipcaster.

    User Interface:

    • Non-interactable Fortizar has been removed from the Fitting Window and Market.

    • Opening the FW map with Shipcaster info will no longer trigger an exception for clients with Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Russian language settings.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-04.1

    Features & Changes:

    Factional Warfare:

    Thanks to the efforts of loyalist Capsuleers, the Caldari State has completed construction of the first Interstellar Shipcaster!

    • The State Interstellar Shipcaster is located in the Caldari FW HQ system of Onnamon, near planet 3.

    • To enable the activation of the shipcaster, a new State Stellar Transmuter has been brought online in the nearby Elonaya system.

    • The Caldari State will begin automatically placing State Shipcaster Beacon Constructors in warzone systems to enable the construction of State Shipcaster Beacons.

      • To construct the Shipcaster Beacons in the target systems, Capsuleers can deposit Nanotransistors, Smartfab Units, Quantum Microprocessors, and Self-Harmonizing Power Cores to the Beacon Constructors. Capsuleers who deposit construction resources will be rewarded with loyalty points.

      • The Shipcaster Beacon Constructors and completed State Shipcaster Beacons are both vulnerable to attack by Capsuleers. The completed Shipcaster Beacons have a one hour reinforcement period before they can be completely destroyed to allow time for allied capsuleers to respond in defense.

    • When at least one Shipcaster Beacon is connected to the Shipcaster, it will become possible for Capsuleers enlisted with the Caldari to jump through the shipcaster.

    • The Factional Warfare map has been updated to show empire Shipcaster locations, shipcaster beacons and their current progress.

    Events:

    • As they have completed their Shipcaster construction project, the Caldari state has stopped sharing sensor data that allowed the Vila Allopoiesis Nexus and Nesosilicate Rakovene Field sites in Pochven to be detected by Capsuleer scanners. Once other empires have reached the point where they can begin their shipcaster construction projects, they will activate their own scanners and the sites will return to Capsuleer scanners.

    • Added faction names to the beginning of Capsuleer Day XX seasonal challenges on the Info Panel.

    • Added a new crate - the Historic Capsuleer Day Clothing Crate - to drops from event sites. These crates contains past Capsuleer Day clothing rewards.

    Structures & Deployables:

    • Reduced the maximum broker fee tax a Upwell Citadel can charge from 50% down to 11.5%. All citadels that already had a broker fee tax rate set higher than this have automatically had their broker fee tax lowered to 11.5%. The goal of this change is to address broker fee related scams which were too obfuscated.

    Defect Fixes:

    Graphics:

    • Reduced flickering in hangars with both anti-aliasing and depth of field enabled.

    User Interface:

    • Capsuleer Day XX Cerebral Accelerators now appear in the correct Market category.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-03.1

    Features & Changes:

    Events:

    • Readjusted the loot drop rates of genolution implants in the Capsuleer Day event. They will drop less often from data sites now, but significantly more often from the Combat Sites.

    • Reduced the volume of all "Overseer's Personal Effects" items in the game from 10m3 to 0.1m3.

    Universe:

    • Caldari-aligned capsuleers have been making significant progress with the production and delivery of Mutadaptive Construction Components to assist the State Shipcaster and Stellar Transmuter construction projects. Major progress in the construction is now visible at the construction sites in both Onnamon and Elonaya.

    Defect Fixes:

    Graphics:

    • Reduced blurriness related to antialiasing during camera movement.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-02.2

    Defect Fixes:

    Gameplay:

    • Fixed a number of issues with the new Metamorphosis ship.

    • Fixed a bug that had prevented interaction with the new Caldari station in Onnamon.

    • Fixed a number of issues which unintentionally increased the difficulty of some of the Capsuleer Day combat sites, and sometimes meant that SoCT easy sites were unable to be completed.

    Patch Notes For 2023-05-02.1

    Features & Changes:

    Events:

    The Capsuleer Day XX event has begun! Join us in celebrating EVE Online's 20th anniversary from today until downtime on May 30th with a special login and seasonal campaign.

    • The Guristas and Angel Cartel have teamed up as the Guri Malakim and appear to be focused on obtaining and acquiring ancient Jovian technology. The mysterious Society of Conscious Thought are opposing them in an effort to prevent ancient technology from falling into the hands of criminal organizations.

      • Capsuleers can choose to assist either the Society of Conscious Thought or the Guri Malakim in this event to earn extra rewards through The Agency reward track.

      • Guri Malakim Survey Expedition and SoCT Survey Outpost hacking sites can be found all throughout High-security space using scanning probes. A Data Analyzer module will need to be fitted to access the valuable treasures housed within.

      • More daring capsuleers can find the Guri Malakim Raiding Expeditions and SoCT Retrievals Repository hacking sites in Low-security space, Nullsec, Pochven and Wormhole space for a tougher hacking challenge and higher rewards.

      • Guri Malakim Survey Base and SoCT Survey Expeditions combat sites are appearing all over high-security space. These sites can be found using your built-in anomaly scanner. The acceleration gates used to enter these sites will only allow access to ships of Battlecruiser size or lower, so it's recommended to bring Combat Battlecruisers to defeat the hostiles inside. Faction Cruisers, Heavy Assault Cruisers, Strategic Cruisers, and Command Ships are also excellent options when available.

      • Guri Malakim Raider Base and SoCT Retrieval Expeditions can be found in Low-security space, Nullsec,  Pochven and Wormhole space. These more difficult combat sites are home to bigger rewards, but a much greater challenge! A very well fitted Command Ship or Tech 3 Cruiser is recommend for these sites, or inviting your friends to the raiding party.

      • Players who choose to raid Guri Malakim sites can find valuable Smuggler Lockboxes which can be sold to the Empires in NPC stations for rewards, Guri Malakim Boosters, Agency Boosters, SKINs and more, while the SoCT sites contain personal overseer effects, SoCT Boosters and more of the above.

    • Until 30 May a special set of Capsuleer Day login rewards will be available for players who log on. Rewards include new SKINs, up to 510k skillpoints, limited time combat boosters, a set of Society of Conscious Thought starship hulls: the Apotheosis Shuttle, Sunesis Destroyer, Gnosis Battlecruiser, Praxis Battleship and the brand-new exploration frigate the Metamorphosis!

    • The loot drop rate for all player ships and POS's has been increased from 50% to 75%.

    Make sure you're Omega on 6 May and etch your legacy on the EVE Monument!

    Ships:

    The Society of Conscious Thought have introduced a new exploration frigate to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the capsuleer age.

    MetamorphosisMetamorphosisUniverse:

    • The Caldari Navy has completed major construction on their new station in the Caldari Factional Warfare headquarters system of Onnamon. This station is now open to docking by capsuleers and most services are active, however there is some remaining construction work required before the capsuleer corporation office slots and industry facilities come online.

    Patch Notes For 2023-04-27.1

    Defect Fixes:

    Gameplay:

    • Vila Skarbnik NPCs in the Shadow War Pochven sites should no longer rarely give standing hits to the Triglavian collective.

    Patch Notes For 2023-04-26.1

    Features & Changes:

    Events:

    The Caldari State has completed the research phase of their shadow war effort, and can now begin work on the construction of an Interstellar Shipcaster.

    • Mutadaptive Construction Components have been identified as essential materials needed for the construction of an Interstellar Shipcaster. Blueprints for these components are often stored by Triglavian-controlled rogue drones in Vila Allopoiesis Nexus', which can be found throughout Pochven using onboard anomaly scanners. Capsuleers can attempt to access the nodes the rogue drones use as temporary stockpiles with Data Analyzer modules.

    • Nesosilicate Rakovene ore can be mined in Nesosilicate Rakovene Fields found throughout Pochven and refined for quantities of Neo-Jadarite minerals, which are fundamental to the construction of Mutadaptive Components, small amounts of Neo-Jadarite can also be retrieved from Vila Allopoiesis Nodes.

    • Capsuleers should be prepared - Vila Skarbnik drones patrol both sites and will attack interlopers, and both sites will broadcast their locations to all ships in the solar system through the overview when a capsuleer warps to the site.

    • The Caldari State will reward players who bring Mutadaptive Construction Components to their component deposit yards located in the State Shipcaster Construction Site in Onnamon, and the State Stellar Construction Site in Elonaya.

    Defect Fixes:

    Gameplay:

    • Gallente Shadow War sites will now correctly drop loot.

    Patch Notes For 2023-04-25.1

    Features & Changes:

    Events:

    The Gallente Federations Shadow War research effort is advancing and the federation has reached a major breakthrough in its understanding and mastery of the Stellar Transmuter technology thanks to the efforts of loyalist capsuleers.

    • As a result, Gallente Data Sites, Laboratories, and Classified Couriers are now active in lowsec systems controlled by the Gallente Federation in factional warfare, as well as the highsec systems in the Kiartanne and Viriette constellations. These sites will contain stellar transmuter datacore blueprints and materials.

    • Players who choose to side with the Caldari for their shadow war effort will now earn progression points for entering and completing the Gallente sites.

    Graphics:

    • Anti-aliasing has been upgraded. You will see smoother edges and the elimination of specular aliasing, which eliminates the 'shiny' effect that occurs in some situations.

    • The shadow system has been entirely overhauled. Previously, there was a limit of 16 shadows in a scene, for casting and receiving. Shadows also look much sharper, and there is now no limit!

    • The film grain effect has been refactored, reducing the 'grid' pattern that would sometimes be visible.

    Defect Fixes:

    Audio:

    • Overlapping music related to various combat sites is no longer resumed upon entering additional combat sites.

    Graphics:

    • The station hangar should no longer turn green when displaying a specific advert. The rave is over.

    Technical:

    • Fixed a client crash, which could be triggered by the graphical effects of Vorton Projectors.

    • Mac client: Fixed a rare client crash.

  • Community Beat for 26 May

    27. May 2023 00:00

    Hello spacefriends and welcome to the latest edition of the Community Beat! If you maniacs could take a break from dropping Titans and dreads on each other in Old Man Star for five minutes that'd be great. (Actually that's not true - please keep shooting each other in the face.)

    TheEternalZombieKing

    Pic from TheEternalZombieKing on Reddit

    This won't be the last time Snuffed Out do something in this Beat, because...

    Snuffed Out drop in on Preach

    Renowned streamer and Youtuber Preach was trying out EVE Online recently and his playtime was going fine... until he found himself in lowsec. As with many of CCP's LIVE2FEED roams lately he was confronted by infamous lowsec alliance Snuffed Out. Although based on his reaction one might argue his experience was actually improved by their presence:

    While we're on the subject of content creators, Zizaran also returned to EVE recently and fondly reminisced about all the time he spent in New Eden:

    Down the Rabbit Hole EVE Online documentary

    As you may recall, at Fanfest 2022 we were joined by famed Youtube documentarian Fredrik Knudsen of Down the Rabbit Hole fame. At that Fanfast we exhibited a teaser of the EVE Online documentary he's been working on for a few years at a theatre in downtown Reykjavik. That "teaser" went for about 2 hours and Fredrik has just announced that the full documentary is almost complete - likely to be released next month and with an expected runtime of nearly 6 hours!

    This reply to his announcement by a Down the Rabbit Hole fan sums up our own feelings on the almost 6 hour runtime:

    knudsen

    I now consider myself an #evesicko too.

    Art Corner

    Dr_Buckshot over on the EVE subreddit has been putting some ideas down on paper - literally. Check out their origami interpretations in this Reddit thread of the Merlin (?), Vedmak and Pacifier.

    vedmak

    And speaking of Vedmaks, no art post would be complete without the latest offering from Lloyd George who is also a fan of Triglavians, and posted this watercolor Vedmak:

    vedmak

    Remember you can buy licensed EVE Online ship watercolors from this artist at their official website.

    EVE Singapore

    The first EVE player gathering in Singapore is happening in June! You can pick up a ticket on Eventbrite. There'll be an opportunity to mingle with other EVE players, hear from local EVE experts and from CCP as well!

  • Player Presenters at Fanfest 2023

    26. May 2023 18:00

    Conversational capsuleers,   

    With Fanfest only a few months away and the 20th anniversary celebrations still ongoing, we’re excited to bring you the lineup of player presenters for EVE Fanfest 2023! 

    Over the past two decades, the actions, stories, and knowledge of players have shaped EVE Online into a truly special world with a community unlike any other – and when the cyno for Fanfest is lit in Reykjavik this September, a record 9 players will be bringing their passions and expertise forged across 20 years of EVE onstage to present to capsuleers both in person and onstream around the world. 

    Without further ado, here are your player presenters for EVE Fanfest 2023: 

    The Oz 

    Often found sharing his wealth of knowledge on his Twitch and Youtube channels, The Oz is one of New Eden’s most prolific traders. Join him for a masterclass in the EVE markets with new and existing tools.

    Activor Faust 

    A capsuleer since the day of EVE’s launch in May 2003 and a line member in some of New Eden’s most historically impactful corporations, Activor Faust will take the stage to recount his personal journey in the world of EVE and reflect on how the game has evolved since launch – sharing 20 years of exciting stories and invaluable experience with his fellow capsuleers! 

    Zkadon Estemaire 

    In his work as a biologist, EVE Uni’s Zkadon Estemaire studies predator-prey dynamics using mathematical modeling and game theory, modeling the evolution of behaviors to predict their influences – and in New Eden’s capsuleers, for whom killing is just another means of communication, these same dynamics are constantly in play. Join Zkadon for a presentation on his field and on the relevance of game theory and mathematical modeling in the EVE Universe! 

    Max Singularity 

    Known across New Eden as the “Space Pope”, Max Singularity is a firm and outspoken advocate for the importance of community in EVE, where meaningful bonds and friendships between capsuleers form the soul of the game and regularly extend into the real world. Onstage in September, the Space Pope will explore how these lasting connections form as well as how capsuleers are managing to stay connected while socially distancing. 

    ExookiZ 

    From excel to logistics pipelines, data analysis, leadership, team building, software engineering, and much more, many capsuleers have been able to translate skills and practice gained through activities in EVE to their real-life careers. Join former CSM member, in-game CEO, and veteran Fanfest presenter Exooki for a presentation on how playing EVE Online can help you get ahead in your work life! 

    Smog890 

    While running an investment scheme may not be uncommon in New Eden, Smog890’s 15,000+ market orders and trillions of ISK invested (and paid back) sets his operation apart from the rest. Gain valuable insights and hear the story of how this trader became a tycoon in this informative presentation! 

    Alia Collins 

    With an in-game career built on avoiding gatecamps and transporting goods to all corners of the EVE universe, Alia Collins is an expert on all things hauling. Buckle up for the Space Trucker’s Guide to New Eden and learn the ins-and-outs and ups-and-downs of New Eden’s most essential profession! 

    Aethel Inkura 

    Having gone from being a completely new pilot in 2020 to flying as a finalist in ATXVIII as a member of the Odin’s Call team, Aethel Inkura will be your guide to the ins and outs of what makes a good tournament team as well as how these elements can improve your nano game on TQ! 

    Keacte, Sin Alarma, and Kshal Aideron 

    Join long-time NPSI advocate Keacte, Alliance Leader and meetup coordinator Sin Alarma, and rookie PVE fleet organizer Kshal Aideron for a group presentation on the importance of communities in EVE and how to grow them! 

    A huge thank you to everyone who submitted an application to present this year (which saw a record total as well!).  

    We can’t wait to celebrate EVE’s 20th anniversary in person with you all at Fanfest – see you in space!

  • New Lancer Dreadnoughts

    25. May 2023 13:30

    Welcome to the second installment in the Viridian in Focus series of articles, designed to give you insight into specific upcoming elements of the EVE Online: Viridian expansion due in June! Viridian will be the first of two major expansions for EVE in 2023, introducing new tools for capsuleers to manage their corporations and set goals, to personalize Upwell structures, as well as engage in socially driven gameplay content. It will also provide more avenues for new and existing players to forge relationships as they fly and strive together for the glory of their corporation!

    A major new addition to New Eden as part of Viridian will be the introduction of lancers. These Tech II dreadnoughts will be specialized ships that bring unique combat strategies and serve a distinct role in the capital ship ecosystem. Get the lowdown on these colossal new ships as they are discussed throughout this article, in the video below, as well as on stream via CCP TV today at 16:00 UTC.

    MEET THE MANIPULATORS – NEW LANCERS

    Lancers represent the first foray into the advanced Tech II arena for capital ships in EVE since jump freighters were introduced in 2007, and there will be one for each of the four main empires. These ships will be equipped with new area-of-effect disruptive lance beam weapons derived from titans’ lance doomsdays that are designed to disrupt and manipulate the battlefield. This includes temporarily preventing a target from warping, tethering, using their jump drive, while also causing a 50% reduction in remote repair.

    This will be the first step in an ongoing evolution of the capital ecosystem where new roles, new tools, and new dimensions of combat will be introduced to keep capital warfare dynamic in all its forms, with strong strategic depth. Dreadnoughts have some of the most clear and well-defined roles in the capital ecosystem currently and that provides a good foundation to work from before attention is turned to expanding on other ship classes.

    Before getting further into the details of what these ships can do and their properties, it’s only right that each lancer is suitably introduced.

    BANE

    The Amarr Empire lancer is a Tech II version of the Revelation-class dreadnought, designed by Khanid Innovations. It uses the same hull design as the Revelation Navy Issue and its main offensive systems are missiles – a first for an Amarr capital ship – and the Azmaru electromagnetic disruptive lance weapon.

    KARURA

    The Caldari State lancer is a Tech II variation on the Phoenix-class dreadnought, and the corporation responsible for its design is Ishukone. Based on the same hull design as the Phoenix Navy Issue, the Karura boasts hybrid turret capacity – uncommon for Caldari capital ships – and the Steel Yari kinetic disruptive lance weapon system.

    HUBRIS

    The Gallente Federation lancer is a Tech II incarnation of the Moros-class dreadnought, with Roden Shipyards being responsible for its design. The base hull design for the Hubris is the Moros Navy Issue, armed with hybrid turret capability and the Sarissa thermal disruptive lance weapon.

    VALRAVN

    The Minmatar Republic lancer is a Tech II spin on the Naglfar-class dreadnought. Designed by Thukker Mix, the Valravn is based on the Naglfar Fleet Issue hull. Its offensive systems consist of projectile turrets and the Atgeir explosive disruptive lance weapon.

    CAPITAL PURPOSE – UNIQUE ROLE

    Capital ships operate on a very different level than subcapital ships in EVE and certain dimensions of combat stop being major factors due to the immobility of these very large ships - so more out-of-the-box thinking is required when designing them regarding how new tactical gameplay dimensions can be added to the capital ecosystem. It is also important to ensure that current dreadnoughts are able to maintain their respective niches in the ecosystem.

    Subsequently, these new ships will have a unique role, offering more variety and tactical options. As mentioned above, these ships will be specialized, as opposed to ‘simply’ being improved dreadnoughts, and are designed to fill a new niche in the capital ecosystem by specializing in area-of-effect weaponry that applies effects to the ships it hits which can drastically alter the flow of battle, opening up fresh tactical opportunities.

    The new vision for the dreadnought ecosystem is to make Tech I dreads more cost efficient in dealing damage by making them have high damage with the lowest possible ISK cost. The navy dreads that were introduced back in Uprising have the highest damage output per unit although they are more expensive, making them less cost efficient while still carving out a niche role. Pirate dreads have very high damage, while still affording them their unique pirate abilities and utility. Finally, lancers will specialize in area-of-effect damage and debuff specialization.

    With the demand for lancers likely to be very high, there is an opportunity for industrialists and Tech II builders to take advantage of the inevitable hunger and configure their supply lines to facilitate the construction of these new ships. Just like other Tech II ships, players will need to perform invention jobs on Tech I dreadnought blueprints for a chance to obtain Tech II blueprint copies. Constructing the ships will then require a Tech I dreadnought hull and additional Tech II materials to build. Tech II blueprint originals will not be made available.

    LANCE BY PALE MOONLIGHT – NEW WEAPON

    EVE’s current capital ecosystem is largely defined by simple cost versus power analysis, where the amount of damage a ship does is measured against its build cost. The goal with lancers is not to compete with existing dreadnoughts in this zero-sum game so directly, and so they are designed to be quite a bit weaker in single-target damage but to make up for this with their new area-of-effect damage weapon which can open up key tactical opportunities by applying debuffs to their opponents (and, sometimes, accidentally their friends too).

    So, although the Bane, Karura, Hubris, and Valravn will be less efficient at single target damage than a Tech I dreadnought, they will instead gain the ability to deal more damage and apply debuffs to multiple targets caught within the beam of their new disruptive lance weapon.

    The lance energy neutralizes the area around it when it fires, and given that it requires capacitor to fire, this makes firing them en masse from a single ball of ships difficult (plus, you're likely to hit friendlies in such an arrangement). This area-of-effect energy neutralization has the potential to encourage more thoughtful placement of capital ships on a battlefield, rewarding the side which is best able to make use of them. Ships struck by the disruptive lance beam will have their warp/jump drives disabled, tether/docking disabled, and experience a 50% reduction to incoming remote repair, all for 60 seconds.

    Disruptive lance weapons also have the benefit of great existing design in their spool up time before firing and the fact that the damage they apply is based on the signature radius of their target. This lets them be tuned to be more interesting as anti-capital weapons than something that can be used as a means of punching down at subcapital fleets.

    To use these ships and their abilities, players will have to train new skills for the lancers themselves and for the new disruptive lance weapons, for which there will be four new associated lance modules.

    Looking ahead towards the launch of EVE Online: Viridian, stay tuned for the upcoming CCP TV stream on lancers, join the discussion on the official EVE Online Discord, and be sure to check out another Viridian in Focus article next week on Upwell structure customization for corporations!

  • Last chance to get on the monument!

    24. May 2023 17:30

    Capsuleers!

    There is only one week left before the end of May – which means there is only one week left to make sure that your name appears on the Worlds within a World EVE Monument in Reykjavik.

    The deadline for securing a spot on the monument was extended due to feedback, and to make sure that even players who couldn’t be Omega by the 6th of May didn’t miss their chance. Any player who is Omega during the month of May will have their character name included on the monument, and characters who are already listed will receive a chevron next to their name. This is the first time new names are being added since the monument was first erected ten years ago, so don’t miss out on this chance to be part of EVE’s unique legacy.

    Warp to the EVE Store

  • Viridian in Focus

    17. May 2023 13:30

    Capsuleers,

    Welcome to the first in a series of articles that will put elements of the upcoming EVE Online: Viridian expansion in focus, preparing you for the big day in June when you will be able to dive in and experience it for yourselves. Viridian will be the first of two major expansions for EVE in 2023, bringing with it new tools for capsuleers to manage their corporations and set goals, to personalize Upwell structures, as well as engage in socially driven gameplay content. It will also provide more avenues for new and existing players to forge relationships as they fly and strive together for the glory of their corporation!

    Another big element of the expansion will be the visual updates that add immersion, wonder, and depth to the universe of New Eden, specifically those being made to empire frigates, marauders, missile impact effects, and volumetric clouds – all of which will be discussed throughout this article, in the video below, as well as on stream via CCP TV today at 16:00 UTC.

    FIRSTS & FAVORITES – EMPIRE FRIGATES

    Frigates in EVE are wildly popular and versatile, and they are symbolic of the first ships flown by new players as they begin their unique space adventure in New Eden. Addressing and improving the visuals of empire-based frigates is important as it represents creating the best experience and impression of the universe for rookie capsuleers, as well as for veteran pilots who still count this class of vessel among their favorites. Part of this experience is ensuring that those first adventures into space are as visually pleasing as possible, firing the imagination.

    In total, 68 frigates are being updated, having their visual effects improved, including the addition of lights and effects that change depending on the state of the ship. The aim of this update is to bring even more life to the use of empire frigates in space, enhancing the experience of flying these small-but-powerful ships. It is also important to maintain consistency in appearance and effects, ensuring that ships of the same empire (not just frigates) have the same look and flavor.

    Some of the empire frigate hulls will get a total VFX revamp, as the Rifter did in January this year, while others will receive more subtle updates. For example, the appearance of some hulls will change completely when they go into warp, with some changing color significantly. Many of the effects are tied to the speed of the ship, with effects getting stronger as the ship travels faster, providing the player with more feedback.

    As for things that you might notice immediately, the most impactful updates are probably the ship headlights. These will be more visually pleasing and tied to the state of the ship, having been added in on hulls which may not ever have had headlights previously. In addition, empire frigates will emit smoke from lit up vents when they drop out of warp.

    There are also more subtle effects added, such as the dimming and flickering of lights when an empire frigate is hit in battle and taking structure damage. In addition, a further lighting pass will ensure that areas around the ships that look like they should affect their surroundings now do so, lifting the overall visual quality of the craft. Be sure to zoom in on your favorites to find a previously unnoticed gem of an effect!

    Comparing the newest ships in EVE to how they appeared 20 years ago, it’s clear to see that visual advancements have been radical. These advancements have been made as a result of a combination of factors, the most significant being the introduction of physically based rendering (PBR) shaders, effects advancements, and the use of higher polycounts. A good example is the Rifter, where the original model had close to 1,200 polygons, compared to the new model that uses around 70,000 polygons and is bathed in effects. These advancements have provided the freedom to achieve desired results faster and more effectively.

    BASTIONS ON THE BATTLEFIELD – MARAUDERS

    As mentioned above, the aim when updating ship effects and appearances in EVE is to bring them more to life and make them more visually interesting to use, encounter, and experience. The updates coming for the mighty marauders are no different, especially as a plethora of new graphical systems and components have been introduced since the last visual update to these particular ships, some of which have been employed when redesigning the Rifter or creating the new Tech II dreadnoughts.

    Marauders are powerful, a statement on the battlefield, and that is primarily due to the contribution of the bastion module that this ship type can exclusively fit. This has previously been portrayed visually by the ship changing state with an animation revealing the energy reactor to space. With this update, the visuals of the engaged bastion module have been punched up to make the ship look even more aggressive and powerful. The new visuals show off the energy that is pulsing through those exposed reactors, and this has been achieved with particle effects, holographic paneling, and extra hull lighting. As a result, it will be much clearer to others in space when a marauder has activated its bastion module.

    There is a constant drive to improve and enhance the visuals of EVE’s ships, either by redesigning or updating effects (as with the marauders), the vision is to continually strive for the highest graphical fidelity.

    MAKING AN IMPACT – MISSILE EFFECTS

    There are few things more satisfying in EVE than watching a volley of your missiles rain fiery/electromagnetic/kinetic/explosive death upon your enemies, therefore it is essential to make sure that missile impact visuals convey that sense of visceral combat while maintaining the innate visual beauty that has been one of the foundations of EVE’s development for the last 20 years.

    The desire here was to make the visuals for each missile explosion archetype distinct so that it becomes absolutely clear by sight what type of damage the missile is applying to its target. This will improve gameplay and combat readability, as well as increasing visual diversity on the battlefield. Basically, you will know what type of missile you are being struck by just by looking at the impact. Once you are familiar with each missile type’s explosion effects, you’ll be better equipped to make real-time decisions in combat. Alongside that, missile impact effects will be more enjoyable to witness, and make space battles that much more breathtaking.

    In order to create the visual distinction between types of missile impact, missiles that deal thermal damage now exhibit explosions mostly based around heat, whereas missiles dealing electromagnetic damage create some crackling electricity that lights up the surrounding area, with artistic license that maintains the caustic EVE visual effects aesthetic. Furthermore, depending on the angle of attack at missile impact, the explosions are now visually directional instead of being randomly rotated omnidirectional impacts. This adds to the realism of the impacts as explosions now also spread outwards across the shield of a ship.

    CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHIP HULLS – VOLUMETRIC CLOUDS

    EVE has been known for its beautiful background nebulae for some time now, but the addition of the new volumetric clouds into the game means that – for the first time – something much closer to that gaseous elegance is actually going to be within the gameplay space, making for more immersive experiences and sites to visit in New Eden. These improved volumetric clouds will be introduced in the Homefront Operations sites coming with the launch of Viridian, with their look, feel, and performance to be optimized moving forward.

    There will be many variations of the clouds used in over 20 Homefront Operations sites when the Viridian expansion launches. Currently, clouds in EVE are very nebulous, but with these volumetric clouds, it will really feel as though you're physically flying through them, around them, inhabiting them, and passing filaments of cloud as you go.

    The new clouds have been created in collaboration with the engine team, tweaking and iterating to open up the greatest number of possibilities for authoring new clouds in EVE for Viridian, and into the future. The new clouds are being generated by a gamechanger of a program called Embergen, with real-time rendering of changes and lightning-fast iteration speed compared to the past for cloud authoring, meaning that something beautiful and substantial can be achieved almost instantaneously.

    As for what comes next on the way to EVE Online: Viridian’s launch, stay tuned for today's CCP TV stream at 16:00 UTC on the above visual updates, as well as another Viridian in Focus article next week on Tech II dreadnoughts!

  • Boost your training!

    17. May 2023 13:00

    Capsuleers!

    You can now save up to 30% off Boost Bundles ahead of the coming expansion. These bundles will give you the freedom to hop into the ship of your dreams.

    They contain Skill Points to give an instant upgrade, as well as Cerebral Accelerators, which will also speed up your training for a few days.

    The sale includes the Advanced, Specialist, and Expert boost bundles, each offers a different level of improvement to your character.

    Amplify your Aptitude