Tag Archives: Sci-fi

EVE Online seeks tourney commentators, plans dual character training for Odyssey

Posted on May 15, 2013 by MJ Guthrie| Leave a comment
Want to be a part of EVE Online's 11th annual Alliance Tournament that starts on July 20th, 2013, but not from the cockpit of your ship? You can apply to be one of the PvP commentators who will discuss the tourney, tactics, and teams involved live on air with developers as well as providing commentary on matches as they unfold. Yes, live means you'll actually be in Iceland for this gig! Qualifications include having a valid passport, being over 21, having a sharp wit, and being well-versed in PvP. Full details for the application process are available on the official site.

If you'd prefer to participate in the battles themselves, note that there will be a few changes to the tourney from years past. To start, Alliance Tournament XI will run over only three weekends, not four. Second, qualifying rounds and group stages have been replaced by double elimination from the get go. Next, from the second weekend onward, two ship types will be banned from the match by team captains. And finally, to fly with an alliance you had to have been a member since downtime this morning. Dev blogs covering all the rules, the broadcast schedule, and sign-up details will be coming soon.

[Update: CCP has been busy today! The official site has now also been updated with a dev blog announcing that dual character training will ship with the Odyssey expansion next month.]

MassivelyEVE Online seeks tourney commentators, plans dual character training for Odyssey originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cutting to the heart of extraction in The Repopulation

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Eliot Lefebvre| Leave a comment
If you want to craft items in The Repopulation, you're not going to go down to the science fiction equivalent of Ikea and buy the Martin Plasma Rifle. You're going to get out into the wild and get the resources you need. There are two systems for gathering items in The Repopulation, and the newest development blog for the game discusses one of the ways to grab those resources: Extraction, also known as "digging useful components out of corpses."

Since the game doesn't feature levels, there's a more organic system to gathering these resources. Players first decide how difficult the extraction should be, with higher difficulties resulting in higher-grade resources. More difficult extractions take longer, however, and as a result, players have a higher chance to fail unless they've practiced harvesting a particular species. For more details on the specifics, check out the full development blog on the official site.

MassivelyCutting to the heart of extraction in The Repopulation originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Citizen lifetime insurance clarified

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Shawn Schuster| Leave a comment

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Star Citizen lifetime insurance clarified
After a thank-you post on the Star Citizen site earlier this week clarified how lifetime insurance would work in the highly anticipated space MMO, a follow-up post was needed to further answer many of the fan questions.

With the helpful use of graphs and bullet points, CEO Chris Roberts clarifies that LTI will apply to three different groups: Original backers who pledged before November 26, 2012; Veteran backers who pledged between November 26, 2012 and the launch of the new website; and regular ole backers who will have pledged after the new site launches.

Be sure to check out the entire post by Roberts on his website for more information.

[Thanks to Jon for the tip!]

MassivelyStar Citizen lifetime insurance clarified originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online smashes PCU record during anniversary celebrations

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Brendan Drain| Leave a comment
Sci-fi MMO EVE Online has seen phenomenal success recently, from breaking through the 500,000 subscriber boundary to successfully relaunching in China. The game officially turned ten years old today, and CCP celebrated the occasion with events and gifts for all current subcribers. The part-jovian Gnosis battlecruiser was given to every subscribed account at midnight last night and can be claimed before the end of the month, and players logging in yesterday or today will have found a whole slew of bonus gifts.

EVE smashed its previous Peak Concurrent User total during the festivities by a clear margin, replacing 2011's record of 63,170 with a new figure of 65,303 players logged in simultaneously. Part of the reason for the record was the huge number of player-run events taking place that evening, such as the ever-popular Flight of a Thousand Rifters. The event saw almost 2,500 players join together to take down player Marlona Sky's expensive supercarrier. Most of the participants were in small frigates like Rifters and ended up being easy prey when a nullsec sniper Loki fleet turned up. The event was nevertheless a massive success and huge fun for those involved. Continue reading for a gallery of screenshots from the event and video footage from player Scott Manley.

Continue reading EVE Online smashes PCU record during anniversary celebrations

MassivelyEVE Online smashes PCU record during anniversary celebrations originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online introduces a new way to raise your security status

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Elisabeth Cardy| Leave a comment

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EVE Online introduces pirate NPCs and a new way to raise your security status
EVE Online players will soon have a new method by which to raise their security status: New pirate NPCs are being added to asteroid belts in low-security space. Upon death, these pirates drop a new sort of pirate tag, which can be taken into low-sec CONCORD stations and turned in at the Security Office to raise a character's security status.

It should be noted that this is a viable method only for raising your security status up to zero. To get a positive status, you'll need to go through more traditional methods. Additionally, the tags can be traded on the market like most goods, giving players different ways to acquire them.

You can check out all the details on the dev blog.

MassivelyEVE Online introduces a new way to raise your security status originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 May 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Repopulation adds gore, stampedes, turrets, and more

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Jef Reahard| Leave a comment
The Repopulation has pretty pink plants The Repopulation's end-of-the-month progress report is here, and judging by the sheer length of the thing, April was one for the books. The new update takes a high-level view of development and it states that since the majority of The Repopulation's features are complete, the dev team is now focusing on content creation and an enjoyable new player experience.

Highlights from April's patch cycle include the new harvester system, player turrets, AI tweaks, stampedes, and gore options. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg, so be sure and read the full post for all the details.

[Thanks J.C.!]

MassivelyThe Repopulation adds gore, stampedes, turrets, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online Second Decade collector’s edition revealed

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Brendan Drain| Leave a comment

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EVE Online Second Decade collector's edition revealed
Moments ago at EVE Online's tenth anniversary Fanfest, CCP revealed plans for its Second Decade Collector's Edition box. EVE never really had a proper collector's edition, and the tenth anniversary of the game is the perfect opportunity to release one. The box will come with an awesome physical Rifter model that doubles as a USB hub, a CD of the tenth anniversary EVE symphony from this year's Fanfest, and a series of codes to redeem to cosmetic items in EVE Online and DUST 514. The box is due for release in October 2013 and on the EVE store and Amazon and can be pre-purhased right now for $149.99 (€149.99 for those in Europe).

Cosmetic upgrades for EVE include a new golden pod skin that applies permanently to one character, some new bloodline-based in-game clothing, and several collector's edition ships. Players will get a five-run blueprint copy of the tenth anniversary Gnosis battlecruiser and a re-skinned red Tash-Murkon Magnate, and pre-purchasers will get a bonus Nefnatar Thrasher. DUST 514 items include a set of permanant Amarr templar drop suits and weapons with the same stats as normal items but lower skill requirements.

Continue reading EVE Online Second Decade collector's edition revealed

MassivelyEVE Online Second Decade collector's edition revealed originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Fanfest 2013 day two: World of Darkness, Odyssey, and EVE Virtual Reality with the Oculus Rift

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Brendan Drain| Leave a comment
EVE Fanfest 2013 day two World of Darkness, Odyssey, and EVE Virtual Reality with the Oculus Rift EVE Online's tenth anniversary Fanfest promised to be its biggest yet, with over 1,400 players packed into Iceland's Harpa convention centre to find out the latest on EVE Online, DUST 514, and World of Darkness. The first day focused mainly on DUST and its link with the EVE universe, but today the focus largely switched back to internet spaceships. There were plenty of roundtable discussions, and the CSM and Alliance panels were as awesome as ever, but it was the EVE Keynote that really blew the crowd away.

The day got off to a good start with the highly anticipated World of Darkness talk. Most fans were probably expecting to see more airy game design ideas and another shiny trailer, but this year CCP just came out and put all its cards on the table. We saw that the game is still firmly in pre-production, with much of the previous work going into developing the engine and cool content creation tools and shaders. While I was initially disappointed at the lack of gameplay progress or shiny cinematics, I found this approach of being open and direct with fans very refreshing. As I told WoD art director Thomas Holt, honest beats shiny every time.

Read on for a full run-down of the EVE reveals from the second day of EVE's tenth anniversary Fanfest, including in-depth details of the Odyssey expansion's features.

Continue reading EVE Fanfest 2013 day two: World of Darkness, Odyssey, and EVE Virtual Reality with the Oculus Rift

MassivelyEVE Fanfest 2013 day two: World of Darkness, Odyssey, and EVE Virtual Reality with the Oculus Rift originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Earthrise: First Impact screenshots unveiled

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Matt Daniel| Leave a comment
Screenshot -- Earthrise: First Impact
We're sure many sci-fi sandbox fans have been looking forward to the (re)launch of Earthrise: First Impact since German studio SilentFuture took the helm in May of last year. Unfortunately, those fans are going to have to wait a bit longer before they can get their hands on the game in earnest, but in the meantime, SilentFuture has released a new bevy of screenshots to help satiate their hunger.

And we've gotta say, they look pretty darn spiffy. The screens include an arid desert outpost, mysterious ruins admist a lush, verdant jungle, and what appears to be an absurdly oversized artillery gun, amongst other things. It would certainly appear that the folks at SilentFuture have been hard at work, and although screenshots are no substitute for actual gameplay, they're still a feast for the eyes nonetheless. So how about checking them out in the gallery below?

[Source: SilentFuture press release]

Gallery: Earthrise: First Impact

MassivelyNew Earthrise: First Impact screenshots unveiled originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Name this Repopulation zone, win a $100 Kickstarter pledge

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Jef Reahard| Leave a comment
Name this Repopulation zone, win a $100 Kickstarter pledge Want to leave your mark on Above & Beyond Technologies' new Repopulation sandbox? You can via a contest that will allow players to name a newly created zone in the sci-fi game. Entries must be submitted via a forum thread or Twitter, and finalists will go into a pool of five from which the winner will be selected by a poll.

Said winner will receive a $100 Kickstarter pledge to the game or a bump if you're already an early adopter. Full details are available at The Repopulation's official site.

MassivelyName this Repopulation zone, win a $100 Kickstarter pledge originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Brendan Drain| Leave a comment
EVE Evolved title image About five years ago, on April 27th, 2008, I joined the Massively team and wrote the very first issue of the EVE Evolved column. Five years later, the column is still going strong and delivering its weekly dose of EVE Online to thousands of readers. I used to worry about running out of ideas to write about, but regular game updates and hilarious player shenanigans mean there's always something interesting going on in New Eden. When EVE hits its 10th anniversary in May, this column will have been running for just over half of the game's lifetime. In that time, I've written over 250 in-depth articles, guides, in-game stories and opinion pieces on EVE Online and a few on DUST 514.

As usual, I'll be celebrating this anniversary by rounding up this year's column highlights and giving away two 30-day Pilot's License Extensions to two lucky readers. To enter the competition, write a comment explaining which EVE Evolved articles from this year you liked best and what topics you'd like to see covered in the coming year. You will need an active EVE account to claim the prize, so be sure to include your character name in your comment if you want to be in with a chance. If you'd rather not give out your character name or don't have an EVE account but would like to give the game a go, you can sign up a new trial account and use the name of your new character.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at the highlights from the column's fifth year!

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stick and Rudder: Why Star Citizen’s development model matters

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Jef Reahard| Leave a comment

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Stick and Rudder - Why Star Citizen matters
Chris Roberts' Star Citizen crowdfunding colossus exploded onto the gaming scene late in 2012 with a chip on its shoulder and a certain can-do attitude that resonated with gamers because of its conspicuous absence over the past decade. "I am a PC game, and I am a space sim," the game's trailer defiantly proclaimed.

PC games and space sims, of course, were long past the prime of their 1990s golden years, according to most industry pundits, so how and why did Star Citizen make such a successful splash (over $8.5 million in crowdfunding as of press time, with an additional $5,000 to $10,000 gained on a daily basis)? More importantly why is the title's development model so integral to the future of gaming?

Continue reading Stick and Rudder: Why Star Citizen's development model matters

MassivelyStick and Rudder: Why Star Citizen's development model matters originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xsyon update focuses on in-game economy

Posted on April 19, 2013 by MJ Guthrie| Leave a comment
Xsyon update focuses on ingame economy Although it's been a while since the post-apocalyptic sandbox Xsyon has seen a patch, today's update looks to make up for that. With a focus on developing the in-game economy, this update introduces a number of new features, including new resources and materials, new Artisan and Master armor sets, a tribal upkeep system that offers bonuses, special trade totems, alliance and family group formation, and more.

Trade will be bolstered through the new totems; the new trade and quest versions allow tribes to place additional totems that will serve as a marketplace and quest hub. Even better, besides the ones placed in the tribe's own land, additional quest and trade totems can be placed on allied land. For more details on this and the other new systems, check out the full patch notes.

[Source: Notorious Games press release]

MassivelyXsyon update focuses on in-game economy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online collecting player stories, CSM elections halfway over

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Matt Daniel| Comments Off

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Screenshot -- EVE Online
In a lot of ways, EVE Online players are a lot like vikings. Or so CCP's new promotional video would have you believe. It draws comparisons between early Icelandic settlers carving out their place in the world to players in the galaxy of EVE Online doing much the same. It also makes the fine point that we would know nothing about the settlers of Iceland were it not for the few who took the time to write about the events of the time. The fine scholars at CCP want to preserve the history of EVE Online in a similar way, and they want players' help to do it. Internet spacefarers can go to the EVE True Stories site and submit their favorite tales, which will be voted upon by fellow players. One lucky player will even win a trip to Iceland to visit CCP's studios and take in the splendor of the country.

EVE players and politicians may also want to remember that the 8th Council of Stellar Management elections are halfway done, and voting will close on April 17th (that's today!) at 7 p.m. EST (midnight GMT). So if you want to make your voice heard, head on over to the election page and cast your ballot. Also, don't forget to check out the True Stories video after the cut.SM

Continue reading EVE Online collecting player stories, CSM elections halfway over

MassivelyEVE Online collecting player stories, CSM elections halfway over originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest Perpetuum dev blog delves into research system

Posted on April 17, 2013 by MJ Guthrie| Comments Off

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Latest Perpetuum dev blog delves into research system
At the end of last year, Avatar Creations posted a detailed dev blog outlining some of the new systems and revamps in store for Perpetuum. In today's blog update, the devs offer a progress report on the new research system. A fixed tech-tree system will replace the random lottery that's currently in place, and players can accumulate research points to unlock items within the tech tree.

As it stands, the system will have separate trees for each of the three main factions -- Pelistal, Nuimqol, and Thelodica -- as well as one for the modular colony system, one for the industrial items/robots, and one for the common stuff (although the final two might be combined).

The blog also touches on an extended combat log system that will pave the way for an achievement system. For more details on these two systems, check out the full progress report.

MassivelyLatest Perpetuum dev blog delves into research system originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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