Tag: CCP

Eve Online and DUST514 Hit By DDoS Attack


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CCP has taken down the Tranquility server cluster after a sustained denial of service attack early this morning GMT time. CCP’s task force was mobilized and suggested keeping the servers offline for further investigation. As of this writing, the Tranquility servers are still offline.

While we initially reopened EVE Online and DUST 514, we have since re-evaluated. With the highest sense of precaution we have taken Tranquility and associated websites back down for further investigation and an exhaustive scan of our entire infrastructure. We will update you more frequently via our Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/eveonline), however, an extended service interruption of several hours is expected as this process should not be rushed.

For up to the minute updates on Eve Online and DUST514’s server status, follow Eve Online on Facebook or Twitter.

Eve Online Could Be Receiving Steam Workshop Treatment


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This Eve image is still current, right? I’m sure someone will tell me if it isn’t. Rejoice, netizens, for Eve Online is on Steam! What’s that? Eve Online has been for sale on Steam for longer than MMO Fallout has existed? Oh. Well, starting today (if today is May 30th), you will be able to purchase Eve Online subscriptions as well as PLEX through Steam itself, rather than through CCP’s billing system. The program to allow subscriptions directly through Steam was launched alongside Darkfall: Unholy Wars.

Enough about that, though. According to CCP, the developer is looking further into Steam integration, including the Community Hub and even Steam Workshop, a hub where players can create and submit their own custom content for various supported titles.

“Other aspects of Steam we are potentially very interested in are the Community Hub and Steam Workshop. Our community team has already started looking into the possibilities here, and we would love to hear your feedback on this as well.”

No clue on what players would be able to create via Workshop, and hopefully more details will be coming in the next few months. It is worth noting that the new subscription plan does not extend to existing accounts at the moment.

(Source: PC Games N)

World of Darkness: A Long Way Out


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One of the downsides of MMOs lies in their very long development times, and it can be easy to forget just how far out certain games are when the developer is already talking about them. Take World of Darkness as a prime example, coming from CCP and set in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade. The more we hear about the upcoming sandbox MMO, the better it sounds. player-driven stories, permanent death, and more.

On the other hand, it will be a few more years until we get our hands on World of Darkness. At least two, likely more. The game is still in the stages of pre-production, and the team is unwilling to offer much in the way of deep gameplay videos. Luckily, though, the team has about seventy people working hard on getting systems in place, and restructuring Eve Online’s technology to work in a faster, more action oriented setting.

So keep those mouths puckered, World of Darkness will be ready for you to want to suck their blood before you can say vampire. In every language on earth, past, present, and future.

(Source: Penny Arcade)

CCP Expanding DUST 514 With Uprising


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CCP’s shooter DUST 514 is currently in open beta, although the game is technically operating in a live environment and has been officially attached to the main Eve Online universe. CCP continues to expand the ability of players on both games to interact with the world on a massive scale. Along with the regular course of updates, CCP has announced Uprising, an upcoming expansion to DUST that focuses on several core features of the console shooter. Uprising brings with it a graphical upgrade, as well as new weapons and equipment. Player corporations can take over territory and planetary districts, all of them existing in the Eve Online universe.

“We reached a momentous milestone in January when DUST 514 and EVE Online became one and formed the largest single-shard MMO universe in the world,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP.  “Now our teams will continue to lay down more tracks between EVE Online and DUST 514 which will then be galvanized by our players every step of the way, inspiring us to go ever further.Uprising brings new features to drive meaningful human interaction, beautiful new visuals to astound, and increased ease of use, an important step in the journey.”

There are plenty more updates coming to DUST as it continues its open beta period.

(Source: CCP Press Release)

Eve Online: Odyssey Coming June 4th


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When it comes to MMOs, you don’t get much more massive than Eve Online. Launched ten years ago, CCP has grown its hardcore sci-fi title with over five hundred thousand subscribers battling for control over nearly eight thousand solar systems. As part of its service, Eve Online has consistently been the target of numerous free expansion packs, each bringing with it major changes to the game’s structure. Coming June 4th, CCP will be releasing the nineteenth free expansion to Eve Online, titled Odyssey, bringing with it a whole host of updates.

Players will enjoy a brand new scanning system, rewarding exploration all over the universe. Resource distribution and ship balancing will also be tweaked with Odyssey, along with graphical updates and the introduction of new ships and starbase improvements, not to mention a revamped and more user-friendly interface.

“Odyssey is an expression of our love for space and exploration,” said Andie Nordgren, Senior Producer, EVE Online. “It brings changes that will wake the wanderlust and taste for adventure in both new and veteran pilots.”

More information will be revealed at the sold-out Eve Fanfest.

(Source: CCP press release)

Eve Online Introduces Official Dueling Mechanic


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The Eve Online community will never cease to amaze me in its creativity. For a while now Eve Online players have enjoyed an unofficial dueling system via a rather awkward system called “can-flipping.” One player would steal a single unit of ammunition from another player’s jet-can, the player would be flagged and could legally be attacked by player #2, allowing for something of a dueling system to exist in the relative safety of high security space. As the mechanic caught on, players have used it to set up entire tournaments and king-of-the-hill contests. So why implement an official feature when the emergent version has been so readily available?

Well, Eve Online launched Retribution, and chief among the changes to the manner in which players interact is that stealing from a player now flags the thief as legal to attack by anyone, not just the person they stole from. Thus, the unofficial dueling system was rendered broken (or at the very least unsafe). With the upcoming Retribution 1.1 patch, it will now be easy as pie to challenge another player. Simply send them a challenge in high security space, and CONCORD will step back and give the two of you five minutes to blast each other into space dust.

Just a warning to those thinking of joining in from the sidelines: Outside players are able to interact with the combatants just as they would normally, interfering with a limited-engagement via remote-assistance will flag the assistor as a global target).

(Source: Eve Online)

DUST 514 Coming Into Open Beta Next Week


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Good news, fans of console first person shooters that are also linked via the same servers to PC science fiction MMOs. The days of DUST 514 character resets are over, as of January 22nd the MMOFPS will officially head into open beta and full character development will commence. CCP had already combined both servers last week allowing the two communities to begin commingling. As part of the update process, DUST players are able to become part of Eve Online corporations, and vice versa. DUST mercenaries are able to take on contracts by Eve Online players with the goal of attacking or defending territory on planets based in Eve Online’s universe.

Players who take part in a match before the big day will receive 100,000 skill points.

(Source: Destructoid)

Eve Online Makes Accidental Crime More Difficult


Don’t you hate it when all you’re trying to do is navigate a crowded system, and all of a sudden you fire on an unsuspecting player? And then your keyboard and mouse inexplicably lock up, and you continue firing until the combination of NPC protection and players gun you down, destroy your pod, and come over to your house to crap in your cereal. Luckily, CCP is here with the new system safety system. With the upcoming update, players will be able to set themselves to one of three modes: enable, partial, and disabled safety.

On enabled safety, you won’t be able to do anything that is against the law. Think of it as Paladin mode. On partial safety, you will be able to perform actions that raise you into “suspect” status, but not criminal. Disabled safety is free reign to do whatever you want. The option is only for player convenience, although there will surely be some heated discussion over the update.

(Source: Eve Online Website)

Eve Online's PvP Has Stagnated, Says CCP


As we learned from Stephen Calendar many months ago, the MMO industry is one of test and react. So it stands that over the years, not every change or new feature to a game will be openly accepted by the community, or for that matter updates that are intended to improve gameplay may not always do so. In the case of Eve Online, the updates revolve around factional warfare changes implemented in the recent Inferno expansion. The goal of Inferno was to shake up the way that all players, new and experienced, fight.

Unfortunately, as CCP points out in their dev blog, this didn’t go as planned. Instead of focusing on content, players have been distracted by farming and cashing out alternative points, and a number of factors have come together and caused an inflation in the market. In order to alleviate player concerns, CCP is ready to implement a patch tomorrow that will take the focus off of farming LP and more on to the actual fights themselves.

You can find more in-depth patch notes at the link below.

(Source: Eve Online)

Eve Online’s PvP Has Stagnated, Says CCP


As we learned from Stephen Calendar many months ago, the MMO industry is one of test and react. So it stands that over the years, not every change or new feature to a game will be openly accepted by the community, or for that matter updates that are intended to improve gameplay may not always do so. In the case of Eve Online, the updates revolve around factional warfare changes implemented in the recent Inferno expansion. The goal of Inferno was to shake up the way that all players, new and experienced, fight.

Unfortunately, as CCP points out in their dev blog, this didn’t go as planned. Instead of focusing on content, players have been distracted by farming and cashing out alternative points, and a number of factors have come together and caused an inflation in the market. In order to alleviate player concerns, CCP is ready to implement a patch tomorrow that will take the focus off of farming LP and more on to the actual fights themselves.

You can find more in-depth patch notes at the link below.

(Source: Eve Online)