EVE: Online

EVE: Online is an immersive, breathtaking journey amidst the stars...

Everyone out there in Internetland has probably heard of the popular MMO, EVE: Online. It is a game based in space, where you can do pretty much anything you want.

Sounds tempting already, doesn't it? What if I were to tell you that the in-game economy was completely player controlled? In fact, the EVE economy works so well that actual economists have studied it. Does that trip your trigger at all?

No? Well, what about if I told you that you can take part in epic fleet battles consisting of thousands of players? That should get some blood flowing! If not, well, then EVE PvP (Player vs. Player) may not be for you. For those of you turned off by the thought of PvP, there is always the PvE (Player vs. Environment) side of the game. Either way, keep on reading to learn more about the game.

A small frigate in combat with an NPC

Capsuleers (the players, also known as pilots) can run missions for various agents in the game, in several different fields. It all depends on what kind of things the pilot likes to do. There are Security missions; for those who like to shoot and destroy NPC ships, Distribution missions; for the budding industrialist; and Mining missions, for those rare people who enjoy staring at asteroids for long periods of time. You don't have to do just one kind of mission either, you can mix and match as you please. On top of that, if you run enough missions for a certain corporation, you will gain access to higher level missions. While these increase the risk of the missions, it also increases the potential payout.

Unique to EVE universe is the fact that it is a single-shard universe. If you don't quite get what that means, think of it this way. In some other, not to be named, MMORPG games, there are individual shards (servers) that you can log onto to play with only people on that shard of the universe. EVE is unique in the fact that everyone logs into the same server, so you can play with anyone, no matter where they are in the world.

On top of that, the 'leveling' system is quite unique as well. Instead of having to constantly grind through missions to level up your items, you can passively train skills. You do this by adding skills to your skill queue and they start training, even if you aren't logged in. As long as you have a sufficient skill queue, you will continue to train, no matter how long you are offline. This means that even if you are only able to get online every few days, you can still train just as effectively as someone who is on everyday.

Mining Ice in a Fleet

This on its own allows you as a player to have a life outside of the game. I know it is a common stereotype for players of MMOs to not have any life outside of their games. More often than not, this is caused by having to grind missions to level up, and a persistent skill queue eliminates this need, though you still can grind if you want to.

One of the things that many people complain about in the game is lag. Any game that is played over an internet connection will have lag of some sort. It's inevitable. I've never personally encountered much lag, except for when I use my crappy old laptop, so that really doesn't count a whole lot.That being said, it is definitely is something to keep an eye out for.

Within the game itself, you can join player run corporations (guilds, clans, etc.) so you have a group of people who have your back and have similar playstyles. You don't necessarily need to join a player corp, there are NPC-corps available to join, but most of the people join a player run one. There are even roleplaying corps, which lend credence to the varied backstory and canon of the EVE universe. One such back story is the Empyrean Age book I reviewed a while back. And with the addition of the PS3 exclusive title, Dust 514, soon Capsuleers will be able to interact with mercenaries planetside, adding a whole new dimension to the game.

In addition to the corporations, there are also alliances. Alliances are made up of any number of smaller corporations and can often have a very large number of pilots in them. Being part of an alliance is just as beneficial if not more than being in a corp alone. Alliances have the ability to control large portions of space and are often much better equipped to help out someone who needs assistance.

As with any multiplayer game, there are going to players that are just not that nice to others. They can show up in the form of a pirate, attacking you without provocation in an asteroid belt, scam artists cheating pilots out of their precious earned ISK (Interstellar Credit, the main in-game currency), or even a spy, infiltrating your corporation to steal your corp assets. All of these are things that can happen in game, and are completely legal.

On the other side of the coin are those pilots that will help you out with advice, money or even ships. Most aren't as generous, but there are a few rare gems out there. A lot of them are in player owned corporations and will more than gladly help out new players. So, pilots in EVE are really like many of the people who you may meet on a daily basis, they come from all over and are from all walks of life, both in game and in real life.

9½ stars for EVE: Online

Example of MMO learning curves

I have decided to give EVE 9½ stars. The main reason for the half star loss is the steep learning curve for the game. I personally have played for 3 years and I still don't know a lot of things about the game. This is why it is helpful to join a corp, because the members can help you with any questions. I was lucky enough to get into a corp that was able to help me on my feet and get me set in the right direction for what I wanted to do.

The other reason that EVE loses a half star is the actual cost of the game. It is about $15 a month, though you can save money by buying more months at a time, and you can even use in-game money to pay for your gametime. Doing this, it is actually possible for you to play for free. If you would like to try the game out for yourself, you can get a 3-week trial account here, or you can get the regular 2-week trial here. Either way, the game is worth a look.

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