There’s probably never been a better time to try to become a (digital) space pirate. With Eve Online going free to play with the Ascension update, CCP have also seen to it that new players are less confused and more empowered once they’re cruising through the stars. That arrives alongside tweaks and additions to alter the game forevermore.
We asked CCP why and how Eve Online is going F2P.
Not only is the new tutorial, y’know, actually a tutorial, but it includes a fully voice-acted storyline that finishes, as most things in Eve do, with a big ol’ spaceship dust up. It’s officially called Inception, and CCP – plus their community – are hoping it will bring a lot of new blood into play. It’s joined by a redesigned character sheet, also hoping to promote clarity.
On top of the new player changes, there’s quite the host of other bits and pieces:
- Command Bursts replace Warfare Links, in an attempt to make Eve’s equivalent of healing and buffing more skill-based and interesting.
- Mining gets effectively an overhaul with “dozens” of changes to ships, skills, modules, drones and other balancing, along with a total redesign of one industrial capital ship and new mining fleet disruption missions.
- Similarly, engineering complexes are introduced as an industry-based angle on the massive space stations Eve got a few months ago.
- A new destroy and a new industrial command ship, along with a balance pass on tactical destroyers.
- New Titan equipment in the form of effect generators, auras around the game’s largest ships to buff / debuff others.
- A Fitting Simulator to help you work out how your ship should function.
All that and more should be available right now. Eve’s new free-to-play form is available on the official site.