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EVE Online: Q&A With Nathan Richardsson

DanaDana Member Posts: 2,415

Nathan Richardsson, and to a lesser extent Magnus Bergsson, have taken the time to answer fifteen questions from our own Richard Duffek. The Producer of EVE Online went into great depth, above and beyond the questions, to provide you with complete answers. We appreciate it as always. Read on!

image MMORPG.com: I’ve heard EVE referred to as “One of the best games ever that no one has heard of.” The ratings and reviews you guys get definitely would seem to indicate the truth in this statement. Why do you think that EVE is such a well liked game yet doesn’t the numbers of some more well known games?

Nathan Richardsson: The community number one, two and three. We’re not only making a game for ourselves to enjoy but also for the like-minded people out there that enjoy a “Strategic-PvP-space-universe-MMO-economic-player-run-game” (That’s the express description of EVE, good for Starbucks and bars)

We spend considerable time with the community, in focus groups, on test servers and in our large volunteer network so the feedback has so many avenues to flow that good ideas spread fast. This feedback cycle has a tremendous effect on what we add to EVE .

EVE doesn’t appeal to everyone and that can clearly be seen in the numbers, we didn’t expect it to either. Those that do like EVE, however seem to love it (like us!) and our steady increase of players since launch is a prove of that. There are still many that haven’t tried EVE and we’re kind of envious that they have such a huge universe left to discover :)

In any case, we’ll be happy bunnies when we hit 100.000 players. Remember, we’re from Iceland, everything so far has been a blast and an awesome journey that is still just in its infancy! (Not to mention the dynamics of 100.000 players interacting within a single shard universe!). We are closing in on our target, but today we have a little less that 60.000 subscribers.

You can read the full Q&A here.

Dana Massey
Formerly of MMORPG.com
Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios

Comments

  • ZykeZyke Member Posts: 335
    Sounds very promising. I used to play Eve for about 6 months and liked it, but I ran out of things to do mostly and it seemed to lack meaningful PvP. I quit a month or so after Exodus, and while the ideas were good, they weren't really fully in yet. It seems they are now, and that they plan to really build on them. Might check it out again.
  • KurirKurir Member UncommonPosts: 244

    I played Eve for almost two years and one big issue with my having left was CCP's insistance on keeping everyone on the same server. I acknowledge the validity of the PvP game style but CCP sells this game short by not offering a PVE alternative server, as it was those that just wanted to participate in the games community and experience the vast playing area that this game offered could only do so if they were willing to subject themselves to almost a limitless variety of griefing opportunities by other players whose sole enjoyment seemed to come from being able to take something away from another player.

    So if you enjoy playing countless hours to aquire that first battleship and the first time you venture out into a 0.0 security area you loose that ship to an element that could care less about your time investment, then Eve Online is for you. Believe me CCP doesn't give a rip about that since they are content to gather a trickle of new subscriptions rather then offer a game that could appeal to a wider audience by simply introducing a game wide PVE alternative.

  • badirontreebadirontree Member UncommonPosts: 42

    BEST Q&A for long time...

    but come on mmorpg.com
    the photos are over a year old
    Since Exodus the graphics have change like 40-50%
    the photos are ***** :P

    exodus did what the name say...
    from 4-5 big alliences now we have over 20

    2 of the bigest ever died from the exodus of new people...

    i was an ex-carevear.... now i am a P. O .S. spesialist
    (Moon Bases not the common p.o.s. lol)::::14::


    the last update Allience map (player made but supported by CCP)http://www.slackerindustries.net/map/alliancemap.jpg

  • DanaDana Member Posts: 2,415

    The screenshots were the most recent in our gallery, and nothing was sent with the Q&A. As I do not personally play this title, I had no way to take new ones.

    If anyone who plays this game wants to see new screenshots in our gallery, feel free to email them to lepidus AT mmorpg.com and I will put them into the gallery.

    Dana Massey
    Formerly of MMORPG.com
    Currently Lead Designer for Bit Trap Studios

  • KidjelKidjel Member Posts: 14

    I've been playing EVE since early beta 1Q 2003... Great game that gets better and better with age. Lots of good stuff covered in this Q&A. CCP should promote EVE more in the US tho... And whatever happened to the Jove?

  • badirontreebadirontree Member UncommonPosts: 42

    jove is after kali with the planetarium landing expasion

  • ArchaArcha Member Posts: 32



    Originally posted by Kurir

    I played Eve for almost two years and one big issue with my having left was CCP's insistance on keeping everyone on the same server. I acknowledge the validity of the PvP game style but CCP sells this game short by not offering a PVE alternative server, as it was those that just wanted to participate in the games community and experience the vast playing area that this game offered could only do so if they were willing to subject themselves to almost a limitless variety of griefing opportunities by other players whose sole enjoyment seemed to come from being able to take something away from another player.
    So if you enjoy playing countless hours to aquire that first battleship and the first time you venture out into a 0.0 security area you loose that ship to an element that could care less about your time investment, then Eve Online is for you. Believe me CCP doesn't give a rip about that since they are content to gather a trickle of new subscriptions rather then offer a game that could appeal to a wider audience by simply introducing a game wide PVE alternative.


     

    I guess most people don't see how the important the pvp aspect is in this game.
    A pve server only would mean: you start mining. and you keep mining. and you keep mining. Until you are able to buy yourself a blueprint. Then you start mining again. and you keep mining. and you then build your battleship. You start mining again buy the weapons given by the npc's. After a few months the entire market would be spoiled with minerals because everybody is providing minerals. but nobody is losing anything. So minerals keep getting cheaper and therefore all the weapons and ships build keep getting cheaper. So within a few months everybody is flying the best ships. There will be no reasons to form alliances because defending an area is not necessairy as there will be no pirates.

    PVE server will become a very very boring server. And it will get worse. when all the miners move to the pve server. there will be no more targets for the pirates. prices will rise so badly on the pvp server that only the richest can afford stuff. so alot of people will go broke. and quit.

    New players wont come to the pvp server because they won't have a chance against the fierce competition.

    Because eve has a player owned market but when you remove a vital element of the game. all the pve players. disaster will hit.

    Anyway, the article was a fun read. And it shows that 15 questions are way to little for a game that already has created such a huge virtual world. that with even 10 times the questions you wont be able to describe how unique and great this game has become.

    the devs from eve are very experienced and gifted. They are able to balance a mmorpg bigger and more complex than any other mmorpg out there.
    This game is closer to creating a player owned world then any other game out there.

    Check it out. there are 14 day free trials.

     

  • badirontreebadirontree Member UncommonPosts: 42

    ^^^^^

    totaly agree :)
    ::::08::

  • mango2mango2 Member Posts: 10

    Great stuff! 

    Think these changes will affect the EVE universe tremendously - That is one of the reasons i play so much, always something new to do and no frek....g leveling grind as in almost all other mmorg´s.

    Been playing for over a year now and got into an alliance about 4 months ago, totally changed the game for me.  So anyone that has been playing for a long time, get into an alliance corp. if you enjoy hardcore PVP.

    Those that haven´t checked out the game, then you owe yourself to at least see what all the buzz is about.  Stay with the game for about a month and you will realize how spectacular it is.

    image

  • IFamiINIeIFamiINIe Member Posts: 13

    All I know is EVE is beyond any MMO on the market. Guess that's why I play it eh? Like the staff always says, they keep in touch with the community other than ignoring us like snobs. Even if this game sucked. I will still play it because the owner has the time to say "Thank You".

    -Famine Aligher'ri of the Aligher'ri

  • KurirKurir Member UncommonPosts: 244
    As I previosly stated I gave Eve almost two years and played probably more than I should have, I left when my concerns and desires weren't being fulfilled. I'm a PVE player at heart and always will be and this game isn't for you if you are as well. Consequently CCP is no longer getting any subscription fees from me and won't so long as they ignore that aspect of gaming. I still admire the game for its scope and features and hope that one day someone will design a game as well with the PVE player able to enjoy it as much as the PvP player does, I'm just sorry Eve Online didn't meet that mark.
  • IFamiINIeIFamiINIe Member Posts: 13

    Yes if only the world we lived in had no crime. It wouldn't be as realistic. To bad more games dont involve more realistic pvp into there games. Maybe just maybe it would be that much closer to touching EVE.

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