The Need For Speed 2007
A year-long initiative to engineer further optimizations throughout the three arms of EVE – Content, Software, and Hardware – to ensure future scalability and performance. We’re shifting the focus towards improving current features rather than add new ones, optimizing and improving current content, and utilizing technology breakthroughs in software and hardware.
Overhauling, Optimizing and Improving NPC Content
This involves decreasing the number of NPCs by a factor of around ten, and making the remaining vessels more challenging, more intelligent and less predictable, as well as utilizing new functionality such as triggers and events, decreasing the number of structures, and optimizing environments. This should ensure a better, smoother and more engaging NPC experience.
World-Shaping to Reduce Traffic Congestion
As the EVE universe grows, local governments and empires constantly try to better control traffic congestion throughout their space. Careful movement of agents and the addition of new jump routes are being planned, as is allowing Interbus to provide intra-constellation courier services for swift delivery of market purchases (for a small fee, of course). Leading environmental scientists have also predicted that unchecked population and rampant industrial activity will totally deplete mineral resources in some systems in the near future – but the Empires are, of course, too busy planning wars to worry about environmental concerns.
Core Technology Improvements
Various technical upgrades to the technology underpinning the EVE client, with the aim of increasing performance.
Upgradeable Outposts & Destructible Components
The current Outposts are just the first step towards world domination. They should be upgradeable, both internally (services etc.) and externally (defenses). On the flip side, individual modules on both Outposts and Conquerable Stations will become vulnerable to surgical strikes – attackers will be able to damage or destroy the relevant station areas, selectively disabling key services until the owners repair or replace the necessary hardware.
Starbases Revisited
This is a total revisit of Starbase functionality, introducing more intermediate goals up until the full conquering or destruction of that Starbase. Ideas in development are defenses on the outside of the main control shield, inside external shield generators or individual structures having shield and armor themselves. More granularity in Starbase combat (rather than simply alive/reinforced/dead), better control over Starbases in combat, improvements to sovereignty, additional structures and other exciting doo-dads.
Improved Sovereignty
Again, more granularity, but for sovereignty: multiple levels of system ownership, with increasingly powerful effects as you invest more resources into claiming individual systems.
Constellation Sovereignty
The next step on the road to world domination. Expected to unlock a range of new options for alliances, which may (or may not) include gate controls, sentry guns and other similar toys.
Heat!
“All power to guns” and other such clichés will no doubt be coming soon to a channel near you as this new tactical feature is phased into the game. Push your ship to its limits – and beyond! (Guaranteed free of celebrity gossip.)
Corporation and Alliance Upgrades
The corp is mother, the corp is father. Which probably makes the Alliance your grandparents, or something... Both are booked in for their regular check-up and upgrade, so expect further welcome improvements in this area. Check out this link for some of the ideas we’re looking into.
Blob-Slaying Tools
Do you hate blobs? We hate blobs. We’re working on some cool ways of countering them. We think they’re good. We think you might too. Also, there may be explosions.
Victory Conditions, Intermediate Goals & Objectives
This is required for Factional Warfare, and may also be implemented for player Corporations and Alliances – this could open up a big can of worms, but it should be doable. War declarations should include some predefined long-term goals, with intermediate- and short-term goals also acting as milestones towards eventual victory. This is to encourage the formation of smaller fleets and allow them to make a significant impact in large scale warfare. If we pull this off, there will be much imbibing of alcoholic beverages.
Ranks & Medals
Another requirement for Factional Warfare, these should also be assignable by player Corporations or Alliances to organize and reward their members.
Rookie - A COSMOS & NPE Project
A number of COSMOS constellations in Empire which focus on the first steps of a pilot’s career, preparing them for the wonder and mystery of the open-ended EVE universe. This is not your grandpa’s tutorial system.
Tactical and Strategic Starbase Structures
A range of new Starbase structured designed to grease the wheels of your war machine. Twinned Jump Arrays (similar to a Jump Bridge, and used for rapid redeployment of strategic assets of the “pew pew” variety), Scanning Arrays (gives you a better picture of what’s going in the system), Cynosural Generators (allows you to rapidly recall your capitals to certain systems without needing a mobile generator at the destination) and Cynosural Jammers (to suppress the formation of cynosural fields within certain volumes) may all be making an appearance.
Trinity Upgrades
Upgrades to our graphics engine, Trinity, with functionality such as High Dynamic Range lighting (HDR), Self Shadowing (SS), and Boosted “Shiny” Quotient (BSQ). (CCP will not accept responsibility for any hardware damaged or destroyed due to excess dribble.)
Station, Starbase, Stargate and Environmental Object Renovation
We're renovating all our in-game models to utilize the upgrades to Trinity (our graphics engine), which are being rolled out as part of Revelations.
Walking In Stations
“Get up, get on up…” Obviously James Brown wasn’t talking specifically about EVE, but he had the right idea. Get up, get out of your pod and take a walk on the wild side, strolling around through stations, dropping by the bar for a few drinks with your wingmen and then heading over to your corporation’s office for a board meeting. Of course, you’ll never have to leave the safety of your capsule if you don’t want to, but if you crave a little more social interaction, this feature is for you.
Hacking Improvements
A collection of improvements to hacking, possibly including specialized ships, more tools and more skills. Hacking is a base for previous and current tech levels, providing knowledge and skills to invent technology. We’re also looking at new ways to use Hacking, such as unlocking gates or gathering information.
Archeology Improvements
Improvements to Archaeology, maybe including specialized ships for advanced functionality. Ancient technology is a base for future tech levels, and archaeology will be involved in obtaining the necessary knowledge, skills and ingredients.
Evelopedia - NPE Project
The official wiki-based brand-generic reference source for EVE online! Fully integrated into the EVE client and EVE websites, this will allowing tooltips, hints and guides to be linked contextually within the game.
Factional Warfare
Battles! Explosions! Forum warfare! The Empires are marching towards war, and capsuleers will play a critical role in the coming conflict. Pledge allegiance to one (or more?) of these factions, fight for their cause and rise through the ranks, scooping up some well-deserved rewards along the way.