Blamblog - Brett Lamb's Blog

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

A MMORPG 4 ME

[ above ] My Tormentor-class frigate mining an asteroid.

Thanks to Christie's recommendation, I've been playing EVE Online for a few weeks. After the disappointment of Second Life, finally ... a MMORPG I can enjoy. And it's familiar territory; EVE is an updated, reworked version of the classic Homeworld. In my galactic neighbourhood, Homeworld's DNA is still visible at every turn.

The game is simple enough: you fly around space earning cash and skills so you can get larger and more powerful ships that allow you to tread in some of the dodgier spots in the galaxy without getting completely blown to bits. The Tormentor frigate pictured was my first, cheap frigate ... we got through a few tough scrapes together. I've traded up to a destroyer and I'm getting ready to take on more difficult adversaries.

Remember my complaints about Second Life? Here are two quick things (of many) EVE does to address them:

1) In Second Life, the emphasis on the market made the place seem ... and look ... like a fascist shopping mall during a recession. In EVE, even with a big wad you have to develop skills to get the good stuff. Not making the economy the dominant value system creates a more balanced and enjoyable game.

2) EVE doesn't rely on 2nd Life's 'tyranny of manners' to maintain order. Instead, solar systems having varying levels of security enforced by an in-game police force (called 'Concord' ... they act like the agents in The Matrix). If you want to hang out and do some easy mining, you stick to the well-patrolled systems, if you want the Wild West, you can head for systems with little or no security. But to keep things interesting, even Concord ships can be brought down with enough firepower ... a lot of firepower. And not without complicating your life.

EVE works because they took care to structure the game in a way that's balanced and provides learning curves and experiences for every level of player. The creators of Second Life should take notes ...

If you decide to join the game or take out a trial account, my character is Jang Skutter and right now I'm splitting my time between the Sehmy system and Kor-Azor Prime ... although I've been spreading out to other systems recently. Look me up!

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