ivar
22nd August 2006, 18:53
EvE - In Testing (http://www.stk-s.com/forums/showthread.php?t=987)
In Development
Many of the ideas and feature eventually reach the development stage. If an idea (http://myeve.eve-online.com/updates/plannedfeat.asp) has reached the stage to get a development slot, it means we have assigned a game designer, programmer, artist or content developer to it. The purpose of this section is to better keep you informed on what has really been approved as something we really want to do.
Note, we have postponed and even canceled ideas that have reached this stage, so it is not a guarantee for an idea that it will reach Tranquility if you read it here. Nevertheless, reaching this stage means the Producer, Lead Programmer, Lead Game Designer or Art Director have approved of the idea, so the biggest hurdles are out of the way - you would think ;)
Actual work on creating and implementing the idea usually starts considerably after it has received the development slot. This is mainly due to a planning and design phase first and that major content patches and expansions receive most of the new features, so the work is aligned to those timeslots. Smaller improvements or features are frequently put into the more regular patches.
An idea that has gone into development can be in that stage for months or even years depending on the complexity or scope of the project, so expect some things to linger here for quite some time before they make their appearance on Tranquility. When an idea has been created and implemented, it goes into Testing (http://myeve.eve-online.com/updates/intesting.asp).
The Need For Speed 2007
A year-long initiative to further raise awareness of the three arms of EVE, Content, Software & Hardware to ensure future scalability and perfomance. Shifting the focus to improve current features rather than add new ones, optimize and improve current content and utilize technology breakthrough 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
The current Outposts are just the beginning to 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 (http://myeve.eve-online.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=253023).
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.
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
Trinity Upgrades
Upgrades to our graphics engine, Trinity, with funcitonality such as High Dynamic Range and Self Shadowing, 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
Various improvements to hacking, possibly including specialized ship, more tools and skills. Hacking is a base for previous and current tech levels, providing knowledge and skills to reverse engineer technology. Also looking into new hacking abilites such as unlocking gates or other information gathering.
Archeology Improvements
Improvements to Archeology, possibly including specialized ships for advanced usage. Ancient technology is a base for future Tech levels, providing both knowledge, skills and ingredients.
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
Evelopedia - NPE Project
The one and only official "wiki-pedia" for EVE online. Fully integrated into the EVE client and EVE websites, allowing tooltips, hints and how-to's to be linked contextually within the game.
Factional Warfare
We want the major factions to go to war and enable the players to pledge allegiance to any of these factions and fight for them, allow them to rise through the faction ranks and be awarded for their accomplishments.
EvE - The Drawingboard (http://www.stk-s.com/forums/showthread.php?t=984)
In Development
Many of the ideas and feature eventually reach the development stage. If an idea (http://myeve.eve-online.com/updates/plannedfeat.asp) has reached the stage to get a development slot, it means we have assigned a game designer, programmer, artist or content developer to it. The purpose of this section is to better keep you informed on what has really been approved as something we really want to do.
Note, we have postponed and even canceled ideas that have reached this stage, so it is not a guarantee for an idea that it will reach Tranquility if you read it here. Nevertheless, reaching this stage means the Producer, Lead Programmer, Lead Game Designer or Art Director have approved of the idea, so the biggest hurdles are out of the way - you would think ;)
Actual work on creating and implementing the idea usually starts considerably after it has received the development slot. This is mainly due to a planning and design phase first and that major content patches and expansions receive most of the new features, so the work is aligned to those timeslots. Smaller improvements or features are frequently put into the more regular patches.
An idea that has gone into development can be in that stage for months or even years depending on the complexity or scope of the project, so expect some things to linger here for quite some time before they make their appearance on Tranquility. When an idea has been created and implemented, it goes into Testing (http://myeve.eve-online.com/updates/intesting.asp).
The Need For Speed 2007
A year-long initiative to further raise awareness of the three arms of EVE, Content, Software & Hardware to ensure future scalability and perfomance. Shifting the focus to improve current features rather than add new ones, optimize and improve current content and utilize technology breakthrough 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
The current Outposts are just the beginning to 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 (http://myeve.eve-online.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=253023).
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.
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
Trinity Upgrades
Upgrades to our graphics engine, Trinity, with funcitonality such as High Dynamic Range and Self Shadowing, 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
Various improvements to hacking, possibly including specialized ship, more tools and skills. Hacking is a base for previous and current tech levels, providing knowledge and skills to reverse engineer technology. Also looking into new hacking abilites such as unlocking gates or other information gathering.
Archeology Improvements
Improvements to Archeology, possibly including specialized ships for advanced usage. Ancient technology is a base for future Tech levels, providing both knowledge, skills and ingredients.
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
http://myeve.eve-online.com/bitmaps/img/none.gif
Evelopedia - NPE Project
The one and only official "wiki-pedia" for EVE online. Fully integrated into the EVE client and EVE websites, allowing tooltips, hints and how-to's to be linked contextually within the game.
Factional Warfare
We want the major factions to go to war and enable the players to pledge allegiance to any of these factions and fight for them, allow them to rise through the faction ranks and be awarded for their accomplishments.
EvE - The Drawingboard (http://www.stk-s.com/forums/showthread.php?t=984)