EVE-Mag.com

Quantum Rise or Falling?

Published on 22. Nov, 2008 ... written by ShardowRhino, Tags: Articles, Columns

by ShardowRhino … The latest “expansion” for EVE, Quantum Rise, is here. At least I think it’s here. With it came the typical flood of threads questioning the various changes presented in the latest patch … I mean “expansion”. Unfortunately I have to agree for the most part with those suggesting the expansion was nothing more than a massive patch as there were few additions to the game. The problem is the word “expansion” is used normally in association with new areas to explore, new weapons to use and new types of targets to use them on. In the case of Eve, the laundry list of additions within an expansion should read as such:

New
• Ships of varying classes.
• Ship classes
• Weapons for each race and ship class
• POS additions
• Skills
• Types of ammo
• Asteroids
• Invention possibilities
• Rats
• Missions
• Exploration sites
• Faction Warfare content

Unfortunately the patch notes, which will make most human’s eyes bleed, has very little of the above. Instead we have a swarm of fixes. Fixes are great, as a former Planetside player, a game run by the notorious Sony Online, it is impossible for me to suggest that fixes are not appreciated. For years Sony took the money of the subscribers and did absolutely nothing with it and to be honest most of us believe the revenue was being diverted to fund projects in Everquest 2. Fortunately we don’t have such to worry about when it comes to CCP and EVE. Instead the problem is CCP misleading the playerbase by using the word “expansion” when there is very little to justify the use of the word.

As a patch QR is a bloody success and nothing short of such. The amount of fixes listed boggles the mind. But what is Quantum Rise when viewed as an expansion? To be fair to CCP, we must take QR apart and examine the individual parts and that is the intention of this article.

Industry based Ships

The Orca

What did Quantum Rise deliver in the ways of Midas, the codename for an Industrial based expansion? The 250,000,000 kilogram whale in the room would be the Orca. Carebears and macrominers have a reason to rejoice as it means the end of can-flipping. Now empire based corps can have a taste of what their 0.0 counter parts have been able to enjoy with the Rorqual. With the Orca’s bonuses to tractor beams, large corp cargo bay and Mining gang link modifiers; mining corps will have a lot to love about the sub-capital ship. These industrial minded players will soon see their productivity and security increase making the Orca a worthwhile investment for any serious mining corp.

But is there much of a reason for the rest of us to even bother looking the Orca’s direction? Some are interested in the Orca’s ability to transport rigged ships, which is a good thing if you’re unlike me and buy the expensive stuff. Some continue along the lines of the Orca serving as a smaller freighter. Meanwhile those lurking within Empire space looking to remind even the fuzziest of carebears that pvp can find them in even the most well lit of 1.0 systems will be looking to use the Orca as a carrier of sorts, making good use of its ability to refit and transport ships and large amounts of supplies. Those looking at the Orca as a makeshift Carrier are thinking along the same lines as myself. The way I see the Orca is all of the above but even more. I see the Orca ushering in a new line of combat ships filling out the “sub-capital” class.

Of course the idea of a sub-capital, gate using combat ship may cause some players’ skin to crawl, others will be able to see how it may change the game. First the question of “what would a sub capital combat ship look like, what will it do?” must be asked. The most obvious answers would be a mini Dread or Carrier. What would they do? The Minis would allow fleets in 0.0 a chance to bring capital class support to the battles within Cyno-jammer protected systems. The Minis would also allow Empire corps to assault a POS with greater firepower then a group of Battleships. Considering Invention and Alchemy will continue to increase in popularity, moons in Empire may soon become hotly contested in the future.

Of course the idea of mini Dreads and Carriers is the easiest route to go. I hope CCP would find something a bit more interesting, perhaps a mini dread and carrier hybrid. Either way, the Orca makes this a possibility. But until CCP decides to go for it the Orca is bound to be used as an empire based carrier just as often as an aid to miners. Regardless of what your personal opinion of the Orca is, it may very well be the birth of a new class of ships that could change how many battles are fought. This without a doubt makes the Orca “expansion” material.

Blockade Runners

The modification to the Blockade Runners line of Transport ships is bound to be a dream come true for many low-sec and 0.0 merchants. Not everyone in 0.0 has the means to jump in vast amounts of gear, ships and weapons with a capital ship. Nor do they have means to sell off loot and minerals that would fetch better prices in the trade hubs then in their own backyard. The revamped Blockade Runners will help remedy such problems.

From my experience in 0.0, the movement of goods was restrictive and risky. There is nothing like making a 10 system run through hostile infested territory with a cargo hold full of goods that took days to acquire. Within weeks, 0.0 PVPers will feel the effects of the improved Blockade Runners. The cost of fitting replacement ships will begin to drop as competition on the local markets begins to increase. The selection of goods will also increase as Merchants look to fill in the gaps of the market place and their wallets at the same time.

While the Blockade Runner change will have a positive impact on pvping in lowsec and 0.0 it may also have a negative effect. The negative effect is debatable, however. Gate campers may see a decline in the number of industrials caught and destroyed, resulting in fewer loot filled wrecks. While the change will reduce the number of easy catches, campers and industrialists alike must remember that the Blockade Runners are not a guarantee to slip through gate camps unharmed. Nor is it a guarantee that hostiles will no longer be able to profit off of sloppy security. Those eyeing the Blockade Runner change with suspicion might take comfort in the idea that a cloak may lead to some players hauling even greater riches then before due to the security a cloak affords them. The paydays may become fewer but the payoffs will likely be far more rewarding in the end.

DeepSpace Transports

Unfortunately the Deep space transports such as the Bustard have little in the way of change. The +2 warp strength, while appreciated, seems lacking when compared to the Blockade Runner modification. The +2 bonus will allow a DST to allot more low slots to cargo expanders instead of warpstabs for security. The change is not enough to turn the world of DSTs upside down but it definitely makes justifying the purchase of one a bit easier. All in all it is a solid change that is unlikely to rock the boat but provides additional value to the ship class itself. But in the post HIC age +2 warp strength can end up meaning nothing.

Mining Barges

The rest of the industrial leaning ships got little in the way of change. The Mac got a slight buff to help it compete with the Hulk. While the Hulk should have always been king of asteroid munching, it should have never rivaled the Mac when it came to mining ice. This, along with the addition of missing text on the Skiff’s description makes these changes nothing more than patchwork as opposed to stepping up the Industrial game of EVE.

What the Rhino would have wanted to see …

Mini Freighters, CCP could have easily created 2 new freighters, both smaller than the standard. By reducing the capacity by 1/3rd and increasing the speed by an equal amount, CCP could have created the Medium Freighter. By following the same rules but applied against the size and speed of the Medium Freighter, we could have the Light Freighter. The Medium Freighter would cost 33% less than the traditional freighter while the Light Freighter would cost 66% less. These new Freighters would have allowed newer Industrialist to enter the logistics aspect of the game without having to save a billion isk first. Three hundred million isk would serve as the entry point with the possibility to step up towards the capacity of the Medium Freighter at Six-hundred Million isk. This would allow Industrialists to gradually increase their ability. Something I would believe the Midas project would have had a desire for.

This possible expansion of the freighter class of ships could have increased the number of players capable of moving large sums of goods, they or their corps produced or even from the trade hubs. These goods could have been moved to systems with under developed markets. I myself recall many missed opportunities to make a profit due to the high price of a freighter and space limitations of a Bustard. Unfortunately the time that would have been required to move enough goods would have destroyed the profitability. Doing L4s would have required the same amount of effort but with a bigger pay off, unless I had a freighter. Reducing the initial investment to enter the logistics aspect of EVE would allow younger Industrialists to tap into these potential sources of isk that would have otherwise remained unprofitable using a transport ship.

Speaking of missed opportunities, it is this missed opportunity for CCP to deliver such ships that force me to see this aspect of the patch as “sub par”. The changes to the Transport ships will breathe new life into some areas and open up doors for their pilots. However the Orca and the idea of “Midas” should have assured the Industrial player base a new line of freighters. While some will use the Orca as a mid-sized freighter it will still come up short one way or another be it capacity or price due to supply and demand(remember the Orca is being eyed as a mining ship, Empire Carrier and a Medium Freighter). I still hope for mini freighters in a coming expansion but CCP didn’t do the concept of “Midas” justice by ignoring such an obvious gap in the industrial game!

Invention and Manufacturing

What else did the industrial players receive in this “expansion”? Did they receive new ways to produce goods or even more efficient means of invention? Why am I even putting Invention and Production into the same category? T1 production is similar to flying T1 ships or using T1 gear as they simply require the standard skills. Invention, much like T2 ships and mods, required specialized skills. Invention is nothing more than T2 Industry. So the question is what did CCP add to both T1 and T2 Industry?

Alchemy

First off, I have not gotten into reactions or the creation of T2 components. However, I have had my hands in T2 mod and ship production for over a year now, so I have seen how the change in T2 component prices can affect the viability of T2 ship/mod production. T2 mod and ship production is tied to the price of T2 component production which is in turn tied to the costs of reactions. The costs of reactions are based off of moon minerals. The price of moon minerals is based off of the rarity of the moon. Unfortunately these moons are under the control of very few but powerful groups. Most of us have heard of insane levels of profit various alliances are making off of a single moon. While its hard not to be taken aback by the astronomical figures thrown at us we have to remember that certain moons are extremely rare. It is this rarity mixed with the desire for T2 that fuel the prices of the minerals which can make some of those insane figures feasible. As a side note, it is in a way ironic that many players find themselves using T2 in clashes against the very alliances that make it possible for T2 production to take place. Imagine, paying your enemy to supply you with weapons to oppose them with. This is where Alchemy steps in.

Alchemy will do what Invention did for T2 ships and mods. Much like those that hold onto T2 blueprints are able to produce ships and mods below the costs of Inventors, those alliances with a hold on a few rare moons will generate far more isk then an Alchemist. No matter what an Inventor or Alchemist can do they will simply be beat by those with access to the originals. While that idea may annoy some, myself included, we can look at it as an opportunity for profit. I for one appreciate CCPs move to bring in a true professional to look at the economy of EVE. The Doc’s mention of the players’ inability to work around problematic resource shortages surely carried a lot of weight behind it. The idea of Alchemy beats the idea of possibly seeding a few more of the rare moons that would surely fall into the hands of those controlling the pre-existing moons. It also allows determined individuals to avoid sending their opponents money by allowing them to generate their own rare moon mins to be used in T2 creation.

While the full economic impact of Alchemy could take up to a year to fully materialize we can expect some slight changes in the near future. Thanks to Invention there are many more players with a POS at their disposal. These players are clearly interested in T2 components but may have avoided the creation of components due to rare moon mineral prices. If a portion of these corps and individuals were to start work in Alchemy we could see the rare moon min market start to sink, slowly but surely. At the same time the prices of lower end moon minerals will slightly increase which will be a boon for corps that see moon minerals as a means of reducing operational costs of a corp POS used for any number of activities.

What Alchemy means to POS operating players is a potential source of profit. For alliances, opposing those controlling the rare moons, Alchemy will help reduce the income of the opposition by creating their own rare moon minerals, T2 components and finally mods and ships that are 100% home grown. What it means to the rest of us is a possibility of slightly cheaper T2 goods. For those of us that are in Invention that could be yet another hit to the bottom line, yet the reduction in T2 component costs could offset lower mod prices.

Personally I love it when a monopoly gets hit with a sledge hammer. So I must say that Alchemy is a quality addition to the game and worthy of being “expansion” material.

Large Ship Assembly Array

There isn’t much to say about the LSAA other than it’s another possible addition to a POS. The 0.75 time modifier backed by a 1.0 material modifier is bound to lure some empire based BS manufactures out of the public manufacturing slots, freeing up space for smaller fish. It is unlikely to effect the trade hubs when it comes to supply but it will have an impact in areas such as FW borders, lowsec and 0.0 space where demand is bound to outstrip supply. I doubt we will see an increase in the price of a battleship though a slight dip may happen due to the reduced production time but no more than a few million ISK at best. Those with the most to gain will be large corporations and alliances that have a large internal demand for Battleships. But for consumers on the outside there will be little in the way of change.

I myself like the idea of expanding upon what a POS can do. The POS should evolve into a “must have” for anyone serious about Industry. The addition of the large ship assembly array is another step in that direction especially since it is bundled with alchemy in the same “expansion”. The LSAA , in my eyes, qualifies as “expansion” material. It’s something new for the players that Midas was intended for. It’s not a massive change but is a quality addition and hopefully CCP continues to expand the role of the POS as much as I loathe thee….

Unfortunately that is all CCP wrote for Midas ……. onto the rest of the “expansion”.

For Whom the Nerf Bat Swingeth….

To be upfront I must say absolutely none of the nerfs qualify as “expansion” material. Not a single one. That isn’t to say that they are not welcome or needed. I am going to ignore the majority of the changes made in Quantum Rising as they are more along the lines of fixing minor annoyances. The nerfs however play a significant role within EVE and should be examined by any individual regardless if they are a PVPer or PVEr. There are a lot of complaints on the forum right now but I’m not too sure if many of them have actually took the time to step back and take it all in and see the big picture.

Before getting into the following I would like to say a bit about myself to help the reader grasp where it is I am coming from in this review. My character is Caldari and I have trained in Caldari ships and weapons for half of my time in EVE. I have also spent time as a barge pilot. I eventually started to skill in Gallente ships and weaponry. I have chewed asteroids for hours on end, mined ice, grinded countless missions and PVPed in every possible way in Empire to 0.0.

A bit about my PVP experience thus far. I’ve PVPed in lowsec, in Empire wardecs, in 0.0 under the Roadkill banner as well as a participant in Faction Warfare under the Amarrian flag. While I cannot boast of massive numbers of kills or amazing K/D ratios I can say I have taken in the various aspects of PVP. That includes the use of drones, missiles and rails, tackle, DPS and EW support. I believe that allows me to look at the nerfs beyond that of a Caldari PVEr or a Gallente PVPer where the difference between the two can be vast.

Much ado about nano…

Before going into the missile and drone “nerfs” we need to take a look at the death of the nanoships as they are all connected to one another. Those that got into nano will say it was the whiners who got CCP to break the game and that EVE will eventually become wow. Its natural for those that used nanoships to start complaining, everyone is going to complain about something, sometime and this is their moment. While nano-pilots will complain that CCP and the whiners broke their play style it would help if those players would step back and look at what “their” play style was doing to everyone else’s.

I don’t have figures as to how many players went with the nano play style but it was a minority due to the SP and isk requirements and carried the FotM marking. It was this Skill point and isk requirement that justified the outrageous benefits of nano, at least to the players using such ships. SP and isk requirements should net the individual an advantage over players with lower levels of SP and cheaper fittings, however, the benefits were too extreme. The ability to outrun interceptors, ships designed to be the fastest class, was just the beginning. Even if the Interceptor got within range to do its job it had to face the superior firepower and defenses of one or more nanoships. Ships that knew the biggest threat on the field was an interceptor left unchecked.

The resulting death of the Interceptor didn’t require a crystal ball to predict. From my personal experience in 0.0, going against the Triumvirate alliance, I can recall several fights where Roadkill Interceptor pilots “suicided” their Interceptors, declaring it a suicide run before attempting to catch a nanoships. There were times 2 out of 3 interceptors were destroyed before the survivor got within web range. Once the web was in play the rest of our ships waiting had to warp to the interceptor immediately before he too was destroyed. It was obvious at that point that nanos and interceptors were busted and needed to be fixed.

Many nanopilots abused the idea of “adapt or die”, on the forums. The means to counter nanoships was limited. This limitation was game breaking when it comes to PVP. Every class below that of a Battleship was rendered useless by the presence nanoships. Even a BS couldn’t ensure the death of a nanoship. Instead it was able to force a small group of nanoships to back off, forcing them to consider finding smaller targets. This wasn’t adaptation, this was nothing more than a band-aid. True adaptation would have been beyond the means of the players as true adaptation would be creating longer range webs/scrams, faster missiles, faster drones with longer ranges and improved tracking systems.

Unfortunately true adaptation was in the hands of the Devs and not the players. Therefore the majority of the PVP playerbase was held hostage by CCP’s lack of action and the abuse of CCP’s mistakes at the hands of “nano-pilots”. Unfortunately the problem was allowed to exist long enough to be regarded as a “playstyle”. Thankfully CCP got off its ass and broke up the nano problem. This death of a single “playstyle” normally using a single class of ship is a fair trade as all other classes are now free to be used in PVP once more, including the interceptor. However the length of time it took for CCP to actually address this problem should be cause for concern.

“WTH did you do to my Missiles?!?!?!??!”

No, that isn’t what I said, instead it a title of a thread in the Eve-O forum that sums up the shock of a lot of Caldari pilots. The changes appear to be drastic, that’s because they are. The changes appear to hit all aspects of missiles including the use of the various T2 ammo types. The biggest complaint is not about what the nerf has done to the PVP aspect of missiles, instead the uproar is about the effect it has on PVE.

CCP didn’t make any radical changes to missiles, instead they refined them. Torpedoes and Cruise missiles are not quick or nimble types of “missiles” in real life. Cruise missiles are normally used against stationary targets such as buildings. Torpedoes are not going to be used against speed boats due to the time it would take for it to reach its target. While I myself use both and hate the idea of being nerfed, the change makes sense. If you want to hit a fast moving target you should use something designed for speed that can adjust as quickly as the target can change direction, not something with the maneuverability of a Freighter.

Those complaining about the nerf are taking it personally, as though CCP had it in for them. What the nerf to missiles is meant to do is allow smaller ships to participate in PVP. It wasn’t intended to nerf anyone’s PVE. As a FW participant I have no problem with the change as it will allow additional ship types to have a fighting chance. For pirates this means additional targets. For alliances it may mean new members with greater levels of PVP experience. For all of us it means PVP will no longer be restricted to a choice between a BS or nanoship. Players choosing to use lighter ships will gain the benefit that should have been theirs’ all along. That benefit is the inherent difficulty of hitting a small, fast and maneuverable target with large weapons designed to attack large targets.

For those that still wish to complain, I would suggest investing in a Target Painter as it increases the signature radius of the target. This mysterious piece of gear will allow your larger missiles to do more damage than without it. There are also target painting drones that can be used in conjunction or in place of a mid-slot eating TP. A webifier will allow you to slow down your target which will further increase the damage you will do per missile. In a PVP situation you should take advantage of a lighter ship’s small capacitor by using an Energy Neutralizer, NOS or Energy Neutralizer Drones. Sapping the target’s capacitor will force their After-Burner or Microwarp to shut down reducing their top speed drastically. If one was to combine a Target Painter, webbifier and energy neutralizer, either on their own ship or spread throughout their group, you will likely find that the missile nerf is nerfed by a little thinking and preparation.

… but my Medium drones?

The medium drone nerf was part of the death of the nano “playstyle”. Medium drones played a big role in destroying many interceptors making a futile attempt to fulfill their intended role. The drone nerf follows in the footsteps of the missile nerf, reducing the damage larger weapon systems deal to smaller ships then they were designed to defeat. For those running Ravens in L4s this is another hit to their ability to destroy the smaller rats which is bound to fuel even more complaints about the recent change. Of course Mission running Ravens are not the only ship hit by the recent change as all races, cruisers and up, use medium drones extensively.

Medium drones needed to be nerfed if order was to be restored to PVP in the EVE universe. CCP needed to make sweeping changes if smaller ships were ever to become viable once more. To quote the patch notes put out by CCP, “The optimal signature radius has been increased to 125m and increased tracking by a factor of 1.2x giving a change of -42.4% against smaller targets.”. One would do well to look at what CCP said the change consists of and find a way to negate it, if you wish to restore the destructive capability that medium drones used to have against smaller targets. The signature radius of the target and the tracking of the drones are the key. As we covered above when going over the missile change, a Target Painter will increase the signature radius of the target but another piece of gear will further help beat down that 42.4% difference. An Omnidirectional Tracking Link will reduce the impact of the nerf by increasing both the range and tracking of your drones making this piece of gear a “must have” on dedicated drone ships.

My opinion regarding the nerfs

“A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future.”~General George Patton.

CCP could learn a lot from the quote. All of the negativity regarding the nerfs and the “playstyle” could have been avoided had CCP put together a “good plan” and introduced it instead of waiting to find the “perfect plan”. CCP could have changed some values as a quick fix until they came up with the perfect plan. People would have complained, sure, but CCP would have given some relief to those who saw how game breaking nano was. Would it make sense to withhold help to someone in need, just so you can give them something better at a much later date? Would you pass on giving a starving child a ham sandwich while you prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for him 2 months down the road? Would forgo first aid if you were cut because you would rather wait 3 hours once you reached an Emergency Room? The child would have starved to death and you would have bled out if you followed CCP logic when it came to the nano nerf. I hope that CCP might read this article, this point in particular in hopes that they will realize a stream of constant, even if small, tweaks applied against a problem will beat waiting for the perfect fix.

Also, CCP shouldn’t appear paralyzed in fear of pissing off a handful of players, they need to remember they are the ones in charge of developing the product. Those crying about nerfs will eventually calm down and go to the next flavor as soon as someone bothers to look for it instead of screaming. At the same time individuals need to realize that CCP is still running a business, even if the Devs can drink you under the table or scarf down more pizza then you. This means CCP must do what it needs to keep the game balanced for all customers and this means allowing all ship types to remain competitive. For without competition there is no “PVP”, there is no proving who is better then who. If that is the case then those who will scream and shout at those who hated nano, as well as what it stood for, must take a serious and hard look at moving onto Hello Kitty Online for their “PVP” fix. As for CCP it needs to consider a Designated Dev program where 1 stays sober to watch over EVE while the rest go out and party.

The Extras…

A lot of players are going to immediately dismiss the addition of certificates and medals as a waste of server space. In a way its true as it does not directly affect how the game is played, at least for those with experience. Most of these players are bound to have been in EVE for years. But these additions are in fact aimed at the newer players and its goal is to fuel them on. To fuel the newer players to get deeper into EVE, to get them hooked as opposed to confused, frustrated and abandoning the game. While people gloat about the difficulty of learning how to play EVE it is something that can and will hold the game back. Additional revenue leads to additional staff to work on projects ruled out due to time or financial requirements. In game it also reduces competition in every aspect of EVE. With some help and encouragement even reformed wow players have the potential to become a PVPer or next billion isk Industrialist. It is this encouragement to delve deeper into the game that CCP clearly sought when developing certificates and medals.

Certificates

Certificates is a long needed change to EVE for all new players. Even when they are in a player run corp and have friends that have been playing for a while, new players can still get lost in the flood of skills they can start training. It is this wide array of skills backed by EVE’s skill training system that can leave new players frustrated. In order to help new players beyond the basics of moving and fitting a ship CCP needed to give new players some direction with skills. While new players are free to train what they want, when they want, the bulk of new players will want a training plan. Certificates deliver this guide to skill training.

Now new players will start with a greater number of SP then most of us but also smarter skill training. Certificates gives new players direction but also accomplishments to help get them fired up about the game. These accomplishments will also allow CEOs to track the progress of newer members. Of course the certificates can help a CEO determine if the individual is qualified to join in the first place. This gives players in EVE a way to be transparent when needed. Transparency is often times needed in order to gain trust, something that is hard to do in a game riddled with alt-spies.

While some could suggest that programs like EVEMON make the additions of certificates unnecessary, I have to mention that I have met a number of players that never heard of the program. Even with EVEMON, as great as it is, it only helps those that already have an idea of what they want to do in game. Most of the times players will find their niche on accident as opposed to long term planning. Things change and Certificates gives new players immediate goals. Goals they can work on and achieve sooner rather than later all while building up their skills in a way that will better help the player in the long run, by avoiding useless skills. The certificate itself is a sign of progress that is real. Seeing real signs of progress is a sure fire way to encourage individuals forward, in game and in real life.

Medals

Medals are similar to certificates as they can be awarded to players when they meet certain goals in the game. A corp that sets up a line of medals for reaching certain marks will undoubtedly encourage new members to make efforts to gather as many as possible. Medals are nothing more than carrots but these carrots will help corps and CEOs move their members in the direction they want without the use of the stick.

One of the first things I did after logging in after QR was released was to poke away at the medal creation process. There is a nice array of options to generate a medal. It’s unlikely to see similar medals in different corps due to the variety in medal items, ribbon options and colors. The only complaints I have about the medal creation process is requirement to click 1000 times to reach the final item and the lack of colors for the items on the medal itself. Personally I don’t like being restricted to bronze, silver, gold and I suppose platinum. Hopefully additional designs will be added down the road. Even though I have complaints about medals, they are small and take nothing away from this cool little addition to the game.

In the end Certificates and Medals are nothing more than psychological tools. While people can easily dismiss them I would suggest that CEOs avoid doing such. I have seen how small goals have encouraged people to break out of their normal play styles or methods both in game and real life. Medals can be used to fuel competition among other members. Medals can be created for bagging 20 kills or for attending mining ops. Medals can also display the level of PVP experience a corp has which may deter some from attacking or at the least encourage your members to stand and fight with the knowledge that their corp mates will be there with them. Medals could also be given out when a player acquires an Elite certificate, the possibilities are limited only by the CEO and the corp wallet. In my opinion Medals and Certificates are 2 additions worthy of being “expansion” material as they increase the level of immersion in EVE.

Pilot license extensions

In a past article I covered the possibility of increasing the prices of GTCs through fraudulent threads in the time code bazaar. Unfortunately many people were unable to comprehend such an obvious flaw in the system. Instead they suggesting that it was 100% “supply and demand” and completely ignored the possibility that someone could use their many alts to create bogus threads selling non-existent GTCs to their alts. CCP had no verification system in place to ensure that any thread advertising the sell of a GTC did in fact have a GTC. There was no way for players to know if the person buying a GTC for 50mil more than normal was in fact real or an alt. Basically the Time Code Bazaar was begging for price gauging.

The point wasn’t to criticize true supply and demand based prices. Nor was it suggesting CCP create a fixed price for a GTC sold for isk. The point was to criticize CCP’s lack of effort to ensure the players that it was 100% supply and demand effecting GTC prices. QR delivered a system in which all parties are able to track the volume and average going rate of units that are actually sold. This isn’t to say that the system is fool proof as anyone is able to sell to their own alt at whatever price they want. Since the transaction is between a single person the isk stays with the seller/buyer. Since the PLEX can be traded, put in a contract and sold on the market until a player applies the time to the account, a single card could be made to look like 20 being sold to actual customers. With each hand off of the PLEX a greedy seller could slowly raise the price.

The addition of the PLEX card is a positive change for EVE as it streamlines the GTC trade. Unfortunately I am left wondering how many will resist the thought of pumping up prices artificially. Also we have yet to see the reintroduction of the true 30day GTC as well as the good ol 90day GTC. CCP took a step in the right direction and I as well as others hope they continue to do so by reissuing 30 and 90day gtcs. Hopefully there will be a slight discount for the larger GTCs as it could help reinvigorate the GTC trade and help restore some of the lost revenue due to a flood accounts going inactive.

Weapon Linking

Weapon linking is something that may or may not mean much to the individual. I myself find it as a nice idea but nothing special. As a fan of BattleTech and Mechwarrior video games and virtual world, I find the idea of linking one’s weapons together as an old one. I remember the first time at a virtual world in Pasadena, California with 2 of my good friends. Unfortunately the pods resembled crates that were painted black but that was soon forgotten as soon as I was inside and the side was sealed as my screen and controls came to life. Within seconds I was linking like ranged weapons together without instructions, a tutorial or even mention that it was even possible. It just seemed so obvious and natural, being a big fan of the tabletop for years certain got ideas into my head that made me react when finally in what is as close to a RL Battlemech anyone will get into in our lifetimes. Unfortunately CCP didn’t seem to have a single BattleTech player within the group. Never made a trip to a Virtual World center and never played a round or two of awesome mech combat with a flood of lit up buttons surrounding them.

In EVE weapon linking means little to me. It saves me the effort of mashing my hand over F1-F8 with a single move by allowing me to arrange my Raven’s launchers to F1. But there is a significant positive associated with weapon linking. Linking allows players to quickly change ammunition types for all like weapons with just a few clicks as opposed to a few clicks per weapon. The difference can mean little in PVE but during PVP, when your able to swap ammo out, it can mean squeezing off 1 round or a full barrage. It also creates a true “alpha strike”(have I mentioned I am still a big fan of the BT Collectable card game??).

Weapon linking can be of dubious value depending on who you talk to. However there is one aspect of weapon linking that all of us can agree is worthwhile. That aspect is the impact it will have on the server. The amount of “instructions” being fed to the server will be reduced by 1 -7 or more per player per weapon cycle. While it may mean little to a miner or PVEr in some out of the way system the difference can mean life or death for those in a fleet battle. This makes weapon linking a hybrid of sorts. Its part in-game feature, part patch which makes it interesting once it is examined. While I don’t feel it is exactly “expansion” material it is definitely an interesting addition not because of its in game effect but the dual nature of the change.

Conclusion

Quantum Rise delivered on a few things CCP can honestly say are expansion material. We saw the release of a new ship which resulted in the creation of the new “sub capital” class giving potential rise to combat variants. CCP delivered a blow against the moon mineral monopoly, easing the stranglehold and influence they have on T2 components. The changes to the Transport Ships will help merchants get their goods through hotspots to supply out of the reach systems. It also gave players a means by which to measure their skill training progress. It also pushed EVE closer to the 1 handed play style of traditional MMOs with weapon linking.

At the same time we received things that were needed but do not qualify as “expansion” material. Those changes would be Stackless IO, the nanonerf and a freighter full of fixes and dead bugs. Unfortunately lag is always going to be an issue with the game and steps taken to keep it under control should never be seen as an expansion, instead they should be released as soon as it is available. Lag can break a game but never makes one. The reduction of lag is closer to maintenance than anything else. You can give us tons of new stuff but if we are to lagged to use it the new content is worthless. The nano nerf was needed for far too long, as I said before, and CCP should never withhold a balance patch that is as game breaking as nanoships were. CCP did no one a favor by ignoring the problem for so long when a few changes could have been made quickly before anyone would have ever complained about the death of a playstyle. Most of the fixes were for things I have never encountered but for those that were plagued by such they are welcomed changes.

QR falls short on delivering what “Midas” was promised to be, an expansion aimed at the Industrialist. 1 POS addition, 1 mining aid of a ship, transport ship modifications and the cracks in the moon mineral monopoly were steps in the right direction. Unfortunately it did absolutely nothing to bridge the gap between a transport ship and a freighter. It didn’t introduce new asteroids, ores or minerals. The possibility of new asteroids could have been numerous even with preexisting minerals. A new ore could have delivered even a trace amount of megacyte , low sec could have received more condensed materials to help lure out empire mining corps. CCP could have delivered a hybrid mining ship. A ship that has decent defense and some light offensive weapons but still capable of mining like a barge. Of course the ship would trade a strip miner and cargo capacity for additional survivability. Such a ship alongside condensed ores could lure out a large number of mining groups as it would reduce the need for an escort who would be bored off their ass.

As a standard expansion QR again fails to deliver as there were no new combat ships introduced. We don’t really need T3 to be introduced yet, we could use additional T1 ships of all shapes and sizes. Imagine if EVE was real, is it hard to see a mega corp taking good things about Caldari ships and mixing them with the positives of Amarr or Gallente? The challenge would be to mix the flavor of 2 empires without creating a ship to powerful, costly or rare. Another path would to create new ships that simply use weapons the empire normally wouldn’t use. These ships could be justified in the storyline as attempts for megacorps to lure podpilots of another empire away with shiny new ships. T1 mining frigates could be turned into T2 logistic ships along the lines of electronic attack frigates. Smaller web drones could have also been added. Basically CCP could have added any number of new ships to help boost the level of expansion material within QR.

Faction warfare got absolutely nothing. QR was aimed at Industrialists, the players that generate the ships and gear used in PVP. FW has fueled the use and abuse of T1 and T2 ships and mods of all sizes. It seems logical to add to FW content and stick with the ideals of “Midas” by finding ways to mix the 2 together. A simple idea would involve control of a system for X amount of days would spawn slightly better asteroids, even in small amounts. Maybe a slight boost to production capability if the player was an active participant in FW, requirements would need to be in place to ensure they are actively participating instead of sitting behind friendly lines. FW could have also been expanded outside of the goals of QR but alas CCP did nothing.

….In the end Quantum Rise was a nice idea but like most nice ideas it doesn’t mean much without the actual delivery. I would like to thank CCP for fixing problems in their game, unlike sony online entertainment. But next time call things what they really are so we don’t get to excited only to be left wondering where our content is. In the end QR is the equivalent of a kid being told they are going to Disneyland only to find that his parents have taken him to the local Home Depot. Home improvements are great but it sure doesn’t beat a good spin on the ol’ Tea Cups.