Wednesday, October 29, 2008

EVE Blog Banter #1: Exotic Dancers, Corporate Meetings & more


Welcome to the first installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed here. Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month's topic comes to us from PsycheDiver: Ambulation: What are your hopes for your avatar and new functionality of stations?

When I first heard of Ambulation back in May of last year, I was truly floored. I mean here, finally, one could stretch his or her legs outside their capsule, walk around in those vast and fascinating stations and explore every nook and cranny.

Over time, CCP provided us with bits and pieces of what was to come. And still is, since Ambulation will not be the next expansion. But that leaves room for dreams and caviar wishes. From what we know so far, and what we've been allowed to see, CCP have done a great job at trying to achieve a look and feel that should be quite immersive, as well as impressive.

Getting back to PsycheDiver's question, there are a plethora of things I'd like to be able to do, to see, to experience and to learn through Ambulation. As some of you know, I'm a carebear. And proud to be one! As such, the possibility of spending time in a station, interacting with other players, is something that I'm looking forward to.

But what of these interactions? What to do? As CCP have stated in the past, Ambulation must have a purpose, must add to the game experience. Otherwise it's just a glorified chat room, and the channel do a fine job at that.


So what would I like to be able to do? I'd like to see stations inhabited by lots of NPCs and other players. Not because I want to interact with all these non-players, but simply because as stations are huge facilities, I expect to see lots of people walking around going about their business.

I'd like to see definite differences in the look, feel and configuration for each of the Races stations. I expect to be awed by the cathedral look of the Amarr stations, to be impressed with the military-like efficiency of the Caldari stations, to feel the gritty, minimalist approach of Minmatar stations and to feel at home in a Gallente station.

I also want to be able to quickly and easily access Phoenix Labs corporate offices. To be able to meet and discuss upcoming operations with my corp mates. I'd like to have private quarters that I can customize and invest in. After visiting my corps office, I would expect to be able to visit a few local bars and clubs, discuss the current political situation with fellow capsuleer, engage with a few agents while I'm there, all to the sound of background music and exotic dancers doing their stuff.

CCP has a chance here, to create a whole new aspect of the game, one which would allow part of the player community to experience a different kind of EVE. Of course, PVP and fleet battles will still be core to the game, but so much more could be done through Ambulation.

Just imagine the setting.

Your sitting down a table in a bar, playing Texas Hold 'em and chatting away with three other corp mates, when all of a sudden, walks in 20 capsuleers shouting and laughing, having just returned from a successful fleet battle. What if you could eavesdrop on their conversation, learn the location where the fighting happened, then head out on a little scavenging operation.

Or here's another one.

You're sitting in the corp office, doing some of the paper work, when a customer walks in, asking to see the latest builds. Having run a quick check on his credentials (yeah, he's got the ISK), you offer him a visit of the back store, where he can see the latest available merchandise; ships, ammo, modules.


These are but a few of the (long term) possibilities Ambulation could allow, and I look forward to all of them. In just over a week, I'll have a chance to experience Ambulation in its current state. I expect to be amazed by it, as I've often been with the work done by the folks at CCP.

I know I'll be like a kid in a candy store, running all over, excited and overjoyed. Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to it!



Participants:

6 comments:

Tony "EVE's Weekend Warrior" said...

Looks very nice, I will take the time to read everyone's opinion.
Yay for bantering!

Carole Pivarnik said...

I'm SO jealous of EVERYONE going to FanFest, including you. I expect many detailed reports in your blog every day, my friend!!!

I love the idea of being able to overhear conversations that might provide actionable intel!!! Maybe there will be bugging devices or mini-mics that could be used to snoop on conversations of other players in public places. Maybe there will be scramblers one could use to prevent such things. Oh the possibilities!

Bahamut said...

One of these days I have to get out to FanFest as well.

Great post and I believe you've started a wonderful tradition with the EVE blogging community. You are to be commended sir.

Again, thanx for choosing my topic!

Anonymous said...

"I'd like to have private quarters that I can customize and invest in"
... Anyone see 'micro-transactions' here?

hmmm.


Nice piece though CK! I'd never seen those Flikr photos before... They're amazing!

Anonymous said...

Oh i didn't realise the banter already started
!

Anyway, I don't expect much from ambulation. Might be something you look at once, have a meeting with the corp and that's it. Hope CCP manages to make more of it than some unnessecary fluff. As you can see I don't have too high hopes.

And it shouldn't go the way of factional warfare that they were supposed to expand upon etc. and then just seem to lost interest and left it out and hang to dry.

Anonymous said...

I'm looking for more depth to each faction.
More than Gallente have dancers Minmatar is tribal etc. While each faction should be unique it should be also not all citizens are not entirely bound by their nation's lifestyle and ideology.