Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
"They should have sent...a poet."
:laugh:
I don't usually care for MMOGs. Fair or not, I find such games to be overrun by kids who love to talk trash and zap newbs. Furthermore, the idea of paying a monthly fee to play turns me off because I rarely stick with a game for long; I'm just not the type to invest countless hours with a single title (Chess aside, of course
). However, in a fit of late night boredom, and tempted by a two-week free offer, I decided to try the epic sci-fi MMOG EVE Online - Revelations. I must say that after fooling around with it for a few hours (mostly doing the all-too-necessary tutorial!), EVE may well prove to be the exception.
It is no exaggeration to say this is a game seemingly as large as the universe itself. It's breadth, depth, and open-endedness (if that is a word ) is simply amazing! You can literally pursue almost any career you choose, be it pirate, miner, corporate bigwig, law enforcement...basically anything that involves the utilization of a space ship! Best of all, because the universe is so darn huge, with something over 140,000 people playing the game (and about 20K online at any one time), you do not find yourself as an instant target when you enter the universe. I have put in six hours so far, as a peaceable trader, without ever once being harassed by anything other than AI drones (which are put there to help you gain experience, etc.). This is nice for players who are just getting their space legs.
Another nice thing about EVE Online is the fact that is plays extremely well on older PCs, with the only real requirement being a broadband connection (albeit EVE's faq stipulates that dial-up is okay!). The game plays just fine on my older Dell with only an occasional lag (usually when you enter a new region of space or when a ship explodes in combat). Of course, I have yet to enter a major battle (fortunately, as my ship is little more that a Yugo at this point), so maybe that will produce a performance hit. But so far, no complaints. This is surprising as the many space vistas are simply beautiful. There is so much variety, not just in the planets, nebulae and stars, but also in the space stations, ships, factories, etcetera. It is such a compelling visual experience, you will find yourself just sitting back and marveling at the view to be had.
One thing that surprised me about EVE is the excellent interface. It can be tricky to use (as there is SO MUCH information to process and sort), but it is very robust. It even has neat items such as a jukebox player (for the many cool, techo / scifi songs available), an in-game web browser (which comes in handy if you want to check out the webpage of a corporation, gang or even fansite) and a full-featured email system. In short, once you enter EVE, the game is designed to keep you immersed in that world in perpetuity (sort of like a casino).
And therein lies the problem:
This is not a game, but an obsession. You could easily sink thousands of hours into the game and just scratch the surface. It truly is an alternate universe, one that seems capable of devouring your entire real-world life! Before long, you will be crossed-eyed from playing this game into the wee hours of the morning, trying to finish that last mission, make that last bit of profit. :crosseye:
Speaking of which, I need to head out now and pick up a frequency crystal for a two-channel laser I ordered at a naval armory. On the way, I promised to deliver my agent's package for some credits (I already have my eye on a new ship).
I'll be back with an update...but not too soon. :yummy:
:laugh:
I don't usually care for MMOGs. Fair or not, I find such games to be overrun by kids who love to talk trash and zap newbs. Furthermore, the idea of paying a monthly fee to play turns me off because I rarely stick with a game for long; I'm just not the type to invest countless hours with a single title (Chess aside, of course
). However, in a fit of late night boredom, and tempted by a two-week free offer, I decided to try the epic sci-fi MMOG EVE Online - Revelations. I must say that after fooling around with it for a few hours (mostly doing the all-too-necessary tutorial!), EVE may well prove to be the exception.It is no exaggeration to say this is a game seemingly as large as the universe itself.
It's breadth, depth, and open-endedness (if that is a word ) is simply amazing! You can literally pursue almost any career you choose, be it pirate, miner, corporate bigwig, law enforcement...basically anything that involves the utilization of a space ship! Best of all, because the universe is so darn huge, with something over 140,000 people playing the game (and about 20K online at any one time), you do not find yourself as an instant target when you enter the universe. I have put in six hours so far, as a peaceable trader, without ever once being harassed by anything other than AI drones (which are put there to help you gain experience, etc.). This is nice for players who are just getting their space legs. Another nice thing about EVE Online is the fact that is plays extremely well on older PCs, with the only real requirement being a broadband connection (albeit EVE's faq stipulates that dial-up is okay!). The game plays just fine on my older Dell with only an occasional lag (usually when you enter a new region of space or when a ship explodes in combat). Of course, I have yet to enter a major battle (fortunately, as my ship is little more that a Yugo at this point), so maybe that will produce a performance hit. But so far, no complaints. This is surprising as the many space vistas are simply beautiful. There is so much variety, not just in the planets, nebulae and stars, but also in the space stations, ships, factories, etcetera. It is such a compelling visual experience, you will find yourself just sitting back and marveling at the view to be had.
One thing that surprised me about EVE is the excellent interface. It can be tricky to use (as there is SO MUCH information to process and sort), but it is very robust. It even has neat items such as a jukebox player (for the many cool, techo / scifi songs available), an in-game web browser (which comes in handy if you want to check out the webpage of a corporation, gang or even fansite) and a full-featured email system. In short, once you enter EVE, the game is designed to keep you immersed in that world in perpetuity (sort of like a casino).
And therein lies the problem:
This is not a game, but an obsession. You could easily sink thousands of hours into the game and just scratch the surface. It truly is an alternate universe, one that seems capable of devouring your entire real-world life! Before long, you will be crossed-eyed from playing this game into the wee hours of the morning, trying to finish that last mission, make that last bit of profit. :crosseye:
Speaking of which, I need to head out now and pick up a frequency crystal for a two-channel laser I ordered at a naval armory. On the way, I promised to deliver my agent's package for some credits (I already have my eye on a new ship).
I'll be back with an update...but not too soon. :yummy:
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