MMORPG.com Community Manager Laura Genender has written a review of CCP's EVE Online that we've split into two parts. Part one looked at some of the background of the game and the different aspects of its gameplay. Today's part two will focus on the traditional review aspects of the game and produce a score.

Economics

Lastly for the gameplay talk we have economy. I haven’t done much in the way of manufacturing, trading, or market jockeying, but I’m fair impressed with what I know of the system. While there isn’t a complicated crafting mini-game like you find in games like Vanguard or A Tale in the Desert, EVE has its own level of complication in a player-generated market in a shardless world – this is to say that there is only one EVE server, where everyone plays and trades together. It’s interesting to watch natural trade-hubs form (Jita, anyone?) and to watch how the market fluctuates when new technology becomes available.

One of my favorite parts of the economy is the contract system, a completely unique trade system. While there’s a normal market system which allows players to buy/sell common items, the contract system allows players to create auctions, sell uncommon items, or sell items in groups. In addition, players can set up courier contracts where player A puts up a collateral and carries player B’s goods from one place to another.

Read it all here.

Not a bad review IMO given that its quite a short article for a game which has such complex depth. I think the real special aspect of this game is its ability to be so popular whilst being a distinct genre and where the economy and game is largly player influenced.

I really enjoyed my time with Eve, especially as it forced me to think about how i wanted to play rather than just grind a level after a level. The community are excellent and I made many new friends in this game.

The game will not appeal to huge sections of the MMO community, in its curent guise, due to its over-riding PVP focus and the lack of easy pick up and play charachetristics. I hope that it continues to grow and develop, especially the planet side avatar aspects that are coming soon.

Truly this is a true success story for the genre and the developers.

Well done.

Enjoyed reading this review which I though feelt fresh and also did the game justice. Especially part1 which I forwarded to several none-EvE playing MMO-playing friends to try to make them understand what makes EvE such a special experience. It's a year I quit playing, but I'm always tempted to go back.

while I agree with what you wrote, I do not agree on your choice of words when talking about "griefing".

because all the things you are describing are part of EVE by design, it is not griefing.

griefing is, at least in other MMORPGs, if you exploit a design flaw or a hole in the system to cause grief to other people, just for the heck of it.

in EVE, as you rightfully state, it is usually to earn money and a conscious part of the game design

As pieces by underqualified reviewers go, very pleasant.  If that 8.5 becomes MMORPG.COM's new official rating, it should appear with an asterisk, because it's meaningless.

If you are going to review a five year old game  with a slow development path, it's not enough to roll a toon and play for a few months, then cheerily admit "I didn't try" half of the game's mechanisms.  You look over the shoulders of one or two veteran players who can demonstrate the advanced features and zones that your noob toon isn't ready for.

Originally posted by Clattuc

As pieces by underqualified reviewers go, very pleasant.  If that 8.5 becomes MMORPG.COM's new official rating, it should appear with an asterisk, because it's meaningless.

If you are going to review a five year old game  with a slow development path, it's not enough to roll a toon and play for a few months, then cheerily admit "I didn't try" half of the game's mechanisms.  You look over the shoulders of one or two veteran players who can demonstrate the advanced features and zones that your noob toon isn't ready for.

While I see your point in what you are trying to say here, your comments are at BEST insulting. Laura Genender is in no way under qualified to write this review. She has been working with this site for over 3 years and serves as MMORPG.com's Community Manager. She has a wide variety of play experience and has a strong understanding  of MMORPGs both as games and as a business.

Obviously MMORPG reviews are never going to nclude every possible aspect of the game, every nook and cranny. While I would personally love to be able to give someone an assignment that says: "Play this game for five years, then write a complete review."  The logistics of such an endeavor would be insane.

As time goes on, we have our reviews add to their original review through update features.

Again, I see your point, but don't you think perhaps you could have found another way to express it that didn't  attempt to belittle someone with a great deal of MMORPG journalism experience?

Hope that clears things up for you.

No, it doesn't clear up anything at all.  Her qualifications to review the game have nothing to do with her term of service here at MMORPG.COM.  They have everything to do with whether she has experienced and evaluated the core features of the game.  For a serious review, if some features take time to access, it is customary to get help.  In this case, to take one example, rarely has a true MMO been as PvP-centric as EVE.  So if the reviewer says "I haven't really tried PvP but I hear it's great," that's not really a review.  Similarly, the whole world of blueprints and manufacturing is an enormous subgame within EVE.  So when she says that EVE doesn't really have a complex crafting minigame - but she hasn't tried manufacturing - it's clearly a partial review.  That's why the score is meaningless.  Basically I stand by my remarks above, and I think your perception of them as insulting is off base.

On manufacturing - The difference between the ATITD/Vanguard systems (which I cited) and the EVE system is that, in ATITD/VG, you actually have a minigame for each item you craft.  You have to cut the gems, you have to smith the items, etc.  In EVE, you get a blueprint, have the skills/materials, and start your research/production at a station from what I understand.  No, the trade system is not SIMPLE, but there's no minigame of complications or gem and blade angles, etc.

In terms of my experience with the game, there is a big difference between reviewing an MMO and reviewing a single player title.  In single player games, I absolutely agree that the reviewer needs to finish the game and have complete knowledge of its functions, however, single player games are also FINITE.  MMO worlds have a plethora of experiences; at best it would take years to complete them all, at worst it's actually impossible.  I've never seen a review of LOTRO written by someone who has taken every class/race to max level, AND ever PVP race to max skill.

Personally, I'd rather say "I haven'treally tried PvP but I hear it's great" then publish hearsay under my name.  I intend to continue playing EVE and will probably move into 0.0 very shortly.  In the meantime, if you'd like to do a manufacturing or PVP-centered article, check out our Opportunities page :)

Originally posted by Neopsych

Not a bad review IMO given that its quite a short article for a game which has such complex depth. I think the real special aspect of this game is its ability to be so popular whilst being a distinct genre and where the economy and game is largly player influenced.

I really enjoyed my time with Eve, especially as it forced me to think about how i wanted to play rather than just grind a level after a level. The community are excellent and I made many new friends in this game.

The game will not appeal to huge sections of the MMO community, in its curent guise, due to its over-riding PVP focus and the lack of easy pick up and play charachetristics. I hope that it continues to grow and develop, especially the planet side avatar aspects that are coming soon.

Truly this is a true success story for the genre and the developers.

 

Well done.

Did you see part 1?! ;)

Originally posted by Clattuc

As pieces by underqualified reviewers go, very pleasant.  If that 8.5 becomes MMORPG.COM's new official rating, it should appear with an asterisk, because it's meaningless.

If you are going to review a five year old game  with a slow development path, it's not enough to roll a toon and play for a few months, then cheerily admit "I didn't try" half of the game's mechanisms.  You look over the shoulders of one or two veteran players who can demonstrate the advanced features and zones that your noob toon isn't ready for.

to be in control and not the game to be in control of you, you make your own destiny.

I enjoyed reading the review and agree with what much was said. 

I think EVE is the most innovative and interesting MMORPG out there right now, but it does have large glaring flaws.  I am waiting the day that a fantasy MMO with similar economics and the territorial warfare systems comes out.

Originally posted by Clattuc

As pieces by underqualified reviewers go, very pleasant.  If that 8.5 becomes MMORPG.COM's new official rating, it should appear with an asterisk, because it's meaningless.

If you are going to review a five year old game  with a slow development path, it's not enough to roll a toon and play for a few months, then cheerily admit "I didn't try" half of the game's mechanisms.  You look over the shoulders of one or two veteran players who can demonstrate the advanced features and zones that your noob toon isn't ready for.

Clattuc,

I think Laura wrote a nice review that overviews the game briefly. It's impossible to write a full scale depth overview of a game in way. Even a game like Unreal Tournament 3 cannot be reviewed by simply playing 1 day. It's simple, you have people that play at a competitive level, while you have the average user and then the modders. Each of these people will have a different view and perspective.  The game will take a different shape in the eyes of a user by the day. Her approach was honest and fair and should be good enough for any new players out there.

Take my approach and read the full review again.

I enjoyed the review.  I have been playing for 6 or 7 months now, and have experienced just about as much as the author.  Yes she has much more of the game to explore to finish the review (as do I), but I never felt like she passed her review off as complete.

About crafting, the complexity of the system in terms of total information required to be effective at it easily trumps any game that I have ever played.  The author's statement about the actual crafting process is true, as it is as simple as your typical WoW select number and combine.

In fact, that could be said about many aspects of EVE.  The actual moment of glory is simple, a few clicks and you are done.  The prep time, information needed before hand, ectra is what really makes the system complex.  Just think about how simple blowing up a rat is.  You target and hit shoot.  But getting to that point takes a lot, and I think that is the part most of us enjoy.  The explosion is just justification for the time.

As to the poster who made such negative comments.  I look forward to your unbiased review of the game.  I hope that you have not forgotten what it feels like to be a 5 month old player, as that is the target audience.  I mean, reviews usualy are intended for those not yet playing the game, not the 2 year old vet who knows every aspect of game play.

You may be thinking more along the lines of a guide.  Something that lists all sorts of activities you can get involved in and a little snippet about what its about, why it is fun, and how to get started.

Thank you again ?Laura for the review, and I look forward to using you as income. . err, meeting you in game in the near future.

Originally posted by Ponico

 

I think Laura wrote a nice review that overviews the game briefly. It's impossible to write a full scale depth overview of a game in way. Even a game like Unreal Tournament 3 cannot be reviewed by simply playing 1 day. It's simple, you have people that play at a competitive level, while you have the average user and then the modders. Each of these people will have a different view and perspective.  The game will take a different shape in the eyes of a user by the day. Her approach was honest and fair and should be good enough for any new players out there.

Take my approach and read the full review again.

I actually read the whole thing again carefully after Jon erupted earlier.  I think her take on the subset of the game she's actually seen is pretty good, which is why I called the review nice.  Nor do I begrudge anyone the opportunity to write a careful partial review of a five-year-old game.  My only concern is that MMORPG.COM might possibly use her 8.5 as its site-wide rating of the game.  At least for established games, the rating should be based on evaluating the full game.

Ok... Now how about writting reviews of, let's say, other games that we care this time around, hmm? You guys already have done a review of this game. TWICE. Where is our review of ArchLord, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Hellgate, Fury, 2Moons, Dungeon Runners, Perfect World and/or Tabula Rasa?

I mean, it must not be THAT difficult / long to write a review of a mmorpg! I seriously hope you guys won't do re-re-review of anything else anymore. I don't want a re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-review of WoW either and strangely, I can see it coming in 2 years. Come on, even the polls are showing that the (second) reason why peoples a going on your website is for the reviews (the forum being reason number one).

I'm not a fan of mmorpg reviews because they always seem to be very biased like giving WOW: TBC graphics a 5/10 and yet Vanguard got a 9/10 or something. I just think the reviewer's there are pretty biased because they clearly don't understand artistic graphics and it's something that makes WOW look 10 times better than most on the market. Yet games like Vangaurd may have a more powerful engine but everything looks very bland and boring and empty.........

However I thought this review was much better and rpetty much on the money to what new players should expect. Sure veterans will moan and say you missed out lots of content but tbh no new player is going to see any of that for a year or two..

Not a bad review at all.

Will you be sticking around in EVE, Taera, or are you pretty much done and moving on to the next game?  If you're staying, what are the chances that you'll be getting involved in a little pew-pew in the not-so-distant future (aka when can we pod you/get podded by you?). 

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Originally posted by Wrayeth
[what are the chances that you'll be getting involved in a little pew-pew in the not-so-distant future (aka when can we pod you/get podded by you?).

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This!

Also, good review. But i expect the 8.5 to be reduced one you get into fleets. Because they suck.

Originally posted by batolemaeus

 

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Originally posted by Wrayeth
[what are the chances that you'll be getting involved in a little pew-pew in the not-so-distant future (aka when can we pod you/get podded by you?).

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This!

Also, good review. But i expect the 8.5 to be reduced one you get into fleets. Because they suck.

I really really hope that CCP will get a lot of new customers with the steam launch and will then have enough money to buy even more superior hardware to make big fleet battles, like 400 vs 400 and so on, less laggy...

in the long run, they will have to switch from one-system-one-node to a more flexible version... then Jita or any fleets would cease to be any problem

Being a veteran of the harshest crafting system in any MMO which is FFXI and tried  other MMO's crafting systems, I can honestly say this system isn't as easy as the OP makes it sound. You need to research Capital Component manufacturing and Capital Ship manufacturing. Tech II Ship and  Complex Compounds are additional examples of items that are more than just click and "poof". The system isn't near as difficult as FFXI but isn't as easy as the OP makes it sound.

I did enjoy the review but......

Making statements based on hearsay is a dangerous thing to do and can be very misleading.