CCP Games made some huge announcements in Las Vegas giving more players the chance to experience more of EVE: Online, both in game and out.
EVE Vegas, the annual get together for EVE: Online is getting a few siblings thanks to the success and frequency of some of the biggest EVE get together across the world.
CCP Games announced then the addition of FanFests in Eastern North America, The West Coast (Which will remain EVE Vegas), Australia and Europe.
Europe, dubbed FanFest - Evesterdam, will be held in, you guessed it, Amsterdam. Australia’s FanFest - Down Under will bring Australian and New Zealander Capsuleers together a little closer than requiring a flight to EVE Vegas or Reykjavik. The West Coast of North America will see EVE Vegas continue, however the Eastern seaboard still requires a site to be selected, and CCP is giving fans a chance to influence that decision as well if they reach out with suggestions.
Reykjavik will still hold a FanFest, however it will be smaller thanks to the addition of the global events. These are all scheduled to take place in 2019, with EVE FanFest resuming in its normal capacity in 2020 April 2-4.
These real-life experiences are aiming to give the feel that a regular, fan held event would have and as such the original planners of the events will be integrated into the planning team for each individual FanFest.
In addition to experiencing EVE in-game, CCP announced some exciting changes to the Alpha and Omega player types in EVE: Online.
Since Alpha was announced, CCP has seen a great uptick of new and returning players checking out EVE: Online. However, Alpha players have complained that the account status feels more like an infinite trial rather than a real way to play the game.
CCP has answered this by opening up Tech II small and medium weapons to Alpha players, as well as increasing the pool of available Skill Points to Alpha players four-fold.
Before Alpha players only had access to just under 5 million skill points. Now, coming in december, Alpha players will have access to 20.5 Million skill points. Also coming in December for Alpha accounts are access to Battlecruisers and Battle Ships, but the latter is restricted to Tech I outfitting, retaining the value of upgrading to Omega to access the higher Tech for the more powerful spacecraft.
While Alpha players will have access to a ton more skill points, their free training will be capped at 5 million Skill Points. They have unlimited access to the 20.5 Million skill points being afforded to Alpha players, but CCP needed to retain the value of upgrading to Omega, as well as training time and skill points in general. If an Alpha player decides to buy some time with an Omega account, the skills they learn while an Omega will carry over if they revert back, however.
CCP during the Vegas keynote also detailed some of the changes coming in the newest expansion Lifeblood, which is coming October 24. These changes include changes to Moon Mining as well as the addition of Upwell Refineries. You can check out the full roster of changes coming by heading to CCP’s update log, as well as checking out the archive of their stream on their Twitch.TV channel.
