First Impressions of EVE Online

EVE Online first came to my attention about a year or two ago, when I had read the comments of some fellow gamers from TDZK talking about it. That, and I had seen it proliferate around the Internet, here and there in many areas, on discussion boards, articles and the like. At the time, I had not invested myself in a non-textual MMORPG, as I did not really have the means and my local connection made me doubt about getting many an online-based game.

So, for the moment, I had to contend with the cybercafes that were spread out in all parts of Petaling Jaya, and thankfully, my friends and I preferred to play games that did not revolve exclusively around Warcraft III and Counter-Strike.

Then about a month ago, one of my friends, Nemu mentioned that he currently invested his gaming time in EVE Online. I asked him what was so good about this title that he was willing to borrow a friend's credit card to subscribe for the game. He told me that it was something akin to a better-looking Freelancer with the elements of a much more complicated TDZK. Then he showed me a few screenshots, and I was intrigued. He sent along the activation code for the trial, and after a week or two of procrastination, I went along and registered two days ago.

And I was just blown away. I for one, had been a fan of anything related to the fantasy genre, attracted to titles such as the Warcraft series, Battle for Middle Earth, and literature revolving around the likes of Terry Brooks, Richard A. Knaak, Robert Jordan and so on. Sci-fi greats such as Stephen Baxter and Frank Herbert piqued my interest here and there, but not enough to attain my attention for more than what I would have to call a phase.

Perhaps it is the concept behind fantasy, that authors of the genre are more likely to enforce empathy and the human (or nonhuman) feeling amongst their characters, whereas sci-fi would generally concentrate around jargon and technobabble (excuse my French, sci-fi fans), or just huge amounts of infodump. If you're a fan of physics, you'd be in luck.

But anyways, back on to EVE Online. First impressions? Something like Freelancer, though you're not as free with the throttle/controls as you would in a flight simulator. Something like X3, in the sense that you exist as a tiny speck in a massive, boundless universe, and you are responsible for whatever glory you wish to aspire to. Something like TDZK, where you know you're not alone, and that there are others, just like you, engaging in an environment where trade and war rule.

Elements of all combined, I therefore find myself drawn, and would very much like to continue with my character. Though this would mean that I would have to give up World of Warcraft. Not a problem, if you ask me. I've had enough of the grinding routine anyway.

Here's some screenshots:

Tutorials.

Flight of the Jointed Pipe (my ship's name).

The beauty of warp, shifting through the fabric of space and time.



Currently listening to: Sonata Arctica - Gravenimage