CCP: Dust 514 And EVE Online Integration
EVE Online is a massive and enduring online space-based MMO. It has less of a learning curve and more of a steep learning mountain. With a completely unique and involving atmosphere, its player-base has steadily increased over the past eight years.
Opening with the words, ‘One World, One War’ CCP have put forward their newest and perhaps most daring addition to the universe of New Eden: Dust 514 and its full real-time integration with EVE Online.
At the Sony E3 press conference on Monday, we were treated with a new trailer that further expanded on the vision for Dust 514. Not just content to make a generic sci-fi shooter, CCP wanted something that would be an integral part of the world of EVE. In Dust 514, the conflicts console players take part in directly effect the planetary infrastructures owned by players in EVE Online.
One worry I had for Dust 514 was that the console-based mercenary corporations would be nothing more than ‘boiler suit minions’ of their larger and more powerful spaceship-bound employers. This however, does not seem the case. Dominance in space does indeed provide bonuses, such as powerful air strikes that can turn the tide of battles on the ground, but it works both ways. Dominate your opponents in Dust 514, and you’ll have powerful gun batteries at your disposal to wreak destruction on your enemies in orbit.
Couple this balance of power with the fact that holding dominance on a planet will effect the sovereignty of a system, and we can see the idea CCP has for Dust 514 become more of workable possibility; rather than an optimistic experiment.
CCP have also revealed that Dust 514 players are not at the whim of EVE Online conflicts, and can conquer planets for the benefit of exploiting their resources. Planets can be upgraded to further strengthen their military and economic infrastructure. Minerals and resources can be collected and be used to generate more isk.
This could lead to independent Dust 514 corporations holding vital planetary strongholds in strategic regions of space, completely at odds with the space-faring players of EVE. The only way to successfully combat an enemy firmly dug into a planet? Hire out another Dust 514 corporation and take the fight to them.
The potential for a project this vast in scope is staggering. Excited yet?
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The marriage between computer networked mmos and console mmos has been a desire by the gaming industry for a while. CCP announced Dust over 2 years ago, so it is exciting to see it getting closer to market finally. They are setting the stage for a whole next experience and social-gamer setting than ever before. Eve relies heavily on player maintained “Corps” creating the world, politics, economics, almost everything. So seeing where Dust plays into that will be interesting. CCP does nothing half-assed, so I am excited!