I know the MMO on the tip of everyone’s tongue when it comes to thinking about old games is World of Warcraft. The Blizzard RPG has been in commission for over a decade, and just received its latest expansion in a bid to keep the proverbial ball rolling. But EVE Online, the space mining and trading simulator, usurps it by over a year. And after thirteen years of crashing economies and massive colonial battles, it’s opening the gates for new players.
EVE Online developers CCP have revealed new plans to introduce a free-to-play option for the MMO. Players will now be split into two different classes of Clones. Omega Clone will be the new name for paying players, who will have access to all the features they have now. Alpha Clones, the free-to-play players, will be able to engage with most of the game’s systems. Certain abilities, traits and ships will be locked out, but for the most part you’ll be able to kickstart your EVE Online life and get a good feel for the complex title.
Returning subscription players who might have abilities or items outside of the free-to-play rules will have limited access to them for a short time, with most of the content being locked out the next time you dock your ship. That’s really the only divide between players that CCP is implementing after the game’s next expansion, but if you’re looking for the specifics you can check out the extensive blog post here.
EVE Online, for those who don’t know, is a gruelingly difficult space exploration title that has fascinated mathematicians and financial analysts for years now. The economy alone in EVE Online is one of its biggest draws, with an incredible amount of balance and behaviour that mimics real-life stock exchanges. It’s so delicate that massive space battles incur huge real-world financial losses for warring factions, making their lengthy engagements engrossing to follow.
Jettisoning off as a lonely space colonist thirteen years later might sound daunting, but at least now there’s no real barrier to entry.
Last Updated: September 1, 2016
Ottokie
September 1, 2016 at 11:01
I can’t wait to try this out
Spy Master Tokashi
September 1, 2016 at 13:03
Had so much fun playing Eve back in the day … still one of my favourite MMOs
Pariah ???
September 1, 2016 at 11:06
Because gameplay.
http://www.network-technologies.org/grfx/eve_window_mode.png
http://i.imgur.com/Bu6Br6V.png
Ottokie
September 1, 2016 at 11:09
looks like my WoW auction house play style
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 1, 2016 at 11:06
Meh. Space Excel.
Sageville
September 1, 2016 at 11:10
Russian Space Excel…
RinceThis
September 1, 2016 at 11:22
But new planets!
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 1, 2016 at 11:27
18 quintillion or GITS.
RinceThis
September 1, 2016 at 11:29
Sky? Or space?! Be clear!
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 1, 2016 at 11:32
Clarity is for the small minded!
RinceThis
September 1, 2016 at 11:36
GITFNMS!
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 1, 2016 at 11:39
A conundrum!
HairyEwok
September 1, 2016 at 11:14
The game made for excel lovers and accountants.
Raptor Rants
September 1, 2016 at 11:20
http://orig07.deviantart.net/dd2f/f/2011/038/a/4/3d_la_emoticon_by_thecospig-d3916o1.gif
Original Heretic
September 1, 2016 at 11:21
Wow, that’s some fast moving hands.
Dutch Matrix
September 1, 2016 at 11:33
What she said?
Raptor Rants
September 1, 2016 at 11:27
Ok so after reading the CCP blog post around the limitations of an Alpha clone I am not interested. The place it would put me in, in regards to where I left off would be a massive step back. As in almost a year’s worth of work that will be inaccessible.
They should at least have allowed existing players that DID pay up to that point to keep all the skills and equipment they have currently. Not put it backwards. After all I did support them for 3 years. That way I would be able to play as I am now, be capped with most of my skills that I have, I can freely try the new skills that I haven’t trained yet etc.
But now instead I won’t be able to use any of my Tech 2 frigates for low and nullsec hunting, none of my T2 miners etc etc.
I don’t think they are doing right by older players who stopped due to subscription fees being too much.
But then again, this is me just being picky and privileged
RinceThis
September 1, 2016 at 11:29
http://i.imgur.com/NiPkkOJ.gif
Admiral Chief
September 1, 2016 at 11:30
tl;dr
Alessandro Barbosa
September 1, 2016 at 12:48
Well then every one of the game’s veteran players (or, as you put it, anyone who has actually played for a year or two) wouldn’t need to pay ever again.
Raptor Rants
September 1, 2016 at 14:36
Technically they don’t lol. Those players are making so much in-game money they just buy plex. But I guess I understand what you are saying.
It just… it just doesn’t seem to be a solution for me I guess. Also as I said I am being overly picky and being a bit “privileged” (I need a new word. The internet has destroyed that word).
For me it wouldn’t work coz I’d be going backwards.
GlennFitzpatrick
September 2, 2016 at 03:34
yep after 5 years of EVE I could play for “free” with maybe 2 or 3 hours play a month making ISK. In the end though they removed everything interesting and I was only logging in that 2 or 3 hours needed to stay subbed so I quit.
Spy Master Tokashi
September 1, 2016 at 13:02
Star Wars Old Republic Free to play is for me the best FTP model for a paid subscription based MMO.
RinceThis
September 1, 2016 at 11:27
Played this game for 2 years and enjoyed it. Until I realised it’s actually a substitute for real life. When you have to wait for a year (sometimes more) for a skill to develop so you can fly a particular craft you start to realise it’s easier to have a kid and get them to do the housework in 20 years.
Spy Master Tokashi
September 1, 2016 at 12:56
So it is easier to have a kid and spend so much money for 20 years than waiting for a skill to complete …. wow … ouch.
Did not know that waiting for a skill is so much more expensive … my eve experience does not even come close to baby diaper expenses …
miaau
September 1, 2016 at 14:23
Eve: If I had the time, years ago, it would have sucked me in. Totally. Made X2 and X3 look stupid and they, SP and all that, were already very, very cool and complex. Getting a factory system up, with mining, into raw material processing, to ever increasing complexity of goods…. Was fun at a time, very, very long ago.
Resisted the urge before, finding it a no brainer now, not even considering it. Maybe if I retire in 3 years time? Yeeeeeeeeeesssssss, good dream.
GlennFitzpatrick
September 2, 2016 at 03:31
meh … they shot themselves in the foot multiple times in the last few years and have lost half their players compared to five years ago and this smacks of some desperate attempt to save the situation. The game is lucky to have 20k players online most days compared to 50K plus 5 years ago. They need to return to what made EVE challenging and interesting.
Viking Of Science
September 2, 2016 at 10:34
It’s also Got the GREATEST propaganda! http://www.pcgamer.com/eve-online-propaganda/