With the in-person Fanfest of EVE Online inching its way closer, CCP Games is hoping to spin up some hype for both the event as well as future updates to the spaceship sandbox in a wide-ranging preview post that covers several planned updates.
Some of the highlights in the post include yet another tweak to the tutorial that will feature “a mysterious mining adventure”; updates to player owned customs offices (POCOs) like ramped-up gantry shield HP and increased onlining delay; new role bonuses to battleships meant to improve survivability and mobility; and the promise of changes to the core mechanics and modules of structures, which will be detailed in the coming months
One particular point of note in the blog is related to ore compression, which readers will recall was set to change in the New Dawn quadrant but saw a delay of its release due to player feedback. The upcoming new compression system for spaceships will now offer the same lossless compression for asteroid ore and ice that structures enjoy, but only if a fleet of ships joined by a Rorqual or Porpoise with the right modules are together.
These updates won’t be coming in quadrants anymore, as CCP Games will shift to a “grander overarching narrative” that will deploy over a longer time period than the previous three month cycle. The post still promises a consistent cadence of updates, balance changes, and events, writing, “The pace of releases and fresh content in EVE will be maintained, but with the added flexibility to tackle larger projects as well.”
All of the planned adjustments are headed to the game before Fanfest starts on May 6th at Laugardalshöll Arena in Reykjavik, Iceland. This does indeed mean that the event is still set as an in-person affair. According to the Iceland Review, the country is showing high infection rates of COVID but low hospitalization periods as of this past Monday, February 14th, while the country currently mandates a general gathering limit of 200 people, social distancing, and mandatory mask use in places where distancing can’t be ensured.
The link above provides more critical context, as well as this post from January outlining travel requirements in place. Of course, this information could change between now and May; stay safe and be smart regardless.
