EVE Vanguard, the integrated companion FPS to EVE Online, represents something a bit different for the otherwise spaceship-focused MMORPG but certainly not something that CCP Games hasn’t tried and failed at before. This time will be different, however, if we’re to take the word of art director Niel Kaminski, who talked to CGMagazine about developing the feature and offered a bit of a look at where the team is going.
Kaminski confirms that the tests for Vanguard currently set through June are basically ways to build the game out and see what resonates, with a reference to extraction elements shared at one point, though he’s also quick to point out that Vanguard won’t be an extraction shooter.
Kaminski also talked about the intention of Vanguard forming “meaningful connections” between players, whether they’re EVE vets or not, though he doesn’t really elaborate on how that will work mechanically; he does acknowledge that bringing the mindsets of EVE lifers and shooter fans together is something that’s being considered, yet he also says fleshing it all out is “a marathon, not a sprint.”
From a mechanical side, Kaminski talks about adding more visually dynamic planets, introducing various planetary hazards, the potential introduction of weapon and shield crafting, and how to approach ammo management. There were no timelines for when these features would arrive, but he promises that “everything will evolve over time.”
Finally, Kaminski acknowledges that DUST 514 “happened” and promised that references to manufacturers, clans, and empires that were part of the game will be in Vanguard, along with “elements that were popular with the fans into [Vanguard’s] new context.” Kaminski also says that events that occurred within EVE Valkyrie will get their nod in Vanguard as well.
