Factional Warfare Erupts in EVE Online with Launch of Empyrean Age
The events leading to the outbreak of war in the expansion are based on the science-fiction novel, EVE: The Empyrean Age, utilizing a rare and dynamic creative style where an MMO and traditional literature mirror each other’s development. Written by EVE novelist Tony Gonzales, EVE: The Empyrean Age will be released in the UK by ORION Books on June 19, 2008 with worldwide distribution to follow.
“Factional Warfare has been on the wish list for a while and we’re excited to be able to introduce it in this expansion, giving players a new framework to engage in roleplaying and PvP,” said Noah Ward, lead designer for CCP. “The focus is on accessibility and fun. The features in Empyrean Age will appeal to players on many different levels: a tightly integrated storyline, social camaraderie, focused combat and battle statistics.”
The dawn of the Empyrean Age entails the following new features:
• Factional Militias and Ranks - The militias serve to organize each government’s war effort. All militia members will share a chat channel to allow them to quickly coordinate strategy. The ranking system rewards talented pilots by granting titles and recognition within their chosen militia. • Factional Warfare Agents – More than 260 new militia agents coordinate the activities of militia pilots and assign missions inside enemy territory. • Statistics – Pilots can track their own warfare victories and kill statistics, as well as those of their corporation and militia. In addition, the galactic map has new options to show system control status and to detect the presence of hostile militia forces. • System Occupancy – Occupancy is gained by winning conflicts in contested complexes and indicates that the militia is succeeding in capturing and holding valuable territory for their empire. • Combat Zones – Starship pilots will find a variety of combat zones in low security space. Each of the systems within a combat zone contains a System Control Bunker which coordinates all activity within that system's Factional Warfare Complexes. Once a militia defeats a certain number of complexes, they are authorized to attack the bunker. A victory against the Control Bunker shifts control of the system to the victorious militia. • Factional Warfare Complexes - Militia pilots that successfully scan for a hidden deadspace complex and hold it uncontested for a set amount of time will claim it for their faction, and be rewarded with corporate standing as well as more tangible benefits. • World Shaping – The confines of settled space cannot contain a war of this scale, causing the fighting to spill over into a new region. Named "Black Rise," this new region contains 49 new star systems, 80 new agents and nearly 40 stations, many of which are already sworn to one faction or another.
A list of features with full details can be found at http://www.eveonline.com/empyreanage/index.html.
Availability: EVE Online: Empyrean Age is available for subscribers as a free download at www.eve-online.com/download/. Non-subscribers should visit the EVE website to sign up for a free 14-day trial account. EVE: The Empyrean Age, published by ORION Books, will be available in the UK through online outlets such as Amazon, PLAY, Waterstone’s and The Book Depository as well as select retailers including Borders and The Forbidden Planet.
About EVE Online Set tens of thousands of years in the future, EVE Online is a breathtaking journey to the stars, to an immersive experience filled with adventure, riches, danger and glory. With over 230,000 subscribers worldwide inhabiting the same virtual universe, EVE features a vast player-run economy where your greatest asset is the starship, designed to accommodate your specific needs, skills and ambitions. EVE offers professions ranging from commodities trader to mercenary, industrial entrepreneur to pirate, mining engineer to battle fleet commander or any combination of these and much more. From brokering business deals to waging war, you will have access to a diverse array of sophisticated tools and interfaces to forge your own destiny in EVE. Learn more and sign up for a free, 14-day trial at www.eve-online.com.
Definition of Subscribers EVE Online subscribers include individuals who have paid a subscription fee or have an active electronic time code (ETC) to play EVE Online, as well as those who have purchased the game and are within their free month of access. The above definition excludes all players under free promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions and expired ETCs.
About CCP CCP is recognized internationally as an industry-leading pioneer of the single-server persistent universe architecture as the developer and publisher of EVE Online, the critically-acclaimed, science fiction-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). Utilizing a cross-discipline approach combining cutting-edge technology and artistic excellence, CCP is dedicated to providing vibrant, compelling products that transcend the boundaries of conventional MMOGs and facilitate social networking through virtual worlds. Founded in 1997 and privately held, the company is headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, with offices in Atlanta, London and Shanghai. More information about CCP is available at the company’s website, www.ccpgames.com.
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