EVE Online has been Free2Play since yesterday – almost. The new Alpha clones allow players to play for free, albeit with restrictions. CCP Games’ Andie Nordgren has now answered some questions in an interview.
Many EVE Online players are concerned that a flood of new players will create chaos and disrupt the balance in the game. CCP Games was aware of this from the start, which is why they gradually prepared the community for the changes. They didn’t want to “surprise” anyone by simply introducing the feature.
The balancing has to be right
Andie Nordgren explains that many alliances are now founding new corporations in the starting areas of the game as recruitment agencies with the launch of the Free2Play version. Through these, each alliance aims to attract new players. Additionally, the team intentionally chose the restrictions that Alpha clones now have. It is not possible to play more than one account simultaneously, so players cannot mine with multiple accounts unless they pay for a subscription. This should help maintain the balance to some extent. While some new players are sure to cause trouble, they aim to limit this as much as possible.
The game will also be monitored more closely to intervene immediately if a player causes trouble, gets banned, and then immediately creates a new free account to continue causing chaos. Currently, for example, it is possible for Alpha clones to attack anyone in high-security areas, but as soon as they notice that this feature is being exploited in any way, they will take action against it.
CCP Games are the custodians of EVE Online
CCP Games, however, prefers not to intervene too much. They see themselves more as a type of “custodian” who shows up when something needs to be repaired. Basically, everything is allowed within certain limits, even cheating. The rules of the real world also apply in EVE Online. But the game has its own dynamics. It can happen that a player who has previously shot you invites you into their corporation. EVE Online works like this: you drink a beer together and then bash each other’s heads in.
CCP Games has also ensured during the transition to Free2Play that certain systems can no longer be exploited, including gambling, where many millions of ISK (in-game currency) had to be removed from the game. This was necessary on one hand, but on the other hand, it also pained the developers to remove such an organization from the game, which had contributed significantly to the world of EVE Online. In the end, however, balance always comes first. That must be right. And the rules that apply in the real world must also be followed in EVE Online.
The sci-fi hardcore MMORPG EVE Online is the simulation of a ruthless universe. On a single server, thousands of players go at each other in a constantly changi...
