Apparently we’ll see some information on the 2025 EVE Roadmap later this week (@CCP_Swift indicated there would be a video discussing this). The CSM is also having their summit this week so that probably ties-in with that.
Any predictions for the Summer/Winter expansions? (assuming CCP retains the 2 expansions/year model) Will it be another null-sec sweep for 2025 or will we finally see a dedicated expansion for low-sec, high-sec or wormhole space? How much will EVE Vanguard and EVE Frontier take focus in 2025?
Will we see a trickle of QoL improvements over the year for PI or maybe even a major overhaul? Mining hasn’t been in the greatest place for a while now - and is probably in the worse shape it’s ever been since Equinox and Revenant. Will we finally see this addressed? CCP tried to remedy carriers with some upgraded roles last year but I think these have been a mixed bag of snakes. Will 2025 finally be the year that sees the ‘red headed stepchild’ improved?
Low sec was the last focus before Equinox shifted the focus to Null, so highly doubt it.
EVE Frontier is completely separate and has it’s own pace. Though I do suspect there will be EVE Online tie ins for Vanguard.
Depending on who you ask, mining is actually doing well. It’s producers and buyers that are complaining about the MPI.
I think this year will be more Drifters and more Null. Drifters affecting all areas of space, and more iteration on the recent Null changes. Hopefully we will see more carrier balance, or at least a more defined role adjustment.
TLDR: This YouTube comment sums the video up best - “A whole bunch of nothing”.
. . . . .
Well, I’m 10 minutes into the 60-minute presentation and they haven’t really said anything of substance yet.
Summer expansion: building on Equinox sov (“strategic investment”); more iteration on Equinox sov (robust, scalable, customizable space) dynamic resources and freelance/core projects. Small steps (no rushing), monitoring, listening to feedback.
Talked about unlocking potential with the code (new as well as existing code base), with the goal of adding new tools for game designers as well as returning to finish off older projects.
Said they want to focus on smaller (~10 player) corps projects, ie: “the smaller guy”. Working on improving relationship between new players and corporations (get players into corporations faster).
25 minutes into the presentation at this point and I’m still waiting for them to actually say something.
Capsuleer Day will be back, possibly a bit different (no real hints).
Mentioned Drifters vs. Deathless, possible future ongoing conflict (player events). Possibly some more Deathless content.
Projection (Equinox sov, Zarzakh changes); long-range projection (too easy to get around). Who can travel through gates, types of gates, positioning of gates.
Planetary resources will determine what kind of flexibility you have (trimming, smaller steps). If you want more there’s going to be a tradeoff.
35 minutes in, this is turning into an exercise of just listening to them talk to themselves.
Talking about MER, mineral prices, PLEX prices, faucets and sinks, etc. Player-driven economy, self balancing vs. changes, etc.
Talking about small changes to Pochven, wormholes (etc.) and continuing to do that.
45 minutes and this has just bern a colossal waste of time. Scrolling through the comments to find out if I missed anything, but nope.
So basically 2025 sounds like it’s going to be a continuation of Equinox sov, scarcity, projection, null-sec, null-sec and more null-sec. With maybe some changes to wormhole space (since they didn’t mention high-sec or low-sec once).
There was a short section where it seemed to be implied that many people don’t know the difference between an NPC corp and a player corp, and some amendments that would make that clearer…with the focus being more on guiding noobs into corps than on the NPE.
More relevant to older players was a hint of some mechanism that would make ’ your kind of corp’ easier to find.
Past history shows CCP is quite iffy on designing and coding interesting games, but they’ve definitely mastered talking in circles about any vague notions they have “in the works”.
While it would be good for CCP to create more tools to attract and interest players in player corps, CCP has been saying this “encourage players to join player corps” thing for over a decade now. They started with the NPC tax way back when and then took another 5 years just to realize that wardecs were chasing “player corps” out of the game in droves.
CCP has a strong tendency to talk about the need for smaller groups in game, and then design things that work best for either the largest group possible, or multiboxers. They’ve never really understood small group play.
Thats the point. They still believe that the “large groups make the game!” but they fail to realize that it’s the “small groups that make the future” - because these will be the CEOs, FCs, new Competitiors and new Empires that will keep the game full of conflicting interests and visions - if you just let them grow instead of forcing them into a system of vasalls and renters completely dominated by the existing powers and only feeding those already at the top.
CCP having Devs from “certain larger groups” while the lobby CSM largely consists of sock puppets from those same “certain larger groups” means you can be fairly certain they’re going to maintain the status quo and cling to power as much as they can.
Making it extremely difficult for new blood to grow, prosper and become the (future) content creators/generators that EVE will (have to) rely on.