Meta-Gaming

Communications Center General Discussion
1

This is my first post in a long time, as I’m tentatively putting my toes back into Eve (via Alpha, because I’m po’ right now). I’m a little out of touch with the most recent developments, but I played for years in the beginning.

Anyhow, to the point. Is there interest in an EVE metagame, something that weaves out-of-game and in-game content to create a fulfilling and unique replayable experience? I of course would not want something like this to interfere with CCP’s gameplay (or earnings) so any design would take that into consideration. I’m gauging interest right now and have no plans at this stage, but I’m envisioning something like this: (for a snapshot example, jump to the big TL;DR at the bottom)

-a ‘tabletop-style’ online boardgame that involves ground tactical play. This is technology-limited, so probably relying on something off-shelf, like VASSAL. This is rudimentarily similar to DUST in concept, but capable of more liberal and complex gameplay.

-an organic EVE-reliant logistic framework. I like the idea of using alot of the ‘item junk’ from EVE to serve as material requirements for items in this meta-game. This would take alot of those neat (but pointless) commodities in EVE and give them secondary purpose in this other game. This would also stimulate the EVE economy and open new markets, assuming anyone played the meta-game.

-a cadre of ‘game-manager’ players could handle the logistics, crediting teams in the meta-game with the materials they supply in EVE and verifying locations of ships and other EVE-dependent criteria. Some kind of robust protection system would be in place to ensure members of the cadre cant rip people off (or at least limit that to acceptable and reimbursable levels).

-Utilize positioning and locations in EVE, along with ship interactions, to keep it cohesive with EVE.

-Provide in-game rewards for the victorious, funded by the gameplay itself.

now, for a specific example that doesn’t read like a technical journal. This is just a rough outline:

–TL;DR–

Game announces a contest on a particular planet (probably with some kind of backstory for flavour). The first player or team to secure the entire planet wins. Victory includes an isk prize and bragging rights.

Players sign up in advance and listed visibly to each other (allow for war decs in preparation). Once the game commences, game cadre will be available at the planet to receive goods and commodities, which they will credit to the players in the meta game (i.e. these goods have been successfully delivered to the planet). Those commodities can be used in the meta-game to create structures or combat units, allow territories to be secured or combat to be carried out. Example: (the specific commodities are just examples)

Team Alpha loads 100 marines on a transport along with 100 small arms and escort it with a few frigates. They head for the planet, but are intercepted by Team Bravo. A fight ensues, but the transport barely escapes. It successfully makes it to a safe area in orbit around the planet, where a member of the game cadre receives the marines and small arms. Team Alpha now has access to 100 armed marines in the metagame, which they are free to deploy and use.

The goal of this game is to have fun and give some life to those useless commodities floating around EVE. Maybe find a use for those damn scientists. I think itd be a good idea to stick to lower-value commodities to limit potential fraud problems. The winner of the metagame should get a prize, perhaps funded by a small isk entry fee or something similar.

Anyhow, thats my idea. I’ll develop it further, with community input and support, if there is any interest. I’d like somebody from CCP to weigh in to make sure this doesn’t violate EULA or something. I’d hate to see people interested and work on developing something only to see it skewered by a C&D letter.

If you like this, speak up. If you don’t, speak up and tell me why. Thanks for reading o7

2

You want to be a pen-and-paper game-master, who orchestrates some sort of DnD-like EVE-related competition between opposing teams (let’s say from different alliances), artificially played out-of-game but with in-game item collections and ISK rewards? Players collect various in-game junk items (marines, livestock, scientists) to be used as figurines in your pen-and-paper session, and you collect these + a gameplay fee (in ISK), then roll the d20’s and let them know the outcome of the “fights,” and hand out a portion of the fees as a winning prize?

How about this for a suggestion, instead: CCP acquired White Wolf a long time ago, and even with all the White Wolf employees being gone by now, CCP should have some experience and technical know-how about releasing a Game Master’s Manual, a Player’s Handbook, and maybe a Monsters Manual or Manual of the Regions, and thus be able to create and EVE-themed pen-and-paper game that they can profit directly from, courtesy of sales of the aforementioned manuals, themed dice, and other paraphernalia. How about they do that instead, and then game masters all over the world can start EVE campaigns.

EDIT: Oops, wait a second, nevermind, they can’t, as White Wolf (and all the expertise) has been sold to Paradox. Perhaps you can post your idea on the Paradox forums instead? But it won’t be an EVE-related game. WAIT, I KNOW! Maybe CCP buys White Wolf back from Paradox, so they can implement this idea!!!

EDIT 2: You should post ideas in the Player Features and Ideas forum.

1 Like
3

Hi, thanks for responding!

This is mostly accurate, although I wouldn’t characterize the meta-game as a ‘pen-and-paper’ game. If I wanted to do an EVE tabletop rp, I could just invent rules and play it locally. What makes the game I’m suggesting different is that it incorporates gameplay in EVE with ‘pen-and-paper’ elements. Strategies for locating sufficient quantities of in-game commodities, ambushing collection and transport of those elements, establishing blockades and running blockades; these are all aspects that can only be achieved in EVE.

Also, I want to make a quick point about funds. This is intended to be non-profit, any funds that weren’t doled as prize money would only be kept to keep the project solvent. There are far more efficient ways to make isk.

4

I am doing like this alone for few years already. :joy:

I have some rules and board and cards and tokens, but I have to make event cards too. Dont know when it will be finished tho.

5

Thats awesome. I’ve thought about this for several years as well, but I never put anything together. In a perfect world, CCP would have some kind of MMORTS interwoven with the EVE universe. Perhaps something like we’re talking about could demonstrate interest.

Anyone else out there? Speak up!

6

The Hex game idea of what PI was envisioned is much like what you are talking about just not in the board game sense but the turn based style of slower game.

Tbh the addition of that with regard to the PI interface would be interesting. Though to upset the PI supply and demand at this point would be catastrophic to market matters.

But a Hex based planetary game would be quite interesting even if it doesnt effect Eves world in any way. Think a civilization style game with turn based combat. The issue there is participation. If you make each turn 8 hours or 12 or 24 hours then people will cry because they arent “no lifers” and cant make each turn and should always have their turn anyway.

So though good in theory theres a reason why most turn based games have fewer players.

7

Timing of battles and player scheduling is a challenge, but its probably surmountable. Offhand I’d say something like:

Team A wants to take a territory from Team B, so they ‘initiate an operation’, wherein they commit the forces and resources to the attempt. The operation takes 24 hours to complete and can be interrupted by a defensive move from Team B.

This basically creates an invitation for a match in the actual game engine, probably VASSAL or similar. If Team B doesn’t respond in 24 hours, Team A captures the territory. If Team B responds, but Team A is no longer available, the attack is repelled. If Team B responds and Team A is available, they fight. Something similar to this could resolve the scheduling problems inherent in a game that spans all timezones.

8

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.