EVE: Equinox And CCP's Plans For Null Sec

Yesterday CCP continued the Equinox hype train with a video and news article on the upcoming changes coming in EVE Online's summer expansion. Waking up to a new video was a pleasant surprise.

The developers went into greater detail about some of the planned changes. The one that snapped me wide awake is the substitution of customs offices in null security space with orbital skyhooks. My first thought was, "A lot of players are going to find out how Interbus felt when the customs offices were introduced." 

The changes will introduce three new structures to the game. The first, the aforementioned orbital skyhook, is required to obtain the resources needed to make the entire Equinox system work. In addition to existing planetary interaction resources, player groups will need skyhooks to obtain the new colony resources coming this June. But, importantly, only in player-owned null sec. The orbital skyhooks are not usable anywhere else.

Remember back during 2019's Chaos Era when CCP set the Drifters to attack the structures of the null sec powers? The developers did not abandon the idea. Orbital skyhooks will also attract NPC pirates.

Once an orbital skyhook is in place, capsuleers must be vigilant, as there's a periodic risk of encountering a Pirate Orbital Blockade. These blockades challenge players to either engage in combat with pirate NPCs, potentially at an officer level, including capital and supercapital ships, or run the blockade. Successfully lifting these blockades rewards pilots with ISK in addition to enhancing the defensive rating of the solar system. The blockades thus give capsuleers more opportunities to tackle powerful pirate NPCs for impressive rewards. 

I'm not sure how the PvP focused players in null sec will handle having to defend their space from NPCs. Hopefully the pirate AI has improved over the past 5 years.

The next structure is something I've wanted to see for a long time. CCP is finally replacing the territorial control unit and infrastructure hub to create the sovereignty hub. As someone who tried following null sec wars, the territorial control unit never made sense. Combining the two into one structure makes a lot more sense. I think though, the move gave the developers an opportunity (or excuse) to revamp the old I-Hub upgrades. The following examples sound a lot more powerful and tempting than the existing upgrades.

One example of improved sovereignty upgrades is the addition of a new, harder combat anomaly for the Pirate Detection Array upgrade. Furthermore, all sites detected by this array will now have a chance to escalate, with some having the possibility of capital or even officer escalations. 

Another upgrade will allow the detection of previously undiscovered ores, allowing sovereign nullsec leaders to choose what minerals their system will provide, potentially reducing manufacturing bottlenecks and shaping space to suit their needs. 

Once again, we are seeing efforts from CCP to add new PvE content to null sec. We will need to see what the effects on the economy are over the rest of the year.

The final structure breaks the pattern of null sec only content as players can deploy the new Metenox moon drill in any place moon mining is possible. CCP's vision for the structure follows:

The Metenox may be less efficient than manual extraction by players using an Athanor or Tatara, but instead, it slowly collects the resources obtained from mining and refining moon ore in an automated fashion. This gives smaller alliances and corporations normally more focused on aggression the ability to mine moons, even if they lack the necessary manpower. For those groups that do have the manpower, they can focus their attention on the high-value moons while the Metenox takes care of the lower value ones.

The Metenox moon drill is a throwback to the pre-Upwell passive moon mining POS. In those days, moon mining was a cause for fights as often the ISK generated from the moon did not pay for the defense of the moon, especially in low sec. But this latest iteration has a twist: running the Metenox requires reagents, one of the new null sec only resources harvestable with the presence of an orbital skyhook. The availability of reagents will deterine the use of the Metenox moon drill outside null sec.

Speaking of regeants, now is a good time to discuss the new colony resources found only in null security space: power, workforce and reagents. Once again I'll let the developers explain.

Power comes from suns or plasma and storm planets. It is a hard limitation within each system, which determines how many upgrades your sovereignty hub can support and run. Workforce consists of the people, specialists, and tools required to run these upgrades. This is a soft limitation and can be transferred between systems, however certain conditions apply. Reagents are two new fuel types, extracted from ice and lava planets. They are used to fuel sovereignty upgrades and to run the Metenox moon drill, and are freely exchangeable, opening new market opportunities for entrepreneurial capsuleers. 

Once the resources have been extracted, power and workforce will become available in the sovereignty hub, while reagents must be collected and distributed. 

The change to make planets and not just base security status important may have knock on effects. The devs may think they know, but until the leadership of the various major and minor null sec powers examine the space geography, I wouldn't think to guess what the forms of those changes will take. CCP, on the other hand, decided to publicize the goals of the new colony resource system.

Perceptive pilots will notice that power is somewhat of a baseline resource, while the other two offer more opportunities for disruption. As power and workforce will be required for sovereignty upgrades, fresh opportunities will emerge for those looking to sabotage and disrupt by choosing to destroy orbital skyhooks. These structures function similarly to medium Upwell structures with a single shield reinforcement and damage caps on armor and hull, and will continue working while reinforced. 

Additionally, a new form of hit-and-run activity is being added around the orbital skyhooks, allowing pilots to hack into them in the style of ESS heists, enabling them to steal resources and sell them off. Reagents will have a period of maturation within the structure, ensuring that they will always be somewhat vulnerable to theft. 

Throwing enemies’ workforce into disarray by attacking a sovereignty hub’s Workforce Transport Complex or a workforce-providing skyhook directly or even starving them of an essential reagent before an attack will become viable stratagems, bringing meaningful new conflict drivers to the table for raiders and attackers. 

The introduction of these new structures is sure to gain immense attention, including the notice of local pirate forces, so be wary of warping to these structures in undefended haulers! In fact, there’s a chance of facing officer-level NPCs around skyhooks, so be prepared. 

Honestly I'm not sure New Eden will ever see the major reason for large-scale wars in null sec turning on economic issues. I believe interpersonal conflict will still lead to in-game war. But the people who get paid to think and implement ideas think differently. Of course, previous generations of EVE Online developers learned development plans never survive contact with the player base.

One plan the developers have does get my full approval. Bitter vets may find the idea hard to believe, but the Equinox suite of products and systems was designed with the user experience in mind. Perhaps I should credit the existence of the Upwell Consortium and the need to fit into the Upwell look and feel.

First, the user experience team developed an in-space UI to make depositing of fuel easier, as well as listing hacking objectives. The UI also contains important information concerning the Equinox suite. Did CCP actually design a feature to make the lives of alliance logistics players easier? I hope the answer truly is yes.

Next, the Agency is receiving another addition.

Information about the distribution of the new colony resources, power, workforce, and reagents will be easily accessible through the Agency window under the Resource Harvesting tab. The interface allows capsuleers to search and filter for specific resources, their availability and quantity, informing pilots’ decisions about the expansion of their sovereign space and empowering them to find and target valuable star systems. 

On a non-Equinox note, I remember when the Agency was first introduced and seemed a downgrade from what we had. Over the years, though, the developers continued iterating on the feature, which years ago was something CCP was not known for.

But perhaps a bigger deal is supporting the leadership of player organizations with in-game tools.

Capsuleers in managerial roles will gain access to a dedicated interface capable of installing and prioritizing upgrades. Pilots will be able to design their desired layouts for upgrades, monitor resources available to the sovereignty hub, and efficiently manage workforce transfers. The interface provides a centralized hub for strategic decision-making, enabling managers to optimize their territory effectively. 

I also want to applaud the developers of thinking about the spies. I realize the devs probably weren't concerned with operational security with this decision, but that's what came to mind when I read the following paragraph.

Additionally, through the corporation window, all players within an alliance holding sovereign nullsec territory can now track collective progress, receive updates, and gain insights into their sovereign space activities. The alliance tab has been revamped with a new section dedicated to sovereignty. The aim here is to strike a balance between clarity, accessibility, and engaging aesthetics. By incorporating table layouts for easy sorting, filters for enhanced research, and graphical data representation for items such as resource allocation and fuel consumption, the interface is designed to inform and captivate, ensuring capsuleers stay engaged and up to date about the state of their territory. 

Honestly, I can't wait to hear how the null sec alliances deal with the security implications.

I'll finish this post off with how CCP believes players will utilize the new Equinox sovereignty system.

With the introduction of the Equinox suite, Upwell sets out to redefine the strategic importance of system locations within the universe. It enables capsuleers to specialize the systems they oversee, providing the flexibility to adapt and maneuver workforce resources across their territories as necessary. 

Strategic planning is paramount with the Equinox suite, as pilots must consider potential attack vectors. For instance, a system might offer substantial power resources but lack nearby workforce sources and be susceptible to isolation. Capsuleers may invest in such a system or opt for a less optimal but more defensible position. Furthermore, pilots must consider how they'll distribute various system upgrades to maximize their effectiveness - specializing in mining or combat operations could greatly influence their strategic decisions. 

The Equinox expansion also introduces heightened opportunities for raiding, trading, and betrayal. Expect intense specialization in mining or combat readiness in certain systems. Pilots can utilize Metenox moon drills as strategic bait for skirmishes or as significant income sources on a larger scale. The ability to fine-tune systems to suit specific needs, such as mining for isogen or hunting high-level pirates, will appeal to many. For those adept at wormhole operations, the thrill of ambushing an overly ambitious adversary or raiding a vulnerable reagent skyhook offers a tantalizing prospect. 

As I mentioned before, CCP's development plans never match up with what players ultimately do in EVE. But the new system does address some of the weaknesses of the current system, such as useless sovereignty structures and reintroducing conflict drivers. I have the feeling Equinox will received some positive player feedback this summer. Then again, I don't play in null sec, so I might be wrong.

CCP Games Revenue Up 6.7%, Returns To Profitability In 2023

Today the financial statement CCP ehf. (aka CCP Games) filed with the Icelandic taxing authority for covering 2023 became available on the Skatturinn website. Last year the game company's revenue increased 6.7% to $73.2 million, compared to 2022's $68.6 million. The $5.6 million profit recorded was the first since 2020. The company attributed the revenue gain to "new service revenue related to outsourced development work, along with general cost savings." Indeed, the filing showed a decline of $180 thousand in game revenue compared to 2022's $55,914,671. 

One point to mention is apparently CCP did not reduce overall headcount in order to come up with savings. The company began 2023 with 177 employees and ended the year with 173.

Pearl Abyss Iceland, the holding company controlling CCP ehf, recorded a loss in 2023 of $18.8 million. In 2022 the figure was $70.1 million.

A year ago for the 20th anniversary of EVE Online I created a post looking back at what previous financial filings said about each year of CCP's existence since the launch of EVE. I figured I'd continue the practice by posting the company's submitted review of 2023.

CCP ehf. designs, develops, markets, and operates immersive virtual worlds and games accessible over the Internet. Its mission is to create virtual worlds that are more meaningful than real life. The Company is headquartered in Iceland and owns and operates subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, China, and the United States.

Operations during the year

The Company's revenues in 2023 were USD 73.2 million compared to USD 68.6 million in the previous year. The net profit for the year amounted to USD 5.6 million compared to a net loss of USD 205 thousand in the previous year. New service revenue related to outsourced development work, along with general cost savings, are the main reasons for the change in net results between years. Assets at year-end were USD 71.0 million, shareholders' equity USD 29.8 million and equity ratio 41.9%. The Company employed 173 people at year-end compared to 177 at the beginning of the year. 

In June 2023, CCP released Viridian, a major expansion for EVE Online that introduced sophisticated new tools for players to manage their corporations and set goals. These tools created new avenues for players to forge relationships and engage in socially driven gameplay. The expansion also included new cutting-edge visual updates.

Also in June, CCP deployed the free Microsoft Excel add-in for EVE Online, developed in collaboration with the Excel team at Microsoft. The first integration of its kind for a video game, the add-in revolutionizes EVE Online gameplay by enabling EVE players to gain deep insights into their in-game activities, track their progress, and strategize their next steps using Excel’s robust analysis and visualization tools.

In July, CCP announced the renewal of its publishing license with NetEase Games, a leading international developer and publisher. This agreement reaffirms NetEase Games' role as the exclusive publishing partner for EVE Online in China, ensuring a seamless gaming experience for Chinese players.

During EVE Fanfest 2023, held in September 2023, CCP announced its next expansion for EVE Online, named Havoc. The expansion was released in November 2023 and introduced new gameplay mechanics, ships, and customization options. CCP also revealed the Carbon Engine, a robust technical and graphical improvement for EVE Online.

At EVE Fanfest CCP presented a first look at EVE Vanguard, an upcoming multiplayer FPS module for EVE Online. EVE Vanguard is designed to be connected to EVE Online from day one, allowing players to impact EVE Online through their gameplay in EVE Vanguard. Over time, new gameplay, content and interoperability with EVE Online will be added, deepening the immersion for players and the living universe of New Eden.  In December, EVE Vanguard was made accessible to all EVE players with an active Omega account with the start of a series of four-day-long public playtests, dubbed ‘First Strike’, which recur on a monthly cadence.

CCP also revealed EVE Galaxy Conquest, a 4X strategy mobile game, during EVE Fanfest. Developed by CCP's Shanghai studio, EVE Galaxy Conquest immerses mobile players in New Eden’s thrilling cosmos, combining exploration, diplomacy, and epic player-vs-player battles. Maintaining EVE’s trademark characteristics, players will have the option to combine their strengths and form Corporations to tackle greater challenges. EVE Galaxy Conquest soft-launched in select regions on iOS and Android devices in Q4 2023, with a global release planned for 2024.

In March 2024, CCP revealed the first details about Project Awakening. With a 26-year studio history, Project Awakening represents the next step in CCP’s journey to create virtual worlds more meaningful than real life. Designed with player empowerment at its heart, Project Awakening is being developed as a single-shard survival experience that unlocks boundless creativity for third-party development via blockchain technology and cryptography.

The Board of Directors does not propose dividend payments to shareholders in 2024. Concerning the allocation of profits and changes in the equity of the Company, the Board refers to the Notes attached to the Financial Statements.

At the beginning of the year and year-end 2023, Pearl Abyss Iceland ehf. is the only shareholder in the Company.

April 2024 Activity In EVE Online

The 21st anniversary of the launch of EVE Online is just a few days away. While the game is still far from its peak in 2013, the game is still doing better than at its lowest points in the Alpha and Omega era in 2019 and 2022. The statistics in April weren't exciting, but showed the game still rising above its low points.

Jester's Average Concurrent User Graph

The 30-day average shows a very slight increase in the amount of accounts logged in at any one time in April. The 7-day average showed a dip in the middle of the month with a rise around the time of the Equinox expansion announcement. The logged in activity is most important to show New Eden still has approximately 20% more accounts logged in than in April 2023.

Statistics from Dotlan Maps

The next piece of information is measuring if the increased number of logged in accounts equates to more shooting of internet spaceships. Compared to April 2023, the answer is yes. I'll get to low sec a little later because the high sec and null sec activity is significant. The number of high sec player ships killed equates to many things, including insurance fraud. But the numbers also include new players as some of the tutorial and career agent missions require new players to lose a ship. The 29.0% increase does indicate something is happening.

Null security space also shows increased activity. The number of player ships killed isn't as significant as the 43.5% year-over-year increase in the number of NPCs players are killing in their quest to play for their PvP activity or even their game time. Null sec wars do gain EVE publicity, but as we learned during the Chaos Era, null sec PvE pays the bills.

I do want to add that I am aware of the massive (for wormhole space) going on between Singularity Syndicate and Lazerhawks over class 6 wormholes. But with CCP shutting down access to wormhole statistics years ago, looking at that activity requires either accessing the zKillboard API or the files from the April monthly economic report.

Going back to low security space, we see that for the seventh consecutive month the number of player owned ships blown up in the security band exceeded 200 thousand. Also for the third month out of the past six the number exceeded 250 thousand. I will note, however, that the number was perhaps inflated by Snuffed Out when they managed to destroy a structure with thousands of shuttles owned by Rixx Javix. I do not know if CCP removes such kills. I guess we'll find out when the next MER is published in the next few days. But with one more month until Equinox launches with major null sec changes, low sec still seems in better shape than before the Uprising expansion in 2022.

We still have one month to go, but right now the Havoc expansion looks to go down as one of the most successful content drops since the Ascension expansion of November 2016 introduced the free-to-play Alpha account to EVE Online. I might be experiencing recency bias, but after Havoc I think the game is in a much better place.

Cloud Imperium Games Sales Revenue Down 24.7% In April 2024

April continued a horrible sales year so far for Cloud Imperial Games. After suffering a 17.2% year-over-year sales decline in the first quarter of 2024, the CCU Game dashboard showed April sales at only $5.2 million. The 24.7% drop in revenue compared to April 2023 pushed the year-over-year decline down to 19.1% for the first four months of 2024. For the year, CIG's revenue from the cash shop recorded on the Roberts Space Industries funding page is $22.5 million.

Does the number of new users on the Roberts Space Industries website have any relationship to sales figures? April demonstrated the answer is no. Last month's increase of 25,000 users was a 73.6% decrease from the 94,703 new users recorded in April 2023. Either new players spend a lot more money than in 2023 or CIG mostly gets its revenues from veteran players.

Overall, the recorded sales tracked on the CCU Game dashboard is $679.9 million since the launch of the Kickstarter in October 2012. But Cloud Imperium has additional funding sources not tracked by the dashboard. Overall, the company has recorded $778.5 million in confirmed revenue (the funding page & the 2022 financial report) .

• Sales/Pledges: $679.9 million (through 30 April 2024)
• Subscriptions: $33.0 million (through 31 December 2022)
• All other sources: $65.6 million (through 31 December 2022)

In addition, the company has received a total of $63.25 million in outside investment. According to the 2022 financial report, $4.8 million of the amount was returned to investors in 2020. Including the outside investment money, the total amount raised by CIG to create Squadron 42 and Star Citizen is $837.0 million.

May will prove a key financial month for Cloud Imperium Games. The Invictus Launch Week, otherwise known as Fleet Week, is traditionally held in the final week of May. The event usually generates the second most revenue, after the Interstellar Aerospace Expo in November. 

While an announcement for pre-orders for Squadron 42 is expected in October at Citizen Con, a poor showing this month may force CIG to begin taking pre-orders in 2024. The company is facing the prospect of the Calders exercising a put option for their 1,599,900 shares of Cloud Imperium stock in the first quarter of 2025. Ideally the company does well enough in 2024 to convince the father and son duo to hold off on exercising the option until 2028.

What To Do With My Island Sanctuary After A Year

Over the weekend I completed another grind in Final Fantasy XIV. As grinds go, obtaining the Island Adenium mount from my island sanctuary wasn't onerous. I just needed to go to my island every Tuesday and ensure I would earn the maximum number of Felicitous Favors (7) from my workshops every week for 29 weeks. Honestly, apart from the necessity of stocking up on some inputs once a month, spending 10-15 minutes on my island each week wasn't a big deal. Especially since I am still hooked on the feature.

Island sanctuaries first came out in April 2023 with patch 6.2 and this weekend I thought I had just about finished the content, with the minor exception of not earning the Sustainable Sourcing III title. I decided to write a celebration post but while doing the research, I ran into a problem. I had more to do.

The big one is one more mount, the Island Perrifool, exists. The whistle to summon the mount is found in Sanctuary Materiel Containers which costs 10 Felicitious Tokens. Considering the maximum number of tokens one can earn per week is 7, that comes out to two or three chances to get the mount per month.

Then I looked up the loot table for the Material Containers. The chances of getting the mount within 3-4 months is probably slim. Some of the consolation prizes are not bad, however. For example, I see many minions available.

• Bombfish
• Bom Boko
• Castaway Chocobo Chick
• Dwarf Rabbit
• Ghido
• Hunting Hawk
• Korpokkur Kid
• Odder Otter
• Road Sparrow
• Shaggy Shoat
• Tiny Tatsunoko

Some are very common and some are rare enough I still don't have one. But continuing looking I found something more interesting. I've mentioned in the past how the island sanctuary is a good way to get some of the more rare dyes passively. But all of the dyes available from the cash shop are in the loot table for the Sanctuary Materiel Containers. I should add that the cash shop dyes are sellable on the market board, making the dye trade one of the legal ways to convert real life cash to gil.

I should add for crafters some of the materials to make special glamour items are also available from the containers. These include:

• Fireglass Leather
• Indego Cloth
• Seacloth
• Waterproof Cloth

Speaking of crafting, I still need to acquire three more landmarks. The Water Otter Fountain, Uncharted Course, and Aetherial Arbor all require expert crafted items to obtain. As just so happens, I finished acquiring my last Lodestar crafting tools two weekends ago. I really should use the tools to finish obtaining access to all the landmarks for my island.

And, of course, I still have not decorated my island beyond advancing the levels of my buildings. I tend to get caught up in the upgrades and fall behind in the game. For example, I still am in the patch 6.4 content of the MSQ after spending time to fix up my new cottage.

Honestly, I can't get everything done in the two months until Dawntrail launches. But if the next Island Sanctuary type feature doesn't come out until patch 7.2, I probably have the rest of the calendar year to finish up my island.

Another EVE: Equinox Advertisement From The Upwell Consortium

I think both myself and Wilhelm from The Ancient Gaming Noob are having a little fun with the Upwell Consortium's attempts to sell players on the Equinox expansion coming out on 11 June. First, they came out with a marketing brochure trying to sell the cluster on their system. The accompanying promotional video is so good I'm posting the video for the second time this week.

To make the point, I'm even including a transcription of the video.

To shape destiny is within all of us. With Upwell you can shape the universe. Unlocking the potential of the stars and planets you call home has been the unwavering focus of our finest minds. And now, we stand on the cusp of a new era. 

Introducing Equinox. An unrivalled suite of solutions for a new age of colonization. Revolutionary structures that offer unprecedented systemwide control. All operated and maintained by an efficient and skilled workforce. 

Embrace the freedom to shape space in your image and seize the dream of a star system entirely under your command. 

Equinox.

Today, the Upwell Consortium came out with a new commercial plastered across Galnet (aka YouTube). The marketing department over at Upwell is doing such a fine job I decided to post and transcribe their latest effort.

Man in wheelchair: I always dreamt that one day I'd make it. Do something great. See the stars. But sometimes reality has different ideas. I remember those dreams starting to slip away. Those doors, they never opened for me. 

Narrator: Until now. Because with Upwell, it's never too late. 

We will give you a new life. A way to make a difference. Our cloning technology will provide you with a second chance. A fresh start. 

Be the version of yourself you were destined to be and seize the dream of a future that you've chosen. 

Upwell.

Does anyone trust Upwell not to create an army of clone slaves? I just want to remind everyone what CCP Burger was quoted as saying in CCP's press release announcing the expansion.

“EVE has always been defined by its players’ ability to forge their own destiny through economic dominance, political machinations and military conquest,” said Bergur Finnbogason, EVE Online’s Creative Director. “With Equinox, we’re taking that open-ended freedom to new heights by giving pilots greater agency over nullsec’s valuable resources - while challenging them with the moral implications about the cost of such ambition. We’re also extremely excited to see what amazing designs players will make with EVE’s new SKINR tool: the sky truly is the limit for personalizing your favorite ships.”

I like the part about the "while challenging them with the moral implications about the cost of such ambition." Given that the lore basically sets up "capsuleers" or "Empyreans" (i.e. players) as demi-gods, the moral implications might go ignored.

Given that the Upwell Consortium was formed over 8 years ago to "capitalize on the burgeoning capsuleer space infrastructure market", I'm not sure how the cluster should view the organizations expansion into clones. I'm all for not allowing the Amar to dominate the clone market. But is the Upwell Consortium just the lesser of two evils?

I'm going to end the post with a blast from the past. Yes, the first EVE Online video featuring marketing material from Upwell.  And I really can't believe how fast time flies.

Did Revenue Problems Force Star Citizen's Patch Alpha 3.23 To Ship Without Features?

I was watching Star Citizen YouTuber SaltEMike react to the Star Citizen Live video about hangars and cargo coming (or not coming) in patch Alpha 3.23 in the very near future. He mentioned something about senior lead gameplay engineer Chad McKinney, the developer featured in the video, was based out of the Los Angeles studio. I checked LinkedIn and, sure enough, McKinney is still listed as working out of Los Angeles. And then, to double-check myself, I went over to MassivelyOP. The site's Star Citizen beat reporter, Chris Neal, noted the following on why certain features would not ship in Alpha 3.23:

While stability concerns were the primary deciding factor, other considerations also played into the decision, such as the length of time to complete related cargo overhauling, revisions to kiosk UI and freight elevator design based on feedback, and personnel changes that required onboarding for developers.

Back on 14 March, Cloud Imperium Games' CEO and founder Chris Roberts noted in a Letter from the Chairman the closing of the Los Angeles studio for game development. Dismantling the studio where features like personal hangars and cargo gameplay were in development probably didn't help the team meet timing goals they had set out over a year in advance. Moving those functions to Austin or Montreal would definitely take some time, weeks if not months.

Now for the question I'm sure someone will bring up. Are advertised features missing because the CIG marketing machine finally couldn't raise the funds development demands? I'm going to say no. CIG's acquisition of Turbulent Media did not occur until July 2023, although signs are that upper management (read Chris Roberts) began the buyout in May 2023. Looking back further in history, CIG acquired 25% of Turbulent back in December 2019. I think the record is fairly clear that the Turbulent deal was part of a long-term plan to reduce development costs. After all, California is a very expensive place to do business and has seen a lot of outmigration of tech companies in recent years.

But money did play a role. As mentioned in Cloud Imperium's 2022 financial report, labor costs in the US were a concern.

This shows that salary costs increased in both territories: 6% up in the Rest of World and 16% up in the US. Development and G&A headcount increased in the Rest of the World by 18%, although a lot of that was at entry-level positions in G&A and Quality Assurance, required as Star Citizen progresses with added features, content, playability, and players. Also, performance-related bonuses in 2022 were not as high as in 2021 and thus the increase in Rest of World salaries did not match the increase in people, despite generous pay awards designed to help cope with the rising inflationary pressures felt throughout the economy.

In contrast, the US salary costs increased by 16% despite a reduction in development headcount and a moderate increase in G&A headcount, but additions were at the opposite end of the staff seniority spectrum with highly experienced personnel in each discipline being added to the group, and regarding development with senior experienced people often replacing the more junior roles that were vacated. Also, cost and wage inflation levels were high in both US office locations, which we aimed to keep pace with. [emphasis mine]

The developer headcount in Los Angeles and Austin was already decreasing due to the pressures of high labor costs in 2022, CIG's first year of recording sales exceeding $100 million. CIG was experiencing a systemic issue that required moving development efforts out of the US in general and Los Angeles in particular.

Of course, this brings up the age old question of what does management do when employees they are going to lay off in 6-9 months are working on important pieces of a game. CIG was in a position they would experience disruptions no matter what they did due to financial concerns. Probably the best move was not to promise features until closer to the planned release of Alpha 3.23.

But then, could Chris Roberts have afforded not to make the promises. As we found out with the submission of Cloud Imperium UK's 2022 financial paperwork, an investor had a put option exercisable in the first quarter of 2024. Did Roberts need to puff up the progress on Star Citizen at Citizen Con in order to encourage the investor to wait until the first quarter of 2028 to exercise the option? I'd say a non-zero possibility exists that was the case.

I picked the title of this post with care. I asked if revenue problems forced Star Citizen's patch Alpha 3.23 to ship without a couple of big items previously advertised. The answer to the question is no. The problem, in my opinion, is CIG's money management. In particular, setting up offices without a care of the economics of the situation. From a business perspective, I like that Cloud Imperium, if belatedly, took steps to reduce the development costs of its games. They just need to take the public relations hits for not delivering on "promised" content again.

The EVE Online: Equinox Announcement Mashup

 At downtime today, CCP Games announced the next expansion for EVE Online, Equinox coming out on 11 June 2024. They did so through a trailer on YouTube, a press release on its corporate website, an Upwell website touting the advances coming from that megacorp, and a more traditional web page for the expansion. I thought I'd try to mash up the information known to ordinary folks.

First was the premier of the expansion trailer. I spotted the premier announcement on YouTube so alarm-clocked to see what CCP was up to live. Friday's The Scope video teased an upcoming announcement from the Upwell Consortium. I thought the announcement would concern new ships, not a new expansion. The trailer is below.

I transcribed the script of the trailer.

To shape destiny is within all of us. With Upwell you can shape the universe. Unlocking the potential of the stars and planets you call home has been the unwavering focus of our finest minds. And now, we stand on the cusp of a new era. 

Introducing Equinox. An unrivalled suite of solutions for a new age of colonization. Revolutionary structures that offer unprecedented systemwide control. All operated and maintained by an efficient and skilled workforce. 

Embrace the freedom to shape space in your image and seize the dream of a star system entirely under your command. Equinox.

Next the press release. I'm not sure that the role-playing introduction wasn't more interesting than the more professional part.

Auviken, The Citadel, YC 126.04.23 – Today, the Upwell Consortium is proud to announce Equinox, an unrivaled suite of solutions that is sure to revolutionize life in null security space. Set for deployment on YC 126.06.11, Equinox marks a monumental stride toward the future of space colonization and infrastructure development with innovative new structures that will allow enterprising nullsec organizations to harness and manipulate new resources from planets, customize their space, and gain access to a highly skilled and efficient workforce.

To learn more about the Equinox product suite, navigate to upwellconsortium.com.

“Equinox marks a monumental stride toward the future of space colonization and infrastructure development,” said an official representative for the Upwell Consortium. “It offers revolutionary new technology and structures to harness resources from planets and moons, as well as access to a highly skilled workforce. Equinox marks just the beginning of a new age of unprecedented capsuleer control over sovereign nullsec space – the first step in a broader vision for this vast region with endless possibilities. More developments are on the horizon, as Upwell continues to pursue more evolution, expansion, and excellence.”

The summary of the expansion came from CCP Burger. For those trying to put a face to the name, he's the CCP employee most likely to cosplay at Fanfest.

“EVE has always been defined by its players’ ability to forge their own destiny through economic dominance, political machinations and military conquest,” said Bergur Finnbogason, EVE Online’s Creative Director. “With Equinox, we’re taking that open-ended freedom to new heights by giving pilots greater agency over nullsec’s valuable resources - while challenging them with the moral implications about the cost of such ambition. We’re also extremely excited to see what amazing designs players will make with EVE’s new SKINR tool: the sky truly is the limit for personalizing your favorite ships.”

EVE: Vanguard, CCP's first-person shooter module for EVE, also received a mention in the press release. The CCP employee quoted was CCP Rattati, who's been involved in leading CCP's FPS efforts since the days of DUST 514.

“This expansion marks the continuation of EVE Vanguard as the ultimate evolving sci-fi sandbox FPS. Our process of collaboration with the community is a unique opportunity for players to become closely involved with the game’s future direction, and we thank our founders for contributing towards our shared vision of a compelling shooter in the EVE Universe,” said Snorri Arnason, EVE Online’s Game Director. “With a dangerously beautiful new map, adaptive weaponry, and new ways to play we can’t wait to see the chaos that the Vanguard will inflict on its shores as their impact grows across the ongoing conflicts of New Eden.”

Now for the interesting information from the expansion's websites. First, I liked the overall description found on the expansion website.

The Equinox expansion is the first step towards a radical re-invigoration of nullsec space. Capsuleers will gain access to new Upwell structures allowing for planetary resource harvesting, automated moon-mining, customization of sovereign space, and more. Daily Goals are getting enhanced with a monthly reward track, Corporation Projects see more variety alongside a corp window overhaul, and the SKINR tool empowers creative capsuleers to design their own personalized ship SKINs. June also sees a major update to EVE Vanguard, introducing new activities and objectives, adaptive weaponry, persistence between sessions, and a brand new map!

After reading the web pages, I really feel I need to mash up the Upwell site with the general expansion site. First, the subject of harnessing planetary power.

Equinox marks a monumental stride toward the future of space colonization and infrastructure development. It offers revolutionary new technology and structures to harness resources from planets and moons, as well as access to a highly skilled workforce. 

Can you tell some Upwell marketing drone put that description together? The expansion page gets down to the gameplay elements. Equinox introduces means to extract and exploit a wealth of new resources:

• Power: Harvest energy directly from suns and volatile atmospheres of plasma and storm planets.
  
  
• Workforce: Gain access to a highly skilled populace across temperate, oceanic and barren worlds, directing the flow of labor throughout your empire, thanks to revolutionary new cloning technology.
  
  
• Reagents: Essential to manage your colonies through the new sovereignty hub, these are sourced from the harsh environments of ice and lava planets.

Right off the bat we see three new systems including a new sovereignty system. Also, an effort to make all types of planets valuable for more than just planetary interaction products.

The next item, the orbital skyhook, is a staple of science fiction. Upwell's description is more sales oriented.

A marvel of engineering allowing direct access to a planet’s resources, the orbital skyhook is central to Equinox. Anchored near planets within sovereign nullsec space, these skyhooks provide access to power, workforce, and reagents necessary for the empire-building aspirations of nullsec organizations. 

What the Upwell salespeople don't mention is the new PvE activity described on the expansion website.

In addition, skyhooks bring new content in the form of Pirate Orbital Blockades, NPC encounters with the potential to attract officer-level enemies, pirate dreadnoughts, and even titans. A prototype orbital skyhook is now ready to view in the Auviken system.

The next item might excite many of the bitter vets who left EVE. Called automated resource harvesting, passive moon mining is back.

Another revolutionary innovation introduced through Equinox is the Metenox Moon Drill, an automated resource extraction structure allowing organizations in nullsec and lowsec to streamline in-system operations and focus on expansion and strategy, rather than manual harvesting. Like the orbital skyhook, these structures are robust and resilient, able to withstand most dangers, allowing industry leaders to rest easy. 

In fact, the following passage from the expansion web site reads like the author rather liked the old battles over moons.

Ownership of these moon drills and skyhooks can determine control over the valuable resources of a system, making them prized assets that rival factions can contest, which is sure to spark new waves of conflict and excitement. While orbital skyhooks are only available in nullsec, moon drills can be deployed in lowsec as well.

New Eden is about to experience a cluster-wide building spike with the introduction of sovereignty hubs.

The new sovereignty hub promises to become a new cornerstone of territorial dominance. With upgradeable options depending on the star system’s topology and the planets within, it offers a nuanced approach to sovereignty that reflects each star system’s physical characteristics, allowing you to shape space in your image. 

One of the sovereignty hub upgrades that the null sec alliances will acquire en masse is the Pirate Detection Array. I wonder why the Upwell marketing people didn't mention this?

The Pirate Detection Array upgrade for the sovereignty hub will allow the detection of exceptionally impactful anomalies with lucrative pirate encounters, an even more challenging anomaly, new escalations, and the possibility of officer spawns. Make the most of your space by scanning for high-stakes battles.

But I really wonder why only the Upwell Consortium referred to the workforce and not the expansion website. Those clone facilities we've seen referenced in The Scope videos? Those are not for Vanguard.

Equinox is spurred on by a scientific milestone in cloning technology, ushering in a paradigm shift in how populations can be mobilized and utilized across the vastness of space, empowering the colonial aspirations of nullsec leaders with access to a highly skilled workforce.

The Upwell portion of the expansion announcement concludes by announcing new ships. Everyone is excited about getting new industrial ships, right?

The Equinox suite further empowers the capabilities of capsuleers in this new era of space colonization by introducing four new ships, specialized in the transport of planetary resources, and capable of being fitted with defensive weaponry. Tailored to navigate the new dynamics of resource gathering and sovereignty, the unveiling of these new vessels underscores Upwell’s commitment to revolutionizing nullsec operations.

Defensive weaponry that isn't a gimmick?  Here are the four new ships.

• Squall – Entry level reagents hauler.
• Deluge – Hauler with covert ops cloaking capability, high warp speed and mobility, and immunity to cargo scanners.
• Torrent – Tough deep space transport vessel with micro jump drive capability.
• Avalanche – Massive freighter with a huge reagent hauling capacity.

That is all from the Upwell marketing department, but the expansion contains more. CCP is adding the following features to the SKINR system

Design at your fingertips: The new SKINR interface introduces a robust palette of design elements, consisting of basic and metallic nanocoatings as well as patterns, alongside five customization slots for each SKIN design, four for nanocoatings, and one for patterns. Use your creations to express your unique identity and share them with other capsuleers.

Sequence and share: Gathering design elements and sequence binders allows capsuleers to sequence ship SKINs, for themselves or to sell to other pilots. Sequencing costs are based on a tier system and calculated in PLEX based on the rarity of design elements and complexity of the SKIN, and your creations can be sequenced in bulk for your own fleet or your corp.

Organized collection: A new cosmetics collection makes it simple to keep track of SKINs, components, and emblems. Applying SKINs and filtering through your collection will be easier and more enjoyable than ever with the new updates.

The Hub awaits: Visit the Paragon Hub to buy, sell, and trade SKINs and components. A platform to showcase designs or discover the perfect look for every fleet, the Paragon Hub offers an easy-to-navigate interface and opportunities for budding designers to make a name for themselves, not to mention untold riches.

The expansion is also bringing improvements to corporation tools.

Corporation window overhaul: A streamlined and intuitive UI makes navigating and utilizing the corporation window easier than ever for corp leaders and members alike. Enhanced with icons, tooltips and a consistent navigation structure, managing roles and understanding the hierarchy of content is more straightforward than ever, paving the way for future enhancements.

New Corp Project Engagement Methods: Expand the ways members can lend their hand to corporation projects through new avenues such as ship loss (enabling the automation of ship replacement programs), salvaging wrecks, and earning Loyalty Points. Each new corporation project type has several options allowing leaders nuanced control over the incentives provided to members, making them more accessible and rewarding.

Performance improvements: Managing and contributing to your organization’s growth is more streamlined than ever before as corporation projects see smoother and faster interactions.

CCP is continuing its efforts to retain new players by extending some of the tools and systems used to guide them after they complete the career agents.

AIR Monthly Progress Track: Expanding AIR Daily Goals, Equinox introduces a long-term monthly progress track rewarding meaningful activities, clearly showing goal progress, upcoming milestones and rewards. Alpha and Omega pilots get distinct rewards along the way, and better spoils the further along they get. At the end of the track, there is a significant cache of SP on the line for finishing all the monthly goals.

New goals and rewards: Engage and get rewarded for two new activities: earn Loyalty Points and salvage wrecks.

New types of rewards: Get rewarded for reaching milestones with PLEX and SKINR components, enriching your experience and offering valuable assets for customization.

Ship progression and UX improvements: Experience the thrill of unlocking a new ship with immediate notifications and get clear understanding on ship roles and prerequisites with the redesigned skill requirement panel. Elevate your initial interaction with new vessels with informative new ship cards and enhanced UX for boarding and naming ships.

And finally, EVE: Vanguard is adding a new map to the monthly playtesting. For completeness sake, I'll add in the entire description of what is coming to the FPS module in June.

In the biggest update to EVE Vanguard since the first playtest in December, a major iteration coming this June will introduce a brand new map, featuring an archipelago among polluted waters, the ruins of a provisional facility to explore and loot, emergent activities and diverse challenges, the ability to modify your weapons and bring items and fittings in and out of combat, and more.

• June Deployment Dates: Mark your calendars for the next major Vanguard event, from 20 June to 1 July. Experience the latest Vanguard updates firsthand and provide valuable feedback to contribute to the ongoing development of the game.
  
  
• Brand new planetary world to explore and conquer: The June update introduces a new and different map ready to be explored and exploited. Experience a completely different environment in an archipelago with the wreck of a starship, other-worldly flora, and polluted waters.
  
  
• Enhanced capabilities: Customize your arsenal with adaptive weaponry. Experience new options and strategy through the ability to modify your instruments of destruction and bring items and fittings in and out of combat.
  
  
• More impact with new activities: Face brand new challenges, focused on deeper espionage, asset recovery, and direct engagement with enemy factions. This update aims to diversify your in-game experiences, providing more ways to interact with the world and your fellow players.
  
  
• Ongoing improvements: The commitment to enhancing and developing EVE Vanguard with the community continues with bug fixes, gameplay balancing, and the introduction of tiered participation rewards. Compete for a place on the leaderboard to win PLEX rewards and contribute to either suppression or corruption, shaping New Eden with your actions.

This pretty much is the information I was able to gather in the three hours between downtime and when I had to log into my real life job. I have the feeling over the next 7 weeks we'll see more detailed information on the expansion. Hopefully this post will serve as a good starting point for all the speculation sure to follow.

Finally Have My Crafting Best In Slot Gear From Endwalker

Over the weekend I buckled down and ground out the Splendorous Tools for my last two crafting classes, Alchemist and Armorer. I mentioned my final grind on Twitter Sunday and was told that since I was crafting, I could just use macros. A perfect example of the "Tell me you don't have a crafting Splendorous Tool without telling me you don't have a Splendorous Tool" meme.

The final two Splendorous Tools in Endwalker a crafter needs to obtain requires crafting expert recipes. With the Splendorous Tools equipped, and fully pentamelded crafting gear, I can probably go back to the Shadowbringers expert recipes and use a macro. But for current content, players must perform the crafts manually. So at the top level, players have to perform the tasks themselves.

The way the quests work, players have to craft high quality collectable items and turn them in for a special material that the quest giving NPCs turn into a higher quality tool until the player obtains a Lodestar tool. I probably averaged crafting 25 expert recipes for each of the last two sets of turn-ins per crafting tool, or 50 recipes per crafting class. With 8 classes, I probably performed around 400 expert crafts in total. And these were just what was released in patch 6.5. A new tool was released in each of the previous point patches that was challenging to make, but not like the expert recipes.

How long did it take to do the expert craft portion of the questline? When working on my first Lodestar tool, I probably spent 8-10 minutes per craft. But on Sunday, I was down to a little less than 5 minutes per craft. Overall, I probably spent 35-40 hours just crafting expert recipes.

I can just imagine the rather rational question readers may ask. Dawntrail's release is in a little more than two months. Was the effort worth it? If Dawntrail is like Endwalker, the answer is maybe. In Shadowbringers, I obtained two of the Skybuilders' tools and pentamelding the other main tools. With all my crafting gear pentamelded, I was able to get to level all my crafting classes to the level cap and create level 90 gear for my white mage job without obtaining new gear and tools. Gear that isn't outdated the moment an expansion launches? What a concept, right?

But I did say maybe. The special ability of Lodestar tools is that increases to quality receive are 175% higher if the material condition is Good. I have the feeling that bonus will come in handy, but I know some people really rely on macros and the ability would be wasted on them. Making decisions based on material quality is something important to those crafting by hand to make their crafting more efficient. Those relying solely on macros might want to concentrate on pentamelding a regular tool for the stats.

Now that I have best in slot for all my crafting and gathering classes, I can return to finishing the main story questline. I will, of course, craft a new set of white mage gear. Right now I can make iLevel 640 gear. Not only will that make the rest of the expansion content easier, but should get me a good way into Dawntrail as well. I didn't start replacing my adventuring gear in Endwalker until I reached level 84.

Maybe not the most exciting blog post, but I put in a lot of hours reaching this point. A lot of content creators bemoaned the lack of a grind in the Endwalker post-patches. But for me, I'm glad my crafting grind is finally over, at least until the next expansion.

EVE Online's Capsuleer Day Now A Month-Long Event

When I started playing EVE Online almost 15 years ago, Capsuleer Day was a one-day event marking another year of the game's operation. By last year the event extended to 28 days (2 May to 30 May). Players chose who to run sites for, the Society of Conscious Thought or the Guri Malakim pirate cooperative. In a move I approve of, not only has CCP extended the event an additional two days, but mixed up the content as well.

In the 20th anniversary event, players chose their faction and then proceeded to interact with 4 sites, 2 combat and 2 hacking. The combat sites limited ship sizes to battlecruiser or smaller. According to the news article I saw on the launcher, the developers expanded the ways players can engage with the event.

For the entire month of May, New Eden will be brimming with exciting adventures. Log in daily for exclusive SKINs, boosters, and a trove of Skill Points. Engage in a spectrum of seasonal challenges—combat, exploration, hacking, manufacturing, and market trading—to accrue points for even more unique and lucrative rewards. Beyond this bounty, Omega pilots gain access to further riches: over 650,000 Skill Points, 26,500 EverMarks, and coveted SOCT ship hulls, among others. Omega status unlocks the full depth of the Capsuleer Day event’s offerings, enhancing your capabilities and ensuring the richest haul of rewards from the abyss.

Yes, I know the event description contains a pitch to upgrade to a paying account. But the last time I can remember manufacturing and market trading being part of one of the major, non-storyline events was the Dr. Who crossover event back in the beginning of 2022. The devs tried introducing a market component into the event, but the crossover appeared in the middle of the unsuccessful effort to convince players that introducing NFTs, blockchains, and play-to-earn mechanics into EVE was a great idea. The idea fortunately failed, Pearl Abyss coincidently named a new CEO in March 2022, and Hilmar's cutting edge ideas were shifted to Project Awakening instead. So a little push for paying players, in comparison, is not so bad.

Over on the event page, CCP gave an overview of the event. I found a couple of hints in the description.

Massive energy discharges emanating deep from within Abyssal Deadspace have prompted The Society of Conscious Thought to raise a call for daring pilots bold enough to venture into the abyssal unknown to recover valuable data and technology. Explore newly surfaced Collapsed Conduits, take on Triglavian or even Drifter enemies for the chance to recover priceless loot and filaments from the battlefield to dive deeper into the abyss.

• Perilous adventures for capsuleers of all experience levels
• Exciting new combat, exploration & manufacturing challenges
• Earn blueprints and rare materials that give access to Abyssal Battlefields

The first thing I noticed was no mention of market trading. Are we already getting a bait and switch? Is the market portion just buying items off the market to get access to the Abyssal Battlefields? I hope not.

Next comes "newly surfaced Collapsed Conduits". From the sounds of the description, players afraid of the crushing cost of defeat (literally) of normal Abyssal sites can get an introduction to this type of gameplay by visiting Treacherous Collapsed Conduits, found on the ship scanner. Players can also scan down Desolate Collapsed Conduits and hack cans for the event goods as well.

What are the Abyssal Battlegrounds? Apparently players will have the capacity to manufacture their own filaments in order to access the top end sites of the celebration.

Of course, players will want to know what the rewards are. For those who don't want to log in, CCP is giving out prizes for those who watch Twitch. I'm not sure if one must watch CCP's Twitch channel or any EVE streamer will suffice. And if anyone from CCP is reading this post, could you please list the members of the Partner Program someplace? Thanks in advance!

The Twitch rewards are a Prophecy Navy Issue Arkombine Arisen SKIN and a mysterious booster crate holding one of the following:

• a random Agency dose
• a random Quafe booster
• a random Starsi booster
• a random Antipharmakon booster

What is an EVE event without login rewards? We don't know the exact rules yet, but the event page does show the following for Omega accounts:

• 650,000 skill points (125,000 for alpha accounts)
• 26,500 EverMarks
• Zirnitra Capsuleer Day XXI SKIN
• Maller Capsuleer Day XXI SKIN
• A variety of boosters
• Capsuleer Day Fireworks

Last, but not least, come the actual event rewards. I'm not going to lie, the rewards don't sound bad. Plus, items that drop in the sites can be sold. That's one thing that irritates me about the daily login rewards. The boosters and ship SKINs are bind on acquire. Now maybe some SKINs will show up on the market. Here's the list from the event page.

• Seasonal challenge rewards include a Glamoreux Booster crate, boosters, SKINs and Filament crates
• Loot includes Capsuleer Day boosters, new Capsuleer Day SKINs and more!
• Snag glorious fireworks on the Alpha DLI reward track
• Omega rewards include EverMarks, SKINs, SoCT ship hulls, and boosters
• Filaments, SKINs and boosters found in loot drops from NPCs can be sold on the market
• Amazing new Capsuleer Day XXI SKINs await!

All in all, I think a credible event. The format is the same tried and true seasonal event format, but the content is new. I'm most eager to see what the art department has done with the new Collapsed Conduits. I'm also looking forward to getting more Society of Conscious Thought ships. The ships are a staple of Capsuleer Day events and I'm glad to see CCP maintaining the tradition. I'm also looking forward to seeing if the industry and market elements work out.

I do have one last thing to say. CCP allows content creators (i.e. streamers and YouTubers) in the Partner Program advanced access to the Singularity test shard to create content available for release when the servers come up. Will someone at CCP please list the content creators in the Partner Program so we can watch their videos and streams? By not doing so, the CCP marketing team is working at cross-purposes, promoting streamers on one hand and suppressing the content on the other.