There are those who claim EVE Online is nothing more than a game of spreadsheets, but players know better. Forget the numbers and CCP’s sprawling space MMO can look utterly stunning, especially since the Viridian expansion’s improvements. But it’s an ongoing process, and there are still some aspects of the game that don't look quite so hot.
Viridian introduced "revamped effects on empire frigates", "enriched details and seamless consistency across each empire's fleet" for 68 different ships, missile impact effects that are now distinct depending on the type of missile, and volumetric cloud effects. We asked our expert community of EVE players what needs to come next - and you sure delivered.
FUN INC had the most detailed, thought-out suggestion, though it’s less of a targeted graphical overhaul as a visual feature: corp skins. Using his own group, Not Purple Shoot It (NPSI), Fun Inc explains how corps could benefit from designing and licensing sellable custom skins:
"I would love it for NPSI to be included in this and for NPSI to be able to design and license skins to users in order that they could gain some form of income for their design. This would serve twofold to advertise the NPSI group, but also to double down as finances for SRP and so on in order that NPSI could continue to do what they do, safe in the knowledge that they are getting a static income from skin design, licensing, and usage for SRP."
Along similar lines, Rixx Javix uploaded a fantastic shark-face skin on a ship, saying he "won't truly be happy until this becomes something I can do to my Dramiel". Fun Inc went on to appreciate the new system in Zarzakh, as the solar flares and Jovian gates are stunning, but expressed a desire for more atmospheric conditions such as dust clouds.
Brother Grimoire reckons CCP should direct its efforts to making deadspace sites and missions, and their surrounding structures, look better. “Some of the mission sites for the career agents look great,” Grim points out, “and I think that should be the standard for [other] sites in the game.”
Despite all those tweaks to frigates, Swagger Olacar still has a wish list of ship tweaks, citing a CCP dev stream that showed an upcoming redesign for the Kestrel-class frigate, but that we're yet to see it in-game:
"I’d love to see the new look on the Kestrel especially since we recently got the update on the Rifter too. I can’t remember details of it but I remember thinking that it looked sick, definitely an upgrade to the utilitarian look that it currently has."
Over to the UI now, and @macgybo wants a much-improved overview filter:
"Its current status is a good starting point, but I’d like us to be able to filter down in a lot more detail. I’d like far more control over what does and doesn’t show up. Want to see only T1 frigates? Filter it! (ie no pirate/faction frigs) Want to see only Leopards and no other type of shuttle? Filter it! Want to only see objects and ships within a certain distance? Filter it! It may be niche, but it’s only a small step from where we are and would be a huge quality-of-life improvement for many players."
Along similar lines, MacGybo wants more consistent behaviour between ship symbols and the overview. His example: frigates and assault frigates have the same symbol, yet the latter doesn't show up when filtering by frigate. On top of that, the Venture has a rounded symbol, but also shows up under the ‘frigate’ category.
Finally, Rdog and AlexGoesTheWorld have some fairly simple requests that are definitely in wishlist territory as opposed to sweeping graphical overhauls to the whole game, but we’re including them for fun. Rdog wants custom neon signs, either to wave or to stick up to aggravate passing friends and foes. There would no doubt be an endless sea of possibilities if this was implemented, that would likely make it hard for CCP to moderate, no doubt. And Miyoshi simply wants cat ears. The only question is whether they'd be for ships or player characters…
Created at . Page last updated at .