The Journey Begins

So EVE Fanfest 2013 comes to an end and with it EVE Online begins its incredible journey into the next decade.

EVE Online won't be alone though, as we learnt that its young sibling, DUST 514 will be publicly launched on 14th May 2013. Both games are set in the same universe and, more importantly for the sandbox concept, are intimately linked. Essentially, for those not familiar with this concept, it means that a player action in DUST 514 will have a consequence in EVE Online and vice versa.

I couldn't make it to Fanfest because of work commitments but could not miss the opportunity to watch in 1080p+ HD, as time allowed, by subscribing to CCP's Twitch TV stream. I managed to watch the symphony broadcast live and was blown away by the beauty of it all (so glad that CCP will be releasing this as a recording). Following EVE Presents, and with hindsight, I think the symphony epitomised how CCP are facing the challenge of keeping EVE fresh and innovative for a further ten years. I believe CCP have excellent conductors (producers and managers), a highly dedicated and gifted set of instrument makers (game designers and support teams) and, last but not least, awesome musicians (the players, of course)! Together, we will make beautiful music.

Now I want to focus on the main point of this blog post and, from the outset, I will admit to it being based purely on my own speculation. So now that you have been warned, please don whatever headware you feel will keep you safe from my evil mind rays. I'll give you a minute to raid the kitchen draw.

Okay, tinfoil hats in place? Awesome, then I shall begin;

Think about space colonization .... Think about space scale construction and destruction ... Think about going beyond the known as long as you can build the right type of stargate ... Think about raiding and stealing from others... Think about "Home"

Those quotes are from my notes taken during CCP Seagull's EVE Presents talk concerning the direction of future EVE expansions over the next ten years. I have to admit, I was completely captivated and my imagination knew no bounds as images popped into my head with each sentence CCP Seagull excitedly uttered. As her presentation drew to a close, my internal images amalgamated into one unifying thought - Homeworld. 

I had a vision of New Eden capsuleers building a special stargate having star system targeting capability, not to known systems or WH systems, but star systems that exist beyond the confines of the New Eden star map. Once a star system was selected, the gate would be locked forever to that system. The gate itself would only be capable of allowing small mass ship passage. Hardy colonists would then venture forth to their new home and begin the process of resource gathering and building from the ground up, following an iterative process to the point that new player empires equivalent to the NPC New Eden Empires could be built. The new gates could be captured or destroyed by protagonists, stranding the colonists from their friends until a new stargate and link could be constructed.

A flight of fancy? Maybe, but did we see a hint of this approach through the theme of the EVE Universe: Origins video released during the final day of Fanfest? The video covered concepts and lore that most, if not all, players are very familiar with. Might CCP have been reminding us of the bold adventure the first New Eden colonists set out upon to prepare us for one of our very own?

The above suggestion might be way off the mark from how EVE Online will evolve over the next ten years. I guess we'll just have to wait and see ;-)