'I think we'd accidentally created the most hardcore extraction game of all time:' EVE Vanguard is taking hard-won playtest lessons into a '24/7 Alpha'
It's not early access, not yet. Super-early access.
Tomorrow, November 10, EVE Online will release a new expansion, Fractured Skies and companion FPS game EVE Vanguard. The game will enter a 24/7 alpha phase where players can buy and play through EVE's own client - it won't be taken down like previous playtests. Vanguard aims to link directly with EVE Online, with contracts completed in the FPS game creating military campaign opportunities for players to find and act upon in EVE.
Game director Scott Davis and EVE design director Greg Hennessey discussed the new features in the upcoming Alpha. NPC AI and new player onboarding have been improved in Vanguard compared to previous playtests. The new player experience has been streamlined, with a co-op/PvE mode to introduce players before unlocking the PvEvP mode.
The most exciting and unique mode is a PvP-first 3v3v3 procedurally generated labyrinth where only one team can escape. This mode reminds Hennessey of Marathon's Cryo Archive pinnacle activity. Vanguard offers a variety of playstyle options, with each mode attracting a different type of player. The game's back of the box pitch highlights the connection between the FPS game and EVE Online's economy - actions in the FPS impacting the economy in EVE, and vice versa.
The 24/7 alpha includes a first version of this interoperability, with mission completion unlocking mining and combat activities in EVE Online. In the second quarter of 2027, players will be able to declare allegiance with one of the four main empires in EVE, and their mission progress will contribute to the Military Campaign and Conquest systems in EVE's latest expansions.
Davis hopes the empire allegiance system will bring out emergent player behavior similar to EVE's style. He is also looking forward to players adopting faction heraldry on their characters and forming alliances based on faction alignment. Both Davis and Hennessey mentioned the technical work behind linking the two games has been smooth, but they are excited for the moment when EVE Online players start responding to actions taken in Vanguard.
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