A fleet of over 400 enemy ships warped in to invade the star system known as C-J6MT. The brave Russian pilots of the Red Alliance had tried their best to prepare, but they were no match for the Coalition of the South. The Alliance’s glory days had peaked and it was time for a new power to control the system. At least, that is what the Coalition had thought. It was only a matter of time before the Red Alliance had found the supporters they needed to take their home back.
The war in C-J6MT may sound like something out of a newspaper from the future, but it happened in 2006 in the MMO Eve Online. The game has been out since May 2003 has seen several player-vs-player (PvP) wars over its lifetime. These PvP wars have been so large in scale that there are websites dedicated to reporting the battles, many documentaries have been created, and books have been written about the in-game history.
The game has a player-run economy as well. The economy is a very important part of the game when there are ships costing as much as $11, 000 US. In fact, one of the most expensive wars in Eve’s history cost more than $300,000 during the war in B-R5RB in 2014. These large wars are not as common as they used to be, however. As with most MMOs, subscription numbers have been dwindling over the years. Still, Eve Online certainly can’t be considered dead in 2016. An online casino funded one of the first large-scale wars in many years began earlier this year which some players refer to as World War Bee.
It is now time for new blood to invade the galaxies when Eve Online goes free-to-play in November. CCP, the game’s developer, will be providing a new system they have dubbed “Clone States”. These states will ensure that long-time players are provided elite settings for their years of dedication to the game with the title of Omega Clones. This title will allow players who currently play the game access to the best-of-the-best of the ships, skills, and equipment in the game. New players arriving in November will be receiving the title of Alpha Clones. While this state will allow them to explore and barter, they won’t be stepping into the colossal wars any time soon.
Eve Online may come across as a boring space opera to some. However, if you enjoy games like No Man’s Sky, Homeworld, or Elite: Dangerous, you might just find a ship and star system you’ll want to call your virtual home-away-from-home.
