Yes, I know that Tyrannis ws dropped a while ago, but I’ve been too busy playing it to post anything about it. It’s funny how time can slip away from you when you’re hammering away on new content like that. Capsuleering hasn’t started yet, but I’m patient. Kind of…

As we all know and I outlined last time, the big draw here is that you can set up colonies on various planets and harvest the resources they offer. This can include all sorts of things, like heavy metals, non-cs crystals, and even suspended plasma. Of course, it’s going to cost an awful lot to keep the colonies safe, so I recommend you buy isk in decent quantities so that you can prep for the folks who are going to try and take your hard earned goods from you.

We all know that every pirate out there is going to be drooling at the thought of all of the resources up for grabs. Kind of makes me wish I had that Titan ready. It’d be pretty ideal for discouraging opportunistic types. Too late now, though. Here’s hoping that the fleet is up to the task!

Anyway, I feel like iI need to reiterate a few important points if you’re going to buy isk now.

The big thing that I usually recommend is to only buy from sites you know whenever a new expansion or major patch drops. The reason is really simple: scammers pop up in droves whenever there’s new content to be had. These guys will appear with all sorts of promises they never intend to keep, then vanish with your money.

The other thing to keep in mind is that prices aren’t going to hold steady for very long. Right now they’re right around $14.50 in most places, some higher, some lower. This won’t last for much more than a few days or so, maybe a week at the most. That’s when the supply chain will start to dry up and prices will start to climb. Usually it’s the lesser known places that will feel the crunch first. Stick to the bigger places when this happens, because they’ll have a larger supply pool to draw from. That helps keep the prices lower for longer. Plus there isn’t the added pressure of reduced supply making the deliverers nervous. Nervous people make mistakes more easily than others, which can lead to all kinds of trouble down the line.

Be safe out there!

Hey everybody.

Well, things are finally starting to come together for the new expansion. It looks like the official launch date has been set for 5/18, and the best part about the whole thing is that it’s free. They’re adding a really REALLY cool feature that allows you to interact with the planets in New Eden!

Basically, what this means is that we can finally do something that made sense to do all along. We can now pick a planet, stake a claim, and start stripping out its resources. This will give us access to way more stuff than we had before, and we won’t be quite as dependant on a fluctuating market to supply us with goods. Now we’re going to have more direct control over the amount of supply on the market, meaning we can set the prices. This will be truly intense.

Now, of course all of this will come at a cost. You’ll have to build a colony up with extractors, processers, and refineries to make the whole thing worth your while. But once it’s done, you’ll be in amazing shape. The best way to get a leg up on this, of course, is to buy isk so that you aren’t draining your coffers to fund the new ventures.

Another cool feature will be the EVE Gate. This basically lets you manage some of your in-game info from anywhere with an internet connection. They’re talking letting you manage your contacts and your profile, and that the game doesn’t need to be installed. I’m a little iffy on the security of something that’s stored in the cloud like that, but it would be nice to do on my breaks or if I’m out of town.

One thing that I feel the need to point out here is that scammers love this sort of info. I’ve seen it happen around every major announcement and expansion that EVE has ever kicked out. They take advantage of the massive upswing in interest and set up bogus websites promising tons and tons of isk for next to nothing prices. Then, of course, they shaft everyone who buys from them once the money rolls in. I’d advise anyone buying right now to stick with known companies so that you don’t find yourself scammed. Buy Isk safely, folks.

Hey again folks.

First things first, I really have to say I’m impressed with everyone who went out after reading the last post and made a buy to help raise money for Haiti. Toonstorm hit their goal in no time with all of your help. A huge thank you goes out to each and every one of you.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, the devs of your favorite game and mine allowed us a little peek at the new expansion via a mass test that they were running. The basic idea was that they need to see just how much lag was going to be produced during combat. It was insane. I really have to hand it to them. You almost never see that level of player and community involvement when a company is developing the next chapter of their world. It just goes to show how smart these guys really are that they’d want the people who spend the most time with their game actively involved in its further improvement.

That being said, I should throw out a cautionary tale from when Dominion launched because I don’t want the same thing happening to you when Tranquility finally comes out.

A good friend of mine was planning on making a big Isk buy. He’d bought a few times before and figured that it would be nice to have a little extra going into the expansion.

So, he shops around and finds a new place that looks awesome. He schedules a big buy (nothing that would get him noticed, he’s no rookie after all) and can’t wait to make the purchase. Next day he goes in and drops his money via Western Union as requested and is told to wait about 4 days for delivery “for his safety”. This is actually not all that unusual around an expansion or major patch. The mods are really paying attention then, so people slow down a little to avoid getting detected.

Anyway, he plays every day or a week straight but never gets a single message about it. When he tries emailing the company he gets no response at all. Finally a few days later the site comes down. Turns out they were another scam out there.

I only bring this up because it’s really easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new expansion and get burned. I know when TQ is finally out I’m sticking with my friends at Toonstorm for a while since they’ve never let me down yet.

Reykjavik, Iceland March 11, 2009- CCP, one of the world’s leading independent game developers, has deployed EVE Online: Apocrypha, the tenth free expansion for EVE Online. Delivering a massive amount of content in a shortened production schedule, Apocrypha is sure to satisfy pilots of all types with the mysterious appearance of unstable wormholes that lead to dangerous and rewarding, hereto unexplored regions of space, a new level of technology that allows for a staggering echelon of ship production and a re-imagined introduction for rookie starship pilots to a life in EVE’s challenging universe. The release also coincides with a return to retail stores for EVE Online.

“Incredible rewards and certain death await explorers brave enough to fly into the unstable wormholes that have opened across EVE Online’s universe,” says Torfi Frans Olafsson, Senior Producer for EVE Online. “While EVE is certainly darker and more dangerous, it has also become accessible with our revamped new player experience, improved UI and renovated graphics and effects. Beginning your chosen path in EVE has never been easier.”

Apocrypha’s improvements include these highlights and more:

· The sudden appearance of unstable wormholes in space, making the universe 41% larger and much more dangerous. On the other side, a first acquaintance awaits to a formidable NPC group that guards the key to the next level of technology. This unknown, uncharted space allows for a true sense of exploration for those brave enough to grab hold of the dynamic new scanning mechanics.

· Strategic Cruisers come with the introduction of ancient technology into production. These modular ships allow for an extravagant level of customization and versatility.

· The first Epic Mission Arc joins an enhanced new player experience to guide fledgling pilots toward the opportunities space has to offer. This massive branching set consists of dozens of missions that are guaranteed to forge any soft-shelled rookie into a battle-hardened veteran.

· Massive sensory improvements for every player: an upgraded sound engine, brand-new animations for almost every effect in game and beautiful original assets in wormhole space.

· A newly designed skill queue allows EVE’s unique character progression system to truly shine and Neural Remapping provides an opportunity for players to refocus their development as they so choose.

· We are releasing our Premium Graphics client for Mac users and introducing Premium Lite as our new lower-end graphics suite for a more beautiful experience all around.

· Full Russian language support.

A full list of features for EVE Online: Apocrypha can be found on the features page: www.eveonline.com/apocrypha

Hello everyone,

I don’t think I’ll have my Titan by Christmas (huge shocker, I know…) but things are definitely moving along. Since the last time I wrote I have managed a few very beneficial alliances in-game and if I play my cards right I might actually accomplish my goal in less time than I thought. With Christmas coming up and family to shop for I have decided to hold off on buying more Eve Isk for the time being, as I have managed what I bought a month ago from Toonstorm.com pretty shrewdly and still have enough to keep moving forward on my goal. (You can read my review of their service just two posts down.) I do plan to buy some more soon, so stay tuned for more reviews and tips on how to buy Eve Isk safely. For now, I leave you with an excerpt from a breaking story about a massive Eve Isk scandal from the Wired Blog. These guys had balls, I’ll give you that, but I’d just as soon get my Isk the old-fashioned way–by buying it legally from a trusted source Anyway here’s the story:

“Though the truth is likely buried somewhere beneath the plethora of rumors, sci-fi MMO EVE Online is once again gripped by controversy. According to the official report, game masters responding to a player’s petition to address a glitch uncovered a network of player-run corporations engaged in exploiting a bug for unimaginable profits. Over 70 player accounts were banned, but the ultimate effects of the exploit are still being investigated.

The “bug” in question caused expensive raw materials used by crafters to be generated effortlessly, with the banned players selling these ill-gotten materials and reaping the benefits. But the rabbit hole goes much deeper. At a third-party discussion forum, an anonymous poster — supposedly one of the banned players — claims to have alerted game masters to the existence of the exploit as far back as 2004. His petitions ignored, the poster claims to have spent the last 4 years essentially printing vast fortunes of in-game currency, and alleges that many major player-run alliances in the EVE universe were also in on the ploy.” You can read the rest of the story here.