EVE is a MMOG on a galactic scale and based around a far-future setting where you are but an insignificant speck amongst the cosmos. You play the role of a pod pilot and ply the interstellar space-ways trying to get ahead in this crazy, mixed-up universe. After the initial tutorial missions, you are pretty much on your own to find your place and to grow your character however you like. You'll likely stick to running NPC agent driven missions (what other games call "quests") for a while to build up your character and to understand how the world works. Or, you can just run off on your own and join a player controlled corporation and increase your boot-licking skills. Or, you could outfit a small ship and join the ranks of the rough-and-tumble miners, hauling ore. Or.... Or.... Or.... EVE is really big on self-determination and giving you the freedom to do what you want to do, which can be great for some players and frustrating for others.

There aren't any paladins, mages or familiar fantasy classes here. Instead, the game works off of a fairly robust skill system that guides your character's abilities and aptitudes. Your character purchases skills from the market, and "trains" them over time to gain better stats for their character. Training involves nothing more than your character spending time downloading information into their brains while flying around in space delivering garbage, guns, or gruel. However, there are some important rules and restrictions about training. First, you can only select one skill to level at a time, and the skills take exponentially longer to train as you gain levels in them. Second, while you can have three different characters at once, only one of them can train skills at a time. Third, CCP, the creators of EVE, also allow your character to gain skills while you AREN'T PLAYING. As far as I know, this is a unique feature amongst MMOGs. In fact, this feature is a key part of CCP's maintenance schedule as whenever expected downtime is going to occur they warn all players to set a skill that will take a while to train. It's about time a game came up with a feature so I can "play" while in the bathroom, watching TV, or playing other games!

Although you have a character in the game, and you get to create a fairly realistic portrait of your mug to identify yourself, you'll never see your character's body in the game -- or anyone else's. Instead, everything takes place from a third person view of your starship. From combat to stopping off at the space station Quickie-Mart, your poor pilot is stuffed into a "pod" filled with jell-o of some kind and magazines that make your doctor's office coffee table look like a good source for current events. While this is sort of a let-down, and feels strange for anyone who's played pretty much every other MMOG in existence, you get used to it after a while and learn to just roll with it.

Space is a lonely place, but you can communicate with other pilots across a global chat network within the game. You are automatically subscribed to several chat rooms at the beginning, including one for your corporation, one for your race, and one that represents the local area you are in. In addition, you can jump on other chat rooms, or form new ones as needed. (See my blog about EVE-radio [link will open in new window], which is probably one of the livelier chat rooms in the game, and the most entertaining, with its own soundtrack and DJs.)

Since space is mind-numbingly large, dark and boring, CCP decided to liven it up a bit by focusing on the interesting bits and making it pretty quick to get from one interesting bit to another. The map design revolves around star systems, each one with a planet or more, some planets with moons, and usually a couple of asteroid belts. In addition, each system includes one or more Jump Gates that shoot you from one system to another. (If you are an anime fan, think Cowboy Bebop space travel.) While in a system, you can easily warp from one area to another, or warp from a Jump Gate to a station and dock with just one click.

This isn't to say you couldn't just pick a direction and kick in the afterburners and go, but you might want to be prepared to sit a while. Like, "you better find a mate and make this a generational voyage" type while. I can't say it enough, this game is big. CCP reported recently that the EVE database had surpassed 2 billion items in the universe, and there is a whole heck of a lot of empty space in between. Even at breakneck jump speeds, it can take dozens of jumps to get across the map.

Thankfully, space is one place that EVE really shines. The graphics in this game are gorgeous. While probably not the most authentic view of the universe, the game highlights all the cool bits. Between huge sweeping clouds of gas, rotating planets with city lights on the dark side, dizzying warp distortion, and dramatic sun bursts, space has never been so colorful. Different stars cast different colors on their surroundings, with red stars making things look hellish compared to the bright white or blue of other systems. Also, ship and station design is very imaginative, and stays far clear of looking like existing universes. (No warp nacelles here, Scotty.) The only downside to all of this however is that all systems have pretty much the same features, so after the initial few hours of "wow" you tend to just start ignoring the visuals and spend all of your time in either the chat, or the endless number of data screens at your disposal.

And make no mistake -- EVE is a game about data. One of the better critiques of EVE that I've heard is that its "a really, really good looking spreadsheet." This game is principally about money (called "isk" in EVE-speak) and about getting a ton of it. Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of Player v Player action, pirate hunting, world events, and honest to goodness role playing going on, but most of the time players are chasing a buck. To facilitate this, the game has a very extensive market system, where players and NPCs set the price of goods on an item by item basis, and by location. The market tracks all of this data, and can create some pretty interesting charts and graphs to show price fluctuations, supply and demand, and other economic phenomenon. Everything you do affects and is affected by the market one way or the other, so it's pretty important to understand how it all works and how to make money from it. Or at least know when you are being ripped off for that shiny new rail gun.

But there is so much more to life in EVE than money. CCP continues to actively build the game world, and shows a penchant for taking what characters do in game and extending it. This is readily apparent by reading the in game news on the EVE Online web site, which often features real players' actions and their effect on the game world. The EVE site has literally hundreds of articles describing various parts of the game world, and very active forums where players trade tips and tricks on how to eke out just a few more isk here, or what ship turrets are better than the others, or which jerk just podded them. One empire is currently holding in game elections to determine who will be the next president, and many corporations are involved to try to get their candidate elected. CCP has even begun marketing an in-game soft drink brand called "Quafe" in the real world.

It's very clear that CCP is actively growing the game world, and continues to innovate and expand the options every character has at their disposal. At the same time, they blend it all together with a unique, complicated, and consistent storyline. While the subscription price may be slightly steeper than other games, at a base price of $14.95 a month with discounts on longer subscriptions, you also won't have to purchase any expansion packs. CCP decided early on that all expansions would be pushed down to the customer free of charge, which helps maintain a more cohesive universe and keeps you and your gang together.

There is so much more to say, but it will have to wait for another review. In the meantime, if you are interested in space genre games, and appreciate a very detailed, open-ended universe, then I heartily suggest you head over to http://www.eve-online.com [link will open in new window] and read the public areas of the site for more information. There is often a promotional 14 day free trial available to attract new players, or you can sign up for the first month at $19.95, which includes downloading the game, to see if it appeals to you.

"See you, Space Cowboy."