EVE Online News

Calling all capsuleers,

This year’s Fanfest is poised to be an unforgettable celebration of the game and its players, making it a must-attend for anyone passionate about EVE Online. Some of the spectacular events of this year’s festival are now being announced, starting with European Space Agency (ESA) senior advisor for Science & Exploration Mark McCaughrean’s guest lecture on the James Webb Space Telescope and Daði Freyr’s musical performance at the Party at the Top of the World.

Space can be a solitary place, with its vast distances and empty voids. This makes companionship all the more precious and important, and it’s no secret that the EVE community is the heart and soul of New Eden. Which is why it’s always a special time when players get together in Iceland for Fanfest, and this year’s celebration is extra special, as we celebrate 20 years of EVE.

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[h2]DAÐI FREYR HEADLINES PARTY AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD[/h2]
Daði Freyr is the headlining performer at EVE Fanfest 2023's Party At The Top Of The World, where he and his band will raise the roof at Laugardalshöll Arena. Ever the life of any party, Daði Freyr has become a sensation in Iceland and abroad, producing dance hits such as “Think About Things” and “10 years” and representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest twice in a row, in 2020 and 2021. With a unique blend of pop, electronic and rock music, Daði Freyr's performances are always high-energy, engaging and full of surprises. He is well known for his captivating stage presence and his ability to connect with his audience. He returns to Iceland at the end of his European tour to perform for you at Fanfest.
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The Party at the Top of the World is the cherry on top of the festival experience, and has been an essential part of EVE Fanfest since its first edition in 2004. Fans of EVE Online and music enthusiasts alike will not want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see Daði perform live at the Party At The Top Of The World, on September 23.

Click here for more information on Daði Freyr. [h2]GUEST SPEAKER: MARK MCCAUGHREAN FROM ESA[/h2]
Professor Mark McCaughrean is a renowned astrophysicist and the headlining guest speaker at EVE Fanfest 2023. He is a senior advisor for science and exploration at the European Space Agency (ESA) and has had a long and distinguished career in the field of space research. He has been involved in many of the most ambitious space missions of the last three decades, including the James Webb Space Telescope.

In his talk at Fanfest 2023, Mark will be sharing his insights and expertise on the James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to be the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope. The technological marvel will allow scientists to study the earliest galaxies, stars, and planets to form after the Big Bang, as well as the origins of life on Earth. Mark will be discussing the latest developments, and the scientific discoveries that can be made with the telescope. It will be a unique opportunity for EVE players and space enthusiasts to learn more about this revolutionary telescope and the exciting possibilities it holds for our understanding of the universe.
[h2]EXTRA EVENTS[/h2]
The fun doesn’t stop there, of course. Besides the official program, there are plenty of side activities for attendants to participate in, in and around Reykjavik. Fanfest favorites, like the Pub Crawl, Golden Circle tour with Devs and the Sisters of EVE Tour for non-playing travel companions return, and amazing, new additions are introduced, such as a Northern Lights Tour and the Wonders of West Iceland, with EVE Devs. Some of these extra events are free to attend, while others require tickets. Several of the ticketed events have now gone on sale already, so there’s no need to delay the planning of fun!

The events already on sale are:

• 
  Golden Circle tour with EVE Devs – Wednesday 20 September (9:00-17:00)
  
• 
  FlyOver Iceland with EVE Devs – Thursday 21 September (14:00-15:00)
  
• 
  EVE Fanfest Reykjavik City Tour - Thursday 21 September (16:00-17:00)
  
• 
  Charity Dinner at CCP headquarters – Thursday 21 September (18:00-21:00)
  
• 
  Sisters of EVE Tour for non-EVE-playing travel companions (spouses and friends) – Friday 22 September (8:00-18:00)
  
• 
  Pub Crawl (including access to the post Pub Crawl party) – Gourmet Edition – Friday 22 September (18:00-21:00)
  
• 
  Pub Crawl (provides access to the post Pub Crawl party) – Friday 22 September (19:30-22:00)
  

New at EVE Fanfest 2023:

• 
  Wonders of West Iceland with Perla and EVE Devs – Wednesday 20 September (8:00-18:00)
  
• 
  Northern Lights Midnight Tour with EVE Devs and science communicator, author, TV, and radio personality Sævar Helgi Bragason – Thursday 21 September (22:00-02:00)
  

Please note that times are subject to change. Ticket holders will receive confirmation of final times, and further details, via email. We reserve the right to cancel or combine tours if sufficient participation is not reached. In this event we will do our best to communicate any changes no later than three weeks prior to the event. Note that tickets are limited, and many events are expected to sell out, so get your tickets today!

Skilful capsuleers,

Now is the time to accelerate and focus your skill training, with a pair of Boost Bundle deals exclusively available in the EVE Store.

Head to the EVE Store between now and 14 Feb, and you’ll find the Expert Boost Bundle available with 25% off the regular price. Containing 1,500,000 Skill Points and an Expert Cerebral Accelerator that grants pilots +10 to all attributes for 10 days, letting you get even more out of your newly acquired SP.

Also available until 14 Feb is the new time-limited Basic Boost Bundle. Containing 500,000 Skill Points, a Standard Cerebral Accelerator that grants a +4 increase to all attributes for 4 days, and 10 Daily Alpha Injectors. Daily Alpha Injectors each provide 50,000 Skill Points. Use Alpha Injectors to top up on critical skills as you journey through New Eden in pursuit of your goals.

The Basic Boost Bundle won't be around for long, so make sure to pick up yours before 14 Feb!

Achieve more in EVE!

Greetings capsuleers,

Strategy, knowledge, and preparedness are vital to succeed in the harsh competitive world of New Eden. For many playstyles in EVE, access to and understanding of data can spell the difference between victory and defeat.EVE has been referred to as spreadsheets in space, and there will soon be even better opportunities to excel at the game (see what we did there?).

Data extraction from the game is about to become easier than ever before with a new EVE Online Microsoft Excel add-in, developed in collaboration with Microsoft, which will allow players to log in and pull in-game data directly into spreadsheets. This can be both generic New Eden data as well as character-based stats, such as wallet balance, recent market orders and asset information. The ability to easily work with these figures in any number of ways will even the playing field in data driven warfare and democratize intelligence gathering, without requiring coding knowledge.





The development of the Excel add-in will in no way affect the maintenance and development of the ESI, but rather leverages the existing API for data gathering. We have been greatly inspired by the many useful tools that our players have developed using the ESI. This add-in is not meant to replace these great, player developed third party tools, but should serve as an additional option for users, with a lower barrier of entry in terms of coding knowledge.

[h2]APPLY FOR THE CLOSED BETA[/h2]
Currently, the Excel add-in is still in development, and we are ready to accept a number of testers into a closed beta. The official release date of the add-in has not been finalized, and there is plenty of work still to be done, so now it is time for ambitious capsuleers to join the co-development. We encourage all data enthusiasts, spreadsheet warriors and anyone passionate about space and Excel to apply. We are looking for a variety of playstyles and experiences but also just those that are as excited about this as we are!

As this is a closed beta, not every applicant can be granted access to the test, and players will be selected to reflect a broad spectrum of capsuleers. This is to ensure that we get feedback reflecting the widest selection of users. There is no set end date for the beta yet, and more users may be added as the process goes on, so even if you are not selected in the initial phase, don’t give up hope.

This beta process will be conducted in English only.

Apply for the beta today!

Bargain hunting Capsuleers,

PLEX stands as one of New Eden’s core spacefaring currencies, and right now, if you pick up select PLEX packs in the EVE Store, you get 10% off the regular price, and a free dynamic color-changing SKIN.

The PLEX sale runs until 31 January, giving you an opportunity to grab one of the following:

• 1500 PLEX + Vindicator Red Stargazer SKIN
• 3000 PLEX + Barghest Red Stargazer SKIN
• 6000 PLEX + Nightmare Red Stargazer SKIN

Furthermore, the Red Stargazer SKINs will display specific visual effects whenever a PvP kill is made by your ship, and they are affected by subsequent kills and ship speed too - a first in EVE!

There’s also a separate sale in the New Eden Store letting you save 10% on 3M, 6M, and 12M Omega time packs that all include a free and new Red Stargazer Skin.

The following offers are available in the New Eden Store, this time until 9 February:

• 3M Omega + Barghest Red Stargazer SKIN
• 6M Omega + Vindicator Red Stargazer SKIN
• 12M Omega + Nightmare Red Stargazer SKIN

Be sure not to miss out! Head to the EVE Store by 31 January to save 10% on PLEX, and make sure to stop by the NEW Eden Store ahead of 9 February to pick up Omega with the same discount.

[h2]LUNAR NEW YEAR OFFERS[/h2]
Three packs launched as part of our Lunar New Year celebrations. The Red Stargazer Pack and the Lunar Festival Pack are each available in the EVE Store until 2 February.



The Red Stargazer Pack includes 30 days of Omega time, 500 PLEX, Advanced 'Boost' Cerebral Accelerator, 1 Skill Extractor, and stunning Red Stargazer SKINs for your Bhaalgorn, Machariel, Rattlesnake, or Marshal.



The Lunar Festival Pack comes with eight days Omega time, 50 PLEX, 50,000 Skill Points, Basic 'Boost' Cerebral Accelerator, Vexor Navy Issue Empyrean Dragons SKIN, Men's and Women's Empyrean Dragons Jacket and fireworks.



Over in the NES, the famed Dragon Phoenix SKINs return with a 30% discount. Pick up SKINs individually, or grab a Dragon Phoenix Bundle which also includes the Crimson Phoenix and Vermillion Dragon Facial Augmentations.

Sound spotting capsuleers,

The Uprising expansion brought several new developments into the soundscape of New Eden, with a view to making EVE more immersive, convincing, and richly detailed. In this blog we’re going to walk you through the design and composition principles behind many of those new sound effect (SFX) and music features of Uprising – namely the new turret SFX, the Upwell Hangar soundscapes, new login music, and the adaptive battlefield music.

And if you like the idea of taking the sounds of the star cluster with you into the rest of your life, make sure not to miss EVE’s latest music release! We’re very excited to announce that all of the music of Uprising has now arrived on Spotify and other streaming platforms as a new album. With 10 tracks to lose yourself to, ‘The Music of Uprising’ brings plenty to keep your ears occupied. In fact, why not put it on now, as a backdrop to reading this blog?

Without further ado, let’s dive into it!

[h2]New Turret SFX[/h2]
The Uprising expansion came with updated sound design for turret weapons. This includes outburst and impact sounds of beams, pulses, blasters, railguns, artillery, and auto cannons.

Apart from the turrets sounding and feeling more powerful and rewarding as you unleash their firepower, a main function for the new designs is to give a visceral and clear sense of weapon size and technology, so that they may become useful audio clues that can be exploited as an integral part of gameplay.

The update also cleans up the overall sound experience of large-scale battle scenarios – not least due to EVE’s new sound prioritization system which saves on CPU usage from the audio system, while significantly improving the overall sound experience of EVE Online. You can also check out this special Twitch episode to hear some of the turrets in action, and learn more about ‘sound spotting’.

With the various turret types having clearly distinct sounds that can be easily identified and perceived, it’s possible for players to quickly identify which weapons are firing from any ship the camera is zoomed in on – even during large battles. The sounds that play as firepower pounds your ship will also give auditory clues to what type and size of weapon is targeting you, informing your next battlefield decision.

[h2]Upwell Hangar Soundscapes[/h2]
With the new Upwell Hangars came unique Upwell Hangar soundscapes. These sonic environments adapt to changes in hangar health status and were designed from scratch for this purpose. There are three such status levels in the new Upwell hangars: Full power, low power and abandoned.

When a hangar has full health, the status level is that of full power. Here you will hear a lot of activity in the hangar, both in terms of sound effects and voice announcements. As a hangar gets attacked and declines in health, the soundscape changes accordingly to the low power status by decreasing the activity and density of SFX and voice announcements. If eventually a hangar gets an even lower health status, it is sonically regarded as abandoned and there is only a vast but faint noise left in the now much less active hangar environment. In this way, the soundscapes change the vibe and energy inside the hangars from hubs of lively activity to desolate places of solitude, while letting the players intuitively understand a hangar’s health status at any given moment. As with the turrets, here the new updates add atmosphere and immersion, while also helping communicate information with pilots in a highly natural way.

Furthermore, Upwell structures such as the Sotiyo engineering complex and the Athanor have also been granted their own unique sound design.

[h2]Music of Uprising[/h2]
The new login music of the EVE Online Uprising expansion marks a return to the tradition of including a new EVE Online music theme with each major expansion. The Uprising music has a new and different sound and feel – a change in musical style that is also gradually taking place across new dungeons and features such as the battlefield dungeon and several other places in New Eden.

To give the Uprising expansion a coherent vibe, the music inside the battlefield dungeons during Factional Warfare consists almost entirely of variations of sound and musical material present in the new login theme. These elements have been manipulated in various ways and turned into an adaptive musical flow that fits the combat scenario, and changes according to which faction is leading the fight. The aim here has been to maintain a musical common thread throughout the new features of Uprising, while at the same time creating a sense of urgency and tension with enough variation in the soundscape to minimise fatigue of the player’s ears during potentially long gameplay sessions.

With the adaptive battlefield music, the aim is to strengthen the sense of purpose and belonging for the factions at war. There are seven possible ‘musical states’ that can occur interchangeably during a battlefield fight, with the music transitioning back and forth between these states in accordance with the score tracker UI. This also helps everyone keep track of what the current score is without having to look away to the UI.

Those seven states are:

• Equilibrium
  • Plays when the score is even and none of the factions at war are clearly in the lead
  • The music here distances itself somewhat from the action and takes the perspective of an overview of the epic situation
  • It’s an example of Vertically Dominated Music (VDM) - i.e., music with ideally no perceivable musical patterns like rhythms, melodies and chord progressions. For anyone interested in learning more about VDM check out the audio talk from last year’s EVE Fanfest.

• Factional Supremacy (one for each of the four factions)
  • Plays when one of the factions has the upper hand and is in a clear leading position
  • Action-packed combat music with either an Amarr, Caldari, Gallente or Minmatar twist to it, depending on which faction has the supremacy
  • Includes musical adaptations of some sounds that are also heard in the hangars of that faction
  • Alternates between full-on battle drums and less intense sequences

• Faction Winning
  • Plays when one of the competing factions gets close to victory
  • The music transitions into a different beat, with a darker feeling and higher tempo to emphasize the drama

• Faction Won
  • Finally, as one side claims victory, a short climax concludes the battlefield music

Although the battlefield music is in a way quite different from the login music, by using much of the same material as a foundation for both, the intention is to help bind Uprising features together into a coherent experience. When using music to do so, this effect happens mainly on a subtle and somewhat unconscious level. This is where film music and game music often work most effectively – behind the scenes so to speak, when the direct attention is focused elsewhere – such as on unleashing the full power of your auto cannons on your insufficiently armed opponent!

[h2]Functions of Game Music[/h2]
Very often game music is used primarily to set the general mood of a particular scenario in a game. In EVE Online such a general scenario might be described as something like ‘outer space science fiction’ and may be expressed, for example, by using synthesizers and vast sounding reverb (room) effects. This is an important and very effective function for game music. However, there are many other functions that music can have in a game – especially when the music is adaptive and thus able to dynamically change according to shifts in gameplay. Here’s a list of some of these functions:

Anticipating, pointing, symbolic, promoting continuity, marking formal structure, describing the environment, choraplastic (defines an acoustic space), topoplastic (defines a location), chronoplastic (defines a sense of time), aeonoplastic (defines an era), emphasis on movement, representing a location, source music, commenting, basis for player emotions, internal/external logic, and more…

When, for example, you hear the Minmatar Supremacy state of the battlefield music, some of the functions in play are:

• pointing (by pointing player attention to the fact that the Minmatar is now leading the battle)
• symbolic (by using subtle musical layers that represent the Minmatar faction and are only ever used in connection with Minmatar)
• basis for player emotions (by expressing a sort of boost in morale and willingness to keep fighting a battle going well for the Minmatar. For the competing side, this underlines the feeling of needing to get their act together before it’s too late!)
• Internal logic (internal logic refers to when music reflects the action – or logic – of the gameplay, in this case battle drums and deep synth elements emphasize to the battle gameplay scenario)

When the Equilibrium state is playing, the functions being carried out by music are, for example:

• Describing the environment (the continuity and borderless aspects of this music help underline the vastness of space, and the lack of traditional musical patterns expresses the weightless infinity of the dark vacuum)
• Chronoplastic (this has to do with the experience of time. Music can describe the flow of time as slow and fast, for example – or, in this case, as almost having stopped)
• External logic (external logic refers to music that acts in contrast to the literal action of gameplay. The music reflects something else - in this case it takes a step back from the on-going combat to describe the epic situation at large)

We will not go any further into the functions of game music at this point, but it should be mentioned that all of them can help in their own ways to splice a narrative together in a seamless manner and infuse more urgency and meaning into the aspects of the game where the player’s attention is focused – likely without the player consciously noticing it.

That’s it for now! We hope we’ve given you a flavor of what’s happening when it comes to the sound of Uprising. And remember, if you haven’t already, get over to Spotify and check out the new Uprising album!

The album is also available on:

• Apple Music
• Deezer
• Tidal