DUST 514

[wawi]

I know what you're saying, CCP at E3? What is this magic?~
A lot of you probably don't know what DUST 514, so here are some of the videos
Debut trailer:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYkuZLxAWBo[/youtube]
Here is a look at the interaction between consoles and PC
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45mlVuLs_Nw&feature=channel_video_title[/youtube]

    -Dust will be an MMO in its own right, not just an extension to EVE.
    -Dust rumored to be PS3 exclusive, with no PC version being mentioned thus far.
    -Dust players will be privy to a form of the EVE cloning system.
    -Dust players will be able to buy configurable, modular vehicles and weapons.
    -The Dust battlefields will include a Battlefield-style commander system and RTS elements.
    -Permanent structures can be deployed inside battlefields for a particular session of the game.
    -EVE players will be able to fund and arm the Dust troops.
    -Planets will be divided into distinct districts, and battles will likely take place over individual districts.
    -EVE players can contract Dust mercenary groups to invade planetary districts on their behalf.
    -Dust will form part of the EVE sovereignty system for faction warfare and 0.0 territorial warfare.
    -According to the game-play footage in the video presentation, attacks may be planned from the control deck of a kind
       of orbital station or ship.
    -Planets show sign of changes. As more battles are fought and orbital strikes are used, the planets visually change
     For example, a nice green planet can become grey and scorched.

Throughout the presentation on Dust, it was made clear that ground battles would augment rather than replace the current space-battles to decide territorial control of areas of space. With that in mind, the battle for a planet will probably be fought in two stages â€" one an epic clash of fleets in space played in EVE Online and the other a series of tactical combats played in DUST 514.. In the video, ground attacks were planned from an orbital control deck on a ship or structure of some kind with a titan (the largest of EVE ships) clearly visible out the window.

Interview with a ton of information:
[spoiler]IGN: To start, can you give us a brief overview of what DUST 514 is and how the idea for it came about?

Hilmar Petursson: In our pursuit to create something inventive, inspired and challenging that extends the EVE Online universe without making any compromises, the concept of a groundbreaking console MMO FPS was born. DUST 514 is first and foremost a first-class FPS mixed with real time strategy elements and persistent world components which are innovative in their own right. Still, the biggest innovation in DUST 514 is that the outcome of battles directly affects the resource and power controls in EVE Online. This will significantly enhance the gaming experience that our current 300,000 subscribers enjoy by adding a whole new level of gameplay elements that they can affect. This is a new concept in gaming and allows console players to take part in something meaningful and exciting without having to invest the same time that a PC-based MMO typically demands.

There'll be plenty of ways to customize your character.
It's evident from the continuous success of EVE Online that gamers are very interested in the universe of EVE. There is a vast audience beyond our immediate subscriber base intrigued by the IP but who have not enjoyed the current mode of play that EVE Online offers. So, without changing the successful core experience of EVE Online, we believe that DUST 514 will appeal to gamers looking for an altogether different game experience within its vibrant, shared universe. DUST 514 is an adrenaline-packed, visceral ground combat game experience that will have a ripple effect on the entire universe of EVE gamers.

IGN: Can you go over the specifics of how DUST 514 ties into the world of EVE Online? Do players in the two games communicate with each other? If so, how frequently, to what extent, and with what aim?

Hilmar Petursson: There are three pillars of connectivity. First, the games share the same IP and time, so they are running in one single universe. Second, the players of EVE Online have the ability to contract out DUST 514 mercenary corporations to help conquer the planets of the EVE universe. Finally, EVE Online and DUST 514 players will have access to the same web-based social communication platform that we're releasing early next year.

IGN: How does the gameplay work? Is it typical first-person shooter controls? What kinds of weapons do you use and how do you go about acquiring them?

Hilmar Petursson: At its core, DUST 514 is a first person shooter with run and gun gameplay. But there is a heavy emphasis on vehicular combat that layers tactical and strategic dimensions within each battle. In addition, weapons and modules are upgradable in real time, which we believe pushes DUST 514 beyond what has been seen in the market so far.

There'll be crossover between DUST 514 and EVE Online.
IGN: What kinds of vehicles will be available? Can any player drive vehicles, and what kinds of customization options are available to players who want to tweak a vehicle's functionality?

Hilmar Petursson: Our aim is to launch with eight vehicle classes per race. These range from small hover bikes to heavy tanks. Each race's vehicles share a similar style and statistical differentiation with the ships of EVE Online. Any soldier can order in a vehicle for combat, provided that they've accumulated sufficient war points during the match. The commander chooses which types are available to the team in the pre-match deployment phase.

IGN: Is there a character progression system at all, like do you train skills over time similar to how it's done in EVE? If not, how does it work?

Hilmar Petursson: Like in EVE Online, there are not strict character classes so you are free to specialize your character in any way you see fit. Of course, like in EVE Online, focusing your progression has its benefits.

IGN: How much of a planet's surface can you actually explore, or is there any exploration at all in the game? How large are the maps on which battles take place, and how many are planned to be in the game?

Hilmar Petursson: The planets shared between EVE Online and Dust 514 are divided into districts, some of which are perfect for ground combat. As DUST 514 is focused on being a kickass first person shooter, there isn't a big exploration aspect to the game. However, the maps are each 5km x 5km, so you can expect some wide diversity within them.

IGN: Is it possible for console DUST 514 players and PC EVE players to interact in real-time, to pull off some kind of coordinated attack like an orbital weapon barrage?

Hilmar Petursson: At this time we're not able to discuss the real-time communication possibilities apart from what can be achieved on the social communication platform we are developing for EVE Online's next expansion.

Large-scale, sci-fi combat.
IGN: How do the results of DUST 514 matches affect the world of EVE, and how visible will these effects be to DUST players?

Hilmar Petursson: The fundamental change is in the control of planets, which can end up belonging to EVE corporations or DUST 514 corporations. Changes in occupation and sovereignty will be very visible to each DUST mercenary.

IGN: Will this be a subscription-based game? If not, could you talk about what kind of pricing model might be used and some of the reasons why?

Hilmar Petursson: A subscription will not be required to play DUST 514. In order to achieve our dual goals of making a game that has meaningful character progression and one that you can jump into quickly, we are adding a virtual goods-based micro-transaction model while being very careful about not allowing anyone to "buy a win".

IGN: What's the goal of a fight in DUST 514, are you just trying to wipe out everyone on the other team? Are there respawns? If you're killed in battle, do you lose money or equipment or anything like that?

Hilmar Petursson: The goal of a match in DUST 514 is to destroy the opposing Mobile Command Center (MCC), which is the key control structure of a match. The MCC is a massive dropship that usually hovers above the bases belonging to the team that owns it. Respawns are enabled through special cloning technology which is different than the cloning technology that EVE capsuleers use. You will be able to read all about the tech in the third EVE novel due out next year.

IGN: Do you anticipate a significant portion of the current EVE playerbase might gravitate over to DUST 514? Or maybe start with DUST 514 and wind up playing EVE, or both? I ask because it seems like very different styles of gameplay that cater to very different styles of players.

Hilmar Petursson: We are aiming to satisfy wildly different styles of play, so we will probably see different players and communities forming for each game. Sure, there will be some that enjoy both perspectives of the universe, but we're designing both such that it's not required. EVE Online is on a very aggressive development path now, so I would assume that our current player base will be very preoccupied with that, and DUST 514 will attract new types of players to the EVE universe.

The gameplay mixes first-person shooting with controllable vehicles.
IGN: What kind of state is DUST 514 in right now, and is there any kind of window being targeted for when it might be available? Will there be any kind of beta testing, closed or open, that interested gamers might be able to sign up for?

Hilmar Petursson: There will absolutely be some forms of open testing, as such a complex gaming experience is very difficult to balance without it. We have various internal milestones, but fundamentally, DUST 514 will be launched when it's ready.

IGN: Will DUST 514 players have to wait around for EVE players to issue directives, or can they just jump into conflicts whenever they want?

Hilmar Petursson: DUST 514 players can drive their own agendas. In addition, there is also an NPC-based political landscape, similar to EVE Online, that keeps things lively. There's always going to be targets to shoot at. [/spoiler]
Planet types:
[spoiler]
Storm

Gas

Ice

Oceanic

Barren

Temperate

Lava

Plasma
There is also a shattered planet type, however, it is extremely rare

"Shattered worlds were once terrestrial planets, torn asunder by some immense cataclysm. All such worlds in the New Eden cluster are products of the disastrous stellar events that occurred during the "Seyllin Incident". However, reports continue to circulate of similar planets discovered in the unmapped systems reached exclusively through unstable wormholes. How these met their fate, if indeed they exist at all, is unknown."[/spoiler]

CCP Games is looking to make an impact at this year’s E3 expo with its MMO/FPS hybrid, DUST 514, based within the same universe as the insanely popular EVE Online. CCP has been running a countdown site for the game’s E3 unveiling, one visitor managing to unearth a number of hidden files, or to be more specific, screenshots, which hint at DUST 514 being a PlayStation exclusive (note the “PS3″ logo along the bottom of each image.)

A link channelling viewers to the PlayStation Blog was also discovered, set to go live when the countdown timer runs to nought. Anyone who has been paying attention to the E3 schedule will also realise that the launch time will coincide with Sony’s E3 press conference. Coincidence? We think not.

Though details on DUST 514 have yet to be set in stone, we assume the game will entail some form of cross-platform integration with EVE Online; a level of integration Microsoft are probably unwilling to allow, hence the exclusivity. Of course, we could be talking nonsense, the announcement could regard timed-exclusivity or maybe even PS3-only content. Either way, we will find out soon enough.

[Hiro]

Huh, this actually does seem pretty neato.

[strongbad]

eve is probably one of the most interesting games that i'll likely never play

[wawi]

If anyone has any questions I can try to answer

[wawi]

[spoiler][/spoiler]
This is the command room where players playing on EVE Online (PC) will watch what is going on and provide support.
Leaked PS3 screenshots
[spoiler]





[/spoiler]

[Hiro]

Seems awesome. I'd like to try EVE online, but I don't really have the means of playing it. I wonder how this game will turn out.

[wawi]

Seems awesome. I'd like to try EVE online, but I don't really have the means of playing it. I wonder how this game will turn out.

What means? It doesn't take a good computer to run and there are 21 day trials

[Hiro]

What means? It doesn't take a good computer to run and there are 21 day trials

I was under the impression that it at least needs a decent computer to run, and the graphics seem pretty good to me. I guess maybe I could try the trial, I dunno.

[wawi]

I was under the impression that it at least needs a decent computer to run, and the graphics seem pretty good to me. I guess maybe I could try the trial, I dunno.

No, the graphics can go down quite a bit.
ALSO
CONFIRMED PS3 EXCLUSIVE

[Geno]

Meh.

[wawi]

Meh.

u jelly?

[Geno]

u jelly?

Meh.

[wawi]

Meh.

sry

[ME##]

I'll give it a try.  But MMOs always seem so daunting

[wawi]

I'll give it a try.  But MMOs always seem so daunting

which gaem