Next EVE expansion detailed

By Oli Welsh Published 28 April, 2008

Empyrean Age puts emphasis on story.

Details of the next EVE expansion, The Empyrean Age, have emerged via an interview with designer Matthew Woodwards at MMORPG.com.

After providing a graphical upgrade, some new ships and a smoother introduction in the last update, Trinity, developer CCP is now concentrating on fleshing out the narrative side of the EVE universe. Empyrean Age's centrepiece will be a great war between four rival empires.

"Empyrean Age is the first expansion that we've really been building the story into things," said Woodward. "It's about four big empires who exist in a kind of uneasy peace for some time. It all comes to a head and it all starts. The whole cluster is extreme and everything is kicking off."

These events will also be fleshed out in a novel of the same name by Tony Gonzales.

Players will be able to sign up for any of the four empires, either individually or as corporations, and complete missions for them, gaining standing as they go. But they will also be able to contribute to the war effort by participating in more free-form battles.

According to Woodward, the goal is to bring player-versus-player combat enthusiasts, and players who generally play missions in safe space, together. CCP is particularly keen to encourage more of EVE's population to try out PVP.

"The step from one to the other is a big step, and what we're trying to do is build a bridge so that you can say 'I want to try some PVP in a semi-controlled environment,'" said Woodward. "It's not safe, obviously. You're going to die a lot, because that's what PVP is about. Still, once you get into the mindset of 'I'm going to lose this ship', it's all a lot more fun."

There's no release date yet for The Empyrean Age, but check Eurogamer MMO soon for more news on EVE's player elections, or follow the game's recent progress in our latest re-review.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (4) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • EPhillips #1 4 years ago

    Sounds awesome- factional warfare is gonna be even better than the Trinity update.

  • Ginger #2 4 years ago

    over promise, under deliver

    /yawn

  • Pompeybear #3 4 years ago

    I am with ginger on this, after 2.5 years I cancelled my account.

  • SleepyMagpie #4 4 years ago

    I've played EVE - or kept my account active - since February 2004.. Recently, even after the graphics revamp, I've found myself not going out into space that much.

    I love the setting, but I think a MMORPG player like me needs something more than a large, colossal hunk of various metals to relate to..

    Very curious about the avatars and ambulation in stations, but recently they've been quiet about that. Maybe waiting on White Wolf to do the character models and such for the upcoming World of Darkness MMORPG and then adopt them into EVE..?

    Oh well, here's hoping Empyrean Age delivers. See you in Empire space, I don't play enough to afford to cut out a space for myself in no-sec these days.

    o/