GDC08: EVE Online's space stations

Gallery: GDC08: Building eve isk social environments

What the eve isk development team did to upgrade ship graphics in the Trinity expansion they plan to do to character graphics when they launch their (of yet unnamed/unknown) space stations expansion. When this launches, it will add an entirely new element to gameplay -- and they've spared no effort in designing it. CCP didn't want to add environments in that felt contrary to existing gameplay. Though the space station environments will be a different type of gameplay than the space environment, they stuck to the game's basic design principles. There's no slow-placed eye-candy here, but exquisitely detailed real environments that the player can explore, interact with, socialize in, and (of course!) make money in.

There will be no killing inside the space stations of eve isk -- the goal was to create a social environment for players rather than add an FPS element. ("The environments must not be tactical or puzzle-like," says Olafsson.) Players in space stations will be able to interact, socialize, participate in mini-games (the example given were a poker-like game through which players could make money), and... well, whatever they want to do! "Squares are not enough," Olafsson tells us -- the environment had to be more than an empty box players were thrown into and told to interact.

Because this part of the game is intended to provide a social environment, the world had to be incredibly detailed. Unlike an FPS where players will rush through slaughtering monsters, players will be spending time in these space stations (and not just passing through), the environments had to be exquisitely detailed. To make their environments real and compelling, CCP has brought in actual architects to help design their environments. Bringing in outsiders has been a challenge -- real world architects do not necessarily understand the constraints of the virtual world. CCP's team has worked closely to try to explain engine limitations and work with their architects to create a world that is both beautiful and fun to explore.