Aspiring EVE players will want to check out EVE Online: Commissioned Officer Edition, a new boxed release of the space-based MMO that’s been specifically designed to help new players get into the action.
EVE Online has the sort of well-deserved reputation for intrigue and skullduggery that makes it very attractive to gamers looking for something a little beyond what conventional MMOs have to offer. But it also gets knocked for being a seriously hardcore game with a vicious learning curve that chews up and spits out noobs by the pound. CCP is notoriously hands-off with the game, but this is one issue it appears willing to do something about.
The Commissioned Officer Edition of EVE Online will include a key for starting a new account, 30 days of game time and an EVE poster with hints and tips for new players. But the most important part of the package will be the Cerebral Accelerator, “a military-grade implant that significantly increases a new pilot’s skill development.” The implant provides a powerful boost to nearly all abilities, but only for the first 30 days of a pilot’s life – just enough to help fledgling players get up to speed.
Does anyone else find this idea awfully tempting? I have friends who play EVE and they love it, and it’s always fun to read about all the creatively horrible things the players do to one another in the game. I’m a bit of a space opera nerd, too. Maybe it’s time to quit messing around and actually take this thing for a spin?
The Cerebral Accelerator will only be given to the first character created on a new player’s account and can only be had through retail purchases of EVE Online; the Commissioned Officer Edition is not being offered via digital distribution. Retailers are taking preorders now and are currently listing a ship date of October 19.
