The pioneering PlayStation 3 massively multiplayer shooter, DUST 514, continues to integrate further into the PC-based EVE Online sci-fi MMO universe with the new Planetary Conquest mode.
E3 provided a great opportunity for CCP to get word out and the above trailer serves to explain the part that DUST 514‘s mercenary player can play in the wider EVE Universe.
Territory and Treachery
In a 30 minute presentation provided to Gamebreaker TV at E3, CCP staff proudly described the impact the new Planetary Conquest mode has had on the vast EVE Universe. They explained:
- Within 20 mins all new territory in the Planetary Conquest enabled Molden Heath region had been claimed by player organisations.
- Within 1 hour many of these territories became contested.
- It took less than 24 hours for the first reported episode of bribery, where a district was forfeited for in-game cash.
“The DUST players here, you’ve probably noticed first-hand, they’re probably backstabbing as we speak. This is really interesting: the fact that it took less than 24 hours for these core, emergent game mechanics from EVE to happen in DUST. That’s really encouraging.”
Meanwhile, in EVE Online‘s Factional Warfare, two Reddit corporations; one EVE-based, one DUST-based, coordinated a sustained assault to rout an enemy player organisation in record time by making use of the bonuses provided by successful DUST 514 ground campaigns. A retaliatory assault from the evicted faction is apparently now in progress.
These kinds of events are expected to become commonplace but CCP were impressed with how quickly it occurred for the first time.
Sharpening the Cutting Edge
The successful deployment of DUST 514: Uprising also delivered graphical upgrades, content enhancements and an assortment of optimisations.
Atypical of console-based shooters, rapid fire updates are planned to provide monthly enhancements. The CCP development team will continue to consult with the elected player council (the Council of Planetary Management) as further polish is added and new vehicles, roles, equipment and environments, including new terrain and structures, are introduced.
