The Shadow War And What The Gallente Did Not Get

A recurring theme throughout the years in EVE Online is that the developers set up a live event with pre-ordained results. The latest example involves The Shadow War and the Interstellar Shipcaster. What's a shipcaster?

The interstellar shipcaster is a one-way rapid deployment mechanism designed to move capsuleers from their faction's HQ star system closer to the FW warzone. This system is exclusive to FW and serves to help players access FW systems more easily, while also creating new opportunities for both combat pilots and industrialists alike.

The shipcaster networks operate independently of other gate systems, and assuming each empire is able to follow in the footsteps of the Caldari, there will be one shipcaster complex for each empire located in their respective HQ system.

• Mehatoor (Amarr)
• Onnamon (Caldari)
• Intaki (Gallente)
• Amo (Minmatar)

CCP's plans encountered a slight glitch. The Gallente failed to build their shipcaster before the launch of the Viridian expansion. Some players, or at least posters on the EVE Online sub-Reddit, were upset that the Gallente were allowed to finish construction of the shipcaster after the launch of the new expansion. But given the capabilities of the new feature, could the developers really allow the Gallente not to have their own shipcaster?

In Viridian patch 2023-07-13.1 we saw the penalty Gallente factional warfare players received for not finishing on time.

Full industry services and office slots have been added to the stations in empire war HQ systems that were built during the Shadow War.

• Onnamon VI, Black Rock - Caldari Navy Anchorage
• Mehatoor III, Devoid - Amarr Navy Anchorage
• Amo III, Metropolis - Republic Fleet Anchorage

What are full industry services? I took a look at Amo III to see what services were available.

What full services in a station looks like

The Gallente system of Intaki already had six stations, the most of any of the systems housing shipcasters. But in a twist of fate, none of the stations have factories. Is the inability to build items in the system a disadvantage? Possibly.

Anyway, Gallente slowness in not completing the event did wind up leaving a mark, however small, on New Eden. For some, the penalty is not enough, if those critics even know about the consequences. But sometimes, developers do have to take gameplay considerations like balance between factions into account. Giving one faction a big disadvantage is not good. But is withholding a station from one of the four sides enough?