EVE Online Fractured Skies - Military Campaigns and Conquest Engines

We are less than two weeks away from EVE Online's next expansion, Fractured Skies. The info is starting to flow about the winter expansion with Fenris releasing both a dev blog and video. Consider this post an experiment in trying to produce articles about patch notes faster, as I'm finding keeping up with the releases harder. Also, Fenris is getting better at writing patch notes. But with any luck I can come up with fresh ways of looking at things.

Also, I am using Gemini in composing this article although I'm trying to keep the article short enough I just use the AI to organize the flow of the post. I need the practice, especially since I'm just a few years from retirement. 

First, let's look at the upcoming Empire military campaigns & the race for Drifter tech. On a personal note, I think Fenris gets a greater return on investment on factional warfare and low sec content, possibly because the starting spot was so low. Before going to the future, we need to look back at the past. This is what the first wave of campaigns brought players.

Minmatar Republic: Arzad II is renamed Starkman Prime, and sovereignty of the Arzad and Ezzara systems passes from the Amarr to the Minmatar. A new Starkmanir Tribe station is built in Arzad, and the Starkmanir uncover new Phased Fields in Minmatar highsec. Phased fields, until now only available in null-sec, are rare mining sites that offer erratic ore which can be transformed into any mineral.

Gallente Federation: New stargates between Renyn and Jufvitte cut the route between Intaki and Dodixie to six jumps, all through Federation space. A new low-waste Excavator drone variant is available in the Federal Defense Union and Federation Navy LP stores.

Caldari State: New stargates link Ienakkamon to T-LIWS. The Intaki Syndicate is dissolved, its member corporations absorbed into the State, and some former Syndicate LP offers move to the State Protectorate LP store.

Amarr Empire: The Deaconry of Economic Oversight is established at the Emperor Family Academy station in Amarr VIII (Oris), bringing a 50% reduction in taxes and broker fees there for six months. New Imperial Issue tackle modules are available in the Amarr Navy and 24th Imperial Crusade LP stores. Test them out with the new synchronizer rigs.

Yes, last expansion's campaigns brought goodies to New Eden under Fractured Skies. But what does winter bring? A lowsec fleet battle over Drifter technology in January where earned empire buffs apply. That's right, we spend two months gathering up world buffs to use in PvPvE battles in low sec. The winning faction unlocks an exclusive Drifter module offer in its Loyalty Point (LP) store.

I guess I shouldn't say we only get world buffs. At the individual level we get ISK and loyalty points for each delivery. The dev blog teased that the item traders will have things like a new Glamourex booster, a new faction salvager module, blueprints for a scanning upgrade module, and rare faction apparel. Oh, and brand-new Penumbral SKINs for those who need to dress up their ships.

But the fun doesn't end with the low sec fleet battles in January. In February we get a new mechanic called Conquest Engines made from Drifter technology. As far as I know the Conquest Engine is the first time something coming in a mid-expansion patch is being advertised before the expansion launches.

We only have a high level outline for now...

The CONCORD pact is holding, for now. But once those Conquest Engines are deployed, Factional Warfare will change with the introduction of Conquests, time-limited Factional Warfare conflicts that build toward a Final Siege battle that will determine the winners of each Conquest.

Once activated, a Conquest Engine can take control of an entire solar system, and the only counter is a rival empire deploying its own engine.

During the Conquest, enlisted pilots complete objectives for personal rewards and help their faction win Directives: capture a system, hold it until the deadline, or complete objectives before the enemy does. Each Directive has a time limit and only one winner. Winning earns your faction Conquest Power, unlocking advantages for the Siege.

In the Final Siege, defend your Conquest Engine and destroy the enemy’s. The first faction to destroy its opponent’s engine wins the Conquest.

I'm not going to lie. I do think players will check into the game if only to see for themselves what's new. Without more details, though, I don't know what the reaction will be. Will players embrace the new mechanics or did the devs go one step too far?