CCP released the Fanfest 2015 presentations onto its YouTube channel last week. I was interested in watching the Security presentation because I was so nervous during the presentation that I didn't remember exactly what was said. I knew from meetings what everyone planned to present, but things always change from what is planned vs what is actually said. Given the structure of the talk, I'll make two posts, with today's post covering the first part of the presentation given by the InfoSec members of Team Security.
Showing posts with label fanfest_2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fanfest_2015. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
The Biggest Takeaway From The EVE Keynote
I woke up this morning with the sun shining through the curtains of my room for the first time this Fanfest. Clear skies for the eclipse? I guess sometimes a plan does actually work.
As we learned on the first day of Fanfest, the plans to hold the event during the eclipse this year were laid by the old, pre-Incarna CCP. The bunch that had grandiose plans that often came out of the oven half-baked. See also, Incarna.
But not all the ideas that came from CCP were bad, or even done poorly. I think one of the main things that players wanted was for CCP to carry-through on their plans and do ALL of them well. If something didn't work right, fix it, don't just leave a mess. Over the past few years, CCP has spent a lot of time and effort fixing and cleaning up their systems and code.
I sat in the front row during the EVE keynote yesterday. I think some people were underwhelmed by the content in the keynote. The biggest news for many is the introduction of the new structure system, but we won't hear more about that until the session on Saturday at 1300. But for me, the biggest takaway from the keynote is that, at least for the EVE Online team, the swagger is back.
I think the swagger shows the most on the technical side. According to CCP Seagull, the six week release cycle is now too slow and CCP will release minor features in-between the major release points. For years, MMORPG players pointed to Blizzard as a company that would not release anything until the game was ready. CCP is aiming to gain the reputation as a company that releases content as soon as it's ready.
In addition, CCP plans to implement technology in the near future that will bring the company back on par with the latest innovations in the industry. Things like the "download on demand" feature for the EVE client, two-factor authentication using Google Authenticator, and the option to download high resolution images are all good technical steps that should make new players feel like they are playing a current generation video game, not one that launched 12 years ago.
I should add one additional note that is probably the most important factor of all. EVE Online is one of the few MMORPGs left that relies on the subscription model. At this point in time with the developments in the industry, perhaps I'll soon call CCP's business model "The EVE model", since even Blizzard is moving WoW to the PLEX model. But as part of that model, CCP is looking to continuously update the game. If players see that they are receiving fixes and new content every month, I imagine that players will find paying the monthly subscription more palatable.
I guess, as an EVE player, finding the monetary aspect of the keynote was inevitable. I'll probably continue on with that analysis in the near future after hearing all the presentations. But for now, I need to run back to Harpa and more presentations.
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| At the peak of the eclipse |
As we learned on the first day of Fanfest, the plans to hold the event during the eclipse this year were laid by the old, pre-Incarna CCP. The bunch that had grandiose plans that often came out of the oven half-baked. See also, Incarna.
But not all the ideas that came from CCP were bad, or even done poorly. I think one of the main things that players wanted was for CCP to carry-through on their plans and do ALL of them well. If something didn't work right, fix it, don't just leave a mess. Over the past few years, CCP has spent a lot of time and effort fixing and cleaning up their systems and code.
I sat in the front row during the EVE keynote yesterday. I think some people were underwhelmed by the content in the keynote. The biggest news for many is the introduction of the new structure system, but we won't hear more about that until the session on Saturday at 1300. But for me, the biggest takaway from the keynote is that, at least for the EVE Online team, the swagger is back.
I think the swagger shows the most on the technical side. According to CCP Seagull, the six week release cycle is now too slow and CCP will release minor features in-between the major release points. For years, MMORPG players pointed to Blizzard as a company that would not release anything until the game was ready. CCP is aiming to gain the reputation as a company that releases content as soon as it's ready.
In addition, CCP plans to implement technology in the near future that will bring the company back on par with the latest innovations in the industry. Things like the "download on demand" feature for the EVE client, two-factor authentication using Google Authenticator, and the option to download high resolution images are all good technical steps that should make new players feel like they are playing a current generation video game, not one that launched 12 years ago.
I should add one additional note that is probably the most important factor of all. EVE Online is one of the few MMORPGs left that relies on the subscription model. At this point in time with the developments in the industry, perhaps I'll soon call CCP's business model "The EVE model", since even Blizzard is moving WoW to the PLEX model. But as part of that model, CCP is looking to continuously update the game. If players see that they are receiving fixes and new content every month, I imagine that players will find paying the monthly subscription more palatable.
I guess, as an EVE player, finding the monetary aspect of the keynote was inevitable. I'll probably continue on with that analysis in the near future after hearing all the presentations. But for now, I need to run back to Harpa and more presentations.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Fanfest 2015: Presentations of Interest
An easy post for any blogger here in Reykjavik to write is one on which Fanfest events we intend to attend. I have taken the Golden Circle tour twice and I recommend it to anyone who comes to attend Fanfest. The pub crawl? I'm getting too old for that. So this year, my post is just about the presentations I plan to attend.
I know that a lot of people make a big deal about attending the round tables. Quite frankly, I usually find them a waste of time, so I only go if none of the main rooms have an event I want to attend. Well, except for the Security one, but I have a special interest in that subject.
So here are the presentations I tentatively plan on attending this year...
I know that a lot of people make a big deal about attending the round tables. Quite frankly, I usually find them a waste of time, so I only go if none of the main rooms have an event I want to attend. Well, except for the Security one, but I have a special interest in that subject.
So here are the presentations I tentatively plan on attending this year...
Monday, March 16, 2015
Fanfest 2015: Scattered Thoughts After An Ill-Timed Nap
What makes me think I play too much EVE Online? Not the 3 accounts I maintain or that I'm back in Reykjavik for the fourth time to attend Fanfest. No, the fact that when I woke up during the flight to Iceland and saw on the little monitor on the seat in front of me that the aircraft was 317 km from Keflavik, my first thought was, "Good, we're on grid."
I'm writing this at 4 am local because my internal time clock is still messed up. I actually work up at 12:30 am, which is my normal time for recording RMT activity. The wind was howling and the time was late, so I didn't try going out. That's right, I missed a night of drinking in Iceland. But that's okay, I needed to recover from the trip. With my braces situation this year, I wound up not eating for about 24 hours. I also didn't drink enough water.
I've attended more cons than I can remember now, and one thing I've learned is the importance of remaining hydrated. I normally buy a couple of large bottles of water every day as a reminder, but with the wind this morning I just drank tap water all morning. Oh, and eating Kit Kats. Normally, eating chocolate is something I avoid, but the quick energy boost helps. Plus, Kit Kats are made by Nestle outside North America, so they taste better.
I did wander outside to poke my nose into a protest that some pro-EU forces held in the square outside Nora's and the English Pub. Apparently, the new government decided on Thursday to withdraw Iceland's application for full membership in the European Union.
I didn't get a violent vibe from the crowd as I did on a business trip to Bulgaria a few years ago, but I couldn't help but notice the police circulating around the edge of the crowd. Not to say they are some big boys (and girls), but I figured discretion is the better part of valor and stayed at the edge of the crowd. Sorry, but I'm here to have fun, not wind up in the hospital, in jail, or both.
I guess I should add this note. Just like EVE, always scout ahead, even while you're travelling. I was told the rally was scheduled on short notice, meaning that, if possible, people should read the local news of the destination country while travelling. I had no excuse for not knowing as Logan airport has free wi-fi. If I make a list of things to do when travelling to Fanfest, I'll remember to put this on the list. While I consider Reykjavik much safer than Chicago, even high-sec has gankers,
Also, just a quick note about RMT. Apparently the increase in demand for ISK I saw on Player Auctions in February was just a temporary spike. With the first two weeks of March in the books, sales volume dropped back to December levels. I half-expect the rate to fall back down to January's level, although I don't know how the news out of Fanfest will play out. In that, I guess I'm like the market gurus.
Speaking of market gurus, I'm at the point in my monitoring of black market ISK where I need to start monitoring more than PLEX. I think the introduction of the new Minmatar Tech 3 Tactical Destroyer caused the spike, but I'm not sure. I usually watch, or at least listen to, Lockfox's EVE Prosper show, but I may need to start taking notes. I also need to start paying more attention to null sec. I need to do so anyway now that I'm in Signal Cartel, but my RMT monitoring makes doing so a bit more important.
I don't know just how much I'll blog during this week in Iceland. I just may travel around taking pictures and posting those instead of writing.
I'm writing this at 4 am local because my internal time clock is still messed up. I actually work up at 12:30 am, which is my normal time for recording RMT activity. The wind was howling and the time was late, so I didn't try going out. That's right, I missed a night of drinking in Iceland. But that's okay, I needed to recover from the trip. With my braces situation this year, I wound up not eating for about 24 hours. I also didn't drink enough water.
I've attended more cons than I can remember now, and one thing I've learned is the importance of remaining hydrated. I normally buy a couple of large bottles of water every day as a reminder, but with the wind this morning I just drank tap water all morning. Oh, and eating Kit Kats. Normally, eating chocolate is something I avoid, but the quick energy boost helps. Plus, Kit Kats are made by Nestle outside North America, so they taste better.
I did wander outside to poke my nose into a protest that some pro-EU forces held in the square outside Nora's and the English Pub. Apparently, the new government decided on Thursday to withdraw Iceland's application for full membership in the European Union.
 |
| View of the demonstration outside Nora's |
I didn't get a violent vibe from the crowd as I did on a business trip to Bulgaria a few years ago, but I couldn't help but notice the police circulating around the edge of the crowd. Not to say they are some big boys (and girls), but I figured discretion is the better part of valor and stayed at the edge of the crowd. Sorry, but I'm here to have fun, not wind up in the hospital, in jail, or both.
I guess I should add this note. Just like EVE, always scout ahead, even while you're travelling. I was told the rally was scheduled on short notice, meaning that, if possible, people should read the local news of the destination country while travelling. I had no excuse for not knowing as Logan airport has free wi-fi. If I make a list of things to do when travelling to Fanfest, I'll remember to put this on the list. While I consider Reykjavik much safer than Chicago, even high-sec has gankers,
Also, just a quick note about RMT. Apparently the increase in demand for ISK I saw on Player Auctions in February was just a temporary spike. With the first two weeks of March in the books, sales volume dropped back to December levels. I half-expect the rate to fall back down to January's level, although I don't know how the news out of Fanfest will play out. In that, I guess I'm like the market gurus.
Speaking of market gurus, I'm at the point in my monitoring of black market ISK where I need to start monitoring more than PLEX. I think the introduction of the new Minmatar Tech 3 Tactical Destroyer caused the spike, but I'm not sure. I usually watch, or at least listen to, Lockfox's EVE Prosper show, but I may need to start taking notes. I also need to start paying more attention to null sec. I need to do so anyway now that I'm in Signal Cartel, but my RMT monitoring makes doing so a bit more important.
I don't know just how much I'll blog during this week in Iceland. I just may travel around taking pictures and posting those instead of writing.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Quick Thoughts Before I Hit The Road
I'm in the middle of doing laundry, but I thought I'd throw out some thoughts.
The streaming schedule for Fanfest on Twitch is now up. Looks like the Team Security presentation is on live at 1500 EVE time (that's GMT for those who don't play EVE). Fittingly, it is the last presentation shown on EVE TV before the closing ceremonies this year. Don't let all those null sec pubbies fool you, the null sec revamp is not the most important thing CCP will talk about!
Also, the closing event is not called "CCP Presents!" on the schedule this year. In before people start speculating if that means CCP is announcing it was sold. Pretty sure the answer is no, although that would explain why Riot has hired away so many CCP employees. Okay, enough feeding the trolls.
Mynxee has sent out some tweets this morning that are pretty good...
If PvP combat is not your thing and you just like poking around everywhere exploring the galaxy, think about joining the Signal Cartel. More information is available in our recruitment thread on the EVE Online forums. And yes, I'm unironically sending people to the forums.
I thought about posting a checklist for those travelling to Fanfest, but I'm lazy. So instead I'll link Sindel Pellion's lists from both 2013 and 2014. Some good advice in both. Maybe I'll compile a list for next year.
Speaking of checklists, I have to continue down the one on my notepad. The paper kind, not the one on a computer. So the next post will probably come from sunny/rainy/snowy Reykjavik next week.
The streaming schedule for Fanfest on Twitch is now up. Looks like the Team Security presentation is on live at 1500 EVE time (that's GMT for those who don't play EVE). Fittingly, it is the last presentation shown on EVE TV before the closing ceremonies this year. Don't let all those null sec pubbies fool you, the null sec revamp is not the most important thing CCP will talk about!
Also, the closing event is not called "CCP Presents!" on the schedule this year. In before people start speculating if that means CCP is announcing it was sold. Pretty sure the answer is no, although that would explain why Riot has hired away so many CCP employees. Okay, enough feeding the trolls.
Mynxee has sent out some tweets this morning that are pretty good...
New Signal Cartel member: "...what I learned in 1 week here equals what I figured out on my own in 4 months playing Eve solo" *smiles*
— Mynxee (@Mynxee) March 13, 2015
Another new Signal Cartel member: "The learning cliff has turned into a curve" since they joined us. OP SUCCESS! We have amazing people.
— Mynxee (@Mynxee) March 13, 2015
I thought about posting a checklist for those travelling to Fanfest, but I'm lazy. So instead I'll link Sindel Pellion's lists from both 2013 and 2014. Some good advice in both. Maybe I'll compile a list for next year.
Speaking of checklists, I have to continue down the one on my notepad. The paper kind, not the one on a computer. So the next post will probably come from sunny/rainy/snowy Reykjavik next week.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Fanfest 2015: There's ISK, And Then There's ISK
I have to admit, I'm a bit more excited about purchasing products at the Fanfest store this year. Not just because of some of the selections, but due to the change in the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar and the Icelandic krona (ISK). Last year at the beginning of Fanfest, the exchange rate according to Oanda was 112.35 ISK to the dollar. Yesterday, the rate was 136.73 ISK to the dollar.
Did I mention that Iceland is rather expensive? But with the strengthening U.S. dollar over the past year, going out to dinner or barhopping just got a lot less expensive.
Of course, that put the thought into my head, what about the Europeans coming to Fanfest? So I gathered a little historical data and made some charts. Everyone loves charts, right?
Good news for people travelling in from the U.K. and Switzerland, bad news for those using the Euro. But what's that at the end? The Interstellar Kredit? Well, since CCP mentioned something last year about buying beer with PLEX, I thought I'd include EVE Online's in-game currency to the chart as well. Surprisingly enough, New Eden's ISK is holding its value against the dollar as well, if not a little better, than the more highly regarded British pound and Swiss franc.
I then decided to take a look at my RMT research. I started tracking the value of ISK at Player Auctions in the wake of CCP Falcon's input broadcasting forum post on 1 December to see what effect the post would have on not only the price of PLEX in Jita, but the price of illicit ISK sold on the secondary market as well. So why not make a chart showing the change from 1 December to yesterday?
Once again, the U.S. dollar outperformed all terrestrial currencies. But what about virtual currency? In that case, New Eden ISK did what the euro, pound, franc and krona failed to do: gain value. So theoretically, paying with ISK seems a good deal. Too bad that's considered RMT and Team Security would start issuing bans. Oh well.
 |
| I could use some more glasses |
Of course, that put the thought into my head, what about the Europeans coming to Fanfest? So I gathered a little historical data and made some charts. Everyone loves charts, right?
 |
| Now's the time to travel for Americans |
I then decided to take a look at my RMT research. I started tracking the value of ISK at Player Auctions in the wake of CCP Falcon's input broadcasting forum post on 1 December to see what effect the post would have on not only the price of PLEX in Jita, but the price of illicit ISK sold on the secondary market as well. So why not make a chart showing the change from 1 December to yesterday?
 |
| That was a surprise |
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Fanfest 2015: Weather Alert
Headed to #evefanfest? Pack hot drinks, hugs and WARM CLOTHES. Weather advisory! http://t.co/VZVyFlRg33 #tweetfleet pic.twitter.com/Mz0COW61Qk
— EVE Online (@EveOnline) March 10, 2015
CCP published an announcement to all Fanfest attendees reminding them that Iceland can have bad weather. Having had first-hand experience with the weather in the past, I can say the problem isn't so much the cold itself, it's the mitigating circumstances. For one, in Chicago, we have a dry cold. In Reykjavik, sitting on the ocean as it does, the cold is a damp cold. Secondly, the wind can really whip around. I have a picture of myself somewhere standing in front of the Harpa with the wind blowing the legs of my jeans to the side like a flag. With the weather this year, I'm glad that check-in for Fanfest will last all week. I realize that the check-in lines go really quickly, but standing out in that wind? No thanks.
I'm not too worried, as I still have my water-proof jacket from 2013. The jacket proved a bit warm by the weekend, but when the snow fell early that week I could throw on a couple of layers and I was fine. Looking at Chicago's forecast for Saturday, I think I can wear my winter coat on the way to O'Hare, so that means I can throw the lighter jacket in my luggage. Throw in my hat, scarf, and gloves and I should have no problems with the weather.
However, for those from warmer climates (which during the winter usually includes Iceland), don't forget to dress warmly! Even CCP Guard thinks it's cold.
Fanfest weather warning! Dress warm. I had to put on both my #Tweetfleet hats to cook dinner. http://t.co/dCEzGKqAmi pic.twitter.com/1YIdxCXDPC
— CCP Guard (@CCP_Guard) March 10, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Winding Down
Today's weather: Prepare for a big bang
#mbl #iceland #storm #travelsafe #besafe
http://t.co/2RGbwjIdoO pic.twitter.com/aftngjLzh1
— Iceland Travel (@IcelandTravelTO) March 10, 2015
I'm glad that CCP has decided to publish the dev blogs on the next phase of the sov revamp early instead of during the week of Fanfest. Last year I was trying to digest the dev blogs and enjoy my vacation at the same time. Yes, listening to Neville Smit read dev blogs in the hotel lobby to everyone was cool, but I'm ready for a different experience this year.
I guess I need this Fanfest to recharge my batteries. With the whole ISBoxer situation combined with the CSM election, I feel drained right now. But the election over today and Lord's Servant hopefully getting through to ISBoxer users, hopefully I can just relax next week. Except for the situation with my braces, I think I'm ready. My new adapter cord for my new laptop arrived in the mail yesterday, so I'm set on that front. The only thing left to do, really, is print out my itinerary, do laundry on Friday and pack my suitcase.
Well, I also have to take care of a couple of things at work, since my backup was laid off since the last time I took an extended vacation. But even that's just about done. Then I can shut my brain down for a couple of days and actually relax. I'm really looking forward to visiting the Celtic Cross again.
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