Concept art of a Minmatar station interior
Our Place In New Eden.
The thing I would most like to see achieved by Ambulation is a widening of player’s horizons and a growing realization of the part they play in the workings of the universe that is New Eden. There are many ways in which EVE can expand, beyond the simple addition of new stars. There is a whole universe in New Eden which we have not yet seen, filled with a population numbering in the trillions or more.
Not everyone is a pilot, bred to soar through the depths of space and frolic amongst the stars. Ambulation opens a small facet of that inner world to us, the pilots who keep the universe going. The closest we have come to the ‘little people’, bound to their limited and restrictive portion of New Eden has been ferrying tourists, slaves and the odd janitor between stations. I for one would like to meet some of these unseen denizens of EVE in the ‘flesh’ as it were.
As players we are doubly detatched from the world we live in, by the walls of our pods and by the screens of the monitors we play the game on. With Ambulation CCP is giving us the chance to connect more with the game world. To walk about in it and meet the slaves, hookers, janitors and exotic dancers which have previously only been an icon in our cargo holds. It may lead us to think twice about Jet-canning them next time we blow up a brothel or liberate a cargo of slaves.
This is not an innovative new game mechanic, or a fancy new interface. This is something deeper, something more psychological. In a living, breathing world such as that of EVE, to really appreciate it you need to be able to live in it and get a sense of its granduer and its squalour, its immense scale and its smallest detail. If in New Eden, we are, as pilots, considered to be godlike in our power and influence, should we not see the fall of every sparrow and hear the cry of every child? Ambulation may or may not give us that out of the box but the potential is there and I hope it is realised. Ambulation promises to be a doorway to a deeper understanding of the world of EVE.
One Comment
It will be interesting to see what shows up on the “Phase II” list after ambulation is implemented and has had a chance to get the initial kinks worked out.
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