Eve Online

EVE is a massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) set in a science-fiction based, persistent world. Players take the role of spaceship pilots seeking fame, fortune, and adventure in a huge, complex, exciting, and sometimes hostile galaxy.

What is the setting for EVE?

The game is set in part of the universe that is currently unknown. The game world consists of about 5,000 solar systems. When EVE was released in May 2003, about half of these systems were available for exploration, enabling players to more easily establish "hot spots" - centralized locations for trade, commerce and combat – based on their activities. As the population in EVE grows, more systems are made available to avoid overcrowding.

What is the premise of EVE?

EVE has a rich history and unique storyline created specifically for the game. The history, or "prime fiction," details the discovery of a natural wormhole that lead into an uncharted area of the universe. Gates were created to enable explorers to pass back and forth between the old and new worlds until the portal closed suddenly and violently, leaving the settlers cut off from the civilization of Earth’s galaxy.

Of the settlers that survived the hardship of this harsh environment, five nations rose to power, each taking on its own unique appearance, political and religious views, strengths and weaknesses. These five nations dictate the balance of power. After generations of war and strife, players enter EVE during a time when the general political situation is one of peace, albeit a strained and sometimes fragile one, between the empires. More details about the races, their empires and their history can be found in the Background section.

What defines a character in EVE?

A unique name and appearance, created by you, identifies your character. During character generation, you select not only your gender and race, but the fully-customizable character creation tools even offer you the opportunity to manipulate (or “morph”) your facial features, giving you the opportunity to create a character unlike any other. The final result is your avatar portrait, which is visible to other players in several ways, including our message boards and in-game chat channels.

The character creation process is when you begin to establish a history of sorts for your character. In selecting five basic attributes and starting skills, you determine where your character came from and what he or she has learned up to the present day. Was he a Minmatar slave child, held captive in Amarr space or is he the militant son of free-thinking Gallente parents? Who your character is and who he or she will become is all up to you. In EVE, you are the master of your character’s destiny.