The Patchman cometh: EVE picks up new engine, ships,

A press release hit my inbox earlier today in which EVE Online devs CCP Games announced the release of their latest patch for the human-condition-masked-as-a-space-opera title. As we had previously mentioned, this is the release in which EVE gets the graphical facelift after four years of looking like a Heinlein day dream. The release also sees the addition of new ships, new skills, and a larger version number on the title’s ‘Patch Notes’ page.

If you’re interested in the press release itself, hit the jump. Keep in mind that the Icelandic language doesn’t translate well via Thunderbird however, so those aberrant characters are not performance art.

EVE Online Fortifies Graphical Leadership with Launch of New Graphics Engine
for Trinity Edition

CCP Delivers Next-Generation Graphics Engine Technology to Upcoming Edition
of Its Leading Sci-Fi MMOG

Reykjavik, Iceland - October 11, 2007 - CCP, one of the world's leading
independent game developers, today announced an upcoming expansion of EVE
Online, a popular massively multi-player online game (MMOG). The Trinity
expansion will feature a next-generation graphics engine. The release of the
new graphics engine aims to fortify the position of the popular MMOG as the
market leader in graphical excellence. The expansion will not only enhance
the visual impact of every element of the game, but also includes a myriad
of content additions. As always, the next EVE Online expansion will be free
to all subscribers.

The new graphics engine leverages Shader Model 3.0 technology to enable rich
dynamic range imaging, including bloom, shadows and enhanced geometric
detail, while maintaining a high frame rate on supporting platforms. Visual
changes entail remodeled and retextured ships, stations and stargates.

The Trinity expansion ushers in a host of fresh content and gameplay
improvements to EVE Online. Upgraded content includes advancements in combat
tactics and battlefield management, additional capabilities that lend
greater depth to the pilot experience and multiple new Tech II class ships.

"CCP has been on a continuous quest to offer cutting-edge virtual world
experiences to engage the most advanced users on the Internet," said Halldor
Guðjónsson, chief technology officer of CCP. "With the launch of our
next-generation graphics engine and gameplay improvements, we aim not only
to enhance the in-world experience of our dedicated EVE players, but also to
capture the interest of new gamers. While EVE Online has been arguably one
of the most visually appealing MMOGs, the quality of the images enabled by
our advanced graphics engine sets a precedent for visuals that blurs the
line between a computer game and a movie."
   
The 'EVE Online: Trinity' expansion includes:
A new graphics engine:
• All spaceships, stargates and space stations in EVE Online have been
remodeled; each object is comprised of several million polygons and multiple
layers of high resolution textures
• Native Shader Model 3.0 engine
• Environmental effects, such as shadows and nebula-based lighting models,
tie graphical assets into the different solar systems of EVE Online
• Ground-breaking visual fidelity, which blurs the lines between a game and
a movie

Combat advancements:
• Heat damage attenuation and repair while in space
• Better drone management capabilities
• Mid-flight bomb deployment capabilities along forward trajectories
• Attribute Reassignment Modifier (ARM) scripts to modify bonus attributes
of sensor boosters, dampeners and tracking modules
• Eased transition from rookie to elite pilot with revamped New Player
Experience
• Fleet integration and enhanced management of fleet operations with EVE
Voice

Content additions for Player versus EVE (PVE) gameplay:
• Hundreds of new kill missions and a re-introduction of mining missions
• Multi-frequency probe for more versatile exploration
• Faction loyalty points store items

New Tech II ships:
• Black Ops battleships - For undetectable infiltration and covert
operations in hostile territory
• Marauder battleships - Optimized for massive damage output to spearhead
assaults in enemy territory
• Suppressor Heavy Interdictor cruisers - A more lethal interdictor whose
warp-jamming suppression sphere moves with the ship
• Specter Electronic Attack ships - For quick propulsion lockdown and sensor
suppression of enemy ships

Availability
EVE Online: Trinity Edition will be released this winter.

About EVE Online
Set tens of thousands of years in the future, EVE Online is a breathtaking
journey to the stars, to an immersive experience filled with adventure,
riches, danger and glory. Supported by a vast player-run economy, EVE offers
professions to choose ranging from commodities trader to mercenary,
industrial entrepreneur to pirate, mining engineer to battle fleet commander
or any combination of these and much more. Your greatest asset is the
starship, designed to accommodate your specific needs, skills and ambitions.
Complementing its lethal arsenal are thousands of modules and components,
allowing for countless customizations. From brokering business deals to
waging war, you will have access to a diverse array of sophisticated tools
and interfaces to forge your own destiny in EVE. More information is
available at http://www.eve-online.com/