EVElopedia
July 18th, 2008
After deciding on the ground rules, what we would need and what it would be called and such, we needed to have a simple prototype done. We had some general requirements and with the help of an experienced web programmer we prototyped different types of wikis and various formats. We made the decision that it should be called EVElopedia. We also decided that it had to scale, it had to work with existing framework and it should be familiar to those who would end up using it.
We quickly realized that we would not be able to do this in-house, mostly due to technical limitations and man-hours needed for such a project, so we outsourced it. For one, it would take a company experienced in creating custom wikis much quicker than we would be able to, and at a far lower cost, as they would do it faster. Saving development time can sometimes be crucial and it would also have delayed the project for an unforeseen time. We finally settled on a company experienced in the business of wikis, and decided on using MediaWiki. MediaWiki being used in most wikis today and it is my favorite Wikipedia.
Production Ramp up
Soon, we started seeing basic versions of it pop up which we could look at and we were quite happy with the results. However, we ran into various problems where tie-ins with our own systems had to be made. My "It's MOZO" moment was when we finally had our CSS made, and the EVElopedia started looking more EVE-style (orange and pink was the first color choice).
Testing and Delivery
We are currently testing it and reporting bugs to our partner, and it is looking quite well so far. Mostly there are aesthetic changes and some minor problems we have been running into, which makes us very confident that we can release it very soon™. A previous blog from Ginger explained YARR, a division in ISD which will handle moderation of the wiki, which took us one step further towards release. We have decided to go with a full moderation initially and possibly change it to less moderation at a later time, once we get the feel for it. YARR will be responsible for handling this, making sure that all new articles, and changes to existing ones are accurate and meet our standards. The rules are very similar to the TOS and EULA and there are similar repercussions for misbehavior as those used on the EVE Online message boards. We can't say exactly when it will be released, but we will announce it once we get deeper into testing and we are satisfied with our product.
Wait… there is more!
The wiki won't be just a wiki, it will contain something special, which most of you have wanted for quite some time, or more to a point, an up to date one. There have been various complaints about the Item database not being up to date; this is mostly due to the process of updating it being a hard and difficult process (who would have thought we would have more ships and items!). But we made it a requirement that our Item DB could be easily exported from our internal servers, and using a custom made macro we have been able to insert all items into the EVElopedia. It will look similar to the website DB as it looks now, but you'll notice that there are some minor changes, mostly aesthetic ones. One good thing about the macro is that we can update it at any given time. So on a patch day we can export it from the server, use the macro to update the wiki and voil , an up to date Item Database, on patch day!
One last thing, the wiki will work using the in-game browser. However, as it is… not as robust as any other browser shall we say, there can't be any edits or changes through the in-game browser. But it will render all text and images quite well, so there is no need to start your browser to search for something as you can do it through the in-game browser.
This is going to be the most awesome thing to hit the EVE universe, and this will be available before the apocalypse, soon™ and all that jazz!
Source: myeve.eve-online.com
Ice Belt Execution: Rupture Assassins Struck Down by CONCORD
Eygfe - In the early hours of Sunday morning, three pilots of the Sounds of Violence corporation lost their ships to CONCORD in order to bring down a Mackinaw suspected of covertly working for a local hostile corp.
The trio of Ruptures, flown by pilots Psyfr, Jakamo and Ullyses of Sounds of Violence struck in the early hours of the morning, when their target, dailq03, was in the ice belt harvesting Glacial Mass with a large number of other miners.
All three were aware of the risk they took. CONCORD retribution in the 0.7 security system was certain, but their plan was for economic warfare, as Jakamo explained:
"[Our fitting was] all tech 1… expendable."
"We knew concord had rights to our ships if we aggressed," Psyfr continued. "So yeah, cheap and disposable."
"To make the loss worth the kill," Ullyses added.
The engagement itself was also meticulously planned. Psyfr laid it out to me:
"It's easy to spook people, if you all show up and hang around for ages. We had a warp in already set up, so we went in hot."
Ullyses continued, "We acted with surprise by coming out of warp right on top of our target, so they didn't have a chance. By the time the battle was started, it was over and there was no chance for reinforcements to come to their aid."
Following the execution of the suspect pilot, CONCORD acted swiftly to prevent further attacks, flooding the belt with battleships and their support. The three Ruptures went down swiftly under the barrage of CONCORD weaponry. They described their last moments with their ships:
Psyfr : I was amazed at how long I managed to keep my ship together. It went so quick, I don't think I could tell [how long it was]… Approximately 15 seconds, maybe? A lot longer than my gang mates at any rate, though I wasn't taking fire much of the time.
Jakamo: The amniotic fluid was boiling, I tell you!
Ullyses: With the blood pumping in your ears, time seems to stand still in the second you turn the gun on.
I attempted to contact pilot dailq03, but received no response to my enquiries. Local pilot Adrielle Firewalker was kind enough, however, to direct me to the scene of the crime, where I attempted to speak with the other exhumer pilots who had been beside the victim at the time. All either declined to reply or were incoherent.
Further down the belt, Bratos Barr caught a brief glimpse of events as he was mining:
"I saw an attack… I thought it was on me for a second, but I didn't see anyone chatting in local and the pilots took off before I could see any names." Mr Barr then departed at speed.
But why target such figures as this reticent miner for attack? Certainly such attacks would not seem be unknown to a corporation whose motto is "If there is No Sacrifice, there can be No Victory."
Psyfr: I don't think losing one Mackinaw to a bunch of ruptures would really do much financially. it was more or less to send a message.
Ullyses: We are hoping the conflict will continue with our suprise attacks on their supply line, and hope that it will damage there funds, morale, and will to fight back.
Amidst the throng of CONCORD vessels stood a telling testament to the reason this form of warfare will continue. The wreck of Psyfr's Rupture rested close to the carcass of its victim, the name still visible for all to see.
"Worth it".
Source: myeve.eve-online.com
Odamia Falls Under Caldari Onslaught
And So It Begins - Only days after CONCORD announced the Emergency Militia War Powers Act, the Caldari State have occupied the Gallente Federation system of Odamia in Placid.
The State Protectorate fleet led by Strike Commander Daniel Jackson have been operating in the Placid region for approximately one week, conducting raids on Federal facilities. The force consisted of approximately thirty frigate, destroyer and cruiser class vessels. Jackson was assisted by some very capable fleet members including Wing Commander Naisa who managed fleet logistics. He is quick to point out that he had other very capable commanders throughout this stage of deployment, who kept things running smoothly behind the scenes.
Whilst on maneuvers, intelligence arrived indicating the location of a vulnerable command and control bunker in the system of Odamia. Upon arrival in the system the fleet launched a full assault.
Expecting a high level of resistance it is surprising that of the main Federal militia forces, there were only "two [targets] sitting at 300km from [the bunker]" according to Jackson. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Celeste also noted an "interceptor while [they] were taking the bunker into armor." However Captain Cyracis did point out that he was "organizing the support wing of battlecruisers and battleships" so that they would be ready for any counterattack on their position.
Odamia was the first system to fall in this conflict. It is now time for the Gallente to repond. However for the moment Ensign Cyriel Longinus sums up the general attitude of the fleet:
"Glory to the State."
Source: myeve.eve-online.com