Friday, June 29, 2012

Bring the Frill Back


The ships of Eve Online are iconic.  It doesn’t matter if you are a hardcore Eve Online capsuleer or a casual science fiction enthusiast.  These pixilated masterpieces have connected players to the New Eden Universe for almost 10 years and there is no denying the players who fly them and the develops who create them are both passionate about these ships.

The ships were what drew me the play this game.  More than the complexity, politics, history and player driven almost freaking everything; the ships captured my imagination and my heart.  The daredevil and its look of solidified death took my breath away.  The Phobos was satirical and cheeky with its phallic shape and pinkish hull coloring.  The Avatar was the first titan I saw in game.  It made me feel so tiny in my rifter, but it also gave me a goal.

Then there is the Vagabond.  A ship that is quick, silent and deadly.  The Dragon of the Matar;  name well deserved when you consider it’s speed, striking ability and at one time it’s frill.  This ship is one of the most popular and widely used heavy assault cruisers.  It’s also a thing of beauty and pride for many of the pilots who fly it.

The V3 Shaders brought change which was good and is laying the path for even better graphics and options further in to the future.  There were artistic decisions made to adjust some models much to the disappointment of some.  The coloring of some ships changed dramatically including the pinkish hues of the Roden Shipyards line.  Some models were re-worked and adjusted for accuracy.  Such is the way of progress, but was the removal of the Vagabond’s frill really progress?

Would you take away Jimmy Hendrix’s fro if it made him more receivable to the public?  Would you tear down the Eiffel Tower to improve the scenic views of Paris?  Would you banish rotten shark from Iceland because it smelled bad?  No... you wouldn’t.

All of these things, much like the frill of the Vagabond, are iconic.  The frill makes the Vagabond special.  It’s a part of the ships personality and helps it stand out among the hundreds of other impressive ships Eve Online has to offer.  The frill is a part of it’s mystic and beauty.  It’s what makes the Vagabond more than just a set pixels with a set of stats. 

CCP, your players are appealing… no... pleading with you.  We know you understand because you love Eve Online and its ships just as much as we do.  Hear us in this request to bring the frill back.  Let the legend of the Dragon of the Matar live.  Keep the Vagabond iconic.  Bring the frill back.

Check out what other Eve Online players have to say about the frill

Make your voice heard by replying to the Bring the FrillBack proposal on the Eve Online forums.