Equinox Update: Tweaks & Balances

Bold capsuleers, 

Your enthusiasm and dedication to EVE Online continually inspire our drive to deliver the best experiences possible, and we extend our gratitude for your support and passion. At the same time, we recognize that some of our ambitious goals for Equinox are taking a bit longer to achieve than expected. While we strive to get everything right, often it is not until capsuleers start interacting with the features in the live universe of New Eden that we can identify aspects that require fine tuning, balancing, fixing, or updating. During the post launch period we address issues that we have identified, actively monitor and gather data, and collaborate with the CSM and the larger community to make iterations based on your feedback.  Following recent updates and continuing over the summer, the focus is on delivering improvements in three key areas: 

• Further improving and balancing the Equinox sovereignty system and structures. 

• Balancing and improving the AIR Daily Goals experience. 

• Improving the SKINR experience for both casual designers and dedicated SKINdustrialists. 

SOVEREIGNTY STRUCTURES SHORED UP 

The new anomalies saw significant enhancements in last week’s update, and work is already underway to make further improvements and balancing changes to the new sovereignty system and structures. The primary focus is on the orbital skyhook, with the goal of improving the balance between raiders and defenders to ensure that defenders do not feel compelled to take extreme measures to secure their materials, and attackers have better opportunities for meaningful engagements. 

PROJECTION CONCERNS 

Force projection will also be the subject of focus, specifically addressing certain issues created by Zarzakh. The current accessibility of Zarzakh from all over the cluster allows pilots to quickly traverse different areas of space, which has raised community concerns about stifling fights and making the map feel smaller, as conflicts can be reached almost instantly through the Zarzakh shortcut. Work has already begun on changes set to be implemented this fall to ensure a more balanced and engaging experience for all capsuleers. 

GIVE US TODAY MORE DAILY GOALS 

The AIR Daily Goals system aims to bring more life to New Eden and reward pilots participating in its vast ecosystem. The goals should be fun, engaging, rewarding and accessible to everyone in the cluster. Based on your feedback several changes have been made with the aim of gathering feedback and data to inform further improvements to the Daily Goals experience. These adjustments see an increase in the daily completion bonus and number of Daily Goals to choose from.  In addition, certain goal types that were difficult or geographically challenging for many pilots have been removed, making it easier for anyone to complete the Daily Goals, regardless of location in space. A temporary weekly skill point gift for Omega pilots has also been added to the New Eden Store, replenishing every Tuesday. Balancing will be an ongoing process, and adjustments will continue being made until it feels just right. 

BECOME A SKINDUSTRIALIST 

One of the goals with SKINR for ships is to create new career and specialization opportunities for capsuleers, opening the gates for budding SKINdustrialists. We’ve heard your valuable feedback on SKINR which is already informing current and future updates to the experience. To give more players a chance to fully explore its potential, the cost and time requirements associated with SKINR are being adjusted temporarily while the impact is monitored to inform the next steps. During this period, your feedback will be crucial to help shape future updates.  

In addition, more ways to specialize have been introduced, with a new skill that reduces Paragon Hub vendor fees. Later this summer you will be able to further unleash your creativity in the SKINR Studio. All design elements will be available when designing a SKIN, whether you own them or not, and all nanocoatings can be applied to any slot. This allows more freedom when designing your dream SKINs as you can freely experiment with various elements and then acquire the necessary elements to realize your vision when you’re ready. Additionally, several quality-of-life improvements are planned: 

• The ability to share saved skin designs in chat. 

• More filters for design elements, with direct links to the market or Paragon hub. 

• The ability to activate components directly within the Paragon Hub. 

These changes aim to make specializing in SKINR more enjoyable and accessible, while also enhancing the overall user experience. 

TOWARD THE FUTURE 

For more details on today’s changes, please refer to the patch notes and stay tuned for upcoming updates. As these enhancements are rolled out, you will get a chance to play around with them and tell us what you think so together we find and maintain a good balance as we make further iterations. Together, we will continue to make New Eden a vibrant and thriving place for all capsuleers. 

Fly safe. 

o7