It is intended update outposts and game mode areas. No ETA. A good chance the first one on the outpost side to get updated is the Orbital Artillery.

It is intended update outposts and game mode areas. No ETA. A good chance the first one on the outpost side to get updated is the Orbital Artillery.

will this mean that the Orbital Artillery will get it's own set of corresponding Medium Sockets?

Also, will the Orbital Artillery finally be functional? (usable Skyfire Battery? !!)

I don't know. But we would eventually like to make them functional.

I guess firing orbitals from the planet into space can't be that much different from firing them from spaceships onto planets.

May I propose that it may be a good idea to make it functional whith the FW-Overhaul which will allow Eve Players to earn orbitals? Would be fitting, because it would allow Dust-Players to do something against orbitals, even if they haven't brought their own Spacebuddies. I can only imagine how helpless Dusties would feel if their enemies have orbitals and they can't influence it at all.

I guess firing orbitals from the planet into space can't be that much different from firing them from spaceships onto planets.

Recently had a talk with a few of the Eve devs on a conference chat. The OA firing was brought up. Same answer, but they are aware it currently can not fire, but that we want to make it fire in the future.

The old Gallente one looks like cartoonish crap next to the new Gallente style.

Cartoonish? No not at all. The Gallente Communications outpost is a masterpiece. I still love it and its very unique.
And I like both the new research facility is of a bit different flavor and is just monumental, but the old one is very good.

Edit: not sure if anyone noticed, but all the older outposts are pretty much updated, the textures and everything is as good as the new outpost :P. And the mood is awesome everywhere. The tops and roofs of the buildings especially seems to be updated too.

Tho i now read most of the comments and its really not about the looks, cause all looks fantastic, only few comments catched me so I responded

Cartoonish? No not at all. The Gallente Communications outpost is a masterpiece. I still love it and its very unique.
And I like both the new research facility is of a bit different flavor and is just monumental, but the old one is very good.

Edit: not sure if anyone noticed, but all the older outposts are pretty much updated, the textures and everything is as good as the new outpost :P. And the mood is awesome everywhere. The tops and roofs of the buildings especially seems to be updated too.

Tho i now read most of the comments and its really not about the looks, cause all looks fantastic, only few comments catched me so I responded

Ways to spend Dev time:

1. Update old maps.
2. Create new maps.

Assuming it has to be one or the other I'd advocate for the second option.

Currently it's both. Two new ones are in art production, and I am currently starting paper ideas for a updated Orbital Artillery SI Set.

So we're going to get an updated Caldari OA before we get any Amarr outpost?

Currently it's both. Two new ones are in art production, and I am currently starting paper ideas for a updated Orbital Artillery SI Set.

Awesome to hear; there does seem to be quite a bit amount of wasted space (occupied) on that SI I would like to see utilized.

Like you said, it's not so much the textures. More about the whole design of the maps. Open areas, kill corridors, multi level fighting, semi-indoor fighting, defensible positions and multiple attack point of entries etc.

Is there any way to get a stronger racial identity? Honestly, outside the new map (and that's only because I *know* its Gallente), the other maps look very vanilla, "general sci-fi," without "feeling" like one race over the next....

I'd like stronger visual cues in Dust. It all feels much of the same...

It just doesn't feel substantially different than the others...

More green, silver, gold or rust for the racial maps, please! I mean, you're trying to create unique racial environments. SELL ME that these are dramatically different people with different ideals, design aesthetics, color palates, etc.

This!

And Vespasian I do not just stalk and follow you around the forums honestly. So far I have only read two of your posts and find myself just very strongly agreeing with them.

I went in and tried 1.4 after your encouragement. And I like most of the improvements, especially the loss of shared sight. Makes it a very more sneaky game.

However I only played a couple of matches because the maps just feel too similar. I imagine a lot of this is because of my exposure to the same maps over the Beta, but the more I look at them the more I think they just need more identity in every map.

Are the current maps supposed to be specific racial maps?

Reading comprehension says: In production is at a more advanced stage than 'starting paper ideas'

You're welcome

So the socket would include a mixture of terrain and buildings? That would be very sweet. Especially if there was a ravine incorporated in it.

Exactly. This is what we definitely try next. More seperation between the structures with terrain. Clump them more like a real life facility. See what comes of it. Feel free to toss in ideas. Just remember that I can't promise anything, and asking for something "new" in feature is probably not going to happen. So think about what currently exists.

You've said before the basic restriction/way that sockets work is by keeping a certain minimum distance between the large structures - that's how the memory allocation or what-not works.

On maps this seems to be necessarily a matter of horizontal space. Would it be possible to have flying/aerial platforms at a sufficient vertical distance such that they wouldn't interfere with the memory issues with land-bound platforms/sockets?

Remember that when it comes to terrain, and the static meshes that go on them... they should be as generic as possible in terms of what kind of structures go on them. We want the sockets to be more of the racial identifier since these are a big role in the PC battles.