Overview is a new EN24 column where we spotlight community driven efforts to enrich other player’s EVE Online experience.
If there is one thing I seriously loath about EVE Online it is the choice of music that comes packaged. Yeah, I am aware of the shocking revelation that EVE having sounds could be for some players.
It is in my humblest opinion that the EVE Online ambient music gets old real fast, in fact left long enough it ultimately and only contributes to the grind of the game as a whole. While I understand CCP Games’ intention in trying to give EVE Online an eerie atmosphere, the track selection only works for so long.
I recall once being in a fleet staging area in Tribute during the Northern Coalitions vs Rest of EVE war, there was great expectation in the upcoming engagement and then, while in transit to the target system, one of the players linked up in fleet chat Gustav Holt’s Mars movement of the always recommended The Planets suite. At that moment EVE Online took a different matice. You could almost feel the grandiosity of 250+ players heading out to war!.
Years ago, I had the luck of bumping into Rettic’s curated Sounds for Flying collection. A series of magnificently selected tracks which suit what I feel is the spirit of EVE Online.
And now, thanks to the magic of Grooveshark, they are all at your disposals. And I’ll make a small comment of each to let you know what you are getting into.
Nebulae. Solar wind currents. Collapsed relics of wars past dancing a ballet under the glare of the stars.
With probes as your hands reaching across the planetary system, your purpose is to document the unrecorded, salvage the abandoned, and be wary of the awoken. Each turn might be a prosperous discovery, or the end of the line.
These are the sounds of the unknown.
Ok, this is one of the more EVE-Like soundtracks, but still has a nice set of tweaks which makes it refreshing. It does work wonders whenever you are throwing those probes and asking the little bitches to pin point those K162’s. 6/10
The outer rim of the ‘verse is freedom. It’s a frontier waiting to be explored. Untapped space waiting to be claimed. Unimaginable riches waiting to fill a prospector’s pockets. And the very reason empire dwellers fear null sec to their core is the same reason the rest know it as the only way to live: no Law.
This isn’t a story about the greater Alliances and their wars. This is a story about other side of 0.0: the wandering pilot looking for an upper hand in a desert landscape. It’s you and your boat, a few bullets to your name, and a gang of bandits on the other side of that jump-gate. You’re a gunslinger on a horse, in search of a little serenity.
Welcome to the wild west, space cowboy.
When I first heard this soundtrack I was heavily invested in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the sketchy-western feeling instantly grew on me. This is the soundtrack for those hunting down killmails around the NPC null. 8/10
Planet dwellers imagine space stations as a beacon of the achievement of man, each a manifestation of all the wealth and artistry one could imagine. Glittering cities in the sky. We capsuleers know better, though.
If the blackness of space is dark, then most station-life doesn’t register on the prism. It’s existence in a dim-lit haze, colored only by neon signs and erotic night-life. After all, what more is a capsuleer to do in their meat bodies than enjoy the few luxuries flesh has to offer.
A trip down an alleyway to escape the market crowds may pass you by the muffled rhythms of a Gallentean all-hours dance house, or in the palms of a black market profiteer. Boosters, beats…you can find it all stationside.
The cities in the sky are definitely no glittering beacons. And you know what? We wouldn’t have it any other way.
This one starts out rather slow but at times it it builds up into a full on rave after letting you chill for a while, this one is a must for ship spinning aficionados and market tycoons. 7/10
The Drums of War. The thunder of weaponry that sends ripples across the souls of the galaxy. The battle cry that calls the demigods of the skies to demonstrate their true power over common beings. Such is the conflict for sovereignty over worlds.
The percussive drive of the Minmatar runs blood through the fleets. The triumphant horns of the Caldari strike pride into their numbers. The throaty, droning chant of the Amarr rattle the core of their enemies. And the lamenting voice of the Gallente, a singular melody crying for peace in a universe that knows not the word.
All fates are decided here, in the chorus of war.
NCDOT at the gates, seriously this is the sound of the powerblocs, a hymn to GSF hegemony and a sure-shot tune to listen while waiting for that last jump-bridge. 9/10
The feeling you get the first time you plug in to the network is simultaneously the most insignificant and monumentally god-like you’ll ever feel. You are at once but a cell in the bloodstream of information connecting every capsuleer, and a neurological mainframe ready to access any spark of information at the mere thought of it.
There are the majority of capsuleers doing their part in the bloodstream of intelligence, contributing complacently to the benefit of the megacorporations, never to disrupt the flow. And then there’s the others of us—those that wield cybernetic information like a fighter wields turrets.
We are the hackers, code breakers, analyzers, and decryptors. We’re the binary shadow in your darkest corners, and we’re here to take your mind.
Another breath taking piece, being the fifth mix, you start to recognize Rettic’s boldness in what he’s offering, at times getting darker and then coming out like a tengu out of a wormhole, inspiring and true to EVE Online’s nature. 9/10
Now, what was supposed to be an adieu for the author in a sort of tongue in cheek attitude, in my opinion turned out to be Rettic’s Tour de Force, a truly unique experience and a total departure from the rest of the series. If there were ever to be made a big budget EVE Online movie, this is pretty much the sort of music I “wouldn’t expect” but greatly appreciate, a different display of mixing skills and must-have offering showcasing what the 23rd century feels like. 10/10
Rettic is long gone from the EVE Online scene, a visage from what in my opinion used to be a once thriving EVE Online content creation community. I sincerely hope this showcase inspire others to create this sort of content, rare but extremely pleasing – I put my site at the artists’ disposition to promote their works.
The idea of OverView is to allow content creators to showcase their efforts, which are usually driven without any profit in mind and are one of the most influential contributions a player can make for EVE Online.
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If you are a content creator or you are aware of a content creator which should be showcased in OverView, feel free to write to [email protected]
