The Verite Rendition Influence Maps, which have been published since August 19, 2007, are territorial maps of New Eden, showing the expanding and contracting power and influence that alliances hold over space. Not merely just an indication of who holds sovereignty in specific systems, the Verite Rendition Influence Maps use a complex formula to determine which vast swaths of territory are actually under dominion of alliances. Different systems generate different amount of “influence” which are then transmitted to nearby systems. Whichever alliance is credited with the most influence on a system is then determined to be the owner on the map.
The map is published daily at 16:00 (with some exceptions for extended downtimes) and hosted on EVE Files. The latest version can always be found here, while historians wishing to explore the evolving face of sovereignty over the years can find the daily archive here.
He has also been able to expand into mapping other aspects of the game. The recent activation of API services on the EVE China server (Serenity) means that he now does an influence map for Serenity – it ended up being quite a different beast due to the small number of massive alliances, and the much slower turnover in sovereignty as a result. He was also able to expand into doing an influence map for Factional Warfare, which gives a basic overview of how much control the various factions have taken over their respective FW regions.
Since the map launched, it has far surpassed the expectations of its creator. He never expected his map to become as popular as it has become. It has grown to be far more important and more widely referenced than he ever thought it would be. In part, he attributes this popularity to the apolitical nature of the map. As it is automatically generated, it cannot be accused of bias, which in the highly charged world of EVE politics makes it possible to create something everyone on all sides can agree is roughly accurate.
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