Blog Banter: Ambulation Fantasies

Welcome to the first installment of the EVE Blog Banter, a monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter invites enthusiastic EVE bloggers to address a common topic for a period of one week. Posts run the gamut: short, long, funny, serious, and everywhere in between, but always fun to read! Direct questions about the EVE Blog Banter to CrazyKinux. Links to other EVE Blog Banter articles are at the bottom of this post. This month's topic comes to us from PsycheDiver: Ambulation: What are your hopes for your avatar and new functionality of stations?

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I find Roc fascinating, being the introspective, noble, amusingly sarcastic, calculating, impulsive, eye-candy badass that he is. As we ordered dinner at a station in the circus that is Amamake, I noted that he is also clearly an admirer of fashion as he seemed rather taken with my sparkly dress. The tiny lights woven into the fabric CAN be mesmerizing, I admit--especially the way they are programmed to flow in patterns meant to accentuate my...ummmm....assets. Anyway, we punched our orders into the tablecom and sipped drinks. Roc was telling me about the war, from which I have been removed for some time. I was enjoying his stories and his company--we'd kept in contact ever since he'd autographed a picture for the Hellcats. But he's a respectable fellow--not inclined to rub shoulders with us pirate types--so this get-together was a rare treat. Suddenly, he paused and looked at me sharply. "I know I can trust you, Mynxee, and I need a favor."

I imagine what it would be like to change (and maybe even design) outfits and hairstyles, engage in face to face conversation, and experience detailed environments and venues inside a station.

At that very moment, we were interrupted by sharp taps on the glass that divided the restaurant from the nightclub. I looked up to see Wensley and Spectre3353 standing there, gorgeous women hanging on their arms. Two fun-lovin' troublemakers, for sure. Wens blew me a kiss, Spec stuck out his tongue. I laughed and waved as they moved on. Roc looked annoyed. "Oh, stop it," I said, chiding him gently. He sighed and withdrew a small package from his jacket's inner pocket. "This..." he began, only to be interrupted by "Mynxee!" as San Rintu hustled over to give me a hug. Roc's eye began to tic as the package in his hand beat a slow, barely-restrained staccato on the table. I whispered to San, "Busy here...I'll get back to you, okay?" She glanced at Roc, rolled her eyes, winked at me, and said "Sure...talk to you later, Mynx." I watched her wander back to Flashfresh, who was casually flirting with a nauseatingly perky hostess near the entrance. Typical! I thought. What are those two doing down this way, I wondered.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...oh, yeah. Roc. Favor. "Sorry," I batted my eyelashes melodramatically at my companion. He smirked just as melodramatically, then continued in a low voice as a drone arrived with our food. "The data on this tag needs to get transmitted ASAP and I can't risk being associated with that. It needs to be done by someone who isn't taking part in the war. Would you be able to do it for me? I'll make it worth your while." "Sure, Roc...always happy to do a favor for a friend, no problem at all." I slipped the small package into the only available safespot, my cleavage. If Roc thought it was important enough to come all this way to ask a favor, what the hell. I was game. "Like, right after dinner?" he urged, staring at where the package had disappeared. "Keep your panties on, babe," I replied around a mouthful of the best spicy-sweet peanut noodles I'd ever tasted, "I'll do it right after dinner. Now eat, drink, be merry, mkay?" I sipped my wine, a sweet Gallente white that complemented the noodles perfectly. "You're the greatest, Mynx, thanks. Remember the term 'ROYBIVG', you'll need it." he stated. Okay, whatever. I shrugged and rattled off "Romeo Oscar Yankee Bravo India Victor Golf, got it." Reassured, Roc nodded and reached for his own wine, appearing to relax a little at last. Sometimes I think this guy is wound way too tight.

We hadn't taken two more bites of our respective meals when one of Roc's crew approached the table. "Um, sir," he stammered, looking nervous as hell. Who could blame him? Roc was now wearing his classic "really pissed off, last straw" scowl. "Fleet requests an immediate rendezvous, sir." Roc sighed in annoyance and looked at me. "We're cool...I got this." I said, waving him off. "Tonight, right, Mynx?" he pressed. "Of course! Now go...save the Universe. I'll get word to you when it's done. Go on!" Watching as he walked away, I sipped my drink and thought, 'Now there's a view that's definitely easy on the eyes.'

I imagine the existence of objects--curious, unusual, or mundane--that can be handed off, interacted with, carried on one's person, and manipulated (*sigh* Nooo...not the "objects" I'm sure some of you just visualized.). I imagine planned and random interactions with capsuleers in bars, restaurants, public mezzanines, shops, hangars (again, not "those" kinds of interactions).

Making my way across the crowded station concourse past shops, restaurants, noisy clubs, and the ever-popular "personal attentions" sector, I finally reached the quiet residential sector. Password supplied, I entered my small but pleasant quarters. Retrieving Roc's package, I shucked the lightdress in favor of a blue and copper nanofiber jumpsuit. Finally, drink in hand and settled cozily in an over-stuffed chair, I activated the comms holo-screen. It hovered in space at a comfortable distance, brightness adjusted automatically for the ambient light. After seeing nothing of import in my Intel channels, I turned my attention to the small package and broke the seal. Oh, shiny. It held a gleaming crystal tag which captured and reflected the warm, low lights in the room. I turned it this way and that, enjoying its beauty and wondering what it contained that was so important. Tactical bookmarks? Stolen passwords? Reports from spies? Roc's Little Black Book? Who knew. Probably worth a fortune. I paused as I moved to activate it. But no. I would never betray a friend. I aligned the tag over the activation cue and turned it 90 degrees left.

"Tag activated" intoned Aura, and then I was greeted by an unusual display. Colored symbols moved randomly in a spherical pattern at the center of the holo-screen. Aw, shit, a cypher. One I clearly needed to solve in order to transmit the tag's data to the intended recipient. I am not good at such things. But then I recalled Roc's "ROYBIVG" comment. It meant nothing so I poked around for a bit in various databases until Aura asked, "Did you mean ROYGBIV?" Well, no, but having no other leads, I said YES and voila! An ancient mnemonic for the sequence of hues in the visible spectrum provided the necessary clue. I dragged red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, violet, and green symbols into a sequence and tapped XMIT. In a second, Aura's comforting voice reported "Transmission successful'. The tag suddenly felt warm in my hand. I looked down just in time to see it dissolve into so much glittering dust. Nano-destructors, I guessed. Well, that was that. I got up, rinsed my hand, then transmitted a short message to Roc that the task was complete. Enough of this cloak and dagger nonsense...time for a long hot shower and sleep.

I imagine the fun of solving puzzles, the existence of heads-up displays, new kinds of interactive content, customizable environments, and self-destructing items.

The next morning, there was a buzz in the air as I entered my hangar. My lead tech smiled and announced, "Hey, Mynx...we have a surprise for you." "Really!?" I said, intrigued. "Yup, but no peeking til we get there!" She stepped behind me, covered my eyes, and began steering me through the hangar, weaving around my ships and the usual paraphernalia lying around. The sense of anticipation was heightened by the rest of the maintenance crew following along behind, barely able to suppress their excited whispers and giggles. "Okay, ready?" "Yes, COME ON!!!" I laughed impatiently. I can't fault my hangar crew's sense of fun--even if they are prone to practical jokes. Probably exactly what this was. She removed her hands and I opened my eyes to see a gleaming black Cynabal resting on the docking pad. I couldn't help myself. I squealed out a "WTF!!!". This was probably my favorite ship ever. The loss of my first one still hurt. "Who...what the hell...?" I continued to sputter. "No idea," replied the tech. "It was delivered by anonymous courier. We couldn't trace it back--the records are encrypted." All of a sudden, I burst out laughing. I had a pretty good idea who my secret benefactor was. Worth my while, indeed. What a gorgeous hunk ... of shiny black metal. "Rocalicious," I mentally christened the ship, "and how!"

I imagine the fun opportunities that allowing "surprise" delivery of items to hangars would offer, the ability to hire NPC hangar crews and "in-person" couriers. I imagine hangars with hot tubs. Oh, wait. That's different story...one I will perhaps tell another time.

The concept of ambulation in New Eden didn't initially capture my interest. I wasn't sure just what the appeal could be. However, that was mainly due to lack of experience with other MMOs where you actually ARE your character instead of a ship. Having become a bit more familiar with what ambulation entails, I'm very keen to see it implemented. At minimum, I imagine it will enable a more immersive play experience, particularly in terms of the social aspect. But just walking around looking at and talking with each other isn't quite enough to make me feel it is worth it. I hope there will be mechanics that strongly support the wealth-building, power-mongering, ally-forging, backstabbing, scheming, lying, profiteering and other New Eden staples we all know and love so well. The reports from FanFest should give us some juicy details about what CCP's talented designers and developers are bringing to the ambulation party. One thing is for sure: it will be great fun to see how all of us take advantage of every feature this new dimension to the game offers.

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Blog Banter Participants this month:
Note: Some links may not work until the author actually publishes their post.

• CrazyKinux's Musing: Exotic Dancers, Corporate Meetings & More
• The Wandering Druid of Tranquility: Ambulation--What I Hope to See
• Semper EVE: Ambulation and Me
• Roc's Ramblings: Blog Banter #1 - Ambulation
• The Ralpha Dogs: Ambulation/Walking in Stations: A "Second Life" for EVE?
• Drunk in Space: Look at How Much Weight He Put On…
• Diving into PsycheDiver's Psyche: Ambulation and Her
• Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah: Eve Blog Banter - Ambulation
• I am Keith Neilson: Going For A Stroll Through EVE
• Shahirs Journey: Hopes for Ambulation
• A Mule in EVE: Ambulation
• Protosolus: EVE: Gawking in Stations
• One Man, One Ship: Ambulation
• Achernar: Avatars in a Spaceships Game
• The Shard: Ambulation
• Mad Rant: Saturday Night Fever
• I May Find Peace Within The Emptiness…: Walking Around…
• Ombeve: Ambulation
• A Merry Life and a Short One: Ambulation