Back in the day CCP used to support a native MacOS client. It was finicky… I once ran it on the wrong MacOS version and got some very odd results… but it mostly worked. Then Apple swapped over to Intel processors and it became possible for CCP to just use WINE emulation to run the Windows client on Macs. There was some extra work to do to support that, including contributing code to the WINE project, but it was a lot less effort than maintaining two clients.
And then recently Apple left Intel for their own new M1 processors which led to EVE Online MacOS players potentially being unsupported if they purchased the new machines.
This swap by Apple also prompted Intel to launch a petulant “Apple Sux!” ad campaign because I guess they think Apple will never ever buy another chip from them again or something. But that is another story.
So CCP was left with a choice. Given that they are still optimistically talking about growth and working on the new player experience, they opted not to ditch almost 10% of the PC market, which meant going back to native MacOS support.
While 10% might sound like a small loss, CCP knows how many MacOS users they have, so it might be worth it to them. Also, the 10% number vastly understates the number of systems that might actually be able to run EVE Online. There are a lot of base model Windows boxes sitting in enterprises and on desks all over the world that aren’t even in the running. When I go to visit the sprawling medical center where my doctor resides, I walk by dozens of PCs… one at every reception desk, one at every nurse’s desk… they all little desks now because the need to access their PCs… one in every exam room, two in my doc’s office, and more in spots I whose function I could not identify. And not even one of them is likely ever to load up any video game more complicated that Solitaire… and only that if the IT department hasn’t purged it.
Anyway, the path back to a native client culminated with yesterday update and the new EVE Online X Apple era, whatever that means.
Times Apple? Ten Apple? Kiss Apple? I don’t know
Post update there is a transition from the old WINE version to the new native version which is covered in detail in the patch notes.
To celebrate the update and transition back to native support, CCP has some login rewards for us that run for five days.
Included in the rewards are the usual skill points and SKINs, but there are special Quafe Zero Green Apple flavor SKINs. While they aren’t the classic old blue Quafe SKINs, they are still good.
And the is also some Quafe Zero Green Apple flavor boosters to go with the event as well. Per the packaging:
Capsuleers can now enjoy Quafe Zero Green Apple, the new flavor of New Eden’s favorite performance drink with the potency of a booster!
A taste explosion that will help avoid ship explosions, the Green Apple edition of Quafe Zero provides the benefits of increased agility and power with Zero drawbacks!Benefits:
+5% Agility, +5% Capacitor Recharge Rate. Duration: 1 hour.Quafe Zero Green Apple is fortified with a proprietary mix of performance enhancers, oxidizers, and natural fruit juices designed to push your abilities to the limit.
The secret is in our patented fulleroferrocene nanite delivery system, which attaches our exclusive pro-capsuleer formula directly to the neurons you want, not the ones you don’t. The result is an immediate and direct boost to your performance, with Zero drawbacks!
For maximum experience overload Quafe Zero Green Apple has been further enhanced with proprietary Quafe nanoparticles responsive to popular brands of subcranial nanocontroller personal enhancements, such as the LD-X100 range from Lai Dai!
So make sure to login and collect your SKINs, skill points, and boosters.
Yesterday’s patch also made some changes to the Dynamic Bounty System thresholds, whatever that means, and continued the iterating on the new skill window and skill plan functionality. They have already fixed the most egregious issues, like the huge amount of empty space, but there is still tuning to do.
And a new skill was added, Rogue Drone Specialization, which is required for using the new modified rogue drones.
Not present in the update was the capital PvE ratting mechanics, previously announced as Summon the Swarm, which are still brewing on the test server. That still needs some work.
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