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Dust 514 server migration tomorrow sees it conjoined with Eve Online; Dust skills reset, joint corporations, orbital warfare and currency controls incoming

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Dust 514 closed beta players will travel to warmer climes tomorrow after a spell of scheduled downtime, upping sticks from CCP’s Singularity server to Tranquility. CCP’s absurd plan for a cross-platform universe will come to fruition, and that means big change for Eve.

CCP engineer Nullarbor warns that Eve players will begin to see “unfamiliar faces” in local chat. Dust mercenaries will finally be able to join Eve corporations and vice versa, sharing corp chat, custom channels and private conversations.

“They may look a little funny and talk about bizarre concepts such as tanks, grenades and ‘running around’ but I promise they are as friendly as New Eden citizens can be and want to learn everything they can about this world you now both share,” soothes Nullarbor.

More tangibly, Dust mercenaries will be able to accept contracts from NPC Faction Warfare militias and attack or defend them in corporation battles. Losses will come with heavy ISK penalties, but victorious mercenaries will win districts on temperate planets in Faction Warfare space. These successful battles will lay the groundwork for Eve pilots to sweep in and take ownership of systems with fewer victory points.

And then of course there’s the option of orbital bombardment, available to well-organised pilots involved in low security space Faction Warfare battles – provided they have the cash for the store’s new ammo blueprints.

The migration brings another skills and corporations reset for Dust players – more details on that here. CCP have their fingers crossed that this will be the last reset necessary before the game enters open beta.

“This is a massive technical and game design endeavour and so the overlap in gameplay is intentionally contained for now. It is of course very important that we do not upset the serious business of internet spaceships,” deadpans Nullarbor.

Of biggest concern is Eve’s economy, which CCP have protected from a monetary tidal wave for now by blocking ISK transfers between Eve and Dust characters. In time, a ‘taxable transfer mechanic’ – an economic sluice gate, if you’ll indulge the analogy – will be introduced and currency control will gradually be reduced to nothing.

“We are already hard at work on the next expansion where you will see things like player owned districts, tighter economic integration and more incentives for EVE characters and corporations to take part in the politics, logistics and outcomes of DUST 514 battles,” promises Nullarbor. “The design teams will be working with the CSM this year to make sure these plans sit well with capsuleers and mercenaries alike.”

Crikey. It seems as if CCP are handling this complex process will all the coupled care and excitement it deserves. I can’t see any reasons to be worried about the space-shirt being ripped from your space-back. Can you?

Thanks, Shacknews.