Thursday Matinée: Armageddon

I’ve been a little down on posts the past few days; its been a tough week.

Anyways, today we go old-old-school, with what was an easy choice given the news this past week. Kil2, champion of the “Bringing Solo Back” movement and creator of a simply prolific output of PvP videos, has announced that he has taken a design position at CCP alongside Raivi (CCP Fozzie) in Reykjavik, so this week’s Thursday Matinée (Friday edition!) is in honor of his work for the community, and a nod to one of his finest.

Shot in early 2008, this one is raw, gritty PvP filming at its beginnings, with glossy graphics and fancy UI not included; viewer beware. This is the “Rebel Without A Cause” of PvP vids, this is Playboy without the implants, this is non-light beer and unfiltered cigarettes, diesel-engined muscle cars, and a healthy fear of the Red Menace in Moscow; this is Kil2’s “Armageddon”.

Gather round Gran-pappy Aiden kids, back in the old days, before your fancy V3 graphics, tech 3 ships, or the ability to group weapons (no, really),  this is what Eve used to look like:

Points of serious nostalgia and interest:

• That UI: holy crap do I miss the life-preserver icon for the help button
• Remember how boring and depressing space used to be to look at? Yeah, me neither. Thanks graphics team!
• Ravens, man, what happened to you? Remember when these were THE ship to pvp in?
• No seriously, the UI; THAT FITTING WINDOW (13:40).
• I really can’t get over how incredible the graphics have gotten; dig those ship icons/shield effects/missile graphics.
• Kil2 makes a note of mentioning when an opponent is rigged; remember when that was a thing? Rigs were one size, and cost a fortune.
• In 2008, Armageddons ran around 65mil; :inflation:
• Ungrouped weapons; how did we live?

All said, this might be one of Kil2’s best videos, and really one of the classics. It puts up an amazing combination of pilot skill and situational awareness, while keeping things within the realm of reality; there are no officer or faction mods, no insane off-grid boosting, no HG implants; just raw pilot ability. Once you get past the admittedly lack-luster graphics, the fights themselves are stunning; the last sequence in particular is simply incredible, I watched it easily 3 times in a row and never stopped shaking my head.

Bonus!

Because I was a day late posting this weeks Thursday Matinée, and a week without posting in general, here’s a little extra. No, its not actually a PvP vid, though it is Eve-related (ish). Forewarning, this shit is weird, but remember, “this exists; somebody made this”; keep that in mind as you hit “play”. Oh, an do yourself a favor though: watch it at least until 9:50, without skipping ahead! I promise, you’re going to thank me (or possibly not) for it.

Yep, told you you’d thank me.

-Aiden

~ by Aiden Mourn on February 8, 2013.