When Crest will be released, only CCP knows (and maybe the CSM, kinda.) But soon, hopefully. Maybe it will be part of the Winter Expansion.
The most exciting part of the new API and its adoption by third-party apps (like my favourites, Aura for Android and EveMon for Windows) will be the ability to set-up skill queues tens and hundreds of skills long, and then let the third-party app manage it automatically. The app can then insert new skills into our queue as space in the 24-hour window opens.
Unless CCP decides not to enable skill queue writes, there's nothing they can do, programmatically, to prevent third-party apps from implementing this sort of automated skill queue management. Short of sending third-party developers nastygrams telling them to stop on threat of denying them access to the API system, this is going to be the most immediate change that will impact EVE players in a noticeable and positive manner.
Do I think CCP will deny skill queue writes? Or that they will try to force third-party developers from implementing automated skill queue management features? Not likely. Perhaps three or fours years ago, they might have, seeing that automation of this sort really steps outside of what the client itself allows. The new design and development paradigm within CCP, since Crucible, seems to be to give players the convenience they desire, without sacrificing complexity. The task of creating viable and meaningful skill queues for ourselves remains unchanged, we'll simply be allowed to set up good skill queues that can continue unabated over holidays and vacations. No more of this "Oh no! I'm going on holidays for four weeks, I'd better interrupt what I'm currently doing to throw on a 5 week skill that I don't really need yet."
The upcoming CSM Summit novel, Tectonic Rendezvous, due very soon, should have quite a few pages devoted to Crest talk.
Crest is going to OWN so hard if CCP does it correctly.
ReplyDelete3rd party application that can write into Eve would make my live much easier and be a huge boon to all players. Updating my orders, skills or PI stuff from my ipad or phone would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteAllowing a third party program doing it but the client not would be a serious problem.
ReplyDeleteActually every writable API feature has the risk that a third-party software outperforms the client, making it mandatory.
Why is that a problem? It actually takes development pressure off of CCP.
DeleteThere are many WoW add-ons that outperform built-in WoW features, or are features that do not exist in the vanilla client. Those features existing allows Blizzard to move its development resources to other areas.
If the community is willing to develop and extend your game for free, then let them do it. CCP's time is better spent elsewhere.
EVEMon is already essentially mandatory. I don't see people complaining about that. In fact, EVEMon would probably build this functionality right in if CCP makes it possible, since it's already essentially a skill queuing application.
DeleteAssuming CREST becomes the main communication layer between client(s) -> server, then skill queue writes will need to be implemented (because the client itself would potentially need to use it). This doesn't, however, mean that "nastygrams" are the way they stop 3rd party developers from hooking into it.
ReplyDeleteIt is possible that access keys will restrict API call methods. Its also possible that challenge/response would be required to verify that you are the eve client before you can do something.
I vaguely recall something at a fanfest preso a while ago about it, and there was talk that whilst CREST can do alot of things, only a subset will be available to 3rd party developers to prevent unballancing.
That said, a 3rd party skill queue would be amazing - and has very little impact on the game (those that play "skill queue online" already contribute very little in game, and those that play the game properly will probably carry on as per normal).
I hope CCP actually does this API right though. The current API is terrible to work with. I'm looking forward to rewriting all my apps/tooling with something which is not incorrect on the face of it. I'll be mad if I have to rewrite something bad for something equally as bad/worse.