Dust 514: Orbital Bombardment
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Orbital Bombardment
Demonstrated for the first time at Fanfest 2012, Orbital Bombardment is the first of the more obvious gameplay links between Dust 514 and Eve Online.
Initiated by a Squad Leader in Dust 514 when certain criteria are met, a targeted area of a map is shown in the overview of a Capsuleer playing Eve Online in orbit above the planetary district where the Dust battle is taking place.
Once in his/her overview, this targeted area can be locked and fired upon, from orbit, by the Eve pilot using a special version of ammo designed for the task.
The effect on the battlefield on the ground is highly destructive. Very little survives a direct hit from an Orbital Bombardment.
There are currently in the Open Beta, two versions of OB. A computer controlled version used in the quick match style Ambush and Skirmish game modes of Dust 514 and the more grandiose and satisfying 'Live', version, performed by a player of Eve Online on their PC or Mackintosh as part of Factional Warfare.
This is how Orbital Bombardment feels
Faction Warfare
The use of Orbital Bombardment in New Eden is currently limited to Factional Warfare. This Dev Blog and the links within offers a clearer explanation of the mechanic. By limiting the use of OB to Factional Warfare, CCP are using a live testing facility on the main Eve Server, Tranquility, while being able to tweak and alter the finer points of OB both in terms of balancing and from a technical standpoint. While doing so, they give Dust Merc's in the Open Beta, the opportunity to have a meaningful impact in New Eden, further cementing the principle of a single shard game universe.
While in orbit around the planet, the Eve pilot can be attacked by members of an opposing faction and destroyed. Meaning that the OB that a group of Dust Merc's have called in and are in need of, may never come.
