When EVE Online went Free to Play, it brought a whole new dimension to the world’s biggest space MMO. Literally thousands of players can be playing together in the same instance. Unlike other Massive Multiplayer Online games which limit player numbers to shards (different servers).

What does that mean? Well, you and your friends may never actually be able to meet up. In EVE, where there is literally one massive server, you and your friends are always in the same world.

The expansion that brought Free to Play to EVE Online was called Ascension, and it removed the monthly subscription requirement that has been in place for over 13 years.

However, free players will have certain restrictions, as defined by the new clone states. Free players begin as Alpha Clones and can upgrade to Omega Clones by purchasing a subscription with either in-game or real currency.

Below is a summary of the two Clone States:

The Alpha Clone State is the new base state for all clones and it will be available to any character in New Eden at any time. Clones in the Alpha state will be able to train and use a specific set of skills, including tech one Frigates, Destroyers and Cruisers for your faction, along with essential weapons and modules. Alphas will also train skills at a reduced rate compared to Omegas.

The Omega Clone State is obtained by augmenting basic clones using neural expanders and cerebral acceleration technology, granting unlimited skill access. Omega clone state will behave exactly as your subscribed characters do now.

For those who haven’t yet tried EVE Online, now is the perfect time to jump into the epic space sandbox.

To get the game, click the link HERE

Update: Coming in December

Alpha clones will have the skill-points they are allowed to have increased from the current 5 million limit to 20 million. They will not be restricted to training a particular race, thus allowing them to train the skills to fly elite pirate and faction ships which in many ways strongly rival their tech 2 counterparts.

They will also be able to train some tech 2 exclusive equipment, but they will still be prevented from flying tech 2 ships.

Alphas will also be granted access to Battle Cruisers and Battleships for the first time, the mainstay of most fleets…

Make Alphas worth something in the game and not just Free to Play cannon fodder for the meat grinder.

All good things come with a catch.

In order to access the full total of 20 million skill-points, Alpha players will have to either purchase skill-points or a subscription (both of which can be purchased with real or in-game currency).

The good news is that once these new skills are trained, they remain unlocked forever.

So a new Free to Play player doesn’t have to continue to subscribe once they reach 20 million skill-points. Likewise, returning players who might have already trained these skills can access them without paying anything.

The gap between Alphas and Omegas is definitely closing.