Am I missing something? Either we have already gotten the Christmas gift in the form of the implant, or it will be some other minor novelty as it always is. How does this have anything to do with faction ammo or aurum? Though if there is some connection with aurum and ammo, then I'm glad I bought this new centum a-type pitchfork and quafe branded tar and feathers.

Yeah, you are missing something. Log onto your Account Management page on eveonline.com.

@OP I don't see the ammo changing the market up too dramatically, buy orders will drop temporarily as people buy it up... but then bear in mind that some people will also actually use it up.

What interests me most is the Fuel Block section of the gifts...

I wonder if the Neural Remap is a bonus free remap on top of what you have.
Since I already have 3 of those, would I get to see 4 instead ?
I wouldn't want to have that "gift" reset the count to 2 or worse, 1.
ROFL.

uch like an item mall that offers page looks and functions like?

Now, a TRADEABLE free remap, now that would be something else...

In my mind (no pun intended) a remap is the ABSOLUTE BEST gift you can get. I can make 50 mil in seconds. I can't get a remap for another year.

You do know you get one remap each 12 months, do you?

It won't do **** because you'd have to be ******** not to take the remap.

What would be the reason to select ammo, blueprints or ships over a neural remap when the others you can just buy with ISK?

-cig

What would be the reason to select ammo, blueprints or ships over a neural remap when the others you can just buy with ISK?

I picked remap on one of my accounts. Just so you all know:

Happy Holidays! Your gift will be available on December 22, 2011.

Otherwise I think Aurum is the best pick for isk value.

That gift will then be made available in the redemption system on Dec 22nd.

Do I smell the tinge of concern regarding the overinflated oxytope prices ?

Unless CCP learns from past protests remaps will be pretty useless unless your character already has a remap available.

During the learning skill removal the "extra" remap just brought forward your next scheduled remap if you had no remap available and started a new 12 months counter after that was used.

If you had a remap available the new remap would stack upon it.

I agree with this. A remap is more useful if you can plan on it or apply it without effecting the availability your next remap.

For example I am current on a IM remap. I plan to switch to a PW remap sometime in July or later when my next remap is available. I could use a short charisma remap (couldn't we all?) but any remap I chose now I would be stuck with for a year.

Maybe the lesson we should learn is to hold off until after every christmas before doing any remaps thus letting us stack the remap when and if it comes (it's been two years in a row that we've got one.)

Anyway, I will still probably choose the remap on all my accounts even though I might not use it simply because it is the one thing I can't buy. Also, who knows if they won't do something wacky like give us 2 or 3 or give us a 24-hour window for a free remap like last time. You really can't go wrong betting on a CCP screw-up.

Fuel Blocks: POS owners will choose this and sell the 3 they don't need. Lots of market warriors will pick this to sell. I don't see a goldmine here, will probably become LESS profitable the longer you wait to sell it once everyone and their dog starts churning out blocks. 40-65m

+3 Implants - a safe 50m, pick this if you hate speculation. Also goes great with your shiny new 60 day trial alt.


CA-1 - A fitting Implant that I really don't see passing beyond 150m isk any time soon. Its visibility is limited to contracts however, so could be very flexible. Given some time this is probably one of the better gifts to pick for isk.


Aurum - Makes monocle more affordable. Smarter move would be to hold onto this if you don't care about the petty 40-100m you could potentially make on the other gifts. The Nex store will eventually (hopefully sooner than later) be expanded, and those new item's will certainly be worth some dough at first.


So in closing:
-Wait to see if remap comes back and if change is decent.
-Aurum is probably best pick overall, but will probably be a while before you get to use it on nice new things.
-CA-1 is second best but also will take time before coming to fruition.
-+3 implant set and fuel blocks are 3rd best, and the sales will be immediate/same week as x-mas.
-Everything else is for personal use and fun.

Anyone Disagree?

Remap is back, best option.

Bonus remaps never expire. After the code update, there will be two ways to remap:

* You will be able to remap normally. This option is only available for use when a year has elapsed from your last "normal remap".

* You will be able to instantly remap by using a "bonus remap" - these are the same as the remaps that newbies receive when they create their characters. When switching to the new system, you will keep any bonus remaps you had previously, and these will never expire.

When remapping, the system will first see if you can remap normally (on the annual timer). If you can, it will set your remapping timer and permit you to remap. That timer will then begin ticking down, and, one year later, you will be able to remap normally again.

If your timer is ticking, then the system requires you to use a bonus remap in order to remap your attributes. If you do not have any, you have to wait.

If you elect to use a bonus remap, your timer will not be affected.

Let's say that you have no bonus remaps at all - you've used up your newbie bonus remaps and haven't received any since. If you remapped normally on the 1st of December, 2011, you will then have to wait until the 1st of December, 2012 in order to remap again normally.

If you take the neural remapping Christmas gift, then you can use that bonus remap to remap at any time between when you receive the gift and the 1st of December, 2012. If you do so, then you will still be able to remap your attributes normally on the 1st of December, 2012. If you decide to wait until past the 1st of December, 2012 - let's say to the 2nd of December, 2012, then you will remap normally and not use your bonus remap.

The remap option (which I did choose), does it give each char on the account an additional remap, or just the char with the highest SP?

Previous bonus remaps have been for the highest SP character on the account rather than for each character. I assume it will be the same this time.

Regarding bonus remaps, I don't see a separate option ingame to use the "normal" remap versus a "bonus" remap. Are the codes updated yet to separate the two completely ingame?

Hmm. Ive never used a remap. My main has 3 of them. Are you saying if i was to use one I would have to wait a year to use another? Or are those 3 already whats considered "bonus" remaps?

the fuel blocks will render goons efforts pretty useless for a while i'd imagine.

forgive me if i'm wrong but isnt trying to push the price up of ice materials what goons are doing? then ccp come along and magic some out of thin air and inject it into the market?

i dont take much notice of what goons do tbh, i just read the forums from time to time. might have got the wrong end of the stick.

Gallente towers use Gallente fuel blocks. Gallente fuel blocks are built with Oxytopes. How does this mess with the Great Ice Famine of 2011?

Anyone willing to share their thoughts on what the Christmas gifts could do to the faction ammo market?

Absolutely nothing.

Reason being, 99% of smart people playing EVE will opt for the one thing isk cant buy - The Re-map.

So..... 5, 10 people, max?

I think we can expect remaps from some dumb people too. The button for remaps is on the webpage and someone will click it by accident, you know it being so close to the destroyers after all. The remap will be used to boost cha because the player wants to look nice.