Since 2004 EVE Online has remained one of the most populous MMOs on the market. As one of the oldest online games playable on the market, its progression during this time serves as a great example as to how a development studio can support a game through launch.
It goes without saying that EVE Online's code base has evolved significantly over time, with extraordinary changes occurring every couple years in the form of major updates. These have included complete graphical overhauls, additions of in-game character avatars, and more.
The sheer density of the game is best visualized through its code, but unfortunately the average person would have a difficult time interpreting it. Thankfully, there's Gource, and CCP Games recently used it to create a time lapse of EVE Online's development over the past 13 years.
What you see above is a branch style interpretation of EVE Online's code. As explained by the website, "directories appear as branches with files as leaves."
On the top left you'll notice a counter with four colored bars. These indicate the following file types related to the Python and C++ programming languages:
- py = python file
- cpp = c++ file
- h = header file
- cxx = c++ file (minor differences from cpp)
If you aren't familiar with programming, you can simply read the time lapse as the growth of the game over time. As the branches and leaves extend, EVE Online gains new features and content.
EVE Online recently became free-to-play via the Ascension update. You can read more here.
