EVE-online is set for its biggest update yet, Shiva is the codename for the add-on to EVE and while you are reading this preview Shiva elements are allready being implemented into EVE.

Tech II, the upgraded technology for ships, modules and weapons from the old tech II mining laser to the newly released tech II assault frigates and support cruisers will be an integral part of Shiva.

But as we already discussed in part 1 of the Shiva preview there are many more things that will be added.

Traders will be happy to find out that now you'll be able to access the market in space also with a totally rewritten user interface and a much faster response time for the market. The black market will be handled through agents however. Some agents will sell you stuff for money, others trade items with you and still others will buy stuff from you.

Agents especially the level IV agents are eagerly anticipated by some and although there where reports about them appearing before Shiva itself this seems not to be the case anymore. Level IV agents will have interesting things for sale, but not all the time. Sometimes they will have an item that might only be available for a short period of time. These items are both highlevel mission rewards (classic system) or part of the agent trade service. CCP wanted to expand the rewards for the agents into new areas and create more diverse special rewards

Another type of level IV agents are the quest managers, NPC commanders or other agents in space that will sometimes relay you to other events in space during your mission.

The interface of the agents themselves has also been upgraded extensively. Drugs are a prime subject for agent trading, moving and selling those will affect security and targeting and flagging so the black market is not without it risks.
Weaker level agents will have similar options for trading and black market but those will offcourse be less powerfull or rewarding.

Tech II will not only be used to upgrade your combat capability, haulers for instance will have a whole range of interesting options, more than just bigger cargo holds. I was only to option one tantalizing word from Reynir the man that was nice enough to talk to me about this update. The word was Freighters...I do not know what it means but maybe some of you might figure it out.
You will have time to think about it though, tech II cargoships are not scheduled for Shiva.

The engine will get an overhaul also, heavier particle effects will be implemented for nicer graphical effects, planetary rings and systemwide fields. Geometry will be used instead of the currently used sprites, this means that creating debris in ship explosions for instance will be much easier. Client side collision effects mean that small objects should bounce off ships in a more realistic manner. With all the mentioned nebulas and other debris fields mentioned in part 1 flying inside these nebulas will be nicely rendered also. New shader effects on some ships and the new tech II models will also be added.