Character creation is sweet as. For everyone dissing it for what ever reason, have a care. This is the first game I've played that gives you this much customization on character creation. Also it is their first attempt at this, so how about offering some creative criticism, instead of things like "it's crap".
Do you honestly think other games that offer character customization got it perfect on their first attempt??
I've noted some people complaining that there aren't a lot of clothing options, well if they had taken the time to do some research or watch some vids from fanfest, they would know that when Incarna comes out, you the player will be able to go and make new clothes (they will be a blue print item like everything else in Eve) you want it, you make it.
Now as for my first impressions, I found the character creator fun to play around with. The loss of sliders was a sensational idea, as there is now HEAPS more control over the parts you can modify.
Its like the Steering wheel VS gamepad argument in car driving games, a game pad arrow press will give you a full quarter turn, the analog sticks give you more control, but still not as smooth as the steering wheel will allow.
The sliders while giving a bunch of options were limited in what you could and couldn't change, with the "grab and drag" method given to us now, you can get that cheekbone to be exactly where you want it, and that left eye just the right tilt while offsetting the focus point for the eye.
As for the overall game play, I haven't had any problems, if anything Eve runs better now, that it did before the patch. I love the weapon grouping changes, I'm sure once people use them with in the middle of a fleet fight they will come to love them too.
IE. You undock with your fancy new Myrm fit, set your guns to 2 groups, thus giving you the option to fire at two targets at once. ALAS, your fleet commander is only calling one target at a time, so your wasting time by firing off two groups, so you make it one group.
Old method.
Unload all charges (10 seconds).
Click enter grouping mode.
Clear all groups.
Make a new single group.
Exit grouping mode.
Reload charges (10 Seconds).
That's at least 30 second of work, and in a fleet fight that's an eternity.
New Method.
Enter grouping mode.
Click and drag one group onto the other group.
Exit grouping mode.
Done. Fire away.
Maybe 5 seconds of work. Happy Days. (Insert Fonzy Aaay! Here)
Incursions, OH GOD WHERE DID THE NIGHTMARES COME FROM!!!!
This is going to be FUN



Contract changes, this will eliminate a lot of confusion for new players, awesome.
I don't use Eve gate much, so I cant really comment on the changes, but on paper they look like good changes and features.
PI. If you are really into your PI, the new changes are pretty cool, I tried my hand at it when it came out, I liked it a lot, but if left me hanging for something more, that proverbial high 5 maybe, and now, we get that high 5.
UI fixes and features, AWESOME, a new ere in internet spaceships.
Overall first impressions are pretty good for me. There isn't anything on the patch notes I read and was all like "WHAT? NO!!! THAT'S CRAP!!!!!" All the changes, fixes, new features are appealing to me, and I'm sure new players too (and maybe some returning players as well).
If anything, the only quibble I have is that when using the new character creator, the hair wouldn't sit, it kept moving around like it was colliding with invisible walls, but this only happened when I was zoomed up on the bust view.
Apart from that though I'm well happy with the new patch, (as I have been with all previous patches).
In closing a good 10/10 from me, and these words.
To everyone using the new patch, have a care, give CCP some credit where credit is due. Servers haven't even been up for a full 2 hours yet, constructive criticism, is the name of the game folks, it's the only way you will get changes made to things you don't like.