Dust 514 developer teaches how to be a better mercenary

Dust 514, the in-beta first-person shooter spinoff of CCP's EVE Online MMORPG, casts players as mercenaries, and a post on the PlayStation Blog from game designer Eino Joas details how to parlay that lifestyle into profit.

Each battle affords a combination of three rewards: money, skill points, and salvage. Dust 514's currency is called ISK, and players earn it based on the amount of death and destruction they cause in each battle. Variables such as when you join the fight, how your team fared and your individual performance determine your post-battle ISK reward. Your performance also earns you skill points, which you use to teach your character skills, unlock weapons and more. Dust 514 accounts for the spoils of war with its salvage system, which divvies up loot between comrades from a master loot pile at the end of battle.

Dust 514 is currently in closed beta on PlayStation 3, and the developers are still changing and optimizing systems based on the beta and player feedback. You can check out the work in progress and sign up for the beta on the game's website.