Difference between revisions of "Tips for New Players"

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=== Don't fly anything you can't afford to lose (replace) ===
 
=== Don't fly anything you can't afford to lose (replace) ===
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This is often referred to as the number one rule of EVE Online. When you undock a ship in EVE Online there is always a chance that you will lose it, even in [[System_Security|High Security space]]. So do not fly any ships which would be too expensive for you to lose. Ideally, make sure you can afford to replace the ship several times over.
  
This is often referred to as the number one rule of EVE Online. When you undock a ship in EVE Online there is always a chance that you will lose it, even in [[System_Security|High Security space]]. So do not fly any ships which would be too expensive for you to lose. Ideally make sure you could afford to replace the ship several times over. You can [[Insuring_your_ship|insure]] your ship which will allow you to recover some of the ISK, but do not rely on this.  Insurance only covers on the loss of the hull, and not on any modules, rigs, or cargoesIt is based on the mineral value of the hull and not the market value.  Due to this, many will say it's not worth insuring certain types of ships, because you're not getting back nearly enough to cover replacement of the hull.  If you go for the Basic level of insurance then you're getting back ten-fold the amount of ISK you paid for the insurance if you lose the ship.  Not enough to cover it's replacement by far, but you've made a profit simply on the insurance amount you paid.
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You can [[Insurance|insure]] your ship which will allow you to recover some of the ISK, but do not entirely rely on this.  Insurance only covers on the loss of the ''hull'', and not on any modules, rigs, or cargo; and as such if you are flying in a ship with expensive modules, insurance will not go very far(Furthermore, as insurance payouts are based on the mineral cost of the hull, Faction and Tech 2 ships do not give very good insurance payouts.)
  
Think of your ship as a piece of expendable equipment.  If you're placing yourself into a high-risk environment then it's always worth insuring your ship (perhaps not at the Platinum level, since you only get 3x the ISK amount paid back, but the Basic level is a small amount to pay out and you get 10x back). Don't think of insurance as surety to replace your loss, but simply as return on ISK invested banking on the loss of your ship.
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It's usually healthiest to think of your ship as a piece of expendable equipment, like a very large drone or missileDon't treat it like your life's one true love; it'll very likely turn into a pretty explosion one day.
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As a general rule, an uninsured hull will pay out around 40% of the hull's value, and an insured loss will pay out that 40%, plus twice whatever you paid into the insurance.  So if you're placing yourself into a high-risk environment, it's always worth insuring it to recover some of the cost of the ship you're probably about to lose.  Insurance in EVE is not a system to fully replace losses, but a return on banking that your ship ''will'' be lost.
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The positive flip-side of always flying things you can afford to lose (replace) is that it frees you to take more risk in pursuit of fun. You can, for instance, find ships that are cheap (relative to your ISK income) and experiment with PvP in them, blissfully unconcerned about the cost of losses.
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=== High Security space doesn't mean "Safe space" ===
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"High Security" doesn't mean "secure". The moment you undock your ship you are exposing yourself to the possibility of PvP. Remember that CONCORD exists to punish, not to protect. CONCORD response time varies with system security status, but they won't come in time to stop someone from destroying your ship.
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The only thing High Security space provides you, as a potential target, is that your attacker has more challenges to account for should they decide to attack you. Your protection is completely up to you, your fit, where and when you do certain activities, and what precautions you take.
  
 
=== Scamming, stealing and unethical behaviour are allowed ===
 
=== Scamming, stealing and unethical behaviour are allowed ===
  
Unlike many games, there are no rules preventing people from scamming, stealing, lying and so on. If someone steals from you [[CCP]] will not intervene. In fact such behaviour is often encouraged and rewarded by the game mechanics. You can check out a number of the different types of scams that occur here at [[Scams in EVE Online]].
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{{main|Scams in EVE Online}}
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Unlike many games, there are no rules built into EVE Online itself to prevent people from scamming, stealing, lying and so on. If someone steals from you [[CCP Games|CCP]] will not intervene. In fact, such behaviour is sometimes encouraged and rewarded by game mechanics.
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EVE University members should, though, remember that [[EVE_University_Rules|the University rules]] require them to be honest and to keep their word.  
 +
 
 +
All players should remember that harassment and real-life threats are not permitted and certainly can be reported to CCP.
 +
 
 +
=== Support skills are important ===
  
=== Support Skills are important ===
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Even when you have the minimum skills to sit in a ship, this doesn't automatically mean you should fly it right away, and it doesn't mean that you can fly it well yet. [[Support skills]] are important skills that will improve your ability to fly various ships, and they should not be overlooked. Take the time to train into them properly.
  
Even when you have the minimum skills to sit in a ship, this does not mean you should fly it, and it doesn't mean that you can fly it well. [[Support Skills]] are important skills which will improve you ability to fly various ships, and they should not be overlooked.  Take the time to train into them properly.
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A common error among new players is thinking that moving onto the next size hull is something to do quickly. Bigger isn't better in EVE Online. It can take exponentially more time to become trained up and effective in a higher size/grade hull, and the smaller, more basic T1 ships are more forgiving and effective in the hands of low-skill characters. Be patient and learn why and how the various hulls are used.
  
One of the most common mistakes newer players make is thinking that moving onto the next size hull is something you need to do quickly.  The thinking that "bigger is better" tends to prevail.  Bigger isn't better in EVE Online.  It can take exponentially more time to become trained up and effective in a higher size/grade hull.  Be patient and learn why and how the various hulls are used.  Small ships can take down bigger ships in PvP.  This occurs often because the pilot in the smaller ship has an excellent fit (all the appropriate skills trained up), and they have experience.
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Small, cheap ships can sometimes destroy big, expensive ships, and even new players can make a big difference in PvP: a tiny and cheap [[Griffin]] can, with luck, switch off a battleship's damage-dealing, for instance, and massed frigates using drones can destroy a player-owned space station.
  
A good write-up on what new players should train can be found on the Uni forums, called [http://forum.eveuniversity.org/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=81073| The Magic 14].
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Fourteen key support skills which improve every ship you fly are listed in the wiki's page on [[The Magic 14]].
  
 
=== Don't judge a book by its cover ===
 
=== Don't judge a book by its cover ===
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Just because a ''character'' is newly created doesn't mean the ''player'' is new. Many players have [[Alternate characters|alts]], and some will use a new character to lull others into a false sense of security. Some will even go to the effort of making their new character look trustworthy, for example by joining [[EVE University]] or another new player-friendly corp to give them added credibility.
  
Just because a character is newly created doesn't mean the player is new. Many players have alts, and some will use a new character to lull others into a false sense of security. Some will even go to the effort of making their new character look trustworthy, for example by joining [[EVE University]] or another new player friendly corp to give them added credibility.
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The reverse is also true: just because a ''character'' was created long ago doesn't mean the ''player'' is experienced. They might have taken a long break from the game since they created the character, or have purchased the character on the [[Character Bazaar]].
  
The reverse is also true, just because a character was created a long time ago doesn't mean the player is experienced. They might have taken a long break from the game since they created the character, or purchased the character on the [[Character Bazaar]].
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Using Skill Extraction and Injection, it's quite possible--for a price--for a new-appearing character to have a surprisingly high number of skill points.
  
Also with Skill Extraction and Injection, it's quite possible for a new-appearing character to have a surprisingly high amount of skills.
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== Bigger ships don't always win fights ==
  
== Tips for moving your stuff ==
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EVE is not a game of "biggest ship wins". The [[weapons]] on bigger ships may have the ability to deal more damage, but their weapons are large and cumbersome, and are often unable to track small, fast targets. In fact, some of the largest ships in EVE are almost completely incapable of dealing with small ships on their own, and require support from a fleet of smaller escorts to be effective.
  
There are special [[hauling]] ships which you can use to move large amounts of items, or even ships. These are very useful but always be careful when using them.
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EVE is a game of math, balancing distance, size, and speed. If you're big, you may not be able to outrun a smaller ship, but you might be able to destroy them before they can even get close enough to damage you. If you're small, you don't necessarily have much firepower, but larger ships will have a hard time pinning you down if you're fast and get into orbit under their guns.
  
=== Suicide ganking ===
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== Learning to look around ==
  
{{related class|Suicide Ganking 101}}
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A lot of information in EVE is given via the UI, and not the actual game view. There are a few important systems for basic looking around and navigation in space:
A suicide ganker is someone who blows up ships in high sec in the knowledge that CONCORD will destroy their ship.  
 
  
Always assume that anyone around you knows exactly what you are hauling. This is because there are items called ship scanners, which enable other people to scan your ship's contents, sometimes without you even being aware of it. This is especially important if you are going to a trade hub, as some groups will scan ships routinely from a few systems out so they know which ships are carrying expensive loot.
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* [[Directional scanning]]
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* [[Bookmark]]
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* [[Overview]]
  
If the contents of your cargo hold are worth more than the loss of their ship, it is profitable for them to attack you. If they are in high security space they will be destroyed by [[CONCORD]] but they will have an alt or a friend nearby to scoop up the loot. Even if it is not profitable for them to attack you, they may do so anyway, just for fun.
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== Tips for moving your stuff ==
 +
There are special [[hauling]] ships that you can use to move large amounts of items, or even ships. These are very useful but always be careful when using them.
  
Remember that CONCORD exist to punish, not to protect. CONCORD have a response time which varies with the security status of the system, but they will not arrive in time to stop someone destroying your ship, and will not aim to do so. They will just punish the person with the loss of their own ship, which is not much help to you.
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Always assume that anyone around you knows what you are hauling. Modules called ship scanners enable other people to scan your ship's contents, sometimes without you knowing. This is especially important if you are going to a [[trade hub]], as some groups will scan ships routinely a few systems out from hubs so they know which ships are carrying expensive loot.
  
 
=== Never haul PLEX ===  
 
=== Never haul PLEX ===  
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''Never'' haul [[PLEX]]. This is an item that can be purchased with real life money and is valuable in-game item, so it is a very tempting target for gankers.
  
On a related note, never haul [[Pilot%27s_License_Extension#Plex|PLEX]]. This is an item which can be purchased with real life money and is an expensive in-game item, so it is a very tempting target for gankers.
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There is absolutely no reason for you to need to haul PLEX, as--unlike almost all other items in the game--it can be manipulated remotely. You can move it to your [[PLEX Vault]], travel to your destination, and at destination, you can move it from your vault to your hangar again. Note that you can also remotely move PLEX to your PLEX vault.
 
 
There is absolutely no reason for you to need to haul PLEX if you are purchasing it for real money, because you do not have to redeem it straight away and you can redeem it in whichever station you are in. This means that you can buy PLEX, fly to [[Trade Hubs|Jita]] (or another trade hub) in a shuttle or any other cheap ship and redeem the PLEX there, and it will show up in your station hangar without you having to haul it.  If you purchase PLEX in-game for ISK then it will appear at the station you bought it in.  Again, hauling PLEX is very bad idea.  You never know who is scanning your cargo.  If you buy off of the market be sure it's at a station where you're satisfied the PLEX can remain for you.
 
 
 
PLEX can be activated and used remotely in-game for any of the in-game services provided in activating it.  This means you do not need to be in the station where it's at to use it. If you are wanting to place it as a sell order on the Regional Market then you will need to be in range of the station where your PLEX is at (Marketing skill, or docked in that station if you don't have the Marketing skill trained).  PLEX can also be placed back into the Redeeming system although it can only be redeemed back into the game at the station where it was reverse-redeemed from.  You'd want to do this only to use PLEX in your Account Management for those services that can't be activated in-game.
 
  
 
=== Moving expensive stuff ===
 
=== Moving expensive stuff ===
  
If you want to move a lot of items, or high value items, then there are several ways to do it. Depending on the method you use it will take some time or cost you ISK, but this is better than losing everything.
+
If you want to move a lot of items, or high value items, then there are several ways to do it. Depending on the method you use it will take some time or cost you ISK, but this is better than losing everything.
  
 
* You can do several runs with a low value cargo hold which will discourage suicide gankers because they will not make as much profit.
 
* You can do several runs with a low value cargo hold which will discourage suicide gankers because they will not make as much profit.
* You can ask a trusted friend or a corp mate with a freighter to haul it for you.  Freighters have a good tank and are expensive to gank so they are safer to haul items of a larger value. Remember there is always a chance your 'friend' or corp mate could steal your items, or get ganked themselves.
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* You can ask a trusted friend or a corpmate with a freighter to haul it for you.  Freighters have a good tank and are expensive to gank so they are safer to haul items of a larger value. Remember there is always a chance your "friend" or corpmate could steal your items, or get ganked themselves.
* You can sell your stuff and buy it again at your destination, provided this doesn't prove too expensive (check the prices first!)
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* You can sell your stuff and rebuy it at your destination, provided this isn't too expensive (check the prices first!)
* You can set up a courier contract with a freight service such as [http://red-frog.org Red Frog Freight] or [http://www.pushx.net/ Push Industries]. When you set up a courier contract you will set a 'collateral' which covers the cost of your items in the event that they are ganked, so they bear the loss rather than you.
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* You can set up a courier contract with a freight service such as [https://red-frog.org Red Frog Freight] or [https://www.pushx.net/ Push Industries]. When you set up a courier contract you will set a 'collateral' which covers the cost of your items in the event that they are ganked, so they bear the loss rather than you.
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* Many player corps and alliances maintain freighting services for their members as well, often at a much lower cost, and better access, than the "public" services.
  
 
== Tips for using jetcans ==
 
== Tips for using jetcans ==
  
 
=== Can baiting ===
 
=== Can baiting ===
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This is when someone puts out a can in space advertising "free items". If the can is yellow then if you take the items you will be flagged as a suspect and they will be entitled to shoot you without intervention from CONCORD.
  
This is when someone puts out a can in space advertising "free items". If the can is yellow then if you take the items you will be flagged as a suspect and they will be entitled to shoot you without intervention from CONCORD. This is a common trick to bait people into engagement in high security space. If it sounds too good to be true, assume that it is!
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This is a common trick to bait people into engagement in high security space. If it sounds too good to be true, assume that it is!
  
 
=== Ninja Looting and Can Flipping ===
 
=== Ninja Looting and Can Flipping ===
 +
This is when someone takes from cans that are someone else's. For example, if you are [[Mining#Jetcan_and_GSC_mining|jetcan mining]] or doing missions you may have cans in space. There is nothing to stop people from taking the contents of the cans (unless they are password protected), so you should not assume it is safe until you have taken it to a station.
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 +
Sometimes this is not just theft but a way of using the game mechanics to trick you into attacking someone ([[can flipping]]). The person will deliberately take something from your can which will flag them as a suspect and encourage you to attack them. As soon as you engage them they will be entitled to attack you back, and he will be more prepared than you are. They may have an unexpectedly powerful fit on a weak-seeming ship, may return in a bigger ship, or may call in friends.
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== Travel tips ==
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=== Don't use autopilot ===
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Autopilot is the action you take to follow a planned route without manually flying it.  It takes a lot longer to complete the route than by manually flying it.  It can be useful to fly your ship to your selected destination without your input, but this can be very dangerous.
  
This is when someone takes from cans which are someone else's. For example, if you are [[Mining#Jetcan_and_GSC_mining|jetcan mining]] or doing missions you may have cans in space. There is nothing to stop people from taking the contents of the cans (unless they are password protected), so you should not assume it is safe until you have taken it to a station.
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When you are flying with autopilot you will not land at zero on the outbound gate, but rather 15 km away from the gate. From there, you will slowly move towards the gate (known as slow-boating).
  
Sometimes this is not just theft but a way of using the game mechanics to trick you into attacking someone ([[Can Flipping]]). The person will deliberately take something from your can which will flag them as a suspect and encourage you to attack them. As soon as you engage them they will be entitled to attack you back, and he will be more prepared than you are. He may come back in a bigger ship or call in friends to assist him.
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This makes it very obvious to anyone that you are probably not at your keyboard to defend yourself. It also makes you travel much more slowly than you would if you were actively warping gate to gate at zero, so it gives any gankers plenty of time to attack you.
  
== Tips for travelling ==
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The best way to use your route is to select your waypoints and destination, but then manually fly your ship along the suggested route. If you insist on flying on autopilot, then at least only use it when your route isn't along common routes or into and out of trade hubs, and when you are carrying nothing valuable.
 
=== Do not fly with Autopilot ===
 
  
Autopilot is really useful for planning your routes. It can also be used to fly your ship to your selected destination without your input, but this can be dangerous. When you are flying with autopilot you will not jump all the way to the gate, you will land 15km away from the gate and slowly move towards the gate. This means it is very obvious to anyone watching that you are probably not at your keyboard to depend yourself. As a result you also travel much more slowly than you would if you were jumping from gate to gate, so it gives any gankers plenty of chance to attack you. The best way to us autopilot is to allow it to plan your route but then manually fly your ship along the suggested route.
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Using Autopilot will also land you 15 km from your destination station, and you'll slow-boat into the docking ring and then dock up. Again, this is potentially very dangerous.
  
=== Use your Autopilot Avoid List ===
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The only time to use Autopilot is when you have set up an [[Bookmark#Instadock | insta-docking bookmark]] for the station that's your destination or a waypoint on your route.  Once you're in your destination system you'll want to select warp-to to your insta-dock bookmark.  Once you begin warping then turn on your Autopilot.  You'll land at your insta-dock point and the Autopilot will then dock you automatically.
  
Autopilot also has an "avoid list" which enables you to avoid certain systems. Dangerous systems are [[Trade Hubs]] and choke points which have a lot of traffic, like Uedema and Rancer.
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=== Do use your autopilot avoid list ===
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Autopilot also has an "avoid list" which enables you to avoid certain systems. Dangerous systems are [[trade hubs]] and choke points that have a lot of traffic, like Uedema and Rancer. You can read more about the autopilot avoidance system [[Autopilot avoidance|here]].
  
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{{GettingStartedNav}}
  
[[Category:Guides]]
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[[Category:Getting Started]]

Latest revision as of 13:38, 15 July 2024

Welcome to EVE Online, a game as complex as it is beautiful. EVE Online has a notoriously difficult learning curve and this page sets out some useful tips for new players to make the most out of their time in game.

Important rules to bear in mind

Don't fly anything you can't afford to lose (replace)

This is often referred to as the number one rule of EVE Online. When you undock a ship in EVE Online there is always a chance that you will lose it, even in High Security space. So do not fly any ships which would be too expensive for you to lose. Ideally, make sure you can afford to replace the ship several times over.

You can insure your ship which will allow you to recover some of the ISK, but do not entirely rely on this. Insurance only covers on the loss of the hull, and not on any modules, rigs, or cargo; and as such if you are flying in a ship with expensive modules, insurance will not go very far. (Furthermore, as insurance payouts are based on the mineral cost of the hull, Faction and Tech 2 ships do not give very good insurance payouts.)

It's usually healthiest to think of your ship as a piece of expendable equipment, like a very large drone or missile. Don't treat it like your life's one true love; it'll very likely turn into a pretty explosion one day.

As a general rule, an uninsured hull will pay out around 40% of the hull's value, and an insured loss will pay out that 40%, plus twice whatever you paid into the insurance. So if you're placing yourself into a high-risk environment, it's always worth insuring it to recover some of the cost of the ship you're probably about to lose. Insurance in EVE is not a system to fully replace losses, but a return on banking that your ship will be lost.

The positive flip-side of always flying things you can afford to lose (replace) is that it frees you to take more risk in pursuit of fun. You can, for instance, find ships that are cheap (relative to your ISK income) and experiment with PvP in them, blissfully unconcerned about the cost of losses.

High Security space doesn't mean "Safe space"

"High Security" doesn't mean "secure". The moment you undock your ship you are exposing yourself to the possibility of PvP. Remember that CONCORD exists to punish, not to protect. CONCORD response time varies with system security status, but they won't come in time to stop someone from destroying your ship.

The only thing High Security space provides you, as a potential target, is that your attacker has more challenges to account for should they decide to attack you. Your protection is completely up to you, your fit, where and when you do certain activities, and what precautions you take.

Scamming, stealing and unethical behaviour are allowed

Main article: Scams in EVE Online

Unlike many games, there are no rules built into EVE Online itself to prevent people from scamming, stealing, lying and so on. If someone steals from you CCP will not intervene. In fact, such behaviour is sometimes encouraged and rewarded by game mechanics.

EVE University members should, though, remember that the University rules require them to be honest and to keep their word.

All players should remember that harassment and real-life threats are not permitted and certainly can be reported to CCP.

Support skills are important

Even when you have the minimum skills to sit in a ship, this doesn't automatically mean you should fly it right away, and it doesn't mean that you can fly it well yet. Support skills are important skills that will improve your ability to fly various ships, and they should not be overlooked. Take the time to train into them properly.

A common error among new players is thinking that moving onto the next size hull is something to do quickly. Bigger isn't better in EVE Online. It can take exponentially more time to become trained up and effective in a higher size/grade hull, and the smaller, more basic T1 ships are more forgiving and effective in the hands of low-skill characters. Be patient and learn why and how the various hulls are used.

Small, cheap ships can sometimes destroy big, expensive ships, and even new players can make a big difference in PvP: a tiny and cheap Griffin can, with luck, switch off a battleship's damage-dealing, for instance, and massed frigates using drones can destroy a player-owned space station.

Fourteen key support skills which improve every ship you fly are listed in the wiki's page on The Magic 14.

Don't judge a book by its cover

Just because a character is newly created doesn't mean the player is new. Many players have alts, and some will use a new character to lull others into a false sense of security. Some will even go to the effort of making their new character look trustworthy, for example by joining EVE University or another new player-friendly corp to give them added credibility.

The reverse is also true: just because a character was created long ago doesn't mean the player is experienced. They might have taken a long break from the game since they created the character, or have purchased the character on the Character Bazaar.

Using Skill Extraction and Injection, it's quite possible--for a price--for a new-appearing character to have a surprisingly high number of skill points.

Bigger ships don't always win fights

EVE is not a game of "biggest ship wins". The weapons on bigger ships may have the ability to deal more damage, but their weapons are large and cumbersome, and are often unable to track small, fast targets. In fact, some of the largest ships in EVE are almost completely incapable of dealing with small ships on their own, and require support from a fleet of smaller escorts to be effective.

EVE is a game of math, balancing distance, size, and speed. If you're big, you may not be able to outrun a smaller ship, but you might be able to destroy them before they can even get close enough to damage you. If you're small, you don't necessarily have much firepower, but larger ships will have a hard time pinning you down if you're fast and get into orbit under their guns.

Learning to look around

A lot of information in EVE is given via the UI, and not the actual game view. There are a few important systems for basic looking around and navigation in space:

Tips for moving your stuff

There are special hauling ships that you can use to move large amounts of items, or even ships. These are very useful but always be careful when using them.

Always assume that anyone around you knows what you are hauling. Modules called ship scanners enable other people to scan your ship's contents, sometimes without you knowing. This is especially important if you are going to a trade hub, as some groups will scan ships routinely a few systems out from hubs so they know which ships are carrying expensive loot.

Never haul PLEX

Never haul PLEX. This is an item that can be purchased with real life money and is valuable in-game item, so it is a very tempting target for gankers.

There is absolutely no reason for you to need to haul PLEX, as--unlike almost all other items in the game--it can be manipulated remotely. You can move it to your PLEX Vault, travel to your destination, and at destination, you can move it from your vault to your hangar again. Note that you can also remotely move PLEX to your PLEX vault.

Moving expensive stuff

If you want to move a lot of items, or high value items, then there are several ways to do it. Depending on the method you use it will take some time or cost you ISK, but this is better than losing everything.

  • You can do several runs with a low value cargo hold which will discourage suicide gankers because they will not make as much profit.
  • You can ask a trusted friend or a corpmate with a freighter to haul it for you. Freighters have a good tank and are expensive to gank so they are safer to haul items of a larger value. Remember there is always a chance your "friend" or corpmate could steal your items, or get ganked themselves.
  • You can sell your stuff and rebuy it at your destination, provided this isn't too expensive (check the prices first!)
  • You can set up a courier contract with a freight service such as Red Frog Freight or Push Industries. When you set up a courier contract you will set a 'collateral' which covers the cost of your items in the event that they are ganked, so they bear the loss rather than you.
  • Many player corps and alliances maintain freighting services for their members as well, often at a much lower cost, and better access, than the "public" services.

Tips for using jetcans

Can baiting

This is when someone puts out a can in space advertising "free items". If the can is yellow then if you take the items you will be flagged as a suspect and they will be entitled to shoot you without intervention from CONCORD.

This is a common trick to bait people into engagement in high security space. If it sounds too good to be true, assume that it is!

Ninja Looting and Can Flipping

This is when someone takes from cans that are someone else's. For example, if you are jetcan mining or doing missions you may have cans in space. There is nothing to stop people from taking the contents of the cans (unless they are password protected), so you should not assume it is safe until you have taken it to a station.

Sometimes this is not just theft but a way of using the game mechanics to trick you into attacking someone (can flipping). The person will deliberately take something from your can which will flag them as a suspect and encourage you to attack them. As soon as you engage them they will be entitled to attack you back, and he will be more prepared than you are. They may have an unexpectedly powerful fit on a weak-seeming ship, may return in a bigger ship, or may call in friends.

Travel tips

Don't use autopilot

Autopilot is the action you take to follow a planned route without manually flying it. It takes a lot longer to complete the route than by manually flying it. It can be useful to fly your ship to your selected destination without your input, but this can be very dangerous.

When you are flying with autopilot you will not land at zero on the outbound gate, but rather 15 km away from the gate. From there, you will slowly move towards the gate (known as slow-boating).

This makes it very obvious to anyone that you are probably not at your keyboard to defend yourself. It also makes you travel much more slowly than you would if you were actively warping gate to gate at zero, so it gives any gankers plenty of time to attack you.

The best way to use your route is to select your waypoints and destination, but then manually fly your ship along the suggested route. If you insist on flying on autopilot, then at least only use it when your route isn't along common routes or into and out of trade hubs, and when you are carrying nothing valuable.

Using Autopilot will also land you 15 km from your destination station, and you'll slow-boat into the docking ring and then dock up. Again, this is potentially very dangerous.

The only time to use Autopilot is when you have set up an insta-docking bookmark for the station that's your destination or a waypoint on your route. Once you're in your destination system you'll want to select warp-to to your insta-dock bookmark. Once you begin warping then turn on your Autopilot. You'll land at your insta-dock point and the Autopilot will then dock you automatically.

Do use your autopilot avoid list

Autopilot also has an "avoid list" which enables you to avoid certain systems. Dangerous systems are trade hubs and choke points that have a lot of traffic, like Uedema and Rancer. You can read more about the autopilot avoidance system here.