Notes for Experienced RPG Players New to EVE: Difference between revisions

== Characters in EVE do not level, and there is no limit to character progression ==

Skill progress is handled by populating the Training Queue which, as its name suggests, allows you to set a number of skills to train in sequence. Upon reaching the requisite number of skill points, the first skill in the queue will advance to the next level and your character will receive the benefits of the new level. Then the next skill in the queue will start training automatically. Only one skill can be trained at a time, so players need to plan ahead to ensure that they train the correct skills for what they want to accomplish in EVE.

Levels do exist in EVE, in the form of skill levels. Each skill can be trained to a maximum of level 5 (usually written as the Roman numeral "V"). The number of skill points required to advance to the next skill level increases exponentially, but the benefits from each level increase linearly. This leads to what is known in EVE as the "'''80/20 Rule'''": characters get 80% of a skill's benefit (level IV) in 20% of the time (that it would take to train all the way to level V). Most skill levels only involve a few percentage points, so the gap between an older character with a skill at level V and a new character with that same skill at level IV is not nearly as large as in other games, and "catching up" in a specific area of play is fairly quick.

   

Because there is no limit to the number of skill points a character can accumulate, and because skills are not exclusive (any character can potentially learn every skill) you will probably never run out of skills to train or new things to try. Training every skill in the game to its maximum level would take around two decades of non-stop training. '''{{Co|yellow|There is no wrong way to progress}}''': there is no rush to gain skill points, so you can either take your time to master one particular set of skills before moving on to the next, or you can train a variety of lower level skills and work your way up multiple paths. EVE is very flexible in character progression.

== EVE is not pay-to-win. ==

In EVE, combat is three-dimensional, and it can be difficult to see the ships you are fighting in a meaningful way. While there is a "tactical view" that can give you an idea of the overall "shape" of the battlefield, even that will rarely provide the information you need to properly participate in combat.

Thankfully, you're not missing much. While explosions can be very beautiful (in the aesthetic sense, not just metaphorically), EVE isn't a game for people who enjoy flashy combat. While ships do show signs of damage, they don't explode until they're actually destroyed. Most weapons are practically invisible: hybrid and projectile turrets show little more than muzzle flash, and drones are generally relegated to tiny purple icons flitting across the screen. Laser weapons do have a tendency to turn a computer screen into a light show in large numbers, and missiles can be seen launching and streaking away from their point of origin, but for the most part EVE combat is about reacting to numbers on the screen.

Most online role-playing games have a geography organized as a system of different zones catering to characters of different power levels. Higher-level zones may be completely inaccessible to low-level characters, and even when low-level characters ''are'' able to enter high-level zones, they find such zones impossible to survive. Game worlds constructed in this way often have a geographical layout that facilitates smooth progression from low-level areas to high-level areas.

Each solar system does have a [[System security|Security Level]], which determines the extent to which PvP is both allowed and punished. These restrictions are enforced by [[CONCORD]], the in-game NPC "police" faction. Note that these restrictions do not prevent combat, they merely punish it, so players can and do get attacked and killed even in high-security space. Security levels also affect the size and power of hostile NPCs: lower security levels spawn more powerful enemies. However, player skill and numbers are far more important than character skills for overcoming these enemies.

Fleets can be composed of huge numbers of players, divided into squads, wings, and command roles. Fleets membership determines who is affected by [[Command Bursts]], area-of-effect modules that increase the capabilities of nearby fleet members. Players in command roles are also able to initiate warp for those under their command.

== Mining, Trade and Research are full time, legitimate occupations ==

Most RPGs have a PvE track in which you battle Evil, and a PvP track in which you fight honorably against players of different factions.

Both of these exist in EVE, but the game also includes PvP "criminal" activities. You can attack another player anywhere, anytime and attempt to kill them and make a living by stealing their stuff. In some systems this is illegal and consequences ensue, but in many systems the only consequences are those that might be dealt by the player you killed and his or her friends. Some players specialize in hunting through low- and zero-security areas for other players; others don't fight, but become grifters, running scams in busy regions.

Note that Eve University members are forbidden from engaging in unprovoked combat in high security space, and in scams. They are, however, welcome to engage in PvP outside of high security space, at their own discretion.

== Distance is time ==

   

=== Mining, Trade and Research are full time, legitimate occupations ===

While the game itself makes basic items available for sale, most of the unusual, extra powerful, higher level ships and gear are made and sold by players. The game provides blueprints, some of which are very rare, that industrialist players use to manufacture items. These are then hauled to central locations and offered via the Regional Market service. Mining, missions and exploration provide the materials needed to manufacture items from blueprints, research allows industrialists to improve the speed and efficiency of their manufacturing processes, and trade improves their ability to sell their goods.

''[[Missions]]'' – ''much like "questing" in other RPGs''. Missions pay in ISK and loyalty points with the corporation offering the mission. Note that the loyalty points can only be spent in that corporation's store. Missions go from level 1 to level 5. 1 through 4 are solo and get progressively harder while offering progressively better payoffs. Level 5s are for fleets. Also included in this category are Encounter Sites, similar to "dungeons" in other RPGs, which pop up at random and offer loot if you can kill all the NPCs in the site.

''[[Mining]]'' – ''use a laser to chop asteroids into pieces and haul the resulting ore back to a base''. The ore can be sold "as is", or reprocessed. It tends to be worth more "as is" until you train up your reprocessing skills. Mining is relatively peaceful, and slow enough that in a safe system you can read a book while your ship mines the ore.

   

   

''[[Hauling]]'' – ''contract to move stuff from one place to another''. Because long distance travel is boring and/or dangerous, many players hire other players to move their items around. This is done through the in-game [[contract]]ing system. Hisec hauling is easy, competitive, and doesn't pay very much. Low and nullsec hauling is dangerous, but pays very well. To get into the lowsec hauling business, you need good ship handling and cloaking skills.

''[[Exploration]]'' – ''use your scanning, survey and decrypting skills to unlock potentially valuable archaeology sites''. The best sites are in nulsec and in wormholes, but such sites can be amazingly valuable. Exploration is easy to train, and very exciting... because any site worth exploring is also inviting to PvP criminals who want to steal your loot.

   

=== When you die, you lose your gear ===

Always [[Insurance|insure your ship]] (with Platinum, because you will probably lose your first few ships one way or another). Never carry stuff that you don't need. Never use an expensive ship when a cheaper ship will do. Avoid the autopilot. Keep your rez clone nearby. Always assume that five guys in a pirate ganking fleet are waiting for you at the next gate. (Paranoia is good, but it is not enough.)

EVE includes PvP "criminal" activity. You can attack another player anywhere, anytime and attempt to kill them and steal their stuff. In hisec space this is illegal and CONCORD will try to wipe you out, but in lowsec and nullsec the only consequences are those that might be [[Kill Rights|dealt by the player you killed]] and his or her friends.

So, if you want to be a criminal, you can... though to do so, you might need to eventually leave E-UNI. E-UNI does not generally condone criminal activity such as scamming and unprovoked combat in highsec space. The University does, however, permit members to engage in aggressive PvP anywhere outside of highsec space (so-called "Not Blue, Shoot It" rules of engagement), and many students spend some or all of their time in PvP.

   

Travel through EVE's many star systems can take a a minute or two per system. Also, travel is inherently dangerous, even in hisec space. ''For example, three players can form a "suicide" fleet whereby one player, usually in an ship with a lot of offensive power, will suddenly kill you. CONCORD will immediately kill him or her, of course, but the other fleet members will now scavenge the loot from your ship, and then share the proceeds with the dead guy. This technique, called "[[suicide ganking]]", is only profitable if the ship killed is a big, valuable ship, preferably a hauler hauling a lot of goods.

The danger makes it important that you actually fly your ship. The autopilot will take you to a designated destination, but the autopilot flies very slowly, especially as it approaches hyperspace gates, which is where gankers lie in wait. Ships on autopilot are much more likely to be killed than ships with active pilots. On the other hand, piloting a ship for 15 or 20 jumps can get pretty boring. So this is something that you do if you have to, but not something you want to do often.

   

   

''[[Main Community]]''

There are no title or skill requirements to join the Main Community.

While some roles in Incursions can be performed by players of all skill levels, please see their specific [[EVE University Incursion Community#Requirements|requirements]] listings.

''[[Wormhole Community]] (WHC)''

'''IMPORTANT:''' An option with regard to travel is to train for and acquire "[[jump clones]]." These are copies of your character that you can station in systems that you want to visit, and then "jump" from one to another as needed. There is no limit on how far apart the clones can be - but of course, you can only play one clone at a time, and there is a 24 hour reset timer on the jump. This is probably the best way to establish yourself in different parts of the EVE galaxy. You should at least read about cloning now, so that you can learn the skills that you will need when you are ready to clone.

There are many ways to make money within the game. Here are a few examples to illustrate the differences among possible [[careers]].

* ''Mining:'' 50,000 units of Pyroxes Ore takes about half an hour to mine (with a mining barge) and sells for about 2.5 million ISK. Ores have varying prices depending on scarcity, but once you have the skills, you can make a fair profit this way. (On the other hand, mining ores in safe systems is rather boring, and you only make money ... you do not gain loyalty standing with a corporation.)

   

* ''Exploration:'' EVE space contains "encounter" sites that are guarded by NPCs who drop significant loot. It also contains encrypted, unguarded sites that you can loot if you can break the code. But the various sites are not like the typical RPG dungeons that spawn especially for you. These spawn randomly, and whoever gets there first gets to use them. Naturally, there is a lot of competition, and it is not unusual for whoever gets there second to try to kill whoever got there first. There is an art to dealing with these sites, and many EVE players find them challenging and fun.

'''[[Mining]]''' is easy to learn and turns a slow, but steady profit. Ore sells at a predictable rate, and the systems within which you mine have predictable security hazards, which lets you fit out a ship that matches the conditions you expect to meet. You need to train Mining skills, of course, but also train Reprocessing skills ... because you will often get more cash for the reprocessed minerals than you will for the ore. Train Drone skills for protection while you are mining, and train Salvage skills to harvest the NPC pirates that your drones will kill. Trade skills will let you offer more goods for sale and increase your profit, but these will not be your first priority.

   

'''[[Exploration]]''' is the most random, and dangerous, way of making money, but it also has the biggest potential payoff. Explorers go into lowsec and nulsec space, and into wormholes, searching for ancient archaeology sites. Once opened, the sites have the potential to produce extremely valuable loot – though these areas of the game are also patrolled by criminal players who hope to kill explorers and steal their loot. Begin by training Survey and Hacking, and then all of the skills in the Scanning section. You will also need Salvaging and Cloaking.

If you eventually want to do Exploration, then start by running Security Missions, and simultaneously train the basic Scanning and Salvaging skills. You can practice your exploring skills in hisec space, finding sites and hacking them in relative safety. Move to lowsec once you are experienced at Hacking and have the skills to fly a cloaked ship.

   

If you eventually want to do Industry and Trade, then start with Mining. Run mining missions to get loyalty points to buy augmentation plugins. Once your Mining skills are well developed, and once you have the Spaceship skills to be using Mining Barges, then begin to train Industry and Trade skills. Start by buying blueprints and manufacturing disposable items for your own use ... ammunition is good place to start - it will save you the cost of buying it, and any that's left over can be sold. As your skills develop, think about moving up to producing various ship equipment items and eventually ships themselves.

[[Category:Getting Started]]