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==The Details== | ==The Details== | ||
====Characters do not level in EVE. There is no level cap.==== | ====Characters do not level in EVE. There is no level cap.==== | ||
You | You play to improve your ability to use your skills. And you gain new skills by "training" them. There are a LOT of skills, and you can only train one at a time. Each level of each skill takes a fixed amount of time to learn, and this means that all characters in EVE learn new skills at the same rate. This makes your choice of skills, and [[Skill#How_Many_Levels.3F|skill levels]], a key factor in developing your character. | ||
Just to give a taste of the breadth of the skill set: each of the four racial factions has six levels of ships (frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battle cruisers, battleships, and capital ships), and each level requires a basic "spaceship" skill. Since there are five levels to every skill, this means you need to acquire 4 x 6 x 5 = 120 skills to maximize your skill at piloting the basic faction ships. And that's just the racial factions ... the Pirate factions have their own ship categories, as do various other NPC groups. And within each faction there are special "advanced" ships that have their own entry skills. | Just to give a taste of the breadth of the skill set: each of the four racial factions has six levels of ships (frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battle cruisers, battleships, and capital ships), and each level requires a basic "spaceship" skill. Since there are five levels to every skill, this means you need to acquire 4 x 6 x 5 = 120 skills to maximize your skill at piloting the basic faction ships. And that's just the racial factions ... the Pirate factions have their own ship categories, as do various other NPC groups. And within each faction there are special "advanced" ships that have their own entry skills. | ||
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===Combat follows the laws of physics.=== | ===Combat follows the laws of physics.=== | ||
Combat in most online games is immediate. You take a swing or shot at your target, and you get instant feedback as to whether you hit or missed. In EVE, however, all combat is ranged combat, and it is conducted over kilometers with physical weaponry in space. Thus, the game computes hits and misses using trajectories and | Combat in most online games is immediate. You take a swing or shot at your target, and you get instant feedback as to whether you hit or missed. In EVE, however, all combat is ranged combat, and it is conducted over kilometers with physical weaponry in space. Thus, the game computes hits and misses using trajectories, speed and distance, and your results are always at least a little bit delayed. | ||
For example, let's say your ship is equipped with missiles. And, let's say your missiles travel at a speed of 1K (thousand) meters per second. So, if your ship is 40K meters from a target when you fire a salvo of missiles, it will take them 4 seconds to arrive. On the other hand, if you are using a projectile turret (think: big guns on a naval battleship), the turret will have to turn to track its target. This takes some time, so the speed of the target and the speed of the turret both figure into the likelihood of a hit. Projectiles are much faster than missiles, though, so it make only take half a second or so before you see your results. | For example, let's say your ship is equipped with missiles. And, let's say your missiles travel at a speed of 1K (thousand) meters per second. So, if your ship is 40K meters from a target when you fire a salvo of missiles, it will take them 4 seconds to arrive. On the other hand, if you are using a projectile turret (think: big guns on a naval battleship), the turret will have to turn to track its target. This takes some time, so the speed of the target and the speed of the turret both figure into the likelihood of a hit. Projectiles are much faster than missiles, though, so it make only take half a second or so before you see your results. | ||
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===Combat "happens" in the heads up display.=== | ===Combat "happens" in the heads up display.=== | ||
Your ship is traveling on a ballistic path. You can't easily stop and go backwards; you move by turning in an arc. You are fighting ships who are also following their own ballistic paths in space. The data on your screen is what you use to figure out who is where, and when, and how soon you can hit them, and whether they can hit you. | |||
At the bottom of your screen is a dashboard. To the left are five buttons. Press the top leftmost of these and the "tactical" display will come up. Zoom in until the ring of numbers is small enough that you can see the "30" ring. Now move your mouse over one of your ship's weapons. The whitish sphere that appears shows the range of that weapon. | At the bottom of your screen is a dashboard. To the left are five buttons. Press the top leftmost of these and the "tactical" display will come up. Zoom in until the ring of numbers is small enough that you can see the "30" ring. Now move your mouse over one of your ship's weapons. The whitish sphere that appears shows the range of that weapon. | ||