You will probably find after a while thoughts about catching up will disappear once you start to enjoy the social aspect of the game and have a number of goals to work towards.
Ok now I ask you. If I do start the game soon which faction is the best or coolest to be?
Minmatar.
Also, lol at the guy who doesnt see any need for tacklers.
definitely, tacklers, doesnt matter if its a roam or a gatecamp, you need em, and minmatar have the best, claw = 5500 m/sec just what you need to catch all those other uppity inty pilots who think they got speed
yeah, im a minmatar and im definitely biaised....
but seriously, what other game out there can you start playing and within a short period of time be taking on and winning fights against players who have been around for years
Ok now I ask you. If I do start the game soon which faction is the best or coolest to be?
Minmatar.
Also, lol at the guy who doesnt see any need for tacklers.
definitely, tacklers, doesnt matter if its a roam or a gatecamp, you need em, and minmatar have the best, claw = 5500 m/sec just what you need to catch all those other uppity inty pilots who think they got speed
yeah, im a minmatar and im definitely biaised....
but seriously, what other game out there can you start playing and within a short period of time be taking on and winning fights against players who have been around for years
Sorry to sound like a noob but, what are tacklers?
Ships that are role specific (interceptors) or a general ship, fit in such a way for you to lock an enemy fast with the end result of having a point and web on him rendering the ship less mobile and unable to warp so dps can come and gobble him up. It isn't always an inty or small ship, Gatecamps in particular will use more heavy duty tackle.
Ok well I got the 21 day trial downloading right now. So I guess the only question i have left is. What world or server or whatever should i join and, can someone send a guild invite so I can get some help when i get to start playing?
All eve players are in the same universe, there are no seperate "realms" with the exception being the two test servers and the Chinese server. Join eve-university, a corporation set-up implicity to help new players and train them in various different aspects of the game.
This will also look attractive to whatever corp you apply to when and if you leave. Their official website is at http://www.eve-ivy.com/
One thing I am not sure of is if they accept trial accounts. If not I would still strongly recommended joining them once your trial finishes if you decide to stay on.
You can convo me in game if you have any other questions.
Ok well I got the 21 day trial downloading right now. So I guess the only question i have left is. What world or server or whatever should i join and, can someone send a guild invite so I can get some help when i get to start playing?
About which race to play...
One thing to consider (and you might not be able to, since you haven't played yet) is agents. Many people will do agent missions to make cash to buy fancy new skills, gear, ammo, ships, etc. Some races (can't remember which), have high-level agents in high-security space, so you can do high-paying missions without getting ganked while fighting in your PvE ship. Other races only have high-level agents in low-security space.
This may not mean much to you now, but you may want to research around the web a bit, or ask around in-game before you get too set on a specific race. Might save you a bit of hassle in the long run. Of course, same holds true as for ships...you can MAKE your faction better with any race, and work up to L4 agents, but it's harder if you start out "on the wrong side" so to speak.
How long has eve been out? Would starting now as a new player be to late?
My oldest character dates back to 2003 and I've done everything from innocent miner to merciless pirate.
Some people will (and have, I see) tell you no; it's not too late because you can become competetive in a short time. I disagree. The part these folks tend to gloss over is that in Eve, there is a huge difference between opening a door to a room and enjoying a comfy position on the sofa in that room.
Let me explain. It's true that in relatively short order you can gain access to powerful ships and weapons. However, what you will not have is all the other skills that maximize their potential. Simply qualifying for a given class of ship is not the same thing as having level 5 skills across the board in engineering, electronics, gunnery, and the other trees that squeeze more and more performance out of that ship and its equipment. So while you may have yourself a battleship that's just like mine, I have level 5 in every skill that could possibly affect the performance of the ship and its gear. We are therefore functionally, if not in fact, not flying the same ship at all.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or doesn't do well with math. X% more power here, Y% more damage there, Z% higher firing rate over there, N% higher damage resistance bonus over yonder... it certainly adds up to a tremendous advantage which is difficult to deny. All you have to do is examine the skill tree and break out a calculator, which is helpfully included in the UI.
Rather than engage in the theoretical, I'll just relate the short version of a day that actually happened.
For a time I was leading a small band of Wealth Redistribution Consultants. That is to say we took your stuff, sold it, and kept the money. One day a small corp, with an average of about 6 months' worth of character development per player, decided they were going to "clean up" that part of space and make it "safe". I was the only one on at the time and so with my battleship I took on their fleet of one battleship, a couple cruisers, and a couple frigates. I wiped the floor with them.
Now, did that happen because I was some kind of awesome
Eve badass? Hardly. I was an average player at best. And while it certainly helped that I had that sector well mapped out with jump points for ambush, sniping and retreat, the fact is they just didn't have the (character) skills to take out a character with four years of skill training time. They wanted to; they just couldn't. As the Stones said, time was on my side.
The only time this doesn't matter is when you're taking part in an enormous fleet battle, since they are won and lost at the whim of chaos and lag anyway.
Can you do interesting stuff even if you start today? Sure. And so what I recommend is that you try it anyway and determine for yourself if you enjoy playing the game. When you get down to it that's all that really matters. But if you're asking specifically about whether your guy born today would ever really be the equal of my guy born in 2003 and retired in 2007, then I would say sure -- in four years.
This is probably the best answer I have seen someone give with this commonly asked question. You give a good yes and no because you actually explain why and put it into perspective for the OP.
Ok well I got the 21 day trial downloading right now. So I guess the only question i have left is. What world or server or whatever should i join and, can someone send a guild invite so I can get some help when i get to start playing?
OK, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you're going to last. EVE is a game that requires reading and research to truly get a good grasp of, and so far I'm not detecting that you enjoy these activities.
But to answer your questions, EVE only has one universe, one of its key selling points and not knowing this isn't a good sign that you are prepared to join it.
Also, they are called Corporations, not guilds and were you to ask such a question, even in the new player channel you might expect to be flamed pretty hard. Seriously. please read the new player guide I referenced in my earlier post because I just see you being eaten alive by the playerbase.
But on that note, I recommend you look to join EVE University (you'll have to Google it yourself I'm afraid, or ask in game) as they are very patient with new players and you are likely to gain maximum enjoyment from the game.
Good luck, I think you'll need a thick skin to survive in EVE (but then, everyone does) and whatever you do, please complete the entire tutorial, do not skip it for any reason. (do it twice even)
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Ok well I got the 21 day trial downloading right now. So I guess the only question i have left is. What world or server or whatever should i join and, can someone send a guild invite so I can get some help when i get to start playing?
OK, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you're going to last. EVE is a game that requires reading and research to truly get a good grasp of, and so far I'm not detecting that you enjoy these activities.
But to answer your questions, EVE only has one universe, one of its key selling points and not knowing this isn't a good sign that you are prepared to join it.
Also, they are called Corporations, not guilds and were you to ask such a question, even in the new player channel you might expect to be flamed pretty hard. Seriously. please read the new player guide I referenced in my earlier post because I just see you being eaten alive by the playerbase.
But on that note, I recommend you look to join EVE University (you'll have to Google it yourself I'm afraid, or ask in game) as they are very patient with new players and you are likely to gain maximum enjoyment from the game.
Good luck, I think you'll need a thick skin to survive in EVE (but then, everyone does) and whatever you do, please complete the entire tutorial, do not skip it for any reason. (do it twice even)
I planed on reading more into it when it comes time to start the game. I've been messing around right now and, I got the eve.U. link already from a before post lol.
I downloaded and played the trial and really liked it. I then jumped on some forums and started doign a little more research about it. The reocurring theme of "it will take you 4-6months to be competitive....." kept popping up. I decided I'm not waiting 4-6months to be competitive in anything. What is I get to the end of those months and decide I hate it?
Bottom line, I'm not going to gamble 4-6 months away too see if I end up liking a game or not. If all I do is build my ship for 4-6months before I can really dig into the game, I'm not doing it.
"Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it."
I downloaded and played the trial and really liked it. I then jumped on some forums and started doign a little more research about it. The reocurring theme of "it will take you 4-6months to be competitive....." kept popping up. I decided I'm not waiting 4-6months to be competitive in anything. What is I get to the end of those months and decide I hate it? Bottom line, I'm not going to gamble 4-6 months away too see if I end up liking a game or not. If all I do is build my ship for 4-6months before I can really dig into the game, I'm not doing it.
After reading that I'm pretty sure you made the right choice not hanging around.
I downloaded and played the trial and really liked it. I then jumped on some forums and started doign a little more research about it. The reocurring theme of "it will take you 4-6months to be competitive....." kept popping up. I decided I'm not waiting 4-6months to be competitive in anything. What is I get to the end of those months and decide I hate it? Bottom line, I'm not going to gamble 4-6 months away too see if I end up liking a game or not. If all I do is build my ship for 4-6months before I can really dig into the game, I'm not doing it.
Not trying to be a rude person but, what does that have to do with any of my questions?
Plus I think I'll be able to find other things to do while waiting to be competitive lol.
I downloaded and played the trial and really liked it. I then jumped on some forums and started doign a little more research about it. The reocurring theme of "it will take you 4-6months to be competitive....." kept popping up. I decided I'm not waiting 4-6months to be competitive in anything. What is I get to the end of those months and decide I hate it? Bottom line, I'm not going to gamble 4-6 months away too see if I end up liking a game or not. If all I do is build my ship for 4-6months before I can really dig into the game, I'm not doing it.
Not trying to be a rude person but, what does that have to do with any of my questions?
Plus I think I'll be able to find other things to do while waiting to be competitive lol.
This is exactly the right attitude to have. All this "4-6 months to be competitive" bullshit makes me sick. Dont worry about whether other people have more SP or bigger ships. Sure, most will be able to beat you 1v1, but that's pretty much irrelevant, because 1v1 combat is rare. What matters is that you're able to do stuff. And you can; all you have to do is get out there and do it.
You advance your character by playing the game. You win EvE by doing stuff, not by cowering in Empire, endlessly training skills you'll never use.
I downloaded and played the trial and really liked it. I then jumped on some forums and started doign a little more research about it. The reocurring theme of "it will take you 4-6months to be competitive....." kept popping up. I decided I'm not waiting 4-6months to be competitive in anything. What is I get to the end of those months and decide I hate it? Bottom line, I'm not going to gamble 4-6 months away too see if I end up liking a game or not. If all I do is build my ship for 4-6months before I can really dig into the game, I'm not doing it.
Not trying to be a rude person but, what does that have to do with any of my questions?
Plus I think I'll be able to find other things to do while waiting to be competitive lol.
This is exactly the right attitude to have. All this "4-6 months to be competitive" bullshit makes me sick. Dont worry about whether other people have more SP or bigger ships. Sure, most will be able to beat you 1v1, but that's pretty much irrelevant, because 1v1 combat is rare. What matters is that you're able to do stuff. And you can; all you have to do is get out there and do it.
You advance your character by playing the game. You win EvE by doing stuff, not by cowering in Empire, endlessly training skills you'll never use.
Yeah I planned on finding some friends and, learn a little about the game and, then making money some how lol. Thinking about becoming a pirate or something I dunno yet.
either lying or doesn't do well with math. I was the only one on at the time and so with my battleship I took on their fleet of one battleship, a couple cruisers, and a couple frigates. I wiped the floor with them. Now, did that happen because I was some kind of awesome
Eve badass? Hardly. I was an average player at best. And while it certainly helped that I had that sector well mapped out with jump points for ambush, sniping and retreat, the fact is they just didn't have the (character) skills to take out a character with four years of skill training time.
Originally posted by rodingo
Statements like these are complete BS and show a complete lack of understanding of the game. What you suggest isn't even possible. There is no player in the game, no matter how many skills they have, in a single BS that isn't a sitting duck for a group of six month old players in frigs and cruisers. They would completely rape the BS every time. The only way this wouldn't happen is if they just stopped in space and said shoot me. lol
Several 6 month players in badly fit BS's VS 1 seasoned vet maybe but that's not what you said.
Younger players should be flying frigs and cruiser (not BS's) and all the skills you mention only need to be at 4 to be extremely deadly, and that only takes a couple of days.
This post simply suffers from the linear progression way of thinking that more and bigger is always better, and that is something EVE has never been about.
Frigs, cruiser, and stealth bombers can be trained up to a very deadly levels in a fairly short time, and the only thing that a newer player needs to take down a vet is courage and opportunity. Any EVE vet flying solo in a BS knows this well LOL.
What's funny is most EVE vets aren't flying solo in a BS for just this reason.
I downloaded and played the trial and really liked it. I then jumped on some forums and started doign a little more research about it. The reocurring theme of "it will take you 4-6months to be competitive....." kept popping up. I decided I'm not waiting 4-6months to be competitive in anything. What is I get to the end of those months and decide I hate it? Bottom line, I'm not going to gamble 4-6 months away too see if I end up liking a game or not. If all I do is build my ship for 4-6months before I can really dig into the game, I'm not doing it.
You'll need those 4-6 months to learn the game anyway, don't worry. EvE is not holding your hands permanently 'til you hit the tops. Dying in EvE is very painful at times (try losing a Kronos and you'll know what pain is). Making money and knowing how to do it well takes time.
Basically you have to learn what "fly only what you can afford to lose" really means. Preferably while it's still cheap to learn it. Which is basically during your first 4-6 months.
I've seen people suggest things like "Sell a Plex, buy some skills, train the character for a few months and play something else 'til your character is ready". Bad idea, IMO. Unless you're prepared to sell more and more Plex to cover your losses.
This said, and to add a bit to the main discussion, no, it's not too late to start. It's too late if you plan to become Mr. Awesome flying that huge mothership around. These things take literally YEARS of training to fly, and the people flying them today have been training for that for the last few years. And by the time you'd be ready to fly them, they're most likely outdated just like Battleships used to be the kings of the battlefield, which is no longer the case either. That does not mean that you will be obsolete and useless when you start today. Just like a modern day carrier fleet needs more than just an aircraft carrier to be operational and battle ready, an EvE fleet needs support (from smaller ships able to tackle and scouts to logistics ships that supply and support).
EvE is not a game of personal heroism. If you want to play it like that and become a one-man-army, to show off how awesome you are, then you're probably in for a big disappointment.
In addition to all the rest of the stuff in this thread there is one last thing to consider. There are plenty of newbs joining eve every day. Thus you wont have to wait 4 to 6 months to compete against the most advanced vets...there will be plenty of other newb targets available at even the 1st month after you get enough basic skills to fly a slightly advanced ship. That 6 to 8 month timeframe really only matters if you want to truly be a force in 0.0 space or something similiar. There are plenty of lesser roles you can do and as others have said it takes a while to learn the game in any case.
Although to break that newbie barrier it might be interesting if CCP gave players a newbie package when the game was converted from trial that would allow someone to automatically gain a list of low level skills to quicken that entry into the deeper levels of the game. Say a month or two worth of training.
Originally posted by StealthBomb One day a small corp, with an average of about 6 months' worth of character development per player, decided they were going to "clean up" that part of space and make it "safe". I was the only one on at the time and so with my battleship I took on their fleet of one battleship, a couple cruisers, and a couple frigates. I wiped the floor with them. Now, did that happen because I was some kind of awesome Eve badass? Hardly. I was an average player at best.
We can see solo PVP vids of this kind - taking on targets while heavily outnumbered.
This is not about skill points but simple because of lacking experience and FC with conjunction of extreme solo capabilities of some ships like Dominix.
If you engaged the same group piloted by veteran pilots who just were playing their alts, your chances would be much lower.
Comments
You will probably find after a while thoughts about catching up will disappear once you start to enjoy the social aspect of the game and have a number of goals to work towards.
Jam is sticky.
Minmatar.
Also, lol at the guy who doesnt see any need for tacklers.
Minmatar.
Also, lol at the guy who doesnt see any need for tacklers.
definitely, tacklers, doesnt matter if its a roam or a gatecamp, you need em, and minmatar have the best, claw = 5500 m/sec just what you need to catch all those other uppity inty pilots who think they got speed
yeah, im a minmatar and im definitely biaised....
but seriously, what other game out there can you start playing and within a short period of time be taking on and winning fights against players who have been around for years
Minmatar.
Also, lol at the guy who doesnt see any need for tacklers.
definitely, tacklers, doesnt matter if its a roam or a gatecamp, you need em, and minmatar have the best, claw = 5500 m/sec just what you need to catch all those other uppity inty pilots who think they got speed
yeah, im a minmatar and im definitely biaised....
but seriously, what other game out there can you start playing and within a short period of time be taking on and winning fights against players who have been around for years
Sorry to sound like a noob but, what are tacklers?
Ships that are role specific (interceptors) or a general ship, fit in such a way for you to lock an enemy fast with the end result of having a point and web on him rendering the ship less mobile and unable to warp so dps can come and gobble him up. It isn't always an inty or small ship, Gatecamps in particular will use more heavy duty tackle.
Jam is sticky.
Ok well I got the 21 day trial downloading right now. So I guess the only question i have left is. What world or server or whatever should i join and, can someone send a guild invite so I can get some help when i get to start playing?
All eve players are in the same universe, there are no seperate "realms" with the exception being the two test servers and the Chinese server. Join eve-university, a corporation set-up implicity to help new players and train them in various different aspects of the game.
This will also look attractive to whatever corp you apply to when and if you leave. Their official website is at http://www.eve-ivy.com/
One thing I am not sure of is if they accept trial accounts. If not I would still strongly recommended joining them once your trial finishes if you decide to stay on.
You can convo me in game if you have any other questions.
Jam is sticky.
About which race to play...
One thing to consider (and you might not be able to, since you haven't played yet) is agents. Many people will do agent missions to make cash to buy fancy new skills, gear, ammo, ships, etc. Some races (can't remember which), have high-level agents in high-security space, so you can do high-paying missions without getting ganked while fighting in your PvE ship. Other races only have high-level agents in low-security space.
This may not mean much to you now, but you may want to research around the web a bit, or ask around in-game before you get too set on a specific race. Might save you a bit of hassle in the long run. Of course, same holds true as for ships...you can MAKE your faction better with any race, and work up to L4 agents, but it's harder if you start out "on the wrong side" so to speak.
I'm gonna prolly go with minmatar or whatever they're called
My oldest character dates back to 2003 and I've done everything from innocent miner to merciless pirate.
Some people will (and have, I see) tell you no; it's not too late because you can become competetive in a short time. I disagree. The part these folks tend to gloss over is that in Eve, there is a huge difference between opening a door to a room and enjoying a comfy position on the sofa in that room.
Let me explain. It's true that in relatively short order you can gain access to powerful ships and weapons. However, what you will not have is all the other skills that maximize their potential. Simply qualifying for a given class of ship is not the same thing as having level 5 skills across the board in engineering, electronics, gunnery, and the other trees that squeeze more and more performance out of that ship and its equipment. So while you may have yourself a battleship that's just like mine, I have level 5 in every skill that could possibly affect the performance of the ship and its gear. We are therefore functionally, if not in fact, not flying the same ship at all.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or doesn't do well with math. X% more power here, Y% more damage there, Z% higher firing rate over there, N% higher damage resistance bonus over yonder... it certainly adds up to a tremendous advantage which is difficult to deny. All you have to do is examine the skill tree and break out a calculator, which is helpfully included in the UI.
Rather than engage in the theoretical, I'll just relate the short version of a day that actually happened.
For a time I was leading a small band of Wealth Redistribution Consultants. That is to say we took your stuff, sold it, and kept the money. One day a small corp, with an average of about 6 months' worth of character development per player, decided they were going to "clean up" that part of space and make it "safe". I was the only one on at the time and so with my battleship I took on their fleet of one battleship, a couple cruisers, and a couple frigates. I wiped the floor with them.
Now, did that happen because I was some kind of awesome
Eve badass? Hardly. I was an average player at best. And while it certainly helped that I had that sector well mapped out with jump points for ambush, sniping and retreat, the fact is they just didn't have the (character) skills to take out a character with four years of skill training time. They wanted to; they just couldn't. As the Stones said, time was on my side.
The only time this doesn't matter is when you're taking part in an enormous fleet battle, since they are won and lost at the whim of chaos and lag anyway.
Can you do interesting stuff even if you start today? Sure. And so what I recommend is that you try it anyway and determine for yourself if you enjoy playing the game. When you get down to it that's all that really matters. But if you're asking specifically about whether your guy born today would ever really be the equal of my guy born in 2003 and retired in 2007, then I would say sure -- in four years.
This is probably the best answer I have seen someone give with this commonly asked question. You give a good yes and no because you actually explain why and put it into perspective for the OP.
"If I offended you, you needed it" -Corey Taylor
OK, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you're going to last. EVE is a game that requires reading and research to truly get a good grasp of, and so far I'm not detecting that you enjoy these activities.
But to answer your questions, EVE only has one universe, one of its key selling points and not knowing this isn't a good sign that you are prepared to join it.
Also, they are called Corporations, not guilds and were you to ask such a question, even in the new player channel you might expect to be flamed pretty hard. Seriously. please read the new player guide I referenced in my earlier post because I just see you being eaten alive by the playerbase.
But on that note, I recommend you look to join EVE University (you'll have to Google it yourself I'm afraid, or ask in game) as they are very patient with new players and you are likely to gain maximum enjoyment from the game.
Good luck, I think you'll need a thick skin to survive in EVE (but then, everyone does) and whatever you do, please complete the entire tutorial, do not skip it for any reason. (do it twice even)
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
OK, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you're going to last. EVE is a game that requires reading and research to truly get a good grasp of, and so far I'm not detecting that you enjoy these activities.
But to answer your questions, EVE only has one universe, one of its key selling points and not knowing this isn't a good sign that you are prepared to join it.
Also, they are called Corporations, not guilds and were you to ask such a question, even in the new player channel you might expect to be flamed pretty hard. Seriously. please read the new player guide I referenced in my earlier post because I just see you being eaten alive by the playerbase.
But on that note, I recommend you look to join EVE University (you'll have to Google it yourself I'm afraid, or ask in game) as they are very patient with new players and you are likely to gain maximum enjoyment from the game.
Good luck, I think you'll need a thick skin to survive in EVE (but then, everyone does) and whatever you do, please complete the entire tutorial, do not skip it for any reason. (do it twice even)
I planed on reading more into it when it comes time to start the game. I've been messing around right now and, I got the eve.U. link already from a before post lol.
I downloaded and played the trial and really liked it. I then jumped on some forums and started doign a little more research about it. The reocurring theme of "it will take you 4-6months to be competitive....." kept popping up. I decided I'm not waiting 4-6months to be competitive in anything. What is I get to the end of those months and decide I hate it?
Bottom line, I'm not going to gamble 4-6 months away too see if I end up liking a game or not. If all I do is build my ship for 4-6months before I can really dig into the game, I'm not doing it.
"Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it."
After reading that I'm pretty sure you made the right choice not hanging around.
Jam is sticky.
Not trying to be a rude person but, what does that have to do with any of my questions?
Plus I think I'll be able to find other things to do while waiting to be competitive lol.
You don't see the conneciton? really?
I was stating why it was too late for me, who was a new player for a few weeks, to start.
"Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it."
Your whole "to late for me" part I was asking for myself not you lol.
Not trying to be a rude person but, what does that have to do with any of my questions?
Plus I think I'll be able to find other things to do while waiting to be competitive lol.
This is exactly the right attitude to have. All this "4-6 months to be competitive" bullshit makes me sick. Dont worry about whether other people have more SP or bigger ships. Sure, most will be able to beat you 1v1, but that's pretty much irrelevant, because 1v1 combat is rare. What matters is that you're able to do stuff. And you can; all you have to do is get out there and do it.
You advance your character by playing the game. You win EvE by doing stuff, not by cowering in Empire, endlessly training skills you'll never use.
Give me liberty or give me lasers
Not trying to be a rude person but, what does that have to do with any of my questions?
Plus I think I'll be able to find other things to do while waiting to be competitive lol.
This is exactly the right attitude to have. All this "4-6 months to be competitive" bullshit makes me sick. Dont worry about whether other people have more SP or bigger ships. Sure, most will be able to beat you 1v1, but that's pretty much irrelevant, because 1v1 combat is rare. What matters is that you're able to do stuff. And you can; all you have to do is get out there and do it.
You advance your character by playing the game. You win EvE by doing stuff, not by cowering in Empire, endlessly training skills you'll never use.
Yeah I planned on finding some friends and, learn a little about the game and, then making money some how lol. Thinking about becoming a pirate or something I dunno yet.
Yarr!
Give me liberty or give me lasers
Statements like these are complete BS and show a complete lack of understanding of the game. What you suggest isn't even possible. There is no player in the game, no matter how many skills they have, in a single BS that isn't a sitting duck for a group of six month old players in frigs and cruisers. They would completely rape the BS every time. The only way this wouldn't happen is if they just stopped in space and said shoot me. lol
Several 6 month players in badly fit BS's VS 1 seasoned vet maybe but that's not what you said.
Younger players should be flying frigs and cruiser (not BS's) and all the skills you mention only need to be at 4 to be extremely deadly, and that only takes a couple of days.
This post simply suffers from the linear progression way of thinking that more and bigger is always better, and that is something EVE has never been about.
Frigs, cruiser, and stealth bombers can be trained up to a very deadly levels in a fairly short time, and the only thing that a newer player needs to take down a vet is courage and opportunity. Any EVE vet flying solo in a BS knows this well LOL.
What's funny is most EVE vets aren't flying solo in a BS for just this reason.
You'll need those 4-6 months to learn the game anyway, don't worry. EvE is not holding your hands permanently 'til you hit the tops. Dying in EvE is very painful at times (try losing a Kronos and you'll know what pain is). Making money and knowing how to do it well takes time.
Basically you have to learn what "fly only what you can afford to lose" really means. Preferably while it's still cheap to learn it. Which is basically during your first 4-6 months.
I've seen people suggest things like "Sell a Plex, buy some skills, train the character for a few months and play something else 'til your character is ready". Bad idea, IMO. Unless you're prepared to sell more and more Plex to cover your losses.
This said, and to add a bit to the main discussion, no, it's not too late to start. It's too late if you plan to become Mr. Awesome flying that huge mothership around. These things take literally YEARS of training to fly, and the people flying them today have been training for that for the last few years. And by the time you'd be ready to fly them, they're most likely outdated just like Battleships used to be the kings of the battlefield, which is no longer the case either. That does not mean that you will be obsolete and useless when you start today. Just like a modern day carrier fleet needs more than just an aircraft carrier to be operational and battle ready, an EvE fleet needs support (from smaller ships able to tackle and scouts to logistics ships that supply and support).
EvE is not a game of personal heroism. If you want to play it like that and become a one-man-army, to show off how awesome you are, then you're probably in for a big disappointment.
In addition to all the rest of the stuff in this thread there is one last thing to consider. There are plenty of newbs joining eve every day. Thus you wont have to wait 4 to 6 months to compete against the most advanced vets...there will be plenty of other newb targets available at even the 1st month after you get enough basic skills to fly a slightly advanced ship. That 6 to 8 month timeframe really only matters if you want to truly be a force in 0.0 space or something similiar. There are plenty of lesser roles you can do and as others have said it takes a while to learn the game in any case.
Although to break that newbie barrier it might be interesting if CCP gave players a newbie package when the game was converted from trial that would allow someone to automatically gain a list of low level skills to quicken that entry into the deeper levels of the game. Say a month or two worth of training.
If you go with Minmatar, be carefull what path you take since some of their ships use shields or armor as their defense.
Armor:
Rifter - Wolf - Rupture - Hurricane - Typhoon
Shield:
Jaguar(I strongly recommend as starting T2 ship) - Bellicose - Cyclone - Maelstrom
All have their pros and cons but important is to pick one ship you want to fly, preferably smaller and/or T1, and focus on getting all related skils.
We can see solo PVP vids of this kind - taking on targets while heavily outnumbered.
This is not about skill points but simple because of lacking experience and FC with conjunction of extreme solo capabilities of some ships like Dominix.
If you engaged the same group piloted by veteran pilots who just were playing their alts, your chances would be much lower.